Bible Book Club
Donate

Blog Category

Encouragement

Encouragement

Fighting the Lies We Live By

Lies have a really sneaky way of disguising themselves as truth. Once we hear a lie in our head enough times, it begins to convince us that it is right! Then we unknowingly accrue a list of lies we live by. Don’t believe me? Think about a few of these lies we live by, or at least I live by and I am fighting not to live by! Lie #1: “No one notices what I do” Truth: “You are LOVED” As moms, we are the ones finishing laundry at 2 a.m. to make sure our son has a clean uniform for practice. We are the ones standing in front of a sink stacked high with dirty dishes two and three times a day. And we are the ones driving a carpool of screaming kids across town even when we have a temperature of 102 degrees. Constantly putting others first without any sign of appreciation is overwhelming. But what I’ve had to come to understand is that even though my kids don’t say thank you on a daily basis, I can always find other ways that I am loved and appreciated by them. Lie #2: “I don’t have enough time or energy” …

Read Post →

Encouragement

How to Chain, Tame, and Train Your Tongue

When was the last time you said something you didn’t mean? Spoke before thinking? Hurt someone with your words? Let a careless comment slip? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done all of those things! And I know I’m not the only one who struggles with my words. Why is it so easy to say things we regret? The book of James has an answer for that. James 3:2-6 tells us, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole …

Read Post →

Encouragement

Are You Too Serious to Laugh?

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” “Nothing, why?” “You never laugh anymore.” My kids can read me like a book. I have heard these words several times. We all have stress, but when stress exists for long stretches of time, it can become the norm. And we become too serious for laughter. During those periods, a mom can forget how to laugh. And that is bad. In fact, it is probably worse than we think because it can affect our relationships. When I think back on my favorite memories, so many of them are filled with laughter. Whether it’s with my kids or Mark or my friends, I’m most happy when I’m laughing so hard that I bend over, silent, tears streaming. The silent laugh is my deepest laugh. When my laugh goes silent, my family thinks it is hysterical and they start laughing. Thank goodness they have never videoed me in this mode or I’d probably never do it again because apparently, I look pretty comical. What is it about laughter that leads to such shared moments? Scientists have studied the benefits of laughter and their findings reveal laughter is pretty powerful. So based on their findings, here are just a few reasons …

Read Post →

Encouragement

Peering Into Eternity

I can still clearly remember the day my heart stopped. At only 17 years old, I had a cardiac arrest. I was a cheerleader for my high school, and our football team was playing for the district championship. It was an intense game. I was on the sidelines, willing our team to victory. Feeling every play. My senses on high alert. The clock was running out, the game was on the line, and a huge upset play turned the outcome in our favor. Along with all of my friends and the other fans, I cheered wildly, almost in disbelief. I can still smell the freshly mowed grass of the field, concessions, sweat. I can hear the roar of the crowd in my head. I can feel my heart racing…and racing. Long after I stopped jumping and screaming, it was still racing. I thought it would never stop. Two hours later, the familiar senses were replaced by the sharp antiseptic smell, bright lights, and hushed commotion of an emergency room. I tried to listen to the frantic conversations around me, wanting to know what was happening. I don’t think I really knew how serious it was until my body began relaxing …

Read Post →

Encouragement

Panic Gives Way to Peace

I sometimes wonder how people survive without prayer. I couldn’t make it through a single day, much less a lifetime, without prayer. For me, praying is almost like breathing. I’m not saying that because I want you to think I am acing the Christian life. I’m not. I have to pray simply to survive and stay sane! Without prayer, I have no peace in my life. But I do have to admit that praying is not always my first response to the difficulties that inevitably come up in life. In fact, I have a problem with panicking. A pretty big problem. Any number of things can throw me into a cycle of worry and anxiety, and I panic instead of praying. Especially as a mom who worries about my kids, I could easily be in a constant state of panic! Most of my worries follow a little pattern that can spiral out of control without me even noticing. It springs up as a little pang of fear; it then picks up speed, swirling into worry around my brain; next it spins me downward in a funnel of anxiety, till I bottom out in a puddle of panic. When I land, …

Read Post →

Encouragement

I Was Justified, and I Was Wrong

Have you ever made a decision for your life and been totally convinced it was right only to find out you were wrong? At the end of last year, I was convinced that this year I needed more down time for me. And I was justified! Last year was hard. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and both emotionally and physically depleted. This was not a want; this was a need. I needed more “me” time. But I was wrong. More time for me is what I wanted. But it is not what God wanted. He wanted me to spend more time with Him! What’s more is He made it very clear to me. Within days of laying out my fantastic plan for my year, two things happened back-to-back. First, Mark and I were at a conference where we got to preview a powerful movie called War Room which will be released in late August. There were three central themes in the movie that really hit home with me. The movie follows the story of a woman whose family is falling apart. She meets an odd older woman who befriends her and shares her “war room” with her–a record of prayers for all the …

Read Post →

Encouragement

Inspiring and Noble

Have you ever wondered how some people have so much courage? Have you ever thought to yourself, I am not nearly as brave as so-and-so? Or that because you are ‘just a mom’ you don’t have the grit that some others do? The truth is, you are brave, you are courageous–because you are a mom. A mom who loves her kids so much that she would be willing to sacrifice anything and everything for them. To me, that is the most selfless, better yet, most noble thing you can do. The Noble movie is coming to theaters tomorrow, May 8th. I want to make you aware that this movie exists because, like a lot of really good movies that tell a story of hope, it won’t get block-buster advertising dollars. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful movie about a forsaken child who becomes a woman, triumphs over adversity and turns her past into a passion that saves lives–children’s lives. And just like you, her nobility and courage comes from being a ‘mother’ to many. Make it a girl’s night out and go see Noble!

Read Post →

Encouragement

You are a REAL Beauty–Celebrate It!

So, what you doing tomorrow? How about a trip to the club? Sam’s Club, that is! I am so excited because iMOM and Dove are partnering at Sam’s Club locations all across the country to celebrate mothers everywhere. Seriously, I have lunch at the club every Saturday–love those sample peeps. And they love me some yummy tasters. It’s a real deal if you have kids. OK, back to tomorrow. I am going to be at the Sam’s Club, 5135 South Dale Mabry Highway, in Tampa, Florida this Saturday, May 2, from 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. But no matter what location you go to, there will be an iMOM and Dove booth with free Mother’s Day cards for your kids, an inspiration card for you, and a photo booth for you and your kids to get snappy in. Fun at the club! If you are wondering why Dove and iMOM are partnering, there is a story. Dove has a campaign celebrating what they call “real beauty.” The videos they have produced promote stronger, healthier self image for young girls and women. Three of my kids are girls and I found Dove’s Dove Evolution video on real beauty when my oldest daughter was in middle school …

Read Post →

Encouragement

A Noble Woman Saving Women

Keisha, the Director of Created Women, is my third nomination for the She Is Noble contest. I love how Merriam-Webster defines being noble – it is having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire, such as honesty, generosity or courage. It’s Keisha’s courage that makes her noble to me. She is fearless. She has a passion to go where I wouldn’t have the courage to go – out on the street, in the middle of the night, to meet with trafficked women working the streets and in the strip clubs. Why? Because she is noble and wants to give these women a greater hope for what their lives could be. This is Keisha’s heart, “There are not a lot of people willing to say, ‘Yes’. Yes to vulnerable women. Yes to women who walk in dark alleys. Women who find themselves working in the strip clubs. There are not a lot of people willing to go. I don’t think I’m superspecial. I just feel like God has given me a heart to say, ‘Yes’ and a heart that is willing to go.” I admire her heart’s desire for saving women who find themselves in a dark place surrounded by dark people in a dark world. My heart …

Read Post →

Encouragement

Worth Far More than Rubies: Marlene Nikolich

Have you ever known somebody so delightful, so precious, so kind, so loving that just the image of their face brings you a pang of joy? That is a noble woman. That is a woman who has loved well, served well, lived well. I want to be that kind of woman. To think that the image of my face might give someone joy–not because of how I look or because I am their mother–but because the way I loved them was a blessing. Ahh, I have some work to do. I want to be for others what this face represents to me: Just look at that face! Just the image speaks volumes of love to me. This is a noble face. And Marlene Nikolich is my nomination for a Noble woman. I really hope she wins and this is why: First. For being such a passionate wife that she desired for every wife to love as she does. So what did she do? Volunteered thousands of hours for Worldwide Marriage Encounters….actually, for 15 years. The Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is a positive and personal experience offering married couples an opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication that they can …

Read Post →