New People

Life has been sending me lots of new people recently... at the same time as removing some. God has a sense of humor as well as an interesting way of giving life it's twists and turns.

Several goodbyes over the past few weeks have been difficult, and yet there have also been some wonderful hellos...

What about you? How do you look at the hellos and goodbyes of life?

When Life Kicks You in the Arse... Sometimes It's Helpful Not to Kick Back

Sometimes life takes twists and turns that are unexpected. For me, today was one of those days. I will be stronger for it in time... and I refuse to lower my standards, priorities, calling, or anything else to kick back.

How we respond to the things that life brings, or that our decisions bring, says a lot about us. I am resolving to learn everything I can out of what has happened.

The joy of the miners in Chile who were all brought to the surface in less than 24 hours is a testament to God's faithfulness. Every other miracle that has happened, no matter the size... from the birth of a flower to the rescue of a cat to the rescue of 33 miners half a mile below the surface of the earth... is a testament to His goodness, grace, mercy, and love.

How we respond matters. I choose to respond without kicking back.

Twenty Four Up and OUT So Far!!

So far, as of 2PM my time, there are 24 of 33 miners up and out of their underground prison. Something about this reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fire, and of Daniel in the Lion's Den. God was there for them then, and He is here with these men NOW!!

They're Coming UP and OUT

So far, two of the miners in the Chilean mine who have been there since August 5th have been brought to the surface. God is a good God!! It is a miracle they survived this long, and a miracle that all the right people to help in the rescue efforts are there. It has been 68 days. Sixty-eight days of prayers, of hoping, of waiting with bated breath to see what will happen. It has been 68 days and now, for the first time in so long, some of the miners are reaching the surface. More are coming and by morning my time, there is the hope of at least 7 or 8 more brought to the surface.

That the President of Chile is there for the rescue says a lot. What are your thoughts on this?

Update as of the end of writing this post-- the 3rd miner has been brought to the surface, thank Jesus!!

For more of my thoughts on this topic, check out my initial blog post!

Chilean Miners' Rescue... An Angel Wing Moment

As I type this, the miners who have been trapped half a mile under the ground in Chile at what is now called Camp Hope are being rescued, one by one, slowly. But the miracle is that they have remained alive since August 5th, when they were first trapped and that now, October 12th, the first of the 33 (34th below they say and I believe full-heartedly is GOD) are being brought to the surface.

As I type this there are 31 left waiting with God in the wings. Thirty-one miners whose families have been waiting, whose loved ones and the world have been waiting with bated breath to surface. And we KNOW that we KNOW that God can do this. He has done it before in history... rescued people in dire straights, created what we see as miracles. All of life, all that is good is a miracle. But sometimes it takes more than what IS a miracle for people to SEE a miracle. And this is one of those times.

As I type this, it has been 2 hours and 15 minutes since the beginning of the rescue. There will be a lot of transition and transformation in the lives of the survivors... these brave and wonderful mining men who have learned what life truly is all about. These men who are a reminder to US of what life is really about. The important things in life aren't what can be bought with money, though sometimes there are nice things to be bought. They aren't what can be voted for, though sometimes voting makes us feel we are "receiving" nice things. The important thing in life is life itself; it is loved ones; it is our calling in Christ; it is loving people and being there for them through EVERYTHING, no matter what happens. It is making sure we are there to serve others and not just to be served. It is LIFE. It is GOD'S WAY.

I have read that the goal is to bring up one miner an hour until they are all on the surface. An admirable and worthy goal that we are all watching to see what happens with.

As someone who opted out of having a television now is one of the few times I wish I had one. This is a moment that will stay with us if we allow it to... this PRAYERFUL BATED BREATH. This angel wing moment... this moment where anything is possible and we instinctively, intuitively KNOW that we KNOW that we KNOW it. And that is the attitude we can have all the time if we allow ourselves to.

We can learn a lot from this... not just in terms of geography or what the media can share or about geology, but about God and about ourselves. This is an angel wing moment... a moment we know ANYTHING can happen. We wait with bated breath and sigh with relief at every good piece of news.

Create Your Own Badge... Mine? Sacred Femininity.

There is only one me... remarkable, original, unrepeatable and sacred.

Sacred Femininity

Get your own badge here

Do you know what YOUR Style Statement is? Do you have a guideline for who you are, a way to help yourself and others understand who you are as an individual as God made you?

If not, the above link also reaches back to the main site and there is a way to find out, either with a book (this is the way I did this) or through a personal consultation.

It's Going to be a Great Day... Just Allow It to be...

I was just speaking online with my friend Tiana and it became evident to me that sometimes, God has a great day in store for us, but we have to be watchful and allow it to be. The headline here... this is the final word I had for her when we were done conversing.

Sometimes we allow the "things" that we see for the day to spoil the day before we even reach it. We allow worry or fear or hesitation to get the better of us. But if we ALLOW the day to be great.. if we come into it with the attitude that it WILL be a great day no matter what happens because we can choose to have a good attitude and can choose our response to its events... it WILL be a great day.

I would encourage you. Have a great day by allowing it to be great.

Authentic Churches

There is just something about a church group being authentic that puts a pitter-patter to my heart. Authenticity, as one of my key values, is rarer than it should be, I think... inside as well as outside of church communities. Christianity has strayed from authenticity in some quarters, and it is time to come back. Come back to being as God intended for you, Church. Come back.

Transparency, I think, is the key to that authenticity. This is true in people individually and as a group.

Let me ask you, the reader... 

What makes for an authentic church body in your eyes? And what is it that you enjoy about the body of believers you are associated with?

I'm Already There

Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?   ~Richard Bach

Most of us have probably heart Lonestar's song "I'm Already There." It has tugged at my heart since the first time I ever heard it probably because I know the concept all too well... someone you love as much as or more than life itself is gone. They are far away in some fashion from where you are.

Faith: My Residence

Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.  ~Augustine

Faith. This is one of the tools in our toolkit as Christians that is necessary for life and love and relationship success. It is something that is a must.

Faith. This is my residence. I must trust that God has my back at all times, even when I have done something I shouldn't have. If it's repented of and forgiven, and I allow God to use it, all things work together for good in my life because I love Him and more importantly, He loves ME. 

Faith. We can't see the future - even those of us with the gift of prophecy - in full reality. And even with prophetic gifts where the future is shown that future sometimes is changed, as it was when Jonah told Ninevah God was going to destroy it... and that people repented, turning history and voiding the prophecy because God had a heart moment with them. God saw their faith and though He is a never-changing God, His mind was changed. Faith. This is the only thing that truly turns the heart of God toward or away from someone, something, a situation.

Faith. It must be evident. It must be our residence. It must be where we live. It must be what we breathe. It must be real.

Only when faith is real does its reward come to fruition, barring an extra pinch of the grace of God.

A Good Photograph

A good photograph is knowing where to stand.  ~Ansel Adams

Hydrangeas

A couple of my favorite hydrangea closeups...
Hydrangeas remind me of the beauty God placed on this earth and in His people. From far away some people may not think they are much to look at, but once you get close to them you can see their intricacy and beauty. Kind of like people...

Prophecy and Prophetic Dreams

How many among us today have the gifts of prophecy and prophetic dreams. I am one... I have met a handful of others, but not many. I find this gift of the Spirit fascinating and would like to learn more about it; about prophecy in general.


Some of my own prophecies and prophetic dreams have been intense, to say the least. One night it might be a prophecy about someone I have never met, and the next about someone very close to me. I might be on the bus and have a word for someone or even have a phone number I don't know highlight in my mind with a message (honestly thankful this particular one doesn't show up often, introverted as I am).  And quite frankly, sometimes God uses this gift in me and I don't even realize it because I'm so used to it being there. I'm not sure if that is good or bad or just is, but it is.


For those of you out there with one or both of these gifts, talk to me. In what ways do you discern when to say something and when to keep silent? Where do you see God using your gift the most, if there is a specific area or people group or geography He is using you for?

What do you see through the lens God has given you?

A Fascination with Chickens

There has always been something fascinating to me about chickens, ancestor of the red junglefowl, part of the pheasant family. They originally came from Asia, though there is debate about where, exactly. Was it India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Java? Nothing for me to worry about.

Growing up, we had chickens for a while. I don't recall how many, but at least five or six of them, as well as a variety of other pets through the years. We had a coop in the back yard along the back fence line, I remember. And sometimes I'm who went to get the eggs to make French toast or omelets, or what have you. My Dad used to make the best scrambled eggs around; we called them Dad Eggs. And from the time of collecting eggs and cleaning coops on, I have enjoyed them and been fascinated immensely.

The chickens in this photo aren't from my childhood; they're from a blueberry farm owned by family friends. As a photographer, chickens have been one of my favorite animals to work with because not only are they versatile, they are pretty photogenic overall.