enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

Following the Map

Over the past few years, I have collected many maps. We’ve moved quite often, and maps have become one of my first purchases in a new town. Regardless of how many maps I have, however, I still find myself lost. I contribute getting lost to two factors. First, I sometimes do not understand the map. Second, I sometimes depend on others in the car to lead me. After thinking about this map “theory,” I started applying it to my spiritual life and realized that I do the same thing with the map God has given me for my life: the Bible. Like any tourist, when I don’t understand the Bible, I ... 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

Forgiving Perfect

About a year ago, I discovered something about my grandmother that I could not believe. She had done something in her past that had affected my family, especially my mother. As children, we grow up thinking that our grandparents are these perfect people. They love each other, they play with us and they never tell us to eat all our vegetables. Grandparents are the “fun” parents. I remember thinking that my grandma was probably the sweetest lady in the whole world. She was so loving and caring. But, about a year ago, my views of her changed. I began to realize that things were not necessarily ... Read the Post

My Girl Scout Leader

My old Girl Scout leader, Kathy, was in her final season of life. For years she’d nurtured young girls like me, instilling important lessons about life while teaching us to find joy in simple things, like building a campfire, tying knots, baking cookies and watching birds. At her knee I learned how to transform a bar of soap or two small medicine cups into a beautiful ornament for my mother. She was also a longtime, devoted member of the little church I grew up in. She taught Sunday school, baked sweets for Vacation Bible School, and sent words of encouragement to members and missionaries ... Read the Post

Godly Women Drink Coffee

Recently, I attended a very special prayer breakfast. I was invited to pray with some of the most precious women of God while we shared a cup of coffee. Now I’m not a coffee drinker, so I was at a bit of a loss. All of the prayer warriors had mugs of a sweet smelling Hawaiian brew, so I decided to give it a try. If this is what godly women did, I must participate! We eventually moved to the living room, stood in a circle, held hands and began praying. Their hearts opened up and spilled out praises and petitions before the Lord, and I was humbled. These were truly rare gems that God was ... Read the Post