My Desire

Wishing you all a blessed day in the Lord. May we all have the desire to give Him our hearts above all else!

A Request

This evening I'd like to just take a few minutes of your time and ask if you would join my family in prayer. It's been a week of excitement and a start to new adventures and also a week of great sadness. If you feel led, would you please remember these in your prayers?

Tonight, probably as I am typing this post, my sister and her family board a plane that will take them to Prague where they will be serving as missionaries. They are so excited as they begin this new journey. And, while we will miss them while they are away, we are so very excited for them, as well, and very proud of them as they follow the Lord's calling into missions.

On a much sadder note, my uncle passed away late last night. This followed a long summer full of a number of medical issues, not the least of these being pancreatic cancer. If you would please keep my aunt in your prayers, along with the rest of the family. As well, many of us will be traveling next week for his memorial service.

Through it all, we will continue to praise the Lord. We know and are so thankful that He is here with us and will guide our days... regardless of whether they are filled with excitement and laughter or with sadness and grief. How truly blessed we are to serve a God that we are able to praise regardless of the storms we face!


We appreciate all your prayers... they mean more than you will ever know. Love you all!

Thankful to be Part of a Living and Loving Legacy

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how God leads us thru life. How if we listen and if we follow there are so many good things. Along that road we will encounter difficulties, painful situations, and times when we are just not comfortable with what is happening. We never know where it all will lead, but we do know that if we let Him, that God is in control and that He knows best.

Along these same lines I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the legacies we build and we leave as we move on thru different points in our life. This leads to thinking about the legacies that I have seen started and put in place for me and my children and their children and so on. I then begin thinking of my parents and my grandparents and all that they have given to me over the years. The love they have shown, the examples they have set, the people that they are. It is around this topic, that I find my “thankfuls” for this week.

I am thankful for my parents and my grandparents. I have never doubted their love for me or their support. No matter what I have done or where I have gone, they have been right there with me.

I am thankful to have been raised by parents that loved the Lord and taught us the importance of following Him in all that we do. Last week, I wrote this post about a lesson that I learned from a situation as a teenager. I wrote about how the words Dad shared with me at that time have stayed with me and helped me to grow and to recognize how God works in our lives. I’ve also shared this post about a time Mom helped me in a similar manner. One time among many when she reminded me how much God cares about me and how much He loves me. I could fill pages with similar stories of the times my parents took opportunities such as these to lead and guide my sisters and I to the Lord. Through their love for God and their love for us, they have given us a rich and powerful legacy by which to live our lives and to raise our own children.

In that post last week, I also briefly joked about Dad being my youth minister. I don't know many minister's kids that DON'T joke about it a little bit or have a funny story or two to share --including Dad who is a preacher's kid himself and has shared a few funny stories with us over the years :). Truth is, regardless of what our parents do, as teenagers we probably all have moments when we'd rather be anywhere else but with them. A fact I'm not crazy about admitting and one I'm not looking forward to as my kids get older, but a fact it is... all part of growing up... part of spreading our wings and trying to find our independence. Regardless of all of that, I can also say truthfully that, while there were moments when I wished his role might have been different, I was ALWAYS proud of him for what he did. He taught me alot about how to lead, how to serve, how to respond with grace in difficult situations, and how to fully rely on God. I am thankful for all of it and am quite proud to be a minister's child!

I am thankful for the many and varied roads the Lord has led me down thru the course of my life. I don’t think we should live in the past, dwell on it too much, or focus on regrets… what’s done is done and I really think God wants us to live for today. However, I do think it is important to remember the past and to remember the lessons we have learned along the way. It is important to recognize how God worked in our lives in particular situations and the ways in which we have grown. I, too, thinks it's important that we share these with others. It's part of our witness and our testimony to the world.

In closing, I am so very thankful for each and every lesson taught, every story shared, every wise word given, and every prayer said on my behalf as I have walked this journey of life. All of this makes up a rich and worthy legacy of which I am proud to be a part of and sharing with my children today!



To join us in sharing our thanksgivings this week, visit Laurie at "Women Taking a Stand".

How Do You Relate?

Do you find that you sometimes have a hard time relating scripture to your own life? After all, it was written many years ago when the culture was different, the laws were different and the lifestyles were different from those of today. When there is no direct correlation or common ground, it does sometimes present a challenge, doesn't it?

For example, in the book of Colossians you will find the following passage of scripture --


Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching -- like those who are strictly people-pleasers -- but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ. For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no exceptions. Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven. Colossians 3:22 - 4:1


We find in these verses a different culture altogether than the one we live in today -- that of slavery. The laws of our land today do not allow for slavery. None of us are slaves, so we can't relate to the lifestyle. It is altogether different than anything we know. So, how do we read this and apply to our lives today?

As I was recently studying in the book of Colossians (and this passage in particular), I found the below 3 steps presented in my study guide ("Cappuccino with Colossians", by Sandra Glahn).


#1 - seek to explain what the author meant when writing

#2 - determine what part of God's character is behind practices that apply to all believers for ALL TIME (i.e., "timeless truths").

#3 - apply the timeless truth to your own situation once you know what's transferable.


Now, taking these three steps, here's an abbreviated version of how Ms. Glahn broke apart this passage of scripture to find how it relates to us today.

It's safe to say that when writing these words, Paul's meaning was to tell slaves to obey. In any culture where Christians are owned, they should certainly obey rather than to murder or steal. However, just because slaves should obey, this doesn't necessarily lead to us applying this today to our lives as "Employees, obey your employers." The situation is still different. Employees do not live with their employers as slaves did. Also, slaves where usually not allowed to leave their jobs with their masters. Today, we are legally able to leave our place of employment. While we can draw some conclusions about how to act in a position of lesser social power, we must be sure we understand where the differences are.

We can't take a straight interpretation and just say, "Paul told slaves to obey their masters, so we need to obey our employers". We are able to draw a few conclusions, though. When in positions of greater societal power, we should exhibit humility, gentleness, and even self-sacrifice because God is humble, gentle and self-sacrificing. When in a position of lesser social power, we are expected to exhibit attitudes of cooperation and confidence that demonstrates God is just.


How do you study God's word? Do you have any specific ways in which you apply God's word to your daily life? I'd love to hear from you!

His Paths are the Best Paths

Throughout my late elementary and teenage years my father served as music and youth minister at several churches. As a teenager this caused me much angst as I always feared the day when Dad would be called to serve in another church in another city. (There was also the angst that went along with the fact that my Dad was my youth minister, but that is a whole other post... and something that we joke about in our family from time to time. :) How great to be an adult and realize that, in reality, I was really quite fortunate... where is that wisdom when we are teenagers?!) Anyway, to move along, I was way too focused on what I wanted and not so much on what might be good for my entire family or, more importantly, on where God might be leading.

I remember the spring of my jr year in high school my parents talking to us at dinner one evening about a call they had received. It was from a church in Idaho that was interested in speaking to Dad about being their music and youth minister. As you can imagine, this what not what I wanted to hear. How could I be asked to leave my friends, my school, and right before my senior year in high school??

I don’t remember exactly what I said to my parents that night, but I do know that I voiced many of these thoughts. As I voiced my feelings -- feelings of how it wasn't fair, how could God send my parents somewhere but not care about what I wanted, etc -- Dad reminded me that God just doesn't work that way. God would never lead him somewhere that would not be the right place for ALL of us. When God calls us, he doesn’t just call one of us. As a family, he has a plan for EACH ONE OF US. Yes, we must all be open to that plan… but it is there.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

God cared very much about what I felt. The problem wasn't with what God was asking. The problem was with me. And, I must admit, that it took several more years for this to sink in.

In that particular instance, we did not make the move to Idaho. However, the fall after my senior year my family did move to Kansas City where Dad began seminary. That was a difficult move for me… primarily because I made it that way. I will say, though, that it has been in looking back over that move that I see the truth in Dad’s words.

It is always a good thing once we are open to what God has for us. And, once I was open to that, God definitely showed me all the good things he had planned for me. As I look back I see very clearly how our move to Kansas City led me and each member of my family to where we are today. Could God have gotten us to where we are today without that move? Maybe... but I don't believe we would be the people we are today. We learn from every experience and if not for that move we would not have those experiences and those particular building blocks from which we grew.

God’s plans are ALWAYS good. We can always count on the fact that He will never lead anywhere that would harm us. He might lead down rocky roads. He may lead us thru difficult and painful times. We can always be assured, though, that the end result is for our good. We can always be assured that we will not have to walk those roads alone. And, as I began to learn that day back in high school, His plans for us as individuals never leaves our families and loved ones exempt. He brought us together for a purpose and that purpose is all part of His plan.


What is holding you back from fully following God and His plans for your life? It it fear? Concern for how it will affect your family? Uncertainty of where following God today will lead you to in the future? Whatever it is, I can tell you from personal experience that God will take care of it. He will take your fears and replace them with security. He will guide and hold close each member of your family. He will take your uncertainty and replace it with assurance.

Earlier this week I decided, along with my mother and sister, to make a trip to Northwest Arkansas to spend some time with my aunt and uncle. Over the course of the summer my uncle has been hospitalized 3-4 times, has had at least 2 surgeries, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, has undergone one chemo treatment and almost lost his life more than once.

At this time, we don't know what lies ahead or the length of time we have left with him. Due to the fact that his body has not yet recovered from all that it has been thru in the last few months and diabetes that they have struggled to keep under control, the one chemo treatment he had just about did him in. The doctors have decided there will be no more chemo unless he can build up his strength quite a bit more than it is now. They are not sure he can reach that point and, in the meantime, the cancer is left to grow.

It was so good to see him today. At this time he is doing well... particularly considering that where he was just one week ago was very scary.

My grandmother also lives close by and we were able to bring her over for awhile, as well. We were able to take my aunt out to lunch and have a great visit with her. We have had a good day... one filled with laughter and smiles, along with tears.

Many would say it was a bittersweet day. And, I guess in many ways it was. However, at the same time, I see it as a very good day. Yes, my uncle's health is not good. Yes, we don't know how much longer we will have him here on earth with us. And, yes, my aunt is struggling so very much.

At the same time, we were able to be together as a family. We were able to laugh together and we were able to cry a bit together, too. We had a great visit with my uncle who is up and about, he is laughing and he is determined to beat this thing that has taken hold of his body. More than once today I could see and feel God's presence. He is and will continue to be with them throughout this journey... regardless of where it ends.



You prayers over the last few months are appreciated more than I can find the words to express. I'm so thankful for each of you and for your prayers and the concern you have expressed over the last few months. I love you all!

Be Still and Rest

"Be still, and know that I am God... " Psalm 46:10

"And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." Mark 6:31


I think I may have mentioned a time or two or three that I am easily overwhelmed by all the day-to-day "stuff" there is to do. There is ALWAYS something... laundry to fold, meals to prepare, school forms to fill out, errands to run, bills to pay, and on and on and on the list goes.

Most of the time I do okay. But, catch me on a day when I'm tired or the list is longer than usual and you will find me feeling overwhelmed. And, unfortunately, I don't handle overwhelmed very well. Sure, eventually it all gets done and usually it’s not as bad as I initially thought it would be, but in the meantime I have become exhausted and cranky and stressed. And, I've usually missed out on something fun. Definitely not a good place to be…. for me or for my family!

To add to the fact that I get overwhelmed so easily (or maybe because of since I don't like to let myself get to the point of being overwhelmed) I don't "be still" very well. I don't slow down and rest much... I always have something that I want to get done... something that I think NEEDS to get done. I don't do "it can wait until tomorrow" very well. My excuse is that if I just get it done now then I don't have to worry about it later. While that does work for awhile and is legitimate for some tasks, it isn't always what is most important for that moment. At some point, we all need to stop.

Because of this, I have found myself thinking quite a bit over the last 6-8 months about what leads me to being overwhelmed and what I can do differently to keep from reaching that point as much as I do. One thing I am realizing is that I need to more often consider things such as "I need to take time now to rest before I fall over in an exhausted heap." Or, "I need to slow down and determine what is truly the most important tasks.” And, then there is ALWAYS this one that I know should be at the top of the list every day… “I need to be still and rest and spend time listening to God." Now, I have always eventually gotten around to all those questions. Unfortunately, I usually wait much too long and by that time I am at that point of being exhausted and stressed and cranky.

Here are just a few of the questions that I've been asking myself:


Does all the "stuff" on my to do list really need to be done right now? Are there maybe even things on the 'ole list that I should let go or, at the very least, throw to the bottom of the list?

Why is it that when I write out my to do list that I don't consider time to rest?

Why is it that my to do list doesn't include some of the most important things that need to be done? Things like spending time with family, with friends, with GOD?

Why does "completing the list" take precedence over those important things noted in the previous question?



The more time I’ve spent thinking on this and praying on it, I am more convinced than ever that God doesn’t want me constantly “doing”…. no matter how important the items are on my to do list. At some point it is just “stuff” that can’t be placed above taking the time to rest and time to be still.

Over the summer I really tried to work on resting and taking the time to really listen to what God might be trying to tell me and show me. And, you know, I found that if I take the time to rest and to really prioritize those things on my to do list that I’m a lot less overwhelmed. Could it be that when we place God first and then prioritize everything else behind Him that it works much better? I would say “YES!” It is something I’ve always known, but not focused on as much as I should. I am learning… not totally there yet… but it is better.

I’m trying to find ways to remind myself that I’m not in this alone and that my priority should be to God and from there He will take care of the rest. How do I do this? I try to spend more time in prayer and more time in the Bible. I try to be more aware of the moment and what I am doing with each one. For example, does the laundry have to be folded right this minute or could it wait until tomorrow so I could spend a quiet even having fun with the family? Does the living room have to be picked up right now or could I just take a deep breath, accept it the way it is for the moment and sit down for a good movie and relax for a couple of hours?

Not everything fits these questions, but many do (at least for me). I do not have to do everything RIGHT NOW. Many things can wait and I've even been known to have a few things on the list that really could be left undone.

For me, this re-evaluating and letting go thing is not easy. It is hard and I don't know how I would do it without God. Ever so slowly I am learning to let go and to re-evaluate. And, in the process, I am learning more about me, learning more about God, and enjoying life much more!

Thankful for Hope

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken." Psalm 62:5-6


Have you ever wondered where you might be if not for the Lord? How you might deal with daily life without Him by your side? How you would deal with the struggles in life without the hope we have thru Him?

I've been pondering these thoughts this week. How do people get thru life without God? Without His strength? Without hope?

Honestly, I just don't know the answer to those questions. I turn to the Lord DAILY. Some days it's little things that don't really add up to alot in the whole course of life... other days it's bigger things. Some days it's with praises and some days it's asking Him to help me keep putting one foot in front of the other. I just can't imagine not being able to do that.

So, today, I am thankful that He IS my strength and my salvation. I am thankful that He IS where I find hope... and comfort.... and everything else that I might need.


To join us in sharing our thanksgivings this week, visit Laurie and "Women Taking a Stand".