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All the Way Home

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Home is a sanctuary for me.  I wrote about my childhood home a few years ago.  My mother taught us how to make our homes a haven of rest and peace.  It's a place where I have intentionally made it so.  From furniture placement, to lamps, books, and even the pictures on the walls.  But the most important and even critical part of the feeling of sanctuary and peace in my home comes from the time spent in prayer.  No amount of furnishings, or even cleaning can replace the feeling of walking into a home that has been thoroughly saturated in prayer.  Has it always been so?  Nope.    But trials and crisis of life made it imperative.   We are at that place in life again.   Where prayer and seeking the wisdom of God, spending time in the Word is the only source of strength we know for sure will stand.    It’s hard when you reach the age we are, and realize—what you thought your life would look like at near-retirement age is not the current reality. What are we going to do?   Well, I can’t
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The Broad Way and Fruitless Tree

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There is a passage in the Bible that has been running through my brain for several days now:   Matthew 7:13-14   “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate . The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.   But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it .  (emphasis mine) "The highway to hell is broad."  It's broad because we live in a world where we are so caught up in the next big thing. There's a rush to get it or do it.  Whatever the biggest influencer is influencing you to do, buy, or be, that's the goal for many.  But that should not be what the Christ Follower is influenced by.  We should be leaning on God for direction in our daily walk.   I'm not talking about which shirt you should wear today.  Don't be ridiculous.  No, there are places He has assigned you to be and work and we often choose whichever one is the easiest--less stressful. Honey, this
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Your Testing Ground

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Have I told you my story yet?   You're probably like, "Angie, you have told me SO much, I'm not sure which story you are talking about! :) When I heard about you and what's going on in your life, I felt like there were some nuggets from my own story that might help you this morning (or evening-whenever you find yourself reading this). Sometimes I find myself holding back -- well, being transparent, I do hold back at times.  But this morning, I wanted to share it all.  I only like good surprises.  If I know what I'm up against, I can be better prepared to handle what's coming.  Well, life doesn't work like that.  Only God holds our story.  Only He knows what's in the book.  From the day you and I were born until the day we draw our last breath--He knows ALL the stuff in between.  So trust me when I say...there is nothing He can't handle.  And He will walk you through ALL the things you would rather be delivered out of.  Sometimes He will do it like t
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Making a Clean Sweep

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When our girls were growing up--they were your typical kids.  Messy rooms.  Toys scattered.  After many years of saying "clean your room", whatever habits they adopted in keeping their belongings became part of their normal routines and these habits began to form and stick.   I remember hearing my own mother say repeatedly, "Angie, clean up this room!"  I admit, I would much rather read a book than anything else when I was growing up.  Little did I know then -that if I would just KEEP my room clean, I could read as much as I wanted "guilt-free".   Isn't it hard to enjoy something you love doing if there are undone things surrounding you? I cannot count the times they would proclaim it clean--and I would go do the "inspection" before play could resume--and on the surface...it looked mostly clean.  But open the closet door--or look under the bed--and there would be all the things hurriedly shoved out of sight.  I guess that was all they worried
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Lessons in the YES (Part 1)

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What I’ve learned in saying “yes”—it automatically sets me up for some trials.    the YES is always worth it.   When I was about 48 years old, God began to stir my heart as I had never felt before.  I had been a christian for many years—and had done many things to serve God inside the church walls—from toilets and trash--to the cemetery and grass.  We had taught Sunday school for years and sang in the choir; nursing home ministry and often volunteering to help in various events.  In venturing out into so many areas, I learned which ones I felt especially drawn to and continued. We loved being at the church and with our family of believers.  But this was the beginning of a new season and I felt Him calling me beyond the walls.   The real Church serves OUTSIDE the walls.  He began showing me that. Jesus gave us examples throughout His earthly life of "how-to-serve".   The story in the Bible of the "woman at the well" has drawn me more times than I can count for so man
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