Hearts in Service

About a week ago I noticed that the amount of comments on my blog had increased. But they all had one thing in common. They all generated from readers in India and they all had links to different businesses.  Here's the thing. They were so well written, so beautifully encouraging and engaging with what I had posted. But I realized very quickly that they were more than likely generated by AI and they were spam. There were key phrases and words too similar in the 40 or so comments to be written by actual people. So I deleted them all as I only want to interact with real people who are reading my blog. And I also turned on comment moderation.  So if you leave me a comment, I will be able to read it before I post it. For my regular readers and commenters, I apologize. I had left the moderation off for years because it hadn't been an issue. However, now that we are in a world of AI and bots and all kinds of spammers, moderation is key! 

John 3:30-36 ~ He must increase, but I must decrease.” The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.  The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. Math is not my strong suit and I always struggled with it in school. It seems as if I struggle with it in life as well. As I opened this passage of John and read it this morning, I see that it's a math equation.  Me < Jesus = increased Spirit, increased work of God in me and eternal life with no limit And yet, the tende

I've been in a battle the past few days as I've wrestled with my thoughts about a business opportunity that was dropped in my lap. I received a random email from a local shop, asking if I would like to put my sewing items in their store. Of course, as I so often do, I got all excited and started to plunge into the water.  But as I tossed and turned last night with restless thoughts, I realized that I was being distracted once again. I get annoyed with how easily I get pulled off course. As I was reading this morning, the above passage of scripture jumped off the page. This year I felt led to focus on staying connected - to the Lord, to others and to the purpose God has for me. And as I've done that different doors have opened - doors in speaking and writing, doors in mentoring other women, doors in leadership. And yet, I get frustrated at how easily I am tempted to go back to the comfortable and familiar.  This Psalm is a rich one and a few verses later it says, "But y

At the very beginning of October both of my in-laws lost their drivers licenses. While this was a good thing, and necessary to keep other drivers and themselves safe, it has added a level of complication to our lives. They still have multiple doctors appointments, need to grocery shop, do banking, etc.  As I was driving back from a weekend conference where I had been speaking about "Connecting", I clearly felt that I needed to do a better job of connecting with my mother and father-in-law. I needed to walk my talk. On the drive home I decided that I was going to take one or two days a week driving the hour to their house and help out.  I started out with a feeling of dread and not really wanting to do it. My mother-in-law has Alzheimer's and every conversation is on a loop with the same stories recycled over and over in the course of a few minutes. My father-in-law is challenging and never stops talking and is very hyper. I love them dearly, but they are exhausting. Howev

  I wrote this blog post back in 2019 and I revisited it this morning. It's been interesting to see how the Lord has worked in my life since writing it.  Isaiah 43:16-21 (HCSB) ~ This is what the Lord says— who makes a way in the sea, and a path through surging waters, who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty one together (they lie down, they do not rise again; they are extinguished, quenched like a wick )— “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The animals of the field will honor Me, jackals and ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. The people I formed for Myself ' will declare My praise. I've had the strange sense the past few months that God i

I love to sew and have sewn for years, both for pleasure and for business. As I have honed my craft, I have learned that I dislike sewing quilts. They are too time-consuming for my personality. However, I appreciate the beauty in little bits of cloth intricately sewn together. It especially amazes me when I see a quilt that is entirely hand-stitched. I can appreciate how much time is involved in piecing together some of the more intricate patterns.  Quilts also remind me of how the church should operate. The church is made up of a patchwork of people, sewn together into a beautiful quilt that is the body of Christ.  Each person has a different spiritual gift, personality, and talent that while by itself can be useful, but when perfectly pieced together with the rest of the body becomes something spectacular. Some have been given gifts in teaching or prophecy. Others are gifted in administration and still others have gifts in prayer. Some are encouragers and others love to serve. Indivi