Everyday Imperfect

  As a child, the only time I ever heard about fasting was when the preacher of our little baptist church happened to mention or preach on Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.  In my teen years, when my family started going to a Pentecostal church, I saw where some people made fasting and prayer a regular part of their devotion to the Lord.  This was a new concept to me, but I couldn't help but notice those who practiced periods of fasting and prayer had a lot more power and faith in their relationship with God.   I know there has to be others in my shoes from back then - wondering what the big deal is with fasting added to your prayers.  So I thought I'd jot down a few truths I've learned along the way (with the help of some awesome pastors I've had, as well as MY pastor and leader - my husband!).   Because this is the way my brain functions, it will be somewhat of a list format, but please feel free to ask questions for clarity's sake.  As I tell m...

Isn’t it interesting that as many times as you read or hear about a Bible story all your life (especially if you grew up in the church), all of a sudden one time you hear the same story and something remarkable jumps out at you that you never realized before?  That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago when I was doing a devotional on Lazarus - the guy Jesus raised from the dead.   I actually have been going through the Bible in a year, and I like to have my YouVersion app read it to me while I’m getting ready each morning.  This particular morning, I learned something that really shook me, to be honest.  Here’s a quick backstory— Jesus and his disciples were on their way, ministering and at some point came upon a village (which we now know was Bethany), where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. - this is where most of us first learn about Mary & Martha, who were Lazarus’ sisters.   Luke 10:38: 38  As Jesus and the disciples continued on their ...

This was taken from a message I was blessed to deliver to our Womens' retreat at our church, coined "the Weekend at the Well".   Before you dig into this lesson and my heart from this well known passage, let's refresh our memories on this favorite story of mine.  (Read John 4:4 - John 4:39) This link will take you there:  Bible.com So you have this woman - this woman that had NO self-worth to speak of.   Society labeled her. Her past labeled her.   Her own actions lived up (or down) to that label, and she even cut herself off from the rest of society because of it.   (that’s why she was at the well in the midday instead of the morning when most other women would draw water).   She was the one the other women whispered about as she passed by - whether it was true or not.   She was the one who was so desperate to fill whatever it was she was missing, that she chose to go from one man to the next, desperately seeking that fulfillment she’d ...

I was honored to be able to share at our church's women's fellowship meal a while back, and felt led to prepare this.  Anytime I speak truth like this I get pretty nervous - like I'm worried someone will get offended, you know?  I'm working on that, lol!  But here's what the Lord gave me this time. Hope it blesses you too! ******************************************************* Have you ever met someone who just seemed to always be a victim?  I’m not talking about those truly victimized people that have lived through life’s worst horrors - I’m talking about those who always have something bad happening, and it’s always someone else’s fault.   I have thankfully earned the reputation of being a friendly and encouraging person.  And I LOVE being an encourager.  But y’all… it sure does take a lot of energy trying to encourage someone who is so determined to be someone else’s victim.   Being done wrong is a hurtful thing, And not to sound all “Pollyann...

Figuring out how to walk in this new chapter of ministry has been ... fun, we'll say.  Actually, I quite enjoy the planning and creating and feel that this new season God has me walking in is completely ordained by Him, so I do feel at peace about it.  I had considered doing a brand new blog or website, but after chatting with my husband about it, we realized there were many good, God-given things in my old blog that really could help more people still.  So we decided just to give this one a makeover, and continue to let God us it however He sees fit.  I'll be sharing some of my favorites from the past on my social media, but feel free to go through here and comment on your faves as well before I share them these coming weeks.  As part of a life update, this new season is one that I've honestly dreamed about for sometime, but never felt it would really come to pass.  And, like most God-ordained seasons, it does look a little different than I originally thou...