Day trip to Magnolia Market.

If you’ve never been to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ beautiful grounds in Waco, Texas, I urge to plan a quick trip this fall. Magnolia Market at the Silos is the couple’s dream turned reality, a place to shop and have fun for the whole family. My sweet daughter and I drove a few hours to check the place out last Wednesday, and the place did not disappoint! We had a wonderful time browsing and dreaming together. I highly recommend it!

To our surprise, the expansion of the market was complete! Six new shops, a home store, and coffee shop opened just the week before!

Everything about the space is beautiful. The buildings, the landscaping, the products and their display in the shops… my jaw dropped when we pulled up and stayed that way until we drove away. Surprise after surprise awaited around every corner… especially in the new area!!!

Below is a map of the grounds followed by a short description of each of the six new cottage shops.

^{Juniper and Crew– kids & baby clothing and toys}

reverie– ^{women’s clothing}

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• 

Tried and True- ^{bags and jewelry}

VIE BIEN AIMEE- ^{bath and body}

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• 

Chapter One- ^{books and paper}

No. 16- ^{men’s provisions}

Those who love Joanna Gaines’ taste in home decor will enjoy the Magnolia Home store. There you can find beautiful home furnishings for your personal version of Fixer Upper! The best part… you can touch the fabrics and sit in the furniture to find the perfect pieces!

• 

• 

We had to bring something back for our boys, of course, so we ventured into the Silos Baking Co. for some yummy cupcakes. Their Silobration Box includes The Classic , The Silobration, and Strawberries & Cream, as well as seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice, Lemon Lavender, and their Campfire Cupcake (think s’mores.) Our family shared and tasted the cupcakes when we got home and they were all delicious! My hubby especially enjoyed the Lemon Lavender.

• 

• 

My favorite shop was Chapter One, the cottage dedicated to books and paper. They carry all kinds of beautiful stationary and notebooks, specialty colored pens, and unique office supplies. I exercised self control and only bought new brush watercolor pens and a set of gorgeous hymn cards, but, let me tell you, I loved everything there!

Overall, we spent about three hours at the Market. As we were leaving, crowds of families were enjoying themselves playing games on the lawn and eating lunch from the food trucks on the grounds. Chip and Joanna have truly created a place to enjoy family, have fun, and of course, shop til you drop.

God uses hard seasons… even staying home.

I am proof that God uses hard seasons to get our attention. Life is going great, you have everything figured out, and then, out of nowhere, boom. The unexpected happens. The life you thought you had figured out falls apart.

For Ian and me, our first hard thing was in 2004 when my dear mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer. We’d never faced anything like it. We felt helpless and out of control. We reached out to God.

After that, as a young teacher I was assigned to a classroom of challenging students that left me in tears each night. I’d had no say in the matter, and I dreaded going to work every morning. The situation was uncomfortable and unfair, but there was nothing I could do. Again, I looked to God for strength.

Years later we had a miscarriage.  This was the most trying situation we’d faced yet. I was so sad I didn’t want to get out of bed some days. People around me didn’t understand. God did. He helped me as He had those times before.

The truly unimaginable happened in 2012. Ian was in septic shock and not expected to survive.  For the first time in our marriage, I had to face the possibility of life without Ian.  Then I remembered. I remembered how God had comforted me all those times. I recalled how He faithfully cared for us and saw us through when we faced each difficult thing before. Once again, I found myself on my knees begging Him for strength… for hope… for Ian’s life. My God heard me, and He answered.

Yet another time, more recently, my dear father’s health began to suffer. I witnessed his decline and death with no power to do anything to help him. But I knew who could. I prayed to God that He would bring mercy and healing to my dad. When He didn’t answer in the way I hoped, I asked Him to bring peace and comfort to my heart. He has.

I never saw yet another difficult situation. Due to misunderstandings and lack of communication, friendships I held dear in my life were lost. My heart broke into a million little pieces. My God held me as I wept, and in time He began carefully bringing those pieces back together. I’m grateful God is close to the broken-hearted, especially when that has been me.

In each of these situations I shared, God turned my eyes to Himself. I have no control over the hard seasons of life, but He reminds me that He does. Could it be that, once again as He has many times in my life before, God is using this season of COVID uncertainty and discomfort to get my attention? To draw me nearer to Him? Can this disruption of life, season of unrest, push me into something new to actually bear fruit in me?

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

Good can come from this COVID-19 lockdown season. I believe God wants His children to turn to Him now when things are hard for us. Only He can give us the strength when we can’t find it. Between watching riots on TV and juggling Zoom calls for our children’s distance learning, it is He who can comfort us. When we are tired of being at home cooking yet another meal and washing another sinkful of dishes, it is He who can give us strength. God is the only one who can supply what we need and give us hope that we will make it through this hard season. 

The last five months have taught me to continue to seek God on my knees in prayer. I’ve spent hours pouring over the pages of my Bible, copying verses on notecards to keep in places where I can see them and be reminded of His faithfulness. I’m not fearful of what is going on. I trust God completely. I am, however, tired. I am weary. I’ve grown impatient. I can be really, really cranky when I’m frustrated. I’m fully aware of my weaknesses, so I ask God for his strength. I desire for God to supply my daily (sometimes hourly) needs.

How about you? How are you holding up? Are you trying to do God’s job of supplying your needs? Do you need His comfort and strength? Could you find hope in knowing He is in control when we are not? Friends, I encourage you to seek Him. He has always come through for me. Let Him come through for you. 

If I can help you in any way, please reach out! My heart wants to encourage others in the same way God encourages me. I send you a BIG, LONG, HUG, dear friends!

Ask God for wisdom.

God is always at work. These days, I feel like I am constantly talking to Him, praying in my head and heart, desperate for His help in one area or another.

You know when you can’t shake a thought or feeling about something? Times when you can’t think about anything else until you do what you’re supposed to? Well, that has been me for the last couple of weeks (years, really.) God continues to press upon me the idea of writing.

When I’m doing Bible study and there’s a personal reflection question, the answer is always, always, always my writing. What has God been calling you to do? What is something you know you should be doing and you are not? What is an area where you could grow? The answer for me is always my writing.

Most recently, a question was posed in a way I’d never thought of before. Is there an area of your life you’ve been disobedient in? Disobedient? Goodness, I’d never thought of it that way! Am I being disobedient by not following through with writing?

Here’s the thing. I don’t want to be disobedient, I just don’t know where to start. I don’t know what to write. There are so many possibilities! Should I continue the memoir about Ian’s miraculous journey? The last time I touched that was in May of 2013 and he hadn’t climbed Kilimanjaro or run the full marathon he trained to much for. Or should I write about my own struggles? God knows I have perspectives from parenting, marriage, anxiety and depression, and living the everyday Christian life. I could reach out to magazines about disability and family life and write articles for them. I could write Biblical devotions to encourage others in their faith. My dream would be to write about travel. I’d love to write about the places I’ve visited with my family and get paid for it. Imagine that!! There are so many options I don’t even know where to start. Not to mention, will it be any good??? I’m paralyzed by fear.

The most recent step on my toes was a day in my study suggested I might be going through a test of obedience. God is continuing to bring writing to my mind, and I am continuing to stall. Am I being tested? Will I be obedient? I want to be! I just don’t know how.

In all my pondering, I’ve come to the following conclusion: I still don’t know where I should start with my writing. But, I believe in God, and I believe He knows. He will show me… if I ask.

James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him as of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Proverbs 2:6 says, ” For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

I will continue to pray for God to show me the steps to take. Some of the ladies in my Bible study group are praying for me in this. Another group of ladies I just met a couple of weeks ago in a writers group are praying, too. God is so good to surround me with prayer warriors.

Because I feel like every lesson I go through can be shared with others, I urge you to ask yourself the following questions. Is there something you need to hear about from God? Is there a question you need an answer to in your own life? Do you need to pursue something but don’t know how?

Ask Him! He will answer and give generously if we ask in faith.

Share below and we can pray for one another! 🙂

17 Years together.

This past weekend, Ian and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. It wasn’t a big production. We did what we would normally do on a Saturday. I took our girl to see Little Women with girlfriends, while he took the boys to see a spy movie with the boys and their friends. We met up afterward and went to dinner to celebrate.

“What time did we get married?” Ian asked.

“5pm.”

“Well, its almost 6, so we would have been married by now.”

“Can you believe its been seventeen years? Did you ever think life would turn out to be like this?”

Our life is wonderful. We are so grateful. We’ve cried together, laughed together, and everything in between. There have been times in the last seventeen years that we have been so annoyed with each other we didn’t talk for days. There have also been times when we have counted the minutes until we saw each other because we missed each other so much. All of it has been good.

God has been so kind to us. Our marriage is a gift from Him. Our children are gifts from Him. We hope to foster and nurture what He has so lovingly entrusted to us. The best is yet to come!

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… James 1:17

Paul’s letters from prison

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 NASB

I love reading the Bible. Each time I read it, I learn something new. It’s amazing how even a second, third, or fourth time, I find new perspective and insight. My life circumstances change, and therefore, so does my application of the text.

As we dig into God’s Word it is important to keep a few things in mind. The author, as well as the time and place in which the book was written, are significant. It is also important to think about what was happening at the time in history and the author’s purpose for writing. When reading the Bible we must be careful to learn and apply its knowledge based on the context in which it was written.

We are about to start our study in Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Three of the four Prison Epistles (Ephesians is the fourth,) these books are letters written by the apostle Paul to new Christian churches. It is believed that they were written between AD 60 and 62 while Paul was in prison. Although these letters were written long ago, the themes Paul addresses are still applicable to us today. 

In Philippians and Colossians Paul encourages the new believers in Philippi and Colosse to stand firm in their faith. He expresses his gratefulness for their support of his ministry, yet also warns them about heresy they face. Although Paul finds himself in prison, the tone of his letters is joyful, thankful, and encouraging. In Philemon particularly, he urges a slave owner to forgive his runaway slave, who is now his brother in Christ.

Well, enough spoilers! Dig in and read the Prison Epistles for yourself. You are in for a treat!

*A version of this post appeared on Wayside Women’s Blog.

The Lord will fight for you

“The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name.” 

Exodus 15:3 NASB

At the beginning of the book of Exodus, we find that God’s faithful servant, Moses, has died. After the Israelites spent forty years in the desert, all but two of the original Israelites have died, and God is ready for his people to move forward. He appoints Joshua to be their leader and gives them the following instructions. 

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” Joshua 6:2-5

Did you catch that? I have delivered Jericho into your hands… God gives them victory in advance. They had to believe and trust God before battle. All they had to do was go in and take it! Thankfully, they did! Here’s how it happened.

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Joshua 6:20-21

The Old Testament shows us many battles in which God faithfully led His people in war. God is holy and righteous, and uses his people to fight against the evil of the world. War is seen time and time again to destroy wickedness and sin. The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that the final battle is already won. God will defeat Satan and we will be victorious over sin and death forever. Amen!

What can we take away from this for our own lives? Well, just as God fought for the Israelites, He fights for me and for you, too! We are children of God, heirs to his throne, and He is loving and compassionate toward us. Just as He gave the Israelites victory in Jericho, He has given us victory in our lives, too. We just have to claim it.

The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:14

The battle of our lives belongs to the LORD. No matter how big or how small, God sees it all. Sometimes we want to fight our own battles, thinking we’ll do a better job for ourselves. But, remember our finite human mind cannot see what God sees. We are not sovereign, all-knowing, omnipresent, and wise like He is. Trust me, friend, God the Warrior can do even more than you can ask or imagine. 

He can make you mighty when you feel weak. 

He can carry you when you can’t stand. 

He can find you when you feel lost. 

He can restore you when you feel broken. 

He can rescue you when you think you are beyond rescuing.

He can protect you and keep you safe under the shadow of His wings.

He is your shelter in the midst of the most gruesome storm.

He is in control and fighting on your behalf.

When you go through trials of this life, know that God the Warrior fights for you.

*A version of this post appeared on Wayside Women’s Blog.

God uses the least of these: David and Goliath

Most people have heard the story of David and Goliath. Whether from a Sunday school children’s story or the lyric from a song, we are all familiar with the idea of a little guy slaying a giant. 

In 1Samuel we read the story of young David, a shepherd boy delivering food and supplies to his older brothers in battle. The youngest of his brothers, he is not expected to join in the fight. In fact, his brothers don’t want him there at all. When he overhears about the giant the army of God is facing, he decides to have a shot at him. No one believed he could defeat the giant. 

31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them [q]to Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and [r]attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and [s]struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has [t]killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 1Samuel 17:31-37

To fight the giant, King Saul offered David armor, a bronze helmet, and a sword. However, he did not use them. Instead, he chose to use a sling and five smooth stones. Goliath the giant taunted him but David remained confident. David had God on his side.

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1Samuel 17:45-47

David struck Goliath with just his sling and a stone. He then used Goliath’s own sword to kill and behead him. Who would have ever believed young, untrained David could defeat a vicious giant men were so afraid of? David didn’t defeat Goliath, God did. God gave David victory! This is one of the best underdog stories ever told!

Many times in the Bible we find that God uses those we think least qualified to fulfill his purposes. Moses, Rahab, Esther, Gideon, and the apostle Paul are just a few among them. (I encourage you to look these up if you aren’t familiar with them.) Let us remember God is in the business of doing the impossible, even today. He continues to use the least of these for His purposes if we allow Him to work through us.

*A version of this post appeared on Wayside Women’s Blog.

Walking in truth

I’ve always asked my children to tell the truth. It’s amazing how our little bundles of joy have the innate tendency to sin by lying since birth. I encourage them by saying that no matter what, their consequence will be less severe if they admit the truth. I’ve also told them there is nothing that would ever make me stop loving them. I will always forgive them. If I, a sinful human, can love and forgive my children, think about how much more our Heavenly Father forgives us? He rejoices in us telling the truth!

As I ponder this week’s reading in 2John and 3John, I am surprised at how often the word truth appears in the text. Read the following verse.

For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.  I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3John 1:3-4

But, what exactly does John mean here? What does he mean by “walking in the truth?” What does the Bible say about truth? I decided to do a bit of searching and come to find out, the Bible is not quiet about telling the truth.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:9-10

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:25

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22

Over and over in scripture, we see that God hates lies. Whether we lie because we are ashamed or scared, the result of lying is always negative. Lies are hurtful and divide people. Half truths break hearts and relationships. God clearly tells us the truth is always better. The following verse is my favorite.

For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17

Many times in scripture, Jesus begins his words with “I tell you the truth…” His words of truth are a gift. The truth is precious,  valuable, and life giving. In John 14:6 Jesus tells us, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes through the Father except through me.” He is the truth! 

I believe there is a second meaning to this truth spoken of here. To walk in truth means to walk in the life-changing knowledge of God. Knowing the truth is knowing the good news about Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and living our lives in such a way that acknowledges His existence and presence in our lives. Walking in truth means walking in love, obedience, and reverence to God.

If anyone in Christ is living a lie, there is hope. God wants us to confess our sin, share the truth, and be forgiven in His love. He rejoices when the one sheep returns to Him. He is overjoyed when He finds the one coin! He is willing and waiting to forgive. What lie are you hiding? Bring it to the LORD and be free.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32

*A version of this post appeared on Wayside Women’s Blog.

A definition of sin and good news for us all

My heart is heavy today. I’ve been thinking about sin, and what it truly means in my life. My pastor once used an illustration of a newborn baby to describe it. This newborn was beautiful, loved by his parents and family, wrapped in a delicate soft blanket. He had ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes, perfect little ears and the sweetest little button nose. He was visibly a picture perfect baby. And, yet, you know how he described him? He said this newborn baby was a “little bundle of sin.” How many of us think of babies that way?

Yet, it is true. That little baby will grow up and sin. It’s innate. He can’t help it. We are all sinners. Every one of us! We all fall short of God’s glorious law. Whether it is bitterness, anger, selfishness, gossip, impatience, or criticism you struggle with, these are all sin. I struggle with many of these in my own life. However, I am thankful that God has whispered kindly to deal with these and repent in my life. Maybe you need this reminder today, too.

The definitions of sin according to merriam-webster.com are the following:

1a : an offense against religious or moral law 

b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible  

c : an often serious shortcoming 

2a : transgression of the law of God 

b : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

This last one is the one that speaks most to me. “A state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.” Ouch. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be apart from the love and forgiveness of Lord. I want to live my life hand in hand with the Lord of the Universe who created me in my mother’s womb, knows the number of hairs on my head, loves me enough to die on a cross he did not deserve, and made me for his purposes. 

In 2Corinthians 5:17-19 there is good news for us all!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. NIV

(Feel free to look up this verse in other translations. This NIV specifically mentions sin, so I thought it appropriate here..)

The Good News is that God forgives us our sins! God sent his one and only Son to bear our sins so that we could bear His righteousness! It was the ultimate switch in positions. God treated Jesus as if he had committed believers’ sins, and treats us believers as if we did only the righteous deeds of his sinless Son, Jesus. How does that even make sense? Why would He do that for us?? Because of his lovingkindness! Because we are his chosen ones! Because He is glorified through us in our lives! We are forgiven and reconciled with the Father and Creator of the Universe. Thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Here’s the deal though. Salvation is a gift from God, but we do have to repent of our sins. Romans 6:23 says: 

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Many verses ask us to repent of our sins.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. (Acts 3:19)

Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. (Matthew 3:8)

So watch what you do! “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3)

You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you. (Proverbs 28:13)

My favorite verse is from Jesus himself.

From that time Jesus began to preach his message: “Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” (Matthew 4:17)In conclusion, my hope for you today is that you know and believe that it is never too late to come to God. Confess your sins before him and he will meet you right where you are. You don’t have to be perfect first. You don’t have to fix yourself until you think you are good enough to come to him. God wants us just as we are, broken messes and sinners. We are his children and nothing makes him happier than to have us desire to be reconciled to him. Believe and trust him with your whole heart and gift him your life to use for his glory!

Infinite wisdom of God

Have you ever considered the wisdom of God? It’s remarkable, really.

How did our marvelous Creator place our earth in just the right axis to make life sustainable? One degree in either direction would cause us to burn or freeze. 

How did He create our bodies so complex, with the capacity to think, love, and even reproduce? Our skin, for example, keeps fluids that belong inside our bodies in and keeps the ones that don’t out.

How does edible fruit grow from seemingly nothing but dirt, sun, and water?

As I’ve grown older the challenges of life, too, have grown in complexity. At times my husband and I have faced difficult situations in our marriage, while others parenting our children in this age of social media has left us wondering what we should do. How should we respond in a way that would be glorifying to God? Am I doing the right thing? Lord, guide us as we navigate this hard situation.

We’ve all had instances like this. When dealing with something hard we ask ourselves how we should deal with situations that are out of our control.  I don’t always know how to respond or what to do. Thankfully, our gracious God himself is wise. He has all the answers.

Through wisdom God created the heavens and the earth. Through wisdom He provided a way for His people who rejected Him to restore access to Him. Through wisdom He has a plan to redeem us forever. In His wisdom He gave His only son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins. God’s wisdom is remarkable. His thoughts are above our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9.) In His generosity and lovingkindness, He wants to grant us wisdom, too. The book of James reminds us all we need to do is ask.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

God generously grants us His Godly wisdom when we ask. We have access to His wisdom through prayer.

Solomon, the son of David, was the wisest man on earth. Instead of riches, he asked God for wisdom. That in itself was a wise request! When we face a difficult situation or decision, I pray we may all turn to God for His wisdom. God knows best. 

*A version of this post appeared on Wayside Women’s Blog.