Walk by Faith

Is There an App for That?

2012-02-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gotten an e-mail or text and been truly confused? You think to yourself... "They aren't really that excited of a person normally. What's with all of the exclamation marks and smiley faces?" This person you thought you knew has now morphed into some strange version of themselves when they text you. You may also wonder what they're trying to say. With all of the abbreviations

Life Decisions and Working Out

2012-02-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

I recently started working out more. Okay, let me start over. I recently started working out. :) I have started out slowly, but I have been pushing myself to do a little more every time I go to the gym. This morning, I did a pretty intense workout. I have been walking ever so slowly in my new heels today since my legs and butt are screaming at me not to move. It's funny how one change in

For Better or for Worse

2012-01-27T15:23:00.000-05:00

I really like weddings. My definition of a "good wedding" is one where the love of the two people getting married seems to shoot bright beams of light out of them. I find myself smiling from ear to ear when I see two people getting married that are truly meant to be. They love each other completely. When they say their vows, you know they mean them. They mean that they are committed wholly

Just Go for It!

2012-01-25T09:01:00.002-05:00

I had a dream recently that I was flying. I was flying in a modified plane (no top or sides) over orange mountaintops so close it seemed I could have bent over and skimmed the top of them with my fingers. I was the ultimate of happy in this dream. I wasn't afraid at all. I am normally scared of heights, so flying back and forth without restraints over a mountain range is not something I

Hermit Crab or Eagle

2012-01-20T15:49:00.001-05:00

It's nice to be sheltered from the rain. It's nice to feel warm and safe, but does that make us grow? If we never feel the sting of rejection and heartache of failure, in what way will we learn to fly? How will we get the strength to leave the nest, when there is no reason to? Will we sit on our perch up high watching as others feel the wind beneath their wings? Will we sit motionless day

To Be or Not to Be

2012-01-18T13:54:00.000-05:00

What does it really mean to live? Does it mean you breathe in and out, have a pulse and brain activity? Is that what being alive is? Yes, some would say. You are alive if your body continues to keep you that way. If it were as simple as that, we wouldn't have all of the controversy we do over euthanasia, suicide and what quality of life looks like. We would simply see living as a

Resolutions

2012-01-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

It's January. The month designated to make a fresh start, turn over a new leaf, get skinny, and do those things that we have either been too scared to do or too lazy. It is a societal expectation that we will join that gym, interview for that job, or change that behavior. I was thinking about this recently and came to a conclusion: a true resolution may come at any time, in various ways and

Reality Bites

2011-12-29T15:19:00.001-05:00

I admit...I am a reality show junkie. I just can't help myself. I know that most of it is ridiculous, but I find myself sucked into the lives of these people. I want to understand them, the dynamics in their relationships and see what happens next. Gary and Teen Mom Amber's Break-Up The more I watch the "reality" that takes over my living room, the more I realize a common theme.

Family Matters

2011-12-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered how you ended up in the family you were born into? Your astonishment may have come years ago whey you were an angst-filled teenager, or maybe it was just last week at a family gathering. I can remember (when I was an intensely serious and philosophical 15 year old) thinking I was not "supposed to be" in the family I found myself coexisting with. Even now, I continue to

It's the Simple Things

2011-12-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

As I sit by my beautifully lit tree smelling the fragrance of Christmas, sipping hot cocoa by candlelight, I can't help but take a deep breath in and sigh with satisfaction. A few minutes ago, when perusing my cabinet I giggled like a little girl as I saw my most brightly colored holiday mug hiding in the back. A peppermint hot chocolate soon filled the sorely neglected ceramic cup. With

Holding On

2011-12-12T08:28:00.001-05:00

Small children often go through anxiousness as they learn that it's okay not to be with mommy and daddy constantly. They may cry and tantrum when mom and dad leave, but parents who want their kids to learn how to be independent and confident people don't stay. They let them cry for awhile reminding them they will be back for them allowing them to learn what it means to be on their own in the

A Dog and his Chicken Leg

2011-12-01T09:48:00.001-05:00

I was sitting on the couch last night relaxing after a day filled with busyness, contemplation and having to do things bosses hate to do. As I sat there, I began to think about events during the day that bothered me, and I found myself holding onto them for dear life. My mind kept saying, "What are you doing? This is silly." My emotions were set on replaying those events. Just a few minutes

The Man of my Dreams

2011-11-27T11:27:00.001-05:00

A little girl dreams of prince charming riding up on his gallant horse and whisking her away into the sunset. She doesn't think about what happens afterwards, just the anticipation of him arriving and taking her away to live in the castle of her dreams. In reality, the girl grows up waiting for that perfect fairy tale, and many times we don't realize it hasn't arrived yet. We don't

Unanswered Prayer

2011-11-22T16:46:00.001-05:00

How is it that when you're young and really know nothing, you think you know it all, and when you're older and know so much more, you really feel like you know nothing? I guess that's the definition of wisdom. It makes you feel clueless at times and grows your patience and faith. I remember being a young woman entering my twenties and realizing that I did not have much wisdom at all. This

Grace & Love

2011-11-18T07:52:00.001-05:00

My best friend is in town. I love spending time with her. I am so truly blessed to have God place a friend in my life that just gets me, and gets me completely. I don't have to explain myself and muster up any kind of strength to be around her. I am just me. No matter what I say, when others may not get my motives, she does. It's like a breath of fresh air to have a girlfriend like that.

Unexpected Standby Adventures

2011-11-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Our latest destination was to Espana. The rationale for going to Spain: it costs less than other European countries, we know a little Spanish and...why not? On our way there, we ended up getting first class from Philadelphia to Madrid. The flight over is really long, especially since you are flying overnight and there is a huge time change. First class was amazing. I felt so awkward when

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-11-04T16:37:00.000-04:00

The crisp air. The deep reds, lively oranges and vibrant yellows. The smell of someone burning firewood. Cinnamon and vanilla. Homemade pies and cookies. Being bundled up to watch a football game. Hot chocolate and homemade cider. The gathering of family. Laughter. Togetherness. I love it. I just had to write about my favorite time of year. It is a time of rebirth in my eyes. That

Free to Fly

2011-10-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

I have often admired how beautifully God uses a gentle breeze or gust of wind to paint my world. I will look out the window in Spring to see little pink petals from a tree whisked away to dance. In Autumn, red and orange leaves fall only to twirl around on the ground celebrating their freedom. It's amazing how these living portraits inspire. I am a very blessed woman...and a free woman. To

Our Father...

2011-10-12T09:27:00.001-04:00

It all seems like some strange dream now. That night so long ago holds a grip on her heart for reasons she didn't understand at the time. In the darkness, she fled with her mother and brother. Through that darkness, light would surely penetrate. Chaos. That is what she can remember about that night. Whatever fragments left in her memory are of chaos, confusion, fear...and more fear. Her

I Think I Can...

2011-10-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

What lengths will God go to make us realize that though we try with all of our might, some things He just has to help us with? It's like a small child trying to push a large boulder. They may push and push convinced that they will make it move. They may take a break and come back to try to move that rock, but all in vain. You see, their determination may appear admirable, but it doesn't

Diamonds in the Rough

2011-09-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been in place where you think, "God, why am I here right now and what is the purpose of this?" I guess that's where faith comes in. We have to trust the One that made us and orchestrated the circumstances. Sometimes I feel like, when I look at my life, I am looking at a mirror dripping with condensation. I can see a little bit, but squint and struggle to see clearly. There is

The Stainlifter

2011-09-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

What is that one thing, or that string of things, that you never want anyone to know about you? What is the thing in your past, or present, that will alter others' perception of who you really are? We all have those "things" we hate to think about, to remember or even admit to ourselves really happened. They are like a bad dream that seems to have become part of our memory. But, what if we

Abba Father

2011-09-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

When I think of my life...I just smile. My life is so amazing right now. I feel so loved, and I am in a place of peace. God certainly keeps his promises. The gifts he has given me and continues to give me are exceedingly more than I could have dreamed. I am amazed at how he continues to do work within me that seemed impossible just a few years ago. How he engineers circumstances so that I

Walk by Faith

2011-09-12T14:02:00.000-04:00

I thought I knew what was really you- Then everything changed, I couldn't see you again... Where did you go? Why can't I know? Are you coming back to make my heart race fast? Will you shed some light on the darkness of night? Will I again see, as I fall to my knees? Will my hope be secured by the effort I put forth? Will the fog lift, or will I die in this mist? Will my questions be answered

A River Runs Through Me

2011-09-06T15:46:00.001-04:00

I have never thought about rivers the way I have thought about them today. I have always thought of water and rivers to be something good since water is mentioned so much in the Bible as a cleansing agent and a symbol of purity. But after reading a devotional this morning, I realized so much more. All rivers have a source. We may never realize or know from where it began, but it has a place