Gateways to Joy

I t's still dark out though it's morning.  The house is hushed.  Still. I rise to talk to Him—Creator and the creature.  I'm remembering my spiritual practices—the one that draws me closer to Him.  The things that we write about on Wednesday's over at Ann Voskamps. I'm reading Colossians—not necessarily trying to memorize it as Ann and other's are doing.  I'm simply reading through it.  I plan on reading through it several times this year to see ... what He has for me there.  I love reading and then re-reading scripture.  I always over look things and He always has more to say to me during each read and re-read.  I love that, communing with Him.  And I love when He works through others...setting me on fire by the ordinary person, His men and His women. That's what He's doing to me through Ann and a few other bloggers.  Who would have known when I began this journey of blogging that it would first be done to share my walk wit...

A h my dear friends, hello and welcome back! It's late and I'm tired.  But I'm oh so glad to have this opportunity to meet with you again and share my heart-felt words. Our Internet service has been down.  We switched from ATT Uverse to Clear. Tonight I had a chance to stop by an old friend Ann Voskamp .  As usual she ministered to my soul in only the special way God has given her the ability to do.  I got a chance to listen to her speech at the Relevant Conference , boy was that speech fitting. There are several things that Ann said that hit home with me, but one of the things that continued to ring loudly in my mind is I am a woman born to blog for such  a time as this.  Ann contiue using the phrase "Such women you are for such a time as this..."  Guess what?  My dearest friend it's not by accident that I heard that speech and it's not by accident that you are reading this post.  You too, regardless of where you are in your Chri...

You know when I started hosting blog tours on my blog I was excited.  I thought it was cool and I figured it was one way to help someone else, even though I wasn't sure how beside the obvious of helping to promote and sale books.  This particular story I'm aware of how it can help many, as it has already helped me.  This story, to me, is so much more than a mother telling the story of how her son ended up on death row in a maximum security prison and how she and her husband are coming to terms with their "new normal."  To me, this is a story...a teaching if you will, from one Christian to another— explaining how to deal with trials, and how to deal with them from the perspective in which God has allowed them, seeing them as God intends for us to see them: A building of our character.  Carol Kent does an excellent job through her words and stories, as well as using the stories of others, showing us how to view our hard places ...