Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

  On the 26th of June, my daughter celebrated 7 years past brain surgery when she had her left hippocampus and amygdala removed. Due to chronic and frequent seizures, we faced a decision no parents want to make. Do we let her continue on maximum medication that didn't work and see her eventually lose more and more brain function or have the surgery and lose part of her brain but possibly become seizure-free? We fully believed in God's ability to heal, but we also recognized that He showed His faithfulness in the storm, not just stopping the storm. So we prayed. For weeks, I prayed for wisdom and God's direction. When we met with her neurologist, my daughter stepped up and said she had peace about the surgery, so we proceeded. The neurosurgeon, who happened to move to our state from Boston just 2 years before, was highly skilled and had mastered the exact procedure that would be needed to help heal my daughter. He performed the surgery with no complications. Now, seven year...

My oldest son has been very busy over the last week. He served his duty at the fire station and then worked another 24 hour shift immediately following his scheduled shift. He, then, drove to St. Louis to visit someone. All this to say that he has been unable to keep his dog for the last few days. It did not go unnoticed by his dog. For the last two days, his dog has been moping around. He no longer takes pleasure in the things that he normally enjoys because he is watching.  He stands by the door watching for the return of his master. This is the illustration for how we should be concerning Christ's return.  1 Peter 3:8  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.   9  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, [ a ]  not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.   10...

  As we celebrate Father's Day, I am so thankful for the father God has given me. Here is what I've learned from my father. 1) Money doesn't make a father a good father. I did not grow up in a wealthy family, but I did grow up in a loving family. I think that not having a lot of money was actually a blessing. My father demonstrated how a good work ethic looked, but also showed how when the work day ended, family time began. There was not constant work phone calls and distracted conversations. When he got home, he would hit the floor to play with my brother and I. I treasured that attention and felt fully loved because of it. 2) Being around doesn't mean being present. When my father played with us. He made Hot Wheels and Barbies seem like the most fascinating play. I know he would have rather relaxed after a hard work day, but we never felt that when he played with us. We felt like we were all that mattered to him. 3) God matters to my father. My dad is human and has h...

  My family decided to all go for a walk together at a local walking trail. While on the trail, my oldest son was texting several people, one being a group text for his fire department. He had duty the next day, and they were going over where everyone was going to be serving. During part of the walk, I asked my son to take a photo of my husband and me together . He quickly snapped the photo and texted it to what he thought was me. You know what's coming next. He suddenly looked up with distress. I asked what had happened. He replied, "I can't believe what I just did! I just sent the picture of you and dad to my fire department group chat! " I said, "That's embarrassing, but not horrible." To which he replied, "Yes, but I put 'Love birds' on it!" Takeaway: We need to always be aware the message we may be sending to others . There's an old saying that action speaks louder than words. This is true. That's why your children find th...

  While at church this evening, some of the youth spotted a baby fawn hidden at the base of a tree in our field. We told them not to touch the baby because the mother would be back eventually and the smell of humans would scare the mother away. Does are known to leave their fawns for several hours at a time, but usually return eventually. Many times the doe even has the fawn in her sights. We just can't see her. The key is not to become impatient and move before the mother returns. Our spiritual lives are much like this. When we go through hard times, we feel abandoned by God. But like the doe, He still has us in His sights. He is working on our lives and has promised to be with us. The key is not becoming impatient and move before God has finished what He's doing on our lives. The waiting is the hardest part of trials. In the waiting, doubt tries to set into our minds. Will He really show up? Does He care? Why am I going through this in the first place? But when we trust tha...