My God My Everything

The bible is full of stories where God asked people to do some awkward and strange things. Things like telling Peter to go fishing for taxes or Joshua to march around a city or Naaman washing seven times in the river to be healed. Every time it served to build their faith and fulfill God’s purpose. Have you ever been asked by God to do something that you felt was strange? Maybe a little or a lot out of your comfort zone? I was in Las Vegas at a Travel Convention and throughout the week had been enjoying my morning quite time in my room. Just me and God in…

I’ve been getting ready for our upcoming vacation and came across my travel journal. As I read about our experiences last year it felt like I was right there and the memories brought a smile to my face and excitement to be going back to the beach. Thoughts of sunshine, sand and resort swimming pools also lead to thoughts of wearing a swimsuit in public. That always makes me cringe a bit and yet it’s part of what makes the vacations fun, the water activities. In my notes I had mentioned all the different nationalities of people that were at the resort and so many body shapes and sizes. God…

Happy Valentine’s Day! I want you to know that you are deeply loved. So much that you were worth dying for. I was reading some statistics about Valentine’s Day and one of them stated that 220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year. That is a lot of formal expression of intention which is the definition of resolved. It also means to make up one’s mind and follow a course of action. In John 11:7-16 Jesus did just that. He was called to go heal Lazarus which would require him to return to Judea where they had tried to stone him. He was asked by…

Over the weekend I was given the opportunity to experience a crucial element needed in the “You Matter” project; action behind the words. I received a card that had very beautiful pictures on it along with flowery words that really were quite praising and well arranged. The handwritten note on the bottom said, “The card says it all,” and was signed by the individual. It really was a nice gesture, but deep inside I knew that the person really didn’t feel that way because their actions spoke completely different. It was hard to accept the card with joy or sincerity and I found myself feeling that I really didn’t matter…

Have you ever had those moments when you knew God had placed you in the right place, at exactly the right time, for that specific moment? Well that happened today at church. About a month ago my husband decided to join me at church. This was very exciting because he hasn’t attended church for several years. We went together for a few weeks and he asked if I would check out a different church with him. He wanted a smaller church and mentioned one in particular that was similar to the church we first attended when we became believers. I researched the details and we attended the following week. It…

Sometimes there are events and stories in the bible that make you ask the question, “Why did God allow that to happen?” That question comes from a base understanding that God is in complete control and nothing happens without His knowledge or permission. Knowing the fundamental truth then brings you to the next question of why? It’s okay to ask God why. In fact we can ask Him anything. It’s then His decision whether or not to answer. I was reading a devotional, Come With Me by Suzanne Eller, that talked about Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles. It said; “Judas has laughed with Jesus. He’s sat with him…

One of the many things I like about my job is always learning about new places and travel experiences. The other day a client asked if I would research a vacation for him and his friend. They wanted to see the Naqchu Horse Racing Festival in Tibet. I had never heard of this and thought that was long way to travel to see a horse race. But he explained that the race was very unique because after running the majority of the desert race distance, the rider would need to know the exact time to dismount the horse and walk it to the finish line. Once at the finish line…

As I was walking today I was listening to a song by Casting Crowns called This is Now. The lyrics give a beautiful visual of a blind man that looked up and saw his Savior with his eyes for the first time. Can you imagine what that would be like to have the first face you see be the face of Jesus? I imagine that Jesus had an amazing smile on his face as he looked fully into the man’s face, seeing more than just the outward appearance, but deep in the man’s soul. That would be a visual you would never forget. Before receiving his sight this man only…

Today I was reminded of a Valentine’s Day 30 years ago. I received a gift that I still have today safely tucked away in my cedar chest. It was a note written on the heart shaped liner from a box of chocolates. The note was written in the sweetest little kid hand writing and said, “Launa, I love you and your baby the mostest, love Josh.” It was from one of my younger brothers who was about six years old at the time. The reason that this note is such a treasure to me was because it was given to me at in my life when I had made big…