Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com
New years always bring something with them, don’t they?
Fresh starts
clean slates,
hopeful hearts…
and in my case here in south Louisiana…
rain.
Category Archives: Faith
Right where I need to be
This past weekend, I was honored to teach a couple of workshops at a conference for moms in Birmingham. I’ll confess that the past couple of months have been pretty stressful. A lot has been pulling at me. From many, many different directions. And leading up to the event, there was so much going on, I really wasn’t in a great frame of mind as I got on the plane Friday morning.
My first workshop was Friday afternoon and the day, which started early, didn’t get any easier. I learned when I got there that my workshops were in different rooms and at different times than what was printed in the official guide, which made it pretty confusing for anyone who’d thought about coming, though the organizers did their best to get the word out to folks.
When it came time for me to be in my room for my first workshop, which was specifically for military wives, the workshop leader who had the room before me ran late – as in seriously late – so late that by the time her group got out, my group was supposed to have already started and I had not even had the chance to set up my laptop yet. And she took quite a while to clear out, still hanging around at the front of the room, talking to ladies, even as I did my best to politely try to plug up my laptop and work around her to set up. The projector wouldn’t work for the presentation I’d planned, and by the time we finally got started, almost 20 minutes after we were supposed to, I was just praying that God would help me get through it. The eight ladies who attended that workshop were gracious and sweet and listened, but I wasn’t at all sure if anything I’d said really resonated. Everything just felt off.
Reading the Bible
Hey friends – thanks for bearing with me over the last couple of weeks. I’ve missed some days of posting but we were getting ready for the new school year at the Horn household and between that and preparing for a busy fall of speaking events for myself, I needed to take some time offline.
Today I’m sharing a video blog with you, answering some questions from the sweet ladies of Fairchild Air Force Base who are studying Tour of Duty right now. Their fearless leader, Amy, emailed me some questions about reading the Bible and making it a priority, wanting to know how I make Bible reading a priority and what that looks like in my life. I’m sharing it here because I have a feeling there are many more ladies out there who might also benefit from some encouragement.
One thing I want to mention that I did not have time to include in the video: the time I spend and the way I read the Bible is the way that works for me. You have to find what works for you. And we all have different seasons where different approaches or different ways work.
3 steps to be content
Let’s do a quick heart check. Are you feeling peaceful today? Or restless? Content? Or contentious? Satisfied? Or still very hungry?
The more we read God’s scripture, the more we are reminded of the importance of being content and where that contentment comes from. But I’m afraid most of us, including myself, struggle to stay in the contentment category. Instead we’re often angry, frustrated, irritated, or maybe a combination of all the above. Why is that?
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
5 Reminders You Can Be GOD Strong
I think all of us to varying degrees want to live for God. If we know Him, if we have a relationship with Him, whether that started as a small child or more recently as an adult, we want to know Him better. But sometimes we’re not sure exactly how to do that. We’re not sure how we can be GOD Strong.
What does that mean? Most of us, though we don’t like to admit it, run on our own strength most of the time. We’re in charge and in control. It makes us feel secure. That is, until we don’t feel like we’re in charge or in control. I learned during Cliff’s first deployment that only when I lean on God’s strength, can I truly feel at peace. Because my strength eventually runs out. But God’s strength never does.
Here are 5 quick reminders of God’s strength (starting with the first one above). Lean on His strength today.
Do you serve God out of love or duty?
Do you see God as a task master or a loving Father? It’s an important distinction that, if left unanswered, may mean the difference between a disciplined life and a full life.
Used with permission from istockphoto
The Importance of Character
There is always someone listening to your words or paying attention to your actions, even when you don’t think anyone is. Those moments are the ones that define you. Because that’s the real you.
When I was 19, I took a year off from college to come home and worked full time at a local Christian radio station that at the time was owned by a local church. I think my training before they let me loose on air was about six hours. I enjoyed the new opportunity. I started working on weekends and eventually they promoted me to mid-days. I loved being around Christian music, loved encouraging listeners, but my practical skills working “the board” left a lot to be desired. In those days, radio was just beginning to embrace computer software. Those board buttons were not always my friends.
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