Our current world has women by the throat and is slowly squeezing the life right out of us. Think about that for a moment. Close your eyes and think about your day. Did it include working, laundry, cooking, reading e-mail because you didn’t quite finish everything at work, trying to live up to some ridiculous high standard that is unachievable on our salary, paying bills, running kids to practice, grocery shopping? By the time we sit down for a little down time, it’s time to go to bed so we can start the cycle all over again.

No wonder we’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

I’ve been fortunate to be home for the past two weeks recuperating from my shoulder surgery.  God knew I needed the rest, although sometimes it’s hard for us to see this truth. I’ve had so much rest, I’ve been “giddy” happy being able to think (yes, it seems like a novelty), rest, and do what I love to do. But I go back to work on Monday and I’m wary of falling into the same trap of overwork and exhaustion.

God wants us to rest, and He gave us an example to live by when he took a “day off” after creating the heavens and the earth.

Sometimes we women have to take our rest by force, and that may mean disappointing someone else because we’ve become indispensable.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28,-30 (MSG) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to trust Jesus and be truly rested. I encourage all of us to take some time for ourselves. Don’t we deserve 30 minutes out of a 16-hour day? And don’t fall into the trap of “catching up” on some important something. That can wait. I’m talking 30 minutes of rejuvenation time so we can be the best for ourselves and our loved ones.

See you next week!

As a writer and avid reader, I love mystery and suspense—a murder to solve, bad guys to catch, and a little romance thrown in to add spice to the story. The good guys always win, but sometimes the guy doesn’t always get the girl.

I know most if not all of you have read the Bible—God’s-breathed Word for all of us. But if you haven’t opened your Bible lately, take another look. It has all the suspense and intrigue one could ever want except the stories in the Bible are true and meant to teach us something.

Let’s take a quick look through the Old Testament for some examples:

• Adam and Eve – they were living in paradise but they disobeyed God because they were deceived to think God was keeping something from them.
• Moses – murdered an Egyptian slavemaster and fled to Midian.
• Samson – he was a naughty boy who allowed himself to be seduced by Delilah.
• Rahab – a prostitute who assisted God’s chosen while they were on a spying expedition.
• Song of Solomon – romance galore and not for the faint of heart.

Notice anything? The people God chose to use are just like me, imperfect, but all willing to be used by God despite their flaws.

That’s why I’m writing this blog for a year. I’m so imperfect and flawed (as all of you know), but I believe God has a purpose for me. God has a purpose for us all. That purpose can be as simple as being kind to someone who is down in the dumps or comforting a loved one during a time of tragedy and loss.

If you have a little spare reading time this week (just a few minutes), pick up your Bible and read a few verses or chapter of a book (hint: Esther, Ruth, Joshua 2 for Rahab’s story, James). Be open to what God might be trying to tell you through scripture. That’s the beauty of the Bible. Every time I read it, I gain new insights into how I should be living my life. I am always humbled and fall short of the mark, but I’m a work in progress. And, if we were perfect, we wouldn’t need an instruction manual, right?

I hope you all enjoy a verse, a chapter, or a book of the Bible this week. If you have any aha moments and feel comfortable sharing, please do, either on my Facebook page or at godswip.com.

See you next week!

P.S. I need to work on my camera angles!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer. It’s powerful. It’s the way we communicate with God—the creator of the universe. It’s humbling when friends and family talk to God on my behalf—for me!

I had shoulder surgery on Thursday, and a dear friend texted a prayer to me while I was being prepped. I had been brave up to that point, but her prayer brought me to tears. I read it out loud, so I could feel the power of those heartfelt words. Not only did she pray for me, but she prayed for the surgical team, and for others awaiting surgery.

And this was when my heart broke. I was so worried about myself, I hadn’t considered anyone else. Which brought me to another realization—it’s not all about me.

As a Christian woman, my first instinct should be to pray for others. But sadly, I need some help in this area. Can anyone relate?

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” I know one thing for sure, God heard everyone’s prayers and He sustained me. Once again, God has taught me another valuable lesson—there is more to life than my wants and desires. I want to be the person who thinks of others before herself. I want to pray powerful and effective prayers for those I love.

See you all next week!

 

 

 

 

Welcome to my first blog, God’s WIP (work in progress). If most of you are like me, you brought in the new year with heart-felt resolutions and hope. This year, rather than resolve to lose weight, I wanted to start my year a little differently. Philippians 3:13 says, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”

What is God prompting you to do in 2016? Be kinder to your spouse? Spend more time with your children? Volunteer? I believe God is definitely nudging me to write this blog once a week for a year. My sincere hope is to encourage women by sharing my thoughts, feelings, failures, successes, and anything else God prompts me to share. But in all honesty, this blog is probably more for me, than for any of you who, I hope, take the time to visit.

Am I qualified to do this? Absolutely not.

Can God still use me? Absolutely yes!

So, dare to journey with me as I meander through this life as a Christian, trying to do my best, always hoping to do better, and perhaps, we can all encourage each other, whether you consider yourself a Christian or not.

See you next week!