Look at God!
My sister and I made a few adjustments to our schedules, got the green light from our husbands and off we went. A four and a half hour road trip to Houston to encourage our friend, Shyni. Her father (I call him Uncle) had been in the hospital and our friend was going through a bit of a rough time. But by the time we reached his home in Houston, Shyni’s father had made a miraculous recovery! In fact, before we could put our bags down, Uncle began to share his testimony with us and all that the Lord had
Beauty in My Chaos
I love Christmas. (I know it's April, but bear with me!) I am usually ready to start decorating the house in October- as soon as the first flash of cold breeze hits. My husband has a hard and fast rule that we don't decorate until after Thanksgiving, and since I need his muscles to drag the tree out, I abide. So, the Friday after Thanksgiving, I am like an eager puppy waiting for all the treasures to be pulled out of storage. Growing up, we didn't have a Christmas tree for a long time, and when we finally did, it
Traits of a Godly Leader
Humility Empathy Patience Self-reflection Wisdom That’s quite a list, isn’t it? For the past ten years, I have seen these traits evident in our visionary, Anu. In fact, these are among the many traits that have made her an amazing leader to our ministry team. Let’s face it: leading a team, especially one comprised of women, is no small feat. Everyone has different ideas. And everyone has their own way of doing things. But we have seen how Anu prayerfully seeks the Lord for a plan, shares it with our team, hears our thoughts, and prayerfully hands it back to
Stay on the Path
As a child I hated hearing that word “obey”. When my parents used it, I felt like they were trying to hold something back from me and control me. It felt unfair. It felt like something I wanted to rebel from. But as I grew older, I saw that my parents were actually loving and protecting me. My immature mind could not see it. But as an adult with children of my own, I completely understand why obedience is necessary. As I am reading through the Old Testament, so far I continue to see a common theme throughout. God is
A Team Huddle
The photo you see wasn’t planned or staged. In fact, my husband’s parents didn’t realize I was even taking a picture. They were staying with us the week of Thanksgiving, and when I walked out of my bedroom each morning, THIS is what I saw. A team huddle. I am not an athlete. Never have been, probably never will be. But as a mother of two boys who lived, breathed and played basketball from first to twelfth grade, I have noticed one thing- every game started and ended with a team huddle. In the huddle, the coach would go over
Wise words
We were sitting in the back row of the church, deep in conversation. Since service had ended about an hour prior, the pews had emptied out and it was just the two of us. I was in my early 20's and she was in her early 80's. A sweet, beautiful woman with gray and black hair and deep brownish gray eyes. She was encouraging me to find a husband. I told her I was trying. I was not offended at all. In fact, I was so used to the, "So when are getting married?" question that I had a list
He Stands at the Door and Knocks
In reading the book of Revelation recently, I was struck by a verse I have read so many times before. But this time it hit differently. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20 NIV) To give a little context here, Jesus is talking to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation. He didn’t mince words when he spoke to each church specifically - pointing out the good and also where they needed
Trust Transforms
As I look at this picture of my firstborn as a toddler, a flood of memories comes back. My greatest challenge as a parent in that season was navigating between dependence and independence. In my eyes, she was just a baby. Therefore, I felt inclined to do everything for her while she resolved that she was a big girl and determined to do everything herself. I was overwhelmed with worrisome thoughts: What if she dropped something? What if she got hurt? What if she made a mess? Then, the thought hit me: how would I even know if I didn’t
Intentionality
As I made my way to work over the last several months, I came across a billboard that was borderline inappropriate. When I knew the sign was coming up, I made a conscious effort to avert my eyes to avoid looking at it. It wasn't easy because it was a catchy ad, strategically placed near MY exit, and the sign was massive. The marketers knew what they were doing. If I wasn't intentional, I could easily get drawn into the message behind it- and it's not a good one. Most days, I'm exhausted after work with dinner preparation looming
Trusting Him
I vividly remember a season of my life when I had a real crisis. During this season I fasted, I prayed, I came into agreement with God’s word and with others, and I went to every prayer meeting and Bible study there was. I really believed God’s word, and I had a faith that could move mountains. I don’t think there was anything that I did not do to try to get my prayers answered. But God did not answer me in the way that I had hoped. During that season I had a decision to make. Was God still
