Chosen for God's Purpose

                  Anyone who tells you that childbirth is easy is lying. This person is not your friend, and you should run…run away as fast as possible 😊                 The reality is, birth is likely the hardest task a woman will ever undertake in her life. Pregnancy and birth is the culmination of “giving up” of self – of one’s physical appearance and body image, of one’s normal bodily functions, of one’s time and freedom, but most of all…of one’s heart and soul.                 As a mother prepares for the arrival of her child, she passes through many levels of self-sacrifice. There are the countless hours spent nursing nausea and fatigue. The constant press on your body to provide; not only for your life and sustenance, but that of the o...

There is no fog so thick it cannot be broken by the shining light of the "SON" Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Fog. An interesting thought as I drove into work this morning. The fog in our area was thick, like a visual blanket of mist covering the city. I took the same route I use every day. I have driven this path each morning for nearly two years. I know exactly how long it should take me in most any circumstance. But fog is a different story. That fog made my journey this morning seem twice as long. I wondered if I would ever make it to my destination. What was the reason for this? The mileage had not changed. The traffic flow was the same. So, what caused the shift in my travel time? Nothing. Nothing but my perspective. For you see, the fog had literally clouded my vision. My ability to judge distance and space was significantly impaired. Typi...

Not all things can be taken at face value- sometimes you must dig a bit deeper *** Spoiler alert- I am going to be writing my thoughts about The Shack , by William P. Young. In this review/discussion, some of the details of the book will be revealed. Some may not have read the book, some may not care to. I pray that my discussion will at least pique your curiosity to investigate it for yourself, but I do apologize for any plot revelations. *** Things are not always what they seem. At least that has been my experience in life. As soon as I think I have a situation/person figured out, they shock the daylights out of me. Some things in life are predictable; we know the sun will rise each morning, most of us have our "routine", but there are times when life just surprises. I was given a copy of the book, The Shack  by William P. Young, from a friend at church who told me, "this book has changed my life; you should read it". I took it from her happily, bei...

How well do you wait? Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word I do hope." We wait for the unseen to become seen Waiting is hard. It can seem like an unending tunnel of darkness. Depending on what you are waiting for, it can be very easy to lose heart and despair. Waiting on a job…while you sit wondering how you are going to make the rent or put food on the table. Waiting on confirmation…when you need an answer from God about which direction to take, while feeling as though time is just ticking away and your life is passing you by. Waiting on a mate…watching everyone around you (or at least you think) live out their lives happily with a spouse or significant other in their life while you eat yet another meal alone. Even waiting in line, at a restaurant, on hold…the list goes on and on and it is never easy. But waiting is a part of life, and it is not going anywhere! Remember this truth though…even in the waiting, Go...

Will you trust Jesus to hold you up, even in the deepest waters? Jesus is the guard of my life How hard is it to trust the Lord? Some moments it seems so easy…but other times it is so difficult. Why is that? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So if He is not changing, why should our trust in Him change? It really all boils down to perspective. Where our focus is at that moment. If we are keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord in the midst of a difficult situation, it seems smaller, and we are less apt to stress out. But if we remove our eyes from His face and focus on the situation at hand, it often appears insurmountable and we begin to feel overwhelmed and despair. It makes me think of Peter, when he stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus in Matthew 14:27-31. There is more to this passage of Scripture that we could look at in terms of being in the midst of a storm, but for the intent of this post, I want to focus on Peter and what...

Life can be found anywhere...even in the desert Even in the desert, life blooms Hosea 13:5 "I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of drought." Man life gets hard sometimes. Just when you think things are rolling along…BAM!  Out of the blue comes another “unexpected” that knocks you back. Someone lets you down. You get some bad news. That budget you tried so hard to stick to is out of the water because of an unexpected expense. This is my life right now. Every time I turn around it is something. I tell you the truth…it is wearisome. As though life was not complicated enough with school, work, home, kids, money etc, I throw in the expectations I have of myself, and well…I am pretty much just done in. It is a good thing that God doesn’t see me the same way I see myself. In the midst of the chaos, I am thankful. I will practice what I “preach” and count the things in my life that are praiseworthy…they are too many to list. But the pain is sitting r...

What we believe is much more important that what we see! Look beyond the outer to see the beauty that lies beneath 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come" What is perspective? Webster’s defines this as “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something.” A point of view. A point of view . What is the viewpoint from where you sit right now? The view may be very good. Things may be lining up nicely in your career and finances, your children may be flourishing, your marriage may be fruitful, or you may have just embraced the life of singleness with its inherent freedoms. Maybe you have embarked recently on a new journey and are experiencing the success of attempts at things like new hobbies or regained health and vigor. These are the “mountain top” days…the days when praise comes easy and flows like honey from your tongue. These are the times when a smile seem...