True Vine Living

A Masterpiece

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

Read Time 5 Minutes

Magnum opus = Latin for great work and is most often associated with the greatest achievement of an artist, writer, or creator. In today’s world, we usually call this a masterpiece! Leonardo da Vince’s magnum opus is the Mona Lisa.

There is a master artist…a master creator whose masterpieces are innumerable and are always perfect. We know Him as God , Yahweh Borey, meaning Lord Creator!

We are each a unique and individually made masterpiece by God Himself…the Creator of heaven and earth. He is the Master Artist and the Master Weaver of our lives as well! One of the most amazing aspects of being one of God’s personally created works is that He always knew and planned for each one of us to be created at a special time and for a special purpose. We are not random and, we are not a mistake!

For You formed my inward parts;
    You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are Your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in Your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them. ~Psalm 139: 13-16

As a Christian, it gets even better than this! Once we are born, God is still intimately involved in every detail of our lives! He doesn’t leave us to navigate existence by ourselves. In fact, Philippians 1:6 tells us that He will continue a good work in us and bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus!

In this reality, we can think of God as our Master Weaver. In “The Tapestry Poem” often associated with Corrie ten Boom’s use of it, but written by Grant Colfax Tullar, the poet shares these words, “My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors, He weaveth steadily….The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.”

Recently, I was delighted to be a part of “Tapestry of Tables” hosted by our ladies ministry at First Baptist Church Floresville that aimed to celebrate the very thoughts mentioned above. It was a beautiful and creative display of 20 different table settings designed by 20 different ladies or teams each themed in a way that glorified God. Each table had a Bible verse focus and was inspired by the faith walk of the host or hostesses of that table. One hundred and twenty ladies from our church and community were served a delicious lunch prepared by a volunteer team and served by some of our dedicated and hard working youth. Several ladies shared the inspiration behind their table themes, and it was quite a testament to how God weaves our own lives into beautiful masterpieces when we give our lives to Him. God was definitely glorified by our tapestry of tables event!

I was asked to share some words at the beginning of the luncheon that would hopefully capture the essence of what we wanted the ladies to experience on this special day and also be lasting thoughts they could take home with them. The following is what I shared…

Tapestry of Tables

“Today’s Tapestry of Tables is a fun afternoon of fellowship amongst ladies with beautiful table settings thoughtfully prepared and full of inspired themes. While we want everyone to appreciate the creativity of the table settings, visit with one another, and enjoy some delicious food served by our youth, we also want this afternoon to be so much more! We want you to leave feeling nourished by the love of God and be able to grow in godly connections with one another!

As you enjoy the Tapestry of Table settings, allow them to help you think metaphorically about the rich tapestry of life we can experience as God’s masterpieces. We are not only His perfectly planned and beautifully designed creations, but we are also woven together as Christian women walking together in Christlikeness as we live out our daily lives.

Imagine for a moment a traditional and luxurious woven textile known as a tapestry hanging on a wall in a majestic room. It is a form of art…a masterpiece. We are each a masterpiece created by God, the creator of the universe!

Ephesians 2:10 tells us…

“…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Then ponder this… if you lifted and peered behind the tapestry, you would see a knotted and frayed mess. One might even say it looks chaotic and ugly. Often our lives feel this very same way! But, our creator, thankfully, does not leave us like that. He is using everything in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28) and He will complete His good work in us at the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)

Now, think of all the many colors of rich thread woven intricately together to create a masterful work. One way God completes His work in our lives is by weaving our lives together as Christians. His perfect plan for our lives includes His children loving each other, encouraging and comforting one another, and helping each other in their walk.

For example, 2 Corinthians 1:4 tells us,

“He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

This is just one of the many ways that God wants us to lift each other up!

Let us enjoy this time together today as we view each other as beautiful individual tapestries as well as lives that are to be woven together in love and unity.”

My desire for sharing this in my blog is to continue to be of encouragement and offer the reminder that we are each very special to God and to each other! May we remember that we are each a masterpiece of God and we will be a perfect completed job in His perfect timing! We can also be used by God in His work as we show compassion and love to one another.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. ~ Galatians 6:10

My table theme for this event was “His Creation”. The following is what I shared about the meaning behind my theme and my table setting…

For those that know me, even just a little bit, probably know that one of my favorite ways to immerse myself in the love and majesty of God is being out in His creation. From taking a hike to nature photography or chasing a sunset, His creation draws me closer to Him!

While there are many wonderful Bible verses that highlight the majesty of God’s Creation, I chose Isaiah 40:28 because it highlights the Creator Himself…

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.

When I’m experiencing His Creation, it helps me feel the majesty of our everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth!

One must be careful when reveling in the beauty of God’s creation, though, not to forget the purpose of His Creation. In a devotion I read recently, the author clarifies this well by reminding the reader that creation itself has no capacity to give you life and can never be your savior. God designed His Creation “to be one big sign that points you to the One of ultimate glory who alone has the power to give you life and satisfy your heart”.

I designed my table today to have an earthy feel with browns and greens to represent natural features the way nature itself proclaims God’s glory! I’ve included a few of my favorite photographs of birds and other animals with each photo displaying a different Bible verse that highlights His Creation. I chose on olive tree for the centerpiece because traditionally this tree represents peace and redemption. Our Creator extends peace and redemption to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. God invites us to live in eternity with Him!

The China I used is the only China I have. It represents that I am His creation as well! God has always planned for me, and He had me be born in Japan in 1968. My China was bought in Japan the year that I was born. It is a Japanese China called Versailles and was produced in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Finally, God’s creation is just a sample of His glory that we can be a part of forever. Psalm 52:8 tells us that we are like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God, and we can trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever!

Enjoy a few more pictures from our “Tapestry of Tables” event with themes such as When Life Gives You Lemons, God’s Affirmation of our Beauty, The Old Rugged Cross, and so many more…

Fresh Fish and Bread

Read Time 2 Minutes

There is a quote that I particularly like in my favorite children’s book by C.S. Lewis where Mr. and Mrs. Beaver are sitting down to a meal with the four children. Mr. Beaver and the boys had just caught fresh fish and the line goes like this… “All the children thought—and it is a common opinion—that there’s nothing to beat good freshwater fish if eaten when it has been alive half an hour ago and has come out of the pan half a minute ago.”

I know a little something about that mouth-watering taste, as I caught a rainbow trout at 8 years old while staying with a great aunt and uncle in Cody, Wyoming. We pan cooked that fish for breakfast and had fresh sliced tomatoes on the side. It is a special memory I have always remembered.

This morning, that memory came back to me as I was reading a favorite Bible passage in John 21. Jesus had risen after His crucifixion and had begun making appearances to some of his disciples. In this particular encounter, some of His disciples were fishing and had not caught anything all night long. In the morning Jesus was standing on the shore with a coal fire and bread. He instructed them to throw their net down on the right side, and of course, they caught an enormous catch. They knew immediately that it was Jesus! Peter jumped in the water and swam in excitement towards shore and towards Jesus. Jesus cooked some of their fresh fish and the bread over the open fire and fed them!

Can you imagine Jesus cooking over an open fire for you? I picture a nice crusty piece of artisan bread with some olive oil for dipping and the taste of fresh fish like that fish I caught at 8 years old. The fish that Jesus would be serving would be so much better than that experience though because Jesus Himself would be serving it to me!

While we may not get to have that kind of physical encounter with Jesus today, I realized this morning that our spiritual encounter each morning can be just as dynamic and fulfilling! Every morning when we wake up, Jesus is there. He is there with His new mercies, He is there with provisions for the day, He is there to meet all our needs, and He is there to walk and talk with us! Our night before or day before might have been a difficult one just like the disciples had worked all night and not caught fish. But every morning, Jesus is there to meet us, feed us, and begin a fresh start!

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

We can meet Jesus every morning for breakfast and feast with Him on His word and through prayer. He will be there to feed us if we just jump in that water and swim to Him!

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

A New Chapter

Read Time 2 Minutes

When I began my blog in 2019, I had just retired from a 28 year teaching career and began a new one as a personal trainer. It was a new and exciting chapter in my life. My desire for my blog was to provide comprehensive encouragement to live a healthier and happier life. As a personal trainer, I wanted to share helpful ways to engage in physical activities and promote other healthy habits. As a Christ-follower, I absolutely know that you cannot be completely whole and have optimal wellness without walking closely in your relationship with God. Therefore, my goal was to creatively put these together to encourage physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual soul-wellness.

All of those goals are still very important to me; however, as I have been living out another new chapter in my life the past year and a half, my blog has begun to take a natural shift. After 5 years of thoroughly enjoying being a personal trainer and helping many women and seniors, I have chosen to not continue the service as a practice. I am still very much dedicated to a healthy life of exercise and good eating habits and still encourage others to engage in this lifestyle. I’m still happy to give helpful tips and advice as appropriate, but I feel God has led me to focus on another calling. It’s time to focus on just being available to my husband, our adult children, and our aging parents as well as my church family. God has shown me that there is much to do in these areas.

Writing is a pleasure for me, and I want to continue as God leads in this area of my life. I’ve noticed over the past year that my writing has focused more on the spiritual walk and sharing stories and experiences from my life that can be used to encourage others as well as spread joy and light. That is my new goal for my blog, and I look forward to ways that God will inspire me to share. I am thankful that my writing has touched some, and I hope that it will continue to have an impact in some small way. I appreciate all who have taken the time to read my writing and encouraged me also! I look forward to the mutual encouragement going forward in this latest chapter of life!

My blog is titled, “True-Vine-Living, and it is true that I can do nothing apart from Him! My desire is to always stay connected to the ONE TRUE VINE and share Him with others!

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

No Rest for the Weary

Read Time 5 Minutes

There is a perplexing struggle that I have and can’t seem to solve. I join about 10% of adults who struggle with chronic insomnia disorder. As we know, a lack of sleep on a repetitive basis can lead to other health problems as well. For me, there seems no rhyme or reason as to why I can’t fall asleep, and often hour after hour, I still lie there wondering why. I don’t get up to do tasks or scroll through my phone because I know that just lying down is some form of rest. No matter how little sleep I get, I always make sure I never sleep past 8am or take naps to give myself the best chance of sleeping the next night. I have read information on insomnia and talked with doctors to find solutions, but still I wrestle with the issue. There are better nights than others, but much of the time, the ability to fall asleep teases me much like an aloof cat taunts their owner who just wants to snuggle their precious pet.

Therefore I made a decision some time ago to use this time of lying awake to practice 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 as well as Proverbs 3: 5-6. I choose this to combat the creeping in anxiety that wants to rob my peace as frustration begins to set in during the wee hours.

For this blog post, I want to highlight the depth of Proverbs 3:5-6 which is a command with a promise. This is a Bible verse that many cling to time and time again during difficulties…during perplexities. The difficulty could be a constant physical struggle, or a heartache, possibly a tragedy, or financial hardship. When we fear we are losing our grip and need a hope to cling to, we remember and recite this verse that transcends anything we may be experiencing…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

But at what level do we really practice Proverbs 3: 5-6, and how much of our heart to we really give to trusting in the Lord? During the night when I start to realize that the refreshment of sleep is evading me once again, I begin to pray, and I recite Bible verses that are written on my heart. As I recite Bible verses such as Proverbs 3:5-6, I try to pause and meditate on the deep meaning of the lines…not just use the reciting as a technique like counting sheep. Recently, I have been pondering this famous verse of comfort to really savor it’s truths. So, below are the reflections of my meditation…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart” – Just think…we try and put our trust in many things in this world. However, we quickly learn that everything around us can let us down in small ways or big ways. Our loved ones are not perfect, finances do not really provide security, and our health can be a constant battle to feel our best. The list can go on and on! This makes us skeptical people, and sometimes we let this feeling rob us of truly trusting God. However, when we trust in the Lord, this is an everlasting trust that absolutely will not fail. Do not let your mind fear that His trust will fail…it will NOT! Let your heart be glad in this and use ALL of your heart to feel the immense peace of trusting in the only ONE who will not let us down! How can we be sure? We can be sure because He loves us as intimately as a marriage that will NEVER fail. He longed to love us and be faithful to us even before He formed us. GOD IS FAITHFUL FOREVER!

“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.” Hosea 2:19-20

”And do not lean on your own understanding”– Why do we so foolishly and desperately stress ourselves by trying to comprehend all the circumstances around us that alarmingly impact our lives when we are clearly finite beings? Not even those with genius IQs know it all. Instead, we should joyfully tap into the resources of peace from our all-knowing all-powerful Heavenly Father. He delights to give us a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7) through simply trusting and relying on Him! He has ALL the understanding that will take care of ALL our needs!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

“You have encircled me;
You have placed Your hand on me.
This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.” Psalm 139: 5-6

“In all your ways acknowledge Him”– Instead of counting on our own abilities and giving way to anxieties, acknowledge the ALL-SUFFICIANCY of our loving Father in ALL our ways! This means let go of worries and honor Him with your trust, pray to Him without ceasing, praise Him for who He is, worship Him with all your heart, and tell others about how He never lets you down. This is following His perfect commands and is the way our time is meant to be spent!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

And finally, the promise…”And He will make your paths straight.” – This means that you won’t be tossed every which way by the storms of life! You won’t stumble and fall (Proverbs 3:23)! You will run and not become weary and walk and not become faint (Isaiah 40:31)! You will live as more than an conqueror over your circumstances (Romans 8:37)! And, you can count every trial and difficulty as a joy when you TRUST AND RELY ON GOD FOR EVERYTHING!

In conclusion for myself, I have learned that there IS rest for the weary. I have learned that sleep is not the only kind of rest. While I pray for physical sleep and am so thankful when I have a good night of sleep, I do not fear the sleeplessness. It is in these times, that I can practice acknowledging Him in all my ways through praise and pray and trust! This brings about a special kind of rest. Also, I have realized how much He sustains me the next day even when when I don’t sleep well. My Heavenly father is an ALL-LOVING ALL-SUFFICIENT FATHER WHO NEVER LETS ME DOWN!

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:11

Backyard Birds

Read Time 3 Minutes

The more time goes by, I find that I am increasingly more interested with the pastime of bird watching…the many colors of their plumage, their resiliency in weather, their activities, and their identification. This hobby has been made easy since Michael and I moved into our new home a little over a year ago. We are blessed to have a small piece of south Texas land, and we chose to leave a portion of the mesquite trees and cacti. To our joy, it seems that our backyard has become a bird sanctuary. No matter the temperature nor the amount of wind or ice, the birds chatter happily and go about their business with confidence! I believe this is one of the reasons that I have become so drawn to watching them.

As I observe bird behavior and their many shapes and colors, I am so moved by the awesomeness of God! In my ladies’ Bible study, we have been reading a book called, “Knowing God by Name”. While there are numerous ways that I experience the goodness of God, one of my favorites is God as Yahweh Borey meaning LORD Creator. He is the sovereign creator over heaven and earth.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

The many birds are a beautiful example of His creation displaying all the unique and creative details He delicately bestows on each creature. And even more amazing is that He also equips each one with every behavior and instinct they need to thrive in their environment! He also feeds them and He knows each one!

“He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.” Psalm 104: 10-13

Watching my backyard birds is one way that I experience encounters with God each day. They remind me of what a wonderful God we have and how I can trust Him daily!

I have had a lot of fun observing their behaviors and photographing the different birds that play in our yard. Michael and I have researched and identified them as well. So far in 2025, we have identified eight birds that make our trees and cacti their home for the winter months. We are excited to see what new birds begin to arrive this spring! Below are some of my favorite pictures and the names of the birds that showed up this winter in our little bird sanctuary.

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” Matthew 6: 25-26

The Valentine

Read Time 5 Minutes

Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of romantic love, friendship, and admiration. When the question, “What is love?” is asked, the answers take on many forms. Love is a word used frequently, much of the time overused and misused in ways that make it casual and lose its meaning. However, there are some very famous quotes about love bringing the word back up to a level of powerful importance once again.

” I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ~ Mother Teresa

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

“We shall not long have love to man if we do not first and chiefly cultivate love to God.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Entertainers like to chime in on “love” as well. Here are a couple…

“You always gain, by giving love.” ~ Reese Witherspoon

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.” Agatha Christie

TRUE LOVE is more than a feeling! Love is more than an action! AND true love is not up for interpretation!

The real and full truth about love comes from knowing and experiencing that God Is Love! (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16)

The question about love should not be, “What is love?”. The correct question about love is, “WHO IS LOVE?”.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

HOW CAN WE TAKE PART IN THIS TRUE LOVE? Abide in God and let Him abide in you. Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior and to live in your heart!

HOW CAN WE LOVE, AND THEN IN TURN LOVE OTHERS? Because He first loved us! (1 John 4:19)

HOW MUCH DOES GOD LOVE US? He loves us so much that He gave His Only Son for us!!

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

HOW DO WE SHOW THIS LOVE?

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE WHEN WE LIVE IT OUT ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN?

“Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,
does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.” I Corinthians 13:4-7

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Valentine’s Day is upon us. It is a manmade day to celebrate love, particularly a romantic love. However, whether romantically involved or not, people have found fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Having been a teacher for 28 years, this day meant Valentine’s Day parties where the kids exchanged cards, and I received a lot of gestures of love!

How amazing it is that no matter the day, we can always experience a True Love that is more powerful than we can comprehend, never failing, and never ending! If you are a Christ-follower, than you have this Valentine from God:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

When we are a Christ-follower, we can claim on Valentine’s Day and everyday and into eternity that, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” (Song of Solomon 2:16).

In 1 John 4:19 we learn that “We love because He first loved us.” Thanks to God’s goodness, I have had the opportunity to show love and receive love in many ways during my life. I hope you have too. I put together a little photo gallery with captions that exemplify expressions of love that I have been blessed by God to experience or take part in throughout my life. There have been mountains and valleys, but God’s love for me and the way He also demonstrates His love through others in my life has been the prevailing force that spurs me on!

May you experience the fullness of God’s love today and everyday, and like me, reflect on how His love has touched your life!

My students forming a heart to emphasize kindness in our community.

Dog Love…a blessing from God as a reminder of His unconditional love!

My mom is an example of selfless love…a life lived of giving to her children and an example of living a life of deep faith in God.

My dad holding me shortly after arriving home from the hospital. Japan 1968

Michael’s family on our wedding day…a new family to belong to and be loved by.

This sweet couple in Haiti lovingly wanted to participate in the VBS experience alongside the children. They wanted to be a part of the excitement of learning about God!

It’s so exciting to watch the ones we love accept Jesus into their hearts and follow in believer’s baptism.

Lifelong friends are so special! We taught together, shared time together in book club, walked beside each other in faith, and remain a dear group of friends to this day!

The joys of teaching! It’s also a happy day when the teacher and student unknowingly show up in matching boots.

The love of a grandma presents a whole other level of comfort and love!

When you and the one you love accidently match, it’s just more confirmation of how you were meant to be together!

More dog love with this special pooch and “girl’s best friend”!

Michael is such a good dad to his sons. He is a Godly dad because he faithfully follows Christ.

Sister time! Having my sisters means friends for life and a level of protection you feel knowing they will go to battle for you.

Again, dogs are such special friends! Rueger is the newest addition.

It’s great when we can share adventures with those we love.

These two are an expression of years and years of faithful love and devotion to one another.

Shoebox gifts in Haiti! Share a box of love and the love of Jesus with a child.

Winter Blues

Read Time 4 Minutes

The season of winter provides for many people a wonderland of snow, outdoor sports activities, warm fires and hot chocolate, and many other delights that are special to this time of year.

For some, however, this cold season can seem long sometimes leading to a feeling of sadness, mood swings, and even depression. This is particularly true for those that live in colder and less sunny climates. This seasonal change in mood has been labeled (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal change, of course, is just one in many reasons people deal with sadness and depression. Traumatic circumstances and “seasons of life” may also cause these changes in our mood. Times like these can be mild to severe. They can come on slowly or be sudden. I personally experienced many years ago an unexpected and sudden attack of full on depression!

In the fall of 1986, I excitedly began my freshman year at Texas A&M University. I was ready to experience college, all the unmatched Aggie traditions, and even the academics! The fall semester was filled with new experiences…college football games, roommates, large academic classes, and new independence with very little parental oversight. On the flip side, it also revealed that I felt very different being a little fish in a VERY big sea! In high school, I was very involved and active with friends with a feeling of belonging. I had a cozy home with family and a homecooked meal at the end of each day. That first college semester began to become a time of identifying where my place was in this new vast world that I now found myself.

And then, right before Christmas break, I received word that my grandpa had suddenly passed away! It felt shocking! My grandpa was so special to me! I had to make arrangements to take my finals so that I could fly to Denver with my sister to be with my grandma. Over the Christmas break, in one intense moment, I felt a dark heaviness set over me… a feeling of dread, fear, and confusion. People did not really talk about depression back then, so I didn’t really know what was happening to me or how to seek help.

I returned to college for the second semester only to encounter no relief from the daily depression. Strangely, the only reprieve I got from the torment was when I threw myself into studies. The moment I stopped studying, I would cave in and fear even more! I had been a Christian most of my life, so I prayed and prayed, but could not find the peace. Months in, I began to question if God was even there…did He even exist? I would tell myself the truth…that He did, but it did not change the cycle of dreadful thoughts. Finally, I decided to go to the campus emergency counseling office. In that one hour emergency session, the lady asked me if I thought about suicide. I told her that I didn’t think I would take my life, but that I was beginning to get fearful of the thought of getting to that point. She told me that people who commit suicide see themselves in a box and they do NOT see anyway out of the box. She asked if I saw a way out of the box. In that moment, God revealed Himself mightily to me! I pictured a big square in my mind. That square had one door opened in it. That door showed me that my One Hope was God and He was there for me!!

I didn’t instantly get better, but that confirmation of hope in Him spurred me on to trust Him, believe His promises that I knew, and cling to Him for the right thoughts. As I continually and purposefully pushed out every fear and confusing thought and replaced them with real truths no matter how I felt in the moment, I began to heal. This healing led to a strengthening in my faith which would in turn serve me well in the future. When the next valley would inevitably arrive, I was more prepared to trust God. Now I knew that the “valleys of life” provided opportunity, growth, and the ability see God’s glory manifested!

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

If you or someone you know is experiencing “winter blues” or even severe depression brought on by circumstances in life…grab onto or encourage them to grab hold of true hope that is an anchor for our souls! (Hebrews 6:19) Maybe my story can be of some help as well.

The Bible is full of many verses that are helpful promises and commands from our Loving and All-mighty God. When we are struggling, we can recite them and put them into practice continually and purposefully to replace the fears and confusion just as I did many years ago. Here is one of my favorites:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There are 3 lovingly prepared actions above that God asks us to do. Simply put…rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Choosing to turn to these actions anytime the fearful feelings surface moves us onto a healing and victorious path. Some people find it helpful to keep a grateful journal. This is one way to rejoice and give thanks. However you carry out these actions, remember that the most important reason to rejoice and give thanks is truly because we have a living hope in Jesus, and because of who we are in Christ…a child of God! This is the kind of rejoicing that moves us into His perfect peace!

Another Bible verse that proves timeless in helping so many people as they deal with anxieties and fears is:

“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Did you catch the similar actions on our part…prayer and thanksgiving? In this passage, we also see a beautiful promise from God revealed when we do as He says. We can have the “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”! Also, our hearts and our minds will be guarded by His perfect provisions. This is what we need to be victorious when faced with discouragement, sadness, anxiety, and depression!

I hope you along with me will reach out and take God’s hand no matter what the season and no matter what we are going through now and in the future.

May we experience His perfect peace!

“Highly Favored”

Read Time 5 Minutes

This past week, I had the privilege of speaking at our Ladies Christmas Fellowship. As I began to prepare, I wanted to choose a topic that would include an aspect of the true Christmas story. God brought the idea of blessings to my mind. I began to dig into the study of blessings. I gravitated to the definition for blessing that means God’s favor and protection. This led me to a special Bible passage and as I began to study it, I developed a deeper understanding of what it means to be “favored” by God. In this writing, I want to share my discovery with you and encourage you this Christmas season. Also, I want to remind you of how special you are to God when you are a Christ-follower because you are “highly favored” by Him!

Christmastime can seem like a magical time of year! For the Christian, that feeling you get comes from the glorious supernatural experience that took place over 2,000 years ago and involves the two young lives that were the first to experience God’s perfect plan. Let’s turn our thoughts to that very special time and the event leading up to the very first Christmas. Mary was about to find out that her life would dramatically change forever as an angel came and spoke precious words to her. Here are those words:

“And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:28-31

Think how Mary must have felt at this lifechanging moment! With the knowledge of God’s favor on her, she could more than handle the awesome responsibility she was given, and do it with joy. Further down in Luke 1, we read, “Mary’s Song of Praise” showing us how she reverently and joyfully praised God for this special gift and His will for her life!

I dug into this beautiful Bible passage and learned that when the angel said “Rejoice, highly favored one,” that the highly favored comes from the Greek word charitoo which translates as “full of grace” , “highly blessed”, and “accepted”. It is the past tense… meaning that the one who is favored has already received the grace (or blessing).

This particular Greek word is used only twice in the Bible. It is used in the passage above for Mary, and it is also used in Ephesians 1:6 to refer to ALL who have asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Mary acknowledged her Savior in Luke 1:47. We, like Mary, are highly blessed by God…not because of our deserving it, but because He has given us His favor through the salvation found only in Jesus Christ. When we ask Jesus to be our savior, we are accepted and full of His grace. It is a turning point in our lives because we realize how loved we are and who we are in Jesus! While all Christians experience and share this same favor from God as His children, His blessings don’t end with this amazing spiritual blessing. We also receive many other collective spiritual blessings just by being Christ-followers.

Our God is a generous and personal God too! Beyond the spiritual blessings that we receive, He also pours out individual blessings on us. Mary, being highly favored or accepted by God, was then chosen by Him to bear His son, Jesus. Perhaps, He chose her because of her humble, devoted, and tender heart towards Him making her the one to be part of His perfect plan. When we are Christ followers, He delights to use us in special ways. We may not have been chosen to the same amazing assignment as Mary, but as accepted children of God, He uses us in very special ways as well to carry out His will. For example, in Luke 1:13, an angel told Zechariah that Elizabeth would bear a son because his prayer had been heard. God delights to bless us based on His plans for us and our prayers to Him.

There are a few closing points that I want to make based on the truths I have have shared from the scripture above. The first is that no matter what you may be going through this Christmas season, if you are a Christian, you can cling to this truth that you are highly favored by God meaning full of His grace and blessed. Hopefully things are well with you, but we know it is not always so for everyone during Christmastime. No matter what is going on in your life, you have this spiritual blessing that never changes and a multitude of other spiritual blessings to go with it!

The second point is that in addition to this, you are unique and special to God…you are not just a number to Him. He has designed special blessings for you based on His will for your life and based on your prayers to Him.

Finally, if you do not feel that you have asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, right now is the perfect time to choose Him, the greatest gift you can receive. Just believe that He alone can save you from your sins because He died for the forgiveness of sins. Ask Him to come live in your heart and be your Lord and Savior. Then you too can be accepted and full of His saving grace!

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

This Christmas, as you think about how favored you are by God, look expectantly for the special ways He blesses your life. Then realize that He also uses you in unique and special ways to be a blessing to others. Mary was chosen by Him to bear His Son who is the greatest blessing to all generations. When you meditate on who you are in Christ, you’ll be in a purposeful position to be used by Him to be a blessing to others this season…maybe even someone who is struggling to realize who they are in Christ or who they can be in Christ.

May your Christmas and New Year be very blessed!

Not Just a Number

I’m not just a number, for God has counted the hairs on my head. (Luke 12:7)

I am not invisible, for God is a seeing God and He knows my heart. (Genesis 16:13 and Samuel 16:7)

I am not misunderstood, for God understands my thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139:2)

I am not insignificant, for I am engraved on the palms of His hands. (Isaiah 49:16)

I am not ignored, for He hears my every prayer. (1 John 5:14)

I am not an accident, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

My hurts are known, for He counts my sorrows and holds my tears in His bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

I am not alone, for God is with me always. (Matthew 28:20)

I am unique and special to God, for He saw me before He formed me. (Psalm 139:16)

I am greatly loved, for He calls me His child. (1 John 3:1)

I am intimately known, for He calls me by name. (John 10:3)

I never have to fear, for God is with me and will uphold me with His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I have a bright future, because He has perfect plans for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I will live forever with Him in paradise, because He is preparing a place for me. (John 14:2)

I am “the apple of His eye”, and He will always love me and protect me. (Psalm 17:8)

I am not just a number to God!

Trapped!!

Read Time 4 Minutes

I recently visited a dear friend who is literally trapped in her own body as she has a rare neurodegenerative disorder called MSA. Her mind and her sweet and jovial personality are intact, but her muscle movement has slowed and become so ridged that she can no longer care for herself physically. This is a very sad and tragic life situation that will not get better, yet, my sweet friend continues to radiate the love of Jesus in her caring ways. She made a phone call to me recently when my dad passed away even though it is very hard for her to talk. She delights when friends come to visit and soaks in the joy of the moments not spending the time complaining. She was a Christian mentor to me years ago during a very tough time in my life, and she continues to be an inspiration as she endures her present circumstances with grace and dignity!

While we won’t all experience such an extreme level of physical bondage, many of us will encounter times where we feel trapped! Difficult illnesses, abusive marriages, depression, and financial struggles are just some examples of how life can make us feel like we are in a physical or emotional prison without escape.

Sometimes, we can feel frustrated and trapped even in the smaller moments of life. Last month, I experienced a lot of pain in my hands and wasn’t able to get chores done at the pace I wanted to accomplish them. Every task was tedious and painful. In these smaller moments of feeling a bit trapped, I find myself saying, “My situation is nothing compared to what some other friends around me are experiencing.” While this is a thought that can help me put my situation into perspective, it’s also important for me to remember that what I feel is not insignificant. God cares about me in every situation big and small, good and bad. Just as I must rely upon Him during monumental struggles, I must also rely on Him in smaller struggles to endure, be comforted, and grow in my trust and faith of His perfect ways.

Right now, you may be feeling trapped in a very big way, or like me, you might be having a smaller struggle. Either way, the solution is the same…seek God and the strength and abundant endurance that He supplies in His perfect love!

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

It is not uncommon for some people, even Christians, to get mad at God when it feels like walls are closing in and a situation feels impossible! When that temptation comes, it is helpful to remember that Jesus Himself was trapped in what seemed like impossible circumstances.

Jesus, who is God, and whom all things are under His authority, willingly allowed Himself to be contained into a human baby body. He did this, of course, to make a way for our salvation. But, he also did such an amazing act of love for us in order for us to know how much He can sympathize with us and identify with us in our struggles while on earth! Furthermore, He allowed Himself to be trapped by guards and be carried away for a most horrific death because He loves us so much! He endured all this for the joy set before Him in knowing that many would choose Him throughout the centuries and would one day be in paradise with Him! And, we know that the story does not end with His death. He rose again, ascended to Heaven, and He is with us to the end of the age! He is interceding for us right now on behalf of us in our weaknesses and our struggles!

God has given us everything we need to triumph in the impossible and to experience freedom even when we feel trapped! His word tells us that we will have sorrow, struggles, and trouble in this world, but He has overcome this world. He gives us immediate help when we seek Him whether it be comfort and inspiration to get through our hard time or whether it be instant solutions. He also insures hope for our future!

During tough times, I often think about survival stories told by Vietnam POW veterans who were trapped in unthinkable conditions. Many of them were prisoners’ for over 7 years. When reading the personal accounts of these men, so many of them attribute their survival to their faith in God. Below, are two excerpts from Captain Gerald Coffee who was a POW for 7 years and 9 days.

“I prayed a lot,” Coffee said. “At first I expected God to do everything for me, but when I realized that this would be my life for a while, the nature of my prayers started to change. Instead of praying, ‘Why me?’ I started to pray, ‘How can I change?’”

“All those years, the Vietnamese tried to rape our spirits and our faith, but they couldn’t do it,” he said. “I was never really alone in that cell. Not with Him by my side.”

Coffee’s words are a very big testament to the power and strength one can have in the face of horrific circumstances when you truly put your faith in our almighty and loving God!

Let us each choose today no matter our circumstances to walk moment by moment in the strength of the One whose grace is always sufficient!

“…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31