Definition of a True Friend

Life falls apart. Unfortunately, it’s simply part of this…life. For example, Job lost everything. He lost his wealth, his servants, his children. Wave after wave of loss hit him, without time to even breathe between crises. He was left mourning, devastated, in despair. When Job’s life first fell apart, however, he was blessed with some […]

When the Mountain Won’t Move

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 If only we had enough faith… How many times have […]

A Prayer for the Grieving at Christmas

If I could sum up 2016 with one word it would be loss. Yes, we have had some wonderful blessings this year, but the blessings have been far outweighed by huge losses. And, as the holidays approach, the losses are weighing even heavier upon our hearts. I’ve spent the last eight months doing everything I […]

Cultivating Gratitude When Life Sucks

Let’s face it: sometimes life just sucks. I’m not one to use any type of profanity, but I’m not sure there’s any other way to describe 2016. It’s been an unbelievably difficult year, filled with life-changing realities that have permanently altered our lives. And here we are, with the holidays upon us, trying to figure […]

Reclaiming Peace

The election is over. The ballots are in and we have a new President-elect. And what a surprise it was. On election day, I was waiting for results to begin pouring in. I was filled with a mixture of excitement and fear, enthusiasm and dread. The election season was nothing like what I had hoped […]

When the Earth Shakes

Oklahoma is known for tornadoes. But, did you know that Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of earthquakes? Most of the earthquakes we have are small. I’ve missed most of them simply because they have been undetectable to the normal person. Several weeks ago, however, we had one that was impossible to miss! […]

Of Grief and Grace

Grief. Grief accompanies all kinds of losses. Some grief is short-lived. Other times, it lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Other times, it seems to be fading. Maybe it’s grief from divorce. Or sickness. Or death. Or, maybe like us, you are overwhelmed by grief from all of these losses. Last week was the six […]

I’m Desperate

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 I received a message from a friend recently. “What do you do when the bad stuff just keeps coming? Not […]

Desires and Delight

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 “God,” I cried out as the tears streamed down my face and my feet pounded the pavement, “I want to desire you. I want to delight in you. But, honestly, I really just want a husband.” I had escaped the […]

I Can’t Handle It!!

Have you heard the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle?” That is an outright lie! The Sunday after I learned of my husband’s affair, we went to a new church. The pastor was preaching a series on, “You Can’t Handle It.” He spoke of the trials of this life and how […]