Category:

God hears hearts

11/19/2015

There is a little boy in Alabama who cannot speak. His name is Rory. He has Apraxia of Speech. It is a disorder in which the brain doesn't send the right signals to the nerves which control muscle movement required for normal speech development. Yet his mama and his papa believe in a God who opens hearts, minds and yes even tongues. They believe in hard work and never ever giving up. They work tirelessly with their son and a speech pathologist to reopen and re-establish neural pathways to loose the tongue to speak, all the while battling their own health issues and financial set backs the enemy hurls at them. Yet that enemy cannot defeat them. They get angry at the enemy, but they don't stay there. They choose to live in daily celebration of the Lord of life, not letting the circumstances of life rob them of their trust in the great Jehovah God. And so they labor on, undaunted, tenaciously working for their son to find his voice.

I believe God hears Rory's voice. Today. Right now. This very moment. God bends down ~ how beautiful is that~ that our great Jehovah bends down, gets really really close, leans in, and listens. He listens to Rory's voice because he hears Rory's heart.

And Rory has quite a talkative heart. He visits with God a lot. His mama has made him a special prayer board. And she prays with Rory every single day. Rory thanks God for the things he enjoys, especially those Panera Bread soufflés. He asks God to help him grow and learn to love Him more every day. He also prays for others, for those that he loves dearly, and those that need some special help. You can even see my name on that special list! Yet at the top of his list of prayers for help you will see these words : To find my Voice.

I think Rory was aptly named. For I believe one day, not only will he find his voice, but he will ROAR! And he will use that voice to glorify God, and to speak of the great things God has done, for God is giving Rory a story to tell. A story that ultimately will be told by Rory ~ in his own voice ~ to others. They will listen, their hearts will be stirred within, and they will come to know and worship the great God who bends down to listen, the all powerful Jehovah God who hears hearts.

As long as we have breath ~ our God will hear our heart. He will bend down to hear the heart that is crying out to Him, singing to Him, whispering to Him. What a blessing!

Authors note:
Thank you Monica, Scott and Rory for allowing me to be a part of your journey. I am yours in prayer ~ as long as I have breath. (Photo and graphic design credit to Monica)

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Following the Guide

11/6/2015

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There you are, stuck in a deep pit with no idea how to get out. Just like the jeep in this photo whose driver perhaps thought he was skilled enough to go it alone, doing it his own way, and then found himself in a quite a pickle; so too we can often find ourselves in challenging situations, stuck in a deep pit.

My husband and I have been jeeping with our oldest son, who is a avid jeep enthusiast. There are some pretty rough yet exhilarating trails found in Moab, Utah, which we have experienced several times. Most recently, we weren’t with a long, long line of jeeps going over trails which is what occurs during the annual Jeep Safari. This time there were just three vehicles; my son’s jeep, my son-in-law's Ram truck, and a little side by side ATV, that my husband and I were in. In the jeep with my son was a friend who is also a guide for the annual jeep safari. I didn’t understand how important the role of the guide was, until the first deep descent down the rocky trail. Did I mention deep descent? Because for me, it was an “are you kidding me-we’re going down that?!” type of descent. And yes, I was very much afraid.

Until Casey-a former student of mine and now a treasured friend- jumped out of my son’s jeep and with all the confidence in the world, started guiding us down the ravine. (OK- it wasn’t a ravine but it felt that way to me!) He guided all the vehicles in our little 3 vehicle safari safely through each obstacle -as the jeep world calls them. His eyes were on the tires, the rocks, the angle and direction of the wheels upon the rock; his eyes were scanning it all, as he guided us. At one point it wasn’t just Casey, but others who got out of their vehicles to offer encouragement, look for dangers and safer paths through the obstacle, indicating when to go slightly left or slightly right or to stop or to come ahead. Casey, the experienced trail guide, knew what lay before us. It was up to us to trust and follow his signals as we inched our way down. Had we tried it on our own, with no one to guide us, I imagine we would have found ourselves in quite a pickle!

I have found myself ‘in a pickle’ at times in my life. Times when I did things my way, stubbornly or pridefully thinking my way was the way. Pshaw…I didn’t need any help or counsel or guidance. I was perfectly able to navigate the particular situation in my life. Or perhaps it was my impatience, wanting to hurry something along. In something as simple as sewing I can’t tell you how many times I have had to rip the seams out and start all over. And it was all because I didn’t completely follow the guidelines per the pattern. Why? Because I trusted myself more than I trusted the guide.

God, the ultimate Guide, has been patient with me. He has allowed me to learn the hard way thereby really owning the lesson learned. I have learned:

to trust HIM always - as I work to enlarge my trust so it is one without borders

to read the instructions - knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide me in all things through the Word of God. In ALL things.

to seek counsel in Godly advisors - those people who aren’t afraid to tell me I have broccoli in my teeth, spiritually speaking

and with absolute surety I have learned to FOLLOW the GUIDE

Yesterday as I was reading in the book of Psalms, this verse stirred me;

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalms 32:8

This verse tells me that If you want to know the way you should go, while walking through challenging situations, or weighty life decisions; then pay attention to God, very close attention. He is the only Guide to follow as we go through life. His eye is upon us. Do you fully get that? His eye is upon us! He sees us, He cares deeply about each individual one of us. He knows what we are going through, and what lies ahead. He knows the path, the rocky crevices we are often called to go over, through or descend into. And only He can instruct and teach us in the way we should go, the path to safely navigating all the decisions and dilemmas we encounter in our journey.

Following your Guide will lead you to victory through whatever obstacle or challenge you face. It won’t be easy, it will often be scary, and you’ll be way outside your comfort zone as you enlarge your own personal borders of following and trusting God. But the reward? It’s exhilarating. Top of the world- actually top of His world!

My oldest son, on Top of the world trail in Moab, Utah. Way to go get the ketchup Codeman!

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Saying YES to God in an "Ark" sized way

3/13/2014

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Have you ever wondered about how much courage it took for Noah to build the ark? I tend to think about Noah's great faith, the humongous task of building the ark and his tenacity in doing so, but not so much about his courage. Until I read an op-ed piece in the USA Today, March 13, 2014, by Geoffrey Morin. Mr. Morin works for the American Bible Society, which makes Bibles available around the world. It is he who gets credit for the title of this post, for they are his words; words that really made me think. In his excellent article, he says the 'waters of controversy are rising fast', in regard to the upcoming release of the movie, Noah. However, it was not what he said about the movie itself, but what he said about the story of Noah that caught my attention. He says it well:

"Noah's is the ultimate story of daring to do what is right, rather than what is popular."

"Noah's is an instructive story that every parent can share with children to encourage them to stand up to peer pressure - even when the cost is steep"

"...and Noah is an inspiration to every believer to follow God's leading with faithfulness and courage."

And then his final sentence really grabbed me,
"Whether or not you become an fervent fan or vocal detractor of the film Noah, my hope is that its very existence sparks your interest in not just watching and talking about it, but in
digging into God's word for yourself and reading the original story of a man who dared to say yes to God - in an ark-sized way.

Daring to say yes to God in an ark-sized way. Now that is a story to read about. Grab your shovel and start digging! Dig into God's word! Read the story - the true story- not a fable- not a myth- but the word of GOD. Read it and reflect. Reflect on the courage it took for Noah to obey God, even though it was hard, and unpopular. Even though it took a long long time, and Noah may have never even seen rain. (Gen 2: 5-6) Noah couldn't possibly have fathomed or fully understood how it would all work, he didn't stop to consider the 'logic' of it, or stop to whine because it was just too hard, or even pose the 'but what about me and what I want God?' question.
Hebrews 11: 7a By faith Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household

Noah didn't argue with God or question God. It didn't have to make sense to him, he didn't have to 'see' what would happen, because Noah had utmost respect and reverence for God; the bottom line being that Noah trusted God. Let me say that again, Noah TRUSTED God, not himself, not his abilities, not his society, or his possessions. Noah lived by faith and his trust in God, which in turn led him to obey God; to simply say YES. Yes, God, I will follow, trust and obey YOU - thought it's hard, and I don't fully 'see' the big picture, all I need to know is that You said to build, therefore I will.

It's not always easy, this trust and obedience, in fact I think most of the time it isn't. Most of the time it takes courage to deny self, trust God, and willingly obey. I see it in my little 3 year old granddaughter who is full of innocence and trust, yet when it comes to obedience, especially when it is something she doesn't really want to do, I see the conflict in her sweet little heart. I see that moment (ok... sometimes moments!) of hesitation. Sometimes she needs a reminder of who is in charge.

What about us? Do we need reminders of just who God is? Noah trusted when it was hard. Noah followed and obeyed God when he didn't quite understand how it would all work out. Do we?

What 'ark' is before you? What are you being called to trust God about in your life?

Ask yourself, as I am asking myself,
"Do I have the courage to say 'Yes' to God for the 'ark' in my life?

Because Noah trusted and obeyed, and had the courage to say YES to God, 8 souls survived, and those 8 souls became the lineage of all future generations of man. Perhaps there is someone in your future, either immediate or long term, that you will influence by your courage, and willingness to say 'Yes' to God today. So let's just do it, let's say YES! to our God and just see what great things He will do!

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Spring IS coming...I see the potholes!

3/6/2014

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Last week, I saw my first sign of spring. I looked up in the sky, far far up into the blue, and saw them; a flock of geese. These weren't our local geese that I often hear honking and see flying from one field to another; no, these were the ones that fly far south in the winter and return back north in the spring. Seeing them brought a smile to my heart. Even though it snowed the day before, and the day after, (making me think these poor geese were rather confused), on that particular day seeing these geese told me, it's coming...spring IS just around the corner. And that was enough to cheer my spirit, after this long cold winter. And then earlier this week, I saw another sign of spring, this time in my garden. I saw the daffodil bulbs just barely peaking their heads out of the ground. Another smile...yup spring is getting closer! Woohoo! Can't wait! Later in the week I felt, more than saw, another of the telltale signs of spring... those unavoidable potholes! Potholes are also a rite of spring. Spring may be coming, but not without its reminders of winter.

Winter seems to never get the respect that spring does. I think it's because winter tends to wear out its' welcome. And yet, it seems to me that winter is supposed to be long, because it is supposed to be a bit of a respite, a time for us to slow down, and rest a bit, (though I often miss that memo, and tend to stay as busy in winter as the other seasons.) ;/ Whether we rest or not in winter, we all tend to welcome and eagerly anticipate spring don't we? After the darkness and cold of winter, the light, the warmth, the sensory overload that spring brings fills us with new hope and joy, and excitement. Except for those potholes! Which brings me to the point of this post.

What I have observed about potholes is this:

We aren't always aware of them
We can unexpectedly fall into them
They are uncomfortable and quite messy
They can become quite dangerous

Ringing any bells?? You probably see where I am going with this. Spiritually speaking, we may just have come off a dark time, and finally into the joy and refreshing of weathering our storm- our winter,
OR
perhaps the opposite is true, we have just enjoyed the respite of winter, a bit of rest, smooth sailing, relishing and enjoying our blessings
WHEN
unexpectedly we find we have fallen into an uncomfortable and quite messy conundrum, a bump, a pothole, in our spiritual path.

What I have observed about our spiritual potholes is this:

They seem to come out of nowhere, when we least expect them
We fall hard into the emotions that they pull out of us
It is very uncomfortable and a bit messy when we are in the spiritual pothole, as we wrestle with ourselves, our emotions, and our battle of spirit versus flesh
They can become quite a danger to our spiritual growth if not dealt with in the right manner

But there is GOOD, no GREAT news. Potholes are fixable! Year after year, the crews come out to repair them, a patch here, a filling there, or maybe even laying down a new road. Whatever the means, they are fixable!

And so are our inevitable spiritual potholes.
A patch here could be confessing and sharing our burdens with other Christians.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one anothers burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ
James 5: 16 Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another...

A filling there is going to God in His word and in prayer, pouring out our fears, insecurities, worries to our Lord, and asking Him to fill us with His perspective, His hope, His comfort, His Holy Spirit.
Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble and you shall find rest for your souls.
Ephesians 5:18b ...but be filled with the Spirit

Laying down a new road might mean a real hard look in the mirror, and an adjustment to the priorities of our life, making some changes to the road we are on.
Psalms 139: 23-24 Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting path.

Winters come and go, spring always always arrives, sometimes later than we would desire, but it always comes, with its beauty and wonder, hope and joy.
And with it's potholes! And I am beginning to see those potholes not with an "ugg, what a bother', type of mindset, but with a mindset to re-examine, to work on my heart, to 'fix' - with God's help - what might need a slight 'tweek' or attitude adjustment within me. I have realized that it is the potholes that make me grow, that make me really examine my path and demand that I give attention to and try to fix anything in my path, anything in my life, attitude, or heart, that is less that desirable in being His child, and striving to serve Him.

So come on spring! I am ready to fix some potholes!

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How big is your God?

9/5/2013

5 Comments

Do you ever get to feeling really weary? Rather run down, spiritually speaking.
Days when you are really in need of grace, because you know you have blown it? Or you just don't have the energy to tackle the issue or problem before you? Or your own bad attitude, as was the case with me?
It is times like this, that it seems all I can feel, or think, or see, is the issue, and me facing it. And it seems huge. And I seem small and powerless.
UNTIL...
Until God's grace takes over, and gently guides me back to Him. To focus on Him, and not me. That He is in charge, that He is bigger than anything, anyone, or any issue that has me in a curmudgeonly way. He gently reminded me of this recently, through three things.

First, through a twitter feed. I know...of all things! A dear friend's son had re-tweeted a post from a person I don't even know. The tweet simply said, "His grace is sufficient for me". I know that verse, I have shared that verse, used that verse, memorized that verse, and obviously forgotten to apply that verse.
Me thinking: Ok God, yes, your grace is what I am really in need of today. And I say a quick prayer, "Please God, cover me with your grace today. I feel weary, and know I am not thinking with a good attitude, so please forgive me. Your grace is all I ever need, wherever you take me, may I recognize, Your grace IS more than sufficient for me."

Second, through the song of a child, my sweet three year old grand daughter, whose new favorite song is "My God is so big". She began to sing it, as I was driving in the car with her.
And she said, as she began, 'Come on Nana, sing with me.' And so Nana sang,

" My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.
The mountains are His, the valleys are His, the stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do, FOR YOU!"

Out of the mouths of babes often comes the message He wants us to hear!
Me thinking: I hear you Lord. What ever the issue is, YOU are bigger. There is nothing You cannot do. I just need to turn it over to YOU! And again a prayer, "Dear God, Wow, thank you for this moment, and this precious child! Thank you for the reminder, again, that I don't do any of this alone. Even my stinkin' thinkin'; You and You alone, can help me change those thoughts into fruitful thoughts, into prayers".

And third, when after 4 days of not being in the word of God :/ I finally sat down and opened the word, not to where I had been reading, but turning to Isaiah for a reason I don't know other than God's grace was directing me there. This is what I read from Chapter 40.
Bear with me, as I share some of the verses with you, and what I felt God was speaking to me in those verses.
verse 9
Get yourself UP on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news, lift up and say to the cities
Here is YOUR GOD!
[And I hear: Get up girl, lift your voice to ME, talk to ME, I am YOUR God]
verse 12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?
And marked the span of the heavens, by a span
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure
And weighted the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales?
verse 21 -22
Do you not know, have you not heard...
It is He who is enthroned above the circle of the earth
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain...
Verses 25-26
To whom will you liken me? That I should be his equal? Says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these stars. The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name, because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.
[And I hear: Have you forgotten who I am, dear child. I created everything. I know the measurements of not just the waters of earth, but the expanse of the universe. Is anything greater than ME? What will you liken me too? And do I need to point out the stars to you, again? - (the stars ALWAYS get me!) I am bigger than anything you see, hear or feel. I am mightier than anything. It's about ME and My might, not you and your strength. ]

And finally verses 28-29
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, Does NOT become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.
[And I hear: It's ok to feel the weariness, occasionally, but just know that your God never gets weary. Your strength comes from Me, not from your own resources. I just need to remind you of that from time to time. If you never got weary, you, my precious child, would begin to think you didn't need me, that it was all about you and your strength. So when you get weary, and I know you will from time to time, draw even closer to me. I will fill you up, you will gain new strength, that not of yourself, but from ME.]
And again I pray, "Forgive me Lord. How easily I forget. How easily I get distracted. I am so grateful for you grace that guides me back, your strength and your strength alone that empowers me, and your love which sent Jesus here, to save me from my own ways. You are bigger than any thing I will ever face, ever. Period. You alone are sufficient for me.
Your blessings overwhelm me.

My God is so Big. Our God is so Big. There is absolutely nothing our God cannot do!

For YOU!

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If I can just touch Him

8/27/2013

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Four short verses, but oh so powerful.
'And Jesus rose and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself,
'If I only touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well." And at once the woman was made well. ' Matthew 9: 19-22

I thought I knew the point of this passage. It was the woman's faith that made her well. That is what Jesus said. He could have said, God healed you, or I just healed you, but He didn't. He said, your FAITH has made you well. The power of belief,
in the Savior. The power of trusting Him, not ourselves, our abilities, or our circumstances, just Him. And knowing that He is the only one who can make us whole, complete, at peace. Knowing that He is the only one who can make us well.

We are told in 1 John 5:4-5, that our faith is the victory that overcomes this world.
And who is the one that overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior, Redeemer, the One, the only one who makes us well, as we journey here in this world, wrought with its challenges and trials. Some trials come out of the blue, so unexpected, knocking us off our feet for a while. Other trials brew like a developing storm. And we try to hang on and weather the imposing threat to our well being. One thing any type of trial does, is that it presents us with a challenge, a choice. Will we give in, admit defeat, wrap our hearts in worry, and fear until we allow Satan to rob us of our faith, and our joy? Or will we rise above, choosing to be victorious, in the midst of trials, by placing our trust, our complete trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ?

It's not faith, when you can see the way, when you can see the answers. It is faith when you can't figure any of it out, but you know just one thing. And that for me, is the real point of this passage. It was the one thing the woman with the hemorrhage knew, it was what she was saying to herself

IF I can just touch HIM, I will be well. I will overcome.

If I can just touch HIM.

And praise God, we can touch HIM. We touch Him, every time we study and meditate on His words. We touch Him every time, we bow our heads and hearts in honest, genuine, heartfelt prayer. We touch Him, when we pour ourselves out to Him, acknowledging Him as Lord, asking Him for help, and trusting Him with every aspect of our life.

What do you say to yourself when troubles come? What do any of us say when presented with those all consuming challenges and trials of life? I hope we all have the courage to think to ourselves, to believe as the woman in the passage did, " If I can just touch Him, I will be OK, I will be well". I will NOT let Satan rob me of my faith and joy. Because if we can think that, and believe that, then we can rest assured He will also say to us,

"Be of good cheer, your faith has made you well."

And at the end of any given day, isn't that what we all want, to be able to say

I am well. It is well with my soul, no matter what storms rage about me, it is well with my soul?

Only one way to be able to say that... touch the Savior, today and everyday.

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A reminder from a quarter

7/3/2013

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I found a quarter today. And it was heads up. Heads up, good luck as the saying goes. Sweeeet. It was an old quarter from 1982. The year my oldest son was born. It made me nostalgic for the good old days. Back to 1982, big pouffy hair, big glasses, shoulder pads, parachute pants. Well, ok, maybe not that good! But it was a time that seemed quieter, a more innocent time, a time when news media wasn't in our face 24/7. A time when social media and all our personal devices didn't rule our days. No cell phones, ipods, ipads or even personal computers. In fact in 1982, Time Magazine named 'The Computer', as it's man of the year! (It was that new!) What did we do with our time back then?

I looked again at the old dingy quarter that had been hidden away in a drawer. I actually cleaned it up. And as I was doing that, the phrase, 'In God we trust' , caught my attention. I knew it was printed on every coin and paper currency of the United States, but just to be sure, I checked.

Yup, on every coin or bill I had, I found that phrase. I guess I had forgotten that. It was an act of Congress in 1864, that established the phrase, ‘In God we Trust’, be put on all monies minted by the United States Treasury.

I had forgotten that 'In God we trust' has been this county’s motto since 1956, mandated by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Eisenhower.

I had forgotten that when we say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, we say, “one nation under God.”

I had forgotten that the 4th stanza of our National Anthem includes the line, ' And this be our motto, 'In God is our trust'. (Wait, what…there’s a 4th stanza! Apparently so, we just never get to it, or the 3rd for that matter. Gotta get those ball games started on time!)

I think I had forgotten all of this, because I don’t see a nation under God, or trusting God, or even acting like they need God. Although in 2006, the Senate reaffirmed 'In God we trust', as the official national motto. I wonder how much time and money that took…to reaffirm something? And why did they feel the need to do that? Was it because they too, didn’t see a nation under God, and thought we the people needed a reminder?

Not to be outdone, in 2011, the House of Representatives passed a resolution making ‘In God we trust’ the official motto of our nation.

I don’t know about you, but I am confused. This just seems so hypocritical. I mean we have a law that says, ‘In God we trust’ is our national motto, yet what I see from the Supreme Court of our land, is anything but trusting God and His word. It seems like we want it both ways. We will trust Him to protect us and bless us as the greatest nation on earth, but we will not trust Him when His word says something we are uncomfortable with, or don’t agree with.

As a Christian I am saddened by the direction our country is going, because from my view, we are not trusting God at all.

So what can I do? What can you do? I will do what my quarter says. In God, I will trust.

And I will do what Philippians 2: 14-16 says,

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may prove yourselves to be blameless, innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the WORD of life… emphasis mine

Author's note:

I write this on the eve of the day we celebrate our nations beginning. So Happy Birthday America! I am just one person, one of your citizens who wants to believe that we can still be one nation under God, one nation whose people can say and mean 'In God we trust'.

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Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life.
May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

God hears hearts

Following the Guide

Saying YES to God in an "Ark" sized way

Spring IS coming...I see the potholes!

How big is your God?

If I can just touch Him

A reminder from a quarter

Posted by
Singing like a robin
daughter of the King
forgiven
joyful
soul strengthener

Categories

Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life. May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

God hears hearts

Following the Guide

Saying YES to God in an "Ark" sized way

Spring IS coming...I see the potholes!

How big is your God?

If I can just touch Him

A reminder from a quarter

Posted bySinging like a robindaughter of the Kingforgivenjoyfulsoul strengthener

Categories

Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life.
May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

Posted by
Singing like a robin
daughter of the King
forgiven
joyful
soul strengthener