Spending Time with God – 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.

Your Coffee Cup – Gratitude or Envy

Life is too short to not enjoy what you have or to always compare what you have with others.

In Matthew 20 there is a parable about a farmer who employs workers to work in the field for the day. Later in the day he finds more help available. Then again towards the end of the day he brings on even more workers. When everyone finishes that evening, all workers are paid the same daily wage.

Those contracted early that morning, although they were paid what they were promised, were upset that those who only worked a few hours received the same pay.

While this parable is most often associated with God’s grace and how His grace is for everyone equally no matter how long or to what extent they have served God, there is also a component of gratitude. Instead of gratefulness for their ability to work and that payment received, all the original workers could think about was that others didn’t work as long and were paid the same.

So often we do the same. Instead of being grateful for what we have, we look at others and want what they have. We want those shoes, that vacation, the life that seems so much easier than ours.

To illustrate this, I have a cabinet full of coffee cups that I cannot bring myself to get rid of even though I use very few of them. When I look at each cup, I am reminded of the person who gifted me the cup or the place where the cup was purchased. What I wonder is if I placed one of my coffee cups next to yours, what would I think about your cup?

Would I look at your cup and wonder if I could do something to fill it. Do you need more coffee? Maybe you need some sugar or some cream. Would I look at your cup and celebrate how lovely your fine china is compared to my seven dollar Buc-ee’s mug? OR even more disappointing, would I look into your cup just to make sure it didn’t have something in it that I didn’t have?

Can I truly share excitement for my co-worker when she gets a new purse to add to her collection while I currently can’t make that type of purchase? Can I honestly celebrate and enjoy hearing from a friend about how well her children are doing, when I have a child who is struggling?

Where do we fix our thoughts? There will always be someone who possesses more than you or appears to be living a better life than yours. Are you first satisfied and grateful with what God has given you? Does the love in your heart come through allowing you to look at others with enjoyment or empathy instead of envy.

Read through James 4:1-8 carefully. Maybe even write it out. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. … Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

So, how do we learn to gaze at the cups others wield so apparently effortlessly with genuine excitement? We draw close to God and seek to have a heart of humility.

If you have God, you have enough.

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.

Finding Faith When It’s Hard to Go to Church

Life isn’t easy, and we have to do hard things. There have been times when going to church was one of those hard things. God is faithful when we commit and remain faithful even in the hard times.

I half-way jokingly tell people that getting out of bed is the hardest thing I do each day. I love to sleep in and hate getting out of bed in the mornings. However, I force myself to do it. Now, once I’m up, I’m up. I’m not the type who takes hours to get going, and I never sleep-in to the point that I am late. It just takes work to get out of bed.

There have been times in my life where going to church was much harder than it should be. Just like getting out of bed, I had to force myself to go. First was when my kids were little. It was so much work to get ready and out the door. We did it Monday through Friday, but Sunday just seemed harder. Another time was when my late husband was sick. You would think that would be a time to lean in and get yourself to church. Unfortunately, I would go to church, hear people laughing and joking, and I just wanted to turn around and leave. Then praise and worship would start, and all I could do was stand there and cry. I would think to myself, “I can cry at home, why am I coming to church just to cry?”

Thirdly, sometimes when my job would put me in the news or the center of some controversy, I did not want to go to church or I wanted to slide in late and leave early. I would worry that people were making judgements about me based on news coverage rather than who I really am. From the time I walked in the door until the time I left, I unrealistically felt all eyes were on me. I might embarrassingly add a fourth reason. There were times I didn’t want to go to church because I thought I didn’t have anything to wear.

Yes, looking at these reasons now, they seem silly or vain, but at the time the struggles were real. Going to church, the event that I should be looking forward to all week, the event that should feed my soul and strengthen me for the upcoming week, was a chore that I had to force myself to do. I can also look back now and see how God was faithful and honored my willingness to force myself to go to church even when I didn’t feel like it.

I’m writing this today because I know there are others who currently find going to church hard. I just want to encourage you to take a deep breath, get in the car, and get yourself to church. Easter is coming and it is a wonderful time to be in church.

I sit here and reflect back on the feelings when I left church during those hard times. After hearing God’s word and spending time in His presence, I never regretted the decision to go. I’m thankful those seasons were short and numbered. I want to encourage you. If you are in a season where church seems like a place you don’t want to be, a place where you have been hurt, or a place that feels uncomfortable, find a way to keep going or to try it again.

Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

As mentioned above Hebrews 10:25 directs us to not neglect meeting together. I can tell you from personal experience that God will honor your faithfulness. If you are struggling, please feel free to comment, email me, or message me. I would love to hear your story.

Open Doors

God opens doors. Are you prepared to walk through them?

I don’t like to make rush decisions nor am I very spontaneous. At work when someone proposes a new idea, my first reaction is to buy time – time to check with others that might be affected, time to read up on the idea, time to think. I’m the same way at home. Scott will throw out an idea, “Let’s go eat at this BBQ place I just saw on FB.” I have to process this suggestion. I start thinking through everything. “Well, I have pork chops thawed out,” or “what time will we get home?” It is hard for me to just say “Sure, let’s go!” I like to have time to mentally prepare.

There are times when God asks me to do something where I have plenty of time to prepare. When asked to teach a class or speak to a group, I have time to prepare the lesson. I have time to pray and think through everything. However, there are times when God opens a door that requires spontaneity. The other day while standing in line to checkout with my groceries, a lady asked me about the shirt I was wearing. It was a shirt from church that said North Women Discipleship. I didn’t have time to stop and pray about my answer. I didn’t have time to practice what I was going to say. I had to give her an answer right then. God opened a door while standing in line at Crest, and I had to be ready.

Preparation for these times or opportunities has to take place in advance. This is why it is important to stay in the word and to regularly spend time in prayer. We need to be prepared for these opportunities. David gives us an excellent example of this. He spent years out in the fields watching over the sheep. He spent time in prayer and praise. He was anointed as king, and he was called into Saul’s court as an armorbearer. He was prepared for whatever door was opened for him. Little did he know when he was sent on an errand to deliver some dried grain, cheese and loaves of bread to his brothers that a door would open for him to jump through. Once David hears of the situation with Goliath, he doesn’t ask for time to go pray, he doesn’t need time to go practice. He simply walks through the open door and says, “Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32) David did not have to go and pray or go prepare. He was ready.

While I don’t think my nature will ever love surprises or completely unplanned events. However, I do want to always be prepared to walk through the doors that the Lord opens for me.

Finding the Perfect Gift

Spending time with friends and family gives you insight to what they want just as spending time with God allows you to know what He wants in your life.

I have this theory about gift buying. If you spend time with someone, watch and pay attention, you will have an idea what to get them for Christmas. You won’t have to ask them what they want. You will hear them talk about what they like, what they need, or you will get to know how they like to spend their time and what their favorite things are. You will also learn what they don’t like. You shouldn’t have to ask what they want. This theory works out better some years than others. Of course for the family that lives out of state, we don’t see them often. I don’t know what they need or want. I have to call and ask.

Theories are just that, an idea that tries to explain something. However, without a doubt I can tell you this theory does apply to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The more time we spend with Him, time in prayer, time in the word, the more we will know what He wants. In Jeremiah 9:24, we are told, “Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me.” We are expected to know the Lord and keep a relationship with Him. It is because we know Him and spend time with Him that we know what He wants in our life. He wants us to honor Him and be full of the Fruit of the Spirit, but we only know how that is lived out in our life if we are spending time with Him. We are told again in 1 John 2:3 & 4, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar.”

As we are rushing around trying to find the perfect gift for our family and spending time with our loved ones, don’t forget to spend time with the One who loves us the most. This is the only way you will know what He desires from you.

Who do You Call?

phone call Two different incidents prompted this blog. First, earlier this week when carrying in groceries, a bag began to rip. I caught it with my knee against the dryer and hollered for Scott to come to my rescue as my hands were holding several other bags. Just two minutes prior, Scott had been standing in the kitchen and should be readily available to come running at my beckon call. After escalating my calls for help, I realized, he must have moved to another location in the house and began to solve my problem on my own.

Today, I was in a meeting when Scott called. I discreetly hit the red, ignore button and continued with the meeting when the phone immediately rang again. Now this is our signal for, “I REALLY need to talk to you,” but I couldn’t answer the phone in this meeting, so I hit the red button again. Trying to stay focused, I saw a text message come across that contained the words emergency room. I stood up thinking I was going to have to leave this meeting, until I read the rest of the text. Scott had cut his leg and was headed to the emergency room. Realizing my assistance wasn’t of the utmost importance (He wasn’t lying on the garage floor and couldn’t get up.) I sat back down and covered a few more points before leaving the meeting. Please don’t think I’m a terrible wife. He only needed 4 or 5 stitches.

My point is, sometimes when we call out for friends, spouses or others to help us, they don’t answer or don’t drop everything and come running. However, we have a God who is standing ready, waiting for us to call on His name. He is there when the car in front of us comes to an abrupt stop, He is there when a conversation starts to become heated, and He is there in the middle of the night when the tears can’t be stopped. “Call to Me, and I will answer you,” (Jeremiah 32:39). “They will call on My name, and I will answer them.” (Zechariah 13:9). We never have to worry that God has left the room or that God is in a meeting and can’t answer us. He is there for us, big problem or small.

The question is, what name do you call out to when in trouble or when needing help? Do you immediately turn to God or is He a last resort after you have tried to solve the problem yourself? Do you put more faith in your friends and family by looking to them for help with your problems before you call on God? I can promise you this, God is the one who will always be there.

Keeping the Joy

joy How is it that what used to bring us joy and pleasure can over time be taken for granted or even more strangely turn in to an annoyance that grates on our last nerve?

It is in God’s presence we find joy. It is when we have a relationship with Christ and spend time with him we find Joy. “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalms 6:11. If this is true, why then do we not just walk around happy all of the time? First, happiness and joy are not the same thing. Joy is much deeper and can even be present during the dark times in our lives. If joy is missing in your life, you must first ask where your treasure is. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19.

Let me give you a personal example. Scott loves to do impersonations and different voices. He really is good at it. When we were dating, this was a part of our time together that would make me smile and chuckle. It was a side of Scott I treasured. However, just the other day I was working in the kitchen and trying to concentrate. Scott had been helping me, but he stepped into the living area to turn on the Thunder game. As he was doing so, he started in with an impersonation of the announcer introducing the Thunder starters. I caught myself physically rolling my eyes and taking a deep breath. Why? I wasn’t appreciating the things in life that could bring me joy and was actually letting this same action get on my nerves. My treasure was shifting and could shift into the danger zone if I didn’t stop it.

Checking where your treasure is can be as simple as a check of your body language. How do you respond to those around you, those that you love the most? Does a smile come across your face when you hear the garage door open, when the phone rings and that familiar number scrolls across the screen, or when your spouse cracks that joke that you have heard hundreds of times? If not, you need to change the language your body is speaking. That language will become a steady voice that you don’t want in your life.

It is also in your power to treasure your relationship for Christ. He is always there investing in you. How much are you contributing the relationship? It does take two. Again, check your body language. How do you react when you hear a scripture quoted? How do you react when it is time for devotions? Do you roll your eyes as you would with a tired joke, do you plop down with your bible like you are being served canned spinach, or do you treasure the opportunity to draw closer to the author of those words?

God desires for our lives to be joyful. Joy is a natural fruit that is produced as a person lives in the Spirit. Check your body language and make sure you are feeding your soul what it needs to grow and produce joy.