When my mom was a younger mom and some tense moments would arise, she would say, “I’m going to come unglued!” I’m sure whatever she was facing, was an “un-glue-able” feat.  My brother heard my mom say the historical line on occasion. When he was 4 years old, he replied with an innocence and a grand truth…”Mom, we’re not glued together. God made us with bone.” When we trust God fully, a fullness fills our bodies, casting solid and spiritual bone that is unbreakable. We are not just lightly glued together, melting at weak seams. We are purposely formed with God’s strength that thickens our inner core with fusionend faith.  When we ponder the plundering initiatives of this temporary world, it’s easy to become “unglued”. Although, if we look upward and onward towards God and Heavenly places, a soundness will fuse spiritual bone together, stabilizing bold steps of trust and faith. Within our spiritual bone flows a force that will not shatter and scatter upon fearful doubt. No, we a...

My husband is working a night shift tonight and as I sit here in an empty living room, I think to myself, “What kind of legacy will I leave behind?” I have experienced major losses in my life. I lost my dad when I was 21, my first baby (miscarried), and now, my grandpa at 34. Each person I lost, left behind favored fruits from each of their ‘life trees’.  So, as the rain falls behind my shoulder and the thunder orchestrates music notes of a lightening ballad, I think about legacy. A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. - Proverbs 22:1 I’ve heard people say, “We shouldn’t care what others think,” but is that entirely true? King Solomon wrote otherwise. We are to walk a walk that ensembles godly characteristics. People will know us by our fruits. Are they watching a healthy and ornate orange tree blossom or a bug infested and rotting apple tree appear?  When we pass, will we pass by loved ones with a breeze of benevolence and b...

   We all experience trials that whisk in front of us like a tumbleweed that trips our balanced feet.  Will we crush, burn, and smoke out the tumble weed or will we let it roll by our feet until we pass away? God gives us the resources along the path to strengthen our enduring race. Water - God hands us living waters to rejuvenate our scorched spirit. He refreshes our morbid minds with water that livens hope. Shade - When we are being sunburnt by sadness, God shades us with cooling comfort. He provides a stump to sit upon and rest our heart and mind. Then, we can start running again, facing the tumbleweed in the road. Food - While running, God is on the sidelines, handing out food to feed the spirit. Your spirit is fed with faith to crush out tumbleweeds in your path.  God spreads out dirt upon our paths to stabilize our run. He packs it down, strengthening our stride.  He gives you the resources to face problems, bash and burn them out.  So, are you relyin...

  My husband got home from work late last night and we were both eager to take our usual run, to talk tenderly, and romantically reconnect.  While jogging under the foggy sky, it started to rain. We both got aggravated, because it upset our paved plan. But, I said, “Let’s keep going...” So, we kept running as the rain slowly stopped drizzling. The rain no longer lingered.  We completed our run and we felt like we won a marathon. If we took the initiative to press fervently forward everyday, God before us, He would cut the ribbon before we even get to the finish line. We’d cross our destined border with an abundance of aptitude.  If we trusted God with a very loose rope, we’d bust out of the corral that captives our mind with worrisome wonders.  God does not want us to give up with ease, because the repercussions will be hardened with depression, anxiety, and defeat. Run! Run boldly through the rain the rampaged rain! Keep going, keep pressing, and focus on God. ...

Is forgiveness just for our heart, but not the receiver’s heart? Shouldn’t forgiveness be brimmed with “love creamer” that stirs the other person’s spirit with God?  We are called to bestow grace. Shouldn’t that include a mug that steams with mercy? When you forgive, what is your ulterior motive? Is that motive served with “selfish sugar” or motivated by God’s love?  I’ve read the notion, “Forgiveness is for you...for your sake?” But, should it just be for you? Yes, the act releases you from anger, bitterness, and resentment, but shouldn’t another cup be filled?  When God forgives us, He does not withhold any extra “love whips” or “comfort cream”. He extends the handle of His cup with tenderness.  God does not forgive just for His pleasing, but to render a mug rimmed with grace. That grace then covers our hearts with dignity.  As we hand the cup of forgiveness to our debtor, make sure your mug is truly handled with sincerity like God’s.  ...

I’ve read many worldly thoughts about men and women lately, and I’m going to write truth...we are not the same in thinking, physicality, and emotions. We will never be, but that’s okay. God made us in different formats, So we can be formatted together perfectly.  We each have our own uniqueness, which brings a unified balance to relationships.  Men and women express emotions and grieve differently, but that’s okay. In 2008 I lost my dad to Cancer. After his passing, my mom and I talked about the memory of my dad. We cried amongst the days. My brother expressed his grief in a different way. He did not mention my dad for a few years, until he could cope with his mourning. He cried amidst the nights where darkness could hide his tears.  My mom didn’t push my brother into a realm of emotion he did not inherit. She waited patiently for him to “come into the sunlight”.  The emotions of men are stately subtle. They firmly stand, watching sorrows, with dewed eyes.  Wome...

Last night my husband and I ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We chatted and laughed as the colorful decor listened to our conversation. When we were done exploring each other’s day over tortilla chips and queso, we walked to the counter to pay our bill. As the waitress took our payment she asked if we were on a date. I said, “Yes, a married date.” We walked through the doors, full of attentive affection and love.  Our attributes as a couple shined like the yellow chairs amidst the restaurant. Godly attributes of a man should majorly impact his wife and others around him.  Those godly attributes should entail: Love that is found within the gold seams of a bible that is read by a husband under a glistening lamp. Leadership that is drafted into prayer with his family   Guidance that is architected into wise words with his wife and children Protector of souls and warrior of hearts Casting out a safety net for finances, provision, and trials Disciple...

Recently, my husband and I strolled Downtown Thibodaux.  We caught a storybook glimpse of a squirrel eating seeds in a Magnolia tree, then came across a historic mailbox. It “cat-pawed” my Alice in Wonderland curiosity, so I took a picture. The washed-out color of olden times drenched the mailbox in rust.  I thought to myself...are we all in or out of the mailbox of true Christianity? Today’s world has become more “open-minded” to veiled sin. They are condoning unstamped letters of promiscuity that have slipped into society.   As Christ followers, we need to think of ourselves as letters that have been sealed with righteousness.  Are you being fully slipped into the mailbox with a boldness or are you being jiggled in halfway, falling to the world?  Are you being stamped with truth or unstamped with a holy vagueness? Are you being slipped into the mailbox with a fervor or being finicky and falling to dirt-like debauchery.  Is your le...

I can’t help but notice all the strife, unrest, and chaos in the world. Frigid Winter waters have frozen souls with hatred and emptiness. Hearts are lacking heated blankets of fulfillment.  Discord is choking the world with the cord of discontent.  I want more I’m not happy  I’m depressed I’m anxious  I need answers  I want more  Hearts are bathtubs full of icy water. Hearts are bathtubs that bear holes. Without God, fulfillment comes from worldly finds and psychology. Gushing waters of hollow hopes fills the heart, then quickly siphons through the hidden hole at the bottom. Splashes of enticing enlightenment fills the heart, then swiftly leaks through the masked hole in the corner. Waves of wavering wonder fills the heart, then rapidly drains through the veiled hole at the rim.  God fills the heart to the brim and beyond, with truth and sound love.  God heals the depression holes with joy God fixes anxiety holes wi...

I love blogging about God’s presence in my life. I want to share what He does for me and what He could do for others... Yesterday, my husband and I visited our “soon-to-be-house” once again. We are clinging to the heart of this home more and more as we walk along its trusses and concrete love.  As we made our way through the 2 by 4 lined rooms we came across the guest bath. We peeked at our bathtub and spotted a conniving concern...a hole in the fiberglass.  So, we conspired a plan to email our grievance to the builder. We left our future home and enjoyed the rest of our evening. The delicate dusk included an intimate table at a quaint restaurant called Spahr’s in Downtown Thibodaux.  I told my husband amidst the Cajun cuisine, “I’ve learned to leave every little to big thing to God. I’m learning to pray over everything in life.”  I emailed the builder about the hole in the bathtub this morning. As the email was sending, I asked God to touch my words...