Bethany is rewriting the rules of the English language . I wish you could hear her say with emphasis, attitude and joy. pronunciation- AB– so – Lute– Ly!! Main Entry: absolutely Part of Speech: adverb Definition: without doubt Synonyms: absolutely, assuredly, certainly, exactly, for a fact, positively, posolutely, right on, surely, unquestionably, without fail I’ve […]
Practically every weather worthy morning, “Poppi” (aka Jeff) “races” 1/2 mile around our block ‘ not in a 3K but WITH 3 K- (3 kids- Bethany, Cohen, and Finley) The grandchildren and Beth think they’re in “training” and love this “race”. ~ “I’m gowin fastah dis time Nana”, Cohen boasts. Finley quickly inserts, “Nana, we’re going with Poppi! […]
Wrestling with God- Do you ever feel like you’re wrestling with God? ‘Don’t Wrestle- Just Nestle!’ quote from Corrie Ten Boon! [Tweet “You Don’t Have to #Wrestle God for a #Blessing” #Godis4U”] d As an adult, I’ve tended to wrestle with God. Many times I didn’t rest in His grace and love. I labored to pray […]
Prelude from Cindy: Thirty-one years ago, one of my best friends from high school and college, Debbie, gave birth to Janice. This started a journey of grace in her whole family’s life.I know there were many difficult times, coupled with questions and disappointments, but I am struck, as she looks back on her journey, she sees not […]
How many Kings stepped down from their thrones? How many Lords have abandoned their homes? How many Greats have become the Least for me? How many “gods” have poured out their hearts, to romance a world that is torn all apart? How many Fathers gave up their Sons for me? Only One did that […]
Birds serenaded us as we walked, hand in hand, through Finley Forest. (thus named by Finley of course 🙂 ) The breeze caused a shower of crabapple blossoms to swirl around us. Finley exclaimed, “Look Nana, God is making the flowers dance for us!” I hummed the old hymn- “This is my Father’s World” as […]
Fear, disappointments, worry, depression- these are some of the things in life that try to build our “house”. You know, where we live and think, and breathe and play. These things try to surround us, define us, enclose us, and trap us. But God is building a different house, with a sure foundation that cannot be […]
The Pearl of His Presence In His presence is fullness of joy, and in His right hand there are pleasures forever more. Psalm 16:11 Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Psalm 51:12 Joy is the pearl Jesus gave me today. Spa days, vacations, camping, fishing, hunting (for some of you […]
For the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 Woot! Woot! Road trip to Kansas City, ready to have some fun- cranking up awesome Christian music, the five of us- Jeff, Josh, Moriah, Bethany and I- were letting our cares fly out the van windows as we looked forward to an afternoon of shopping, malling, and […]
Holding back tears, my heart squeezes as I watch the other girls huddle, whisper, and talk. They play clapping games, giggle, and share secrets. Bethany stands alone in a corner- watching and biting her finger. I sigh. She bites her finger when she’s nervous and overwhelmed; unsure of what to do. It’s not that the girls weren’t friendly to […]
[box] It’s not just that God transform us into something unbreakable and tough: Through His process, He forms us into a thing of beauty and usefulness.[/box] Diamonds are the most brilliant colorless stone, a reflector of light! A diamond’s intense brilliance is due to its density (the amount of atoms packed into it) Dare I say […]
I have been fractured, broken into so many pieces I didn’t think I’d ever be able to be put together in any semblance of wholeness every again. And this is how I know there is a God~ Only our Creator can take broken and transform it to unbreakable! Inconceivable Love that flows through the ability […]
* Q- When you look at this picture- what do you see? The correct answer is carbon. But when God looks at carbon, He sees what it can become. ************************************************* In these shadowlands- the “fallen world”- “living between the trees”- we have to remember we are living impoverished lives. This isn’t […]
I’m Sarah, oldest of Jeff and Cindy’s kids, now in my “30’s” (ewwww!) and mom to hilarious, clever, gorgeous daughter Finley (6) and handsome, silly, brave son, Cohen (4). Hmm- I suppose even after being divorced for a few years, it still feels like there’s a noticeable gap in that “family” opening introduction. God continually […]