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It’s Launch Day for my new book!

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written to you.  I’ve been focused on an important project that I’m excited to announce to you today!

Today is Launch Day for my new book, Beauty from the Battle: A Six-Week Devotional for Thriving in Difficult Times!  And to say I’m excited is an understatement!

I started this journey in January of this year (and it’s been just that, a journey).  I could not have done this without God and His inspiration and guidance throughout this process.  Additionally, with advice and encouragement from other authors and my launch team (shout out to Tayanna, Iva, Ericka, Nikki and Adrienne), we’ve crossed the publication finish line!

I would love it if you would do a couple of things for me:

  • Pick up a copy today!  It’s available on Amazon (paperback or Kindle), or you can order directly from me to receive an autographed copy by clicking here.
  • Join me at my virtual launch party this Sunday November 16 at 4pm EST via Zoom or YouTube.
  • Tell a friend!  Just forward this email to your circle!

All for now!  Thanks for celebrating this special day with me!

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Following God’s Lead

Early this morning, I let our dog Champ out so he could ‘go.’ Our backyard is partially fenced, so when we let him out, someone has to go with him to make sure he doesn’t leave the yard.  As he was roaming the yard, he heard a sound and immediately ran toward it.  It was a noise coming out of the hedges and it didn’t take him long to locate where the sound was coming from.  Champ’s ears were fixed on this sound, and because I didn’t know what it was, I wanted him to leave it alone. I had to take him by the collar and pull him away from this strange noise (not an easy thing to do for a curious dog).

What do Champ’s keen ears have to do with you, you may ask?  Champ heard this sound and his instincts told him to immediately investigate, to act on it quickly.  When you hear God’s voice giving you an instruction, how immediate are you to act on it?  Are you following God’s lead? I promise you, this message is not meant to condemn (I’m asking myself the same question).  

As we are in tune with God’s voice, we will receive an instruction about a particular thing.  The instruction may be related to a prayer we’ve prayed or maybe even a heads up on what’s to come.  Sometimes, the instruction doesn’t make sense to us, or it’s something that we really don’t want to do.  We may say things like, “God, do you really want me to pray for that person?”  or “God, why do I have to do it that way? Isn’t there another way?”

Think about the life of Jesus: while He lived on earth, He was both fully divine and fully human.  And as He prepared to be crucified, we see a glimpse of Jesus’ humanity when He prayed to the Father: He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39, NLT)

Despite Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew the assignment and moved forward in obedience to the Father.  God’s desire is for us to heed the instructions that we’re given also.  The ask may not make sense, and we may not want to do it.  But, what’s on the other side of our obedience is far better than the difficulty of the request.  

I encourage you today (as I encourage myself) to follow God’s lead.  Continue to spend time in His word so you can know His voice more and more.  And trust Him for the outcome of your obedience.

I would love to hear your thoughts; feel free to comment on this post below. Thanks!

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Still and Listening: Meeting God in the Quiet

Earlier this week, I posted this thought on my personal Facebook page:

“Sometimes what we need most isn’t a book or a devotional—it’s simply to sit in God’s presence.”

This idea came to me as I was thinking about how we can grow spiritually.  I recently preached a message at my church regarding spiritual growth and victorious living (you can click here to listen in!).  I shared some things we can do to help us; activities such as prayer, bible study, fasting, etc.  All of those activities are good, but there is something we can add to that list, something I believe we don’t do enough of.

When was the last time you sat quietly in God’s presence?  When was the last time you just sat in a chair or knelt or just paused to be with God?  Since God is omnipresent, we don’t need to go to a particular place (like our local church) to be in God’s presence.  Nor do we need a book or a devotional or worship music (although there is nothing wrong with using these tools) to usher us into His presence.  All we need is a true desire to spend time with Him! And guess what: God desires to be with us too!  

Sitting in silence may make us uncomfortable.  We are so accustomed to there being constant noise around us, so when things are quiet, it may feel awkward. But the quieter we are, the more prepared we are to receive from God.  Our intentional silence is our way to get in position to hear what He has to say.

When should we seek God’s presence?  All the time!  Not just we have a specific need, but whenever we want to just be with Him.  Think about a good friend:  although life can be busy for all of us, unless we maintain some connection, we may grow apart.  If we are not intentional about seeking God’s presence, our connection with Him can weaken.

So, what are you going to do today to enter into the presence of God?  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in how you spend that time. And as we spend intentional, quiet ime with Him, He can speak to our hearts as we are drawn closer to Him.

Does this post resonate with you? Please comment below and share this post with a friend!

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Joy Is Still Possible—Even in Hard Seasons

As you read the title of my message today, you may wonder how joy is possible in hard seasons.  You may even ask how ‘joy’ and ‘hard seasons’ can exist in the same sentence! Hard seasons are hard!  And there’s probably nothing good about what we may be going through: nothing good about losing your only source of income, nothing good about losing a loved one.  So, how is joy possible?

Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, says this:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13, NLT

Paul is coming to the end of this letter to the Romans, a letter that has been filled with doctrinal truths about the sinfulness of man, Jesus and the forgiveness He offers and how we should live as a result of our new lives in Christ.  In all of that important information, this verse in Romans 15 really stands out in my mind.  

Paul is offering a prayer on behalf of the Roman believers, and because we too are believers, we can also receive it.  His desire is that the God of hope would fill us with joy and peace as we trust in Him.  This verse reminds us that God is the source of our joy, no matter what we may be experiencing.  The verse also says that, because of the joy and peace we receive, we will overflow with hope!  This kind of hope is not just a wish, but it’s a confident assurance of what God says we have in Him and an assurance of who we are in Him.  Again, this is regardless of our circumstances.

This message is just a quick reminder to you that joy is possible, even in hard times.  As we trust in Him, we can experience the joy, peace and hope that will carry us through our difficulties.  Things may be tough now, but we have an assurance that God is with us in the tough times and provides exactly what we need when we need it. AMEN!

If you know someone who is in the middle of a challenging season, please forward this message to them.  Also, I would love for you to share your comments below.

Be blessed!

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Overcoming Disappointment

At one point or another, each of us faces disappointment.  Disappointment happens when an expectation is not met.  We thought something would turn out one way (generally in the positive or in our favor), but it doesn’t. The feeling of disappointment can give way to other feelings, such as frustration, sadness or dissatisfaction.  What can we do when we experience disappointment?  I’m not a mental health professional, so what I’m going to share is based on my own experiences.

I believe the first thing we can do is acknowledge our feelings.  It’s ok to give place to the frustration or sadness and admit this is what we are currently experiencing.  When I was going through my divorce, I remember being extremely disappointed that the mediation process was unsuccessful. I was hoping that things would be done more amicably, but when mediation failed, I felt defeated and sad, and wondered how I would ever get out of this difficult and abusive marriage.  Giving place to our feelings does not mean we’re going to stay in them, however. Those feelings were temporary, but I needed to acknowledge they existed.

Next, it’s important to refocus: refocus our thoughts on what’s really true.   In my situation, I needed to refocus on the source of my strength and provision…God.  I had to remind myself with the Word that God would take care of me, no matter how things looked.  I read scriptures like Philippians 4:19, Psalm 91 and Proverbs 3:5-6 to remind me of what was really true so I could walk in faith.

Staying focused on what was most important helped me overcome disappointment and live victoriously, not just in the situation I’ve shared here, but at other challenging times as well.  If you are feeling saddened or disappointed about something, I pray this message encourages you.  The difficulties we face won’t last forever; refocusing on God will help us to stand firm until they do.  

I would love to get your feedback on this post; please comment below and share this with a friend!

Be blessed!

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It’s Ok to Rest!

Earlier this week, I decided to do a walk/run for my workout.  I started running several years ago, having completed several 5K and 10K races and working toward the goal of completing a half marathon (13.1 miles).  Well, life got in the way, and I stopped running; in recent years, I’ve started again, but now I’m alternating between walking and running.

There’s actually a method called the walk-run method, where you run for an interval and walk for an interval.  One of the benefits of this method is that it improves running performance.  You would think that walking and running would slow you down, but during the run portion, you are running faster (to learn more, click here for the full article, but be sure to come back and finish reading this message lol).

I thought about this as I was working out the other day.  I could feel myself running faster after I’d rested during the walking part (and my Fitbit confirmed that).  Then I realized that this concept applies to more than just running!   As we are on our individual journeys, there may be challenges along the way and we may get a little weary.  The lesson is this: it’s ok to rest!  There’s nothing wrong with slowing our pace so we can recover and rest.  But what’s not ok is quitting!  We may need to rest in order to recalibrate, to rethink or to refocus.  Use the rest period to prepare to run again.  

Another thing to consider: the rest period can be as long as you need it to be.  We are setting our own pace, and we don’t allow others to set the pace for us.  Of course, we can observe others as motivation and encouragement (I’ve done this in a race), but we get to decide how fast or not so fast we go.  

Do you need to rest along whatever journey you’re on?  Then, by all means, rest!  But rest knowing that you will eventually pick up your pace and you’ll keep going!  You won’t quit! And you will get to the finish line!  AMEN!

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We are one!

One of my favorite artists from the 70s and 80s is Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.  Although the group didn’t record any new music after the 80s, they continued to pack concert venues up until last year!  Classic music that never gets old!

One of Maze’s most popular songs is entitled “We Are One.”  The opening lines say:

Can’t understand

Why we treat each other in this way

Taking up time

With the silly silly games we play

When I heard it recently, I began to think about oneness in the Body of Christ.  We can ask the same question about our fellow believers that Frankie Beverly asked in his song:  why do we treat each other the way we do at times?  We can sometimes be judgmental, mean, isolating and just overall unloving toward other believers. We elevate certain sins over others, we call one another names if our doctrines (or our politics or our races) are not the same, and we fall out of fellowship with one another.   I could go on…

This is NOT what God intended for the Body of Christ!  

I believe we should use the early church as a model for what our body should look like.  Acts 2:42-44 (NLT) says this:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

Understanding that we should consider the historical and cultural context of this passage, I’m not saying we are to follow their actions exactly, but we can glean the spirit of what fellowship within the Body of Christ should look like.   

  • They were devoted to prayer and their leaders’ teachings
  • They were devoted to fellowshipping with one another
  • They helped one another and shared what they had
  • They worshipped together

What does your ‘oneness’ look like?  Oneness in your personal actions as well as oneness within your church or fellowship of believers? While we can point fingers and observe what others are doing in this area, the fact is we cannot control someone else. So, let’s focus on what we can do!  What can I do to promote oneness in the Body of Christ?

I encourage you today to search your heart and determine what YOU can do to promote oneness.  Now, there will be those who have no desire for this goal, and that’s ok (we will all reap what we sow at some point.  We shake the dust off our feet and search for those who desire true oneness).  Focus on you and what you can do, so we can look more like the body that God intended.

Free to leave me a comment below. And please share this post with a friend!

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How’s your year going?

As we are approaching the end of March (can you believe it?), we are also approaching the end of the first quarter of 2025.  This time is a great opportunity to assess where we are with the goals we set at the beginning of the year. It’s also a great time to make sure we heard God clearly on the things we decided to do.

Proverbs 16:1 and 9 say this:

“The preparations of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”

and

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”  

(NKJV)

One commentary on the book of Proverbs notes that “people design what they will say and do, but the Lord decrees what will endure and form part of his eternal purposes”   So, it’s ok for us to make plans.

So, how do Christians plan?  We’re not making plans in a vacuum; we plan in the context of the Word of God and what God is saying to us about a particular thing.  We pray for and seek wisdom as we begin to make plans, and we are open to hearing the Holy Spirit if we need to course correct or adjust.  We are flexible.

I believe it’s the second part of verse 9 that reminds us of the importance of being flexible.  If the Lord leads us in a different direction, we should trust in that guidance and move appropriately. Notice I said “The Lord.” I am an advocate of seeking wise counsel, but at the same time, our relationship with God should be living and active so we can clearly hear what He is saying to us (and He can certainly use the voice of wise counsel to assist us). And just because we made a particular plan doesn’t mean we have to stick with it if it is no longer the right thing for us to do.  Don’t let your pride get in the way of shifting plans and focus as needed!

As we lean into the direction and guidance we receive from God, and “commit your actions to the Lord, [then] your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3, NLT).  Do you want to be successful?  I believe God wants that for us also!  Let’s follow what the Word of God says about planning, setting goals, course correcting and success.

I encourage you to take some time today (or over the next couple of days) to assess where you are with the plans you made at the beginning of the year, and seek God to determine if any adjustments need to be made, so that you can experience success the way God intended!

Before I go, will you please do me a favor?  I would love it if you would subscribe to my YouTube channel!  Just click here to become a part of my YouTube community; you’ll be the first to know when I’m going live there! 

Have a great day!

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God is a Keeper!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy!  Between a hectic work schedule (things have slowed down for a couple of weeks, thank goodness), speaking and teaching assignments, and just “life,” my stress level has been high.  I’ve gotten out of my routine of working out regularly and eating healthy (slowing getting back into those things now).  Since we’re now in the season of Lent, I am intentionally trying to slow down a bit in my morning routine so I can reset.

During my prayer time yesterday, I began to reflect on my life over the last 18 months.  I may have shared before that back in September of 2023, I was laid off from my job of almost 25 years.  I started thinking about my journey from that last day when I mailed in my laptop, cell phone and badge, until now. From participating in career counseling, to getting jobs (and all the rejection letters that came before the job offers) and learning new industries, I can truly say that God has kept me!  Tears of gratitude began to flow! It has been, and continues to be, an adventure of ups and downs, but the one constant over this time period is God.  All of my needs have been met (and I do mean ALL), I’ve met new people who have expanded my network, and I am learning to exercise my faith in a greater way. 

I was talking to a friend the other day, and she acknowledged that the anniversary of her father’s transition has just passed.  At that moment, I realized that the anniversary of my grandmother’s transition had also just passed (she’s been with the Lord for 5 years).  Do you recall what was happening 5 years ago this month? It was the beginning of the COVID global pandemic.  My mind went back to that time when my family was trying to plan a funeral when no one understood what was happening, and how sad we were that we couldn’t give her the homegoing service she deserved because of the shutdowns.  But through all of that, God kept us!

If you were to look over your life, I believe you would come to the same conclusion!  God has kept you!  Even if life is hard for you right now, you can still reflect on what God has done for you in the past.  Let those memories remind you of His goodness and His power, and keep you focused on the fact that if He’s kept you before, He can do it again!

God is a keeper!

Please do me a favor: share this blog post with a friend and encourage them to subscribe!

Be blessed!

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Be Still and Know

Yesterday, I was honored to record a podcast episode with a ministry friend and partner (I’ll be sure to share with you when the episode goes live).  After the recording, we chatted for a few minutes and before we ended our conversation, she asked how she could pray for me (every time we talk, she asks that question and I appreciate her for it).  I shared my prayer needs, and she said she would pray that I would be able to find moments of rest in a busy season.    As I thought about that conversation today, Psalm 46 came to my mind.

The writer David starts the song this way: 

God is our refuge and strength,

    always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come

    and the mountains crumble into the sea.

(Psalm 46:1-2, NLT)

The last several weeks have been extremely busy for me, between work, church (including preaching and teaching), attending a conference for Christian retailers and authors, attending a conference for the organization my church falls under, and my birthday! It’s been a lot!  My friend’s words about finding moments of rest really resonated with me because, in this season, it will be the moments of rest that will refresh me and keep me going.

Toward the end of Psalm 46, David writes these words (they are the words of God):

“Be still and know that I am God!

    I will be honored by every nation.

    I will be honored throughout the world.”

(Psalm 46:10, NLT)

No matter what is happening around us or in our lives, if we are still and focus on God and the fact that He is God, we can navigate the different seasons of our lives.  Those moments of stillness and focus may be brief (driving from one place to another,picking up groceries or taking a short walk).  I’m sure each of us would love extended periods of rest, such as a vacation, but if those are not possible right now, a moment of refreshing can do the trick to carry us through all the things we need to accomplish.   And we may need to take moments (plural) of refreshing on a regular basis to sustain us.

May we seek God and look to Him for those times of refreshing, no matter how brief they may be. He is our source for everything, and as He sustains us, He is glorified in our lives.

Let’s be still and know today.  Amen!

Feel free to share this post with a friend and encourage them to subscribe to my blog!

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