“Doomsday Preppers explores

the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans

who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it.

Unique in their beliefs, motivations, and strategies,

preppers will go to whatever lengths they can

to make sure they are prepared for any of life’s uncertainties.”

Each episode highlights three preppers, describes their well-laid doomsday preparations, and provides an expert assessment of their plan’s effectiveness.  I must admit that I think the people on this show are a little crazy.   One prepper made his kids eat meals made with bugs in order to prepare them for what he considered to be the inevitable end of the food supply during an apocalypse.  I seriously wanted to grab his kids and take them out for a Happy Meal.

I am not over-fascinated with doomsday scenarios, but as a Christian, I do believe we are living in the end times.  This week, as I was reading I Peter 4, I realized that this epistle provides us with our own “end times” preparation list:

The end of all things is near.

Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received

to serve others, as faithful stewards

of God’s grace in its various forms.

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one

who speaks the very words of God.

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,

so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

vs. 7-11, NIV

Christ followers, like Doomsday Preppers, are people unique in belief, motivation and strategy.  I believe Jesus is the way.  I am motivated by His love for me, and this passage provides my end times strategy:

As the end draws near, I am called to be a servant.

I am called to be alert and prayerful.

I am called to love.

I am called to speak the very words of God.

I am to open my home and my heart as a safe haven.

God will give me all the supplies required for survival.  In the end, He will be glorified.  Victory is certain.

Q4U:  Are you ready for the end?  How are you preparing?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Joining like-minded sisters today at Tell His Story,  Playdates with God and Soli Deo Gloria.

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“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure;

genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.

When Jesus wraps this all up,

it’s your faith, not your gold,

that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.”

I Peter 1:7, MSG

Joining like-minded sisters at

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Photo Credit: Eric Chegwin

Time passes so quickly!   That’s why I am using these weekly posts to chronicle some of the things God is teaching me.  I don’t want to let things “slip by”… I want to be intentional about remembering what’s important.  So, here in no particular order are ten things I learned this week:

1.  My spouse deserves my focused attention  (i.e., put down the phone and close the laptop, Lyli).  This past weekend, my husband and I attended Family Life Today’s Weekend to Remember Conference for couples.  I am so thankful that we took some time away to re-connect and invest in each other.  My big takeaway from the weekend is that I need to be more intentional about focusing on “us.” 

2.   Elisa taught me the 4 T’s of Communication — timing, tone, technique, and truth.  This is such a practical post, and it came at the right time for me after our weekend away. 

3.  Shauna outlined 7 things I should do to be a great dinner party guest. Have you read her book Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes?  I am love, love, loving it so far.   Here  are the details on the (in) courage book club — I would love for you to join us in reading this great book.  

4.  “God is comfortable in my chaos.”  — I missed this encouraging word from Lisa Jo a couple of weeks ago and was so happy to discover it this past week — I love her “Monday Morning Check List.”

5.  I need community.  Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors, so I was so excited when he guest posted for Ann at A Holy Experience.  I love what he shared about not isolating yourself during dark times.  (He also has a new book coming out in September!!!)

6.  Community is hard!  That’s why this post by Robin for (in)courage really challenged me.    Am I really going to live out the Gospel and forgive as Christ calls me to do?

“Love and forgiveness are possible when we surrender our right to have rights, when we relinquish any sense of entitlement–

• to expect others to behave how we want them to
• to withhold a loving/forgiving response until they’re truly repentant or compliant
• when we’re the wronged party, or in any obvious sense, are ‘right’”

7.  Jean at Healthy Spirituality reminded me to “fasten my helmet” and intentionally choose joy and thankfulness.  I love this story she shared about her granddaughter.

8.  “Our lives, our brokenness, our flaws and failures are precisely what God designed to reflect a perfect love.” -- This beautiful guest post by Adele  for (in) courage touched me deeply. 

9.  I need to be more intentional about carving out times for quiet reflection during my day.  Rachel at Finding Joy provided some helpful tips on how to do this in her post “Five Steps to Finding Quiet in a Noisy World.” 

10.  Face to face time with those I love is important.  I need to spend less time “socializing online.”  Holley explains this well in her post for (in)courage “What It Looks Like to Have a Cyber Sabbath”:

“Sabbath realigns us with love.

It reminds us we’re not created for tasks but for relationship.

It reassures our hearts that we’re not slaves

but instead cherished sons and daughters.

It relieves us of the burden of controlling our own lives.”

Q4U:  What did you learn this week?

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am joining Jesse and friends this weekend for

For ten years, I lived in a cozy town house filled with lots of love and laughter.  My favorite activity was curling up on the couch in the tiny living room and grazing on kettle corn while watching endless hours of the Food Network.  Then, I met him — the guy with the big heart who swept me off my feet.  A year later, we got engaged, and I packed up my cozy little life and moved north to be a wife.

Around that same time, one of my former students was getting hitched, and she needed a place.  So, my quaint little town house became hers — at least temporarily.

This past month, my friend and her husband made a big move north themselves — back to his home state.  So, now that town house full of memories will soon have a For Sale sign posted out front.

My June calendar was packed to the rim with activity, so I bribed another dear friend to go check the place out, assess the damage two big dogs had wreaked on one small town house, and do some clean up.  She needed the extra cash, and she is a meticulous OCD neat freak — a quality that I lack.

Tuesday afternoon, we met for her “assessment.”  I received several pages of very thorough notes — dirty grout, smudged paint, smelly carpets, damaged blinds, etc.  She noted many things, but she didn’t say a thing about the kitchen cabinets.   She hadn’t noticed the imperfections I thought were glaring and obvious.

That night, we met with realtor at the home.  I got there a bit early and walked around noting things to do on a note pad — adding to the already lengthy list I’d received — replace baseboards, change out bathroom fixtures, repair back fence, install new fire alarm.

But, that all changed about twenty minutes later when I met Debbie — my tiny dynamo realtor with the eye for what sells.  “Don’t do a thing,” she told my husband.  Pull the carpets.  Touch up a little here and there.  The  new owners will want to put their stamp on the place anyway.

I looked around the place and noticed flaws.  Firecracker Debbie viewed potential — the updated kitchen appliances, the hurricane shutters, the tiled back patio.    Her suggested list price made my eye brows raise.  Really?  You think it’s worth that?

So now, it’s 24 hours later.  I am reading in I Peter 2, and these words jump out at me:

So clean house!

Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense,

envy and hurtful talk…

Present yourselves as building stones

for the construction of a sanctuary

vibrant with life…

Friends, this world is not your home,

so don’t make yourselves cozy in it.

Don’t indulge your ego

at the expense of your soul.

(vs. 1, 5, 11 – MSG)

God has an eye for my heart’s home.  He sees potential in me where I see flaws.  I am a living stone — solid material the Master Builder is using to design His kingdom.  I need to clean out the cob webs of hate and hypocrisy in my heart, but I don’t need to display OCD perfection for Him to create a beautiful sanctuary out of my life.

Q4U:  Do you tend to “over inspect” your life?  Where do you think God sees potential in you?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Joining like-minded sisters today at  Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday, Faith-Filled Friday, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Tell His Story, Playdates with God and Soli Deo Gloria.

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Photo Credit:  Kostya Kisleyko

“For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.”

Proverbs 6:23, MSG

Joining like-minded sisters at

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Photo Credit: David Duncan

I don’t want to take my man for granted ever.  I am thankful that he still romances me, and I am learning that cherishing your spouse is a daily intentional choice.

Likewise, I create these lists every Friday because I want to earmark memories, so that I won’t forget what God is teaching me.  So, here in no particular order are ten things I learned this week:

1.  The church is a sanctuary.  I love how Jamie the Very Worst Missionary explains this through an emotional encounter she almost didn’t have with a stranger.

2.  Kendal at A Spacious Place is a gifted poet.  This week, she reminded me that “when we hold fast to things-not-god” we become a broody hen that God has to push off her nest.  Ouch!  Check out “on broodiness (oh, it’s a word).”

3.  Marriage requires unselfish investment in your spouse.   I love the wisdom my friend Rosanne at Free Indeed shared in her post “Twenty Years of Marriage — A Reflection.” 

4.  Lysa TerKeurst reminded me that my identity is in Christ in her guest post for (in)courage.  I am not in a popularity contest:

“‘For in Christ

all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

AND YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN

FULLNESS IN CHRIST,’

(Colossians 2: 9-10).

I have been given fullness.

In Christ.

I can place

the wholeness of my identity in that reality…

and see everything else as small in comparison.”

5.  As a Christian, I am called to pray for my enemies.   I love Sarah’s story in this guest post over at (in) courage –  her 5th grade daughter “gets it” when it comes to the Gospel message.

“Praying for our persecutors is a grace-filled,

innocent request on the part of us, the wounded,

to honestly ask for blessings on those who do us wrong.

We must be a people who want to rain love

and grace and blessing on those who hurt us

and those who take from us.

We must be a church who prays,

with genuine hearts, for our enemies.

And we must, at the same time, wish them well.”

6.  Something magical happens when we gather around a table with friends and food.  Shauna Niequist is reminding me in her amazing book Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes.  Have you read it?  The Bloom Book Club for (in) courage will be digging into this amazing book this summer.  Go here for the details.  Here is a quote from the “Introduction” to whet your appetite:

“What’s becoming clearer and clearer to me

is that the most sacred moments

in which I feel God’s presence most profoundly,

when I feel the goodness of the world most arrestingly,

take place at the table” (p.13).

7.  In Christ, I have “an inheritance of living hope.”  I read about it this week in I Peter 1 as part of the She Reads Truth community.

8.  This week, I shared how God surrounds us with songs of deliverance.  Philippians 1:19 reminded me that my prayers are a powerful and necessary part of the equation in seeing God set my loved ones free from the bondage to sin.

9.  Studying the Bible with a group of girls can be a life-changing experience.  This week, I started reading Jennie Allen’s book Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul as part of the Good Morning Girls Study.  I am sharing this journey with 20 amazing women.  I am so excited about what God is going to do in our lives!

10.  Russian Chicken with rice is a magical recipe that is easy peasy.  Try it out on your family — you will thank me.

Q4U:  What did you learn this week?

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am joining Rachel, Jesse, and friends this weekend for

Now that I am an adult, I must admit that on really tough days, it feels as if I am getting thrashed around by gigantic waves while I cling for dear life in a tiny dinghy with a gaping hole in it.  The water is rushing in all around me, and I am sinking down, down, down.

On difficult days that deserted island sounds like a really good idea.

I think my 3 items would be a beach chair, some sun screen, and a juicy novel.  Yeah, I would like a little island getaway.  How about you?

Yesterday, I read Psalms 32 in The Message translation, and God grabbed my attention when I hit verse 7:  “God’s my island hideaway,  keeps danger far from the shore…”  Yes!

Let me share with you in this VLOG how the Psalmist’s words have soothed my weary soul this week:

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“You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Psalms 32:7, NIV

Today, I stopped by a co-worker’s office to drop off some paperwork.  As I stood waiting for him, I turned to face the door.  There over the door jamb, I discovered a beautiful framed portrait hanging on the wall.  The picture captured a beautiful sanctuary, and the caption underneath filled me with comfort:

“The will of God will never take you

where the grace of God cannot protect you.”

God is my hiding place.  His grace will cover me no matter where this life may take me.  I am resting in that promise tonight.

Q4U:  How has God delivered you?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Joining like-minded sisters today at Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday, Faith-Filled Friday, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Tell His Story, Playdates with God and Soli Deo Gloria.

“You have charged us

to keep your commandments carefully.

Oh, that my actions would consistently

reflect Your decrees.”

Psalms 119: 24-25, NLT

Joining like-minded sisters at

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Photo Credit:  Guenter M. Kirchweger

It always amazes me how people with different temperaments interact.  Being an outgoing person married to a shy guy requires making some complicated dance moves — we are still learning the right steps.  We are still learning each other’s rhythms.

Be encouraged this week as you rub shoulders with that “not like you” personality… Their strengths will meld with your weaknesses.  You will learn to walk to the same beat if you stay on the dance floor.  It’s worth the effort.

Here in no particular order are ten things this “chatty girl” learned from listening to others this week:

1.  Apparently, Big Mama and I are on the same wave length this week.  Last Sunday, I shared how God spoke to me about a  light potentiometer, and yesterday, Melanie shared about “The Light of His Grace” over at Ann’s  A Holy Experience blog:

“I don’t know if any of us

have the capability or the comprehension

to ever fully grasp the love of God. It’s too big.

But I know that the only way we’ll ever grow

and become what He has called us to be

is when we expose ourselves to the light. 

That’s where we bloom.”

2.  Laura at Missional Women helped me see how I could organize a prayer retreat for a group of friends.  I love this resource:  “Mosaic Prayer Experience.”

3. “I am not the Savior of the World” — Melanie at Unexpected “tells it like it is” in her post “Ten Things You Need to Know Before Going on a Missions Trip.” 

4.  I am learning that I need to build quiet space into my week to breathe new life into my spirit and to listen to God.  I love these practical ideas about how to celebrate the Sabbath provided by Jean at Healthy Spirituality.

5.  I was a single gal until I was in my early 40′s.  One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me about looking for a mate was that “time is a great revealer of things.”  You learn a lot about a guy by interacting with him in many settings and with many types of people.  I am realizing now that this holds true for friendships as well.  How do your friends treat others in their circle of influence?  I love how Felicia explains this concept to singles in her post  for Start Marriage Right.

6.  Kristin at Moments in the Story wrote a beautiful guest post titled “Love and Cough Drops” for (in) courage that explained how we must put love into action.  (If you are a mom, you will love the story she shares about her four-year old.)

7.  Laura at The Wellspring reminded me that each new day is teeming with new possibilities — anything is possible.  I love her post “When You Oughta Get Your Eyes Examined.”  (Keep jumping, Laura!)

8.  Angie Smith at Bring the Rain is one of my favorite writers.  Reading her blog brought me a great deal of healing during a difficult season and inspired me to become a blogger myself.  I love how she unpacks the phrase “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength” in her post for (in) courage.

8. Intimacy in marriage is fostered as I intentionally open up my heart, soul, mind, and spirit to my spouse.  Samuel Rainey outlines “Three Ways to Grow Trust and Deepen Intimacy” in this helpful post for Start Marriage Right. 

9.  Kelly from Love Well describes how parents and Christian school teachers must leave room for kids to have their own unique way of  approaching God.  I love what she shares about how she parents in this guest post for Deeper Story: 

“God is the good stuff, dear things.

I will not force-feed Him to you

to the degree that you no longer taste His sweetness.”

10.  I am thankful I am no longer teaching high school.  May is brutal on teachers, students, parents, and anyone within firing distance.  I love how Jen captures the spirit of borderline insanity in her outrageously witty post “Worst End of School Year Mom Ever.” 

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Q4U: What did you learn this week?

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am joining Rachel, Jesse, and friends this weekend for

I married Mr. Microscope.  He fixes things — medical things.  And as his Mrs. Microscope, I try to help out by doing the paperwork that he is not fond of.   So, I learned a little Quick Books from our accountant, and every weekend, I spend about an hour entering data.  After a while, my fingers get into a rhythm:  “Routine Service.  Olympus CHT binocular microscope.  Noted no significant findings.  Image quality is good at this time.”

Tonight, however, God spoke to me clearly as I was typing out an invoice.  This specific piece of equipment had some “issues” apparently.  I read my husband’s work order description and typed the following:  “Noted unit will not light up and light intensity potentiometer is broken….”

I stopped there.  Oh my!  I immediately pictured a heavenly meter that measured my potential.  I wonder how God would rate my “light intensity” this past week.   I certainly don’t ever want Him to say of me, “This one just won’t light up…”

Thankfully, I know just the place to go when I need a little routine maintenance.  I head to the Holy Spirit shop and get back to the basics — Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, fellowship, and serving others.  All these tools work together to get me back up and shining.

The Living Word is my “potentiometer” — I need to keep examining my light’s effectiveness by looking into the Bible daily and making adjustments as needed.  Paul understood this concept and challenged the church at Philippi to keep shining brightly:

“Go out into the world uncorrupted,

a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.

Provide people with a glimpse

of good living and of the living God.

Carry the light-giving Message into the night

so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you

on the day that Christ returns.”

Philippians 2:15, MSG

Light up the place, friends.  Life lies ahead, and we are to point the way.  Keep connected to your Power Source.

Q4U:  How do you gauge the effectiveness of your witness?  How do you stay “well lighted” in your spirit?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Joining like-minded sisters today at Faith-Filled Friday, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Tell His Story, Playdates with God, Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday, and Soli Deo Gloria.

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