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…

The travel industry, like everyone else, has experienced continued changes and new regulations with many twists and turns. One day everything is a go and the next there are major disruptions for one reason or another. It’s enough to make even the kindest person short tempered. I was speaking with a cruise representative the other day who was very upbeat and joyful. It was a nice change from the frustrated responses and discouragement that usually accompany vendor phone calls. She told me that with all the negativity and world issues, she has made it her daily goal to make someone smile with each phone call. Her enthusiasm was contagious and…

I am a sun lover and prefer warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine so finding joy in cold wintry days has always been a challenge for me. When I saw the forecast for a week filled with new snow I decided to buy a snow day kit to play with my granddaughters and try to make the best of winter. The kit had plier like tools that would help the girls make snowballs, snowmen, along with bricks and penguins. On Christmas day my youngest granddaughter and I spent hours outside making a snow palace. Often I would look at her cute little face as she worked tirelessly on her creation.…

I was listening to a sermon last week and the pastor shared about how he was planning things for the new year. His calendar was laid out on his desk and he was filling in the dates with birthdays, vacations and planned events that would take place. I could easily relate to the planning mindset and as I began to think about what the New Year might hold and the things that I’m hoping and anticipating for, the thought came to me, “What am I planning on giving to God this year?” That thought was answered for me when I opened this website and read the home page. “What I…