So, I was thinking about reading the Bible and what that’s all about to me. This picture popped into my head. Have you ever gone to a party, a women’s retreat, or some place similar where you didn’t really know a soul…certainly no one to whom you would sit down and pour out your heart. Before we can truly feel safe making ourselves vulnerable and transparent, we have to be introduced to someone and then get to know that person. Personally, I want to know about their heart, joy, experiences, family, work, passions, and character, before I feel secure enough sharing anything too significant. I want to know I can trust this person and that he or she will be faithful and trustworthy.

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I just took the plunge and read my first Brandilyn Collins novel. Her challenge to fasten my seatbelt and prepare for a wild ride, often scared me off. I just don’t do scary….  BUT…I am now her biggest fan! I loved this book. I absolutely could not put it down. In fact, I signed off an email to friends one night and said, “I can’t go to bed because these wonderful Christian people are being held hostage!” After that, they couldn’t go to bed either.  I also passed this book to my neighbor, who has now purchased the first books in the series. You can’t beat that endorsement. This is a must read.

 (And it’s not scary…it’s thrilling!) Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend I kicked off my spring speaking schedule with an amazing, God-filled retreat at the ARC in Osceola, WI. I was joined by 80 women for three days of praising, growing, refreshing, praying, laughing, and eating. Oh, my…I forgot how much one can eat at a retreat!

In the last couple of weeks I have had a few different phrases pop up in conversation, Bible study, and my prayer time.  All of them seem to point back to a common theme. The first was that the best things I can do for God are those things that are beyond me. It puts me in the position of posturing myself before Him and saying, I can’t do this, but you can. I love the line from Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 20: 12, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Amen! Read the rest of this entry »