Unveiled Graces

This past week, in our family devotional, one of the daily Scriptures was 1 Thessalonians 5:11, which states, " Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. " Over Christmas break, my darling children found this verse slightly difficult to live out to each other.  As a family, we discussed ways in which we could uplift each other and make our family stronger. The following morning, I awoke to screams and tears.  "This is not what the Bible means when it talks about encouraging one another," I groaned to my elementary-aged bandits. The day continued with a struggle for peace. As the week progressed, I experienced my own frustration with others in my Christian family.  In those moments, I realized that it is so much easier to go for the jugular than to respond in kindness and humility.  In our flesh, we want to "win" an argument rather than understand the person's point of view.  We try to justify the r...

How to Live Through a Storm As Irma continued to creep near, a weight bore through my soul.   From the current weather, no one would suspect a storm was brewing.   My twin sister resides on the bay in St. Petersburg.   While her family is safely nestled with my parents, most of their worldly goods lie vulnerable to the hurricane’s wrath.   A cyclone of such magnitude has not targeted the Tampa Bay area in almost one hundred years.   It seems that recently, our world has suffered an increasing number of life storms, whether they be meteorological or metaphorical.   We clean up from one disaster only to turn on the news to learn of another.   How do we find hope in the storm? This evening, God helped show me a glimmer of His grace. My church decided to act and make cleaning kits for those affected by Irma.   I gathered my children and we discussed how many kits to make as a family.   I told them that each kit had a shipping ...

Things you cannot get away with as an adult (but you secretly want to do): Go trick-or-treating (without a child) Eat a Ring-Pop while on your finger or any other piece of candy jewelry for that matter Carry a stuffed animal around Jump in a bounce house Eat Bugles off your fingers like they are your nails Swing high on a swing set Twirl in a meadow and pretend you are Maria in the Sound of Music Jump is puddles when it’s raining Jump on a trampoline Say whatever comes to your mind Wear mismatched clothes because it’s fun Chase an ice cream truck Catch fireflies Scream at a scary movie Run when you must go to the restroom I would love for you to add your own in the comment section! ~CW

My daughter begged to ride her purple bike all day.  The day had been grueling from sunup.  Labor Day was exactly that, full of labor.  Yet, her pleas continued like the persistent widow in the New Testament.  I finally relinquished after dinner. As she fastened her lavender kitten helmet, she could barely contain her enthusiasm.  I rallied and gave myself a pep talk.  It was a beautiful evening. We had made it a grand total of 100 feet when my daughter started complaining.  She wanted to push her bike instead of ride it.  After a little coaching, she peddled up the street.  We made it three-quarters of the way around the block and she suddenly stops.   "Mom, I can't make it!" my daughter cries.   "Yes you can.  We are almost home."  I tell her. "No. I am finished."  She declares. "Kaitlyn, we haven't made it home yet.  You can't give up." At that point, she gets off the bike and sits down. ...

Today, as I sit at my computer, I try to sort out God's plan for my life.  Easy right?  At 35, I thought I would be established in an area of Christian ministry.  I felt God's call on my life in 7th grade and went straight through college and on to seminary with that trajectory in mind.  Yet, currently, I hold no position. For complete transparency, I have yet to serve full-time capacity in ministry.  I have never doubted God's call on my life.  At times, I have certainly hesitated in my own abilities, but I have always known my life's purpose is to serve the Lord. So, how have I handled my expectations not meeting my reality?  I sat down and prayed through this question.  Below is what God taught me: 1. My expectations are not my god . I know that for a time in my life I was so focused on ministry, I allowed my personal relationship with Christ to suffer.  Working for the Kingdom does not equate with a love relationship with the Kin...

This is a post from a few years ago, but I think that it still applies today... Tonight, I asked my son who his best friend at school was.  He told me a name and then I proceeded to ask if they played together on the playground.  He said, "no, he already has friends."  I then began to pry a little farther and asked who he DID play with on the playground.  My kindergartner nonchalantly responded, "well, everyone already has someone to play with, so I play by myself."  In that moment, I felt a part of me wither inside.  I immediately started going into action mode, thinking of the letter I would write to the teacher, making sure that my son was included in activities.  I then stopped to pray.  I asked myself, "Is this really the crisis you are making it out to be?"  Your son is confident, happy, and feels secure in who he is. We have worked hard in our household to let our children be who they are and tell them to live as Chris...

I am sitting at a local coffee shop reading an article of the self-revelation and self-fulfillment of a "Christian mommy blogger."  In the article, she is quoted as saying, "you enter the process of deciding whether you are going to risk every single thing in your life to have the one thing you always wanted. 1 "  In her case, it is a love relationship with another woman.  My heart weighs heavily as I continue reading.  My concern is not the woman's decision about her relationship, but rather her philosophy of hedonism.  We increasingly have become a society that celebrates finding our own truth and promoting the search for self-fulfillment.  God, Jesus, or whatever other name someone wants to attach to the Supreme is merely a means of self-enlightenment.  We use others for our own advantage.  There is no room for sacrifice or dying to self.  I feel overwhelmed.  How can I, a "Christian mommy blogger," c...