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Tag: Prayer

The Fourth Way to Practice the Presence of God…Even if You’re Busy

March 16, 2020
| 16 Comments
| Categories: Coaching Yourself, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized

I breathed in the warm, salty air deeply. With my hair whipping in the wind and waves crashing onto my feet, I smiled and poured out my heart to him as we walked along the beach.

It was a season in my life when I traveled often for my job.  I was blessed to have the sales territories of Florida, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. I was always sure to visit beaches and mountains as I traveled.  The thought of being refreshed in the surroundings of beaches or mountains is what often pushed me…

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The Third Way to Practice the Presence of God…Even if You’re Busy

March 3, 2020
| 10 Comments
| Categories: Coaching Yourself, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth, Thinking, Uncategorized
Presence of God Way 3

Inspired by my journal from three years ago:

“I told you guys I need peace this morning!”

I had just prayed that the Lord would help me know what to write about for this blog post.  He answered quickly.  Without skipping a beat, my husband let the dog loose to come upstairs.  “I thought it would be fun for you and the kids”, he said.  The kids started playing baseball in my room.  Their squealing and…

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When You Dread the Week Ahead

April 1, 2017
| 17 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement, Uncategorized

psalm 139_4I woke from a solid sleep, spring at my doorstep, and birds sweetly singing a morning lullaby to me. Yet the first words that came out of my mouth were, “I don’t want to have another…” I stopped myself before finishing the sentence but it was already out there. My husband asked what I was going to say. I decided to be honest and admitted that I was going to say the word “week”.

I don’t like that I was going to say that. I’m pretty embarrassed that it…

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But I Will Hope

April 27, 2015
| 33 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement

ruthie egg

Her eyes delighted in the blue egg and her little hands cupped it gingerly.  I told her we should leave it where it was and she reluctantly complied.  For two weeks she wondered why the mommy didn’t come after it and how it fell out of its nest.  Every day she ran around to the side of the house to check on its status.

I tried to warn her of the realities of what happens when an egg doesn’t have a mama to care for it.  I told her it…

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The Lord is at Hand

October 23, 2013
| 22 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement, Suffering

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Look at these two little stinkers.  They look like they’re up to something here don’t they?

We enjoyed a beautiful fall day on Sunday.  After church, we went apple picking and pumpkin grabbing.

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The kids wanted to go in the hay maze at the pumpkin farm.  Papa got them started but they ALL decided it was too big and too dark.

As he walked to the car to get a flashlight, a woman consoled him in that her seventeen year old son was too afraid…

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Shaking the Gates of Hell Today

September 18, 2013
| 24 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement

Last week there was a battle between my son and myself.  After the heat went down and the boiling turned to simmering, I took my son’s hand and we prayed.  It felt hard to take that hand and pray in the midst of hurting hearts but it happened.

I’ve been wondering…why was it so hard? Why is it so hard.  That moment to turn in front of the family or a person toward Christ in prayer?

Despite the above picture, this isn’t going to be one of those posts that tries to paint a pretty picture…

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If You Long to See God Work

July 25, 2013
| 25 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement, Spiritual Growth

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Did that title resonate with you?  Does your heart long…even ache…to see and understand God’s work in your life?  Those who are in Christ, I believe, naturally desire that.

I’m on vacation this week so…giving you an old story from the past year.  It is a timeless reminder of our need to expect to see God’s work in our lives and to be amazed by it through a visit to the big top.

We made our way to the big top…expecting excitement.

Two rows behind the one ring soon to be filled with…

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Too Good to be True

October 29, 2012
| 2 Comments
| Categories: Encouragement

I heard her little girl voice lifting up prayer.  She didn’t know I was listening to her precious gratefulness:

“Thank you God for the potty…

Thank you for the toilet paper…

Thank you for the water…

Thank you for the sink…

Thank you for the shower…

Thank you for stingrays…and sharks…and Ellie our dog…

Thank you for…”

I didn’t let her know I was listening.  I’ll just keep this one in my heart.  It has made me wonder though, on a night that I was already pondering prayer…what am I teaching my children about prayer?  What…

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Joy When You’re Scurrying

October 10, 2012
| 10 Comments
| Categories: Joy

Have you ever observed an anthill?

I’ve been floored the last two weeks by the never-ending antics going on in our  anthill.  We bought the commercial habitat so that we could easily view ants burrowing and tunneling through the sand and foraging for food above ground.

Our little ants scurry around as if there is no tomorrow.  Their time has nearly ended in the anthill.  The life expectancy is about two – four weeks and…I’m sad to say they are down to about seven.   Even though their time is short, these seven still…

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