Prayer – View From My Shoes

Daily Distractions vs Dwelling

It is easy to get so caught up in everything around us that we miss the most obvious of instructions found in God’s Word.

While reading and preparing for Palm Sunday, I took special note of the verse, “His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.” John 12:16

The disciples had just retrieved the young donkey, and Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem under the shouts and praises of the crowd. The disciples knew the old testament. They knew what it said in Zechariah 9:9 about the Messiah. You would think at some point and time, they would stop and realize, “This feels eerily familiar. I have heard about this somewhere.” In the excitement of the daily events, they did not make the connections.

A couple of summers ago I decided to plant a mimosa tree in our front flowerbed. There was a mimosa tree outside my bedroom window growing up, and I have found memories of the pink flowers dancing just beyond my window year after year. I read the tag on the tree when I bought it. I read all of the planting directions. I knew what it said. I knew what to expect with a mimosa tree, but I missed some major connections. I was so caught up in the nostalgia of planting a tree from my childhood and filling a gap in our flowerbed, that I just let it go right by me. Towards the end of the first summer, I had a brief thought about how big that tree was getting. By the next summer, it all became very clear to me. I had planted a tree that not only made a huge mess, but also needed more space than was available in our flowerbed.

Hindsight is so clear. The disciples were busy worrying about the political scene, trying to stay safe, and excited about what they thought was going to happen. They missed all the signs that Jesus would be crucified for our sins. In many ways they were oblivious to his plan until after it happened.

There should be no judgment from us placed on the disciples. It is easy to miss Jesus’ plans when not paying attention. How many times do we get consumed attending to the revolving door of problems in front of us forgetting to go directly to the problem solver?

How many days go by with every minute spent checking off the never-ending tasks on a “to do” list only to later realize zero time was set aside for Bible reading or spending time in God’s presence? The day is gone with only time left for a quick promise to do better tomorrow.

If I had just stopped and thought about the planing directions, I would have saved myself from the now required annual lopping off of tree limbs and most likely eventual tree removal.

Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” We have clear directions from God’s word that we should dwell on daily. The benefits of putting aside the daily distractions to read, reflect, and remember can save us from so many problems.

Can’t Share What You Don’t Have

If you want to share Jesus with others, you personal experiences are the best place to start.

When Scott and I are enjoying a meal out, I often encourage him to order something extra. For example, I might prod, “I bet their onion rings are good here; maybe you should order some.” He knows full well, I plan on eating some of those onion rings. Same is true with dessert. “ Did you save room for dessert? They have your favorite.” If he doesn’t order it, how can he share it with me?

If you don’t have the love of Jesus, how can you share it? If you don’t spend time in the word and in prayer, how can you share those experiences with others?

In 2 Peter 1, Peter is writing to share the faith and encourage the church. He tells us to keep growing in knowledge, to live a godly and moral life which God will help us do, to love everyone, and God will give us a grand entrance into His eternal kingdom. He tells the church he will keep reminding them of these things and then in verse 15 he states, “So I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.” Peter had something to share and he wasn’t going to quit.

This year for Advent, Scott and I sent a short, daily video to our grandkids to help make the Christmas story memorable. We videoed from a different spot in the house each day starting out with a funny comment and the Christmas cout down. We would next read from the Bible interrupting each other with commentary and then end with a goofy salutation such as “Be sweet Parakeet.” I completely understand what Peter is saying in verse 15. I too want to keep sharing Jesus with my family and others so they will understand what is so special about living a faith filled life. I will share my love for Christ and tell my grandkids about all God has done for me over and over again. It is that important to me.

I have however realized that you cannot share what you don’t have. If you don’t have personal experiences with Christ, how do you tell friends at work about Christ? If you are not reading the Bible and learning more and more about God’s word, how do you share that with your neighbors?

As this year comes to a close and you prepare for 2026, think about your plan to grow in your understanding of God’s truths. Create a strategy to daily spend time growing in your knowledge of Him and reflecting on His unimaginable love for you. Write out your plan and commit to it.

Remember, James 4:8 tells us, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” Lean in to God in 2026 and share what you learn with others.

My Story Podcast (or part of it)

Here is the link to a recent podcast where I was invited to share my story.

I was recently invited to join our pastor on his Up and to the Right Podcast. I wanted to share it with my followers.

Many of you read my blog faithfully. This podcast will give you a deeper look into my heart and part of my life.

Up and To the Right Podcast

Keep Your Focus: Find Peace in God

Focus is hard in this crazy, busy world. It is important to keep our focus on Christ so we can remain standing.

Scott and I have this old person exercise routine that we try to do every morning. It is a little bit of stretching, some strengthening, then we end by balancing for 1 minute on each foot before getting off the floor in one smooth movement without using our hands. It really isn’t much, but it makes us feel like we are taking care of ourselves. When we first started trying various balance poses, Scott was having a hard time holding his for a full minute. As I turn everything into a competition, I was enjoying watching him struggle. I don’t know why, but I did advise him that if he would pick one spot on the floor right in front of him and not look away, he would be able to hold it longer. It worked. Now he can often hold longer than I can.

It is so bizarre. Try it. If you are balancing on one foot and move your eyes to check out the TV or to check the time on the clock, you are more likely to fall than when you keep your focus on one spot the entire time.

The same can be said about our lives and where we put our focus. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” As long as we are focused on Jesus, reading His word, praising His name, seeking after Him, it is easier to remain standing than when we focus on the circumstances around us. Easier than when we focus on what others have that we don’t. Easier than when we focus on how hard life can be, or focus on times our prayers weren’t answered the way we wanted. All of those distractions cause us to lose our balance.

One of my favorite scriptures that I stand on often is Philippians 4:6-7. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Let’s break this down.

1. Focus on Christ by praying about everything. Tell him what you need and continuously thank him for what he has done. This is a living daily focused on Christ.

2. When we do this, we experience peace – a peace that no one can explain or understand. A peace that comes only from God. I have personally experienced this unexplainable peace at various times in my life when everything was in chaos, but inside, I had peace. I didn’t have answers nor did the situation change, but I had peace.

3. This peace guards our hearts and minds. God’s peace guards us against anxiety, it guards us against fretting. We don’t have to live in a state of panic because our hearts and minds are protected when we put our focus in the right place – Jesus.

I have been in a couple of meetings recently that created a great deal of stress. I could feel it in my body. My thoughts were all over the place, but mostly full of anger with fantasies of just spouting out every mean thing I could think onto people involved. I wasn’t the person I want to be.

I began to practice the steps above. Not like a magic incantation, but as a way of changing my thoughts. I began to thank the Lord for all the wonderful amazing things He has done in my life. I was honest with God that I needed help and wisdom. Not like magic, but I am better. I’m in a place where I have confidence with who I am, not what others say about me. I know who my provider is, and I know that I am a child of God. My perspective is changed because my focus is changed. I’m not focused on me. I’m focused on the Lord who through David tells us in Psalm 16:8, “I keep my eyes ALWAYS on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (NIV)

This isn’t a practice to only walk through when battles are raging. It is a way of life. Try it.

P.S. Let me know if you try standing on one leg. I want to hear how it works for you. I would also love to hear how you stay focused on Christ in your life.

God has a Plan

God has a plan. He just needs us to trust, surrender and obey.

This is the time of the year where many churches and individuals are wrapping up a season of fasting. As Scott and I approached our fast this year, we had multiple conversations about the purpose of fasting, what comes from fasting, and Biblical directions for fasting. Which by the way doesn’t say that we only fast in January. I just had to throw that in as an extra comment.

Anyway, these conversations about fasting led me to reminisce of the summer after my senior year in high school. I had plans to head to OSU. I had been accepted into the College of Education and my parents had put down money on my room deposit. What I had been planning for several years was well underway. However, I was fasting one day that summer. I don’t know if it was something we were doing as a youth group or just something I felt compelled to do on my own. I can tell you, I remember very clearly fasting that day. I was actually babysitting at someone’s house who had great snacks. It was hard. As I was praying through my fast, I felt the strongest direction that I was not to go to OSU, but to go to NWOSU in Alva. Talk about an abrupt change. I didn’t know anyone at Northwestern, my parents would lose their deposit, but I felt very strongly that is what I was to do.

As I was reflecting back to that point in my life, I realized it was right there that God completely changed the trajectory of my life. It wasn’t just a college change. It was a change that set me on a different path. It was at Northwestern where I met my late husband. It was actually through my sister coming to visit me that she met her husband. Both of our lives would be completely different, but God had a plan. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

What stands out the most to me is there was an 18-year-old girl, and God had a plan for her life. He was directing her and guiding her 40 years ago to get her to where he needed her today. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” Jeremiah 29:11.

God knows right now where you are and what you are going through. He has a plan for you and wants to guide you through life as you surrender to him. You may be looking around at your current circumstances and wondering where God is right now? Let me tell you, he is there. Even in the darkest of times, God can be found if you look, trust, and obey. I don’t have to go all the way back 40 years to see God at work. He was there when life was hard. His plan prepared me for those hard times.

He has a plan for you; you can trust him.

The thought that God was directing my life 40 years ago to get me to where I am today is evidence of how much he loves us and cares for us. He is always working on our behalf. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.

Trust the plan; it is a good one.

Reflecting on My Retirement Decision

Everyone faces decisions on a daily basis. This is just a summary of how I recently arrived at a major decision in my life.

Most of you who follow or read my blog know me personally, so you know that I just recently announced my retirement. I’m hoping that decision gives me more time to write and the ability to be a little more real. There are topics that I think about putting in writing, but hold off because of how it might be wrongly translated at work.

I wanted to start by writing a little bit about how I came to the decision to go ahead and retire. It started with a comment from a couple of people about what retirement might look like for me. Then I read the book, From Strength to Strength, by Arthur Brooks. Next my son made a statement that really caused me to reflect on some whys in my life. I can’t list everything that happened in the last few months, but everywhere I turned, something was pointing me into the direction of retirement.

Changing topics for just a bit. I changed up my daily prayer routine about 8 months ago. Over the years, I’ve kept prayer journals, prayer lists, prayer cards. Whatever feels right at the time. A while back I decided that in addition to my daily prayer list pertaining to whatever is on my mind, I would make a monthly prayer list. This list would never have more than 5 needs on it, and I would deeply pray purposely for those 5 needs each and every day for a month. I also attach a scripture to each need and pray that scripture over the need as well for the entire month. There is no biblical reason for this method. It is just a combination of things I have read and something that was on my heart to do.

Back to my decision about retirement, for the month of December, I have been praying Isaiah 43:16, “Thus says the Lord who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters.” I have been praying this pertaining to the continuous promptings towards retirement. I have prayed that the Lord would show me what he desired as clearly as he made a way through the sea. I asked for direction that was so clear I could follow it and a path so wide that I would know where to step and where to go next.

The purpose of Isaiah 43:16 is to encourage the Israelites, remind them how powerful God is, and assure them he can deliver them as they were under the rule of Babylon at the time it was written. For me this verse assured me that God provides for our needs. My current need was reassurance that I was following what he desires for my life. I have always felt that teaching was my calling. I want to make sure my retirement keeps me on the path that God has for me. A path where I honor him and serve him. A path where I can be used for his purpose.

I don’t’ know what you are going through, what decisions you are trying to make or what waters you are navigating, but if you ask, God will show you the path or he will provide the deliverance you need. Commit to following his will, and his desires will be made known to you.

What You Don’t Know

Last Monday was a somewhat typical day for me. I had to attend 3 meetings, make a short presentation and attend a board meeting. I would like to think I pulled off the day with great success. However, what if I told you my shoe was being held together by Gorilla Glue and could have come apart at any moment. I probably shouldn’t tell you, but I will, that under my suit jacket, my shirt was partially unzipped because it was too tight and I couldn’t breathe with it zipped. Looks can be so deceiving. On the outside, I appeared to have my act together, but in reality, I was uncomfortable and tiptoeing gingerly with every step not to put too much strain on my shoe.

Life can be the same way. We work so hard to put on the appearance that everything is perfect and we have it all together when it truth, that isn’t the case. I have no doubt that many times we are sitting next to someone and thinking they have the perfect life while in reality we may have no idea what is going on. It could be they had a huge fight with their teenage child that morning and are worried about how it is going to play out when everyone gets back home tonight. It could be they have felt a growing lump and are trying to get into a doctor while every thought is filled with fear. It could be bills are coming due at a higher rate than pay is coming in.

I have two points I want to make here. The first one is for the girl trying to hold it together, but barely doing so. I get that sometimes we have to “put on those big girl panties,” and hold it together to get a job done or know that we are just doing the best we can until something in our life changes. I want to tell the girl is who is putting on this façade every day and pretending that everything is perfect that it is okay to let someone know. You don’t have to hold it together alone. Then to all of the other ladies out there who are admiring that perfect friend and trying so hard to be like them, this friend may not be as perfect as you think. Really what your friend may need instead of your admiration is your kindness, or your willingness to listen.

I’m so thankful for a suit jacket and Gorilla Glue. My day would have been a disaster without them. What I pray is that as Jesus directed in John 7:24 that I “Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment.” That is I pray that I see others through the eyes of the Lord, not through my earthly eyes. How is this possible? Only through prayer and knowing the heart of the Lord. Philippians 1:9 states “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,” This tells me that through prayer our love for others and the ability to see their needs can increase if we seek it.

What are you Craving?

We were taking a road trip last weekend and while I was driving, Scott was reading to me quality finds on FB. One that sparked a debatable conversation was a Mental Floss article over the top 25 most addictive foods. Fist I have to tell you, by my definition, for a food item to be considered addictive it has to be a food you crave and drive across town to get such as french fries, a food you start and eat the entire bag before you realize it such as potato chips, or a food you store and hide places such as candy. I was trying to guess what items would be on the list and was pretty successful with the top 5, but it fell off from there. Included in the list were food items such as steak or eggs. Now, I get hungry for a steak every now and then so maybe it is addictive, but I can honestly say even though I like eggs, I have never stored them in my desk drawer or just kept eating them even though I wasn’t even hungry.

I would say there are a couple of addictions in my life. I have to drink at least one Diet Coke a day or the head ache is unbelievable. I used to drink 3 or 4 a day, but these days I only allow myself one. I also desperately need something sweet after every meal. I literally start craving something sweet as soon as I finish eating. I’m not hungry. I just want something sweet.

I would even venture to say I am addicted to non-food pleasures such as shopping or working in the flowerbeds. It is easy to get addicted to the feeling of buying yourself something nice and that feeling you have when you put on a new outfit and feel confident in what you are wearing. It provides a feeling that I desire. It is different with yard work. It provides immediate satisfaction. You work hard and when you are finished, you can look around the yard with a sense of accomplishment. These pleasures are senses or feeling that I naturally desire to replicate.

As humans created by God, we were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7) and God’s pleasure (Revelation 4:11). To glorify God is to:

love Him – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”Deuteronomy 6:5

Love others – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.: Matthew 22:39

Point others to Him – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Glorifying the Lord only takes place with a healthy relationship with Him. John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” The same reference of spending time in the home together is made in Revelations 3:20, “If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them and they will eat with me.” This is evidence to the desire of the relationship God desires to have with us.

As I reflect upon my relationship with Christ I divide it into two parts. The first part is simply habitual. It is just a natural reaction or instinct. After Jeff passed away, I felt the need to pick up the phone and call him anytime something happened or I heard of something he would want to know. It was just a habit. The same is true with calling out to the Lord. There is this habitual instinct to call on the Lord anytime there is a problem or to thank Him as soon as something good happens. I believe this is from a good raising. Calling out to the Lord was taught and modeled in our house growing up. I don’t know anything else.

The second part is the deep relationship piece that requires time spent in prayer and in the Word. It takes a conscious effort to put everything else aside and seek the Lord’s presence. No one would argue the wonderful experience felt in His presence. It is a peaceful, safe place where you can pour out you soul or just relax and rest in His presence. It is a part of why we were created. I believe this relationship should be as addictive as the bag of potato chips in the pantry. It is something we should desire and seek after.

Why is it the reward of spending time developing a relationship with the Lord is more rewarding and fulfilling than buying a new pair of shoes, but I don’t treat it with the dependency of an addict? I am so good at the habitual part of my relationship with Christ. I automatically give Him glory when something good happens, and I automatically call out to him in time of need. It is taking the time so spend in His presence where I fall short. I love the time I spend in prayer and spend in God’s word. I even crave it and make great plans for it to happen on a daily basis. The problem is my addiction is often not strong enough to survive through the busy schedule or to take priority over all of the other conflicting addictions. I pray that I can be as addicted to spending time with the Lord as I am to Diet Coke. Nothing stands in my way.

Plank in the Eye?

A Speck is Painful Enough

In Matthew 7 and Luke 6 the parable is told “and why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” After calling this person a Hypocrite, Jesus instructs us to “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

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This parable has a whole new meaning for me tonight. I had a left eye experience today that opened my eyes (pun intended). First I had my annual eye doctor appointment. As I was complaining about the frustrating process of taking my glasses on and off for each different event, my doctor suggested one contact or mono-vision to help with my aging sight. I was all in. I moved from the exam room to the table at the back of the office to practice this new contact adventure. Putting the contact in was no problem. This rookie got it in on the first try. I wish I could say the same for the extraction of the contact. It took multiple attempts and by multiple, I mean like 15-20. The assistant was adding drops, double checking that is was still there, and coaching me the entire time. Because I was such a slow learner, she made me do it again with about the same results. I went back to the work with my eye red and swollen and not one bit of make-up on the left side of my face.

This event was nothing compared to the antics it took to get the contact out tonight at home by myself. I worked and worked just like I was instructed at the office. I could not get it out. Then I noticed it didn’t appear that the contact was still in my eye. I picked up my phone and sure enough, I couldn’t read my phone so it had to be out. Oh no, I couldn’t be that lucky. It was folded up and lodged up under my eye lid. You can only imagine the effort it took to get my finger up there to dig the wad of film out. I actually have a small bruise on my check where I have been digging my fingernails into my face trying to hold my eye open.

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I embarrassingly tell you this story because I feel it is comparable to the removal of a speck or plank from the eye in the biblical sense. Obviously, this story is a metaphor concerning judgement of others. In the last part of the parable, we are instructed to remove the plank from our own eye. In other words focus on our own faults not others. I have no idea what it would be like to have a plank in your eye, but I’m here to say, it takes great effort to get something really small out of your eye. Think back to the last time you had hair or fuzz in your eye and couldn’t get it out. If you are like me, you rub and rub, look in the mirror, shine the light from your phone in your eye…. everything you can do to get the uncomfortable object out of your eye.

The question is, do the faults in our lives make us uncomfortable enough that we want them gone? I ask myself, am I as desperate to remove the sin or shortcomings from my life as I was to get the foreign object from my eye? Who can walk around with something in their eye? Not I. However, I daily walk around completely unconcerned about the faults or sin in my life. What would happen if you didn’t remove the object from your eye? Your eye would continue to water, become more irritated with time, eventually end up with scratches and likely infection. Sin does the same thing. It scratches, scars and poisons our lives. The problem is, we let it stay and often even justify its existence as necessary.

I pray tonight that God will show me the changes I need to make in my life by making them as uncomfortable as an object in my eye.

Bueno – No Bueno – Mucho Bueno

With God often you are getting more than you asked

unnamed Today was one of those days. When lunch time approached there was no way I could face the cottage cheese and celery I had so thoughtfully packed this morning. Based on my current stress level, a steak quesadilla from Taco Bueno was what the doctor ordered. I had a few minutes before my next meeting so I quickly headed for my lunch therapy. I took advantage of the car ride to call my daughter in Denver. She is my witness. As I pulled up to the speaker, I ordered by steak quesadilla and continued forward. When arriving at the window, I dutifully paid my bill and drove back to the office. I wrapped up my conversation with my daughter and headed to my desk. After clearing a spot on my desk for lunch and opening the computer to prepare for a working lunch. It was at that moment, the first glance into the sack, when I realized I did not have my order. In the bag were two burrito shaped packages. I was highly disappointed and angry I hadn’t checked the bag earlier. I opened the first one and it was some type of bread similar to an fry bread smeared with refried beans and stuffed with taco meat, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. It only took me seconds to devour the tasty surprise. The second package contained some kind of burrito. I tore it open before biting into it to see what my unordered gift might hold. It busted open revealing rice, beans, chicken, sour cream, tomatoes and even cilantro. All I requested was a simple quesadilla – meat, cheese, tortilla. While at first I was disappointed I didn’t get what I ordered. It only took a few tastes to see I received so much more. Pity the person that ordered burritos and got my quesadilla

I think this is often so true of our request to God. Currently 3 or our 5 children are on the hunt for purchasing their first home. Anyone who has been through this process remembers the emotional roller coaster. I have been reminiscing and comforting them by relaying memories of finding a house and praying day and night that the Lord would provide a way for us to get that house. When the offer wouldn’t be accepted or someone would offer more, I would be crushed that my prayers were not answered. However in time, God always provided a house that was so much more than the house I had chosen. It was more than meat and cheese. It was a house with lettuce tomatoes and sour cream.

When I was young and going to college, I prepared and prayed for a teaching job. All I ever wanted was to be a teacher. That was my life’s goal. However, God had such a more perfectly designed plan. While teaching is still my passion, God has taken me further in my career than I ever dreamed.

Closer to home, most recently my son and expecting daughter-in-law decided to move from a house only minutes away back to her home town 12 hours away. I have prayed many times that God would send something to change their minds and make them want to stay. Again, I was praying for meat and cheese when God probably has lettuce and tomatoes planned for them. I feel I may have been limiting them because of my selfishness.

As a child in Sunday school I learned to quote Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says 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. I also memorized Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” These scriptures are fundamental to how I was raised and taught as a child, but I so quickly forget them when I get focused on what I want and not on what God has planned.

Don’t fret over not getting meat and cheese when in time God will provide you with much more.