Who doesn’t love the beauty of the mountains covered with majestic conifers?! When the mist is settling above the trees, it brings a sense of peace in its beauty. We see the Master’s handiwork in full display. But how do these green trees survive the harsh months of winter with almost no effect? It’s in…
Category: Refining
Winter’s Beauty
In the midst of the joy of starting a new year, we recognize that this‘newness’ comes during the coldest season of the year. Winter. To many, winter appears to be a season of cold, bitterness and death. Most plants lay dormant during the winter months. No new life seeming to appear. Yet there is beauty…
Charting a Path
2020. A new year has begun. With it comes the tradition of looking back at the previous year and setting resolutions for the upcoming year. Too often when we look back, we find ourselves discouraged or disappointed because of targets we set and missed. But what if we chose to see the ones where we…
Childhood Reboot
“If I could only go back…..” How often have we heard this phrase spoken by someone who want a reboot?Yet none of us can actually move back the hands on the clock of time to an earlier moment of life. So why does God continue to encourage us to do just that? In Genesis 35,…
All Inclusive
Highlights and disappoints. Both were seen this past weekend during Mother’s day. For me, it was a full weekend with family events. Yet sitting now and reflecting on our time, it is not just the activity with family that stands out to me. It is also posts and videos. Stories shared by others which left…
Fresh Start
Warmer days. Cool nights. Brown turning to green. Vibrant colors bursting through the green. These all point to the season of Spring. Green and color representing fresh, new growth everywhere we look. The smell of fresh blossoms is in the air around us. And with it comes the excitement of a fresh start. Spring. Just…
Care for the Heart
Sitting across the table from a young mom, I listened to as she shared her story of shock, pain and grief. A twenty-four-hour whirlwind that forever changed her life. I recognized that no words spoken by me would ‘fix’ her situation. While my nearly untouched coffee became cold, my heart was beating with a desire…
Finding Me
Gods and demigods. Spirits of ancestors. Tribal rituals. These characters are often found in the animated films. And though in real life we know there is only one God, the story lines captivate even us adults. Spending time with my grandkids has become one of my favorite past times, and unless I have something else…
A Royal Wedding
Yesterday, the world watched as another royal wedding took place in England. The younger son of the late Princess Diana, whose wedding also captured the world in 1981, was celebrated by millions. Each detail of the wedding was discussed on cable networks. Details such as how many quests were invited, celebrity guests in attendance, what…
Catching Foxes
It takes two to make a relationship work well. A team. A give and take. Iron sharpening iron. We see this played out in every area of life whether in personal relationships, a body of believers, or in business partners coming together to make a deal. It’s that art of working together which makes us learn to be…
In Secret Strength 