Yesterday morning I wrote a blogpost and had stimulating conversation with my college-age son. I waited till the outside temperature crept slowly up to just under 55 degrees Fahrenheit then donned a fleece sweatshirt and a jacket and went out to work in the nonsunny garden. It felt very satisfying to get that 4-pack of… Read More Day 179- Thankful for fellowship with friends, family, and God
A few days ago I ran a few errands that were necessary, like picking up my daughter’s meds at the pharmacy and buying a few groceries. I left the car running when I went into the grocery store, and when I came back out, I got in and sat down in the driver’s seat. My… Read More Day 151- Thankful for routine and for new discoveries
When I came home from an extended mission trip, life falling apart, I started feeling my need for support from other praying people. Every time I would drive by the sign for a certain church that I had never visited before, something in my spirit would jump with hope. So, I decided to check it… Read More Day 30 of 365 Days of Thanks – Thankful for faithful prayer partners
This morning I had the joy and privilege of translating the testimony of a brother in Christ from French to English in front of the whole church! This brother is from Togo, so he speaks at least one African language plus French, and he is learning English as well. Translating like this is something that… Read More Today’s International Worship
Lord, I Thank You for this day, for my family and friends, for our home, and for a car that runs every time I try to start it. Thank You for clean water and grocery stores full of fresh produce and all the food we need to be healthy. Lord, sometimes we take all Your… Read More Worship with me #58
Welcome to Worship with me! Would you join me in praying this prayer? Oh Lord, You are my Lord and my God, and I will seek You earnestly. When I rise up in the morning, You are there! As I walk through each day, You are with me! And as I yawn away those last… Read More Worship with me #46
Everybody who has experienced grief grieves in a different way. There is no one-size-fits-all grief plan, “How to Grieve 101”. When I became a single parent of three, the grief was intense. But I had to push through and start a new life in a new (yet not-so-new) place. I remember, on occasion, wiping tears… Read More Slow Grief
Demons hanging in the rafters Darkness hides their raucous laughter Cackling up there hideously At the humble on his knees. Lurking, waiting in the eaves To attack the heart that grieves, “Let’s get him while he’s down,” they say, “Before he actually starts to pray.” And in the adjoining chamber Conspire conniving fellows three Plotting… Read More Rescue
Today I thought I’d mix it up a bit. Sometimes, when we want to worship God, it seems like there is something in the way. I’ve made up a sample prayer of confession and used it for a long time; going through this prayer helps me without fail to return to that open communication with… Read More Confession is Part of Worship
You know that feeling when you’re really tired, but it’s a good tired because there was joy in the journey? That’s kind of how I feel tonight. But it’s not because I had a trouble-free day. Rather, it is because I felt the Presence of the Lord God with me all day, helping me and… Read More When God’s Presence is Evident
Dear Lord, Thank You so much for friendships, the new and the old! Thank You for how we can understand each other, cheer each other on, encourage each other, and pray for each other. Thank You for the good times of sharing our hearts deeply and for the lightheartedness of having fun together. Thank You… Read More Worship with me #25
Hello! Welcome to Worship with me! If you’ve been joining with me every week, I’ve enjoyed so much these times together! And if you’re joining me for the first time, I’m so glad you’re here, too! Please feel free to pray this prayer with me, adding to it anything the Lord lays on your heart… Read More Worship with me #23
Hello! Welcome to week seven of Worship with me! One of my greatest joys in life is the opportunity to approach the throne of God together with others to worship the Lord! There have been times where we have entered a time of prayer, frazzled by our overwhelmingly impossible problems, but as we worshipped God… Read More Worship with me #7
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, they say, And Lord, You’re my Beholder every day! And I’m beautiful to You, Beautiful to You. You look at me from up on high, And by Your Spirit You draw nigh. And I’m beautiful to You, Beautiful to You. It doesn’t matter what others say. What… Read More I’m Beautiful to You
Last week we started this new series, a concert of praise that we can lift up to the Lord together. The following prayer of worship was originally published on this blog here. Even if you don’t feel like worshiping right now, I encourage you to pray this prayer, believing it to be true, and see… Read More Worship with me #2
Titus 3:7 (The Voice) “All of this happened so that through His grace we would be accepted into God’s covenant family and appointed to be His heirs, full of the hope that comes from knowing you have eternal life.” Accepted. Child of God. Loved unconditionally. Provided for now and forever! That’s what we now have… Read More No More Orphan Mentality
I remember when my son was a baby, his favorite toys were those with buttons to push; he would push the button, and the toy would do something or say something. He loved it that he could cause something to happen, something exciting! Now I see a whole culture of children and adults constantly pushing… Read More Push buttons, Power Sources, and Prayer
I can no longer move forward quite like I need to; I guess I’ve forgotten what the Lord and I agreed to, Forgotten the warnings that I should take heed to—- And, oh dear, oh my, what this just might lead to! I don’t always know just what could have caused it, But it’s surely… Read More Arthritis of the Soul
When I go to all the trouble to write down what’s on my heart, it can sometimes be disappointing to find that very few people take the time to read what I’ve written. I know people are busy; I’m busy too. We have to choose how we are going to spend our time, and sometimes… Read More God’s “Blog”
So, I’m praising the Lord that I survived another October. It’s a long story for another time. I felt so much spiritual attack that I had no desire to write anything. But, praise God, November 1st I woke up ready to write again! Anyway, on Halloween night, my youngest daughter and I participated in a… Read More Unwise Exchange – Tame vs. Lame
Dear Jesus, When You were here on this earth, You had special followers who walked with You every day. They saw You do miracles but still struggled with unbelief because they lacked understanding. When You asked them how you all were going to buy bread for the 5,000+ people, Philip resorted to logic, and Andrew… Read More From Fish-filled to Faith-filled
This morning my husband and I went to see War Room at the theater. That’s a big deal for us. We usually wait for the movie to come out on DVD, but not this time. We heard that this was a great movie, a must see! And having seen it now, I must say that… Read More War Room prayer
About four years ago our family had a charity yard sale on a hot day in July. The Lord had blessed us with a good number of customers, and so we had done well. But I persevered into the afternoon hours in spite of the heat. The reason for that is because I find that… Read More Be Still
