BLESSED BEYOND EXHAUSTION
“Mommy, is Jesus sweet?” I heard the three-year old ask from the backseat as I was driving to school one morning. “Oh, yes. Jesus is very kind to us,” I replied, wondering where this conversation was going. “Yeah, Jesus makes our heart happy.” Happiness. Blessings. Joy. All of these words are synonymous for what those of us who follow Jesus should exude on a daily basis. And generally I’m pretty…
I recently read this quote in The Girl Behind the Red Rope, a novel by Ted Dekker and his daughter Rachelle Dekker. This isn’t a book review, but in order to understand the quote, you need a little background. The characters in this story have secluded themselves in a tiny community surrounded by a red rope which they aren’t allowed cross. The purpose of the red rope is to keep…
Hey, friends! It’s the end of January – 2022 is in full swing. How are you doing on all those resolutions and goals so far? We’ve had lots of snow days here in Tennessee, which means tons of quality family time lazing by the fire, playing games, reading. And breaking up fights between siblings. sigh… Favorite Things Here are a few of my favorite things this month: (some links are…
What kind of person are you? A goal-setting person or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants person? I like to think of myself as a goal-setting person but often I still find myself just going with the flow. Each year I set goals but by March I’ve often forgotten what they are. I haven’t had a way to track them and once they’re out of sight, they’re out of mind. But this year I’m…
“In times of affliction, will we be known for joy? Or for despair? Will we be known for our joylessness?” I’ve recently had a situation that has been less than ideal. Nothing horrible. Not an affliction. Yet definitely a frustration and an inconvenience, not only for myself but also for my family. The first couple days after this situation was presented to me, I felt angry. How dare they do…
I’ve recently been listening to the Mars Hill Podcast – in fact, I just finished it. Anybody else find it as fascinating as I did? It was interesting for a variety of reasons, and several things caught my attention. For instance, I wonder how people could religiously attend that church and not see some of the horrible practices and false teachings that were occurring. (And before I get a lot…
Well, friends, we made it! 2022 is here and frankly, I’m not sad to see 2021 leave. As I hung a new calendar on the wall on January 1st, I was reminded how much I love a blank slate with new possibilities on the horizon. I always pick a word of the year but admittedly, I almost never follow through with it. If you don’t know by now, I’m really…
I sat in the back of the worship center, tears streaming down my face as I lifted my voice in praise. It had been a rough season of sickness and busyness. And because of those things, I’d missed a lot of Sundays. On a normal Sunday, you could find me helping lead worship in our contemporary service, but lately it had been a struggle even getting to church. If one…
I awake each morning before 5:00 and stumble toward the kitchen, searching for coffee. As I enter the living room, I’m greeted by the glow of our Christmas tree, set on a timer to turn on in the early morning hours. It’s a beautiful reminder of this season, that Jesus is the light of the world, and I’ll miss the warmth and coziness it provides once the darkness of January…
What Sounds Fun to You? I love to listen to Annie F Downs’ podcast, That Sounds Fun. It’s probably my favorite podcast right now. She interviews interesting guests and asks great questions. She recently released a new book, That Sounds Fun, where she talks about the importance of finding a hobby and having fun. (Admittedly, I haven’t yet read this book, but it’s on my list.) One thing Annie asks…