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
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!
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Ps.113:3 This is more than a command beloved. It has knit within it the secret to JOY, in the midst of sorrow. It is the direction we all need on finding our way from hopelessness to full of hope. When we choose to praise the Lord, not just when things are smooth sailing but also when the waves threaten to overtake our little boats, God does something miraculous. He produces joy and hope in those dark places. Just like that tender green shoot unfurling from the dark grave of earth it was planted in, It produces. Something good is coming. So let’s praise Him while we wait. #praisehiminadvance #liftupyoureyes #seekandsavorpodcast...
I love this sweet reminder I stumbled across one day, that joy is found in His Words.
Although I often look for joy in so many other places, no one else’s words have the power to remake me.
Like a surgeon’s scalpel they can precisely strike the place in my heart that is believing something other than the truth.
And when His Word replaces that old lie, new life springs up and with it comes joy!
Oh that we would go to your Word FIRST, when all is not well, Lord! Gives us a hunger for it, so that it becomes our joy and delight! #itiswellwithmysoul #onethousandgifts #seekandsavorpodcast...
For me, finding the path to being able to rejoice began with “lifting up my eyes.” I was only months out from two very big griefs that had struck our family, and I was struggling to just breathe. I was wondering if life would ever hold joy again and if I still had purpose on this earth. Exiting the park after a long walk, I started climbing the sidewalk that would lead me home and I heard in my Spirit, “ lift up your eyes.” This has become a life journey! One I wished I had begun long ago. If you find yourself fighting to keep your circumstances from dragging you down don’t miss this week’s brand new episode of the Seek and Savor podcast. I believe you will take something valuable with you. ❤️ Link in my bio....
Let nothing keep you from your Savior this Christmas my friend. No laundry list of things to do. No endless list of parties and gatherings, No grief that threatens to steal your joy. No disappointment that life is not how you imagined it might be. For when we look at Jesus and remember all He has done for us in the coming down, When we remember that he paid it all and then some, We can’t help but be changed. Because that is what LOVE does. It changes us. *From this week’s episode of the Seek and Savor Podcast- Love Came Down. Link in bio. #seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #lovecamedown...
What would happen if we were to rest as He held us? What if we could find the Peace of His Presence while we are still waiting for Him to make all things new? Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. What nugget of truth from God’s word do you need to speak to your own heart today? His word is a lamp to your feet beloved. Pick it up. ❤️#seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #rejoicealways #renewyourmind #lifeafterloss...
If you have felt overwhelmed or disappointed in ANY way beloved, you may be experiencing this....
The enemy tries to tell us we are alone and forgotten. Just like he came to Eve in the garden, whispering lies to her soul. Trying to lead her astray from the one great lover of her soul. He does this with us. He uses whatever he can to divide our hearts. We start to pull back and keep a piece of ourselves for ourselves, as if our God is not to be trusted with ALL of us. Stop. This is not a new tactic. He tried this with Jesus and what did He do? He spoke truth to the enemy and over Himself. “It is written.”
It is written dear one that - God is with us. - He has good plans for us. - Darkness has not overcome. - He is our good shepherd. - He restores our souls.
What truth from God’s word do you need to speak over your heart today? #seekandsavorpodcast #speaktruth #renewyourmind #guardyourheart #rejoicealways...
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?...
Sometimes I wake up and after a quick prayer hit the ground running. All day long it feels like an engine is revving in my heart and mind. I may even be too busy too pay attention to that feeling so I just keep going like the energizer bunny from one thing to another.
When I finally pause in my day I notice feelings like, stress, irritability, worry, or frustration with others. There is a lack of overall peace.
But when I wake up early grab my coffee, spend time “resting” in The Word of God and allowing him to reset my heart, everything changes. He quiets my soul. He replaces lies the enemy has spoken to me with truth. My perspective shifts from a temporary one to an eternal one. When difficult moments come through the day I am more likely to let them roll off my back and choose joy. It’s really other worldly, of course it is! This world is not our home we are travelers passing through. We require food from our native land to sustain us! And, that is what He does He sustains us!
“ Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 #bruisedbutnotbroken #renewyourmind #dailybread #resteasy...
Resolve. This word has been stirring around in my brain for awhile now. It excites something deep in my soul. It speaks to me of determination, and is born of something already firmly decided. I remember when Jake came home from Marine bootcamp and told the stories of adversity, that you don’t share with just everyone. As I listened to him remember the way he defended his faith or withstood difficulty, the thought came to me. He is resolved. He has already decided that He will stand firm because he has built his life on the firmest foundation. I used to wonder. Have I done it right? Have I taught all the things? Have I disciplined when I should and shown mercy when I should? Have I given my children all the instructions? I’m sure there is something they will encounter that I have not prepared them for. There is much, beloved that they will encounter that we may not have even known to cover. But He knows. The lover of their souls knows what storms will cross their paths.
We must teach them that when their hearts are dashed upon the rocks by the waves of life, there is one safe haven, one place of refuge and His name is Jesus.
We must teach them that even we do not have all the answers BUT His Word is the only lamp they will need for this journey.
What do you need to release into his care as you enter a new year?
I think one of the single most powerful things we can do is practice the presence of God. This is something I’ve been learning to do more and more since my beloved moved to Heaven and I wonder now why I didn’t do it before, when he was still with me. It changes you dear one. Now when I find myself alone or called to do something I’ve never had to do or that Alan used to do I talk with Jesus as I do it. Something shifts. The quiet isn’t so quiet. The hard thing is easier. Maybe that’s what it means… “His yoke is easy.” We aren’t in this alone friends. It’s Jesus right next to us plowing that tough road ahead. Remembering we serve a very PRESENT God is what Christmas is all about. As we practice living in His presence that reality will sink in and change the fabric of our hearts. I share more about this in my e-book “Let All The Weary World Rejoice. “(on Amazon. 💕)#seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #rejoicealways #immanuel...
