My kids are on my mind a lot lately. If my life were perfect, I would probably work part-time and devote so much more time to my kids. I would be the mom who is at every activity. I would be the mom with home-cooked meals every night. I would be the mom with fresh-baked […]
Changed On the Mountaintop
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Matthew 6:12 The mountaintop. Have you ever thought about how many things happened on the mountaintop in the scriptures? Moses received the ten commandments on a mountaintop. Abraham took Isaac to the mountaintop to offer him […]
A Week at the Creek
Falls Creek. If you are not from Oklahoma, you might not be impacted by those two words. But, for us Okies, the term Falls Creek is filled with meaning. For those of us who grew up in Oklahoma, Falls Creek brings memories of an outdoor tabernacle, huge fans, sweat pants pulled up to our knees, […]
A Prayer for Filling
Lord Jesus, I’m desperate. Desperate for strength. Desperate for renewal. Desperate for fresh breath. Desperate for change. I am worn and weary. My strength fails me. My heart, my body…they fail me. I need YOU. I need a fresh dose of your power, of your Spirit. I need a fresh filling of your strength, of […]
It Takes Two and Other Myths About Adultery and Divorce
It takes two… I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase as it applies to many different things in this life. I spent the majority of my life believing that divorce took two, that if a divorce occurred it was because both people were responsible for the failure. I now know just how wrong that belief is. […]
It’s Not About You (Revisited)
I’ll never forget the conversation I had with my then husband about the woman he was having an affair with. “It’s just exhilarating that someone like that would be interested in me,” he said. Adultery hits at the core of your being. Every ounce of self-confidence and self-respect you carry is destroyed. You look in […]
The Ultimate Appraisal
Nine years ago when I was going through my divorce, my parents were living two hours away taking care of my then 98-year-old grandfather. They decided to sell their home, move closer to me so they could help me with the kids, and bring my sweet grandpa with them. My grandmother had died a few […]
Where’s Your Security?
“Get your security from me,” God whispered to my heart. It might have been a whisper, but His voice was louder with each passing day. I was in the midst of some of the most painful days of my life. My husband had been caught in an affair, and despite my attempts to reconcile, I […]
When Bitterness Consumes You
Monday, I drove out of state for work. A quick down-and-back trip, but it provided ample time to think and pray and listen to sermons. It was a welcome change of pace. Before I left, I was faced with an unexpected situation that brought a flood of memories to the front of my mind, reminding […]
When You Don’t Get a Hollywood Ending: Three Lessons from the Movie I Can Only Imagine
I’ll never forget the first time I heard I Can Only Imagine. Our church’s youth group had just returned from a Texas youth event where a new band had sung their debut song. It so impacted our youth and workers that they came back and played the song for us. Now, the story behind the […]