Have you ever taken a dip in the ocean only to return to shore blocks away from your original destination. Bewildered, you begin to look for some object of familiarity. What happened? Well, you didn’t intentionally keep your eye on a focal point, so you were unconsciously pulled away by the waves…

“I can’t pray.” “I’m totally overwhelmed.” “How could God allow this to happen to me?” I have heard these and many similar laments through the years from women who have been knocked off their feet in the face of an unexpected tragedy.

I have said those very words myself. I know that the initial sadness can be so overwhelming that you can’t even pray. The mind is orbited into a blank space; you feel emotionally and spiritually paralyzed…

I remember being invited to a “Pastor’s Luncheon” to speak about an organization that I was involved with locally. But that wasn’t all the Holy Spirit had in mind for me to…

There are moments in life that are so traumatic that the pain penetrates every recess of your mind and body and moves like a living, breathing entity. Your emotive response to the experience lingers…

We live in a day and age where all manner of self-identification is promoted. So, I shamelessly state that I identify as a sheep – it suits me well. So why a sheep and not some other animal? I once taught a…

Every so often I need a strong voice to remind me of the power of the God that I follow. Why can’t I hear Him whisper of His unfailing love when the digital clock flickers at 4 AM, taunting my mind with endless thoughts—with no shut off button. Spinning in…

Women, we have so many opportunities to impact our culture. “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World.” Right? That was a poem published in 1865 by William Ross Wallace that praised motherhood. I believe…

I was listening to a podcast recently where the speaker used the theme of “one more night with the frogs” to drive home a point about the spiritual depravity of man. The frogs were the second plague deposed in the war between God and Pharoah, which stemmed from…

I don’t know about you, but everywhere I turn these days, I hear stories of devastating circumstances from wars to hurricanes to cancers to prodigals to death and the list goes on. Painful times are part of living in a fallen world. This is a hard truth but worthy of a heavenly spotlight…

It seems like yesterday that I taught a program in my county schools called “The Peer Challenge Program.” Its underlying themes were the 3 R’s: Respect, Responsibility, and Restraint. My friend and I, a biologist, wrote the program out of concern for the one-sided approach that was so…

Have you ever run into someone from your past, and you relay the encounter by placing her in the context of who she was in high school? Remember her? She was the girl who got pregnant, she was really odd, she was snooty…. our past reputations seem to embed…

When I raised my children, we did family devotions every evening during the weekdays. Our lives were so filled with school responsibilities, sports schedules, and overall daily busyness that we deliberately carved out a…

When I read something that moves me deeply, I automatically find myself googling the author’s name to learn their backstory. I wonder what they had to experience to possess a marksman-like aim that shoots a bullseye straight to the heart. Recently the words of an old…

I often run into women that I haven’t seen in a while, and one of the questions they inevitably ask is if I am still teaching Bible study. You see, I taught Bible study for over four decades – that’s lots of women and of all ages….

Women Arise: When Disappointment Comes Article by Andrea Maher Webster’s dictionary defines disappointment as “sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.” The keywords that resonate with me are “nonfulfillment of one’s expectations.” I know it’s my fault that I place high standards of what I expect from friendships. By personality…

I’m sure most women would agree that one of the most life-altering, momentous and transforming events that has ever happened in their lives was when they crossed over to the realm of MOTHERHOOD. This new role launches a woman in…

One thing I will always be grateful for is both my father and mother had the blessing of being surrounded by their loved ones as they took their last breath on this earth. Prior to 2020, that sentiment would have been a norm…

I have often thought how difficult life would be if I didn’t believe in God. I’m always wondering how non-believers navigate the many ups and downs of living in a fallen world. It must cause continual inner turmoil, instability, and…

“To speak or not to speak that is the question.” Well maybe I messed up a tad bit on that well-known line from Hamlet, which if I recall, was “to be or not to be that is the question.” Ultimately the same dilemma exists in my…

I was on vacation swimming in the pool when I observed a young boy around 8-years-old. What caught my eye — was first my ear! What I mean is that I hadn’t noticed him, until I honed in on his father’s firm instructions to him. Apparently, his dad had to…