I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Holley Gerth’s new book release of “Coffee for Your Heart”, which was formerly “God’s Heart for You”. I loved it! I have read many of her books over the years and I love her writing style which is beautifully unique and heartfelt. She bares her soul and speaks from a genuinely authentic place. Holley's love for the Lord is so apparent within the pages of her books. "Coffee for Your Heart" is an amazing book of 40 faith-filled reminders of encouraging affirmations of how beloved we truly are to the Lord. Using scripture and life experiences she sheds light on God’s amazing grace in our lives. Each chapter ends with a few soul-searching reflection questions to answer and a beautifully written … [Read more...]
“Whispers of Rest” Quiets your Soul
I recently had the honor of being on the launch team for Bonnie Gray's book "Whispers of Rest", which launches today, May 23rd. Bonnie has written a 40-day devotional that is spirit-filled and speaks to the weary places in your soul. She shares prayers, bible verses, biblical stories, her own life experiences, and practical ways to find and create rest in your life and get closer to Jesus. Every word Bonnie writes is faith-filled and inspirational. As I read her book I highlighted almost every page and I journaled along as I read each page. I want to share some of the many highlights and "aha" moments I found in "Whispers of Rest". Here are a few of the quotes written by Bonnie Gray from "Whispers of Rest" that spoke to my soul: … [Read more...]
The True Reason for the Season
“Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him “ Christmas is quickly approaching! For those that celebrate this sacred and joy-filled time of year, it is often faced with mixed emotions. On the commercial end of Christmas, it is a frantic scurrying of gift shopping, cooking, baking, card writing, decorating, traveling, and event planning. We can get caught up in the details of all these “traditional ways of celebrating” and end up feeling stressed and overwhelmed. We can get so immersed in the activity of preparation that we miss out on the joy of the meaning behind Christmas! We are so laser focused on purchasing that perfect gift for Uncle Tom and daughter Rebecca that we can lose sight of what the “true gift” really is. We run desperately from store to … [Read more...]
Caught In the Storms of Life
We all get caught up and ensnared in the storms of life at various times. We get pulled in by the whirlwind of life's difficulties and try to ride out the storm the best we know how. We implement life learned strategies and attempt to get control of the ongoing situation. It is similar to going surfing, trying to ride out the big wave without tumbling from our surfboards. We use various maneuvers to prevent ourselves from toppling overboard. Often, the wave is just too large and powerful to ride out or overcome. And so we end up falling helplessly into the rushing water and try desperately to keep our heads above water. We paddle for our lives in the thrashing waters and are often pulled in by the velocity of the powerful surf. We come up … [Read more...]
Chaos Has Become Our Normal
Chaos has sadly become our new normal. When we have times of quiet and solitude we often feel uncomfortable with it. It feels foreign to us. We tell ourselves, "I need to be doing SOMETHING!" This is because it doesn't feel natural to just be in the moment, because we are so used to rushing around, running here and there with our endless "to-do" lists. I think the chaos absorbs our lives and minds so much that it becomes a part of us. We identify being busy with accomplishing things which then allows us to feel accomplished as individuals. It's as though we are somehow better, or that we then matter, because we knocked off a huge "to-do" list. This has become the mind set of many of us. I've found myself bragging about all the details … [Read more...]