Finding Life Again Through God's Healing

As many of you know, my husband Larry passed away almost six years ago. In those early days, time seemed to stand still. Grief has a way of swallowing everything, and I truly believed my life would never be the same again. But the Lord has a way of taking even the hardest seasons and turning them toward good. After the tears, the loneliness, and the heavy fog of those first months, a small light began to appear — a glimmer of hope at the end of a very long tunnel. In that quiet place of healing, the Lord gently showed me how to draw closer to Him, how to lean on Him, and how to trust Him in ways I never had before. For that, I am eternally grateful. He lifted me out of a deep pit and brought me into a place where I am more alive, more grounded, and more joyful than I ever imagined I could be again. I miss Larry terribly, but I know he is with Jesus — and I know I will see him again. As I walked through this new season, I began to focus more intentionally on Jesus and the gifts He placed within me: writing, painting, photography. Pouring myself into these creative expressions has been both exhilarating and deeply therapeutic. They have brought a peace and tranquility nothing else could offer. I’ve also turned my attention to caring for my health — spiritually, physically, and mentally. What once upset me no longer holds power. What once stole my joy no longer has a place. I’ve built a routine I try to keep, and along the way I’ve lost 30 pounds. I’m working hard to keep my blood pressure and cholesterol in check by eating healthier, cutting out processed foods, and walking daily — either inside my home or at the park when the weather allows. My faith and my art have been two of the greatest tools God has used to help me heal from losing the man I loved so deeply. If you are walking through loss and feel lost yourself, I want to encourage you: God loves you more than you can imagine. If you turn to Him, He will walk with you through the power of the Holy Spirit and give you purpose in this new season. He will guide you, strengthen you, and reveal abilities you never knew you had. He will be with you every step of the way. God bless you.

The Ache of the Knowing during Holy Week

There is a specific kind of grief that lives in the anticipation of pain. We often think of the Cross as a moment of time - a few hours of physical agony on a Friday afternoon. But for Jesus, the Cross was a shadow that grew longer with every step He took toward Jerusalem. He lived His life in the "Knowing". He knew the texture of the thorns before they touched His brow. He felt the weight of the timber before it rested on His shoulders. While the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest, or worrying about where they would sleep, Jesus was looking at the horizon, watching the sun set on the last of His "normal" days. In Gethsemane, we see the poetry of His humanity. The Bible says He was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." It was the burden of carrying every secret shame, every broken heart, and every cold silence of humanity, all while knowing that Sunday was still a dark tunnel away. He didn't just endure the pain; He chose the pain, minute by minute. Every breath He took in that garden was a "Yes" to a "No" He could have uttered at any moment If you are in a season of waiting right now - if you are sitting in your own "Saturday" where the light feels far away and the burden feels too heavy to carry - remember that our Savior has been there. He didn't skip to the resurrection. He sat in the tension. He felt the ache. He walked through the shadows so that when we find ourselves in the dark, we can look beside us and realize we aren't walking alone. Sunday is coming. The light is inevitable. But today, let us sit in the quiet wonder of a Love that saw the cost, felt the sting, and stayed anyway. Have a beautiful resurrection Sunday! Amen!

It Takes Discipline to Trust God

Good morning to you! Today I just want to pray if that is alright with you. I come before You Lord, humbly acknowledging Your authority over my life and trusting in Your perfect timing. Help me to surrender my desires and plans to you. Knowing that Your ways are higher and your timing is perfect. Give me the patience to wait for Your unfolding of events, even when it seems difficult or uncertain. Lord, grant me the strength to obey Your will wholeheartedly, even when it requiers stepping out in faith or enduring trials. Give me the wisdom to discern Your voice amidst the noise of the world, and the courage to follow Your path faithfully. Father, instill in me a spirit of perserverance and determination, that I may never give up on my dreams and purpose that You have placed in my heart. When challenges arise and obstacles seem impossible to overcome, remind me of Your promises and Your faithfulness. Thank you Lord, for Your unfailing love and grace that sustains me through every season of my life. May I walk in obedience and trust knowing that You are with me always guiding me towards Your best for my life. In Jesus mighty name I pray - Amen. Have a blessed day everyone - I hope this prayer can bring some peace into your day!

Following God's Blueprint for a Healthy Life

I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached the age where things seem to start heading south a little faster than I’d like. For me, that has meant dealing with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My blood pressure has been under control for years, but cholesterol is an area I’ve needed to work on. At my last doctor’s appointment, my doctor immediately suggested putting me on statins. For me, those were fighting words. I watched what statins did to my late husband Larry, and I knew in my heart I didn’t want to go down that road. I’ve done extensive research, and while statins may lower numbers, the toll they take on the body can be significant. So I kindly told her I wanted to try a more natural approach first. She agreed, and we decided to reevaluate in a few months. And so began my quest toward better health. I already ate fairly well, but I knew there were things I needed to remove or at least enjoy in moderation. I cut out sugar, fried foods, and fatty foods, and then began researching foods that help the body eliminate “bad cholesterol.” I also discovered supplements that many people recommend for artery support, such as Citrus Bergamot and Nattokinase. With these changes, my journey officially began. Then one day, while checking my YouTube channel, I came across a video by Dr. Jordan Rubin and Dr. Josh Axe. They were sharing a diet plan called the “Biblio Diet”—a way of eating based on the foods and drinks Scripture highlights as nourishing and life‑giving. The idea is simple: God has already given us a blueprint for how to live long, healthy lives. I was captivated. I ordered the book on Amazon, and once it arrived, I could hardly put it down. I learned so much about how our modern food has changed—how processing strips nutrients, how chemicals are added that our bodies were never meant to handle, and how far we’ve drifted from the simple, whole foods God originally provided. Their teaching emphasizes returning to the basics: whole foods, organic when possible, and grains prepared the way Scripture describes. Yes—even bread. I now enjoy Ezekiel bread, made from sprouted biblical grains rather than the heavily processed flour used today. By making these changes, I’ve lost weight, gained energy, and no longer crave sugar. My body feels different—lighter, clearer, more alive. Today, I simply want to share this as encouragement. God desires that we enjoy our lives and the fruits of our labor. Sickness and disease are widespread, but some of it truly does come from what we put into our bodies. God cares about our spiritual health, but He also cares deeply about our physical health. He knows what is best for us, and His plan works. Both Dr. Rubin and Dr. Axe have walked through serious health challenges, including cancer. Their testimonies are powerful—because by following God’s design for nourishment, they found healing and restoration. Their stories inspired me, and I pray they inspire you too. If you’re struggling with health issues, I hope this gives you a place to begin—something to research, something to pray over, and a reminder to look to the Word of God. It never fails us. God bless you as you seek His wisdom for your body and your life

Be Still and Know that I am God

God sees the heart. Keeping our hearts turned toward Him means being willing to look honestly at ourselves and ask, Am I truly honoring the Lord in my actions and in my words? During this season of Lent, that question rises in the hearts of many believers, myself included. Life is full of distractions—good things, busy things, necessary things—that so easily take precedence over the Lord. When I become aware of this drift, I come before Him and pour out my heart, asking Him to help me honor Him in all I do. I ask Him to remove anything that pulls me away from His best. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, when our hearts align with His, He answers. It may not be an audible voice, but it often comes through His Word or a stirring in your spirit that nudges you in a specific direction. When we quiet the noise and truly listen, we recognize His leading. Be still and know that He is God. Giving God our full attention—even if it’s simply the first moments of each morning—is one way we honor Him with our heart, mind, and spirit. As we surrender our will to His and refuse to move from what He has spoken, we find that even when challenges come, or when things unfold differently than we expected, we can look to Jesus and remember His promise: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28 So stay in faith. Seek Him diligently. Pray continually. Trust that He truly has everything under control. When you do, His peace will fill your heart—and that, my friend, is priceless.

Judgement on the house of God

Today I want to share some interesting information I read in the book by Jeremiah Johnson that I am in the process of reading. He explains that in our generation many sons and daughters have stopped listening to their spiritual fathers, and this disconnect has contributed to God becoming increasingly unfamiliar in America and throughout the world. It’s heartbreaking to witness. Johnson also points out that some fathers themselves were never raised with God at the center of their lives, allowing the cycle to continue from one generation to the next. He emphasizes how vital it is for us to intentionally teach and guide our sons and daughters in the ways of God so that His presence is restored in our homes and communities. If you are interested in reading this book I found it on Amazon. It is titled “Judgement on the House of God”. Very insightful and interesting, I could not put the book down. Here are more of his words, they appear in quotation marks to give him credit. “If God doesn’t punish America He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Millions of babies have been aborted, and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered, indulgence, pride and lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God. My heart aches for America and its deceived people. America has the 5th largest population of young people under 18. That is the 5th largest harvest in the world. Out of 75 million young people, 24 million do not live with their biological fathers. Daughters are being raised to marry porn-addicted men who have not been fathered. I am pained in my very heart to hear such statistics.” It is time to rip our clothes states Jeremiah, time to raise our children who will listen to their spiritual fathers and walk in the ways of God. Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for the failure to honor many of the spiritual fathers who have given us the word of the Lord repeatedly, we repent as sons and daughters for failing to heed their words. If we are under the judgement of God for ignoring what these righteous men declared in their dying days, God, we are sorry. Please lift off the curse from our land and restore honor in Your house once again. Turn the hearts of the sons and daughters back to the fathers, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

Conquering the storms in life

Hello everyone! Today on Whidbey we have beautiful sunshine and clear skies, the temp is a tiny bit chilly but I can live with that. I am in the process of painting a beautiful landscape commission art piece for someone so I have my Christian gospel music on and are having a blast. Some days though are not as pleasant, when life's storms come my way. Before Christmas I had a bit of a trial that I am still going through with my family. I will not get into the weeds of it, but it is very heart breaking how things have been handled. I have now turned it over to our Lord and Savior, with lots of prayer and grace and forgiveness I know that God will turn things around for the good. So having said that I have a beautiful prayer to share with you in case you ever go through any of those dark gloomy days, when you have done your best but things are still not right. I pray you will turn to Jesus first and foremost, he will be with you and comfort you, and He will give you strength, Holy Spirit will guide you and our Heavenly Father will always love you and be by yourside through it all. Amen! Dear Heavenly Father, in the midst of life's storm, I come before you Lord, seeking your strength and guidance. Lord you are the master of the wind and the waves, and I trust in your power to calm the storms that rage around me. Grant me courage and strength to face each challenge with faith and hope. When fear and uncertainty threaten to overwhelm me, remind me of your promise to never leave nor forsake me. Help me to anchor my soul in Your steadfast love and unchanging faithfullness. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding guard my heart and mind. Father, I surrender my worries and anxieties into Your capable hands. Grant me wisdom to discern Your will admist the chaos, and strength to perservere with grace. Strengthen my faith, Lord, that I may rise above trials and testify to Your goodness and provision in every storm. Thank you Father for being my refuge and strength, a present help in times of trouble. May Your glory shine through me as I trust in you to conquer every storm of life. In Jesus mighty name I pray - Amen!