Unity
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When We Fall Down
Beach Lesson #2, 2019 One morning while sitting on the beach, I saw a women walking down the shoreline. But on her return trip back, she appeared somewhat unstable as she walked on the edge of the surf right in front of where we sat. I kept watching her, and sure enough, she fell and began rolling in the water unable to get up. My husband and I jumped up and ran over to help her stand up and fish her sunglasses out of the water. Once she was standing again, we asked her if she was okay. She said yes and, after we advised her to walk on the…
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Prayer, Not Outrage
I’m somewhat on a roll on this issue of praying for revival and restoration rather than responding with frustration or even anger at the lost world around us. Feel free to read the two previous posts here and here. As I’ve committed to pray an hour each week for revival (2 Chronicles 7:13-15) for myself, believers and the lost, I’ve wondered about how to focus my time. In my chronological Bible reading plan, I’d already read through Daniel and Ezra, then today read Nehemiah. So, I chose three prayers from the Old Testament, each focused on restoration for the people of God…the place to begin as we admit our own…
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Corrie’s Legacy
When have you read something an author wrote (besides the Bible) that just gripped your heart and maybe even made you cry? Perhaps you watch how someone loves Jesus and you just want to know and love Him that deeply. I believe God doesn’t give us these testimonies to condemn us, but to challenge us to grow in our walk with Him. That has been my response to my re-reading of The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. If you have not heard of or read this book, please get a copy! Although I sometimes dislike reading about the painful past of wars in history, and I especially hate what…
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When Social Media Isn’t “Social”
Have you ever been misunderstood, criticized or even attacked on social media? It’s painful, is’t it? It’s frustrating when someone assumes they know your intent better than you do. Without hearing the sound of our voice, a person doesn’t really know how we said what we said. Often we think that our own opinion is the only one that is correct and assume we know what is best for someone else. I was on the opposite side of this coin recently. Someone asked a question whether we’d ever had a man in our lives who has encouraged our leadership as a woman. I responded with the name of a former…
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Teamwork That Works!
We have quite a menagerie behind our house that includes deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds, ground hogs and sometimes a fox. So we enjoy watching nature at work before our eyes. This past week I was working in my home office and heard my husband Pat say, “Well, that’s something I’ve never seen before!” When I asked what he’d seen, he said it was a squirrel scampering off with a peach in his mouth. Our neighbors have a peach tree that we have watched grow for several years, so that squirrel found himself a treasure. We’d noticed that although there had only been peaches hanging ON the tree and none on…
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Reconciliation Joy
In my chronological Bible reading this year, I just read again the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33. I love when Jacob and Esau reconciled and saw each other again for the first time in many years and Jacob said, “For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me.” (Genesis 33:10) Jacob deceived both Esau and their father Isaac (you can read all about that in Genesis 25 and 27). And that meant he had to hightail it out of town to avoid Esau’s anger. Now after years apart, they reconnected and it was sweet. At least in…
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Forgiving the Devil in Pew Number Seven…What I’m Reading
Forgiveness…what does that word conjure up for you? Forgiving a child or spouse for hurting you? Forgiving a driver who cut you off? Forgiving a predator or abuser? Forgiving a church member or minister for betrayal? When I think of the things for which I’ve forgiven others, I must say they seem small and petty compared to the reasons why Rebecca Nichols Alonzo and her brother had to forgive their mother’s murderer as well as the man who wreaked havoc in their lives for years. I just finished reading, in tears, The Devil in Pew Number Seven by best selling author Rebecca Alonzo. I have never seen a more beautiful picture of biblical…
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Retired Together…3 Issues and 7 Tips
Some of you may know I retired in 2017 after 22+ years at LifeWay, serving as the women’s ministry specialist. It was such a surprise and an honor to get to do this ministry. I loved my work and am so grateful for all God taught me. But, my husband and I knew that this was the year to retire. I turned 65 the September prior and God made it clear this was the time. God affirmed this in so many ways the last year I was there and my retirement was such a sweet time of celebration. I wasn’t retiring from ministry, just from serving in the capacity I…
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ALL Women…Something to Teach, Something to Learn
The first time I was asked to lead a conference, I was clueless how to write a conference outline. But the person asking me to lead assured me she would help me, and she did. Little did I know God was preparing me to eventually lead and teach in a national ministry vocation. She nor I had any idea at the time, but she taught me something she knew that prepared me for that position to which God would lead me. Now in retirement I am asked at times to help another woman walk out her ministry calling and because of my own experiences, I have the joy of raising…
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Younger Women…Be Humble and Keep Asking!
Last week I wrote a post to older women as a result of an email I received from a younger leader. You can read that post here. Today I want to address how younger women can be catalysts to bridge the gap to connect with older women. First of all, you need to understand a couple of things about older women (I’m talking mostly about Boomers and older, although as I said last week we are ALL older and younger than someone). Here are a few myths these women may be believing: “I do not know all the answers, how can I mentor a younger women?” “My stories are sacred and…
