Waiting
- Favorite Quotes, Knowing God's Will, Lament, Lessons, Spiritual Growth, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial, Waiting
Turning What Ifs Into Even Ifs
As I’ve continued my Titus Bible study, a question was posed that stopped me in my tracks: What if we turned our “what ifs” into “even ifs”? Almost immediately, my mind went to the MercyMe song “Even If.” If I’m honest, I found myself quietly singing some of the lyrics as I sat with that question. I’ve loved that song since the first time I heard it, but I needed the reminder it offers—a call back to standing firmly on its message: “I know You’re able and I know You can save through the fire with Your mighty hand, but even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.” If…
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Simply Praying
Last week, on January 1, I found myself reflecting on the past year. I remembered sweet moments and hard seasons, times of questioning and wondering, and times of being settled and still. There were moments of lament and joy, anger and comfort—all woven together through the days of 2025. I imagine you experienced many of these emotions too. Several friends of mine are currently walking through extremely difficult seasons. Many of them live far away, so I can’t physically sit with them. But they are never far from my heart, and certainly never far from my prayers. I’ve committed to praying continually for them during these challenging days. My heart…
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Looking Back, Leaning Forward
This week we stand at the crossroads of the old year and the new. We look back at what is behind and wonder what lies ahead. Are you excited or fearful? Do you wish time would pause, or are you ready to rush forward into 2026? If I’m honest, my answer is “yes” to all of it at different moments. We live looking back at the first advent of Jesus while waiting for His second coming. Israel waited through 400 years of silence, wondering when the promised Messiah would come. Now we wait—without knowing when—for Jesus to return and usher in a new heaven and a new earth. My emotions…
- Beach Lessons, Blessings, Knowing God's Will, Spiritual Growth, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial, Waiting
God of the Small Things: A Beach Lesson
Do you often pray for big things in your life? Those long-term struggles or big changes you’ve been hoping for? I’ve seen some incredible answers to these prayers, often after years of waiting. I’m also still praying for things that haven’t changed yet, and while I keep trusting God, the waiting can be tough. But sometimes, a small, simple prayer is answered almost instantly. This happened on the fourth morning of our beach trip. as I was watching the Gulf waters. I hadn’t seen any dolphins and simply said, Lord, send the dolphins. It wasn’t a major request—just something I would enjoy. I was stunned when, within seconds, I saw…
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How Easily We Forget God’s Faithfulness
It’s easy to praise God when life is going well—when the sun shines, relationships thrive, finances are stable, and health is strong. We readily acknowledge His goodness in these seasons of abundance. However, when freezing rain descends, betrayals sting, bills pile up, and frightening diagnoses emerge, how quickly does our praise dissipate? It’s a humbling admission, but in these challenging times, our recognition of His unwavering faithfulness often falters. Consider the prophet Elijah. After a spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, a threat from Jezebel sent him fleeing in fear to the wilderness. Even after witnessing God’s undeniable power, Elijah temporarily lost sight of God’s consistent…
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Leaping Ahead: When Impatience Leads Us Astray
Have you ever felt that urge to rush forward, to take control before the opportune moment arrives? It’s a familiar human experience, this desire to act rather than wait. Yet, Scripture offers a strong reminder of the pitfalls of impatience, as seen in the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 13. Faced with a looming battle and the delayed arrival of Samuel, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice, a duty reserved only for the priesthood. His intentions might have seemed noble – to rally his troops – but his impatience and disregard for God’s established order ultimately cost him his kingship. Early in our…
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Monday’s Encouraging Message
This week I had the blessing of writing posts for encouraging.com. Each day I will link you to that day’s message. Please sign up to receive encouraging.com posts daily Monday through Friday each week. You will be blessed weekly by various authors. Enjoy! Here is the link to Monday’s post, Waiting In The Wilderness. Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash
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Cast…Because He Cares
How many times has someone said something, or you read a quote, and it stopped you in your tracks? I love to read and I read a lot! I also love to listen to podcasts and attend conferences to continue to grow as a person and especially as a follower of Christ. Years ago I began collecting quotes so I wouldn’t lose them and decided to share these on my blog in a new series I’m calling Favorite Quotes. So, here is the first: If God cares for you, why need you care too? Can you trust Him for your soul and not for your body? He has never refused…
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Who Said It Would Be Easy?
When my husband and I surrendered to ministry, our lives became harder than ever before. Everything started breaking, including cars, furniture and appliances—big stuff on a very limited budget. We began to question whether or not God really called us to full time ministry. Shouldn’t it be easy to follow Jesus, especially since we were committing our family and vocations to His work? We only have to read the book of Job to answer “no” to the title question. In reading Disappointment With God by Philip Yancey I was stunned as he reminded us God never told Job what was happening behind the scenes. Job never knew about the bet…
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The Upside of a Struggle
The disappointment, the losses, the failures, the fears, the betrayals, the waiting and waiting. Why? What good is this in the life of a believer?? I’ve asked these questions many times. If I do get an answer to one, it’s not usually the one I want. It took 8 long painful years praying before the Lord brought restoration in a family relationship. But one thing I have learned over the years, nothing is ever wasted. The Lord uses it all. Scripture tells us: We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he…
