Tag: God

He Cares About The Little Things

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations

This morning I was reminded again of how much God cares about the little things in our lives. I was getting ready for a two-day adventure with the hubby where we get away and do some of the things we enjoy while having an appointment he has to go to.

It started last night with me being all cozy in bed for the night and all of a sudden I was reminded of where a receipt I needed might be. So up I went to go look. But it wasn’t there. So I just prayed that God would work it out so I could find that for a return, or work something out and went back to bed.

This morning I get up and I couldn’t find an item I needed. I knew I had seen it somewhere and but couldn’t find it anywhere. I prayed and told God I knew I had seen it somewhere but He needed to show me again. I opened a draw, the very drawer I had already looked in maybe a couple of times. But I had prayed so I thought I would open the drawer and look again. There it was!

Then I misplaced my comb as I was trying to do my hair this morning. I just had it in my hand a few minutes ago. Now where did I set it? Ok, JoAnn. Get with it. Yes, I was in a hurry to get out of the house on time, and sometimes I am not thinking as I lay something down. So now I had last night miss, and then this morning. I asked God if He could give me my thoughts back to get things these taken care of.

Response? He told me one more time to look in an unlikely place and there was my comb! AND then later as I got to the store without a receipt, I gave her my card and she looked it up that way. I got credit back on my card. Praise the Lord!! He did it again!

Why do I share these things with YOU? Because if God cares about these little things on my heart, He will surely care about the big things in my life just as much and more. I felt like I should share that with you. It may seem inconsequential but it isn’t. Don’t think the small things are not a big deal. They are just as important to Him where you are concerned.

The exciting and peace giving part of this message is this: He hears; He listens. We don’t want to miss seeing the little things He does for us that builds the trust to leave the big things with Him also. He if cares about the little stuff, we can trust Him with our biggest life challenges too. Don’t miss it!

Just a fun thing today… He did something fun and showed me a place I don’t usually look in a thrift store and there was this purse! I mean a new red leather purse (I’m a red kind of gal) and it was only $6.99!!! See? I never think these little nods are just chance. I believe God cares for things that I care for and He leads me to find great finds because He knows I KNOW it’s Him reminding me He cares and loves me. I believe, He leads to me see what brings joy to my heart. It is what makes my days more exciting and joyful to see Him lean toward my heart and say, “JoAnn…did you see this??”

Look for His leading. He loves to shower you with His love. And if it is in hard times you are going through, than He leans closer and whispers,

“Don’t give up or give in my child. I hear prayer for your circumstance and I will guide you through on this journey. You may not see the good in this now, but trust me to lead you through.”

Remember all things work together for those who love Him. That is in everything. If I cry through it, that’s ok. If I feel angry sometimes, that is ok. He says to remember that He is a prayer away and wants to bring joy, peace, comfort each day IF you will leave it His hands and not take it back.

So I keep looking for the joyful moments in the little things that God does in my life because it is part of my lesson to remember if He cares for the little things that bring me joy, He will definitely be there for the big difficult experiences I go through.

Find your joy today. Be a Noticer! You don’t want to miss out on seeing His love shining in those little and big things in your life. What will He show you today?

Until next time…

~JoAnn

Embracing Uncertainty: Finding Strength in Trust

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations

It has been a while, and I’m sorry about my absence. As many of you know, there are seasons in our lives that are just harder to navigate and can pop up anytime. I have had a few of those in the last several months. Even though they haven’t been all my trials, they have become trails for me because I care about others that are having hard times. So here I am, and my question for you is in the title. Would you really want to know what is ahead? You think you would feel more comfortable with that? Maybe you think you could prepare for it? Hmmm…I for one am comfortable not knowing and trusting instead, asking Him to navigate it with me.

What helps me is this thought that God placed on my heart a few months ago. Be a ripple on the water. When I throw a rock into a lake, pond or creek, the rock will push the water out of the way as it goes into the water, and it will then cause ripples to go out from its point of entry in a circle. Then the water will back in to fill the empty space where the rock fell and often make a splash, which makes more ripples. Can you imagine that being your life…being a ripple on the water in your daily life?

I know where my strength comes from, and I am not sure at times what I would do if I didn’t have that. You see, no matter how rough things get, I know God is in ultimate control of it and its outcome. I can trust that promise because I know that is what He has said. It’s truth. Doesn’t make my life a breeze by ANY means but I trust the process. So… as we see in the world today with things being the craziest that I have ever experienced, I pray God gives me the strength and the fortitude to walk it out with Him. Is it easy? A BIG no to that! But if I cast all my cares on Him, my frustrations, and tears, He has promised to care for me through it all. (I Peter 5:7).

I have had decades of experience “rolling with life”, and I also know what I have to do to keep my attitude in check. Do you know that about yourself? Have you taken the time to ask yourself that question? “What do you need to do to keep your spirits up and stay the course?” However, just to be transparent, I also have to watch because if I am pushed too far, I WILL push back or just go silent (and watch for silence of this Norwegian). However I want to share with you a day I had yesterday. God knows when we need encouragement and our spirits uplifted.

Looking for the story…

Yesterday we had errands to run. One was to an elderly lady that wanted to purchase a vintage light that I had for sale. I had to work a little with her to make it happen, but it did. She was 87 and wanting to decorate her studio room at a local senior housing. I love this! She is still creating! She had tears when I took the light out, and put it together for her to see how it would look when it gets hung up. She had a great life story too! Then lunch to celebrate my hubby’s birthday and we ended up going through DQ for a shake and hot fudge sundae. Another sweet moment was pulling up to the window to pay and finding the person in front of us had paid for our order. What a sweet thing to do. I haven’t done that in a while myself, and it reminded me of the need to pay it forward and do that for someone else. Next, we went to Home Depot to look at wall ovens and microwaves and found a great sale, plus… and extra bonus off! So we have ordered ours for the new kitchen and ready to rock and roll with that! So that was a wonderful day of God winks!

The moral of this post is: we can be a ripple in the water that spreads out for a long distance; sharing encouragement and caring. Or, we can keep it to ourselves and never see where God wants us to take action and be encouraged. I spent a fair amount of time with the buyer of my light listening to her story, and she had a good one. I am preaching to myself today because it has been a hard one. But as I said in the beginning of the post, I know what I need to do when that happens. I am in The Loft in the quiet of the day, writing to you as I drink my cup of coffee at my desk, and hoping that this little post will encourage you today! May you begin to think where you might be able to be the ripple in someone else’s pond. God always watches and looks for ways to let you know He is with you and listening. He is a gracious God and the lifter of our heads.

He has lifted mine again in these last few moments. Until next time…

~JoAnn

Do you have something you want to share about being a ripple on the water? I have an email address just for that purpose. It is

js.ripplesonthewater@gmail.com

Look forward to hearing from you!

New Year, New Chapter In My Story

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations

Hello my friends! It has been a long while since I have written, but I got a previous post out and wanted to get my New Year post out also. So let’s go!

Hard year last year…anyone else? Lots of great things happened, which my Gratitude Jar shows, but it was a hard one emotionally and in many cases, physically for me. My mind was a bit scattered and my emotions were rather all over the place, and I found it difficult to concentrate to do the things I would normally do to pull myself out of those places. I wasn’t too forgiving of myself as I struggled to admit there might be a bit of depression going on. So…I thought I would hop on here and chat a while about what I have learned, and where it might take me in this New Year of 2024. Also to tell you that re-reading my previous post, helped me to get in the groove to get this post out to you!

Because of the above circumstances, I hadn’t prayed about my word for the year as I usually do starting in November, which is my birthday month. So here I am days before the new year started (and now late in sharing it but that is ok) and I had to admit in my prayer time that I hadn’t asked the Lord for my word this year. I then asked Him if he would show me what it should be. Well when we ask, there is an answer. It may be what you are looking for, it may be something He wants you to work on, or it may take some time to answer. In my case, the next day I felt the answer…it was not what I really was wanting to acknowledge… PEACE. Yep. That was my word. Oh boy! I knew I had been having issues through the year because deep down there were many areas I was NOT in peace about. Oh… I can make a peaceful environment around me, in fact, I love doing that for myself or others who enter our home. But God was talking about MY peace; my INNER peace. And…I knew He was right. I wasn’t so peaceful inside. I was having a hard time walking that out, which of course, had been my problem in sharing the real stuff with God anyway. Funny part about that??? Like He didn’t know that already, and patiently waited until I would come to Him about it.

So once I had that word, I asked myself the usual question that helps me learn what is going on inside my head and heart: What is taking or stealing your peace? We have to be willing to be honest with ourselves. In my case, I recognized I am letting not just my life challenges grab a hold, but also those that are in the lives of my friends and family. The kicker for me was that I wasn’t turning them over and letting God work it out. I get involved; I get upset about their challenges, I go into recovery mode for them, I want to fix it… and I can’t. There are times I can help, but there are times and reasons that I might need to just listen. Satan will use any circumstance to lead us away from what helps us most…staying in close relationship with Jesus, pray and let Him take it on. Leave it with Him. Trust it with Him. Because I know that if I do that, I won’t be kept from the very special time and regime that I need to continue down the path God has for me. You see, my Bible reading and study was NOT what it should be. I would try and read and get nothing out of it, which is not like me. I love to read and learn and apply it to my life. I have also had to admit to a very short fuse…that is my inner self not doing well. I felt isolated which is the first sign that satan is playing with my head and heart, because, he wants me to feel this way; like there is no hope to feel better or get back to what I love to do.

I also learned that what I listened to in my home is important. So I have to spend more time in The Loft. Eyes off the world, and on what brings joy and peace to my heart and mind. That is where great things happen. It is ok set aside alone time if that is what it takes. I need to do that and use that time alone, not as isolation, but a time to listen and really hear anew what God has to say to me. Listen to the whisper. We have this idea that we need to go, go, go, and always be busy/sucessful. We are trying to accomplish everything and look successful and we are literally tearing down our bodies; and maybe our family and relationships with us. I don’t mind being alone because I know that is where I learn the most. So this whole way of feeling was very foreign to me. But by asking these hard questions, I can get more honest about the deep things that have changed in me.

I also remembered there was a natural product I was using that I had used for many years and I didn’t think I needed anymore. Well…to the ladies that follow this blog, if you have had a have had hormone difficulties, going through or gone through menopause, or you have had a hysterectomy as I have had, you may know that just because you get to a certain age, does not mean you might not need hormone support. Maybe too much information here, but I want to be transparent in sharing so you might recognize something that may help you. So my next step was to order it and start that this year. This decision also included consistency with vitamin regime. Do what you know to do. In my case, I believe these steps were answers to the question I asked myself. I felt better once I recognized them and took steps to change it.

So peace is my word for the year. I have made a logo for it (as you see as the cover) to use at various times through this year. I have made a scrabble tile with the word on it and it’s on my desk. I have that logo on my phone and watch. I am a visual person. The circle reminds me of life moving on. The heart is about me having the peace in my inner being…the heart reminds me that from the heart the mouth speaks. And the cross in a reminder to leave my problems and challenges at the cross. I loved finding the cross that looks a little like hardanger; a nod to my Norwegian heritage.

I have a list of goals for the new year as I always write. They are not resolutions, but just goals I have asked God to oversee. I love watching how God works them out in my life. I am never disappointed in the results and I love to see what He accomplishes from that list when I turn it all over back to him. I had almost 3/4 of my list to celebrate last New Year’s Eve when I read them, and that happened even amongst the hardship of the year. But sometimes we are more focused on what we think we don’t have rather than what we DO have. My daily prayers will be written in a little Prayer Journal given to me by a long time friend to pray over. I will also put my gratitude hearts in my Gratitude Jar. This year I expect to have more than last year because my heart is more at peace.

So it is my hope that you all will have the same kind of revelation in your hearts and minds as you walk out your 2024. May you have the courage to ask the same question that I asked and see what God lays on your hearts. Should that happen, or you have a word for YOUR year, I would love to hear from you about it. Leave a message on the blog by scrolling down a bit after the sign off and leave it there. I will respond and certainly pray for those that do, so that, you too may experience God’s divine purpose in your daily walk this year.

From The Loft…

~ JoAnn

Who Are You…Really

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations

I came across an interview online that made an impression on me. Oh… not because I didn’t know the message, but because it validated the message for me. There is a difference inside of us that we often cannot separate from the other. Let’s talk about this.

There is a difference between who you are and what you do if you are in the work force, v.s. who you are and what you do and are as a person. So often we get the idea that we are who we are no matter what we do, and that leaves us without direction when, let’s say, we aren’t working anymore, or our kids leave our home, or we have moved, or our lifestyle has changed. We have a tendency to lose direction and purpose. We have maybe given so much of ourselves to those things, that now we stand at an open door and not sure which way to go once we enter through it. Does that resonate with you?

I have always been a bit different in that way and I think God has given me that gift to assimilate into the next thing fairly well. I pray about the change and I ask for His direction and lean in to listen. I believe that is one gift He gave me early on in my life. You see, we might have to ask some questions when we are about to walk through that door. Who am I now? What do I have to offer? What are my gifts and talents that God may want me to use that I haven’t been able to accomplish while working, or raising small children, giving to others in my required position, or establishing myself in a different location? God isn’t done with me, so what would He have me to do to still be His hands and feet? I might want to get a book or tablet out and just pray and ask Him to give me that direction. What do I have to offer now? What is it that I can offer now that is just me and what comes naturally to me? Ask yourself, “Who am I now?” “What would you have me to do?”

God spoke to me many years ago while living in Aberdeen, WA. I was up in my sweet upper room/office, when I asked what He would have to me to do now that I am alone here and starting in a new area. He gave me direction for personal growth and study, but also that I had the means to do what He wanted me to do. That was something that comes naturally to me…I was to use my computer and my time that was available to encourage others when I saw the need. Let them know someone is listening. There was one other thing God gave me to do and that was to take a picture a day and post it and share why I took that picture. It was another way to encourage others to slow down and take in nature and life. Well…it all changed ME. Isn’t that great how that works?

We re-invent ourselves is what I like to call it. I had given many skills and hours in my working life in order to do my job with excellence. But now, I am in a different place and season. Who IS JoAnn now in this season of my life? I get to live each day and keep myself busy encouraging others, giving an ear to someone and praying for the needs of others. But, what do I do to continue to fulfill my need for close relationship with God in this new place? I believe God gives all those opportunities to enjoy life. I’m in the golden years and I haven’t stopped doing what I love in this new season. It looks different for me than it did many years ago. Our world around us has made some of that happen. However, we can be faithful to serve in whatever way God places on our hearts. We don’t have to be perfect. Better that we aren’t. We can be real. Authentic. That is a calling in this day and age of social media and what we feel we have to put out there for acceptance. My life isn’t perfect, that is for sure. But I am a grateful lady for all that God has taught me. It has brought me to the place of contentment no matter what life brings.

So maybe this is where you are today. I don’t know. But I have been there. Don’t lose your direction because what you do now may be retirement, or look different now. There is a difference between what we do and who we are. I think back and realize that encouraging others has always been a big part of who I am. It doesn’t stop with this season of my life now either. Sometimes we are caught in having to do what our life or job requires to make it happen, but it isn’t all of who we are. We also have to examine our motives for what we do. I don’t do what I do so others see it and think what a great life she has and it’s good. That is me. I do it because I believe that is what God wants me to do. Slow down, live in gratitude, enjoy what is around me every day because nothing is promised. He tells me to be an encouragement to others and help them to see how they can continue live with purpose.

I haven’t had a lot of change in my purpose, although sometimes I lost my way in the requirements of life. But He is faithful to bring me back. How about you? Who are you today, and what do you feel your calling may be in this New Year? It changes sometimes as our seasons change. I would love to hear from you.

~ JoAnn

White As Snow

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Condition of the heart, Legacy, Life Foundations, Soul Escapes

What is your understanding of your salvation?  Have you ever thought about what it really means for you when you accepted Christ as your Savior?  Or, if you haven’t accepted Him as your Savior, have you ever had thoughts about what you think it means for you and your life?

Recently at our home, we had a beautiful couple days of soft snow fall.  I loved looking out my cabin windows, which run all the way around my cabin, and watching the snow.  Everything is covered in a blanket of clean, white snow.  The Holy Spirit reminded me of how Jesus covers our sin through His death on the cross, and we are washed as white as snow.  I had just been reading something that came to mind as I watched that falling snow.  The thought was that our life changes at the moment we accept Christ.  It isn’t just about sin.  It means, that as an example, a new JoAnn is created at the time I accepted Christ, and now God has a relationship with that new JoAnn.  So.. it isn’t just about being forgiven of sins.  It is also about a brand new relationship as this new person.  As this new person, I now have a relationship with Him; not as the old me, but as the new me.  He relates to the new me!  

I love the snow. Always have. But the snow is temporary.  His love for me is eternal.  What a great reminder for me as I looked out my windows to watch the falling snow, and have it teach me a lesson at the same time!  Hearing Him speak to me brings a whole new level of excitement for me in my relationship with Jesus.

Along these same lines, I have been leading a study on prayer.  Boy!  We are seeing some great changes happening in the lives of those taking part.  We have been given nuggets of knowledge that we grab onto as life rafts in what can sometimes be choppy seas.  I am constantly amazed at what God will teach us through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, IF we are willing to spend time in His presence.  It’s kind of like looking in on a genealogy of relationship, and seeing answers to prayer.

  • If we are in His presence,
  •      we are in His Word,
  •         then, we are learning to know Him better,
  •              which means we are learning to discern His voice,
  •                   which in turn means we trust Him more,
  •                        and that means we will become more obedient,
  •                             and we WILL see big prayers answered.

We have also talked in this study about taking steps of faith.  I have been thinking about the idea of stepping in to the water before I see the waters part.  We want Jesus to part the waters so we can go in.  God wants us to step into the water in faith, and then see Him part the waters and bring us through.  

It is my hope that you are beginning to change the culture of your life with Jesus through some of the posts here on the blog.  This certainly isn’t me writing about these topics.  This idea of snow and relationship, and what prayer will do, along with stepping into the water, are all thoughts I believe God wanted me to share with you.  Challenge yourself to make the changes you need, to have the results you want.

May God help you to this end.

To your place of heart and soul escapes…

~JoAnn

Between Cupcakes

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

IMG_5966I LOVE cupcakes!!  Especially if they are devils food chocolate with fluffy white frosting!  Oh my!!  They are the best!!  So why do I share this tidbit of information?  Because this week was one of those times where I NEEDED cupcakes; a lot of them!  There is nothing better than those delicate, fluffy cupcakes topped with fluffy not so sweet frosting!  I had such a hard day, that I ate six of them right in a row and smacked my lips with everyone!  As I was eating them, I thought maybe there was something to the name of them.  The devil was sure doing a number on me today and I was eating my way through it with cupcakes!  And…I was careful not to leave any crumbs behind!

Now, it is a couple of days since that time and I got to thinking, “Why is it that we do that to ourselves?”  Do we think that something like that is going to helps us feel better?  Or, that eating them will somehow dissolve the problems that we are facing?  I have to admit, though, they really hit the spot!!  But my problem was still right in front of me.  Sometimes, we do this kind of thing and then deal with the guilt afterwards.  I can’t say I felt the guilt where chocolate cupcakes with fluffy white frosting are concerned, but along the lines of, “Shoot!  I did it again!”

I guess what I have thought about in retrospect is, that in all fairness to great cupcakes, they don’t help much of anything, except taste good at the moment!  When I look back on eating my six cupcakes in a row on Monday, I didn’t care about the reasoning.   But now what I am wondering is, why didn’t I go to the Source of all problem solving and ask for His intervention?  What is it about pride that keeps us from going directly to Him for the calm and peace we need?  Or maybe the insight we need to identify what is really going on, and the boldness to share it?  Maybe, because we would have to be responsible for our reactions, as well as, our actions.  I kind of think so.  It would mean I would have to go to prayer and ask for help instead of allowing my feelings to control me, so I can feel justified.  So…(pause) what?  I am just going to eat those cupcakes because…I CAN?  I deserve them?  I can even tell myself that if I have a bad day, and don’t do it again tomorrow, then I can justify eating them.  Amazing what our brain and heart can figure out between them, when we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit.  We can get SO creative!!

We are always going to have those “things” that tempt us, make us angry, hurt our feelings, or cause us to go for the one thing we love.  Satan loves to put those temptations right in front of our eye gates.  He will even go through the trouble to set up the scenario for you!  He loves to use his expertise to make that happen!  What we are doing may taste good to our emotions at the time, but there are always consequences to not taking it to the Lord first.  Always.

I share this because I know we all deal with this in some way, shape or form.  I want to be able to go the God with anything first, and ask Him to help me figure it out.  I want to deal with it in His way and His timing.  I want to surrender my pride and listen to the still small voice, and take my next steps accordingly.  I can send myself on all kinds of guilt trips, OR, I can go to God and ask for His direction.  His strength will give me the power to say no to what I FEEL like doing.  If I ask Him, He will let me know what I need to do.  We have a free will and can decide to pray about it, or, eat six cupcakes and have nothing change.

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I want to change and be more like He wants me to be.  In the time it took me to eat those cupcakes, I might have been able to totally solve the problem if I had been willing to face the problem, pray about it, and do what I know God would have wanted me to do.  Humm…do I detect a bit of rebellion in there somewhere?  Possibly.   That isn’t the way I want to live my life, and it will not help me live in peace and harmony.

Now, does mean that you can’t eat cupcakes?  Of course not.  But maybe not six of them, and certainly not for reasons and emotions that you alone are responsible for.   I had my time with the Lord to talk this over with Him.  But I kind of get the feeling that I should have done that in the first place.  Duh!  He gently reminds me that He is here with me.  I can always come to Him with anything.   Now that I listened to the Holy Spirit, I have taken action regarding my reaction.  I learned.  I live another day to learn some more.  In learning something valuable, I got to drop another heart in my Gratitude Jar.

Walking the journey with you…

Are Your Life Rings Showing?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

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I took a picture not long ago of a piece of wood that came on shore. It was quite large! You could see on what appeared to be the cut end of the tree, all the rings which you can count to see how old the tree is. It had to be pretty old because there were a lot of rings to count!

I have looked at this photo many times and it made me think what would happen if we had to wear our rings of age where others could see…and what if OUR rings were to show how closely we have followed the Lord in our lives each year? I know it might seem far-fetched, but what IF??? How many rings would be showing for others to count? We will have that sort of accountability some day. Now, I am glad my story goes along the way of rings and not wrinkles! Phew! Don’t need any more of those! But think about that for a minute. Do we have enough evidence for it to be counted for the Kingdom? Would you see the wisdom of my life rings as evidenced in my life?

That is one of my goals for myself this year; I want to be counted as one who is a difference maker. A friend of mine shared with me over coffee, that she didn’t have what she used to have to be able to give, but what she DID have, was time. And that was free to give. I agree. I want to spend the time that God has given me for the things that will make a difference in the lives of others around me and for God. I can make a phone call, send a text, mail a card, write a Facebook message, or invite someone for coffee and share life together with them. That is more important in the long run that any rabbit trail I might chase thinking, “I should do this, or I should do that.” I need to be asking God where it is that He wants me most. It’s one of the things that photography has taught me; take the time to “see” what is there all the time.

So I encourage you today to make some life rings of your own. It isn’t like it is about works or doing, but it is about making a difference for the glory of God. We all know we aren’t going to run around with rings on our bodies, but it could look more like those ripples I talked about in my last post, where you can clearly be used of God in ways you never expect! Start now! It is never too late to begin again! Throw the rock and make some rings; rings that later on will show accountability for what God entrusted to you.

Go make a great ring this year! Be sure to have fun, laugh, love and even do some dancing along the way! Walking the journey with you…

Let The Waves And Ripples Begin!

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

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This weekend when I was out taking pictures, I saw something that reminded me of the word that God gave me for this year. My word for this new year is LIGHT. Light shines in the darkness and it shines for all to see. As is the case when I go out, God uses the things around me to speak to my heart and this picture had a message that went right along with my word for this year. I saw a rock in the water. There wasn’t that much of it that was sticking up out of the water, however as I observed, I saw that even the little part of the rock that was out of the water, caused waves to separate around it. The water didn’t just roll over it, it made its own little waves. As little as the waves were, it still caused a ripple effect in the water that was very large. God seemed to say that I needed to stand firm just like that rock. That if I am seeking Him, I am the rock standing on the Rock.  Even though I may not make a big splash in my life, and may not feel like I can have that much influence over those around me, I will have. I may only make a small waves but the effect of those little waves will ripple out exponentially as He has designed. I need to be just like that rock; stand firm, and let my little light shine! God will do the rest. The “Butterfly Effect” (A Book by Andy Andrews) is in motion.

A couple of minutes later, I took the same shot with a different aperture setting and it change the whole look. God said, just like this shot, you may not always be able to see what is going on or what will happen next. But the rock is still there and hasn’t changed. The water waves are still there, and the ripples are still going out whether I can see them or not. I have to trust. God sees and He knows what I can’t see and what I don’t know. If I trust Him, it doesn’t matter that I can’t see what is going on behind the scenes. He knows.

I am looking for what God has for me this year! I am expecting great things! I can trust Him to show me! The message I got at the beach last week was that I need to shine my light for all to see, however that works out in my life. I make not make a big splash, but I WILL affect people and the ripples will go out! That is what my calling is; encourage people to live their lives pursuing what God has for them, living it out in passionate pursuits, and to honor Him for the gifts He has given us to use for His glory. I hope you find some of that on this blog.

What a great picture story I was given. I was so excited! In what way do you want to be used by God this year? Have you taken the time to ask Him, and then listen to what He has for you? If you are quiet and tuned in, he WILL show you. Let the waves and ripples begin!

Walking the journey with you…

Are You Watching The Road Signs?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

Do you ever go through a period of time that has been hard, and when you look back you wonder why it happened or even how you made it through? I know this has been true for me. As I was out on a photo shoot the other day by the railroad tracks, a thought came to me, “What if you didn’t HAVE to go through it like you did? What if you were watching the road signs I put out there for you? I gave you the signs.”

As I walked along the water, I thought about that. How many times has God given me road signs to warn me and I haven’t paid attention. I went ahead on my own steam FEELING like I was doing the right thing or going the right way. I can even talk myself into believing that God told me to go that direction. Well, maybe He did. But maybe He didn’t. God gives us warnings in our spirit when things aren’t quite right. It may be that still small voice that says, “You shouldn’t be here” or “You know this isn’t right”. Or maybe you are where you are and doing what you are doing because you don’t want to hurt someone. God has been tapping on your shoulder to tell you, it still isn’t where you should be, or what you should be doing. Can you relate?

So what can you do to be more in tune with His direction? God gave me a lesson on road signs when I went to a Beth Moore conference. I have adapted what I learned into my life and here is what I have learned. Watch for the STOP in your life where God wants you to STOP doing what you are doing, acting the way you are acting, or sliding in under the radar with things you shouldn’t be a part of. The things you need to STOP are the very things that can really get in the way of a deep relationship with Him.

Maybe you need to YIELD in areas of your life in order for you to hear where God WANTS to take you. It could be warning signs like the case of the railroad tracks where I was that day. He wants to tell you to be careful before you just set off. There could be danger there!

It could also be the GREEN LIGHT that tells you to go! I have given you what you need and now you just need to move forward with Me. Go where I have told you to go and do what I have told you to do. Be bold. Step out. If you listen, you will know the signs.

So ask God today where He wants you to STOP. Where do you need to YIELD? Ask Him to help you listen to the warnings that protect you. Lastly, ask Him for the boldness to GO where He would have you go, even if it might not FEEL like you want to. He says He will never leave us, and so we need to walk with Him and be in tune with His road signs.

I hope that as you journey through these days, that you will realize that you have something to share with someone else that they need to hear. So listen intently to His voice and let Him guide you with His road signs. You will never have to be concerned about a wrong turn; His ways are perfect! But should you miss a sign like I have, He is there to lovingly bring you back to the station! God bless you as you GO!

Does Your Life Need Balance?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Uncategorized

The other day, I was out by the water here in Whatcom County and witnessed an interesting situation. Out on the channel there was a log with three seagulls perched on it. They were in perfect balance and enjoying the ride as they floated down the channel. I raised my camera to get a picture when all of a sudden, one decided to take off. What happened next was pretty funny but also an interesting life lesson. One of the seagulls decided to lift off and it left the other two struggling to maintain balance as the log shifted and moved. So I got the picture of the two seagulls who were left trying to work together to save themselves from having to leave the log. They raised their wings to maintain balance as they slowly moved up on the log. However, as they moved to correct themselves, the log also rotated, and so they were doing some pretty fancy foot work as they worked to stay on. Eventually, after each trying to right their position, it failed and they flew off. This whole scenario seemed like a great lesson in a balanced life for me.

We hear so much about the importance of keeping balance in our lives. We have a lot going on, and if we don’t maintain balance, one area of our life can get out of control and take over. We all know the story, right? Let’s think about the seagulls for a minute. Before the “situation” happened, they were just floating along enjoying the free ride down the channel. Then, the one decides to take off. No warning, no discussing it, just doing what that seagull wanted to do. But what was left in the wake of the one seagull leaving were the other two picking up the pieces of that one seagull’s decision. The other two of them scrambled trying to stay on for the ride. It was so easy when they were all together and no one else is messing around. Our life gets like that. One person does something, or a situation comes up, that sends us spinning out of control. Our life balance is totally off and we are dangerously close to upending our log and hitting the water in a belly flop. Oh, we try to adjust our lives at times with things such as time management, charts, clean and organizing our house, quit one thing to free the schedule, but then start something else. We try for a while to have more family time or time for the Lord in an effort to right our log, but it doesn’t last much longer then the float down the channel did for the seagulls. We flap and flutter, trying to do it by ourselves. We do the dance to stay on, flap our arms trying to keep from losing it, and end up leaving the log or, in other words, running away from the truth of what is really going on or how we feel.

So what is the answer? We need to have God on the log of life with us! I mean really. We trust Him with everything that is in us. Are we going to believe IN God or are you going to BELIEVE GOD? Just like He calmed the storm on water, He can calm the storms in our lives. If we partnered with Him to give us balance, we would have a different reaction when one decides to go off on some tangent of their own or life hits us full face. We still have God on our log to help us maintain balance. So we don’t have to do the happy feet to stay on, we can do the happy feet because God is there. He is reaching out to us to say, “keep your feet firm and stretch out those wings, catch the air and slowly move forward with me. I’m here.” You know what will happen?

He will give you a picture like He gave me that day! If our hearts are open to Him, He will speak to us through the simple things in our lives. He wants to remind us of His presence and to help measure our steps and stay on the log of life with Him. Lift your wings and let God be the wind beneath them, trusting that with His help, you can float down the channel of life and enjoy the scenery of life as you go! He may even ask you to dive in with Him! OR maybe you are the one leaving the log of the status quo to be lifted higher with Him!

God bless you as you invite Him onto your log to dangle your feet in the water together!