-
Despite Covid I Have Jesus!
It is day nine of Covid. There is not a creative thought in my head. I am weary. When there are no words to write, it is the Word of God that gives me hope. It is here among these pages of truth that God tells me that I am not alone. He is enough. It is here that I find rest, renewal of heart and mind; as the longing to be Christ-like rises to the surface and spills out upon my blank journaled page. Today, these words spill out as scriptural affirmation and a prayer to God. Right now because of Covid, my health has failed, and my spirit…
-
Stability in an unstable world
The offering of hope For many, this Christmas season has come with conflicting emotions. Past Christmas traditions have been snatched from us through this pandemic. A season of friend and family gatherings has left us wondering how to create community, despite continued distancing. In a world that may feel unstable, shifting and currently unreliable, we find ourselves looking for something steady and sure. We have grown tired of fake news. Our souls are longing for truth, for real news. The hope of redemption God’s great plan of redemption offers to all who will receive it, the gift of hope. As Christ followers our hope is planted upon the rock-solid foundation…
-
He will hold me fast!
Today I woke up singing a rendition of He Will Hold Me Fast by Keith and Kristyn Getty. As I fixed my first cup of coffee, heated a grain-free, banana muffin, and sat to meditate, I began to reflect on each phrase. It was in this time of silent reflection, that I felt the truth of these words from head-to-toe. I needed this melody of truth ringing in my ears. As it settled upon my heart, I stepped into another day. When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through…
-
Desire for Intimacy with God
She approached me in a coffee shop. I was new in town, and the instant I pushed open the door the smooth, grounding aroma of coffee ingulfed my senses. In this instant I knew I had happened upon a local gem. Settling in with my computer in one of four, identical wing back chairs, the ceramic logs in the stone fireplace created a warm, homey environment. Immediately I became immersed in my writing. Words and coffee, they flowed nicely together; but it wasn’t long before I noticed that the tables outside were being cleaned, chairs straightened, and lights dimmed. I had not thought to look at the sign on the…
-
Prayer for Chronic Pain Suffers
It’s two in the morning. A hot tumbler of peppermint tea sits to the side of my computer. In a sleepy stupor, I watch mesmerized, as the steam dissipates into the chilly morning air. I am hoping that my first sip will help to soothe “what-ails-me.” No answers to chronic pain keep me awake. I pray. I struggle. I sort out all I have done to find answers. I take another long, hard look at the answers I do have. Yet, in all this, the real answer alludes me and doctors alike. So, it is mornings like this that I find myself writing, praying, thinking of other chronic-pain-suffers, who also…
-
Vulnerability Yields True Community
After a particularly hard week, I spent an evening pouring out my heart to a trusted friend. Having a good listener at the other end of my struggles lifted my spirit. My sharing turned into mutual encouragement, finishing with a time of prayer for each other, acknowledging that we both had needs that neither of us could fix. The words that touched heaven were heart-pleas, that God would show us His presence, administer His peace amid overwhelm, and invade the lives of those we love by showing up and doing the impossible. In short – do a miracle in us and them! Prayer brings peace and the empowerment of the…
-
Speaking truth into your gifts
Speaking truth into my God-given gifts became a reality today, as I worked through the edits to the first half of my children’s book. After finishing, this thought hit me. I am a writer! Even though I have been rhyming poetry in my head and dreaming up story plots since I was a child, it has been hard to call myself a writer. Not only did I think there was no room at the table for me, I felt deeply that I could never push my uncredentialled-self up to this platform, where highly qualified people created and collaborated. How often do we live out of who we think we are,…
-
Courage to Risk
Today I risked! My children’s story is now in the hands of an editor. The Bella Project has been seven-plus years in the making. When Covid hit, I decided to pick Bella back up, and see her come to life by putting watercolor to her simple sketches. It has been exciting to see the progress over these past eight months, as I have steadily plodded along, putting corresponding illustrations to the words of her story. But…just hours after hitting send on my story, I felt like my spirit plummeted. Have you ever felt this way? You finally move forward on something you feel God nudging you to do, and then; BAM!…
-
Tunneling into worship
Paving the way for hope Have you ever wondered how God could take the good, the hard, and the impossible surprises in your life and use them to infuse hope in the life of someone who is journeying through a hard situation? For hope to rise to the top of any difficulty, we need to know that God is fully present, and will remain wholly faithful in every situation we step into and journey through. Hope in Christ gives us not only the desire for an expected end; but the assurance that God will use everything we have gone through, and everything we will go through for His glory and…
-
New Day Prayer
Help me Father, to begin to see You at the start of each day. I pause to linger now in your Presence. Beginning my day with the knowledge that You are here with me. I have nothing to fear, for You are my God. I bask in the truth that you are goodness, holiness, righteousness and redemption. Search me God, know my heart. Shine Your light of truth on anything that hints towards self-seeking, and not looking towards You to fill me, and flow through me. Cleanse me from my sin of seeking after self-centered gain. Replace self with the joy of entering mission with You and reaching out to…
