You're Invited

Sometimes God calls us to do things we feel unqualified to do. In fact, in my life, that seems to be the norm. I’ve never felt exceptionally qualified to do much of what He leads me to, and honestly, that has probably been a good thing. Pride can rear its ugly head when we begin thinking we can handle everything on our own.

For quite a long time I have felt God preparing the way for me to share the stories He has written on my heart. The stories of how He’s reclaimed the broken pieces and helped me reclaim the things the enemy meant for harm. So this is the official beginning of just laying it all out there. It’s my step of obedience toward Him, and whatever, however, He blesses is in His hands. 

Some of you have been reading my blog and other devotional writings for over 10 years. I can’t even begin to thank you for your loyalty and for your encouragement. Writing has been an outlet for me to write about all the things in life that are important to me…family, ministry, missions and hobbies. I’ve blogged about them all and more! As I transition to this author Facebook page, I ask that you continue to follow and comment and share as much as you feel led. It is enormously uncomfortable for me to ask you to help promote me….so that’s not what I am asking for…I am asking that you promote the message of Jesus Christ. If something I write speaks to you or you know someone who could benefit from hearing it, please share the message. That’s how lives are reclaimed. 

I’ve been working with a writing coach the past few months. We have plans in the works for all sorts of things, including some book ideas, which of course, falls somewhere between exciting and mortifying for me…but again, I am walking in obedience to whatever the Lord wants. 

So, real quick….like and follow this page if you want to keep in touch. Share the page with others who might be interested and come back often for encouragement and to say hello! Thanks for joining me!

Wordless Wednesday

Lost and Found

Have you ever lost something, and after days of looking for it, just gave up? Maybe it wasn't important or maybe it was so important that you ended up having to replace it immediately. Either way it is so frustrating...the wasted time, energy and money. And maybe what's even more frustrating is that sometimes much later, we find what we were missing. The lost is finally found. It's been right there all the time, and yet we missed it. While there's the excitement over finding the lost object, there's regret that we didn't find it sooner.

I find myself spiritually contemplating this same concept. I lose momentum in my walk with the Lord. I lose joy in serving Him. I treat someone carelessly. I speak out of anger or jealousy or frustration. I lose my testimony. I lose my joy. I lose the compassion that has been so freely given. And one day, I wake up and realize I am not the person I intended to be; I'm not who God intended me to be. I've lost myself in the rubbish of the world.  It's frustrating, the wasted time, energy and yes, even money.

And like the lost item, it's even more aggravating to see how easy it would have been to reclaim those lost things. God's redeeming mercy is new each and every day.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) …” Ephesians 2:4-5.

But God....oh how thankful I am for those two words...He's always in the redeeming business. Redeeming each day that I mess up. Redeeming each moment that I waste. Redeeming relationships that I've ruined. Redeeming my marriage, family, job, health....

Because of His great love for me...He saves me. And He keeps saving me....everyday He's forgiving and drawing me closer to this reclaimed life He has designed for those who call on Him. I am the lost thing, found. I am the prodigal running home. I am the ultimate sinner. And He is loving me, making me more alive in Him, reclaiming me as His own. 

I don't have to live in regret. I don't have to live in guilt. He's covered all that. Now I can walk in new mercy because I have been found. 

Scarred Up

I'm pretty scarred up... real scars from childhood injuries,
2 c-sections, some dermatology scars...
And each scar has a story...
Of how I survived. Each scar is a reminder that although there was pain and hurt there was also a time of recovery...
That in every situation I have healed and that scar is just a reminder of the healing that has taken place.
The same is true spiritually speaking... I have scars, hurts,
Bumps and bruises...
some my own fault and some, honestly, the fault of others. And yet, I'm learning I can pick at the scar and reopen the wound or I can use my story to help others heal too. I've often thought staying quiet about my scars was the key, but I'm realizing more and more that when the time is right to tell your story, God will make a way for you to tell of His healing, his recovery process,
His therapy for your soul... and His glory will be revealed in places and spaces you've never dreamed of. And that makes the scars worth it.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for....

1. An entire family saved and baptized Sunday at church.

2. Spring Break...craft time, nap time, DVR time

3. Spiritual clarity regarding some decisions that I needed to make

4. A full day of sunshine...only one, but still

What are you thankful for this week?

Wordless Wednesday- Barn Quilt

Why We'd Go Back

This morning I ate at The Breakfast Klub with Bruce and a long time friend. I had googled to find a restaurant that would be an easy commute for my friend and this one popped up. We had no idea what we were getting in to but now, with the meal behind us, I am already looking forward to my next visit...and I want to tell others about it!

And that got me to thinking....what brings people back? As a pastor's wife, we are constantly looking for ways to get seekers in the door and then back again. So I thought I'd take a closer look at what I experienced and why I think people keep coming back (or not).

1. I decided on the place because when I googled it, it came up with 4.5 stars....so I knew quickly that it must be good.

2. They had an online presence. I browsed the menu to be sure it was going to have something for all of us. The menu was easy to find and easy to read.

3. The location was in a part of Houston that appears to be revitalizing. Parking was terrible.

4. We had to stand in line outside because the crowd inside was so large.

5. There was a nice African American woman who gave clear and direct instructions about the menu and what would happen when you entered the building. She even told us where the restrooms would be located, where the drinks and condiments would be and how to order from the menu. She was nice, well spoken and energetic.

6. We waited outside about 20 minutes.

7. Once in the building we were greeted by another man who took our order before we got to the counter. He also pointed out the drinks and restrooms and was very friendly.

8. We paid with a debit card and signed electronically.

9. Did I mention it was crowded? After we got our drinks and silverware we found our own seat.

10. Within 10 minutes our food was served by 2 different waiters who were very friendly.

11. About half way through the meal the general manager made his way around to us and chatted for 3 minutes or so. He returned 5 minutes later and told us we HAD to have some fried chicken since it was our first time. He gave us each a piece...on the house. It was scrumptious.

12. The bathroom was spotlessly clean, but the toilet didn't flush without a good jiggle of the handle.

13. Tables were busted quickly by plenty of servers and waiters.

14. The atmosphere was multi ethnic...mostly African Americans of the business sector. I didn't feel intimidated or uncomfortable at all. Everyone was so FRIENDLY.

15. We paid more than we usually do for breakfast. It was so worth it.

16. The music was loud and some of the art work was a little more "soul-full" than I am used to.

So the question is....would I go back? You betcha...and here's why...

1. I am an information kind of gal...I liked knowing a little about the place before going.
2. The friendliness of everyone we encountered was overwhelming and made the few things that could have been a big distraction seem so small in comparison.
3. Knowing the food was going to be delicious made the wait more tolerable.
4. Did I mention how friendly everyone was?


I also think church is a lot like restaurants.

People listen to other members reviews....how do we talk about our church?

People look for friendliness...are our greeters familiar with where everything is so they can direct guests to the right classes, restrooms, nursery? Are they smiling and excited to be there? A grumpy greeter can be a big turn off when looking for a church.

People are willing to compromise some things if the main thing is good. What is the main thing?? Jesus and His message. However that is communicated needs to be top notch. The best we can give.

Are our people eager to serve. Those waiters and servers at the Breakfast Klub were anxious and ready to do their jobs. They were serving current guests and making room for the next guests. They had a lot riding on their shoulders. Do our servers in our churches serve with that same passion and understanding that they are the visual message of the church?

Did I mention how friendly everyone was? The general manager was making the rounds, making small talk, shaking hands and making everyone feel loved and appreciated. How important is that when we are welcoming guests into our churches.

The important lesson I learned today was it's not always the best building, best parking situation, best seat in the house that gets people coming back. It's the atmosphere. WHOA.... and what I learned today is we have a part in that atmosphere. How we enter God's house not only reflects our relationship with Him but also can affect others around us as they seek to worship God. A smile goes a long way and I can easily forget about a toilet that had to be jiggled a little if the Holy Spirit is moving in the atmosphere.

Word-filled Wednesday

Mom Doubts

If there was ever a book that intimidated homeschool moms everywhere, I'd venture to say it was this one. 12 years of homeschooling on the line. 12 years of choosing curriculum, writing out lesson plans, making sure everything she needed to know has been covered. 12 years of hoping I wasn't ruining her life. 12 years of second guessing. 12 years of sitting together at the kitchen table. 12 years of grading, training and praying.

And now it all boils down to this.

4 hours

April 13

OK...ok....ok....maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but haven't we all been there. We stress about things that we really have no control over. We doubt whether what we've done has been enough. We worry we didn't give them enough opportunities. We wonder if we have prepared them enough. 

And here we are....

thinking this one test will determine her future...

that one test will test all she knows...

that one test will prove you did your job...

that one test will make or break your reputation...

Good Grief!!!! Stop the presses!

The reality is, raising kids, no matter how they are schooled, is hard work. It's the biggest and toughest and most rewarding and fulfilling work we will do. But all the pressure isn't on us! Yes, we have a responsibility to train them and teach them God's word. But the end result, the final word, the way it all ends up....that's in God's hand. He already knows what path they will take. He knows if they'll pass that ACT with flying colors or it they'll need a couple of tries to show their best effort. He knows it college or tech school or no school is in their future. He knows the where and the what and the how of college decisions and He knows your child so intimately, that as a loving father would do, He wants to guide them and lead them as they make decisions that will honor Him.

So what's our part???

From what I gather from God's Word it's consistency in talking about the Lord with our kids. It's making Him a normal part of everyday conversation. It's teaching them God's Word. It's being diligent. It's loving them enough to discipline them. It's guiding them as they get older and teaching them to take ownership of their own spiritual life with the Lord. It's being an example. And it's a lot of grace and forgiveness for when WE mess up. 

So whether your kids are small or they're heading off to college soon...or somewhere in between...It's not too late or early to start these habits of good parenting. It's not too late or early to focus on the qualities that will really help them as an adult. It's not too late or early to be an example. And it's not too late or early to accept all the grace and forgiveness God gives us and them. 

So mommas....young and older.....place your doubts in God's hands. He's got this. Do your diligence in raising your kids to love Jesus...But even that isn't ultimately up to you. Just do your part and leave the rest with Him. He loves them more that you could anyway. 

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Monday Menu

If you're like me, making a meal plan isn't really the problem...it's actually executing the meal plan that seems the most difficult part! Our schedules change, things get eaten out of the pantry that were key ingredients for a recipe or I get lazy.

Nonetheless, it's Monday, so I'm putting my best foot forward and making a plan this week. 

Monday- Speghetti

Tuesday- Wild Beast Feast at church

Wednesday- Dinner at church

Thursday- Mexican (out)

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Sausage, Mac and Cheese, green beans

What's on your menu this week?