Spirit Led Woman

  When we see those that we love wandering into the path of destruction, we want so badly to stop them. We want to grab them, shake them, wake them up. But God has given each of His children a free will. He is watching. He is interceding. He won’t leave us alone in our worry.   He offers each of us the peace of God in the middle of each mess. He knows the helplessness we feel. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the peace that passes understanding.   Holy Spirit, move today. Come and fill each parent who is suffering for their wayward child. Breath peace upon each husband pleading for a prodigal wife.  Pour in the oil for each grandma hurting for the straying grandchild.  Hold the wife worn out from crying for the lost husband.  We need you.    Your word teaches us that you bring the Prodigal home. Today, we bring our prodigals to you.  We trust You with them in the mess. Even as the father in Luke 15 allowed his son to leave, we know he wat...

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.  ...

My coworker is on vacation this week and I have been extremely busy.  It seems no matter how fast I do things something else is waiting to be done!  I will be so glad to see her Monday morning! I was thinking about this last night and comparing it to the church today.  It seems more than ever before our coworkers in the kingdom are missing in action.  I know in our church my husband has had to take over the youth department.  We have kids coming out our ears waiting for someone to pour their lives into them, awesome facilities and a very supportive church body... but where are the young couples who see this ministry opportunity and get excited about it? Largely they are on vacation from the church. We started ministry as a young couple, wet behind the ears and eager to work for the Lord.  I look around us and see Potential (notice that has a capital P).  But the interest is just not there to be responsible for anything in the church body.  W...

Tonight I am thinking about this quote.  How much trouble would we save ourselves from if we followed this wisdom?  The definition of trust is to rely on.  How can I rely on someone to solve my problems if they are full of problems themselves? After being in the ministry for 21 years, (am I really that old?)  I have watched over and over again as Godly people begin to struggle with life issues and get sucked under by them because of who they choose to trust with those issues.  No man or woman is capable of dealing with your issues in the proper way unless they are wholly committed to pointing you to Jesus Christ! I am so tired of seeing my fellow sisters in the Lord sucked into the world and out of the church AND my life because of our tendency to go running here and there and everywhere when we are desperate for answers.  Psalm 1 tells us Blessed is the man that does NOT walk in the counsel of the UNGODLY not stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the ...

This book is the gripping story of Alex Malarkey, a six-yr old who was in a terrible car accident with his father.  The story gives the account of the young boy in heaven and describes things like the music and angels.  It is an easy read.  I really enjoyed it and found it believable. It is not only the story of Alex but also of his family and I definitely think it could be helpful to families dealing with crisis, as it talks about the impact such an event has on the parents themselves. 

Television is full of reality TV shows.  When I saw this book was available I immediately thought of the show Mafia Wives.  I am scared of those women! I think they could hurt me.  I say that with a smile but the reality is those women are hurting.  The life they are a part of is filled with violence and anger and they need the Lord Jesus just like we all do! This book was super confusing to me.  It seemed to me that the author spent alot of time trying to convince the reader (and herself?) that her life choices were acceptable and that she was innocent of the lifestyle she married into.  The book is about how she, a 'Christian', married a high profile mobster ( with no knowledge of the life he was leading?}.  The book talks about the years he was running from the law and then in prison and how he eventually gave his life to God and stepped away from the mob life. I promised to review this book so I have but cannot agree with it or endorse the mess...

Several months have passsed since I updated this blog!  Life moves along and as things change, I am the type of person that puts things on hold while I am adjusting my life to newness. I then tend to add them back one by one.  I am working a new job now in a corporate setting. That has been an adjustment but things are going well.  As Christmas is approaching, I am so thankful for my life.  My awesome husband has been my biggest supporter as I adjust to new schedules and priorities. He has picked up slack where most men would just let things go.  We have grown even closer these last few months. Welcome back!

This book was a joy to review.  It covered such a wide range of topics. The advice and inspiration it offered was practical and easy to understand.  I felt like he was sitting down with a small group discussing the topics covered.  He didn't shy away from the hard questions but his delivery makes you receptive to the truth presented. Great material!

This was not my favorite book to review. I had a hard time getting into it and kept thinking I was missing some background of the story. My biggest disappointment was that it seemed to imply mankind could save itself. Because I personally believe Jesus Christ is the only thing that stops mankind from total destruction, I couldn't really delve into it wholeheartedly and it left me feeling like something important had been missed.

Growing up in the Assemblies of God in Tennessee, I knew the young Reggie Dabbs.  I remember him and his horn during youth conventions at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.  I also went on an AIMS missions trip  when I was 16 that he also went on. What I remember about him was his big sense of humor and the way he could play that horn!  It is awesome to see what God has done in his life and to read his personal testimony.  It reminded me we never know what journey someone has had to walk until we take the time to get to know them and their story. Reggie's story is truly an inspiration to teenagers everywhere. His ministry in highs schools reflect his love for Christ and the youth of today.  I would recommend this book.

This book starts with a biography of Charles Spurgeon.  His life and work caused him to be called "the prince of preachers".  This book is a collection of sermons Spurgeon wrote about heaven.  the sermons are kept brief and some words have been changed to make for easier reading for the modern time. Randy Alcorn concludes each message with his own words pertaining to the sermon just given. It is designed to be used as a 50 day devotional read but I took it on vacation with me and read it in the car!  My family was with me and I enjoyed reading parts out loud to them.  I appreciate the fact that the book is totally Biblically based and real 'meat' instead of filled with fluff!

The war in the Middle East, drunk driving, agoraphobia.. These are some of the issues this book of fiction tries to tackle. I have read through the first 6 chapters and life has made it hard for me to 'get into' the story.  Although I don't find myself disliking the main character, I haven't really connected with her or anyone else in the story. As a regular book blogger, I would love to hear your own experience if you have read this book.  I received this book free from Tyndale Publishing House in return for providing an honest review.

I know it has been too long since I have posted.. things have been crazy around here! We have had our share of storms this spring but the 19th of April brought in our worst yet. We had two tornadoes and lots of straightline winds in our little town.  Sine I work for State Farm, work has been absolutely hectic since then!  We have filed over 150 claims in our office. This was also our Chinese 'son' Liming's first experience with a tornado. According to him, they have earthquakes but not tornadoes.  My family all went to the basement during the worst of it.  Li was so funny, he was shining his cell phone at us like we were at a concert singing "We are the world."!  We made it all out safe and sound with no damage to our home at all. The church did receive damage on the roof and outside but the insurance is putting on a complete new roof -Praise God for insurance!  Speaking of blessings, not one person was hurt from the storms in our area. We know that w...

TO ESTABLISH=To place or settle in a secure position or condition; install I can look back over the places we have been in ministry and pinpoint in each place the situation or time that we were established.  Trust me, that doesn't usually happen in the 'installation service".  Sometimes, it is through a successful building program, other times it is through the illness, death and funeral of a beloved church member.... and sometimes it is through our enemies. If you can't handle knowing that there are people out there that actually hate you and all that you stand for DO NOT go into the ministry!  All of us want to be liked but if you know that having someone consider you their enemy will devastate you emotionally and spiritually, look out!  Recently, my husband and I went through a hard thing in our present ministry.  There was absolutely nothing we could do about it but take it to the Lord and offer it up to Him. As we both sought...

Sometimes, as Christians, we need a refresher course in spiritual warfare.  Just that back to the basics reminder of who we are in Christ and who our actual foe is. Ruth Myers has a new book called 31 Days of Power- Learning to live in spiritual victory.  The book begins with a brief introduction reminding us we are in a spirital war.  How do we actually live each day in the dynamic triumph God offers us through Jesus Christ?  The goal of this book is to help us live in God's presence through prayer and praise, as well as the realization of who we are in Christ and the victory that has already been provided through Jesus. Each day is filled with prayers and praise based on scriptures. Each prayer is referenced with scriptures used.  I personally read the prayers aloud so that they were being spoken as I read.  The second half of the book is 5 brief chapters on the basic dynamics of spiritual warfare. I recommend this book as a great gift for a disc...