Discovering the Mystery of Who I Am in Christ
Sometimes pain can come on in an unexpected moment, such as when you step barefoot onto a sharp object, or when you suddenly lose a loved one. Other times, the pain is a deep ache of an old injury that resurfaces with a change in weather - or when your past emotional pain is triggered …
Congratulations! You've made it half way there! If you started at the beginning with us, you have fasted for 20 days. Praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy on us. If the middle of your fast, you may be feeling tired or uncertain. God may be bringing things up and stirring things up in …
Continue reading "40 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Day 20- Calling the Weak Strong"
You may feel like a failure today, but failing is learning. Learning is powerful! So, failure is powerful. Your inadequacy as a mother is all you need to allow God to bring you into new territory and to grow you as a person! ​
So, why in the world would I show you all my dirty laundry? Well, not laundry. I would never show you that! But, why would I show you my mess? Because the Lord impressed something so precious on my heart, as I walked through the mess, stepping over wires from my husband's studio, and trying to find a square foot to set my bags down on after work. 
 You see, I just finished speaking at a lovely weekend retreat called Revealed Retreat: Discover Who I Am in Christ. I challenged the ladies to give the Lord the deepest parts of their hearts - even the rooms of their hearts that they have shut the doors on for years. In the fight to stay positive and to keep from drowning in pain, sorrow and despair, people tend to avoid difficult conflict that arises when dealing with broken relationships and pain from the past. It's easier to ignore things and to just keep stuffing. These are things that may give us PTSD, if we decide to unpack them.
Today, in the bittersweet parting of ways with my college age daughter, I found profound perspective. I know the feeling of longing to have one more long walk, one more hug, one more shared couch with her head on my shoulder. Separation is an ache that reminds me of the relationship's tender value.
When I was 8, I stared at my friend's mom as she said, "I love horror movies!!" "Why?" I was perplexed. "Why would you want something in your mind that is scary? What is there to love?" "I just think fear feels delicious!" She said very excited. Hmmm, I thought. That is weird. I hate …
12 years ago, my husband and I started Emmaus Church with my parents, Mike and Jeanne Dean. I remember in the very early days, before our first service at Emmaus even began, we joined together with Living Water Church to do a Christmas program. I wrote up a short and fun theatrical program with various …
Continue reading "God calls the things that are not…as though they are…."
Tonight, I am going to my Daddy, my Abba Father, and asking him to bring someone up from their sick bed. This is a serious situation, and honestly, I am praying in faith, not knowing what I will wake up to in the morning. But, I am praying in confidence. 1 John 3:1 See how great …
Comfort. It is a word that draws many mental images. I imagine "The comfort of my own home" in my jammies, or some may imagine something totally different like Southern Comfort. I have very comfortable slippers I got for Christmas and yoga pants, whose comfort zap the productivity right out of me. Last night I …
Revealed Ministries 