• Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  Test,  Trial

    Delayed Gratitude

    This week, I want to rejoice in a 3 year delay in celebrating our 50th anniversary on a cruise. We planned this cruise for 2021, but ships weren’t sailing at that time due to COVID. Our 50th was celebrated, just not as we had planned! We actually discovered a new favorite beach on Captiva Island, Florida that year! This year, for our 53rd anniversary, we made the cruise with several of our friends and had the best time. For me anticipation is half the fun! I love to plan ahead and wait for something to happen. But, I must say, the week we were to leave, a major winter storm…

  • Blessings,  General,  Great Blogs,  What I'm Reading

    Thanksgiving Blessings

    Next week I’ll conclude my two part post that began last week: Spiritual Game Changers Part 1. This week I just want to say how grateful I am that you read my musings as I process what God is teaching me and share some thanksgiving encouragement. Three things for finding gratitude: 1 This is a fabulous podcast to prepare your heart for this holiday of thanksgiving from LifeWay Women Marked: Finding the Courage to Celebrate. 2 This is an article I wrote for LifeWay Women recently and am sharing here again. Unpacking Gratitude in Scripture. 3 And this is a Bible study my life group just completed in preparation for…

  • Blessings,  Great Blogs,  Spiritual Growth,  Test,  Trial

    Gratitude In ALL Things

    I recently had the privilege of writing an article for LifeWay Women’s The Reference Desk department. The topic was “gratitude.” The timing of the request was designed by God, as it was during a really tough few weeks. Gratitude was not overflowing, but I desperately needed it! I was forced to look at my heart as I studied in preparation for writing this article, and as I prepared to teach my life group using the study Grateful. Banner photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

  • Blessings,  Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  Trial

    When It’s Hard

    We’ve just celebrated Thanksgiving and have been challenged to stop our busy lives for a season of remembering all we have to be thankful for. Yes, most of us have also overindulged in amazing food and fellowship as well. Perhaps your perfect family around the Thanksgiving table was less than perfect. Maybe it was even painful. Maybe you were alone How are we thankful when it’s hard? We know the passage: …give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 When we are struggling, fearful, hurting, criticized, or humbled in some way, being thankful is not normally the first thing we think…

  • Blessings,  General,  Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  Test,  Trial

    Thankful in Hard Times

    I had another post ready to go this week, but decided instead, to share a message I was asked to teach at a women’s event this past Saturday. I realized it was timely for this week of Thanksgiving. I even taught this last minute to my Sunday women’s life group at church the following morning. I’m so grateful I got to share God’s truth alongside my own journey of faith. As I prepared for this message, I had such a sweet time of reflecting on how faithful God has been to me all my life and how much I have to be thankful for. Teachers always learn more than their…