It was a God moment. Occurring during a simple conversation, no fireworks or miracles present and yet, it was pivotal for us both. On a long over due lunch date with my sweet sister friend, we let down our walls, opened up about our real life struggles, and spoke from our hearts. As I was sharing with her my recent difficulties, I discussed what I believe is the God lesson I am currently saturated in…. learning to live in the present. Maybe to you that sounds like a fairly simple task, after all we are beings that do not travel back in time, nor do we leap into the future…at least not physically. But our thoughts seem to all together have different time traveling abilities. Even though we physically live in the present, in this very current moment, our minds spend the present dwelling on the past and being fearful
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“22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed Because His compassions fail not, 23 They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) I’ve heard it said that, “There are a thousand things that God is doing  every time something painful happens to you. Most of these you do not know or understand, just as Job, Joseph, and Esther did not know what God was doing in their losses.” What would have happened if they didn’t recognize the brand new mercies of God in the midst of their pain and in the things that they didn’t understand as to why they were happening in their lives. What if Job in losing everything didn’t trust in the mercies of God? Would he have been blessed? What if Joseph, in the hurt of being sold by his brothers into slavery, falsely accused by his master’s wife, and thrown into prison, held onto
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One of the first gifts my husband gave me was a suitcase.  I remember unwrapping it, not knowing what it would be, even though the shape and size should have given it away.  He is a pilot, so I suppose a new suitcase is a gift I should have expected! While it really was a nice suitcase, I immediately thought it must be my ‘carry-on bag’, something to put a few extra things in while the majority of my luggage is packed in a larger bag. This bag was great!  It had wheels and a cool pull-up handle…but it was just so small. I had always used a bigger suitcase, one that could hold whatever I might need. It was easy to pack a big suitcase. I could throw in anything I might need no matter the destination, a big bag could hold it all. With a smaller bag, I
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No, I didn’t use a swear word or rant and rave like a maniac. But, for most of my life I have had people say things to me that took me off guard and I didn’t know what to say in response. Afterwards, I could think of a hundred things I wished I had said but it was too late. Then, just like Kathleen Kelly told Joe Fox in the movie You’ve Got Mail, it happened to me… “I was able, for the first time in my life to say the exact thing I wanted to say at the exact moment I wanted to say it. And, of course, afterwards, I felt terrible, just as you said I would.”   Have you been there?   People today are expressing themselves in ways and on levels they never have before. Social media now allows individuals to toss verbal grenades while multitudes
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“Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come.” (NKJV)  Proverbs 31:25 Proverbs 31 is a passage that many of us are familiar with. When I read it, I feel like I can almost picture this woman in my head. And at times, I have somebody in mind when I read these verses. When I read verse 25, I could see in front of me a woman sitting tall with a quiet strength and confidence. She has the posture of one who is very well-respected and you can tell she carries wisdom before she even speaks a word. Perhaps you have someone in mind as well. It has come to my attention that this verse does not mean what we think it does. It may seem very forthright, however, when you look deeper, you see that there is so much more to it. Reading that single verse
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There have been many times in my life, where I have been abruptly interrupted and thrown into a state of trepidation. Moments where I have gone from enjoying a peaceful day, awaking from a restful slumber, or even celebrating a joyous event, only to be thrust into the reality of a devastating blow. An email informing me of my employment separation, a doctor telling me of a difficult diagnosis, encountering the presence of a vile perpetrator, and worse of all, a phone call . . . the kind that everyone fears, from a tearful, grieving loved one, with unexpected heartbreaking news. I have experienced them all. Each traumatic event, each with its own unique impact and pains. And yet my response to them all was the same. SHOCK. FEAR. DEVASTATION. When shook by such intense emotions, my body, mind, and spirit are too overwhelmed to handle life’s unexpected moments, and
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We can all struggle with the tendency to become annoyed with people.  Little nuances like; how a person chews, clicks that pen in a meeting, drives, or whistles all day long can make you feel like someone is running their nails on an old fashioned chalkboard. As Christians, we strive to keep our cool, and keep ourselves in check. We know we are to “love our neighbor as our self” (Matt. 19:19), but some days, frankly, that can seem far reaching. We know we should “value others above ourselves” (Phil. 2:3), but it’s just that it! It is our “self” that gets in the way, where selfishness can take over, pushing the other person’s needs and desires aside. I came across a verse when reading in Philippians one day.  It may have been one we have all glossed over in the past. An introductory phrase, yet, I know that every
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