I was sitting at my computer a few weeks ago, typing an email that would be going out to several people. Knowing that emails can sometimes be misconstrued due to the lack of emotion (or in my case, sarcasm) that we’re able to transport via Internet, I sought out a trusted “proof-reader.” I called my friend and said, “Listen to this and tell me if you think it sounds okay.” She listened and when I was done she said, “You might want to delete that last line.” We laughed about it when I realized how it might come across to the others, and I, of course, erased the last line of my email. But ... Read the Post
Don't Shrink Back
We strive to use our gifts and talents for the Lord and give Him our best until something difficult happens to cause us to stumble: we see someone with a “better” gift pass us by. We start to feel insecure and stuck. It’s one of the enemy’s most common tactics. We compare. We don’t mean to do it, but so many times we give in and allow ourselves to begin to dig the pit. You know the pit. It’s the “I’m not good enough; I’m not talented enough; I’m not spiritual enough; I’m not outgoing enough; I’m not (fill in the blank) enough PIT!” This thought process spirals into the next phase called, ... Read the Post
Exercise
Exercise. Just the word makes me tired! It brings to mind thoughts of hard work and slow progress. It reminds me that I ought to be on that treadmill I begged my husband for and now serves as a “catch-all” in the corner of our bedroom! Unfortunately, my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak! Isn’t that the way it is with anything that is significant in our lives? It takes effort and discipline to maintain our physical health. Interestingly enough, it also takes effort and discipline to maintain our spiritual health. I know this to be true for myself, but I’m not the first to figure it ... Read the Post
Generation to Generation
Recently I attended a women’s event at the church I grew up in. I was surrounded by women that had impacted my life and influenced my decision for Christ. It’s been many years since I shared a time of spiritual growth with these ladies and yet, it was as if no time had passed at all. These women invested in me. They taught me the principles of God’s word, not just in Sunday School classes, but through their daily lives. I watched one trust God for provision when her husband became unemployed for many months. I watched one cling to the Comforter in the loss of her teenage son. I watched one ... Read the Post
Girl Trip
Last weekend I went to Austin, Texas, on a “Girl Trip." Fourteen women ministry gals (5 were pregnant) crammed into a 15-passenger rental van on our way to a conference that would inspire us to step-up our pursuit of the Living God. But as inspirational as the conference might have been, the sweetest part of the entire trip was the fellowship. It was six round-trip hours of endless chatter, trading seats, diet tips, and laughter...lots of laughter. Some of the girls had known each other for quite some time and some had just met. It didn’t matter. God had orchestrated this field trip in such ... Read the Post