Have you experienced fear, discouragement or isolation in the last year? I think most of us have battled those feelings! But what does our God say about that? “This is My command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 His words are not just a suggestion, it’s a command! We must be strong and courageous, not giving in to fear or discouragement! And the only way we can do that is by knowing that God is with us – always, wherever we go! Even when we feel isolated, we know that we are never alone, because He ..read more

Happy New Year! Wow! 2020 sure was an interesting year for all of us, wasn’t it? I am sure that most of our hearts have felt overwhelmed during this past year. Right? I know that for me, when I feel overwhelmed, I easily allow the stress of the uncertainty in my life to weigh me down. And to cause me to try to take control, and fix things. Or to sink into despair when I feel there is nothing I can do to remedy the situation. But what would God have our response to be? I think that this verse, Psalm 61:2 sums it up perfectly: “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher th ..read more

Need a fun and quick art project to do with your kiddos? I did this pumpkin piece with my students, but you could easily do this same project for any season or holiday with any subject matter! Here’s what you will need: • Heavyweight paper (card stock, watercolor paper or multi-media paper) • Pencil and eraser • 1 piece of light color chalk, but not white (yellow works great!) • Oil Pastels (or crayons will work, but the colors will be less vibrant) • Watercolors and paintbrush (only black watercolor will be used for this, and a large brush is best) Here’s what you will do: 1.  Draw a pu ..read more

Are you experiencing warfare these days? I think that many of us are facing an intense battle. Recently God has been speaking to me through 2 Chronicles 20. It’s the story of King Jehoshaphat when 3 different armies were going to attack his people. In verse 12, Jehoshaphat says, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” – It’s so important to acknowledge to God that we have no power in ourselves, and how true is it, that we often don’t know what to do in our trying s ..read more

“This Hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” Hebrews 6:19. This scripture has been a rock for me in times of turmoil. I am a visual person, so I love it when God’s Word gives us word pictures. I often feel that I am that boat in the midst of a violent storm, being tossed around by the waves. But I know that I have this anchor for my soul. It’s strong and trustworthy. And that anchor is HOPE in my God. I can be confident that He has me safe and secure in His loving hands. When I see that anchor with eyes of hope, I will keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of ..read more

Only when we are still, knowing that He is the God, are we able to pray without ceasing. Both of these are commands that God gave us in His Love Letter to us – His Word! Often when we think of commands, we resist. We don’t want someone telling us what to do. But when it’s God, we know that anything He asks us to do, or even commands us to do, is only for our good! He created us, and He knows exactly what we need! He knows that we only function well when we operate from a place of rest, trusting completely in Him. When we allow life’s busyness and struggles to consume us, we are not “still” and ..read more

O Holy Night… It’s New Year’s Eve, the dawn of not only a new year, but a new decade! 2020! Are you looking forward to the new year, new decade? Ready to leave behind things of the past? Ready to embrace the new things God has in store for you? I am!!! Life can be challenging and full of difficulties. But life can also be very rewarding when we keep our eyes on Jesus and the ways He is working, even in the midst of trials. That is how I want to enter this new year and new decade. Eyes on Him! On this New Year’s Eve, may we celebrate the coming year, while keeping in our hearts the holy night ..read more

My daughter and I in front of “The Starry Night”, by Vincent van Gogh, at the Museum of Modern Art Did you know that “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh hangs in New York City at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)? Well, it does! And one year ago my family and I traveled through the east coast and spent five glorious days in NYC! We were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit several different art museums during our vacation, and the MoMA was one of them! Now, Modern Art is not actually my favorite art style, but there are many wonderful paintings to see at the MoMA. The highlight for me wa ..read more

My Savior is an acrylic painting I created a few years ago when I went through a year of several health issues. When faced with sickness, pain and surgeries that I never saw coming, my faith was certainly put to the test. During that difficult season, I knew that Jesus was with me, even though I didn’t necessarily feel His presence in those hardest days. But He gave me little glimpses of Himself through the friend who brought me a gift basket of goodies, or the one who came to sit and pray with me. He made His presence known through so many who provided encouragement, meals, gifts, cards, pra ..read more

Have you ever experienced a situation when you felt overwhelmed, and questioned how any good could come from it? I have. Many times. But as I look back on those seasons of my life, I see one constant that I may not have felt during each trial. God was with me. His promise to “cover you with His feathers, and shelter you with His wings” has truly been a reality in my life. He has covered me and sheltered me every time! And I am certain that there have been so many times that he has covered me and sheltered me from dangers that I was completely unaware of. I love Psalm 91 and have found great c ..read more