I have made a mess and I don’t know what to do. When I am lost I like to get out in nature away from everything and everyone and spend time alone with the Lord. On Saturday I decided to take a drive north to try to find some snow. I was sure I knew […]

I am on the road, and even though each week I try to find a church to attend in the town I’m in, there is still a desire to be connected to my home church. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to open the website and listen to the sermon from wherever […]

It is not always easy to turn this rig around and sometimes I just have to keep on going until I find a place that I can safely exit the highway and turn my motorhome back the way it is supposed to go.  Yesterday as I was driving through a small town in NC I […]

Giiiiirrrrrl! Yep, I am in the south. The weather is warmer and so are the people. It is interesting how differently people present themselves depending on the area of the country in which they live. Anyone who has traveled knows this to be true. As a general rule, the south is friendly, the northeast is […]

This weekend, a group of men and women will be taking the time during one of their meetings to honor my father for his part in building and growing the ministry, but more so for his part in helping to grow the kingdom of God. When we received the invitation to attend this service, it […]

“Your life will shake in the process of maturing into the person God intends.” Peter Scazzero Remember when you were still a child and every once in a while, you would find yourself doubled over in pain, or feeling discomfort within your body that had no visible source? I do. I remember well the day […]

Last night was the last softball game of the season and though we played well, we did not make the win; thus ending our presence in the playoffs. But boy did we have fun this season! We had a great group of men and women on the team and throughout each and every game there […]

Last fall my sister and brother in law introduced me to something new. Mountain biking, I had heard the stories and seen the resulting injuries of those who, as adults have taken up this sport; so I was a little uncertain as we mounted the bikes for that first ride. It was short lived, not […]

I think I was about thirteen, but I remember it well. I stood leaning on the laundry room door watching as my mom was working with my sister on an art project. It was looking really good. They were working together on a painting of the spaceship Challenger, capturing the image of takeoff perfectly. It […]

We all do it, to some degree or another, at some time or another, we all take a message we have been given and try to manage it instead of just receive it. When we were kids we spent one month each summer camping. Oh what fun we always had. The memories of spending time […]

How are you preparing for Memorial Day weekend? Are you packing your bags for a much anticipated trip? Are you preparing yourself for a family reunion that you are either excited about or dreading? Or is it just another weekend with an extra day off for everyone but you? Most of us don’t feel the […]

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Have you ever joyfully picked up an apple, shined it, looked it over to find the perfect starting point and the moment you chomped down been greeted by a foul and rotten taste? The apple looked so good from the outside, deep red shiny perfect […]

It is almost yard sale season, the time of year when I can get rid of things I no longer need or want and then go buy someone else’s things they no longer need or want. Actually, I enjoy having yard sales, it isn’t really about getting money – though that is a bonus. But […]

Have you ever been to the Rocky Mountains? The drive from the east is not all that exciting, in fact at times it feels endless. The trek across the boring brown featureless landscape that is Kansas is a sure opportunity to fight road hypnosis for hours on end. But then all of a sudden you […]

I am sure we have all seen the ads for the buyer assurance protection plans, we all pay insurance on our vehicles and belongings (at least I hope we do), and we likely look for the warranty or some guarantee that what we invest in will be protected. It is pretty sad when you stop […]

Everything changes, that is the beautiful thing about life. Though not every change is beautiful, every change is important for growth. This weekend my sisters and are spending some time in Lynchburg, VA, a place we all went to college. It is neat to be here but so much has changed! There are shopping centers […]

Today is Valentine’s Day. A day filled with love and romance for those who are involved with a special someone. It is sweet to see all the smiling faces, the flowers, and the boxes of chocolate. It makes my heart happy. Those of you who know me know that I don’t really believe in dating, […]

Over the years I have acquired a lot of stuff. I’d like to say I know how I got it all but there are some things that, as I am going through closets and cupboards I can’t figure out how it came to be in my possession. In many cases I don’t even know what […]

Psalm 37:4 is one of those verses that you find on coffee mugs, keychains, cell phone covers, pillows, you name it and you can likely find it. It is a verse used as encouragement to the hurting, and to give hope in moments when a person is feeling hopeless. “Delight yourselves in the Lord and […]

When I moved into this house I knew it was a temporary home, I knew that I would not retire in this house and now it is time to pack up my belongings and move on. I have lived in this temporary home for thirteen years. As I begin to pack up the things in […]

I am one of those people to whom dates have significance. Even in my subconscious mind I recognize upcoming momentous days and without intention begin to feel the weight or excitement of those days in advance. This morning I am sitting in my room missing my dad. I need his wisdom, I need his encouragement, […]

I enjoy road trips. They can be exciting experiences in themselves, with stops along the way and opportunities to find adventure or view unique sights only found in the town or state that you are passing through. The best road trips are those that are not on a set schedule, where each day is a […]

2017 was both incredible and extremely difficult. As I sit and reflect these last few hours I have to stop and smile, because through all the experiences of the past 12 months, I know that God has used and is using each and every one of them as preparation for what is to come next […]

Do you remember when telephones were connected to a wall? Do you remember even further back to party lines and switchboards? We have come a long way with our ability to communicate with each other, between telephones, email, text messages, cell phones, even video phones there are multiple ways to connect with those we want […]

I had a pretty good childhood. Full of adventure, love, acceptance, and instruction in the Lord. My dad was a pastor and we moved a lot. I think this is why we all, (my brothers and sisters and I) are pretty close as adults. We relied on each other for friendships with each move, until […]

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of the things we do not see. I come from a large family, there are six of us kids. All born within seven years and eleven days of each other. I remember asking my mom one day if they did […]

Do you remember the Johnny Jumpers? Those cool little bouncy seats that you attach to a door frame for your baby to bounce it. Boy did I love our Johnny Jumper. Each of my children loved the freedom they found with each jump as they kicked their little legs and soared up a solid two […]

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 I have read this verse over and over this morning hoping that something profound and meaningful would come into my head […]

It is interesting how God opens up understanding of Scripture the more we read it. Today I began reading Matthew, I am quite certain I have read this many times in the past but today I received a very different message than I ever have before. Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt as […]

When I was in my early teens our family moved to a little town on Vancouver Island, it was a peaceful, beautiful little town with the ocean on one side and a stunning forest on the other. Back then there was not a whole lot going on around us. We had tourists in the summer […]

The purpose of this site is to talk about healing and hope. As I have gone back through the posts from the past, I found myself removing a large number of my earlier laments because, rather than bring encouragement even now reading them brought discouragement. I am no longer in that place of emotional distress […]

What does it mean to wait? Why is it so easy to wait on some things but so painfully difficult to wait on others? I confess, I am not the best at waiting. I put on a good face and pretend to be, but inside I can become anxious and impatient for things to happen. […]

It’s not that I don’t like doctors, or even that I don’t like going to doctors. What I don’t like is that it seems that often, by the time I finally get an appointment and go, I am feeling better. So in the end I just spent $50 so sit in a small windowless room […]

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. […]

When I was around eight or nine I sat down and made my life plan. I was going to get married, have six children, five boys and one girl and give birth to my first child before I was 22. I was going to have a happy life filled with adventure, laughter, love, and perfection. […]

Have you ever given your time to something, or for something that you believed in? Perhaps you volunteered to serve at a soup kitchen or for a political candidate? Or maybe something that you care about and felt excited to be a part of? Have you ever given your time for something that you didn’t […]

Camping is something I truly enjoy. Unfortunately, it is not something I often have opportunity to do right now, but I do hope as life settles a little that will change. My favorite camping trip was with a group of friends in Virginia. We all loaded up our backpacks with as much as we could […]

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17 This was the verse of the day that popped up on my phone this morning. I think I read it seventeen times before I looked it up in another translation. I can’t exactly put my finger […]

My soul doth magnify the Lord. Luke 1:46 Six words filled with purpose. It has always baffled me a little how easy it was for Mary to accept the words of the angel of the Lord when he came to her and told her she would carry the Messiah. God had a purpose for her […]

Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about. I have three children and I am sure I said this this to them more often than I remember. I never really thought about what this statement communicated or what this could do to the idea of being safe to speak about feelings and sadness. […]

As I am continuing the study involving self reflection, the next question asks – What do you prefer? This is a tough one. I mean there are a lot of things I prefer that don’t impact my day to day – or life in general. Recognizing that I had to dig a little deeper I […]

Jenni stood at the edge of the cliff looking down into the water at her dad and uncle who were both waiting patiently for her to jump. But she was frozen. Try as she might she could not force her body to take that leap of faith and fall to the water below.  I think […]

At fifteen years old my daughter wanted a cell phone more than anything. All her friends had one, her older sister had one, it seemed to her that everyone but her had a cell phone. So she began hinting around about what kind of device she would like if she were to get one. After […]

I was so excited, it had been over a month since I had really been home and seen my friends. All week we looked forward to a relaxing evening out in the country away from the noise and chaos of the city, and then it rained. This has been a wet summer so far so […]

Have you ever been truly broken. I mean – down on the ground shattered in a thousand pieces, without the strength to even lift your head up to look for help – broken? Have you ever searched in vain for a tiny piece of your world that may have survived? Have you ever found yourself […]

“Your life will shake in the process of maturing into the person God intends.” Peter Scazzero Remember when you were still a child and every once in a while you would find yourself doubled over in pain, or feeling discomfort within your body that had no visible source? I do. I remember well the day […]

My dad was, in some people’s opinion, pretty strict. He had expectations of us that at times seemed pretty high. They really weren’t unreasonable, but they were higher than some of my friends’ parents expectations of them. As is the case with most families, we also had a number of rules. Some rules you just […]

God has created us with a depth that we just can’t even fathom. Last night I had the opportunity to observe a horse Therapy Program with some children. What a beautiful experience. The session included two groups of children, each group with different levels of struggle. Both were interesting to observe but the second group […]

Today I randomly jumped back into a book I have not picked up in a few weeks and opened to a page that was exactly what I needed to read. The section is on living faithful to your true self. If you have been following these writings you will know that the past twelve years […]

It is Independence Day in the United States, the anniversary of the day in 1776 when The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. We had declared our freedom from the oppressive governing powers of Great Britain. On that day in 1776 America cried out – “We want Freedom!” When I look around […]

Active listening is not a strength for many people. In fact, the skill of listening is often completely lacking. I think it’s fun to sit in the restaurant and watch the people around me interact with one another during the meal. There’s always that one table with the couple sitting staring off, each lost in […]

It is naive to believe that the person the Lord has for you will bring with them a relationship without conflict. Conflict is part of life, in all areas of life, including relationships. A certain amount of conflict in a relationship is not a bad thing, in fact when conflict is handled appropriately it can […]

A group of friends, delicious food, a gorgeous sunset, a bonfire and fireworks. That is how this day ended. Sitting around a firepit, out in the country, enjoying God’s beautiful creation and growing together as a group. As I sat in the darkness looking at the faces glowing in the flickering light of the fire […]

Have you ever really thought about what authenticity means? Webster’s Dictionary defines authentic as “being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character, with no pretension.” In a world of political correct perfection, this is a tough feat. Being authentic means being vulnerable and risking that what you have to say, or who you are […]

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.” For most of my life I couldn’t quite grasp the concept of ‘pray without ceasing’, until recently. I’m pretty sure I always had a realistic and healthy prayer life; in that I understand that prayer is not about getting what I want or telling God about my plans. Oh sure, I […]

Frustration can be overwhelming and is often difficult to communicate to those who may be trying to help. Today I saw a young man, probably 18 years old, sitting in a wheelchair. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to take care of himself. The doctors had told the family that he […]

I remember back in 1988 when we had the Olympic games in Calgary. The fun all started with the running of the torch and the Olympic flame came right through our town. Right past our house. We, like most of the town lined up with our candles as the runner came trotting down the road […]

Did you know that mangrove trees only grow to a certain height and then they just stop growing? I am not sure if I knew that before or not, but today I am sitting on a deck overlooking a mangrove patch, and it is beautiful to see the naturally manicured tops flat in front of […]

Our sinful nature causes a constant battle within us, lean on the Lord and He will free you to persevere to the end. Our sinful nature causes a constant battle within us, lean on the Lord and He will free you to persevere to the end. My first concert was Duran Duran. It was not […]

If you are one who has been following these writings for a while you will remember that I spent a great deal of time in a dark place of discouragement and fear. Most of my adult life I was in a relationship where my safety was dependent upon my performance, so I lived my life […]

A couple of times over the past few days I have read, participated in, or overheard conversations about earthly stuff and how it can be a hindrance to spiritual fulfillment. I grew up in a large family and all my life I thought we were rich. We had everything we needed, I can’t remember feeling […]

I wonder what the perception of love was in the days before television. I wonder how much more fully people understood what it is to love and be loved. I wonder how we have gotten so far off track. When we read scripture and reflect on love, what love really is, what is intended to […]

Today I am feeling a little bit disconnected and off balance. I guess these moments are to be expected from time to time. I guess this is a good opportunity to rest in the comfort of God’s love. Even when I feel unsteady I know that I have stability in his love and his promises. […]

Have you ever written a poem? I am not very good at poetry but I do like to write from time to time. Sometimes the poem starts out strong and it flows and sounds beautiful, but then I hit a wall and can’t find the words to continue my rhyme. Sometimes the idea is there […]

The thing about worship today is that it has become a ‘song time’ during church. This is not what God intended, and this is not the true meaning of worship. In this day and age we have adopted the idea of corporate worship that is led by worship leader at the beginning of each church service. […]

Today I started a new devotional, this is a devotional that my future husband and I are doing together. It’s well put together in that, it gives us each five days of personal growth in the Lord with a sixth day to come together and discuss the studies of the past week. This week we […]