The Journey

How long will you slumber?  The whispered words from Heaven sent a jolt through my spirit as a blaring alarm clock in the early hours of the morning. I sat bolt upright in my bed feeling a divine transformation taking place in the very depths of my being.  It's time to get up! There is work to do. I cannot tell you how many times in the past few months I have absolutely whined about  everything . In part because I have been suspended in the mire of complacency, living an unimpressive life wandering about in an uninspiring, unproductive, lackadaisical spiritual walk.  Feeling  trapped in circumstances out of my control while being rocked by the waves of indecision and doubt and self-degradation, I had been lulled to sleep. I was not trapped. I was stalled. Body, mind, and spirit. Paused. I cannot tell you how many times in the past few months I have absolutely whined about  everything . In part because I have been suspended in the mire of complacency...

I did the oddest thing the other day leaving my house to get my girls from school. We have a little laundry room that leads out to our garage. In my hurried state, I closed the door from the living room to the laundry room on one end before opening the door that leads to the garage on the other end or at the very least turning on the light. So, I found myself standing in pitch-black darkness. My reaction was to close my eyes. Only a few steps from the light switch, I stood there with eyes closed a slight feeling of panic creeping into my gut. Then, I laughed at myself. Out loud, for real. What an odd thing to do. "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness..." ~John 8:12   En route to the school still amused by my reaction, it occurred to me that though I closed my eyes I was still very much in darkness. Eureka! Talk about a light bulb moment! You see, I stood there in my circumstance not wanting to see that I was alone in the dark,...

I read recently that 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft. Sixty million. Here is some perspective. The state of California, the most populous state in the U.S., has a recorded population for 2018 of just under 40 million. Victims of identity theft have reported feelings of loss, devastation, stress, anxiety, fear, and thoughts of suicide. Now, there are 240 million Christians in the U.S. as is documented by Wikipedia. How many of the 240 million would you guess has suffered from some form of identity theft? Consider Jeremiah 1:5 which tell us before we were conceived, we already had an identity. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." Source Unknown As I look back over my life, there is a definitive pattern of morphing from one personality into another.  Through subtle undertones or blatant criticisms, I allowed others to not only take my identity but to obliterate it. I experienced those same emotions of devastation, stress, anxiety, fear, and so...

Life is simply hard sometimes. It can be messy and that is okay for out of adversity comes strength. Right? We build faith muscles along the way. Often, though, we tend to take up residence in the mess. We wallow. Or maybe, we find ourselves blindsided and disoriented and it takes time to get our bearings before we can manage to claw our way out of the mire. Then, there are times when someone comes along and throws us a rope. Don't you get tired of that feeling? I do. I have prayed for several years now that God would reveal himself to me. I want to know Him for myself. Not what I am taught in church or what others say about who He is. I want to truly walk boldly and honestly before God the way He intends and be who He created me to be. Recently, I read in the biblical book of Romans that God makes His invisible qualities visible in the things He made. If we look, we can see God everywhere! The spiritual revealed in the natural. Did you know that in the Bible, trees are often ...

Photo by Ben White I believe one of the most daunting things in my Christian journey is the art of being real, not with others, but with myself and with my Creator. This morning, a remarkably simple scripture sprung from the page and threw darts at my unsuspecting heart. Genesis 2:25 speaks of the time immediately following Eve's entrance into the Garden of Eden. It is written, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Wow! Many times, I have felt completely exposed in the presence of my King, but very few are the times I felt unashamed. Usually, I just want to run for cover as Adam and Eve did and hide behind the cloak of denial and feigned ignorance. Not wanting to admit difficulty with those besetting sins that continue to trip us up--gluttony, anorexia, jealousy, inadequacy, rejection, pride, insecurity, arrogance, vanity, alcoholism, drug abuse, or even standing in judgment of those who clearly do not have it all together, not by our standard...

Photo by Casey Horner Every morning on our way to school, the girls and I take advantage of the time to pray. Our morning prayers differ somewhat from bedtime prayers in that we are preparing for the day ahead of us. Scripture tells us our steps are ordered by God. So, I like to start each day with our hearts and minds open to His instruction so we may hear Him as He gently guides us throughout the day. The long days are not as daunting when you know God is with you every step of the way and that his favor and protection go with you wherever you go. Lately, the resounding phrase "to be a light shining in the darkness" has taken up residence in my mind and has stirred my heart so much so that we are sure to pray that over our lives before ending our prayers. On the way to school this morning, I was reminded of the very first words of the Bible in Genesis 1:1-4. I learned to recite these verses in the King James version when I was a young child. The passage reads: "In t...

Photo by Kent Pilcher Over the past few months, I have been battling my way through some of those "fiery trials" the Bible speaks of...the past 6 years, really, but there have been seasons of reprieve. Lately, the battle has been to test my faith. Things I never wanted to happen, did happen. Things I prayed would never be an issue, were suddenly an issue. Things I thought I had surely overcome by now were rearing their ugly heads, and things I never knew were in my heart spewed out of my mouth! God, where are You? In a world fraught with lies and dishonesty, a man's word has lost its value. A handshake is merely a means to solidify a deception. We have become a nation that has to see to believe. Show me; only then will I believe you. Unfortunately, our reliance on God has been tainted by our inability to trust mankind. We compare Him to a once godly society that has gone awry. In John 20:29, Jesus told Thomas (aka doubting Thomas), "...because you have seen me, yo...

Photo by: Nikolas Noonan "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."  Proverbs 10:25 After a natural storm subsides, there is always a cleanup process.  The same is true in life, in circumstances that seem as tumultuous as tornadoes.  Much like the force of destructive cyclones, we have been through whirlwinds of hardships, heartaches, death, grief, and devastating loss that has broken lives and scattered debris.  With our houses obliterated, our trees uprooted, our lives upended, we sit in the eerie silence that follows trying to regain some semblance of control.  We take a deep breath, put on our tall, rubber boots, and begin sifting through the muddy gunk left behind.  Within days, and sometimes even within hours, we find the clouds have moved out, and the sun is shining on the remaining vegetation generously watered by the drenching rain allowing spurts of new growth.  The birds are chirping, and a...