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.
*Life is always changing. Even this snow covered path I walked a couple of years ago is covered in ice today. Trees are uprooted and branches scattered all around.
Lift up your eyes friends and look back to see where you’ve come from and how far God has brought you.
Then ask him what’s next. Not in a 10 year plan kind of way. But just a “today” kind of way.
And maybe it starts with “Thank you!”
Thank you for bringing me this far.
I would love to pray for your next steps. Drop a comment if you want that.❤️
God will always shine his light in the dark places for our benefit. He wants to tend our hearts. Are we looking for His light?
Removing things, that are dead or just taking up space will actually make room for LIFE friends!
And something wonderful happens each time we surrender to God. Whether that be the first time we surrender our lives to him or when we surrender on a normal day in an ordinary moment.
Hop over to the Seek and Savor podcast as we learn to disciple our hearts. ❤️ Link to listen in my bio. #seekandsavorpodcast #newheart #lightoftheworld...
So often fear makes us want to turn around and go the other way.
Or we think we must hurry ahead to achieve all the things we want to.
Staying steady, our hand in his hand is often hard. The enemy comes in and tells us that uncomfortable is not the place we want to be. He says “in control” is better.
But, oh beloved what joy is found in surrender.
“For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you. Isaiah 41:13
I ran across this picture the other day. It always makes me stop and puts a big lump in my throat. Because #1 Hands tell SO much. #2- This was Alan and I and one of the kids praying before we walked across the street to yet another cancer appointment in Chicago. It made me think about what our hands are doing. I thought about how they speak volumes of what lies inside of our hearts. Excited.9:10 tells us “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.” This made me want to share someone’s hands that have touched me! “I remember her hands. I used to lie on her lap twisting the chain that hung from her watch. Her wrinkles and spots were beautiful to me. Those hands were rarely still. Always cleaning, cooking, washing, mending. Doing something for someone. She never met a stranger. She found something kind to say to everyone, at the store, at church and in her home. I watched her sit at the table writing letters, reading recipes and clipping articles from the newspaper. Her head bent, her brow furrowed as dedicated to these tasks as any other. Whether I was in her home or she was in mine she encouraged me to rest while she labored. She expressed her love in fudge making, blanket knitting, linen closet cleaning and hand holding ways. She poured herself out. She was my grandmother, and she let her hands be used by Jesus.” What are we doing with our hands beloved? Whose hands have touched your life?
Many of us have been asleep. We literally are moving from one day to the next, our schedules filled from morning til night with things for us to do.
We try to make our lives here as comfortable as they can be.
But God’s word says, to be on your guard, instead of asleep to stay alert and clearheaded. He calls us to prepare our minds for action and exercise self-control.
The enemy of our souls would have us remain asleep. He would have us believe that the action we might take surely can’t make a difference, so why try.
We have a choice whose voice we heed beloved.
Join us for today’s episode of the Seek and Savor podcast, “It’s time to wake up.”
This is one you might want to save/share. Find it at the link in my bio. You are here… today…. for such a time as this. ❤️ #wakeupnow #liftupyoureyes #seekandsavorpodcast #christianpodcast...
What love are we filling our hearts with this week?
Is it a temporary one that serves ourselves?
The Word of God is able and actually designed to perform surgery on our hearts dear ones. It penetrates the deepest parts of our soul and spirit.
Where there are lies, it can uproot them and plant truth.
If you struggle with fear God’s love can uproot it and plant faith that He is able to love you well and enable you also to walk in love. He is able to wash your mind in the truth that whatever is coming against you His perfect love casts out fear and He will be the keeper of your heart.
Lay down the striving and rest in His love. ❤️ #layitdown #restinhim #loveofgod #seekandsavorpodcast...
There is hope in the midst of the fire. Don’t miss this week’s episode of Seek and Savor. Find 10 minutes of pure encouragement at the link in my bio. ❤️...
Have you ever wondered what it means to LIVE by the words that come from God’s mouth? Matthew 4:4 tells us that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Just like our bodies need bread to continue living, our spirits need the word’s breathed by God to sustain our souls. Breathed by God beloved. Of course it would be these words alone that have the power to actually Revive us.
Revive us according to your word God.
This is how His yoke becomes easy and His burdens become light.
It happens when we fill our hearts with so much of Him, He spills out in the pressing. I want to drip Jesus. Don’t you?...
This week I was reminded that often beauty and devastation go hand in hand. As I walked around my neighborhood I marveled at the trees glistening as if they were covered in diamonds. I also mourned the massive trees lying on their sides,roots lifted in the air. The longer I walk this earth I see how much we can learn that it is possible to hold both. It’s not only possible, good can come from it. Today’s episode of the Seek and Savor podcast is a reminder that we can still find beauty in the middle of broken places. Are you looking beloved? Comment link if you want to listen to this 8 minute episode. Save to remind your heart. ❤️...
It was just a few years ago on Christmas Eve, the house lay quiet, and I was the only one still up putting the last-minute gifts in the stockings. I smiled, anticipating the expressions of delight. Stockings are our favorite. It’s the place you still find surprise. You never know what you might find hidden in the toe. I thought back to Christmases past when I wasn’t alone. My husband sat beside me yawning. Placing one item in after another, anxious to climb into bed himself. I let out a sigh, longing for Christmas to make things right. And I began to wonder what it is we’re really hoping for at Christmas?
Surely, it’s not just that latest gadget, a beautiful sweater, or every item on our list. I think it goes deeper. It’s the eternal longing He placed in all our hearts to see His face. I remember one of my favorite Christmas songs. “O holy night the stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” Just like that my heart is laid bare. Like a surgeon ready to operate, I feel the Spirit exposing our deepest longing. We’re desperate to feel our worth. We want to be seen, known, and loved. So, what does our Father do? He goes to the greatest lengths to show us. Like light breaking the darkness, our Savior left His Father’s side and appeared here so that we might never doubt again, just how much we’re worth. May this Christmas find us all not encumbered by more Christmas treasures we find under the tree. But, may we finally see the greatest gift we have been given: the worth we have because of Christ. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). 🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR FRIENDS!
Happy Birthday to my Alan! 10 birthdays in Heaven, and it makes me wonder. Is he celebrating being home from his mission on this earth? What is He doing while we remember the gift He was to us, and still is? Ever since he left I have been sharing words with you. Because I feel called by God to share in some small way the “JOY, that is set before us.” Sometimes it’s a joy that wells up and overflows for the taking and other times it must be fought for.
I can make a list a mile long of all the good God has brought about since he left. Because that is our God, good and faithful, chasing us down with His mercy and grace. I can also count the tears that have been shed, how many times we have longed for Alan’s actual presence and the memories we wanted to make with him. The in between, is the place I have learned to live. Holding both joy and sorrow, trusting that when I am weak Christ’s power is being made perfect in me and finding true joy in walking every day with my Savior. When we had to choose the words to mark where Alan’s physical body was laid, I waited a year. I wrestled, I cried but, then I knew…”Alive in Christ.” It was the single most important thing to say and it’s true. This is why we lift up our eyes beloved. It’s why we are not overcome by it all. If life is in between for you beloved, you aren’t alone. ❤️ May I pray for you? #seekandsavorpodcast #lifeafterloss #hopeforthefuture #rejoicealways #griefshare...
