We awoke to the most gorgeous blanket of snow we’ve seen on our Kansas plains in a long while. Cedar branches powdered, porch posts piled, and my round outside table blanketed. I gazed in awestruck admiration out my front window. Venturing to the basement door, I flung it open for a few frosty pictures. Retreating […]
When Hope Is Long In Coming
There’s a beautiful batch of snowflakes filtering down outside my window this afternoon. They make me unabashedly happy. Big, glorious flakes of snow aren’t entirely common for my part of Kansas. It’s a bit like living in a snowglobe. The snow spells out Christmas, Advent, and cozy all swirled together. As I’m contemplating hope during […]
Hope Everlasting
A tear trickled down her cheek, past her nose, leaving a wet streak from tear duct to chin. The heaviness had been hovering, edging nearer until it draped around her like a dark suffocating blanket. Loneliness mocked and voices of inadequacy sniveled in derisive, biting anger. She shivered despite the stifling weight flung around her […]
Holy Land Illustrated Bible
I’m a homebody much, much, much of the time. I deeply love and appreciate cozy home. Thus, I’m not a world traveler nor have ever aspired to become one. Still, I do have a list of places I’d love to visit and Israel is one of them. On this note, I’m happy to announce……….. ToDaY, […]
Beautiful Word Coloring Bible For Girls
As the calendar counts off the days in November, I’ve been counting gratefulness AND I’ve been anticipating Christmas. As I anticipate, I’ve been contemplating the HOPE Christmastime represents. If I were asked to describe the season in one word, that would be the word right now. Christmas embodies hope.Christmas gives the best gift by offering […]
In Which We Look Inside the Inspire Prayer Bible
Bible study. Beauty. Bible Journaling. Interacting with the text. Coloring. Creativity. Focusing on prayer. Writing out prayers. This beautiful Inspire Prayer Bible brings them all together. I’m so happily delighted to bring us this Bible + a giveaway this week. Tyndale sent me these Bibles to review. There are so many lovely details and features […]
Though the Fig Tree Does Not Bud {Habakkuk Bible Study}
The words were beautiful.They spoke of such hope. Of deep faithfulness. Of choosing gratitude, despite.Perhaps they resonated because of my perchance to wince and complain, grumble and frown. The dishes had stacked up. While my back was turned. I’d only left the kitchen to lay wooden track in place and help my little son arrange […]
In Which I Muse About Assurance
Assurance could look like a signed contract. It might be in the number of place value holders stamped on our bank statement. Assurance may feel like meal plans or lesson plans, vacation plans or run-away-from-Nineveh-plans. Assurance sometimes disdainfully and smugly plants itself in the territory of how-right-I-am. Perhaps assurance comes in the form of a […]
A Simple Tuesday in 2020
On a simple Tuesday morning, in the midst of August, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and twenty… I’m anticipating… • that life will not always be as it is today. In an upheaval and uncertainty of days. In a madness of strong opinions and fears on either end of the pendulum. In […]
Seven Feasts Bible Study
Hey friends! What are you looking forward to this week? I’ve told Matthew several times how strange I find it for this year to feel loooong in some ways, yet at the same time here we are closing July out already! I’m quite delighted to bring you a giveaway today for a new Bible study […]
I Want the Infusion of Jesus in My Life
I want the infusion of Jesus in my life. For this is the leaven of life. Not the profession of Him.Not the profession of Christianity.Not nicely summed up in a little meme. Not the confession of Jesus.Not confession alone.Not nicely coined words and phrases. Certainly not the pretension of Jesus. A house of cards testimony.Woven […]
Living Gratefully and Aware
Gratitude for what I am given is something I never want to take for granted. I’m no more deserving. I’m not extra special. I most often feel like a misfit. Yet, I often wonder and ponder why I have a home and fresh water when half-a-world away, the children we sponsor with @compassion, often struggle for […]
I Still Believe Digital Giveaway
Happy Friday! Have you been able to watch the new movie I Still Believe yet? If not, I have a giveaway for you today! {I have a giveaway for you, EVEN if you have watched it! 🙂 It’s a good movie to own.} I’m happy to get to offer a giveaway for a digital copy […]
Cultivating What I Consume
What we consume, begins to consume us. When I dwell on negatives, I become sour, stifled, tight-fisted, grumbly, grumpy, fearful, anxious, bitter. At best, it produces less-than-living. Less than desirable. Less than encouraging. Less than uplifting. Less than inspiring. Less than glorifying. Less than trusting. Less than hoping. Less than joyful. Less than peaceful. Less […]
It Reminds Me
Lightning flickers in the wee hours of dark and splays a light show across our curtained bedroom window. Thunder rumbles deep in the distance and raindrops echo off of eaves. Blinking sleepy eyes, I roll over, listen, lean against my good farmer man, and let slumber beckon me back. The spring storm splatters its wind […]
Intentional Resolve and Choosing To Make a Difference
I underlined the words with my fingertip and laid my Bible in my lap. Gazing out the window, I thought about the words I’d just read. Words pointing towards waiting, resolving, and making an intentional difference in a loved one’s life. I knew waiting was not my strong point. Sitting in settled stillness or practical […]
Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude pulls us away from focusing on problems and points us toward the positive. Gratitude reminds us of all that’s good. Gratitude says, “I choose to pause and say thank-you.” At it’s absolute best, life still offers overwhelm and difficult decisions. When the extra difficult shows up, it demands leaning with especial intention on the […]
