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
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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.
I did something recently that I didn’t want to do. I prayed, I made space to listen to God’s voice and while it wasn’t clear right away, eventually God removed all the obstacles that stood in my way of saying, “yes” to the thing I didn’t want to do. All the obstacles that is except my flesh.. My flesh still said, “ Please no.”
When I knew God was moving me forward towards obedience I still didn’t know the “why” behind what he was requiring me to do. But, I was willing. My heart was surrendered. My yes, led to more nudges from God to more things I didn’t want to do. But I had already positioned my heart in a place of surrender so the fight wasn’t as hard this time. It was more of a “Really Lord? Alright. Yes, Lord.” And with each yes my eyes became focused… NOT on how my yes was received by others but by the peace that was left in its wake. My heart was quieted and lighter with each step of obedience. Joy started seeping in and God was also bringing revelation. This week on the podcast we asked the question, “What are you hungering for?” Don’t miss it beloved. Because hungering leads to eating and what we put in our hearts changes who we become. ❤️ Does this resonate with you? Drop a ❤️ if so....
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?
Sometimes, we just need to step away and remind ourselves that our God knows all that is troubling our souls and He has not given us over beloved.
For me that often looks like walking. After I walked this beautiful farm I sat on top of a hill and witnessed the ever changing sky. Minute by minute the colors changed, chasing each other until even the lavender faded to black.
It reminded me that everyday he goes to great lengths to show us He is present. We can either stop and notice or continue on, overwhelmed by what our feelings are speaking to us.
He is for you beloved! How do you press pause and remind your soul this is true?...
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...
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...
Maybe you need this reminder. The sheep hear His voice. That phrase has been resounding in my heart lately. It made sense that the first episode of the Seek and Savor podcast Season 7 should be this. So, I made space to lean in and SEEk Him on this. I am so excited to share it with you.
Friends, If Jesus could do nothing by himself, then surely I cannot, we cannot.
When we quiet our hearts to hear His still small voice we can better partner with Him in the work He is already doing around us.
We can feel His peaceful presence even in the midst of many questions.
Join us at the link in my bio for 10 minutes that will calm your soul and bring the light of His presence.
He is the Living Word. ❤️ #seekandsavorpodcast #hopeinthedark #trusting #goodshepherd...
Have you ever found yourself holding your breath, not even aware you were?
Maybe you are anxious about all the things staring you in the face. They may even be accompanied by the potential threats of what could happen tomorrow . It’s hard to follow the instruction not to worry about tomorrow. And yet God’s word doesn’t just say. DON’T WORRY for tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. He tells us what to do instead. Today’s episode of the Seek and Savor podcast is, “In Need of Joy.” We don’t just talk about needing it. We look at God’s word for instruction on how to attain it. Find the link to listen in my bio. #seekandsavorpodcast #findingjoy #womenoftheword #christianpodcast...
“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.” Jer. 15:16 Don’t miss today’s episode of the Seek and Savor podcast, “Feasting on your Word.” #liftupyoureyes #seekandsavorpodcast #renewyourmind #wordofwisdom...
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...
Sometimes God does His deep work when we feel hidden away. Maybe you feel hidden because of grief and loss. Maybe you feel hidden because of a change in your circumstances. Maybe you can’t even articulate why you feel hidden. Though that place may feel hard beloved, and your desire is for rescue…. He is there. He has good for you right there in that desert place. Lift up your eyes, turn them back to Him and find the hope that is waiting for you “in His presence.” More to come on this topic. Make sure you are subscribed to my free newsletter so you don’t miss the upcoming podcasts and newsletters. ❤️ Comment: HOPE if you wish to subscribe....
