Control Relinquished

 "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" Psalm 23:4. This verse is, perhaps, the most familiar of Psalm 23. It's often quoted at memorial services or memorized from childhoods. We all face dark valleys in our lives and this promise can bring peace and comfort in the face of unknowns.  David, the shepherd boy, understood this reality when he authored this psalm. He knew that pastures eventually became bare and he would need to guide his flock to the high country in the mountains. With his rod and his staff, he would lead and protect his flock throughout the journey.  And we can trust God to do the same. He will lead us to the high country. Yes, the journey will take us through rugged ravines and dark valleys, but He will be there, guiding us through it all. Remember, God will lead us through...not around these valleys of heartache, grief, or death of a dream. There is some...

 I have been reading Max Lucado's book "Traveling Light" which focuses on Psalm 23 and expounds deep into each phrase. It has been a blessing to hone in on a familiar passage and let its promises sink deep into my soul and my mind.  My husband raised sheep in high school for his FFA project. Even to this day he often comments how dumb sheep are and how they would make him so angry at times!! Sheep cannot be trained, sheep are defenseless, sheep are filthy. So, why does David, an ex-shepherd, wisely compare us to these animals in this psalm he authored? I believe it was because he recognized how they relied on their shepherd to meet all their needs and keep them safe. We like to think we know what we're doing in this journey of life, but if we're honest with ourselves, we probably look pretty similar to a long-lost sheep!  "I shall not be in want," the psalm continues. How often do we find ourselves in the prison of want? Wanting something bigger, fancier...

 I never intended to take a 9-month hiatus from blogging. Blogging has always been a helpful way for me to process what God has been teaching me and I enjoy blessing others through my writing. But there were many major events in the life of our family since April, as well as chaos within our country, so my quiet times with God felt, well....sacred. Yes God still taught and spoke many things to each of us, but I resonated with a fellow blogger that some of it just felt too personal to share online. Often, God's whisperings were just enough to get me through my day and there just wasn't time or strength for me to process them into words for others to read.  Anyways, God really opened my eyes last evening during our family devotions from Keys for Kids. In it, the writer (Molly Matazel) introduced us to a young girl learning to basket weave with her grandma. All was going smoothly until the last reed. It wasn't bending very well and grandma noticed the reed was too dry. Once th...

Many of us are in week three of our quarantine to stop the spread of COVID-19. If you're like me, you have processed and prayed a lot in these last three weeks. Life has a new, disjointed feeling. For instance, it took me five stinkin' hours to vacuum my house today. On a day I have the house to myself, that was a task that simply took 30-40 minutes. But under our new circumstances, I had to help multiple children with schoolwork. And then I had to be sensitive to the phone calls and video chats of my children with their teachers and my husband with his job. Before I knew it, I had to prepare lunch...and the disjointed schedule just continued!! The ebb and flow of the stream of normal life feels like it has completely disappeared. In fact, much like this stream I recently encountered on a walk: In one moment the stream is trickling along and the next moment it's completely gone. It leaves a dry and exposed creek bed. My father-in-law has lived most of his life ...

We are currently two weeks into the new year of 2020! New years can bring differing emotions: excitement, expectation, and passion to fulfill new goals and experiences. But it can also bring feelings of fear, worry, and overwhelmedness at the unknowns that lie ahead. There has been a situation in my own life that has felt burdensome over the past week. I've covered it in much prayer, trusting in God's faithfulness. But God kind of felt silent; I knew He was hearing my prayers but I wasn't seeing any amazing breakthroughs. Doubts and lies began to creep in about His goodness and I felt tempted to "fix" the problem by my own power. Then on Monday night, I experienced God in a way I haven't in years. He clearly spoke to me through a dream and vision in my sleep! In my vision, I found myself with the Israelites escaping the bondage of Egypt. We came to the Red Sea and only saw the sea of impossibility. We were being pursued from behind and felt trapped becaus...

I am honored to be featured as a guest blogger on a dear friend's series on Repentance! I have known Abi since high school and she is an inspiration to me! She is a powerful Spirit-led worship leader and speaker. Her recent series on repentance includes meaningful stories of where God meets individuals right where they're at and rescues them from the pit of destruction. Feel free to follow and subscribe her writings at  https://myhopeanew.blogspot.com Even from a young age, I did not handle change well. I can remember coming home from a weekend vacation, unable to sleep with dread for the next school day. I remember tears, anxiety, and prayers with my parents. Fast forward many years and similar battles later, I can recognize and understand the trigger to these episodes. Since those childhood years, I have faced two major bouts of anxiety brought on by change, stress, and health-related concerns. People often comment that they're surprised that I deal with anxiety bec...

Each summer our family makes a mini bucket list where each member chooses something they'd like to do together. Things like bike rides, trip to the beach, mini-golfing typically make the list. This year I put geocaching as my desired activity. Everyone was pretty skeptical of this, so I bragged it up based on stories I heard and read from others! Recently we had a Saturday evening with no plans and I convinced my family that this would be a fun way to spend our evening...my husband wasn't so sure! We headed off to our first hunt and to my excitement we found it pretty easily! My kids brought along items to "trade", but the size box was much too small to contain tradeable items. They were disappointed but excited to try another one. So we headed off on a new hunt, with our recent success spurring us on! We found ourselves in the parking lot of Shady Maple. Any locals will know that this smorgasbord is a hopping place on a Saturday. We looked like a bunch of crazie...