My youngest granddaughter is usually very reserved. She is very observant and takes in the tiniest details, but she speaks only when she wants to and rarely shows much emotion. But she has always had the cutest little way of expressing joy. She quietly claps her hands near her chin as she squeezes her shoulders in and then smiles the sweetest smile and giggles softly. In those moments you know she is truly happy and excited. Those moments are precious to me because I know that they truly express what she feels in her heart. They make me smile especially if I had any part in making those moments happen.…

A client of mine was traveling solo for the first time in her life this week. She shared her anxiety with me as she contemplated canceling her trip. As we talked I told her to look for the firsts, the many things, sights and wonders that she would experience if she chose to look for them. It would take her mind off the worry and would place it on the possibilities. After her first flight she called me and was very grateful she had found the gate for her connecting flight. She had done it….flown her first flight. Later after a bumpy second flight she sent a text stating that…

I have several family members who work with or use essential oils. If you know much about them, there are many different types and they are used for many different situtations. It seems that there is one for just about anything that ails you. Awhile ago I saw a T-shirt that had the saying, “I have an oil for that!” as it showed a gun shot wound. But while these oils may help with certain things they cannot fix everything. Thankfully we have access to something that can. God’s Word. No, rubbing it on a wound will not instantly heal it, but applying it to every situation we face will…

The other day I went treasure hunting. I was looking for rustic flower pots and decor for my courtyard and decided to visit some local antique stores. It was so fun looking at all the history in the small shops and I even remembered having some of the items on display when I was younger. Those items brought back memories and feelings of nostalgia and made for a very enjoyable day. The next morning as I was reading bible passages that went with my studies I again experienced that same joy and excitement. The study took me to several verses throughout the bible and I found myself on a spiritual…

During my devotional time the other day I was praying for the Lord to help me with my attitude, my pride and my lack of desire to help with a friend’s project. My phone rang during my prayer and a client needed to make a hotel reservation. When I asked her for an email address to send the confirmation she said, Godisluv. God is love. In a very unique way the Lord was responding to my prayer. He was reminding me that it isn’t about me, my time, my desires….it’s about loving God and loving people. When I returned to my devotional the next passage was Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever…

I had the privilege of spending time with a very sweet lady that attends the Grief Share meetings hosted at the church I go to. She always shares wonderful stories of her life and tid bits of wisdom with me and I value her as a rare treasure. She told me the story of a young man who was making arrangements for his father’s funeral. He instructed the mortician to place a fork in his father’s hands. This seemed like a strange request and he curiously asked what it represented. The young man told him that his father had always counseled him, when eating, to save a fork for dessert…

I had the privilege of listening to a new friend’s story about a week ago. She isn’t a believer but she said she has had definite moments in her life that she knows God was active. One was when she was about 18 years old and discovered that she was pregnant. The baby’s father wanted nothing to do with her and promptly gave her the money she needed for an abortion. Feeling rejected and ashamed she went to the Planned Parenting clinic, all alone and scared. Upon arrival she began talking with the attendant at the front desk who was very kind and wanted to talk with her about her…

I was blessed to witness a beautiful display of love at a recent Grief Share meeting. One of the attendees is an elderly woman who since the last series has started using a walker. She is a joy to be around and has the cutest smile and giggle. There were several women in attendance and at the end of the meeting they swarmed around this sweet little lady to make sure she was taken care of before going out in the bitter cold. One helped her up off the couch, another assisted her with her coat making sure every snap was securely fastened. Still another gently helped her with her…

One night after a very full day of work, I took a moment to sit down in the recliner and relax. My intention was to turn on the TV and just chill while mindlessly watching a sitcom that wouldn’t require much attention. But God had a much better plan for me. I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a friend who was hosting a prayer and prophetic broadcast and chose to tune into that instead. What a blessing it was! She began the broadcast by asking everyone to pray and ask the Lord to speak. Then as she prayed for each individual request she would ask for the…

Last week I was blessed to watch a testimony of a man who grew up in India and who had been searching for the Lord for many years. He shared not only how he came to know the Lord, but the changes that knowing Him has made in his life. He works for an airline and he commented that he is often around grouchy people. Now that Jesus is in his life, he sees that as an opportunity to pray for them. He doesn’t know why they are grouchy or what might be happening in their life, but he knows that they need prayer. After viewing his story I looked…