“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” “Mom, someone is at the door for you!” called my kids as they came running into my bedroom to get me. Before I had the chance to scold them for answering the door without me, I noticed that my dear friend was waiting there with a beautifully wrapped Christmas gift for our family. Trying to put myself together (I wasn’t quite ready to see anyone from the outside world), I thanked her for the gift, and kindly waved goodbye as I headed back into the house. The kids ...

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do things with great love.” ~Mother Teresa  It was one of those days where everything around me seemed to be going wrong. I was emotionally drained and felt like there was nothing left of me to give anyone. The pressures of the world had so weighed me down that I didn’t realize how depraved I had become until it all came to an ugly head. I began to have a full-blown meltdown in my car. All the questions, disappointments and unanswered prayers began to flow from my lips. It was not pretty. Somehow, I managed to drive home through all the tears. As I pulled into my driveway, I sat in the car for a bit composing myself before ...

"Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me." (Psalm 42:7 ESV) I was sitting in a class at my church when I first heard these words repeating themselves in my head. "Deep calls out to deep, deep calls out to deep, deep calls out to deep …" Selah. I love to journal. I have been writing down my thoughts for years. Sometimes clarity comes much faster when I write something out so I can process what I am thinking. I carry my journal and my pretty little travel Bible with me wherever I go. You never know when you might need to write something down. Golden nuggets of truth can be found almost anywhere; you just have to look ...

“‘And now, here's what I'm going to do:   I'm going to start all over again. I'm taking her back out into the wilderness 
      where we had our first date, and I'll court her. I'll give her bouquets of roses. 
      I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope ...’” Hosea 2:14-16a(MSG)   I woke up from a deep sleep when I heard a gentle, tender Voice calling me. “Come away with Me.” I looked outside my window and noticed a thick cloud of morning fog covering the ground. “I’m ready for you.” With great anticipation, I nervously got my things ready to spend an entire day out with my King. It’s the same feeling I get when my ...

Once every couple of years, my family and I would take a long road trip to the countryside of Tennessee. It was always one of those trips where, as a kid, and even as an adult, you thought you might never get there. I can still hear the sounds of the locusts chirping in the trees and the way the wildflowers scented the air as we drove up the long dirt road leading to my grandma’s cabin. This cabin I went to as a little girl, tucked away deep in the woods of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, was my “Hideaway.” The country girl inside of me starts to come out when the fond memories of those summer visits to this cabin consume my thoughts. It had a musky smell and was always in need of a ...

I love to laugh! I especially love to see others laugh. When I was growing up, I used to go to great lengths to make my family laugh. I remember gathering an audience (usually consisting of my li’l sis), getting dressed up, grabbing some shopping bags, and putting on my dad’s biggest, thickest white tube socks. Running as fast as I could across our slick wood floor, in my best “role-playing” voice I would yell out, “Wait up, guys!” I would then gracefully slide into an award-winning face plant. Hey, I was a dedicated actress and my audience loved me! She would roar with laughter, even after 100 times of me slamming myself, almost beyond recovery. (Okay, maybe that’s a ...

Thoughts of this article came while relaxing on the beautiful white sand beaches of South Beach, Miami, over looking the aqua blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I laid there listening to the water crash against the shore while seagulls made their sounds flying overhead. It amazes me that even in the midst of a very challenging road the Lord gave me three wonderfully relaxing days. Selah … “Tie your shoes on tight, because the road’s about to get bumpy.” A friend spoke this to my husband and me one night at church. It wasn’t just any night; it was a night of prophetic words. In 1 Corinthians 14:3, Paul talks about speaking prophetically to one another in order to strengthen, ...

“Give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry “We the People of these United States of America…” US Constitution “God shed His grace on thee…” Katharine Bates “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last.” Martin Luther King Jr. “Let Us make man in Our image.” God “Follow Me.” Jesus Since the beginning of time men and women have made a huge impact on this world by the power of their speeches, songs, and quotes. The power of these spoken words literally changed the course of history. Wars were started, people were set free, and lives were forever changed because of a passion, a vision, or a dream that was placed in ...

Finally, I get to wear the dress that took months of window-shopping to find, along with the perfect complimenting shoes and, of course, sparkling accessories to match. With my hair and make-up all dolled up just the way I envisioned, I was ready for my close-up. The day had arrived. Walking graciously into the elegant ballroom, I found my beautifully arranged table covered with a fine white linen tablecloth and set with the most delicate china, crystal glass and sterling silverware. This room was fit for a princess. Sitting there in awe of my surroundings, I watched as, one-by-one, my peers were seated at their designated tables. We were here to receive an award for accomplishing ...

“Kindred Spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” ~Anne Shirley “Girls, they wanna have fu-un!” Most of us have heard Cindy Lauper’s hit about girls just wanting to have fun, but as we all know there have been times when not everybody is having fun. I can remember going to a party thrown just for me, and still feeling very lonely and empty inside; a feeling nobody should ever have to feel. My social abilities all started when I was young. My mom would tell you it was soon after I learned how to speak. In elementary school, I would get report cards back from my teachers and in the comment section they ...