I love a SUPRISE gift, especially when the receiver has no idea that the surprise is coming! A few weeks ago, at my final Inspire Conference as the PennDel Women Director, I was totally surprised when I was presented with Buster, a Cavapoo puppy! He is the sweetest gift, and our family loves him already, although a puppy brings a lot of work, like having a toddler.

There are stories of God’s faithfulness all around us. Pay attention and you will hear testimonies of His goodness and stories of His love. Just look, listen, and lean in. God is in the details of our lives. Last month, I wrote about how Love Is in the Details (if you haven’t read that one yet, I encourage you to do so). You will be reminded that the God of the universe sees you, knows you and loves you. He is graciously working in the details of your life.

Sizzling, steaming, boiling, clanking, and stirring are all sounds we will hear this week as we prepare the Thanksgiving meal or enjoy one prepared for us!  As women, the cooking generally falls to our ‘plates’, especially for major holidays. And spinning those plates becomes a great task at the onset of the occasion.

“You know the way to the place where I am going. —Jesus   (John 14:4 NIV)

I feel it in the pit of my stomach. I feel the groan, the ache, the grumble.  No, it’s not me; it’s creation.  Over the past year,  I have sensed the urgency of the hour.  I perceive it physically, emotionally, but spiritually most of all.  I have noticed it out on the streets while doing ministry.

I traveled with Steve to San Diego for his ELC Leadership Conference this past week. While the timing is less than perfect for me, the location was breathtaking, and thankfully, I can work from anywhere. As a matter of fact, I’m writing this blog in the St. Louis terminal as we await our final flight home.

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the waitress was so attentive to your needs that your glass never even runs empty? Each time that you take a sip, she seems to know, and intuitively comes rushing to your table to refill it again and again! When this happens, I always feel so noticed and cared for! But, sometimes the opposite is true – the waitress takes your food order and seemingly disappears into thin air, leaving you feeling forgotten (and thirsty)!

Have you ever attended a wedding where you were captivated by the lavish decorations, where you felt the “love” in every detail? Maybe you experienced something like that at a women’s retreat, weekend conference, or birthday party.

The seasons have certainly shifted!  Perhaps you have flipped your closet to a warmer wardrobe and pulled out your cardigans!  Have you stripped your toenail polish of the summer shades for deeper tones or for fuzzy socks and boots?  And, many of you have the coveted pumpkin spice latte in hand as you peruse the local farm for the best fall décor for your porch.

Have you ever had one of those moments where the thought just hit you, “I was born for this!” There is something so empowering about that feeling when your unique set of skills and your passion collide with a need that you can be an answer to. You are in the right place, at the right time, with the right tools to make a difference. 

Kids are back at school, leaves are falling, and schedules are in full swing. Have you sat by a fire or fireplace, sipping your pumpkin spice coffee? I recently had an Apple Crisp Oatmilk latte that was amazing. There is much to love about FALL!

As you pause and take a break from your workday, school day, or just busy day, you are here now reading this blog. Welcome, daughter.

There are so many different hats that we wear in this life. These hats can be things that we enjoy, and bring fulfillment and purpose. I’m sure if we were sitting together, you could tell me all about the different hats that you wear.

Feet.  What do you think about yours?  Are you blessed with perfect tootsies? Or like me, you have trouble finding comfy yet fashionable shoes? Most of the summer, I try to complement my extra wide feet with a pretty polish color hoping to distract from their gargantuan size. (I guess I could say that I have a firm foundation?!) 

A theme that seems to pop up often is “finding your people” and “belonging.” I’ve read some great books on the topic over the last few years as well, and to take it a step further, I’ve read about how to create community and promote a culture of connection. We all want to belong. Lately, I feel like I have just a deeper understanding of what that can look like.

Most kids have returned to school, and families are back to the school year routine. For those of you who are coffee drinkers, pumpkin spice is back at Starbucks and DD! Fall is here.

While everyone is typically ready for a routine to replace the lazy summer days, that first week of school can shock your system as parents.

When you feed your fear, you’ll starve your faith.  But when you feed your faith, you’ll starve your fear! 

In our busy world, everyone seems to want to be better. Climb the corporate ladder.  Strive for excellence.  Be better than Pinterest. Even in our churches, we see the need to want to be the best.  But something happens when we hear the call from the Lord to do something greater for Him. 

Book bags replace pool bags. Pull out your new calendar to mark the first day of the new school year. Or maybe the school year has already begun! Whether we have come to terms with it or not, it's revving back up! All of it! All the homework and carpooling, long days punctuated by sports practices, and busy weekends filled with games. Maybe your work gets more hectic, and church ministry, dare I say, (starts planning for the holidays). Shhhh! We scream, "Slow down!" It all goes by too fast. But does it?

The capacity of a seed is truly a remarkable thing. I’m sure you’ve seen many seeds in your life, whether you are enjoying a nutritious piece of fruit or cutting up some fresh veggies to eat. Seeds come in all shapes and sizes. The next time you eat an apple, take one of its seeds and put it aside. It’s hard to imagine that everything that a seed needs is packed inside of it!

It is what everyone desires. “If I only…”  or “If I had…”  or “If I didn’t” is the beginning of far too many sentences. It is the beginning of too many thought processes. It is the end of too many dreams, purposes, and untapped potential.