Are you talking so loud you don’t hear God?
Sometimes when we don’t know what to say, we are told to say nothing at all. But sometimes, when we are at a loss for what to say, in those moments, we can quiet our own loud voices and let God’s voice shine through. […]
Seeing yourself through different eyes…
In these times of uncertainty and navigating new emotions most of us have never experienced, I’m finding quiet times of reflection that are leading to people learning things about themselves that they never knew before. Maybe it’s the extra time on our hands. Maybe it’s that many of the freedoms and things we took for […]
God finds such JOY in you!
Any one who has ever parented or cared for little kids for any period of time can hear the words “Mom, come watch me!” or “Come look what I can do!” We’d hear it over and over again. I remember reluctantly dropping what I was doing and dragging myself into the next room with a […]
Holding on to a falling tree
When you are holding on in the storms of life, where do you turn for refuge? Do you hold on to a tree and hope it doesn’t take you down with it?
Look up, be watchful….
The pelicans are my fig tree. When I see them, I remember how faithful God is. Every season reminds us that we are even closer to seeing Him again. We don’t know if we’ll be here to witness Him coming on the clouds, or if we’ll meet Him in Heaven, but one thing is sure: He made a promise, and He always keeps His promise. We don’t need to fear, we don’t need to worry. Just as I look forward to those pelicans returning, I can look forward to seeing all that God has promised come to fruition.
She is Clothed in Strength and Dignity…
She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25 A couple of weeks ago, I had this horrible dream where I was in front of a bunch of people in a bathrobe, but no matter how hard I tried, the bathrobe wouldn’t cover me up. I tried […]
Break my heart for what breaks yours…
My sister and I have a great relationship. She is my best friend. It works really well because we couldn’t be more different. Growing up, I remember a situation in high school where some random girl was saying bad things about me. She barely knew me, I never even talked to her, yet she was […]
Easter Challenge
This weekend in my facebook Bible study group, we did a little mini-Bible study challenge, and I wanted to give you the chance to learn what we all learned this weekend. We started by reading about what Jesus commanded His followers to do right before He ascended back up to Heaven after the resurrection. (Matthew 28:16-20) […]
The battle we can’t see
Wherever in the world you are reading this, I think we are all in the same boat. Many of us are at home. Some of us have been home for a few weeks, some of us continue to work, but there is no doubt that the world looks a whole lot different than it did […]
When God suddenly stops you
Why, when everything in your life seems to be going well, does God suddenly put the brakes on where you are going? Is it a punishment? Or something better?
What is Biblical truth?
How can we know if what we are reading or hearing lines up with what God says in His Word?
Following God when you don’t feel ready
What is keeping you from following where God is calling you? Fear? Lack of time? Confidence that you can do it?
Stop waiting for the perfect time and step out in faith…He is all you need to move forward!
My Dad’s famous words about fear
My poor Dad. He is one of about 3 people in my life who are my “ear”. When I have something exciting, I call my Dad. When I’m upset and need to be talked down, I call my Dad. When I’m freaking out, I call my Dad. He listens with a patient ear to my […]
Celebrating Your Father, God
This week we are celebrating Dad’s everywhere! The grillers. The tellers of bad jokes. The fixer’s. The wearers of tube socks and Dad shoes… But in all seriousness, I love that we take a day to acknowledge this important job that has been given to these chosen men by God, who models for us in […]
How to find rest in God
When I sit down at my table to write these devotions every week, I never know if anyone will read them. I don’t really ever know if my words will ever go any further than the page you are reading right now. But every once in a while, God likes to tap me on the […]
What does it mean to live in God’s Grace?
When we live our life fixated on regret and self-pity, we are missing out on the life that God is calling us to. Life is difficult at times, but through God’s grace and mercy, we can grow from the pain and turn it into something beautiful!
Seeking God and hearing His voice – Jeremiah 6:16
When God seems quiet…listen! I’m starting this week in the middle of a season of many changes. Some good, some scary. I’ve been in the middle of some decisions that will affect generations of people, as well as some small decisions that only affect me and my family. Whether big or little, these decisions lately […]
Are you just wasting your time?
https://youtu.be/t20CtHyBEcc As is often the story, I already had today’s post written and ready to go. I was ahead of the game and feeling pretty good about myself. But then God spoke so directly and so personally to me that I had to come back and write something completely different for you today. Because I […]
As a small business owner, one of my biggest hurdles is my own confidence. I know what I’m capable of doing, I know what I need to do. But for some reason I find myself doubting the things that I know to be true and allowing those doubts to form the structure of my day. […]
Knowing God’s love while raising your kids
Tonight in a parenting moment of desperation, I texted my sister to tell her that I am a failure as a parent to teen girls. The highlights of this coversation included: This gig is too hard sometimes. They just think everything I say and do is stupid. They hang up on me and disrespect me […]
How do you satisfy the hunger you have for God’s Word?
I have a problem. A SERIOUS chocolate problem. Put me in a room with a plate of cookies or a dark chocolate bar, only one of us is leaving that room. I crave chocolate, I savor it. I take tiny bites when I eat it so that I can enjoy the bittersweet flavor for as […]
How often do you read your Bible?
This week I spent my entire day on Friday with my nose in my Bible. I don’t get to do this every day, but every once in a while, thanks to this blessing that is called Gathered & Sown, I get to dedicate an entire work day to seeking God’s face, digging through His Word […]
Gaining God’s Favor makes life easy, right? Wrong…
The favor of God. That HAS to be a wonderful thing! Knowing that the God of the Heavens who has created everything and knows both history and the future has placed His favor on YOU! There may come a time in your life where you will realize that God has intentionally chosen you to play […]
What will your heavenly crown look like?
As we are inching closer and closer to Christmas, I’ve been spending some personal time focusing not only on Jesus birth as we traditionally do, but I’ve found myself fascinated by His King-ness as we celebrate the season. I do love the story of Jesus as a newborn baby, and I understand the deep importance […]
Are you believing the lies?
I received a really nice card in the mail this week that had this written on the front: “You are loved by God- Higher than the sky… Deeper than the ocean… More than you can imagine… More than you’ve ever dared to dream.” Last week after I shared with you how self-conscious I am about […]
Why do I hate the way I look? Is beauty really within?
Why do we as women love to hate ourselves? Why are we so quick to judge the body and features God gave us? The people in my life who know me well, know that I am a woman who wears makeup. Not a thick, heavy face. But I enjoy brightening up my appearance and have […]
God’s Handwritten Letter to You
Are you old fashioned like me? Like..I totally geek out over the stationary aisle at the store, all of the paper…THE PENS! And don’t even get me started on the awesome smell of a bookstore! There is something so wonderful about the smell of new books and paper. It’s a little bit heavenly! I love […]
Where is God when things are going wrong?
This afternoon, my husband and I took a long drive out in the country. We were only about 4-5 miles from our house, but I was struck by the number of trees I was seeing! Right now in WI, we are almost at the beautiful peak of the vibrant fall colors. As we drove and […]
Does your attitude reflect God’s goodness?
I just learned a humdinger of a lesson from God’s Word today and am so excited to share it with you! (I have been waiting for an occasion to use that word, and now I’m happy… I feel like my Grandpa ) Have you ever stopped to think about the effect that your attitude has […]
When God gives you what you didn’t even ask for – His grace in unanswered prayer
Do you ever pray, not knowing what to ask God for? Or what happens when instead of answering your request, He gives you something else? Here is a hint: He knows better than you, and that’s a good thing! I just got done looking at yet another thing that my 13 year old daughter wanted to show […]
How to find the peace that only God can give
Have you ever stumbled upon a feeling of peace that didn’t make sense? Where everyone around you is in awe of the peace you display in a troubling situation? That’s God’s peace. It’s supernatural…and real! I don’t know if you read my posts regularly, but if you do, you’ll know that I’ve been riding a […]
How one day a week will shift your entire mindset
Do you set aside one day a week for God? Do you seek one day of rest like He did? Do you love Sundays as much as I do? I don’t know about you, but I protect Sunday fiercely. Not only is it the one day a week where I get to gather with other […]
Do some people drive you crazy? How can we love the unlovable?
Romans 15:2 says “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. I live in what is seriously the BEST neighborhood in the whole, wide world. Seriously. THE BEST! I’m surrounded by some of the nicest people on an old block of houses built in the 1920’s. Artie and Nancy […]
Good parenting moment: When your kid catches you lying ?♀️
Let me start with a little story…. School started for my girls and a new school year means one thing when you have teens. New shoes. (Of course!!) Since we have two teen girls, we have to be super mindful of our budget or it will quickly get out of control buying shoes and clothes, […]
Admitting when you’re wrong
Can I ask you a personal question? When is the last time you had a good old prayer of confession? And I’m not talking about a formal prayer, I’m talking about a soul-bearing, gut-wrenching raw prayer when you realize that you’ve done something terribly wrong. A prayer that you wouldn’t want anyone else but God […]
Check your heart, know the truth
My oldest, Chloe got her learners permit and started DRIVING! Talk about fear! That first ride in the passenger seat while my baby took mine and her younger sisters life in her hands was a moment that taught me a lot about patience and giving up control! But I’m so happy for her. I remember […]
Does prayer really matter?
Recently one of my friends was down and out with a horrible gastro-type flu. We were supposed to have lunch that day, so I got a very short text from her. It read something like this “I’ve been up since 1:30 am, too sick for lunch” I knew the lack of words meant that she […]
In Remembrance
A few weeks ago I wrote to you about mothers day. I shared a little bit of my story and how I lost my own Mother at a young age. I also gave you a little assignment to help you dig deeper. That post was difficult for me to write, and when I wrote that, […]
When Mothers Day Hurts
Last week, we talked about knowing God’s plan for us, seeking His will and following, even when it doesn’t necessarily “feel” right or match our own plans. It’s tough to do, isn’t it?!?! I hope you were able to take a little time, answer the three questions at the bottom, read your bible, and really […]
Bible Journaling Inspiration
I’ve been in a funk. Have you ever been there? You know, the place where nothing feels right, but yet nothing is really wrong???? That place where I’ll laugh one minute, but then start to cry for no reason. And I’m not talking about PMS… I’m talking about when I let too much time and […]