Earlier this week I was blessed to host a Surviving the Holidays event with the Grief Share program. As the topic of Christmas was presented in the video, one of the counselors commented that Christmas is the sufferer’s holiday. It’s the season that reminds us that God understands our hurts and heartaches at the loss of a loved one. It’s why He sent His Son…..to end suffering, sin and pain. It’s why we can look at this season with hope in the promise that one day, He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise and His birth is…

Last week I had the privilege of sharing my testimony, my story, with a group of people and I cannot accurately describe the feelings of joy and thankfulness that filled my soul. It wasn’t just speaking the words, but also hearing them again for myself that rejuvinated my passion for the Lord and all that He has done for me. It reminded me of the lengths that God has gone to redeem me and give me a new life in Him. It reminded me of the love that He has for me and the love that I have for Him. For those moments of retelling my story, the world and…

I recently was on a business trip to Universal Studios in Florida and was blessed in many ways by my sister being able to travel with me. Part of my job was to experience the Theme Parks so that I would better understand all that they had to offer and could then guide my clients to make the choices that would best fit their travel needs. I had decided that I would ride every ride my sister wanted to because she has never been to a theme park before and I didn’t want to hold her back from all the possible experiences just because I was fearful of roller coasters.…

I was privileged to hear a beautiful story of God’s love at a recent Grief Share meeting. We had been discussing the “why” question and the guilt and anger that can come with the loss of a loved one. One sweet lady shared her personal experience and it touched my heart. Several years ago her family was on a canoeing adventure that turned into tragedy when her son-in-law drowned. Later they discovered that the rental company knew the canoe was damaged but still rented the faulty equipment. Sometime later they were hiking in the mountains and came upon an incredible vista among the cliffs with a panoramic view. She had…

At prayer group the other day I was blessed to witness a beautiful sceen of heart felt submission to God. It’s a picture that I will carry in my mind for quite some time. Two young women had heard about the prayer group and stopped by to participate. They shared their stories of lives filled will wrong choices and the severe consequences that came with those choices. Their humility and honesty touched my heart and it broke for the many ways they were hurting. One of the beautiful things about them was the kindness and compassion that they had for each other, the hope they shared in their smiles and…

Last week I attended a Celebration of Life for a member of my church family. Over the years I have attended several funerals, memorial services and Celebrations of Life, but none were quite like this one. He had been diagnosed with stage 4 Pancriatic cancer and been give 5-6 weeks to live. That was in January. Eight months later he returned home to the Lord. He had been an officer in the Salvation Army for many years. A fellow officer shared some memories and then explained that there were different ranks like Major and Admiral within the organinzation and several promotions were given during this man’s life. But the most…

I read in a recent bible study that our brokenness, the lessons learned in it and through it, along with the character that it develops, makes us complete. I imagined God speaking to me before I came to earth, knowing the number of my days and the trials I would face, how the enemy would do his worst, but God would use it for good. It went something like this: Hey my sweet girl…… You are going to be given “X” amount of years on earth. There will be joys and there will be tears along with moments of defeat and of victory. You will face adversities as you strive…

This week I had the privilege of taking another Soul Retreat. It reminded me of years ago when once a month, I would use a vacation day at work and simply spend the day with God. I called that day off my God Day. Those days gave me time way from the hussle and bussle of the daily grind. They were intentional, scheduled days meant to renew my spirit and experience a day of serenity and peace. While at this months Soul Retreat I went for a walk and as I was heading back to my camper I took in the beautiful scenery. The large field, the freshly cut hay,…

I received a message from the pastor of the church I attend about a woman who wanted to know more about Grief Share. After speaking with her on the phone we arranged to meet each other and talk more. This was definitely a Divine Encounter. She mentioned how she had searched several avenues for help with the grief she was experiencing and had be unable to find any programs. A friend of hers in another state was also searching online sites and other areas to help her when she came across The Rock Church. I told her that I was planning on start the program again in the fall and…

This week has been an extraordianary week for Divine Encounters. The first one started off with a client wanting to meet personally about some airline tickets. I was a bit hesitant, but only because it would require me to get moving earlier than I wanted on a Monday morning. It would not be a wear your PJ’s to work kind of day. While waiting for our appointment I prayed about which devotional I should read. The Lord led me to one of my favoirite sites www.jesusplusnothing.com and I scrolled through the topics. When I read the heading Psalm 40 I was intrigued and began reading. It spoke to the very…