2017

“I’m a grown woman with children of my own,” Tonya said, annoyed at herself. “You would think I would be okay. But, it still hurts.” She grew up close to her father but when he remarried, that closeness ended. Now, she rarely speaks …

To glimpse the sun rising or setting calms my soul with peace. The light is beautiful. For a moment, all the worries of life fade away as the beauty captures my full attention. The light often reminds me of the Holy moment many years ago . .

This month, let us pray for the hearts and minds of individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Numerous veterans, and even those currently in the military, continue to suffer in silence. This disease often brings unwarranted shame…

I knew this was the best way to endure a teardrop season of waiting.Despite my circumstances, my King was worthy of my praise. I could confidently trust that His plans for me were good, even when my heart felt numb. I held onto His Promises, proclaimed His promises, believed His promises…and it was the only lasting comfort I found.

I would pad myself with as many little shirts, and as many little pairs of panties as I could and wait—terrified of the silence. You see, I knew what the silence meant. It meant he was coming for me.

There was a time in my early Christian walk when I found myself irritated at the pastor where I went to church. My husband and I were young in the Lord and far from the most congenial people in the congregation. In my anger at something he said, I stood up defiantly during his sermon and walked out the church doors, never intending to return.

This month, let us pray for those who are victims of domestic abuse. While we typically think of women and children, there are also the elderly and many men who suffer in silence. My own brother once dated …

Dehydration can cause some crazy side effects, but I came to discover during my illness that God was teaching me something anew. As I look back, I can only credit this life-changing event to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

It was an exciting story that made local news in Missouri, Texas several years ago. A man purchased a marble-topped walnut chest at an estate sale for less than $100.00. He thought he was getting a good deal on a nice piece of antique furniture. Boy was he in for a surprise!

I became a lover of God’s Word when I was eighteen years old. It was the season of my life when I began to realize that if I were ever going to heal from a distorted view of myself, I needed to look to my Maker—to the One who designed me in His perfect image..

This April, please pray for anyone with addictions—drugs, alcohol, sexual, spending, gluttony or nameless other destructive habits. Pray that those suffering will turn to Jesus for healing and wholeness. Pray for loved ones, neighbors, those at work, and those at school. Pray for the stranger on the street and the stranger in the penthouse…

Imagine your life without fear. Really stop. Really imagine your life. Now, really, really imagine your life without fear.

Inside of every woman warrior is a daring child—fearless and adventurous—confidently meeting whatever challenge comes her way. Much like Savannah, a young girl I once knew.

I no longer knew “normal.” After-school snacks, regular meals, and family time were things of the past.

My mother died from a perforated ulcer that resulted in blood poisoning. I was twelve-years old at the time. From the time of the incident (when she entered the hospital in an ambulance) until her death was a matter of about two weeks. She was thirty-eight-years old at the time.

Prior to her death, my family was pretty normal.

I stood behind a locked door, waiting for the minutes to pass and the bell to ring. Why I decided hiding in a bathroom stall was safer than being seen, I don’t remember, but it was. All the changes of adolescence were overwhelming and I was a young, insecure junior-high girl who opted to spend recess in the bathroom because I didn’t fit in, at least not from my view.

I felt different, like I didn’t belong.

While those years are now a distant memory, there are still moments when I feel different and out of place.

This coming month we pray for relationships. We ask the Lord to restore and strengthen marriages. We ask Him to bring broken families back together and bridge any gap between children and parents. And, we ask Him to create divine friendships—those that only the Lord can appoint.

It was a really dark time and place in my life—even though I brought it on myself. I was entangled in a sexual relationship with a married man, and no desire to get out. I thought I loved this person, but looking back, I think I just wanted to “win” him.

Cold air brushed across my cheeks as I turned the corner of my early evening run. Some of my best thinking is done in my running shoes as my heartbeat accelerates and fresh air relieves stress. As I descended downhill a question played on repeat in my mind…

A woman with whom I once went to church had an 18-year-old son who was incarcerated. On one of her prison visits with him, he spoke of another young man on the inside. He said that the young man’s family sent him care packages, but as soon as he opened his box, other inmates took everything away from him.