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.
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
2016 was the year we said good-bye to Alan. We will see him again, it isn’t forever though it feels like it. It was the year we followed God’s voice to leave everything we knew and go to the place He was calling us. Little did we know it would be our last year to all live together for many years. It was a year of resting and grieving. Grief is exhausting. It was a year of quieting the noise and only listening to His still small voice. It was a year of making big decisions like buying a house and starting my public writing journey. (Art by @breezybrookshire.) This morning I sat in my chair and watched a red cardinal outside my window and I longed for one more day with Alan. I can’t say 2016 was my favorite year. But it was a year of turning the page in our lives and finding God was still with us on the next one. And for that reason alone it was a good one. #rejoicealways #liftupyoureyes #lifeisbeautiful #seekandsavorpodcast...
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! 💕...
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 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.“...
10 years ago we spent our spring break at the beach. Alan’s body had just been buried but I knew he was fully ALIVE. 2 years after that I penned words sharing what the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart that day. The truth of them is still breathing life into me today.I find myself growing in the fertile soil of them. I pray they will breath life into you as well, no matter where your heart is challenged in believing today.
“Yesterday as I worshipped I felt Christ brushing past the rubble in my broken heart. In some ways the pain of Alan’s absence can feel fresh all over again. It’s on those days I’m made aware again of how life doesn’t look like I thought it would. The shock has gone. The flashbacks of painful days are fewer and fewer. Yet, I often found myself kneeling in a graveyard of broken dreams, unable to find a vision for the future. As I would walk about seeing others grow old together, I would wonder what that would have looked like and sometimes the new dreams God was giving me felt too BIG or far away. But God…
I felt the Spirit whisper to my heart, ‘The graveyard is the perfect place beloved. I am not daunted by death. No, I conquered it. In fact, you must know something… I Still Move Stones.’ Cue the tears friends. He still moves stones!
Have you ever heard more beautiful words? I can hardly think of any.
Mark 16:4 says, “ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” That great big stone that covered the tomb where they lay our Lord’s body had been moved. He came to conquer death. Then He tells us in Romans 8: 11, “ The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you.” At work in us? How is that possible? He is in the business of moving stones. The resurrected one wants to resurrect our hearts. He wants to conquer death on our behalf . Not just once when our earthly flesh fades, but every day! He longs to take the stones of brokenness, sin , heartache and death from our hearts. He wants to move the rubble out of our paths so we can LIVE resurrected lives. Because He lives, we can too.❤️#seekandsavorpodcast #christinus #liftupyoureyes #sundayiscoming...
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...
I ran across this quote one day that I’d saved from T. Davis Bunn- “The whole world’s out there screaming for our attention and only one little voice in our heart is whispering ;The answers not out there. It’s in here.” Oh how I want to listen to that still small voice beloved!
There have been times in my life I desperately wanted to hear from God. I know you have too. Write it on the wall, Lord. ❤️ Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it.” Now more than ever it’s imperative that the sheep know the Good Shepherd’s voice. We could just make up our own path but why would we do that when He can see down the road? He can direct our steps and lead us in triumphant procession. For more on this check out my Seek and Savor podcast and search the episode, “The Good Shepherd.” #seekandsavorpodcast #hearinggodsvoice #liftupyoureyes...
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...
We serve a God who will not let us go missing. He leaves the 99 to go after the one lost sheep. Sometimes beloved we are lost because we wander. And sometimes we are lost because the weeds grow high, we get distracted and darkness falls all around us. Take heart. Lift up your eyes. And let the stars remind you that he knows your name and he will not let you go missing.
“Lift up your eyes on high, And see who 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.” #liftupyoureyes #countthestars #thosewhowander #lightoftheworld Is 40:26...
There is no better place to dwell, to take up residence and abide,than in Him. When the things of this world feel like they are shaking me I check my heart and ask myself “Where are you abiding?” When I look back at the faithfulness of my God not just to me but to the generations that have come before me my heart is lifted up. He is worthy, beloved! He is worthy of our praise, our trust and of our teaching the next generation. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will hide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Ps 91:1 He is a safe place to hide our heart. ❤️ #asafeplace #renewyourmind #hopeforthefuture#athousandgenerations#seekandsavorpodcast...
