Blog

Category

COVID-19 For such a time as this

  • March 23, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

In 1982, my last grandparent passed away. Bobby and I had been married a year and we were asked to clean out her apartment in a retirement community. The family had come in and picked up the china, photos, and silverware. Cousins had grabbed mementos and all that was left was “stuff”. Our family told us to keep anything we needed as a young couple and donate the rest. It sounded simple enough but the experience changed my perspective quickly....

My Favorite Teacher…

  • March 18, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

  “Thanks Doc…Let’s go to heaven.” Those are the last words my dad “spoke” to our family.  That was his reply to the following question.  Dr. Chappell had just given him some very grim news.  His quality of life would be severely diminished if he lived.  My dad had a choice to make.  “Let’s go to heaven” was his choice. I’ve been thinking a lot about our word PEACE this week and my memory bank keeps going back to that...

Coronavirus can’t understand Middle Tennessee

  • March 9, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

I just came home from a conference in Washington, DC plus I am an avid people watcher. This made for an intriguing week. Coronavirus blared from every TV in airports and restaurants. Newspaper headlines were hard to miss. I saw plenty of masks, empty soap dispensers, Clorox wipes atop luggage/airplane trays and many latex gloves in all strata of folks. My husband had a limit on the water he could buy for our monthly grocery run. Friends canceling overseas trips....

Finding the Quiet…

  • March 3, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

A few weeks ago, I was home alone. The entire night—I was home alone.  I can’t tell you the last time that happened; it was probably over 12 years ago.   The boys went on a trip to New Orleans for the Saints playoff game and Karis was asked to spend the night at a friend’s house.  I came home to an empty house (with the exception of three donkeys, two cows, two dogs, and 20 chickens) after coaching a basketball...

Unfriended…Can we have a conversation please?

Unfriended.  My offense?  A political comment had been posted and the thread was going south quickly.  The potential for hurt feelings was very likely and the fallout could affect relationships.  I commented “you may want to consider where this thread is headed, the potential for divisiveness is high and there could be some badly hurt feelings”. For the Christian, there is absolutely no place on social media for divisiveness of any kind.  The world is watching…and often what they see...

Friendship–Who is leading the navigation? (Part 2)

  • February 10, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

As a continued post from last week https://shelteredingrace.com/index.php/2020/02/03/nobetterfriendthanjesus/ We need each other.  That is a fact. But friendship is hard.  Relationships are hard. Satan knows the power of “each other”, and he does everything to try and separate. Two are better than one though.  And our greatest friend we should have is Jesus.  Every celebration.  Every tear.  Every heartache should be brought to Him–FIRST.  He will never fail you. And He, while leaving his heavenly home and came here on earth,...

Friendship–No Better Friend Than Jesus (Part 1)

  • February 3, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, Two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes...

Fear is a Liar

  • January 21, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

When I first heard the song on the radio, “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams, it resonated in my soul. Fear is the great enemy of our human condition. Fear is written by the father of lies himself, Satan. Fear creeps in on its belly as the ancient evil one did. What are your fears? Loneliness? your health? your children? your marriage? sobriety? I could type a hundred more reasons for you and me to fill in the blank....

What Matters….

  • January 13, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

What matters.  As I dig more into my ONE WORD for 2020 which is CONTEND, what matters tends to be the basis in every area of my life.   In my relationship with God…what matters? In my marriage, what matters?   In my home, what matters?  Within my church family, what matters?  In my work as a teacher, what matters?  I think that the “preacher” sums it up in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:   Fear God...

Vulnerable….

  • January 7, 2020
  • /
  • Blog

2020…thank you for coming.  I’ve been waiting for you, new year..new beginnings.  This will probably be one of the more “open” blogs I’ve written.  2019 was a hard year.  In fact, things are just beginning to settle.  It was a year of goodbyes, sadness, exhaustion, feeling out of control, and questioning.  It was also a year of faith building, hope, trust, perseverance and growth. Each year I choose a word to focus on, study and strive to plant into my...