Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

I had an unexpected side effect of all the melting snow. Hidden ice created ice skating rinks that I personally experienced this morning at church. My family watched me perform an admirable routine with arm flapping and a foot shuffle that would impress an Olympic judge; that is until the unimpressive fall. I felt my feet fly out from under me with a smack. My elbow slammed into the concrete step and my tushy landed with a smack. My family stood and stared in fascination. My husband snapped out of it first and rushed over to help me up while asking if I was okay as I groaned. Why do we ask if someone's okay when they're obviously groaning? My husband snapped into first responder mode assessing my injuries. While my son, a career firefighter, glanced at me and said, "She's moving her arm. Nothing's broken." Wow! Thanks! In his defense, he was correct and told me that his dad had it under control. I thought about how easy it is to find yourself feeling out of...

In this day and age, people need to be prepared for anything. There's preparedness for sno, ice, floods, fire, storms, viruses, food and supply shortages, etc. Everyone is preparing. There's reels about the value of eggs escalating due to shortages from flock death as a result of viruses. I've seen people that have no clue about farming prepare for future shortages by raising their own chickens. I've seen people stock-piling food to prepare for the possibility of food shortages. I've seen people buying ice melt and scrapers to prepare for snow and ice. We automatically feel the need to prepare for the inevitable. Don't believe me? Take a look at the store shelves before a snowstorm. There is a noticeable absence of bread and milk. We want to make sure we have enough to make it through tough times. Do we do this spiritually? I noticed someone commenting on the fact that he was aging and death was inevitable. Are you preparing for that inevitability? It's grea...

  My husband and I are not avid football fans. I grew up going to football games as a band nerd. Mostly, I played my instrument and talked through every game, so my expertise on football in slim at best. As an church outreach, we throw a Super Bowl party. Some.come for the food, some for the fellowship, some for the game, and some for the commercials. I am team commercial. The last few years have been duds, but this year's commercials were somewhat funny. As I watched our gathered fans, I noticed there are two types: the true fan and the commercial fan. The true fan leans forward in their chair to ensure they miss nothing. The cheer the loudest and groan at the low points. They cast annoyed sideways glances at the other type: the commercial fan. The commercial fan glances at the screen during the game. They cheer with whoever is cheering and talking through most of the game while pushing everyone during the commercials. You would think these two types wouldn't get along, but t...

 Last week, my husband and I were talking about his current job. He had just started a new job as a science specialist for a local coop. This meant that instead of teaching science in a classroom, he teaches science teachers at different schools. I, in all of my knowledge (I say this sarcastically), told him that I didn't think he could do as ministry in this position as he did working as a teacher. The next day, while driving to his job, he witnessed a truck roll over. Being a first responder, he pulled the man out of the truck which was leaking diesel and began to assess until the ambulance got there . He then followed the ambulance to the hospital after finding out that the man knew no one in the area. He picked the man up from the hospital once released (the man miraculously had no injuries other than scrapes and bruises) and drove him halfway to Memphis to meet a friend. On the way, he ministered to the man who said he was trying to turn his life around. He thanked my husband ...

I am a lover of gadgets. It's a joke among my family that I can't pass up an "As Seen on TV" aisle in a store. One of the my recent purchases was a miniature food processor that fits in your hand. It's cordless and charges by a USB cord. I was hooked when I saw it. Earlier this evening, I excitedly unwrapped the processor and proceeded to attach the blade apparatus to the top. I assumed their would be some kind of safety mechanism that would keep it from turning on until secure. I assumed wrong. As I pushed the blades on, it became to twirl, sliced across my finger. Things I learned. 1) The blades are sharp. 2) This gadget really works. 3) Pay attention to what's going on around me because I may miss something important due to lack of attention. My kids attended a young adult conference in December focused on missions. During the conference, they were taught an amazing song based on John 4:35. John 4:  35 ESV   Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then ...

  My son and the granddog stayed at my house this weekend. I always love having my kids at my house. I especially enjoy having my son's dog over, especially since I my own dog passed away. My family refers to me as the weakest link during mealtimes. The weakest link is the person who cannot refuse the somber eyes of a starving pup. In this case, I am the weakest link. I am constantly sneaking food to my son's dog. It totally has to do with his persistent attitude. I can eat an entire meal avoiding his gaze, yet he'll still stare with a look of longing and hope because the meal isn't done yet. There's always the chance to eat the last bite of food. And, of course, I do save him the last bite. I believe our relationship with God should reflect that same persistence. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it won't. God hasn't finished yet. So until God is done, we look to him with longing and hope. One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Cori...