Looking Forward in Faith

Looking Forward in Faith

by | Dec 31, 2024 | Courage, Faith, Joy, Prayer

Christmas Joy

I flipped to the first page of my 2024 notebook and read these words.

  • Pray Bold
  • Live Bold
  • Dream Bold!

Hmmm did I do that? In some ways, yes. In other ways, a definite no.

Have you been there? Start with grand plans yet seldom look back to make sure you’re accomplishing that goal or dream.

Then I read the lyrics to the song Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns, another reminder. It inspires me to have the kind of faith that steps out of the boat, stepping out of my comfort zone.

I am tempted to spend my time looking back or just looking within. I am tempted to dwell on past mistakes, missed opportunities or unmet goals. However, I need only lift my eyes to the faithfulness of God.

No other name

How do we do that? Jesus. That is the name by which we conquer. The very name of Jesus lifts us to mountain heights. It brings joy. It rescues. The name of Jesus carries power and brings salvation.

Jesus. Say it often. Claim the power it brings.

God is faithful. He can take care of our past that brought pain, disappointment or sorrow. He can turn it into a life of peace, fulfillment and joy.

Peace in His presence

I encourage you to look forward in faith. To seek His presence and find peace.

I encourage you today to step out in faith. Jesus holds his hand out to take you to the next adventure with Him.

I think I’m going to keep those same words for 2025. Their meaning remains true as much today as the beginning of 2024.

  • Pray Bold
  • Live Bold
  • Dream Bold!

A prayer of encouragement

I pray that you will, too.

I pray that in 2025, we will live intentionally. That we would love well, smile big and laugh more. I pray we will see beauty and seek God’s presence in everything. I pray we will take courage, do what we love and live our life to the full. That we would use our life and words to inspire others to experience a life of joy — a life that comes through faith in Christ. And finally, I hope and pray that we will seek adventure and experience all God has to offer in 2025.

“These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full,” (John 15:11 ESV).

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Don’t know Jesus? You can.
It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him. Find out more here.
Tending the Garden

Tending the Garden

by | Sep 11, 2024 | Beauty, Blessing, Encouragement

Knowing God

As our long summer days end, I find myself weeding, trimming and even pulling up plants from my flower beds.

I tried to tend to my garden to keep it healthy by trimming, fertilizing and watering. Many days I found it in a hot mess.

Those potato vines went crazy this year! They grew everywhere, overtaking zinnias and other flowers in the bed, up the porch railing and into the driveway. I cut them back occasionally, but they were a bit overwhelming. Plus, those little flies ate holes in the leaves of my flowering plants!

Some of my garden plants and bushes surprised me. Who knew I had a plum tree that would produce hundreds of plums? And an elderberry bush that I could use for medicinal purposes?

Others brought disappointment. My tomato plants never produced. I blame the potato vines for that. My cucumber plants went wild climbing up a screened-in porch and flowered, to mostly shrivel up later. When I pulled those up, I found four large hidden cucumbers that weren’t edible.

My rose bushes did not disappoint. They were consistent throughout, showing out with bright red, fuchsia and pink blooms. The ginger plants with their big and beautiful white blooms provided a heady aroma on my porch. Both kept my dining room table dressed in color and fragrance.

What a day brings

I think our gardens depict life sometimes. We try to keep healthy by inviting God’s presence into our day, seeking Him and studying His word. Sometimes we still find ourselves in a hot mess.

Some days are just crazy, one setback throwing things off and overwhelming the other areas in our life. Those are the days we need to keep the right perspective . . . and keep ourselves healthy physically, mentally and spiritually.

Sometimes a day takes a surprising turn, and we enjoy the fruits of that, finding joy in the blessings that come our way.

Our personal “life” gardens surprise us and showcase a diversity of people He created to make our lives beautiful and fulfilling.

And let’s just be honest. Some days bring disappointment. What do we do when life seems to spiral out of control? If we are grounded in our faith, we weather those days. When disappointment comes, we can take time with those close to us, investing in others. We can be intentional about our relationships and stop fueling unhealthy relationships – those that bring us down instead of lifting us up and encouraging us.

Thankfully, some days bring about much joy and color to our lives. These serve as a vital part of your life’s garden. What are the activities in your life that give you joy, provide a sense of accomplishment, serve others and make your days fulfilling?

Think of the people in your life — the bright and colorful additions — who can lift your spirits, supporting and encouraging you when you need it. These people are bold enough to speak the truth into your life, who call it like it is.

Preparing for the next season

In the good and bad, the surprising and the steady, we can find joy in our season. Let’s approach this next season with purpose, discipline and endurance.

From the beauty around us to the people God places in our path, be refreshed and let the beautiful garden of our lives refresh others. 

“The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing,” (Isaiah 51:3 NIV).

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Don’t know Jesus? You can.

It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

Find out more here.

Embracing Scars

Embracing Scars

by | Jul 24, 2024 | Miracles, Peace, Sorrow

Squeal with delight

My son experienced a once-in-a-lifetime adventure this summer. Hiking to the summit of a 12,000-foot mountain in Colorado, he and a few other high school boys celebrated their achievement with excitement and a song.

That exhilaration prompted them to dip themselves in the icy stream alongside their campsite. The upside? The thrill of the experience and the joy of their accomplishment. The downside? My son slipped on a tree lodged 4 feet above the water. As he fell, a branch cut his thigh. He proudly showed me the 3” mark.

I told him rubbing it with vitamin E might keep it from scarring. To my surprise, he preferred the scar. It represented a badge of honor — a reminder of his mountaintop experience. “Every time I see it, I’ll remember that day.”

What our scars tell us

At that time God impressed upon me the significance of our emotional scars. While we may not like the disappointment, the heartbreak, the trial, the grief or the pain that caused the scar, that scar represents a memory or a season in our lives.

Physical scars tell the story of the body’s natural healing process. They could take up to 12-18 months after an injury or surgery to heal and fade. Emotional scars seem to hang on for much longer, like an old habit that’s hard to break.

While our inner wounds remind us of a difficult time in our lives, they can also point us to Jesus and His work through that trial. They can remind us of a fearful season, but also God’s protection through it. Scars may remind us of a time of faithlessness but also demonstrate God’s faithfulness. They can remind us of a time of suffering but also God’s love that got us through it.

Maybe you have physical scars reminding you of some trauma in your life. They could be internal, hidden inside so no one will know. Maybe an unkind word spoken left you with a scar. Or have you suffered from a disease that hinders and impacts your future? Maybe you experienced an unimaginable sorrow or a betrayal from someone you loved and trusted.

What our scars teach us

Scars serve as powerful reminders of our experiences in life and the lessons we learned from them. God sees them all and He’s working in them. That doesn’t mean we bypass the pain, but that we sense the presence of God through it, of the healing He provides in it. In those moments, we can see He was with us all along.

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,’” (Exodus 33:14 NIV).

Be patient with yourself. Let God’s healing take place in your life in His way, in His time. When your scar reminds you of that difficult season, remember the lessons that have shaped you and your God who remained by your side.

“My scars I wear proudly, I want you to see. They are only life lessons that no longer bleed.” ~ April Peerless

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Don’t know Jesus? You can.

It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

Find out more here.

Beauty in the Broken Pieces

Beauty in the Broken Pieces

by | Jun 11, 2024 | Beauty, Redeemed, Sorrow

Squeal with delight

His little feet raced from one shell to another. “Here’s one, mommy.” My son reached to put it in my bucket as we walked down the beach. I explained I wanted pretty shells, whole, not the broken ones.

He quickly told me those shells were pretty, too. “Just because they’re broken doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pick them for our collection.”

In Parker’s eyes, all shells were pretty.

Those simple child-uttered words spoke to me.

Do we sometimes see the broken as unlovely, not worth our time? How often do we search for the unblemished, the perfect relationship, the perfect family, the perfect church, the perfect (you fill in the blank).

The reality? Things break. Life is not perfect. No real surprise there, right?  But if we look, we can find beauty and even restoration in the broken.

God sees our hearts

Jesus saw beauty in the broken. It seems He sought them out.

He saw Mary and Martha. He healed the woman with the seven demons as well as the woman who touched the hem of His garment. Jesus saw Zacchaeus. He even invited another tax collector into His inner band of believers. He had compassion for the crowd of 5,000 who needed food.

Long before he came to live on earth, He saw a broken world and made a plan to rescue it and set things right.

Jesus sees beauty and value in us. He sees through our pain, our struggle and our rebellion. Jesus knows our hearts. He sets things right.

He sees beauty in the broken.

Am I still looking for the perfect shell? Yes. But God and a little boy reminded me there is beauty even in the broken pieces.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling,” (Psalm 46:1-3 ESV).

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Don’t know Jesus? You can.

It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

Find out more here.

Truth Is

Truth Is

by | May 6, 2024 | Hope, Peace, Purpose

Squeal with delight

A line in the book Truth Changes Everything by Dr. Jeff Myers resonates with me.

What we believe in the pain is what we really believe.

The timeframe Myers mentions took place during the Bubonic plague in the late Middle Ages. Historians estimate that 75-200 million people died in that pandemic. The survivors had lost mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends. Instead of giving up, the survivors rediscovered this ancient biblical truth.

Truth is a living, breathing person – Jesus Christ.

“At the moment when they might have turned away from God, the people of the Late Middle Ages turned toward him,” Myers explains. “They might have sensed that God was far away. Instead, they came to believe that He was right there, suffering with them. They believed in God even when their experiences told them that all hope had been lost.”

What is truth?

Times of pain test our beliefs.

In my deepest pain, I had to decide whether I trusted God or not. I had to decide if what I knew in my head was what I believed in my heart. I had to trust He was who He said He was and what He said was true. At that pivotal point, I told God I would praise Him no matter what happened.

I don’t know or pretend to understand many things. But I have learned that when God seems far away, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The truth is . . .

  • There is HOPE when we put our faith and trust in Jesus. He goes through what we go through. He’s right there, walking through the fire with us. That hope extends beyond the challenges and trials of life. His power can turn our sorrow and pain into hope and joy.

John 15:11 tells us “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.”

  • There is PEACE when we put our faith and trust in Jesus. Difficult times often show us that God is near. Peace can be found in that nearness. Worry steals our peace. When we release our fears and worries to Him (And leave them there!), He provides peace. He can be trusted to work on our behalf. Peace comes from trusting Him.
  • There is PURPOSE when we put our faith and trust in Jesus. God has a plan for our lives. Someone once told me she was glad God had given me a purpose for my pain. I can assure you that the pain of loss eases over time. I have learned you can get through it with Jesus by your side.

The depth of our faith

God created us with gifts, talents and passions that he wants us to use to bring Him glory. I believe that although we may walk through a season of pain or difficulty, God still has more to accomplish with our lives. He has more joy for us to experience, more dreams to come true and more life to live.

What we believe in the pain shapes how we navigate through it and determines the depth of our faith in God.

We live in a time where people, especially the young, need to be influenced for morals and truth. As we walk through the chaos and uncertainty of this world, we can count on God’s nearness and rest in the truth of His Word. He is the ultimate author of truth.

Anything that is true points back to the source of all truth — God Himself.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6 NIV).

No matter what happens in our lives, one constant remains. Jesus Christ is the Truth and through Him, we can find hope. We can find peace. And we can find purpose.

Does God seem far away? Seek the truth. Seek Jesus. You can trust Him.

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Don’t know Jesus? You can.

It would be my greatest honor to take your hand, introduce you and walk you through how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and how to have a personal relationship with Him.

Find out more here.

 

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