Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

 I got the opportunity to share in church today. We do  contest for our children in the church. They raise money to provide Bibles and things to missionaries. If the girls raise more, my husband does an illustrated sermon. If the boys raise more, then I do an illustrated sermon. As you can see, the boys won. I dressed as a Ninja. Unfortunately, two minutes before I stepped out in costume, my costume fan broke, so I became the flabby ninja. My sermon was four habits that let the enemy sneak in like a ninja. 1) Constant complaining. Philippians 2:14 says to do everything without grumbling or complaining. It weakens your defenses. The Bible says to enter His courts with praise. Enter His courts with thanksgiving. Without gratitude, you are hindering your ability to enter God's presence. 2) Watching dark entertainment. Ephesians 5:11 says to take no part in unfruitful works of darkness. Your eyes are windows to the soul. You're only as strong as what feeds your soul. 3) Ignorin...

  Last week, as my family was preparing to leave our home, my daughter called out for help. Her bedroom door had somehow locked, and she couldn't get back into the room. We tried the butter knife and credit card. I even tried my lock pick kit (works great when moody teenagers lock you out of their room), but nothing happened. The lock was stuck, and the key had disappeared years earlier. My husband came through as a firefighter. He broke down the door with gusto. The door is missing a knob and broken as we wait to reinstall a new door. The great part is that my son's boxer can now head but her door open and eat all of her dog's treats in front of him. Have you ever felt like you were on the wrong side of a door? Maybe it's the job you wanted, something you needed to happen in your life, or a relationship that didn't work out. No matter how hard you tried to open it, it just didn't happen. There's a song that states, You're always on time." This de...

My husband and I have a love- hate relationship with gardening. We love to try, but the plants seem to hate to produce. There was our first garden when we grew some vegetables too close together and made wonderful gourds. There was also the time we planted one row of corn. Our neighbor told us it wouldn't pollinate with just one row, so I went out every morning and rubbed the stalks together. I called it, "tickling the corn." We did grow corn. We decided to can fig jam. After going through the whole process, we had a case of jam we were too afraid to eat. After all, if we messed up, botulism is tasteless and odorless. My mother was much braver. She actually tried it and said it was delightful. This leads to the present. This year my husband faithfully tended his garden again. This time trying for a potted garden. After watering every evening and protecting from pests, whe gathered the first fruits of his garden- a small pepper and tomato. Spiritually, your life may be l...

  My family love mysteries, so we jumped at the opportunity to complete an escape room as a family. We were told there was only a 5% success rate, and the top winner finished with only 7 minutes on the clock. We said, "Bring it on!" We knew that with our experience with escape rooms and particular set of skills, we could escape. Yes, we did escape with over 10 minutes on the clock, moving us to the top of the leader board. The funny part is that we didn't even use all the clues. We found a way around some of the clues to solve the mystery. Here's my point. Living on the earth is like an escape room. We are here until we escape to what comes next, but here's the kicker. You will not escape to Heaven on your own. You will never be good enough, smart enough, rich enough, or strong enough to make it into Heaven on your own merits. There is only one way and the clue is not hidden. Romans 10:9 states, " that  if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and beli...

  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...