My friend’s daughter survived extreme breast cancer treatments a little over a year ago. During one of her routine follow up exams a spot was detected on her spine. After several tests it was determined that the cancer had returned and treatments would need to begin again. Throughout this entire time she has been the most encouraging and positive person I know. She arranged charity events that would help other cancer patients and she participated in several community activities to promote good will, all while continuing to be a wife and mother to two young girls. While praying for her one day I asked God what I should pray for,…

Looking back over this week I was reviewing events to share about a Divine Encounter. Throughout the week I had seen almost all my family members at one time or another and several people in stores, but my Divine Encounter this week came through His Word. I had been praying for several friends that are dealing with extremely hard situations and was asking God how He would want me to pray for them. I know what I want to pray for them, but I also want to pray His will. One of them had been told that they only had a few more months to live. My heart broke for…

A few weeks ago I visited an old town in Mexico called Valladolid. It had a beautiful town square with rustic park benches, street vendors and old town appeal. Next to the square was a church that had been built in 1545. The tour guide pointed out the tree that was growing on the top of one of the bell towers. At some point a seed had been dropped in that exact location, presumably by a bird, and began to grow. (See the tree on the top corner of the left bell tower in the picture) It reminded me that we can flourish wherever God decides to plant us. That…

Last week I went to a local convenience store to cash in a few lottery tickets. The total winnings were $12 and I was going to purchase a bag of tortilla chips that I forgot to pick up at the grocery store earlier. The cashier was a woman named Brandy and she was very friendly and helpful. As she was processing the tickets I wondered how many times a day she handed out money to others and that she could probably use some herself, especially with Christmas just around the corner. While I was waiting I pulled a You Matter card from my purse and was preparing to give it…

The other day I shared about searching for a bible study and how God boldly led me to the Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. Not only was that a very powerful moment that gave me very clear direction on where to begin, but over the last week as I have been working through the study I have seen His guidance and desire to get my attention to correct the thoughts and actions that are not in alignment with His will. Each day a new issue is brought to light along with how to properly handle it and opportunities to practice what I’m learning. I am in awe that…

I received a phone call the other day from a woman named Serena. She said that her counselor had found my name online in conjunction with Grief Share. She told me that she had lost her significant other about a year ago and was deeply struggling with her grief. The church I attend was getting ready to restart the Grief Share program and I invited her go join us. I told her I would send her the book so she would be ready for the class. About a month later the class dates were all set and I wanted to call Serena to give her the details but I couldn’t…

I was at the grocery store the other day and as I waited for some food from the deli a man was walking towards me. My cart was in the way and when I moved it he thanked me and said it was the nicest thing that had happened to him all day. He began to tell me a little about himself and we ended up talking for about 15 minutes. As he shared about his past work experience, his dog, his new job as a school bus driver and his planned weekend at Yellowstone National Park, I listened to him and knew this was a Divine Encounter. I learned…

One morning at work my stomach was in knots and I was having a hard time concentrating. My mind was on my husband and I was praying that he would find strength for the day in the Lord. The more I thought of him the more my stomach churned and I felt I should ask my co-worker to pray with me for him. “Be bold!,” were the words that I heard and so I did. I shared our situation with her and asked if she would pray with me and she did. As the prayers began the churning ceased and was replaced with calmness as the peace of God began…

Earlier this week my husband shared a very powerful moment that he had experienced. For quite some time he has known that he needed to change certain areas of his life, give them up and obey God’s leading. He has been blessed with a strong will and at times we joke about the stubborn Swed in him. One day while watching a message by Billy Graham’s grandson he was very convicted and knew it was time to change. In the message the comment was made that if God asks us to change and if we choose to listen to the world which says it’s okay to remain, at some point…

While shopping the Saturday before Christmas I came across a woman in the sporting goods department while I was looking for a gift for my son; she was buying a fishing rod for her husband. She was obviously dealing with the effects of chemotherapy and wore a cancer fighting t-shirt along with a beautiful smile. We visited a few moments about picking just the right gift for our loved ones and then wished each other a Merry Christmas and went our separate ways. As I finished shopping I thought of her beautiful smile and joyful attitude as she tested each fishing poles’ flexibility and examined every little detail. It was…