joy
As the election draws to an end, Christians have an opportunity to demonstrate what it looks like to follow Jesus. Whether your candidate wins or loses, others should hear grace, compassion, humility, and love when they inevitably bring up the election. Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My … Read more
In the quiet stillness of dawn, I sat on a bench. My breath blew puffs of steam over my coffee. The sky was red as the birds sang in the morning. Every now and then something would stir in the lake and ripple the water. As I prayed, divine peace settled over me like the blanket … Read more
This is what got me out of bed this morning… Well, Jesus didn’t actually ring my doorbell, but this was the scene that popped into my head after I hit the snooze button (tempted to skip my prayer/Bible time). Would I roll over and ignore Him if Jesus really did ring my doorbell in the … Read more
With January over, and all our ridiculous resolutions out of the way, let’s get ready to tackle the rest of the year. Have you heard of choosing one word to guide your life for the upcoming year? The idea is to ditch the unrealistic resolutions we typically set at the new year, and instead, choose one … Read more
Sometimes life throws us into the “abode of silence.” When unexplainable things happen, it can feel like you are all alone. As a grieving mom, I have come to accept these hours or days when losing Austin is simply too much to bear. There are days when my soul feels like this picture – dark, silent, alone … Read more
We were traveling through farm country when these huge windmills popped up on the horizon. As we drew closer, we realized that the windmills were HUGE! The windmills, along with the vast open fields rolling with corn, made me feel small. Very small. God also felt big. Very big ~ and a bit a far … Read more
This is the scene that welcomes you when you enter my home … shoes, towels, flip flops, umbrellas. It is a place to kick your shoes off as you arrive home, hang your towel from the beach, and get ready to relax at home. Aaaahhh…home. It may be messy, but it prepares your heart to … Read more
This picture was taken when Devin and I packed an 18-month-old Ethan into our car and “ran away from home.” About 6 months after Austin died, we desperately needed time off work. We ran away. Literally. We had no idea where we were going. We had no plans, no GPS system, no hotel reservations, no agenda. We … Read more
“The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to keep close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears, but the presence of the shepherd.” ~A.W. Tozer It is not the praying sheep that Satan … Read more
The coffee bin in this picture is not quite right. The lid that is supposed to keep our coffee air tight doesn’t quite get the job done. Why don’t I buy a new one? Because … before Austin died, he snuck this item into the grocery cart one day. When I asked him about it, … Read more