I have a confession to make.

I have a tendency to be a people-pleaser. I often do things because I think it’s what is expected of me, not necessarily because I feel strongly about it.

In the blogging community, we are inundated with expectations.

-Expected to write meaningful essays that meet a specific need within our audience.

-Expected to meet deadlines.

-Expected to build relationships.

-Expected to be consistent.

-Expected to make lasting impressions.

So on and so forth.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I began to feel the weight of expectation once again.

Beginning somewhere in mid-October, my newsfeed became overpopulated with articles written on the topic of Thanksgiving. So I assumed I should probably do the same.

And I tried.

I thought long and hard. I tapped in to my memory bank. I made a plan.

I added specific themes to my idea book. I read similar articles on the topic for inspiration. I even researched the word, thanksgiving in order to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.

I studied the scriptures, and meditated on verses about giving thanks, especially in the Psalms.

And I prayed. A lot. Everyday.

But I had nothing. NOTHING.

Each time I tried to put my pen to paper, (or in this case, my fingers to keyboard), I drew a blank.

How is it I can’t seem to write about a holiday designated to giving thanks? I thought to myself.

It’s not as if I’m not thankful. On the contrary, I have MUCH to be thankful for! I know this. So, what is my problem?

“Why is this so hard?” I asked aloud.

[Read more…]

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

I awoke to the stench of smoke wafting through my bedroom windows.

It’s not unusual for the neighbors to have a bonfire that lasts well into the night, so I wasn’t too concerned initially.

I kicked off my blanket and sluggishly walked towards the stairwell, preparing to make my descent, when I noticed a thin layer of grey dust covering the banister.

Slightly perplexed, I continued down the stairs, unsure of what I might find.  

Although there didn’t appear to be a reason for alarm, something felt off.

The morning sky was hazier than usual, and the moon looked sinister; adorned in colors of red and orange.

After a closer look, I realized that the same “grey dust” that covered the stairwell banister, coated the grass like a mantle. Ash.

It was ash!

I scrolled frantically through my phone. My newsfeed was crowded with posts from friends who spoke about a forest fire, set ablaze, in my hometown’s backyard.

Unreal!

[Read more…]

A few weeks ago I attended a women’s bible study. As we discussed the fruit of the spirit, “goodness,” we dove into the scriptures. One of them being, Psalm 23:5

“He will prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:5)

As we chewed on this passage of scripture, there was a particular phrase that stood out to me. Actually, it reached out and grabbed me by the gut, is more like it.

“He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”

That part is worth repeating!

“He prepares a table for me IN THE PRESENCE OF my enemies.”

Catch that? In the presence of. Not in the absence of.

That immediately caught my attention, and I took it home and meditated on it for days.

Chewed on it.

Wrestled with it.

I’ve been walking with God long enough to know that when the Holy Spirit causes a piece of scripture to jump off the page, there is something more that He wants me to see; to take notice of.

A fresh revelation He longs to impart.

[Read more…]