The truth of the matter: feelings or fact

Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash.

Not too long ago, I noticed a recurring theme in my speech. While I’m not suggesting the following phrases aren’t valid, they gave me pause: “I don’t feel like it,” and “I’m not in the mood.” But here’s the problem: both are based on emotion vs. truth. And the truth is:…[read more]

A Christmas wish: encountering agape love

Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash.

With Christmas right around the corner, my gift to subscribers is an opportunity to win an Amazon eGift Card. If you haven’t already signed up for my emails, you can still enter this month’s raffle by clicking here. It’s my way of saying…[read more]

Maybe it’s not about us: asking the whys

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

If you missed my Facebook post on Aug. 19, feel free to “grab a cuppa” (my silly new phrase), and settle in. Because this is my platform to talk about a life-changing event that occurred 18 years ago…[read more]

Gaining a clearer perspective: the root of my problems

Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash.

For five days, I scoured boxes and bags for a favorite pair of glasses. I became convinced I lost them during our recent move. Negative thoughts berated my carelessness. I recalled my Bible devotion on the fifth morning, which spoke of areas in our lives we avoid identifying as the root of our…[read more]

The meaning of prayer: breaking it down

Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash.

During my husband’s and my move from Arizona’s Southwest Valley—to a small town located along the Mogollon Rim that borders the Coconino National Forest—we left our old lives behind to begin a new adventure. At one point, a vehicle passed us with the words “Keep praying!”…[read more]

Playing it safe: making excuses or missing out?

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash.

As my feet inched closer to the edge of a recent and long-overdue leap, I looked down: no net. A vivid reminder of that morning when, as a young girl, I ascended the rungs of the tallest ladder at the public pool. Knees knocking, I shuffled…[read more]

Aligning your spirit: a divine appointment

You seek discernment. Clarity. You toss your cares onto your Creator; catch His peace; invite direction; open yourself to areas in your life that require a good spring cleaning and then wait with expectation for the pieces to fall together. I’d like to think of this as aligning our spirits with the One who formed us. Although our human bodies “fall apart” over time—illness, atrophy, normal aging (i.e., the law of entropy, which suggests systems of change become less organized over time)—our spirits are designed for something greater. Thus, when our spirits are right with a Higher Power (you say universe, I say God)—the pieces fall together—seldom in perfect order, much like a dot-to-dot unveiling the vision of our Creator. Throughout my lifetime, I’ve stumbled upon various tools and teachers to help inform my purpose. And, finally, the proverbial stars and galaxies seem to be lining up. As a new friend recently said: It’s a God thing.

In what area(s) do you seek alignment?

Photo by Graham Holtshausen on Unsplash.

Now what? Pivot vs. panic.

Here’s what I know: the “new normal” can more aptly be classified the new “not” normal. But the question begs: “Now what?” In my post, “When life is spinning out of control…” I share the one thing within our control. Even if it’s simply to breathe… congratulations! I get it. I, too, am scared. Exhausted. Discouraged. And wrapping my mind around the current climate proves boggling at best. Unplug for a moment (after reading this post) and close your eyes. Put your hand over your heart. Feel, and listen. You’re here for a purpose. What is it? Perhaps the new “not” normal will serve as your personal pause button: to pivot vs. panic. In other words, allow this time to change your course: to redirect your thoughts. To replace limiting beliefs with truth. Because here’s the other thing I know: that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:38).

How will you pivot?

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Size doesn’t matter: the power of prayer

Christmas Day dawned cold and rainy. For the second year in a row, my husband and I volunteered through the Salvation Army to deliver dinner to the homebound. While driving to the Phoenix Convention Center to pick up meals, windshield wipers slapping at the spitting rain, I mentioned my prayers for a clear day. “I must not have prayed hard enough,” I said, noting the heavy clouds hovering over the mountaintops. “You don’t really expect God to answer that prayer when other people, like farmers, could be praying for rain?” I glanced at my husband in the driver’s seat. “Uhm… yes.” A few deliveries under our Santa Hats later, the clouds parted to reveal blue skies, the sun a yellow glow that warmed me from the inside out. “What were you saying about God answering prayer?” I said, a big smile on my face. “I just love when He shows off.” Never underestimate the power of prayer—even the small ones.

When have you witnessed answer to prayer?

Image courtesy of nunawwoofy at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

A time for everything: the key is in the knowing when

I can obsess over life’s minutiae with the best of them. Pounce on an idea or thought, roll it around, pound it out, stretch it and kneed it, worry it and ruminate on it—until I become paralyzed—hashing and rehashing, attempting to establish if or when I took a wrong turn, misjudged or misunderstood. Oftentimes, I seek freedom from my thoughts through journaling, a safe place where I scrawl my uncensored soul across the pages of my college-ruled notebook. Mostly, though, I pray. Absolved of conventions about where or when or how, I unearth solace on the mountain trails. Just me and God and nature’s playground. It’s here where I often find the answers—and healing—I seek. I’ve mentioned it before, how there’s a time for everything according to the Good Book: A time to keep and a time to throw away… a time to be silent and a time to speak. The key is in the knowing when.

Do you struggle with the knowing when?