Compassion - from ecclesiastical Latin compassio(n-), from compati - ‘suffer with’

The week had been a long one. In all matters of work, family, personal, ministry - each had taken a toll during this time. Perhaps you have been there too where you feel a heaviness from the load you are carrying and are waiting for at least one area in life to give you a chance to catch your breath

Mary approached the garden. Her heart was heavy and her pace slowed by the grief and confusion carried within her heart. How could death bind the One who freed her? Didn’t He say that He would rise? Her mind and soul, though full of unanswered questions and heavy sorrow, felt hollow and… EMPTY. 

“Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. “ 1 Peter 3:15, (Living Bible)

I have always been an Easter girl. As an Easter girl, I have been all-in with woven Easter baskets filled with brightly colored plastic grass, masterfully dyed eggs, hollow chocolate bunnies, and jellybeans galore.

Gardens are beautiful. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be found anywhere and everywhere. There are gardens full of flowers and herbs and gardens overflowing with fruits and vegetables. The gardener is the creator of whatever is planted in the soil. He or she gets to create a work of art!

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” Exodus 34:29

Meeting face-to-face makes a difference. While technology has come a long way providing tools to allow us to communicate at a distance - even by video, it does not truly replace the connections and understanding that is more effectively communicated when you are face to face.

In November of 2023, at the Fall Inspire Conference, Liz formally passed the baton of leadership my way.  It was a dear and holy moment for me.  We also were able to honor Liz for her exemplary 5 years of leadership to the women of PennDel (complete with a puppy!). That weekend, many ladies said to me, “You have big shoes to fill!”  Yes, ma’am, did I ever know it! 

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD.” Psalm 107:43 (NLT)

Today is my final blog for PennDel Women. After serving for five years, the assignment I felt the Lord gave me, I stepped aside so the next director, Charisse Jenkins, could take the lead. It’s bittersweet, as I have loved leading PennDel Women and working with the beautiful team God placed around me.

I think there are two different kinds of people in the world: those who like to camp and those who don’t. Have you ever gone camping? 

The closest I’ve been to camping was when my parents let me and my siblings camp out in our backyard for a night. I don’t even remember if we made it through the night in that tent. Our senses were heightened and I’m sure we believed that a bear or a wild coyote wanted to eat us. Who knows!

Captivate: verb to attract and hold the interest and attention of

Consciousness: noun the quality or state of being aware

What holds your attention these days? Where do your thoughts settle? Sometimes there is so much going on in our lives or in the world around us that it holds the attention of our thoughts, and if we are not careful, we can re-write the narrative.

Relationships can be tricky.  Finding Mr. Right is next to miraculous.  Once he waltzes into your life, however, everything changes. 

Twenty-three years ago, I met Kurt.  It was a divine setup.  Shortly before meeting one another, I, a lonely and frustrated young adult, offered a desperate prayer to the Lord.  I declared I would serve Him singly if He required it of me, all the while, with tears streaming down my face.  Little did I know, Kurt had already started attending my home church.  We just hadn’t met...yet.

2023 was not what I expected it to be. 

I started the year off full speed ahead. Guns blazing, positioned at the start line,  with my eyes on the prize. I was ready to go with all goals, dreams, visions, and passion inside of me. 

It’s easy for us to focus on the things that we enjoy and like to do. Finding motivation for a project or a task that’s in our wheelhouse is a no-brainer. We can get the ball rolling because it involves enjoyment. It’s easy to focus!

Sit down! These words often echo through classrooms, as teachers beckon their unruly students to sit “crisscross applesauce” during reading time. They can be heard when a guest enters a home, as the host warmly offers them a chair. And, at the delivery of bad news, people say “you might want to sit down for this” to ensure that the shock of the news does not evoke fainting! 

Here we are with a new year upon us. As January begins to unfold, there is an excitement for the new, for the possibilities and potential, for the plans that are made, for the hopes we have. There is an excitement in the air for a sense of all things new. January can feel like a clean slate, a fresh start. It is a new day. This sense of newness gets my attention, and I find myself drawn to the details and it wakens a wonder in me.

A sunset. A mountain range. A historic painting. A newly engaged gal enthralled with her brilliant diamond. A precious newborn. An unexpected gift. Some things in life take our breath away.

You are waking to the day after Christmas. 

Everyone opened their presents; hopefully, you do not have too many “returns.”  You ate too many cookies and may feel exhausted from all the sugar and festivities. Breathe.  

We race to December 25, filling every moment with baking, cooking, shopping, family, and friends. It’s all good, but you may experience a slight letdown when it’s over. I have!

All year the beautiful theme of ‘Fashioned’ has fueled our blogs each week to inspire and encourage you.  With just two weeks to go in 2023, and hovering around all things Christmas, my heart kept settling on the phrase, “fashioned for a Savior.”

When given the opportunity to share the Word, it is my aim to give an invitation to Jesus.  It is of my understanding and belief, that when each of God’s precious people were crafted

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11

I have been thinking lately about the favor of the Lord. In my ministry school days, one of my directors noted to me an evident grace that was on my life. From places I found myself in, people I was connected with, and in other aspects of my life, the phrase was that I “walked in ridiculous favor”