What Do We WANT: Disaster or Hope- FMF

Let’s be gut wrenching honest. There are mountains of terrible things going on in the world around us.  As a Christian, there are times I feel like Jeremiah trying to warn the people around me what will happen if we do not do what is right in God's eyes…not our own.

“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from you evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.”“But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we WANT to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”, Jeremiah 18:11-13, NLT

We live in an indulgent and self centered society that WANT to follow their own desires and proclaim evil good and good evil. The consequences for this stubbornness is disaster!

God in His immense love for us though, provides a promise and a blessing if we do what is right in His eyes.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”, Jeremiah 29:11, NLT

I anchor my hope to this promise, especially when the world around me seems to be “going to hell in a hand-basket”. 

Lord, turn our stubborn hearts away from our own desires and help us WANT YOU above anything else.

I am linking up with the #FMF group today with the word WANT feel free to check out some other great posts over there!

The Haven of Daddy's Arms: #FMF

I am a Daddy’s girl. The most difficult part about getting married (almost 20 years ago) was that there was a man in my life that was supposed to be more important to me than my daddy… Friends, that was hard!

My daddy has always been a strong man and a hard worker. He’s been a safe HAVEN for me to run to when the storms of life threatened to swallow me whole.

Today, he is still a hard worker, but at the age of 74 his body is betraying him. My mom has been like Chicken Little over the years, but instead of saying “The sky is falling, The sky is falling!”, her cry of 'Your dad isn’t doing good.' was heard as “Your dad is dying, Your dad is dying!” 

I’d rearrange schedules and make the mad dash to their home only to see my dad still being the strong powerful man he has always been, but just not his best.

For a couple of weeks my mom has been touting “The sky is falling!” Because the last few weeks of school is a nightmare with finals, awards, tryouts, and regular life…I decided this time it could wait.

I arrived at their home last night…and the “Sky really is falling.”

My daddy isn’t strong…he’s incredibly weak and struggling for each breath. Tears creep in to his eyes as he thinks of the life mom will have if/when he dies. He chokes the tears back by spouting words of anger. He wants to be strong…but has no strength or control. He wants to fight, but can't find his enemy.

I long to share with him that its okay. When it is time, he has a HAVEN of rest that is waiting for him. I want to openly pray for him to experience God’s peace as we believe for healing…in which ever form. 

I DON'T WANT MY DAD TO DIE, but I pray that when he enters that God's HAVEN of rest, that I have the strength and courage to lean in to cling to Daddy God because His strength will never fail. He is my HAVEN of refuge, strength, and hope. 

Please pray for my dad and my family. 

I’m linking with #FMF today. Word is Haven.

Why Aren't Christians Respected?

“Hey friend, do you have a moment?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called or texted my sweet friend up to ask her this exact question. She is a woman who loves the Lord and wants to honor Him in and through her life. 

Even though I have known her for years, I haven’t always gone to her for Godly Wisdom. There were many years of our relationship where I had no desire to focus on being Godly. During those years she never “preached” or judged. 

She did something much more powerful.

She lived a Godly life. 

Over the years, I have come to respect her and the way she lives. I have seen the presence of God work in and through her life. When I look at her and her family, there is evidence of God.

As she focused on laboring to make her life a reflection of what God intends for it to be, she earned my respect and gained credibility in my eyes. I accept that her faith and relationship with God are real...not because she says it is, but because I have seen it with my own eyes.

I trust her to be a safe person who will give me wise and Godly advice. I respect her, and she has proven that she has no ulterior motives. Because of this, my heart can receive her correction during the times she speaks truths that are sometimes painful to hear. In those moments, I KNOW she is not judging or criticizing, she is loving me  with the love of Christ.

There are two key factors happening here: 

Respect and Love 

Through her loving me as I was, she earned my respect. Once I respected her, I became open to the Godly Wisdom I saw her as qualified to share.

My friend lives this scripture:

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.”, I Thessalonians 4:11-12, NLT

This verse clearly states that if Christians focus on living a quiet life and mind their own business (and work to fix their own lives), then non-believers will respect the way they live. 

Oftentimes Christians spend their time judging and trying to correct the lives of others, while ignoring their own sins, shortcomings, and areas of their life that are less than "Godly". This does not foster respect or credibility towards the Christian who is supposed to be a reflection of God’s love and Godliness. If God is love, yet Christians do not live a life that reflects love or His Godliness, then Non-Believers will have no choice but to discredit the existence of God’s love or the value of living a Godly life. 

If God’s people don’t live Godly lives that reflect

His love, they have no more credibility in the eyes of a non-believer than a person whose home is in foreclosure giving financial advice or an obese person counseling on a healthy diet/ exercise lifestyle.



I am not saying that living a Godly life accepts and embraces the sinful things another person does. It is possible to embrace the person who is living outside of the precepts of the Christian faith while not condoning or encouraging sinful behavior… that, after all, is what God does.

I have seen it too many times where the intention of

the Believer may be pure and loving, but criticism and judgment out weigh the acts associated with love. When this happens, the efforts cannot be received as loving acts. It leaves the person on the receiving end feeling rejected and alone. 

Its much easier to have opinions of how other people should be living their lives than it is to focus on the things in our own lives that need to be “cleaned up” or “put in order”. 

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend,‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”, Matthew 7:1-6, NLT

As a believer in Christ, I want the to share His hope and love with others so they have the opportunity to experience it for themselves. If I spend my energies working to make my life what God wants it to be, then the “outsiders” (as the NIV refers to those who are not believers)will respect the way I live. Once that respect is there, the doorway opens for me to share the hope of Jesus with them. 

Response Over Reaction: Allowing God in the Battle

In today’s society it seems as if everyone is allowed to be offended except those who openly live for Christ. Whether Christians proclaim the hope, truth, and good news of the Bible in all aspects of their life, or simply allow the doctrines of the Christian faith to dictate the decisions they make in their own lives, they are attacked on all sides by those who rebel against a faith based approach to life. 

These attacks are rooted in a lie about the definition of love and use this new definition to label Christians as bigots who are intolerant and unloving.

At one time, it was considered a loving act to warn

people when they were headed in a direction that would cause them or the people around them harm. (We would never allow a toddler to touch an open flame) True love protects and corrects.

When political correctness was birthed it dictated that we were not to offend anyone for any reason. An indoctrination began to redefine love as accepting and endorsing all forms of evil and immoral behavior and calling them good, while at the same time creating an population who dictates that all good is actually evil. This path has led to much sorrow.

“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”, Isaiah 5:20, NLT

After years of passive silence, Christians are realizing the things they never dreamed could happen have now become legalized, endorsed and acceptable behavior. Those things considered evil and sinful now carry the label of good and encouraged and have all been put in place to make sure certain demographics were not offended. 

These actions are offensive to the deepest parts of a Christian’s being and leave believers with no idea how to respond after years of passive silence.

When we have the courage to finally draw a ‘line in the sand’ and say, “This is wrong.”, (Don’t touch the fire because it will burn you.) we are brutally attacked.

Since the majority of Christians have been silent for so many years, these attacks leave us uncertain of what to do as the pressures build. Unless we are grounded in the Word of God, we can easily find ourselves REACTING to the attacks instead of RESPONDING.

Reacting is done on impulse, without thought to consequences or outcome. It is a defensive act that that is typically emotional in nature. Oftentimes it leads us to behave poorly and recklessly. Regret often follows a reaction.

Responding is a planned, thought out decisive act. It is an offensive act that weighs long term effect over immediate concerns and emotions. It is a position of power and leads to a stance of credibility that can create effective change.

As Christians, we must learn to be people of response instead of reaction.

Responding allows time for prayer, and seeking God on how He wants us to move forward. It also allows you to recognize who the enemy is and how best to defeat them.

David was under attack (as people of the Christian faith are today) and instead of reacting to the attacks, he went to the Lord and asked Him; “Should I attack them back?” 

“So David asked God, Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” 1 Chronicles 14:10a, NLT

This pause and pray response, allowed David to gain

the direction that he needed to gain victory over the ones attacking him. During one attack God said go directly and meet them head on and the victory would be his…another time, God instructed him to go fight, but to attack from the rear and the victory would be his.

This example of David responding to the attack after seeking the Lord was key in his victory. 

The beautiful thing about our seeking God in our response to the attacks instead of reacting…

When I react, I and operating on my own power and trying to fight in my own limited abilities. When I wait and respond, I am recognizing the true enemy and allowing God’s power its place in the battle. 

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”, Ephesians 6:12, NLT

We do not have to fight in our own strength and power because the Lord will fight for us.

“For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!”, Deuteronomy 20:4, NLT

The Lord will tell us how we are to fight

“So David asked God, Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand then over to you.”, ! Chronicles 14:10, NLT

He wont always lead us to fight in the same way we have won in the past.

“But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them neat the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”, 1 Chronicles 14:13-15, NLT

The Lord will Respond on our behalf as we move past reaction and ask for His help.

“The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.”, Isaiah 65:1, NLT

Renewed Hope and CHEER: FMF

I have to say that I have been overwhelmed and discouraged lately by society’s continued blatant exclusion of God and the persecution of all standards resembling Christianity. 

These attacks are very difficult for a person who follows the Christian faith to not take personally, because authentic faith is a very personal thing that defines who I am and dictates how I behave.

With the unending attack by those in authority (as well as their gangs of bullies) who rip at the very fabric of everything I stand for…Doubt has crept in.

I doubt whether I did the right thing by having children. The world that they will grow up in doesn’t mirror the faith and beliefs our family hold dear. 
what kind of world will they endure? What will their children be subjected to? Is there any hope?

I doubt how how my commitment to be open with my faith. The people who choose to live their faith authentically through all areas of their lives are under attack and face accusations of being judgmental bigots, even though they have not attacked anyone…but instead face an onslaught that threatens their careers and livelihoods.

I doubt I have the backbone to stand strong under the attacks, or the heart to continue to love the attackers with the love Jesus says I am to extend to others. (FYI…Godly love is not an ‘anything goes love’. It has boundaries and expectations, but that can be a different blog post all together.)

In the midst of my doubt, I find hope and comfort in the source that doesn’t change.

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”, Psalm 94:19, NLT

Even though doubts may fill my mind… God comforts me and renews my hope and cheer.

If you are doubts fill your mind…allow God to comfort you today. As He does, see your hope and cheer renewed.

*I'm joining with the Five Minute Friday Link-up with the word CHEER. 

Don't Let Milestones Become Millstones

Sweet friends, I come to you today as a mom in transition watching her teen children reach milestones almost as fast as they did as toddlers. Just like the early milestones of potty training, solid foods, and big kid beds these milestones change how I perform my role as mom. A huge difference with these "moving into adulthood" milestones is that each one moves me a little further into the background of their lives.

My oldest is a Sophomore who over the last few months has reached many milestones. She has gotten her driver's licences, taken responsibility for herself on getting up and out the door in the mornings, and for the most part is setting her own schedule and letting me know where she will be and what she will be doing. I still have override authority on all of it, but I am no longer needed to shuttle her, be available, or even make food for her. While I am excited and overjoyed for HER and HER JOURNEY into this season, each step and milestone is a painful reminder that my constant care, input, and presence in her life is no longer needed and in large part not wanted.

My youngest is in 8th grade and will be a Freshman next year. She has had her own list of milestones recently. She has learned to serve others with compassion and has allowed herself to embrace the leader/ servant that God created her to be. She has always been responsible, but I have seen her, at the age of 14, seek after and embrace positions many adults struggle to manage. She auditioned for the High School Band and will be marching with them in the fall. Last night was her last Jr. High School dance and she had a blast sharing the night with friends she will be parting ways from in a month as they head to different high schools.  Even though she has never set foot in a high school classroom, she will start college courses in June. I am happy for her and the future she is working towards, but her choice to use her Summer to get college credits means that the family time I anticipated (and honestly long for) will not be available to us. Here again, with this milestone, I am being pushed into to background. 

Unlike diapers, teething, pacifiers, and toddler beds, I am not quite ready for these milestones and what they mean for me as a mom. My daughters are moving through these "becoming adult" seasons so fast I struggle to find balance. Its as if I wake up one day and am needed for everything, then by lunch they have this new skill mastered and I'm expected to be an observer on the sidelines of their life. 

How do I continue to celebrate the amazing women they are becoming and allow that to be BIGGER than the sorrow I am experiencing in this season as they need me (and want me) less and less?

The bible clearly tells us to

"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.", (Proverbs 22:6, NLT)

In a way, this season of milestones is similar to when I encouraged them to take their first steps.

In that season my job was to be in front of them, holding my arms out and lovingly encouraging them to be brave, believe in themselves and their ability, and to take that first step...all the while, silently praying that they wouldn't get hurt. 

In this season though, I'm cheering them on from behind, telling them that they have what it takes to walk this path. My arms are still outstretched, partly to gently push them, but also so that they know my arms are still open and I'm still here ready to comfort, support, and encourage them when they look back uncertain about their next step. I'm still praying that they don't get hurt.

A major difference in this season though is that when they took their first steps, they were walking toward me...today they are walking away. Because this season is personally painful, I have to be careful not to allow the milestones my daughters are embracing become MILLSTONES for me. 

A millstone is a stone that rolls around finely grinding wheat, corn or other substances into a flour like powder. If I were to allow my daughters' milestones to wear me down and make me feel useless as I am being pushed further into the background of their lives, their milestones could easily become millstones that leave me broken and crushed. I think an appropriate scripture is:

"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.", (Galatians 6:9, NLT)

I know that in this season of changes I still have a very important role in their lives. I show up even when they don't greet me with the same enthusiasm they did when they were three. I listen and attempt to comfort them as they pour out their fears and broken hearts even though a kiss no longer makes things all better. I give counsel even though they have to make their own choices and live with those consequences...good or bad.

Mostly I stay behind them with arms wide open, ready to embrace them should they decide to run back to the safety of mom. I will remain in the shadows ready to step in and be what they want/need me to be, but the days of me being the center of their universe are mostly over. 

As I write this, I realize that the posture of motherhood is "arms wide open". The enemy would want to use pain of these milestones to cause me to have a "motherhood identity crisis". If my daughters' milestone were to become my millstones, then I would be tempted to drop my arms to a position of protecting my heart and shutting myself off from my children. I refuse to allow that to happen. 

Jesus experienced tremendous pain and rejection as he held His arms open wide and died of the cross so I would have the safety of Him and His love to run to. I know these milestones will not kill me. I hope and pray that I do well as I finish this season of mothering. I am trusting that at the end of this, I will have allowed God to use motherhood to shape me in to who He has planned for me to be.

While I am not ready to consider myself qualified to be an "older woman" I am older than the moms who travel this path behind me. I hope to reflect this scripture in all of my actions.

 "These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.", (Titus 2:4-5, NLT)

Maybe one day, I will be able to be the woman that is talked about in this verse.

 "Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:", (Proverbs 31:28, NLT)

 So sweet moms, keep your heart and arms open toward your children no matter what milestones they are reaching. It can be thrilling and heartbreaking at the same time. Lets work to not allow the milestones of our children become millstones that crush us.

Finding Shelter During Life's Storms

It's been a tough week...a very tough week and it is only going to get tougher. This week we will bury someone who died much too young. I love this man. (I say love because the love for him is still there even though he is in Heaven)

I love his grieving wife who was my first friend when I moved to the town my husband grew up in. 

I love his children who I have watched become amazing people, (even if the majority of that watching was through Facebook posts because they moved). 

I love his sweet Momma who provided a safe place for my husband (and many other teen boys) to hang out long before I met him.

Along with sorrow and grief...I am battling huge storms of anxiety. The anxiety is so bad, I find myself not being able to sleep. This week is a week of sorrow, grief, anxiety, and no sleep. (Not the prettiest combination if I say so myself)

To battle the anxiety, I've walked a lot. According to my wrist fitness tracker, I've walked 36.20 miles since Saturday (it is currently Wednesday night/ Thursday morning). If I wasn't concerned about safety, I'd probably be walking now, but since its 2:30 am I figure its safer for me to meet you in this place and share a moment of peace I had today...while I was walking.

Hopefully, as I write about it and you read it, we can both find our way to a place that provides peace, comfort, and shelter from the battles that are raging around us and in us. (I'm sure you have a few of your own "unsettled " or "unsettling" storms)

In the midst of all the above stuff happening, regular life has had to go on. I needed a form notarized for my daughter and decided that I would walk the 4 mile round trip instead of driving. I had never done this before and underestimated just how busy and noisy the roadway would be. The constant noise of cars swooshing by did nothing to calm the anxieties I was hoping this walk would conquer. I encountered something pretty spectacular though...right there in my path.

I looked up and there was a group of overhanging branches. They seemed very "out of place" from the rest of the landscape I had walked through. These branches created a "tunnel" type effect over the sidewalk. I thought it was so beautiful that I paused and took the photo you see here. 

I remember thinking that it looks almost like a bird wing sticking out to cover baby chicks. As I walked under it, though, I had to pause and just stand there. In this "tunnel"...Under this 'wing type' overhang of branches... the noise of the rushing cars was muffled. It was there, but the feeling of eminent destruction that accompanied the sounds before entering this overhang was miraculously not there. There was a sense of serenity and peace. Nothing had changed in my circumstances or environment except for me entering this odd place that seemed to protect me from all that was threatening me.

I thought of the scripture.

"He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.

 His faithful promises are your armor and protection.", Psalm 91:4, NLT

That is exactly how I felt huddled under the overhang of branches along a noisy roadway. In looking at the entire chapter, I believed God wanted me to read and hold on to all of it during this week of difficult things. Maybe He wants you to hold on to it too...so here it is. I'd love to hear how it blesses you.

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.    I will protect those who trust in my name.15 When they call on me, I will answer;    I will be with them in trouble.    I will rescue and honor them.16 I will reward them with a long life    and give them my salvation.”

When a Glass of Water Isn't a Glass of Water~Surprise! (A #FMF Post)

I had been in the yard working in my flower beds. It was an incredibly hot day in Texas and I entered the house parched. There was a cold pitcher of water in the fridge and I eagerly poured myself a glass. I took one big swig and SURPRISE! 

My taste buds were awakened by the sweet flavor of Clear Ice Gatorade invading my mouth.

What I anticipated as bland water, turned out to be a treat that was deeply satisfying. I eagerly gulped down the first glass and poured a second. 

Isn't it that way sometimes when we sit down and open the word of God? We expect it to be bland and less than satisfying, but then something there stirs the taste buds of our heart and we want more. We have the pleasure and surprising joy of "Tasting how good God is."

"Taste and see that the Lord is good.", Psalm 34:8, NLT

My prayer is that was are all SURPRISED by the goodness of God today!

Post 2 of Divine Appointments Through Surgery: I'm Glad I Didn't Miss Them

Today is 5 days post neck surgery. I shared the details of one divine appointment with nurse "K" a couple of days again. You can read about that by clicking here.

Details of my second divine appointment have fallen in to place over the past few days. 

I woke up from surgery in the recovery room. I remember talking to Nurse "D" and asking her if God had become real in her life. She told me that she had recently started a relationship with Him. 

At about 2:15 she also said that they had a room for me, but were waiting for it to be cleaned. God had other plans and I didn't make it to that room until after 6:00 pm. 

The gentleman next to me didn't recover as well as I did. I remember Nurse "D" calling people over because the gentleman stopped breathing. He didn't respond as they tried to rouse him. He also had no response when they began "bagging" him.There was only a curtain separating me and the bustle of activity that erupted in an attempt to bring him back. It easily could have been a scene from an emergency room trauma movie.

I was alert and prayed throughout the event. 

My family knew someone had "Coded" because they kept hearing "Brahms Lullaby" play over the intercom. My mom was nervous that it was me since they had not been allowed to see me. 

"The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears."(Pslam 18:4-6, NLT)

I wasn't the one dying, but I have no doubt God appointed me to be there that day, at that time to pray for this gentleman as well as the medical staff who worked on in. God heard my cries on this gentleman's behalf. By the time I left recovery, the gentleman was visiting and talking with the doctors and nurses. 

I am honored that God used me to stand in the gap through prayer for a man I don't know.

I have more divine appointments through surgery that I'll share as I am strong enough to be at the computer. 

Dear Lord, Thank you for using me even during times when natural circumstances say I shouldn't able to be used. Thank you for hearing my cry and rescuing that gentleman from death that day. Help me continue to be sensitive to your guidance and prompting. In Jesus' name I pray ~Amen

Post 1 of Divine Appointments Through Surgery...I'm glad I didn't miss them

I had neck surgery Monday morning. Between the busyness of trying to make sure things were good for my family while I am out of commission, a book launch party to release my latest book, as well as concern (not fear) over what I would experience as recovery...I could have easily become consumed by me and my agenda. I am so thankful I had an open heart and mind going in. I intentionally asked God to help me see how He wanted to use me as I walk this path. 

I was in the Hospital for 28 hours and experienced 3 Divine Appointments. I am so humbled that God would use me in these ways.

Since I work in the area of Grief and Loss, a common theme I hear from clients is "I wish we could have had one last "I love you" or one last "Goodbye." 

While I didn't believe God was going to call me home during this process, I knew there was a gift I could leave me family...just in case God's plan was different than my own. I wrote my husband, children, and parents each a final "I love you, goodbye" letter. I asked the sweet pre-op nurse if she had an envelope that I could seal them in. 

As it turns out, she is having surgery tomorrow (Please pray for nurse "K"). She had been having nightmares of loved ones surrounding her in ICU as she lay dying. I was able to share a fer scriptures with her. 

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, oh Lord, will keep me safe.", (Psalm 4:8, NLT)

and 

"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He did for me. For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me.",(Psalm 67:16-20, NLT)

Nurse "K" decided she was going to write similar letters to her family members. She was going to cling to these verses to have faith that she would come through her surgery fine. It could have stopped there, But God wasn't done with Nurse "K"

Turns out the father of her oldest child died in January. She needed to hear the message of hope and how Conquering the Grief that Stole Christmas (For more information click here) could bring hope to her child and the rest of the hurting family members.

As I prayed for Nurse "K" she wept and said, "I'm supposed to be here for you, but God brought you in here for me today."

I love how God works. The enemy and my human nature would want me to focus on what was happening with me during that time...but God granted me a Shifted Vision to see how I could be His hands and feet towards sweet Nurse "K".

I have two more amazing Divine appointments to share, but physically I am not up to it at the moment. Just know that God will use you no matter the circumstances...you must have the heart though to say, "Here I am God, use me!"

Dear God, Thank you for allowing me to introduce your hope into the life of Nurse "K". Help us all gain the ability to have s Shifted Vision to see how you want to use us even when we have things going on in our own lives that could easily draw our full focus. Thank you for allowing me to see you and your purpose in the midst of my own turmoils. In Jesus' name I pray~ Amen.