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“Old” Friends…the best medicine

  • June 10, 2020
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This past weekend was spent cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, decorating, giving directions, driving (a lot), buying groceries, making lists, 97,382 steps, running errands, finding people, cutting cakes, making punch, Sonic runs, steaming dresses, pinning boutonnieres, wiping up spills, asking favors, and a myriad of other tasks.  It was also spent visiting, laughing, catching up, hugging (sorry – no social distancing for me), staying up late with feet in the pool just talking, eating meals in the midst of great conversation,...

My “Ode” to the Journey–A Sincere Heart

  • May 26, 2020
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God desires from us sincerity..He wants us to have a sincere heart (Ephesians 6:5); a sincere mind (2 Peter 3:1), a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5), a sincere wisdom (James 3:17); a sincere devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3), and a sincere brotherly love for other Christians (1 Peter 1:22). That means He wants our whole heart in every area of our life.  He wants us to be authentic.  He wants us to be real. Most of you know that...

Dear Betty Crocker Cookbook–and Thank You Grandmommy Kay

  • May 11, 2020
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Our word this week on Sheltered in Grace is HONOR.  When defined, it means to give esteem and respect for what someone has done.  I have been blessed with incredible grandmothers, a great mother, much like Timothy.  They have poured into me, guided me, pruned me when needed (even when it hurt), and helped mold me to who I am today.  So today, I want to honor one of them:  Kay Francis Beaman Hays–my maternal grandmother, whose influence still reigns heavily...

Planting Seeds of Forgiveness…

  • May 5, 2020
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When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”  So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’  Now please forgive the sins of the...

What Matters….

  • January 13, 2020
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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...

Focus…with ONE word

  • January 1, 2020
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The “Resolutions of New Year” are quickly approaching.  It is a time for a fresh start or a “clean” slate. When the clock changes from 2019 to 2020, you want to do “things” better in the New Year. We want and desire change.   Resolutions though do NOT have a high rate of success.  As a matter of fact, research has shown that only around 10% of adults keep them after a few months.  I know for me personally, I fall...

In this world you WILL have trouble…

  • November 7, 2019
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Life is messy. Jesus plainly told us we would have trouble in this world BUT HE overcame the world. Conflict equals trouble in our modern world. Conflict-resolution, conflict-management, conflict-avoidance, conflict vs. bullying, and conflict-anxiety symptoms were some of the topics that ended up in my Google search bar when I did a search. There are college-degree programs with conflict resolution as a major. You cannot browse your social media feed without finding conflict within a minute or so. Twitter is...

Planes, Trains & Automobiles…

  • October 28, 2019
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“If you could choose anywhere in the world to go, where would it be?  I need a travel partner.” That’s the question my mom asked me several years ago. Traveling with anyone other than the hubs is not really something I had ever considered.  Mom changed all of that.  A little backstory…My Dad loved traveling…to football games.  They went to a LOT of them.  Mom wanted to “see the world” but Dad had served in the Korean War and had...

#truthaboutskittles

  • October 14, 2019
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If you follow me on social media, you will often see the hashtag, #teachmetonumbermydays. It is one of my go-to verses in scripture. I try to begin each day with the reminder, my days are numbered; let me use them well. Numbering your days is seasonal in our lives. When we are children and teens, we can’t wait to grow up and be adults. Upon reaching adulthood, we all hit a moment where we realize “adulting” is hard. We always...

Embracing God in the Storm

  • September 16, 2019
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August 24, 2013. The day that drastically changed my life. Just a normal Saturday that turned into one of the worst days of my existence.  I received the call every wife dreads – the call that says, “your husband has been in a car accident”.  Shock.  Denial.  Hysterical crying. The people around my apartment complex must have thought I was a crazy woman – I cannot begin to imagine the scene they witnessed.  A young woman walking her beagle (actually,...