Taking Faithful Steps

      I saw a quote on social media one time that said when God placed the calling on your life, he already factored in your stupidity. And honestly, I thought that was pretty fabulous because I needed that reminder that God already knows every mistake I'm going to make, and that his plan is way bigger than any of them.     Recently, though, I have realized that God not only factored in our stupidity, he also factored in our opposition. Let's be real- any time we are walking in obedience to the Lord and walking out our calling, opposition is going to come. But, God already knows every little (or big) obstacle we have to overcome or thing that will come against us.     Opposition can come from anywhere. Maybe it's unexpected red tape when you're starting a business or financial surprises (gotta love those). Maybe it's a platform that's not working, or marketing challenges.     Maybe it's even a person in your life. Maybe someone you love and t...

      I can remember asking people to pray about situations for me for years. Issues with my husband, my kids or my job- there were friends or people at church  I would ask to pray about whatever was going in our lives that needed prayer.     Now, I know that's what we're supposed to do, we are called to pray for one another and bear one another's burdens. But, what I wasn't telling anyone was that, being honest, my prayers over the situations were pretty pitiful.      Not because I wasn't praying or because I didn't want to pray. It's because I didn't think that my prayers were strong enough. Not my prayers alone, just my prayers in general. I didn't think that I had the "power" or the "access" to God that some of the other people in my life did. I kind of felt like God wasn't listening to me, but this person was a stronger Christian than I am or this person has been doing this longer than I have, so I know God will listen to...

      Some of the best advice I ever received came from my daughter when she said that two things can be true. That made me stop and think about the very foundation of her statement, and I realized how much we can take a black and white stance on things. Sometimes we get so overtaken and feel so strongly about our own viewpoint or opinion of a situation, we can forget that life is very multifaceted and complex. Especially when people and emotions are involved.     One area I see this a lot in is when it comes to thankfulness and gratitude.     So, let's just be real about this-life can be overwhelming! Bad things happen, we go through things, people hurt us and disappoint us. None of us gets out of this life unscathed.     However, sometimes when we try to express our hurt or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed to some of our Cristian friends, the knee jerk reaction can be "but don't forget how blessed you are," or "But you still have so m...

      Motherhood is by far and away the greatest gift I have ever received. It is my favorite job that I have, my favorite title I wear and the hardest job I will ever love.     I was never able to be a stay at home mom, or even a part time working mom. I have worked full time my entire adult life. Working in healthcare, specifically in an emergency room, this often meant twelve hour days. So, when I was gone, I was gone all day long.     I learned fairly early on that this meant I needed to maximize every moment that my kids and I did have together. This consisted of day trips, swimming, going to the park, me volunteering at the school, and intentional family time. I am proud to say that I got lost in motherhood and would not change one.     Now, however, I'm in the phase of life of parenting young adult children. My daughter is recently married, my son is in a serious relationship, they have their own lives and interests. And, while we are ...