Breathing Room For The Soul

I am on my slip covered couch and staring at ashes from last night fire while homeschooling echoes through our home but in my heart I am somewhere completely different. In my heart, If I close my eyes I can picture it, I am on a white sand beach at sunset, I am in the middle of beautiful green pastures, I am walking through a peony and rose filled garden. In my heart I am in all these places with the only One who could be in these places with me. He meets me in the stillness of my soul and as I exhale I can close my eyes and see such sweet fulfillment as we spend time together. To be honest, it has been a very busy and very stressful season so far. The garland on my tree which still has no lights seems was thrown up on it while I was headed out the door. A cable guy came to fix our TV and had to take all my mantle décor off so that’s still scattered in various places around the room.  I have three gifts bought (insert nervous emoji here), so there's that. I could go on but I don’t think you need any more visual of the cluttered space in which I’m sitting. Clutter is confusing and causes uneasy feelings especially if it exists in our hearts. A chaos covered heart cannot bring peace and contentment but Jesus can. He can organize our craziness way better than we could. He has a way of slipping in and simply clearing the confusion so we can see Him better. This is what I’m figuring out: I may be in the middle of chaos colored Christmas lights but in the stillness of my … [Read more...]

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.” Romans 10:15   How many do you have? Shoes, I mean. Living in a country which has known the blessing of God most of us have more than one pair. We have our “running shoes,” “dress shoes,” “work shoes,” (or boots) — and then there’s that “favorite pair” that may be as “old as the hills” but are simply too comfortable to throw away! Shoes. In Romans 10:15, the Bible gives us an example of those with “beautiful feet.” “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.” It is true — a simple pair of shoes can be used to bring glad tidings. When our church mission team journeyed to Guatemala, they took all of the suitcases allowed for their flight. They filled them — not all with personal belongings, but with things needed for the people of Guatemala. One of their greatest needs is shoes. Paula remembers the line that stretched long, and then even longer than she could have imagined with people longing to get their feet in a pair of shoes—USED shoes at that. Some had no shoes. Others had shoes boasting no ends — but feet pushing through where the toes should have been. Other feet had been pushed into shoes too small for so long that they were covered with blisters and sores. Some didn’t get a pair . . . There weren’t enough . . .shoes. Recently, a friend of mine who lives out of town relayed this … [Read more...]

Every year I set out a beautiful antique pair of skates that my grandma Dubbeld gave me for Christmas. She cleaned them up, put some stockings in them and added some Christmas décor to them. They are darling. Well last year I got all my décor out including an old suitcase that I had painted a snowman on but I couldn’t remember where I put my skates. It was so sad. I looked everywhere but went through the whole season without them. When the “after Christmas blues” came around, I began putting everything away and opened the snowman suitcase to see if I could store anything in it and what did I find? MY CHRISTMAS SKATES!! If I had only remembered to look in there at the beginning of the season, right? Is it possible that we forget the things in life or even the people that bring us the most joy? I want to take you to Jonah chapter 2 verse 7. I was writing last night in my prayer journal and accidentally knocked my Bible off of the couch and it opened to this. I thought I would just see where it was and read a little and boy am I glad I did! “When my soul fainted within me; I remembered the Lord” Your probably thinking "that's it? seriously!?" Hold on, God showed me something in those 10 words.  Now recall we are in the book of Jonah and this is the moment where he realized the desperation that was closing in around him. I got to this verse and it was like God slipped in beside me and I realized that even when we haven’t remembered Him, He always remembered us. He … [Read more...]

The night was long . . . the drive even longer. My son chattered to his dad in the front of the vehicle while I dozed in and out. Suddenly I heard the insistent voice of my son say, “Dad, dad!” Instantly, I was awake! It was most unusual for my husband to be THAT tired! Needless to say, we pulled off the next exit to get some rest! Have you ever felt like you’re “up and at it” but a part of you is still asleep? Physically that is a dangerous place to find yourself! Spiritually, even more. I love the story in Luke 9. Peter, James and John had just climbed a mountain with Jesus. Jesus was awake – praying – talking with His Father, and with Moses and Elijah. Peter was tired. So were James and John. Something stirred them in their slumber. Verse 32 tells us, “when they were fully awake they saw His glory . . .” My heart thrills just reading it! Can you imagine being there? They were so thrilled they wanted to stay there! (I would, too!) They couldn’t stay, but the experience impacted them greatly! Fully awake. It seems our world is bent on spiritually lulling us to sleep. Desensitizing us to sin. Numbing us to wrong. Making a whole patch of gray where black and white used to be. But those who choose to stay awake – who want to “see His glory,” still can! He hasn’t changed! Our God is as powerful as He has even been. His Word is still Truth. He is willing to reveal Himself in His glory to those who diligently seek after Him. My prayer today is, “Lord, keep me fully … [Read more...]

Happy Fall Friends! Can you believe it? It’s finally here! The most beautiful season there is. There is such a comfort in the autumn air and beauty that casts its beams of light everywhere. It makes one wish that it would linger a little longer. I wonder to myself if I wait upon the Lord as much as I wait upon this season. Do I crave the first glimpse of His coming and the comfort that comes from within Him? Do I wish to feel His light brush my face as He comes closer and want more time with Him? How different our lives might be if we approached the creator like we anticipate this season that He created. Fall is the only season that really makes me want to have a pic-nic, sit in the leaves with a PSL and just enjoy the prettiness of it all. We live about 20 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and recently I have been wanting to take a drive through the mountains, put on an oversized sweater and reduce the idea of having a time limit while I’m up there. It’s so beautiful yall! If you are ever close to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall you must go. Once again, what if I approached Jesus like I do this season. To take a day putting no restrictions on it and spend time with Him enjoying His beauty. Yes this season is beautiful but His love for us is even more beautiful and He craves spending time with us even more than we crave this season. There really is no comparison to how much His loves us. So today maybe your busy, stretched with time limits and can’t see past the … [Read more...]

  It was almost over. I waited on the other side of the gate as everyone unloaded from the ride. It wasn’t a huge ride, but big enough that younger children had an adult that rode along. Our children were past that stage, so I smiled, waved, and took the memory keeping snapshots. The ride stopped, and everyone unloaded, heading quickly for the exit gate. The first person pushed. It didn’t open. They looked around for the person making sure the ride went smoothly. Others came. Adults pushed. The line was getting long . . . On both sides of the gate. All were looking around, trying to figure out why the gate wouldn’t open. Then, one small boy — not over intelligent looking — just an average boy stepped up to the gate. He saw things different than everyone else. He simply pulled instead of push — and what do you know! It opened! I nearly laughed aloud. One small boy with the ability to simply pull instead of push opened the gate so everyone else could get out into the open space. Remember another young boy? The armor didn’t fit. He saw things differently. He used a sling and a stone. Then, there was the One who taught in the temple. He, too, saw things differently. He thought his parents would know He was “about His Father’s business.” Faith has a vision all its own. Born into the hearts of those who embrace its vision it takes its viewers to places others rarely even imagine. Faith that sees beyond leads with a hope that others want to follow. It sees … [Read more...]

Did you know that God’s presence has no limits? There is no place that we can go where God can’t meet us. God never goes off the grid to stroll along sandy beaches. He can sweep us up in His love any second of the day. In a world packed with apple watches and cheap plane flights, God never once thinks of leaving. We must look at Christ and His love for us completely different from any love we’ve ever known. There are no conditions to tie around His willingness to love us. I think sometimes we confuse our circumstances with His love, which in reality don’t relate at all. God’s love doesn’t lessen over a job promotion or a relationship status. It stays steady, never wavering. Have you ever looked over your life and thought “I can’t believe I’m still here, in this situation that I thought was temporary”. Maybe you thought God’s plan for your life was completely different. You’re confused and seeking answers. I felt like today I should whisper through the screen to you a message of hope. God’s plan for your life is still ongoing. Maybe this little story will help you understand. There is a school play with the 4th grade class. Everyone is quieting down as the lights do the same. Out of the side entrance of the stage walks out a freckled face little boy dressed as a star. He walked to the middle, where the spotlight hit in a circle and then began to sing. "Twinkle, Twinkle". At this moment the curtain was supposed to come down and a big papier-mache moon was meant to … [Read more...]

The beginnings of fall are here again, and school is in full swing for some people – nearly ready to start for others. New beginnings, new teachers, new friends – the mornings which begin before the sun comes up. There is always something special about beginning new, but sometimes it can be just a little frustrating. I remember well my first day of – I think it was fifth grade. (Shh. . . it’s been a few years ago!) We didn’t have uniforms, and my mom was quite a seamstress. I was so excited because mom made me a brand-new dress. It was a brown plaid with lovely yellow buttons. I felt so good in that dress. (Yes, styles were different then, too.) I wasn’t nearly as excited about the “briefcase looking” red, and blue with silver buckles, book bag my dad convinced me would be the best thing for that year. Have you ever heard the old saying, “Two’s company, three’s a crowd?” Well, I had two very good friends, but that old adage has never been truer. Sometimes they liked me, sometimes they liked each other, but it seemed like it never was the same, no matter what I did. (They probably felt the same way about me!) It changed with the weather – causing my emotions to do the same! We “had a talk” about the situation and decided we were “growing up” we decided, and it was time to get along! So, here we all came on the first day of school. I had a new dress, and a new determination to have better relationships with my friends. What could go wrong? School began and soon it … [Read more...]