When Time Is No More

I heard some sad news this weekend. One of my daughters favorite school teachers passed away in his sleep. He was young, married with a family, seemingly healthy, with his whole life ahead of him. I am sure he had made plans for the coming week, like tests to give, papers to grade, family activities, and the like.

But now, there is no more time for any of that.

To me, what is most disturbing about someone dying, is the immediacy of death. The finality of their existence. The reality of the end of a life, to be no more.

Every time I hear of someone passing away, especially in a sudden, unexpected, or tragic way, I find myself wanting reassurance that they are in heaven. Even if I did not personally know the person who died, my mind still wanders towards their salvation. I desperately want to believe that they are actually in a better place, pain-free, peaceful, forgiven and walking with Jesus.

But sometimes, we just dont know the answer to that question. We can only hope that the person knew Jesus while they were living, instead of meeting Him for the first time on their judgement day.

But I do know that I dont want to have regret. I hope that I do not one day find myself wondering, "was I the person that God desired to use to share Jesus with them? Did I miss a divine appointment to help that person find eternal life?"

A couple years ago, my oldest daughter had a friend who was murdered in a home robbery incident. As the thirteen year old boy threw himself in front of his toddler sister to protect her from the gunshots from the robbers who barged in their front door, he was shot, and killed instantly. I will never forget her words after she had processed the news.

She had tears in her eyes, and said that she wished she knew whether or not he was saved. She wished that she had shared Jesus with him, or at least talked about her faith with him, but instead, she was left wondering if her words could have made a difference in where he would spend eternity. Such a young mind, with such a profound understanding of the importance of having a relationship with Christ.

I cant even imagine how many opportunities I must have surely passed up in my life, to share Gods truth with someone who needed a Savior.

The hard truth is, that so many times we allow the fear of rejection and embarrassment, lack of self confidence, or the feeling of inadequacy, keep us from telling people about our Savior.

We always tell ourselves that we can talk about it with them later - when we are ready, when it is more convenient, or when the time seems right. But sometimes, time runs out and we are left with regrets and the disturbing thought that maybe they are not walking with Jesus.

God made it clear in His Word that he put us here to serve Him, not the other way around. God is not present in our lives just so that He can watch over us, protect us, and bless us, but instead, we are placed here for Him. We are given life so that we can help others find life in Him. That is our true one and only purpose this side of heaven.

Since we know we all fall short of the glory of God, and that God does not expect perfection out of us, blaming our inability to share Christ on our personal insecurity or fear of failure is a pretty poor excuse when it comes to considering whether or not someone will spend eternity in heaven, or eternity in hell.

We can glorify our God and bring a smile to His face, simply by trying to share His love with others and spread the good news - with a sense of urgency. He will take care of the rest. We are simply to say yes to being the vessel, the mouth piece, of God.

We never know when life for us will be no more; when life for our spouse or loved one will be no more; or when a casual acquaintance at work or in your neighborhood will be no more. Nobody is guaranteed another breath or another day. Remembering that can be our motivation to get rid of those inhibitions which are keeping us from living out our faith and impacting the lives of others, for here and eternity.

A couple weeks ago my pastor encouraged the congregation to look for the divine appointments that God schedules for us during the week. He encouraged us to remember that the good news, is awesome news, and that it is meant to be shared; that people need to be blessed, comforted, hugged, encouraged and loved on. It was a reminder to not be so focused on our life, that we forget the reason we have life.

I encourage you to seek out and be aware of those divine appointments in your life this week. If God has put someone in your life, remember that he/she is there for a reason. Could you be the one to impact their eternity? Could your obedience to step out of your comfort zone and plant seeds in someones hearts about the love of Christ, be what God has planned to bring them to glory?

As you have read this post today, I would imagine that God has placed someone on your heart that needs to hear about Jesus. Maybe He has brought someone to your mind that is not saved, or someone whom you are unsure of their salvation. And if no one has come to mind, take a moment to pray and see if God places a name on your heart.

Then act on that holy prompting today. Believe that the Holy Spirit resides inside of you, and has the power to work through you to save someones soul. Break down those walls of fear, and step out in faith.

You never know when that person on your heart could run out of time.

**My thoughts are prayers go out to the Crego family. May God take you through this difficult, painful time and bring comfort in your time of mourning. I pray God blesses you immensely and that you can see and feel His presence in the coming weeks. **

In Search of Peace of Mind

Okay, I admit it. I am stressed out. Even if I am successful at hiding my stress on the outside, I can always tell when things are starting to get me.

Lately, my heart has been racing in my chest. It seems to beat harder than usual, even when I am not doing anything that would cause an increased heart rate. The last few weeks, I just seem to be "aware" of my heartbeat all the time.

We want life to be simple and carefree, but it never is. And if you arent already stressed, we always know that life could change in an instant and new opportunities for stress are around every corner!.

We have a lot going on this week, for example.

My 15 year old daughter is trying out for cheerleading this week. Im stressing, not because cheerleading is all that important, but just because it is important to her. Because I worry about how self-esteem and happiness, and dont want her to feel sad or discouraged.

My 12 year old daughter got her braces on today. Aside from the sticker shock of having to write the check to the orthodontist , I worry about her accepting her new look. I worry that other kids might poke fun at her and hurt her feelings. I worry about her confidence and happiness.

In addition to my sisters every day struggle with Multiple Schlerosis, she is now also facing a serious kidney problem. We are unsure whether or not she will lose her inactive kidney, and worried about how the other kidney is doing.

My step-mother is fighting a terrible battle with lung cancer, and so far the cancer is winning the fight. My dad is her full time caregiver, three hours away from the rest of our family, so there is little help for him, and I worry about his health.

My mother is facing financial issues due to a loss of a job nearly one year ago. She also spends each day in emotional turmoil over worrying about my sister, causing me to worry about her health too.

Two recent deaths in our family.

Several of my friends are dealing with difficult health diagnoses with their children and parents, and my heart breaks for them.

The economy. Culture and society. Our family business. Bills to pay. Groceries to buy. Sports practices & busy schedules. Homework. Tests. Mean girls. Bullying. Teen fashion. Marriage. Family. The future.

Life, in itself, is stressful! Can you relate?

I came across a statement today that stress comes from trying to do something about something that we cant do anything about. How true! It made me realize that all the things above that I am stressed about, I have absolutely no control over.

We cannot change certain circumstances. We cannot heal people. We cannot influence other people to do what we want them to do. We cannot make things happen, just because we want them to happen. We cannot always avoid situations that are unpleasant. We cannot protect our kids from all harm.

When we cant control things, we feel helpless, which only increases our stress more. So what can we do?

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (NLT)

Aaaahhhhh, there is the answer. Trust in God!

Simple enough, right? Wrong.

For most of us, myself included, trusting God during difficult circumstances can be incredibly hard, regardless of how strong our faith is. I know with all my heart that my God is THE God, the creator of all things, all powerful, all mighty, sovereign, the ultimate physician, and the only way to heaven. I believe that He holds the world in His hands, that He sees/ordains/allows all things, and that all things have a purpose for those who serve Him.

But yet, my human fears and concerns often cause my heartbeat to race, my mind to imagine the worst case scenario, and my peace to vanish.

Lets face it, FULLY trusting God with our fears is hard - it goes against what our human heart wants to feel, and forces us to think with our spiritual heart. Normally we half heartedly put our trust in God, and half heartedly try to hold on to the most painful issues, and stress about it.

However, when we entrust our problems to God, and leave them in His hands, then we release ourselves from the burden of feeling like we need to continue stressing. Easier said than done, but true nonetheless.

Reality is, that I can stress myself into a heart-attack, but I will never have control over all the difficult situations in my life.

So I am challenging myself today to trust God more fully, not with some issues, but all issues. Not with half my heart, but with my whole heart.

Also, I realize that I cant change overnight. I cant erase my tendancy to worry. But I believe in who God is. I believe He is the Great I Am. And I know that unshakable faith is a process. A process of praying, believing, hoping and waiting for God to work in His perfect timing. If I ask for it, I will receive, according to Gods Word. Today I ask for peace of mind.

What about you? Are you stressed today? Do you desire to lay your worries and greatest fears at His feet? Do you yearn for that peace that seems unattainable as you stare the unknown right in the eye? I invite you to join me today, in my quest to be stress free, and faith-full.

Dear heavenly Father, my heart is hurting. My spirit is waning. I am fearful about things. I am carrying worry around in my heart. Lord, will you replace my fears with your comfort? Will you replace my worries with your reassurance? Will you replace my heartache with your peace? Help me to see you at work in the circumstances in my life. Allow me to see a piece of the plan that you have set forth, and help me to know how to minister to these people in my life. Help me to have the right words to share your love, and the strength I need to be strong for them. Help me to trust you God, fully, reverently, and immediately. Fill me with a peace that surpasses all understanding, and wrap Your hands around my heart and mind so that I will not try to pick up my burdens again. Impress upon my heart to remember to praise you during the storms of life. In Jesus name, Amen

Why me?

Do you ever find yourself wondering, "why me?"

I think we all do at times, and normally when we are thinking that, it is probably right smack in the middle of a difficult situation. Then the deeper we get into the situation, the more likely we are to slip into the mindset of thinking that if we love, trust, honor and follow God, that we should be spared from trials and heartbreak...........so therefore, why are we suffering? Does God not love us?

Take a moment right now - and think about what you have been feeling lately. Mentally fill in the blank here:

Why me God? Why am I having to deal with _____________________________?

Now take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Every person alive sometimes feels that we have received far more than our fair share of hardships.

Having those thoughts is normal, however, if we allow that to become our habitual way of thinking every day, it can potentially take a toll on our faith walk.

If we walk around thinking that if it were not for bad luck, we would have no luck at all, or if we maintain a general outlook about how life is not fair..... then we can become angry and frustrated with God, and eventually may even choose to walk away from Him - either purposely or inadvertently.

Scripture tells us that in this life we will have troubles, but that God is there with us through them all. Psalm 34:19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.

I also came across this passage below and loved it. Psalm 73, the Message Bible version:

Psalm 73:1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted. But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. I was looking the other way, looking up to the people At the top, envying the wicked who have it made, Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world.

11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody's tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I've been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that's what—a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

Isnt that just like us? We not only think "why me?", but that leads us to start thinking "why them?". Why do they not have the same problems, why are things easier for them, why did they get something that I wanted... blah, blah, blah. Know what I mean?

Either way we pose the question, it leads to disharmony with God.

What would happen if we began thinking about all the good things that God has done in our life, instead of focusing on the bad things that God has ordained or allowed in our life?

For example: Why was I..............
- blessed with a wonderful spouse
- blessed with children to love
- blessed with a home to live in and a car to drive
- blessed with employment
- blessed with the ability to stay at home with my children
- blessed with clothes
- blessed with health
- blessed to live in America or another great country
- blessed to have family who loves me
- blessed with intelligence and the resources to be educated

- blessed with the freedom of speech and religion
- blessed with.............(I'll let you fill in the blanks from here with your own thoughts)

It seems that the antidote for curing the "why me?" syndrome, is to begin asking why we are blessed, not just why we suffer. And secondly, to ask ourselves what we ever did to deserve our blessings? When we think about things that way, it gives us a new perspective about what we are dealing with.

I have found in my own life that no matter how many reasons I can come up with to think "why me", that the number of blessings that I have been granted far out-number the difficulties.

I realize that in the whole scheme of things, my problems are minimal compared to what other people may be faced with.

I realize that my problems do not have to weigh me down, because I can lay them at the feet of Jesus and walk away from them with confidence, knowing that God is in control.

I remember that God has used hardships in the past to draw me closer to Him, and that He can do the same thing again as I walk through current situations.

I remember that I am given grace and eternal life, even though I do not deserve it, instead of death and a life apart from God, which I do deserve.

So, not why me, but why not me? No one has ever been spared from trials, and nor should I, despite how much I love Jesus. In fact, facing difficult circumstances is actually a sign that He is working in my life.

1 Peter 1:6-7 says "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise,..."

And even if I cant rejoice over my trials, I still believe one very important truth.........


Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose."

Do you believe that verse is true? I have seen it to be proved true in my life, and as a result, no matter how painful a circumstance may be in my heart, deep down I truly believe that God has a purpose for it; a way to bring someone to Christ or glorify Him in some way; and a way for His divine will to be carried out.

A great way to start out a new week, is to start it out with a fresh perspective. A perspective that looks for the positive in the negative and a perspective that searches for Gods activity, rather than Gods inactivity.

Where is my will power?

I often find myself very frustrated with her. Why cant she be different? Why cant she just be the person who God wants her to be?

Who am I talking about, you ask? I am referring to myself.

I commit to reading in my chronological bible every day, but before I know it, several days have passed, and now I am behind in my reading.

I make a commitment to exercise more patience with my children when they are having one of their dramatic episodes over something silly, but instead I am impatient.

I commit to talking gently with my children when they are engaging in heated sibling rivalry, but instead I respond in frustration and anger.

I commit to not eat that delicious, moist, oozing homemade chocolate cake that is sitting on my counter because I just made it as a special snack for the kids, not me, but instead I find myself drawn to it.

I commit to have more compassion for the people who need me do to things for them, but instead I catch myself feeling resentful or frustrated.

I commit to being more patient with my husband when he is pushing all of my wrong buttons, but instead I find myself responding with a lack of love.

I commit to forgiving for my friend for hurting my feelings, but as soon as the subject comes up, I feel those hurt feelings surfacing again.

Why? Why cant we be stronger? Why cant we resist the temptations put before us? Why cant we hold firm to the things that we know are Gods ways, instead of letting our human flesh and emotions control our thoughts and actions?

Regardless of the situation, I think it all boils down to willpower, and believing that if we exercise willpower, the positive consequences will outweigh the negative.

If dont eat chocolate cake, I dont gain weight.
If I am patient with my children, I teach them patience.
If I respond in love, I will diffuse anger and avoid conflict.
If I love my husband through thick and thin, my marriage flourishes.
If I practice compassion, I am able to be selfless, and share Gods love.

The art of willpower is being able to see past the current situation and temporary advantages of giving into the flesh, and looking into the future in consideration of the permanent benefits.

But how do we try to stay focused on that good future?

Good news, God has not left us alone to battle the temptations of the flesh. He has not left us alone to battle the forces of evil in our limited strength. I know we can overcome small and huge temptations through the power that God is ready to impart in us, if we ask for it.

I think inside each one of us, there is a desire to be pure, good, and live a righteous life. It is when we do not seek Gods will, that the problems begin.

Some people dispute Christianity or make fun of people who try to live a life based on morals and integrity, but deep inside of them, there is a desire to do the right thing.

Other people desire to do good, but continue to allow their selfish desires drive their actions, and ultimately they will fail also.

God placed that desire for righteous living in all of us, but He also gave us the choice of whether or not we will fill that hole with His will, or our own.

Having willpower simply means yielding to Gods will. Choosing to live in His ways.

But what about the power of choice? Is it a gift or a curse? I have to wonder, but either way, it is ours to exercise.

We cannot always control our thoughts or push aside our human emotions. We cannot always overcome the desires of the flesh to be selfish, un-compassionate, unloving, impatient, or to eat yummy chocolate cake that we know is not good for the thighs.

Some people have a terrible time controlling their desire to lie, steal, be angry, abuse alcohol, do drugs, watch pornography, have repeated affairs, or a myriad of other struggles that are in this broken world. For some, overcoming these temptations to continue in a pattern of sin seems insurmountable, impossible, and hopeless.

But no matter what the temptation, we always have the power to choose. We can choose to love God, and serve Him, and try to live a life that glorifies Him.

We can choose to desperately pray for the willpower to overcome our temptations. We can choose to believe that He will do a work in our hearts and help us be that overcomer.

In choosing Christ over our own desires, our whole being can be brought under the control of Christ. He will have control over our thoughts. He will have control over our actions. He will have control over our behaviors. He will have control
over our desires.

By yielding ourselves to the power of Christ, and praying for His will, not our own, we open the door for divine power to be poured into our souls. We receive a strength to fight off temptations that we didnt know was possible. We notice that what once seemed so tempting, no longer seems so great. We notice that our desires change from the bad, to the good.

We notice, and begin believing, that we can have a life of victory. Victory over appetite, lust, selfishness, substance abuse, and all struggles.

We find out we can live a life that is pure and noble, instead of daily succumbing to the weak, wavering will of ourselves.

Do you need some willpower today? I know I do. But today I am not going to depend on my own pitiful attempts to exercise willpower. I am going to depend on God. I have felt His willpower in me in the past, and have seen His power working through me, fighting off of my temptations. He is all powerful.

Lord, today I pray for willpower. Please give me the willpower I need to overcome the struggles between my fleshly desires, and your heavenly desires; the struggles between the way I would like to think or act, and the way you would have me think or act. Help me to keep my eyes focused on the positive benefits that are derived from living each day in a way that lets other people see You living in me, instead of swimming in the negative feelings that I feel after acting out in a way that does not glorify You. Instill in me a desire to do your will, every day. Take over control of my heart and mind today, so that my emotions are controlled by Godly thoughts, and that my actions will be ones that I can be happy with, and ones that bring a smile to your face as well.

Romans 7:18 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. (The Message Bible)

Spiritual Questions #1: Do I Have A Hardened Heart?

Each week I receive emails from women cross the country, inquiring about how to handle a certain situation in their life, heal from past hurts, or find forgiveness. I always feel so humbled that I am even given the opportunity to minister to these precious women, although I feel so unworthy and unqualified to do so. However, I believe every interaction is a divine appointment, and rely on God to lead me to the right truths to share that will encourage them in their faith.

Since the issues that are brought to my attention are ones that I feel sure that many women struggle with each day, I thought I would share some of these issues and Gods truths about them, with my readers over the coming days.

This past week, I received an email from a lady who had been taught to believe as a child, through her former church, that a persons heart could be permanently hardened. She was living with the overwhelming fear that maybe since she had turned away from God so many times in her life, and rejected His ways, that there was no hope for her. That her opportunity for salvation and eternal life with Christ had passed. That all was lost.

It broke my heart to read those few short sentences, and hear the fear and hopelessness in her voice. So in case there is anyone else who is holding onto that fear that it is too late for them to have a relationship with Christ, I am focusing on that subject today.

This untruth was taught to her via reference to Hebrews 3:7-11 :

So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, They shall never enter my rest.'

Now consider these two verses below:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 15:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

These two verses above are absolute truths. As you can see, in neither verse, does God mention that His love and eternal life are promised with strings attached, time frames attached, or a set number of times when we can turn from Him and never be allowed to know Him. These verses simply say that He sent His son for us, and that we can always get to the Father through Jesus.

I know and believe that our God is a God of second chances, and third, fourth, fifth and infinite chances! Each day we are given a new opportunity to start anew, to ask for forgiveness, and to strive for a heart that loves Him and a life that lives for Him.

We all stumble and fail, but we are forgiven upon request and loved nonetheless.

Each day that we reject Him, He longs for us. Each day that we turn from His ways, He wishes we would choose Him. Each day we suffer the consequences for our own bad choices, He hurts for us, catches our tears, and calls out to us. But never, does He turn His back on us.

As a parent, when my child disappoints me or does not follow the Godly ways of living that I have taught them, I would never consider in a million years the thought of forgetting about them, or kicking them out into the street to fend for themselves, writing them off forever. Nor does God feel that way about us. He forgives a million times over, just as we do for our own children.

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

This verse in Matthew reassures us that Jesus will continue knocking on our hearts for as long as we live. Even if someone does not repent and accept Christ until they are within moments of death, as long as they open the door to let Him into their hearts before they die, then Jesus is there with open arms.

The ONLY time that it would be too late to accept Jesus and the gift of salvation is after our death, because then we have no power to make decisions or choices anymore, and our whole lives were lived apart from Christ. Then is the only time when we could hear the words, “I never knew you”, as we see in Matthew 7:23.

I have read that there were only 2 specific times in history, when the door to salvation was actually closed, with no turning back, no second chances.

One: when Noah warned people for 150 years that God’s judgment was coming, but they refused to listen and went about living their lives apart from Him, and they were all killed in the flood without another opportunity to believe Gods Word. Once the doors of the ark were shut, those people did not have another chance.

Two: Sodom and Gomorrah, the people of those sinful cities were warned and given plenty of opportunity to believe, but they continued to live in habitual ways that were against God, and after Lot and his family were clear of the cities, He destroyed the cities and everyone in them. They did not have a second chance.

The Bible clearly warns us in Revelation that there is ONLY one last world-wide judgment for the entire world, which is the Tribulation. Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus now, will escape it and will be taken to heaven immediately when the Tribulation begins. Those who have died before the rapture will be resurrected and given glorious new bodies, and those alive will be instantly transformed with new bodies without having to face death. Jesus warns that when He returns for the Tribulation, that our world today will be in the same state as it was in Noahs time and in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Some people think that the Tribulation may be sooner than later, since our world seems to be operating in a perpetual state of lack of values and slowly trying to remove Christ from all aspects of our lives, but only God knows when that time will come. As believers, that is not something we need to worry about, because whether it happens now or later, we will be safe and happy with Jesus.

God wants us to understand by the “hardening of hearts” reference in Hebrews 3, that the time to love Him, commit our lives to Him, and follow Him NOW.

Life is fragile, and we have no way of knowing how many days we will be given to live. Waiting to accept Gods call on our heart, is kind of like playing Russian roulette with our eternal life. We have the opportunity, while we are living on this earth, to open the door as He is knocking. If we wait too long and our opportunity passes because of death or Tribulation, only then is it too late.

If you are worried that God has possibly hardened your heart because of the way you have lived your life so far, then you can relax in knowing that your heart is not hardened. If your heart were hardened, you would not care about what God thought, or whether or not you heart was hardened. If you seek and desire a relationship with God, then your heart is preparing a place for Him.

Hebrews 3:7-11 is talking about people who continued to harden their hearts and rebel against God. They never repented. They did not desire to repent. They did not care about God.

A 'hardened heart' does not mean that God will no longer want you because your heart is hardened, it means that ones heart would be so full of sin and rejection of Jesus, that one would no longer desire God.

Any person who sincerely desires to repent can be saved. If God is not dealing with your heart, then you would not care about your spiritual condition or eternal life.

If you have every worried if God has turned His back on you because of your ways, or if you do not feel Him working in your heart and secretly wonder if He has hardened your heart, consider reading Luke 15. No matter how many sheep a shepherd had, he would always search for the one who was lost. The same goes for you, Gods child, if you are lost, rest assured that He is searching for you, even if you have walked away.

Forever is a long time, forever is eternity. You can have the gift of eternity forever with God, simply upon the asking. DO YOU KNOW JESUS ?

Do you have a spiritual question that you have been struggling with? Send me an email or post a comment and I would love the opportunity to address it during this series.

{Please note: I do not claim to be a biblical or theological scholar, however, I commit to fully rely on Gods Word 100%, and will also check with my pastor, if needed or if I am uncertain, to confirm any information or biblical answers about spiritual truths that may be in question.}

Hola Amigos!

My trip to Mexico last week was absolutely amazing. I arrived back home with a head and heart overflowing with fond memories, and the blessing of lots of new friends!

To the ladies of the Ecumenical Society in Monterrey, thank you for your kindness, your friendship and for making my stay there so wonderful. I was truly blessed by each of your stories and your confidence to be so transparent and open, and what God is calling you to do going forward.

Before this past weekend, all I knew about Monterrey was that a lot of Mexican restaurants seem to be named after that city, but now I know that it is a beautiful, mountain terrain city filled with beautiful people who live there!

The scenery was breathtaking.... here are a few pictures to prove my point........

(Below, me and Rita, my wonderful host who let me stay in her garden room before we went to the hotel the next day.)

(Ritas backyard - wow! The garden room is top right, where I stayed. Can you say paradise?)

(The beautiful Monterrey mountains)

God showed up so big at the retreat, and we were all blessed by His presence and the fellowship that we all shared in His name. I believe hearts were healed and new amazing beginnings are on the horizon for many women - glory to God!



All in all, it was a weekend that I will never forget. The theme verse for our weekend was Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans for a hope and a future.

It was a great reminder of how God works in miraculous ways to help us see that His plan for our lives is so much better than our own. Many women were struggling with painful personal circumstances, but they too could see God at work in their lives and return home knowing that God has a plan for everything.

I love the way God intervenes in our lives and puts us in just the right places at just the right times with just the right people! Just knowing God has a special plan and purpose for each of us is a comforting, and peace-giving feeling that we can carry with us whereever we go.