When I was told that our theme for this Lenten season was based off of the scripture verse Hosea 2:16, I knew that being active in this women's ministry was part of God's plan for me. Let me explain. I recently graduated from Franciscan University this past fall and had some promising career prospects already set up. Option One: Stay in wonderful Steubenville, Ohio where there was my comfy affordable home, great fellowship, friends, and an adrenaline/adventure rich EMT career already set into motion. This seemed...
Read MoreHello my beautiful sisters! I am sincerely honored to be journeying with ya'll these next 8 days as we are reminded of the severe merciful love of Christ that drew him to Calvary for our sake. As we come into this Holy Week we will be focusing on the nature of Mercy. We will explore what it truly means to be merciful, how the Lord shows us His Divine mercy in scripture/tradition, the inner workings of mercy in our personal/work relationships, and how to be genuinely merciful to ourselves and others.
Read MoreWe come full circle from the first post on gratitude to talk once more about perfection. And for good reason.
As we cultivate gratitude in our hearts, it becomes easier to see the beauty of imperfection. In a way, that's the whole point. Gratitude is hard specifically because we encounter uncertainty and imperfection every day, and we don't like it. It's hard to be thankful for it.
Read MoreCultivating a garden is an interesting thing. We can plant seeds all we want, find the perfect soil, and faithfully water them every day, but we can never guarantee the flower will grow. And if it does, we cannot control when it decides to bloom. And when it does bloom, we can never guarantee its survival.
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These two verses are by far my favorite in all of Scripture. So we do not lose heart. St. Paul's encouragement is beautiful and moving. He identifies with the suffering that comes from feeling everything is wasting away and nothing is worthwhile. His words cut through the despair to bring hope, reminding us of the eternal glory waiting for us at the end of our lives!
Read MoreWe are each in a different place on our journey in life, on our journey to God. If we truly want to have a grateful heart, part of that includes thanksgiving for our individual journey.
Read MoreMost of us are not fascinated with the ordinary. We desire to experience (at least once) the grandeur of breathtaking beauty, overwhelming riches, and delicious feasts. We don't usually find frozen chicken, dirty baby diapers, or our spouse's bedhead something to talk about. Yet if our lives are inarguably going to be full of the ordinary much more often than the extra-ordinary, are we doomed to live a life dulled by routine and habit? Just, normalcy?
Read MoreBeing grateful when it doesn't feel like there's much to be thankful for is hard. When life is going well and we are in a time of spiritual consolation with the Lord, it's natural to express gratitude! But when we identify with the person in Psalms, when we feel distant and forgotten by God, that's when it's hardest to thank for Him for what He's done for us.
Read MoreCultivating a heart of gratitude is really about love. Or maybe I should say that love requires cultivating gratitude.
Read MoreBefore you skip through this set of posts because you think it's going to be another "Be grateful for what you have - lots of people are dying from hunger" reprimand, stop. That's not what this is.
This is about being a woman of gratitude.
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When God tests us is when He’s preparing us for something extraordinary.
We’re all called to build the Kingdom of God.
When God appeared to Moses in a fiery bush, He placed a task on his heart so great that Moses at first resisted. He doubted his own abilities and asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?"
Read MoreIf you had told me last year that I would come to love the desert, I would’ve laughed.
But it’s true. There is great mystery, deep passion, and exquisite beauty in what was once, millions and millions of years ago, a vast ocean.
I’ve admired the sides of mountains where traces of strong ocean currents once flowed. To think that giant sea creatures frolicked in waves that have now dried and left the earth cracked and scorched in the hot sun — it’s truly humbling to see that the Lord gives and takes away.
Read MoreSo far in our Lenten series, the desert has been nothing but scorching torture. Where we're stranded, tested, and forced to wait.
But the Holy Spirit is very much alive and present in the desert. There is grace and mercy and forgiveness in seasons of extreme droughts in our lives. It's in the fires that He is glorified.
Read MoreI’ve always believed that God gives His strongest soldiers the most difficult battles.
When you’re going through a challenge, a trial, or burden — and you’re left with absolutely nothing, it’s a sign that God has something extraordinary for you.
You don’t have to take my word for this — ask anyone who’s ever suffered and now shines for the Lord.
Read MoreWhether you’ve actually lived in the desert or you’re experiencing a dry season in your life, these empty, trying times force us to wait on the Lord.
Throughout the Bible, we see the desert as a setting that God uses to test the faith of His most faithful servants. Moses, Abraham, and Jesus Himself were all tested in the desert. It’s where they waited on the Lord.
And that’s what the desert is — waiting.
Read MoreLooking deeper into our hearts, the desert is a reflection of our own lives. Just like nothing can survive in the desert, we cannot live life apart from God in the seasons of our lives that are cracked, barren, and dry.
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This is THE #1 motto, heart song, mantra of every military spouse —
Bloom where you’re planted.
It’s what gets us through deployments, separations, cross-country moves, overseas moves, too many moves in 4 years, all kinds of moves.
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