WRITER SPEAKER TEACHER
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 Mourning. Ashes.Heaviness. These are the perfect…Continue Reading “How to Find Beauty in the Ashes”
I am so excited today to introduce all of you to my precious grandmother. She will be 91 years old tomorrow! A lot of who I am comes from her: red hair (although hers has grayed now), independence, love of coffee, work ethic, sarcastic humor, penchant for expressing my opinion, and a little bit of sassiness….Continue Reading “For the Next Generation”
On February 11, 2018, after a long battle with cancer, my husband Mike won the final fight and left us to continue eternity in the presence of his Lord and Savior. Although watching Mike slowly succumb to the effects of the cancer, holding his hand as he took his final breath, and carrying on without…Continue Reading “Welcome to My Story”
Sweet Charli, your Great Aunt Jennifer was thrilled to meet you this week. You are already spoiled and probably exhausted from being continually passed from cousin to grandparent to aunt. You are blessed with a large, crazy family that argues loudly, but is fiercely loyal and loves big. But what I hope for you above all is…Continue Reading “A Letter to Charli”
It is not a suggestion. It is not good advice for self-care. It is a commandment—number four on the top ten list! Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” I am raising my hand here to confess that I break this commandment regularly and I’m guessing the same is true for many of you. But…Continue Reading “Why is Sabbath rest so hard?”
I would love to be able to say that I have endured the trials and suffering in my life with joy, patiently waiting on God to carry me through or change the circumstance, confident in His love and timing. The reality has often been a much uglier picture. I am weak, unfaithful, and impatient. I fail…Continue Reading “He Knows Our Sufferings”
My Dad is a very strong man. Growing up on our farm, I observed him toss bales of hay onto a wagon like they were weightless. I have watched him control horses and bulls, hammer thousands of nails, and manually dig post hole after post hole. But his strength was never more evident to me than when I…Continue Reading “In Daddy’s Arms”
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This scripture is often a source of hope and strength to persevere. These words can infuse dark circumstances with beautiful light. But I believe they are also sometimes misinterpreted and…Continue Reading “Even If?”
I am a planner. I love a good calendar and spreadsheet. Administration is my number one spiritual gift. I am a Meyers Briggs ISTJ and an Enneagram One. I don’t like the unknown. You can’t plan for the unknown. The future is unknown. When Mike died, I found myself suddenly facing a future that I knew would differ…Continue Reading “Confessions of a Planner”
Anyone else guilty of becoming a Pharisee on those days when you seem to have it all together? I let my pride creep in so often. I’ve even bragged about it on social media. I think to myself, “Ha! I am killin’ it! I got up on time, read my BIble and prayed, got my…Continue Reading “Even On The Good Days”