“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1. I am a “DOer.” I can’t ever remember being anything else. And while it is true that God made us for work, I am coming to learn that while there is a season for work, there is also a season for rest. I am the oldest of five girls and from a very young age I can recall being responsible for something or someone. Oh sure, Mom had to remind me to do things like any typical kid,

“Why don’t you trust me?” I heard the still small voice in the depth of my spirit. I’ve been hiding for far too long, it’s time to get real. “I do trust you Father, but . . . .” There are no buts daughter, either you do or you don’t. “Ouch. Really God?” It’s easy to recite verses. Yes, I’ve memorized the best of them: “Trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” “I can do all things through

It’s inevitable, regardless how successful you are, there will be a moment, a day, a season when you just can’t “fix it.” Oh, but we so want to, don’t we? From the moment you take your first step, you feel as if you can do anything. You go to school and the world gets a bit bigger as you meet new friends and find new influences. You learn to drive and all of a sudden, independence is yours! You are king of the castle as the world becomes your oyster. You leave home as excitin

The promise of fall is upon us. On this gorgeous Georgia day, I reminisce over the past season of life and all that God has done. Through the challenges and the joy He has served forever faithful. I am so grateful to be written into His story. In this season of LISTEN I am sensitive to His call. Just as Elijah learned to wait for the gentle whisper, I too am leaning in for the gentle whisper of my Father. It’s an intense wait. As God often does, He is calling me to

Her pink dress flowed with the wind as she skipped up the sidewalk. Reaching the gate, she didn’t notice the barbed wire stretched in double around the compound. The smile on her face was contagious as she awaited the gravelly sound of the latch breaking free so she could walk into the enclosure. Twinkling eyes met mine as she walked to the back of the line. Grabbing the hand of her loved one, she chatted happily about the day to come. With a serious look on her face, she loo

Where is your heart today? It’s raining here in the ATL. Drops fall in a torrent one moment to be followed up with a light drizzle the next. In my childhood we used to recite the poem, “April showers bring May flowers.” Today my heart is falling with the droplets as it waits for the flowers to bloom. There are moments when the showers seem to be drowning any opportunity for beauty to be found. Do you find yourself drowning too? I received a cliff-hanger yesterday via text. Ne

Life is a compilation of moments. Good, bad, beautiful, tragic and memorable. And then there are those we would rather forget. It’s easy for me to live life wishing away the moments that are challenging, but as I grow, I recognize these moments are so important. May is serving to be a busy month for us. We are so thankful for the graduations, weddings and birthdays that we have the honor to celebrate with our loved ones! This weekend, we had the honor to celebrate two of our

With a deep sense of yearning, this has become my prayer. Today, I seek to share with you the grief in my soul. Thirty-four years ago, the Lord sought to make me His own, but I only acquiesced out of fear. Twenty-three years ago, He took the broken pieces of my heart and promised to mold them into a great masterpiece. Eleven years ago, He drew me to Himself creating with me a deep desire to know Him more. He surrounded the fresh soil of my heart with others who planted seeds

God has called us into His great story. A beautiful story in which He is intimately involved. Yesterday, I had the honor to hear His calling over my small group. He has blessed each one with desires and plans that are far greater than anything they could imagine on their own. And in each one, He has placed a purpose. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 To give

“How much more God?” My question in a season of pain. It began after Thanksgiving last year. Life Groups had winded down, the project of my life was complete and I was left with- ? The pain had started in Spring of last year, but was sporadic. A gas bubble here and there. Perhaps I ate too much? Maybe I’m becoming lactose intolerant? But noooo, I had four different ailments and my Digestive system was shutting me down. Taking me out - AGAIN. Really? Nope, not this girl! M

Mesmerized by the frothy leaf in my coffee cup, my hand shook. A hundred questions scattered my insecure brain. As I sat across from this amazing woman of God, I was thankful for the love that our Father placed into her heart. It was inspiring. Radiating a hefty dose of salt and light, this woman had a life of experience working with teen girls and I sensed the Lord's press to ask her to mentor me. She said yes. Over the course of several meetings, she shared her great he

Watching the gold and brown leaves fall outside of her window, she sighed over the thought of another year in this place. The breeze curved like a loving hand as it carefully set each one gently on the ground. The care of mother nature for every piece of creation never ceased to amaze her as she longed for one of her own, a parent that is. She longed for a parent to love her. Walking to the mirror, she straightened her uniform for the 100th time. Noticing a hair out of pla

It’s a rainy day in Georgia and unfortunately my mood mourns with the rain. I love the rain, her comforting drops are a balm to my weary soul. But today, my heart cries as if the light is gone. I feel the darkness threaten to drag me down into the depths. Thankfully, this is not a common occurrence. However, I remember the moments when light appeared snuffed out, day after day. Today reminds me of that despair. Today reminds me that there are still those who feel weak i

Have you ever wondered about Heaven? I do, quite often in fact. I have visions of Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father: Jesus looking at His children lovingly. And yes, I have visions of singing among the angels as we give our God praise. Heaven must be glorious! I once had a student ask me my thoughts on the subject. She asked if we would sing for eternity. “But isn’t that boring, Ms. Eve?” she wondered. I chuckled, “No, never boring to me, I could sing for etern

As the sun rises my heart grows heavy. Every morning I awake with a song on my heart, what is so different about today? Heartbreak, despair, am I one step away from depression? Uncertainty clouds this broken heart. For a heavy heart, moving through the day can often feel like walking through quicksand with concrete shoes. Place one foot in front of the other, never give up, right? How often instead do we wake up wanting to place the covers over our head and call in sick?

I have a great love for Roses. Red, white, yellow, pink, they are all beautiful. Oh, if I could only sit in front of a rose and watch it bloom. There is so much beauty in one little bud. Oh, but with movie magic, you can see the transformation happen here: Red Rose Blooming WOW, God’s creation in time lapse. The beauty of this bud isn’t apparent at first, it appears to be just another green plant, but when Light hits this ordinary bloom, the ordinary becomes extraordinary

“Hmmm the smells, so many smells, I have to find whatever has generated this smell. Protect the owner, protect the other floppy-eared animal, protect the world, MUST – FIND – THAT - SMELL!!!” This is the conversation I imagine my Basset Hound, Max, has with himself as he stubbornly points in the opposite direction. Yes, you guessed it, our daily routine includes quite a comical scene as we walk 3-5 times on the same path, in opposite directions. He is amazingly a very loya

It’s that time again, Thanksgiving is upon us and a nation is taking time to consider what they are thankful for. Many are thankful for friends and family, food on their table and a roof over their heads. Others are thankful for life through trial and challenge. Still others find gratitude in the small things which bring joy. A time to place a name to that which we are thankful, we can “thank” our ancestors of more than 400 years ago who spent three prayer-filled days eati

A question- five simple words that will change your life. So, did you? Oh how I miss my friend, Sandy Knap. A prayer warrior, Sandy taught me how to “Be still.” She never allowed me to wallow in my sorrows long. When I would complain about something, her question to me would always be, “Did you pray about it?” Of course not, worry and complaining are my go-to actions, and strangely enough my mind's way of seeking healing. WHAT?!?!? My mind says that these are human and “nor

In The Weaving of a Beautiful Love Story, I shared the greatest story ever told. Today, I would like to share my own. My prayer is that it will inspire you through reflections in your own story. At the age of 12, I met Jesus. Growing up in The Baptist Church I knew three things: 1- I was a sinner, 2- As a sinner I was going to Hell if I didn’t know Jesus, 3- Going mixed swimming was a sin. (Not true btw.) I memorized the Roman Road and John 3:16. And out of a need to clean