Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

I'm going to be transparent for everyone.  I threw a big adult temper tantrum the other day. My work day was great. Don't get me wrong. It's fast-paced and high stress, but manageable. My daughter is weaning off her seizure meds, so she is unable to drive for a few months. I became her after work transportation. She also warned me that she needed some help with a college assignment. I knew this would be challenging.  My husband was out of town all week. I had been running the home, taking care of pets, along with stepping in for any needs that might arise for my children. By the time I picked up my daughter from work, I was tired. I told her I was ordering a pizza and taking an evening off of cooking. My paycheck would not clear until the next day, so I was using reward points to pay. Free dinner. No fuss. It was perfect. That is, until we arrived at the store. After having the clerk check tickets several times, I had to resign myself to the fact that pizza was not happen...

  My husband and I have been challenged by God to work on laying down our right to be right in order to honor the other person. It makes for interesting moments when you decide to work on character issues. As soon as you feel God asking you to grow in an area and you surrender to that growth, God immediately starts challenging you in that area. When I felt challenged to cut sugar from my diet, I had never seen so many sweets randomly show up in front of me. Someone would bring a dessert to work, potlucks would unfold, or my husband would bring home treats! This makes for cranky growth. As my husband and I agreed to grow in putting others before ourselves, we immediately faced opportunities to practice this character building. Usually, it was in front of a bunch of people. Maybe we were telling a story and the details were wrong or there was a comment that didn't settle the right way. It's always harder to keep your mouth closed when you feel you are in the right. In your mind ...

  If the hearts and overwhelming usage of pink everywhere has not given it away, Valentine's Day occurred this weekend. For husbands and boyfriends around the nation, the pressure is on to display their love through creative gifts and cards. My husband rose to the occasion. I came home from work to find half a dozen individually-wrapped roses placed in a large vase on my table. My first thought was, " Did he buy out all the individual roses sold at the checkout of a gas station? " I was told that's the way they came at the store. I must say they were beautiful roses. My husband then gave me the gift of sleeping in late Valentine's Day morning, to be followed by antique and thrift store browsing. He chose this because I love a good bargain. All this is to say that, all though I loved the gifts and activities, love is more than a one day event. In a world filled with romance filling the movie and television screens, we mix up romance and love. Love is not a romanc...

  Today, my daughter and I headed towards Little Rock for her neurologist appointment tomorrow. For the first time since she was in second grade, they are taking her off all seizure medication. This is quite the miracle. At sixteen years old, we were unsure what would happen after brain surgery. When the doctor mentioned she would need a section of her brain removed, the temptation to rant to God was great. My husband and I had dedicated our adult lives to ministry. My daughter loved the Lord. Why would He allow this to happen to her? If we lived only for this earth, there would be good reason to be angry; however, this world is not what we live for. God never promised perfection or comfort on earth. He promised that to be with us when it is hard and to never leave us or forsake us. Looking back after all these years (seven and a half to be precise), God has healed my daughter. However, through the surgery and recovery, her testimony has witnessed to so many. We've seen those wit...

  My daughter was out of town for a day, so I stepped in to help care for her fur baby. Her dog is a little Australian Shepherd, who shows strong indicators of ADHD. He is a handful to walk in good conditions. It's not so much walking him, as it is being dragged after him. In snow, it's treacherous. As I stepped on my icy steps, I pictured him taking off full speed and me skiing down the slick snow while screaming behind him. After sliding around a bit, he pulled me to "the tree." It is his favorite tree where he prefers to do his business. You step with care as you enter a three foot radius of the tree. What's crazy is that he will lead you around all the yard, but always returns to the tree. It's familiar, so it's where he alwsys returns. Isn't that like us? God has a plan for our lives. So many times, it's much greater than anything we've imagined. However, letting go of control and letting God guide us is hard. The unknown holds us back fr...

  With all of the snow coming in, people everywhere were preparing. I'm not sure what gallons of milk and loaves of bread would do to help, but the shelves emptied. When I called my mother to check on her, I found she was out in the midst of snow and ice feeding the birds. My father loves to feed the birds, so my mother wanted to make sure his birds had plenty to eat. It's in our nature to prepare for things. We study, buy, and research to ensure we are ready for whatever is thrown our way. Preparing, in itself, is not a problem. However, we can become so worried about what will happen in the future that we forget to rest in the knowledge that whatever happens, God will provide. My dad's birds do not worry about what they are going to eat. Each day, they simply wait and their food appears.  Matthew 6:26   NIV Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than ...