Spirit Led Woman

Today is my awesome Husband's 49th birthday!! We have been together forever! He has been with me through my very worst and is truly God's greatest gift to my life.  He LOVES when I write him poetry. Below is his birthday poem! Before I knew what love was,                                       You saw me. Before we ever held hands,                                       You knew me. My soul- Your soul  forming together So near, completely unaware…. Unaware that God had a master plan.           In shaping me, He thought of you…. He gave me eye...

Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and dust collect and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. -Matthew 6:20,21 When I feel as if thieves have broken in and stolen my 'treasures' God speaks so gently to my heart.     "What treasures have been taken away, my daughter?          Your reputation?          Man's validation?          Others' opinion of you?            Do you not see that these were your earthly treasures?           Cheap substitutes for what I have called you to seek after?          Do you not realize what truth you laid down to pick up these trinkets you call treasures?  Success and value to the world are what I own, what I have achieved, and my standing in th...

In Luke 15, scripture tells us that Jesus spent time with searching people.....                    people unsure of themselves, cheaters, and thieves.                    dirty people.....                    Dare we say addicts? homosexuals? offenders? When confronted by religious people about this 'affront', Jesus tells them in several parables how important sinners were to them.  This same chapter tells us that heaven rejoices when a sinner repents.                  Doesn't it make sense that His fellowship with these very sinners led them to conviction of sin and repentance? He is calling us, as His followers, to see others as He sees them; not the sin or the behavior we find so offensive but the heart that is crying out. For what are we but sinners saved by grace? That very th...

I am preparing for a Mother's Day banquet at our church.  I have been praying about what to share and reflecting on all the previous banquets I have been privileged to host as a pastor's wife.  The one thing I have consistently found is that if I ask God what He wants, he reminds me that every single thing that we go through in our own lives can be used to minister to someone else.  In Exodus, we read the story of Jochebed.  The  Jewish mother living in captivity in Egypt.  Pharoah had decreed that all boys born to Jewish families would be put to death.  The helplessness she felt as a mother must have been overwhelming.  The ONLY thing that she could do was surrender Moses to God and trust that God would spare her son.  As the story goes on, Moses is spared and becomes the deliverer of his people. The New Testament gives us many stories of trust and surrender, but none more compelling than that of Mary herself.  Imagine giv...

Having just celebrated 21 years of marriage this year, I admit it has been awhile since I have read a good book for Christian women.  This book by Sheri Shepherd is for Christian women, both single and married.  It can be used for group study or individual personal growth. The book is divided into 14 chapters that 'will change the way you love and are loved'.  I appreciated the way the book was for all women and think the truths are simple and resonate with women (and men) everywhere!  Each chapter contains love stories,  love coaching, prayers, and a transforming truth. I would personally use this book to lead a study group!

As I sit here alone on this mother's day evening, I am reflecting on my journey as a mother.  Maybe it is because I am approaching my 40th birthday so quickly, maybe it is because my oldest is in the process of 'leaving the nest', could be because my parents are aging and this year has brought them health and life challenges that cause me to grieve I am not nearby to cherish daily interaction with them... Whatever the reason, this seems to be a time of reflection in my life. All around me I see women in different stages of motherhood.  I see my sweet niece, Elizabeth, as she prepares to welcome her first child into her arms.  I watch as she subconsciously holds her belly as she talks to me without even realizing she is cradling her little one already in her spirit. I see the struggles of young moms in our church, as they try to work out ways to stay home with their little ones when the world that we live in makes this such a financial strain for young families.  ...