There are times in my life when I feel completely overwhelmed. Some days I feel as if my head is barely above water and I keep bobbing up and down trying to stay afloat. I splash vigorously trying to get to safety and it seems the harder I splash, the deeper I sink. Then it happens..... I turn around in the water and I see him, standing right next to me. The Father, holding out his hands, just waiting for me to come to Him. In tears I grab His hands and He tells me, "My child, I was right here all along." Does this ever happen to you? Like me, do you ever get too busy trying to solve your problems on your own that you miss the Father standing right next to you, just waiting for you to surrender to Him? When I am able to rest in His presence, I find my whole outlook on life ... read more
The Two Most Important Things at Christmas (Christmas Blessing 2015)
It seems like the Christmas season comes upon us so quickly. Before you know it, you blink, and it has gone from January to December in a flash. As a stage IV breast cancer survivor Christmas takes on a new meaning to me. It makes me slow down and purposefully take in each moment and savor every second. As my family and I decorated for Christmas tonight, it made me stop and think about what the two most important things are at Christmas. 1.The most important thing about Christmas is Christ. He is the real reason we celebrate this season. It's because God decided to send His son down to earth in human form, born to a virgin, to one day save the world. It's the beginning of the solution to rescue mankind from it's transgressions. It's the answer to the problem that was created ... read more
The Restoring of Hearts and the Healing of Friendships- (Giveaway)
(Affiliate links are contained in this post) We were not meant to live this life alone. God created each one of us, with special and unique traits to live together as the body of Christ. However, something often happens when we talk about friendships among women, which could be summed up by one word, division. Friends this is not how God intended our relationships with our sisters in Christ to be. He wants us to be united to work together as a team, without judgement or criticism, fulfilling the roles that Christ has intended for us. He wants more for our lives than gossip and comparison, He wants us to live a life free in Him. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." ~ Luke 6:37 ... read more
Focus ~ One Word 2015
I have been quiet around here lately. These last two years have been challenging for me. These past 24 months have been filled with... My mother being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Selling her home and moving her into and assisted living facility. Dealing with a stage IV breast cancer diagnosis and all the uncertainty that it brings. Side affects of chemotherapy. Financial difficulties. Family difficulties. Struggles in relationships. The fear of not being good enough. Put all of these things together and it does not make for a very good combination. The last point, the fear of not being good enough, is what has really put a halt to my writing. I went to a writers conference in 2013, my first conference actually. The writers conference was wonderful. I made new ... read more
Inspired to Give Gift Card Giveaways with a Little Sparkle and a Little Shine
As I write this I am sitting by the fire, and gazing at our Christmas tree, brightly lit, and decorated with ornaments from long ago. Each one holds memories of days gone by, moments frozen in time, and held in my heart to treasure forever. In order to make Christmas a little brighter, and filled with special memories for two wonderful families, I have teamed together with a wonderful group of bloggers to offer two amazing giveaways. The bloggers of the Inspired Bloggers Network have gathered to add some SPARKLE and SHINE to your December with TWO $400 gift cards to Amazon! Giveaway Sparkle I am excited to be on the SPARKLE team with these other awesome bloggers: Betty Eisenhour from Peace Creek on the Prairie Kori Tomelden from Just Another Mom Kristi Kerr from The ... read more
Meeting Santa and a Christmas Blessing
Christmas is such a special time of year. Looking back over all the Christmas memories that I hold dear, I can remember one from my childhood that always brings a smile to my face. I was only 6 years old when I heard the sirens, and saw the flashing lights out the dinning room window. I cried out to my mother, with great excitement, "What is it! What is it!" She told me it was Santa Claus, and I could go out to see him and tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I had never been so excited in all my life. I bundled up and outside I went with the help of my father. The massive red fire truck sat in front of our house. It was pulling a trailer covered with lights, and on the trailer was none other than the man himself, Santa. I carefully walked up the trailer steps and climbed onto ... read more
The Ultimate Christian Living Bundle
Who among us doesn't want to lead a life worth emulating? With great kids, a loving marriage, a successful career or business and a closer, faith-filled walk with the Lord. But for many of us, making that a reality is big challenge! Balancing life’s priorities can seem a bit overwhelming at times. The pressures of work, the need for finances, the demands of parenting and the resulting strain on marriage can leave us weathered, weary and wondering what really works in life? That’s where the Ultimate Christian Living Bundle comes in. Ultimate-Bundles.com called in some best selling authors, leading experts and top business professionals to address the most common challenges faced by families and individuals today – all from a solid, Biblical foundation. For the ridiculously ... read more
Shining Light into the Darkness – A Book Review of Pure Eyes, Clean Heart – A Couple’s Journey to Freedom from Pornography
She had a feeling in the deep recesses of her being. So she decided to act. She picked up his phone and searched the history. There it was in black and white, words she never wanted to see, it was then she knew her husband had been looking at pornography. Her heart became twisted and anger mixed with fear took hold of who she was. She threw the phone and watched as it shattered into pieces, just like her life was about to do. She began to scream at him, "Why did you do this? How long has this gone on? Am I not pretty enough for you? How could you do this to me, after everything we have been through?" Her husband looked scared as he tried to lie his way out of what was unfolding before him. The hands on the clock continued to tick away as she interrogated him about ... read more
All it Took was One Phone Call (Part 1)
Throughout the month of October, I'll be sharing my ongoing journey of overcoming anxiety, and how the Lord has been working on my heart. It's my prayer that the Lord will speak to you during this time, and draw you closer to Him, as we walk this road of life together. To follow along, and to catch up on any posts you might have missed, you can join me here at Fear or Faith, You Choose ~ A 31 Day Journey to Overcoming Anxiety. I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our own way in the end, but by Him making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done. ~ Elisabeth Elliot I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was Monday August 4th, 2003. ... read more
Oh No You Didn’t !
Throughout the month of October, I'll be sharing my ongoing journey of overcoming anxiety, and how the Lord has been working on my heart. It's my prayer that the Lord will speak to you during this time, and draw you closer to Him, as we walk this road of life together. To follow along, and to catch up on any posts you might have missed, you can join me here at Fear or Faith, You Choose ~ A 31 Day Journey to Overcoming Anxiety. Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. ~ Henry Ward Beecher Saturday was a long day. Side note: The medication that I am currently taking to help fight my Stage IV breast cancer is an oral form of chemotherapy called Xeloda. I am currently taking 4 pills a day. I take them for 1 week, ... read more