Write at the Heart

Recently I read in the news about a lady who dispensed advice for years to her millions of “followers.” But what was happening behind closed doors was a very different story. As the truth came to light & she was arrested & charged for her despicable crimes, it was a good reminder that just because someone has “power” & “influence” & “followers” doesn’t mean you can trust them! I love following people who build my faith. And I unfollow those who do not. But those influencers don’t need me… they have loads of followers eating up content that causes them to doubt or validate their beliefs/unbeliefs. It’s frustrating, annoying, terrifying, yet unsurprising that so many base their faith in people rather than God. So many let others do their critical thinking for them. So many follow people who mingle feel-good words with false doctrine, glorifying themselves while criticizing the church, the prophet, & the sacred gospel of Christ. And soon what “so-and-so believes” (ofte...

  I made this graphic a couple weeks ago intending to write, but that didn’t happen. I have nothing brilliant to say, but thought why not post it anyway? Let’s make this simple. ❤️ Because I believe it. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Powerful! God is real, He loves us, He is with us, He has a plan for us, He sent His Son for us, & “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (37) Just as Elisha knew “they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kgs. 6:16) as he faced his enemies, I know we are surrounded by the Lord’s power & angels that we cannot always see. But we can feel. We are not alone. And though worldly challenges seem like they’ll swallow us whole, we know GOD WINS.✨ I’m ready for the battle. I fight for faith. I believe in faith. Jesus Christ is my brother, Savior, protector, healer, teacher, friend, my light in the dark, my hope in this world. I’m on His side. And He’s on mine.

  School has begun! And as I send six kids (one of them now a SENIOR😭🤯) off into the world of new grade levels, new classes, new classmates, & newly sharpened pencils, these words by Paul came to mind, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9) Um, yes, I think it’s safe to say, especially at the beginning of a new school year, that I’m constantly mentioning those kids in my prayers ❤️ Nervous for them. Hopeful for them. Excited for them. Stressed for them. Rooting for them!! I remember when my oldest started kindergarten all those years ago, part of me wanted to yell out desperately, “No! Don’t do it! Don’t grow up!” I knew everything would change. Her 5-year-old self was going “off into the world,” after all! I still feel that way sometimes, particularly with that now 17-year-old girl. How are all my kids so old?! Stop growing up! DON’T DO IT! I am like the dad i...

  Sometimes it’s easier to believe IN God than it is to believe Him. A few months ago I wrote about my sweet daughter receiving a blessing while in the middle of a huge trial. I believed in the proper authority. I believed in God’s priesthood power. I believed in God being able to answer prayers. But then I heard the blessing & I had to ask myself- DO I BELIEVE THESE WORDS? DO I BELIEVE HIM? Could she be “healed”? Could she “recover”? It seemed impossible. And I had tiny doubts. I believe in God! But do I believe in His promises? When Paul is a prisoner on a boat amidst a terrifying storm (that will eventually leave them all shipwrecked!), his words to the people on board are powerful: “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, & whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: &, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me...

  I have an 11-year-old girl who has long, beautiful blonde hair. Who, as it turns out, HATES brushing that long, beautiful blonde hair. When she FINALLY gives in, it’s usually a tangled mess of horrors & she comes to me begging me to brush it all out for her. It’s SUCH A FUN TIME!! 😆 Well, this week she & her friends found her old “Bedazzler” & decided it would be cool to bedazzle her hair! Yep! When Bedazzling Goes Wrong😂 She kindly asked me to help her get those tiny, sticky jewels out. Which I did, one by one! During this painstaking task, she exclaimed, “THIS is why there are moms!” Haha, yep, for untangling & de-jeweling hair! When Paul found an altar in Athens that said, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD,” he was like, back up the trolley, these people need to know that we DO KNOW GOD! He created us! He created the earth! He sent us here! He wants us to seek Him! Because “he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27) ❤️ And then this truth bomb: “For in him we live, ...

  My youngest son & I were on a longer drive together & I asked, “What music do you want to listen to? You choose!” He chose one of his self-created Amazon Music playlists he named “My Happy Songs.” 😁 And among all the random music any 9-year-old would enjoy, “O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown” came on. Kinda took me off guard! And then “Come Unto Jesus.” It was such a surprising change of pace! I loved the spirit those songs brought when they popped up in an otherwise secular selection of songs! I was curious. “What made you put these songs on your playlist? How do you even know these songs?” My son said he just heard them & liked them & decided to add them to his happy playlist! When Paul & Silas are unjustly beaten & thrown into prison, they did what any normal person would do: “And at midnight Paul & Silas prayed, & sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:25) Um, what? Prayed? Sang praises unto God?! With their “many stripes” upon their backs & “th...

  I accidentally joined a 10k the other day. I was out running when suddenly I found myself surrounded by a swarm of racers! There were no bib numbers, so it wasn’t obvious at first. But then I noticed their shoelaces- aha! Little timing chips. And you know what? I wasn’t part of their race, but these people took me right in! 😆 So many people told me “good job!” A race photographer even snapped some pictures of me as I ran by! Then I saw a water station coming up & I was like- should I take some? It’s not for me… but I could REALLY use it! The volunteers smiled & yelled out to me “Water! Gatorade!” as they eagerly lunged forward with their plastic cups. I suddenly felt like an imposter. 😬 I slowed & confessed, “I’m actually not part of the race! Can I still take one?” And they’re like YEAH!! Of course!! Here ya go! I gotta tell ya, I was feeling pretty fueled with Gatorade & encouragement the rest of my run😁 The race finish ended up being just off the path so I d...

  Stories of change get me every time. Saul’s original intentions on the road to Damascus were, uh, NOT GREAT, you could say! His mission was to persecute followers of Christ & he was really taking that seriously! He was on his way to do more of that very thing. But somewhere along the way, something remarkable happened. One of the most drastic conversions ever. He changed his story. “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” So humble, so willing, so ready. He continued to Damascus, but he did not continue doing the things he was doing. He did not continue being the man he was being! He was a new man! He had a new purpose. He was immediately baptized & he dedicated his life to Christ! Definitely not what he had in mind when he started on that road to Damascus. I may not have personal drastic stories of conversion, but I have had my own roads to Damascus, places where God has found me, & I him. Places where I have looked at my life, starkly seen where I have come up short, ...

  It’s been awhile! A few weeks ago as I read the Come, Follow Me manual, there was a sentence that struck me. It was in reference to Peter denying Christ three times. It said: “There are daily opportunities to either deny or witness of the Savior; what will you do to be a daily witness of Him?” And in that moment, I thought of this account. It has been a way to witness of the Savior! And although sharing = vulnerability, & the challenges of the last year have tested my faith, I again realized this is something I desire to do: I want to be a witness of Him. And articulating the feelings in my heart in this space is one way to do it. So, my thought today: I recently returned from a trip to a Europe- my first time! We saw AMAZING sights & architecture, including historical museums & many breathtaking cathedrals with so much beautiful artwork depicting Jesus Christ. I loved thinking of those long ago Christians who believed in Jesus just like I do. However, I did wonder wh...