She Stands

                                                                                                               First Samuel 1 verses 10 and 11.  In bitterness of soul Hannah wept and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying " O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."       Hannah's story in the book of first Samuel details a woman whose desire to have son but yet through her barren years clung mighty to her faith without abandoning h...

 Speaking has never been a fear of mine. I can speak to anyone, anywhere and at any time. Truth is, I love to talk, even if it's a brick wall.  It has been my family's forever life-long running joke about me. And honestly, I am good with it.  God has blessed me with the gift of gab. A gift I proudly use when He will have me speak into the lives of those He chooses. I love when He gives me an encouraging word; my heart explodes with excitement! After all who doesn't like hearing a promising word of truth right? My problem comes, notice I said, "my problem", when He will have me speak a truth to someone and it is not what they want to hear. I have those moments when I am ready to run as Jonah did or debate "why me" as Jeremiah. No one enjoys being ridiculed, nor do they relish the idea of having someone reject what God has called them to do or speak. It's easy to hear a spoken word, a promise of truth, or a correction of love to tuck away for my own he...

 Why is it society deems crying as a weakness? Little boys are taught that one criteria to be a man is not to cry. Little girls who cry are labeled as too emotional. It seems shedding tears is frowned upon in the grand scheme of life, however truth be told,  tears are the voice of our emotions. I tend to cry at the drop of a hat these days. Maybe it is hormones or lack of?  Maybe I am going through the "change" of life? Or maybe, just maybe,  my heart has become more sensitive to the things that surround me? I choose to believe it's the latter. I choose to believe my daddy God has answered my prayer when I asked Him to allow me to see others through His eyes. Sometimes. I. Cry. And I'm not alone.  John 11 verse 35 is only two words. Two heartfelt words.   "Jesus wept." Scripture allows us to see the depth of His love for Lazarus when He heard of his death. Through his tears we see the voice of his heart, and we hear the sound of his emotions. If Jesus ...

  There have been season's in my life when God has instructed me to walk through the desert. He doesn't give me the whole picture, just one softly spoken instruction for each step directed and ordered by Him. I am in one of those seasons now. Walking through a desert in faith, believing the promises from my daddy God. It can be difficult; this walk in the desert. I want to continue and succeed. I want to get to the place He has for me. My steps get heavier.  My lips are parched> I am tired and my soul cries out.  Should I turn around? Should I sit down and cry? Should I beg and plead for him to move me faster? My flesh is growing tired and weary.  And then I hear in my heart. Matthew 26 verse 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  I walk on, not giving in to the temptations of my flesh, when all I want to do is sit, cry and beg for this to be over. To keep my sanity through this season, I ta...

 Jeremiah Chapter 17 Verses 9 and 10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, The Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. I read those words over and over and the seven words that stood out to me "according to the fruit of his doings."  We know whatever is in the heart of man, it will manifest itself through words, actions and in behaviors and thoughts. In the days of Jeremiah, we know he was called to speak to a nation whose hearts were filled with deceit, a place where no good fruit was found.  And once again I go back to those seven words and this time, I change them a bit .... " According to the fruit of my doing."  Did you hear those words?  I put my own heart in that verse for the Lord to search.  That is not an easy task. No one likes to be called out for the wrong we say, do or even think. It's so much easier if we can jus...

  "Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness... my God, that is who You are."  Those lyrics depict my life as single mom when my girls where children living at home. I struggled raising my children, and I struggled hard.  Struggling was not a choice I made; it was a reality of a single mom working long hours on low wages.  As very young children I do not believe my girls realized the struggles their mom had, but as teenagers I know the reality was front faced for them both.   Seeing what some of their peers had versus what they may have lacked in material things broke this mama's heart time and time again.   I know material possessions are not the end all be all of life, however for a teenager it can be in their world. And it caused some resentment in my home.  Teenage years are tough. Not only for the parent but for the teenager trying to find their way and their purpose in life. There were times, I believed I had...