This is the place you’ll find hope. The kind of hope that can carry you through those hard places you unexpectedly find yourself in.
I’m no stranger to the hard life throws at us and in the midst of trying to find my way through one of those dark places I heard 4 words deep in my spirit,
“Lift Up Your Eyes.”
It was a gentle reminder from our great God that I needed his perspective instead of my own to walk through my husband’s unexpected journey to Heaven.
Those words carried me and you too if you’ve followed along with me. They also led us to creating the Seek and Savor podcast which equips us to lift our eyes on a daily basis.
I’m Mama to four amazing young adults and Nana to six darling grands with two more on the way.
My sweet husband got to meet his Savior at the age of 47 after a year long battle with brain cancer. We miss him every day.
Life for me, felt like it was ending but God was doing a new thing.
I don’t know where life finds you today beloved, but God, He is all about doing a new thing in us and it begins when we fix our gaze on Him instead of our circumstances.
Life may be filled with hard things dear one, but we were made to do hard and holy things and in the process we become vessels of beauty, fit for the KING.
“My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. ” Exodus 33:14
I’d love to connect with you.
Email me using the form below and I’ll respond soon. I’m also available for speaking events for women of all ages and stages. For a list of topics, please visit my Speaking Page.
We live in a fallen world, people sin, and hurt abounds. But God…. It is the place I am learning to live in. Yes, these things are true. My leg still hurts from an injury back in February and my car broke down on the way to church. But also, a friend painted my kitchen cabinets cream and my son repaired my deck. I find myself savoring more of God’s word, I read books to my grands in silly voices and I get to have conversations about Jesus everyday.
I am standing in faith waiting on God for many things… You are too right? But God. He Still lives and His promises are true. He is not man that He should lie. ❤️ Dear friends, if your heart tends to linger over what has not yet been made whole maybe like me you need the reminder of who God is and what he has done so that gratitude can revive your heart. Don’t miss today’s new episode of the Seek and Savor podcast on this topic. (Link in bio.) Many things may be true, the hard and the beautiful but gratitude can revive your heart. ❤️ #givethanksforlife #thehardandbeautifuljourney #graceupongrace #alwaysrejoice...
In this “instant society” we live in it is so tempting to ask for things like hope, joy and peace in a grocery list type of way. I ask. He delivers. And please don’t require me to wait. Instead, it is more about relationship. Like Jacob wrestling the angel of the Lord it is in the process of wrestling through life while holding onto the Lord that good stuff is produced. Ps. 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Take 10 minutes and listen to the rest of this episode, “Finding the Good,” on the Seek and Savor podcast. Something sweet happens when we realize there is purpose even in the hard and God wants to use it for our good! 💕...
35 years ago today I married Alan Dickson. It is strange when the one you would celebrate this milestone with is in Heaven. It is worth remembering and celebrating. Though it be both bitter and sweet I make space to grieve the things that are not and give thanks for what is. I am a glass half full person. Not because I was born that way but because I have learned to fight the good fight that way. I have learned to endure and lead my heart back to a place of trusting God . It doesn’t mean the grief is gone. It means I can feel everything and land in a place of looking up. ❤️#lifeafterloss #grievingwithhope #onethousandgifts...
Who can stand in the middle of a battlefield and find peace beloved?
Peace isn’t found in the cease-fire. You CAN find it while the battle still rages when you allow God’s spirit to sift through your life and simplify things.
In the sifting some things have to go while others stay. But space is made to hear His voice and there is peace in His presence. This is your invitation to join me as we quiet our hearts together over on the Seek and Savor podcast. Let’s simplify our lives by listening to His voice. ❤️ The link to listen is in my bio. #simplelifestyle #peaceofmind❤️ #resteasy...
I love the reminder from Exodus 13 where God goes before His people as they flee Egypt.
His presence went before them in a cloud by day and fire by night.
It made me think of how often we stumble forward in hope that God is leading us out of captivity, out of bondage, setting us free and leading us toward His promises and good plans for us.
But sometimes all we see is the clouds around us or even fires of adversity.
What a comfort to rest assured that what we see with our physical eyes is not all that is there.
No, His presence goes with us. He leads us forward to better days. And no day is good without His presence.
At the beginning of a new week, beloved may we fix our gaze, not on what is seen but on what is unseen. Let us hold fast to our Savior and rest in His presence.
He never leaves us and always goes before us is such good news! Who else needs to hear this?
I woke up this morning with these words coming out of my mouth. “Up from the grave He arose.” But they continued… “With a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose a VICTOR from the dark domain And He lives FOREVER…” These words are from a song written by Robert Lowry. But my heart claimed them aa my own upon waking. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus came that we may have LIFE friends! I don’t know the things you may find yourself wrestling with in your everyday life. I don’t know the wilderness season you may find yourself in or the grief that may feel like is breaking your heart. But I do know this good news is bigger than a day! It was for yesterday, today and tomorrow. It will carry you when you feel weary and hide you in the shadow of the Almighty as you wait for deliverance. The good news that Jesus came, He died and He rose from the dead is for EVERYONE! It’s for you beloved. John 14:1 (ESV) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.“ Psalm 9:10 (ESV) “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.“...
For anyone struggling to trust God. Trust His timing, His provision, His promises…. The creator knows exactly what His creation needs and when they need it.
We can surrender, because Jehovah is Here. He is with us now. Right when we need Him. He is Immanuel, our ever-present God. He will take what feels like might break us and instead make us strong and beautiful.
“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say,”You are my God. My times are in your hands.” Ps.31:14 #rejoicealways seekandsavorpodcast #hopeingod...
I cannot be everywhere, but God can. I cannot right every wrong, but God can. I cannot see the future and avoid every trap the enemy lays. But, God has promised to go before us, behind us, be our strong right hand and keep us from being shaken. God reminds me that at every point I feel the weakness of my flesh and its inability to do everything I want it to, He is there.
There is freedom, joy, trust and surrender in knowing that. Sometimes we don’t “feel” those things in the moment. But, we can keep looking at Him, waiting in expectation. It’s the best position for us to see His hands move. Lifting up our eyes to see His presence…
“To you I lift up my eyes Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us.” Psalm 123:2 #liftupyoureyes #seekandsavorpodcast #onethousandgifts #encourage #hopewriters...
Does your life feel like it’s changing friend? It changes all the time doesn’t it? I don’t understand why I haven’t become more comfortable with change. Maybe because I am always trying to get life to line up with my vision or expectations of it. The one constant amid every change that life can throw your way is Jesus.
I stepped out on my deck one morning, lifting up my eyes to savor the beauty of a quiet moment. Then all the things came flooding in. You know what I mean. Things that aren’t yet made right, situations you are contending for, fears of the future all threaten that peace that was just yours. Then I felt God’s Spirit tap me on my heart. Ask me beloved… I’m sharing the whole story on this week’s episode of the podcast, “Finding peace in every season of life.” The link is in my bio or comment peace and I will DM you the link. ❤️🍁...
So thankful for this man my children got to call Dad. He was so selfless always putting our needs above his own. He was faithful and filled our home with laughter. His work ethic and how He used it to serve others and teach our boys how to serve is one of my favorite things. But nothing surpassed His desire to follow Jesus more. I love that my children will always remember waking up to Him in his chair, Bible in his lap and coffee in hand. I wish He was here today to tell him one more time how loved He is and how grateful we are for all the ways He cared for our hearts. Love is more than words. It is laying down your life, your desires for someone else. ❤️ Thank you Father for Alan Dickson. #lifeafterloss #loveisaction #fatherlove #rejoicealways...
It’s funny but I wrote these words 8 years ago and they were exactly what I needed to remember today. Because God has my heart in a place of surrender again. #Surrender.
It’s the word God laid on my heart today.
Yesterday it was fight. Fight the good fight. No weapon formed against us will prosper.
Both of these are very good things.
We DO as the Spirit directs us.
We always take up the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation to fight against our enemy. The one who longs to steal every good thing we have in Christ.
But also at the end of the day we KNOW that it is not by might or by our power that we win. It is by His Spirit, and so we surrender to His will.
I don’t know if the Lord is telling you to fight today or surrender but they can both be done from a position of being hidden in Christ dear ones.
And that is a good place to be.
*This Picture is just a sweet reminder because Alan was a man that knew how to fight for my heart and how to also trust Jesus and surrender. ❤️
Drop the word “fight” or “surrender” in the comments if you want prayer for God to help you do that in His Strength.
Fear can feel like it’s lurking around every corner and the idea of running toward the future with Joy may seem impossible BUT… I ran across these words one day in my reading.
“Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done.” Ps. 105:4
If you are anything like me, familiar words can lose their power to move you.
Maybe you’ve even sung “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” so much that you’ve forgotten why we should do that and the power that comes when we do.
But friends, we actually never stop seeking things. It’s something we do on the daily.
We seek fame or fortune, friendship or achievement. We seek answers to questions we have. We often look for these things in ourselves and in the world around us.
Maybe that’s why this verse met me.
We are no strangers to seeking and it seems like the author of this Psalm knew we would even seek strength from sources other than our Lord.
But when we REMEMBER His wonders and SEEK Him continually something changes in us beyond the obvious. We get the strength we need but we also are GLAD!
Seeking God and Remembering Who He is, brings joy to our hearts beloved.
It’s the reminder I needed. Is it one you needed? #seekandsavorpodcast #rejoicealways #graceupongrace #wordoflife...
