100th Post

So, for my 100th post I wanted to get together with everyone and do something fun. I thought I would ask you to go on a walk with me. Fall is one of my two favorite seasons. I love the changing trees here in Mid Michigan. The ones that I love the most are the red trees. I found this beautiful tree that I wanted to show you. Get your sweatshirt jacket and mittens and lets go....

Thanks for following me if you are and thanks to all who stop by my blog! Now go get a cup a hot cocoa curl up under a fuzzy blanket and...


That was much better than sharing 100 things about me ...it was boring...long and I only could get to 52! LOL

Under His Feathers

Here are some beautiful portions from this passage that just really spoke to me the other day.

I thought I would post them here to remind us of our great protector.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.



9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Ooooo, this passage is so good. I love the words that God uses to show His might. I love that we rest in his shadow, he stands before us keeping us. He is a fortress a place for us to go when the world is beating us down. He covers us with His feathers under His wing what a picture of peace, protection and care. He is our shield keeping us from the arrows of the enemy, it is faithful. He is our refuge our God who we can trust 100%. And then to top it all off...He sends His angels to guard us.

This passage of scripture so clearly shows us how deep and how wide His love is for us. It also shows the great lengths that He will go to keep us from harm. Our God is big and mighty and does not give us too much to handle. He is always right there with us.

We must do our part by dwelling in His presence, love Him and call upon Him. Then He will be faithful to answer you, be with you, deliver you, heal you, bless you and save you!

Picture done by me!

Numbers 6:24-25

"Get Joy" Book Verses

My book is finally coming to a close. I hope you enjoyed reading some of my favorite verses and seeing some of my favorite people. I have many more favorite verses and many more influential people in my life; I guess those will have to wait for another book. On the back cover I finished it with this blessing....


I pray that God will bless me in all these ways; and I also pray that the good Lord will bless all of you in theses ways as well!

In all you do today...

Psalm 16:11

"Get Joy" Book Verses

What a beautiful verse that sums up God's Word to us. He has shown us the path of life through His word, meditating upon it and listening to Him. I love the last part...in Your presence is fullness of Joy!
Last night, I rushed my son off to the ER. He was really struggling with congestion. His ribs were sucking in. One of the signs my doctor told me to come in for. This is the third major sickness of my small boy's life in less than a year, Ugh!
On the way to the ER, I started to do the "What if game". I have told my self so many times to not go there in my head. But, there on my way I found myself playing the game. What if he has to be hospitalized? What if he is really bad? What about my trip to Jamaica in 6 days, will he be fine? And of course what then usually happens when I go down this path, what if he dies? I am sure I am not the only mom who has allowed her thoughts to go that way in the face of an emergency.
But in the gentlest of ways my Father, God, reminded me of a few things. He reminded me that I cannot control his life. I cannot keep him from all these diseases. I cannot know what all is in store for his life. But, in the most loving way as He always does, He also reminded me of a few other things. He reminded me that my son is His...that he is His creation...that He loves my son more than me...that He has my son's best interest always in mind....that He has a plan for him. I always seem to forget all those things. God is in always in control and I always trust in His promises no matter what. When He spoke those things it calmed my heart. When the Doctor came in and told me my boy had pneumonia, sure I got real nervous....but God has shown me the path of LIFE and I will trust in Him.

And in His presence I will...



My son is at home eating a piece of pizza with me as I write this. He is not better yet, but he will be. PTL

Romans 8:37-39

"Get Joy" Book Verses

This verse quickly became one of my favorites when we were living in Petoskey. My pastor's wife was having a birthday and I wanted to make her something. I worked at a paint your own pottery place at the time and I was going to paint her a plate. I had asked her what her favorite verse was and this was it.
As I painted the verse on her plate it really became alive to me, funny how God uses things to speak to us. I nearly cried over every word as my brush copied every line. I know that after the hours of work put into that plate...God had worked over my heart. Sometimes, we doubt God and we question how He could really love us. My friends there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. He always has and always will love us. The question is...are we going to accept His love?


Rest in His love today and...

Romans 5:8

"Get Joy" Book Verses

I love this verse, here it is...redemption for me...for you! Even when we did not deserve His great love, in our ugliness, in the muck, in the mire...Christ died for us. What an amazing gift that my mind can not even fully understand.

One of my favorite hymns has my all time favorite verses...

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul.

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Thank you Lord, for the price you paid for the debt I could never repay. It is His sacrifice that allows us to be freed from the burden of sin.

I love my sister so much. She is dear to my heart in so many ways. Next to John, there is no one I can be more real with than her. I can be honest and open always with her. Daily, I am so thankful that she is in my life. It is funny because if you would have asked what I thought of her when we were growing up, I probably would have told you I couldn't stand her. There are many regrets from those days. I didn't know what I had when I lived with her, such time wasted. She has truly become more than even the best of friends...she is my dearest sister.

I am so thankful that we both have come to understand what this verse truly means. Our relationship with Christ has brought us even closer together than even I could have imagined 20 years ago. Life and growth in Christ has changed us so much. There are not enough times that I can express my gratitude for what Jesus has done for our family. He is truly a good and faithful God!

Philippians 3:13-14

"Get Joy" Book Verses

I think sometimes our past can be a pitfall for so many of us Christians and non-Christians. For the non-Christian it can be the very reason that keeps them from coming to Christ, "How could God love someone like me". "I have sinned too much". Or for the Christian it can hold them back from God's full potential, "I am not good enough"!

I have shared before about how God forgets our sin when we ask for forgiveness. I wish we could do the same. But since we can not...we must do our best to "forget those things behind us" with God's help.

"Reaching forward to those things which are ahead" is what God is calling us to do. I have begun to realize that when I focus on the reaching the forgetting becomes easier. Why is that? It's because I am now using all my energy in moving forward. I have transferred the energy from sulking to working. God is calling us to do more, be more. When we do that and work hard at it, we are too busy with God's business than sitting in the corner saying, "Whoa is me". We need to understand that God forgives, He wants to forgive, He longs to forgive and He sent his son to die so He could forgive. He went to great lengths for us to show us how much He loves us...who are we to say, "He can't forgive me". We hold our own selves back.

So reach forward for the goal the prize is His calling in Christ Jesus. When we give all that we are He can give us so much more in return.

So today....

Proverbs 31:30

"Get Joy" Book Verses

There are a few verses that directly speak to women. When there is one I really try to make sure I listen up. God has a very specific job for us and I want to do it the best that I can. I have blogged about Proverbs 31 before, you can check it out here!

Proverbs 31:10-31 is a great passage for any woman to study. I specifically like this one because I think it sums up the passage very nicely. I like this verse because once again God cuts to the heart of the matter. He knows how women can be and what can become important if we do not keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Charm and beauty all too often can quickly become an important thing in a women's life for various reasons. I think our society clearly shows how beauty is so important in a warped way. God says that these things are deceitful and vain. Ouch! God doesn't hold back here. *

The most important thing to Him is that we fear Him. Not an "Ooooo Scary...I am afraid of God" fear but a fear that understands the glory, righteousness, and awesomeness of our great and mighty God. It is a reverent fear. When God is more important than our outward appearance and we let Him transform our inward beings; then He can do something amazing in us and through us.

The picture is of my grandma. She lives out Proverbs 31 for me. She is one of those people that are my rocks. I know she is always praying for me. She gives me a call probably once a month to see how I am doing. She is truly a beauty in my eyes as in the eyes of Christ. She is my example of a Proverbs 31 woman. ~ Thanks Grandma!

Philippians 1:6

"Get Joy" Book Verses


I love that I can trust in God, who always keeps His promises. I like this verse because it is so encouraging. My mother has a favorite quote, "God loves us for who we are; but loves us to much to leave us that way." I think it is so cool that we can come to Christ in any sad or pathetic state and He welcomes us as His child. We don't need to stay sad or pathetic... Thank Goodness! But just like a good parent He teaches us, disciplines us and helps us become the amazing creation He designed us to be.

I Peter 3:3-4

"Get Joy" Book Verses

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold and fine jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's sight! ~What a great verse for women. God just knows how to get right to it. He knows just how we are and says this is what I want instead. A gentle and quiet spirit, oh how I long to be that ......and oh how hard it can be to be that.



I am an Anne of Green Gables fan. If you have not seen the movie or read the books it is a chick flick must! In the story Anne refers to certain people as, "Kindred Spirits" and it means some one of like character, shares same beliefs, same attitude, same emotions. My dear friend Jenilee fits every category. She is my Diana Berry (watch the movie LOL)! I have many wonderful dear friends that I have met over the course of my life and I love them all dearly; but nobody challenges me in my walk with the Lord like Jen does.

I think God understood our need for friendship and family. He even said in Genesis that it is not good for man to be alone. If we can find a true friend in our lives we are truly blessed. I laugh at how long Jenilee and I had together before I moved and when you measure it on the ruler of a lifetime our time together was like a blink of an eye. I met her in Petoskey. She was in our youth group (that makes me laugh too). But God knew I would need her friendship and allowed us to be together for a little while. I think God also knew He didn't want us together to long because we wouldn't get much done for the kingdom....we would be to busy eating at Hunan's and watching chick flicks while our kids played. LOL But, we were together long enough to build a life long friendship that would transcend miles and time.

I put this verse with this picture, because Jen fits the description of a gentle and quiet spirit. It is something I need to strive for and something I want to instill into my girls. Thanks Jen, for being my "Kindred Spirit".

Take the time to make a lasting friend and ...

I Corinthians 9:24-25

"Get Joy" Book Verses

Hey, this was one of the verses the kids in our kid's church had to memorize recently....well...it is a great verse for us all to memorize.

I hate running. I always have. In school, they made us run around the field several times...I hated those days. I think I actually tried to make it look like I was running really hard but when the teacher wasn't looking I would walk, pathetic I know. I am sure there are some of you who did the same thing. I never had any desire to run in a physical race. I was content to come in last.

However, if you put me in a competition that I enjoyed like art contest, singing, pine wood derbies ...I get the idea of trying to get the first prize! I work so hard to win. I pull out all the stops. I stay up all night the night before getting it just right! All of my efforts go into winning all to receive a blue ribbon that will sit in the bottom of a box in my closet.

How much more should we put into the race to heaven? Now the neat thing about this race is that you are not trying to beat anyone. Actually, it is quite the opposite we are trying to get as many as we can to cross the finish line with us. It's not about winning this race it about finishing it. When we finish, we all receive the crown of eternal life. How cool is that? We will be given a crown that will last forever, not sit in the bottom of a shoe box in the corner of your closet and waste away. We will wear our crowns proudly and humbly lay them at the feet of Jesus. Ooooo it just gives me goose bumps thinking about it!

Run the race today and get as many as you can to run along side you

...Run hard, Run well, Run to Finish!

Philippians 4:8

"Get Joy" Book Verses

Sometimes our mind can get "stuck" on a problem, an issue or a crisis. Whatever it is that we are going through we need to make sure our hearts and thoughts are fixed on Jesus!

I love this picture of my daughter. I think she is so beautiful. I want more than anything for her to grow in confidence and courage. All to often in youth ministry, I see young girls who do not think well of themselves at all. They think they are ugly, useless or stupid. They have an inner dialogue repeating itself over and over.

My prayer for my children is that they will get this verse in their hearts. That instead of focusing on what the world thinks about them that they will fill their minds about all the wonderful things God has for them.

This verse is great for us adults too. We need to be cautious with what we focus on. Lately, when something pop's in my head that is not glorifying to God I start worshiping....

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house
They are ever praising You
Blessed are those whose strength is in You
Whose hearts are set on our God

We will go from strength to strength
Until we see You face to face

Hear our prayer
Oh Lord, God almighty
Come bless our land
As we seek You
Worship You

For You are holy
For You are holy
For You are holy, Lord

"Blessed" Hillsong
From Psalm 84!

Let's try to keep our minds in the direction of Christ and not on ourselves.

John 3:16

"Get Joy" Book Verses

As children growing up in the church this is one of the first verses we memorize. I think maybe some of us have a tendendency to forget that this verse maybe one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible!



WOW, WOW, WOW! What more can I say to add to this verse. It says it all on its own. God loves us so much that He sent he son to die for our sins. WOW! I think I am just going to ask all of us to reflect on depth, width, the grace of this verse today

Thank you Lord for loving me and the added bonus of eternal life with you. I will....

I Timothy 2:5-6

"Get Joy" Book Verses

I do not know why some verses stick out more to me than others; maybe, it is life circumstances or what God is speaking to you in the moment. Whatever it is, sometimes verses just become life time favorites.

The idea of ransom is so meaningful to me. The idea that Jesus Christ, God of the universe, paid my sin debt by dying for me it so huge for me to understand. I sometimes feel that I grasp the entire theology behind it; but, I do not think I will ever totally get it until I see Jesus face to face! I also love that Jesus stands on our behalf. He is our mediator! Dictionary.com had this definition that I really liked...one that works to effect reconciliation. Oh, how I needed to be reconciled to God and there is Jesus doing all He can to make that happen. Ooooo so good, thank you God for saving me from my sins.



I love this picture of my parents! That is me they are carrying. Now, that I am a parent I really get what it was that my parents wanted more for me than anything in this world and that is Christ. I am so thankful for parents that love God and that they did their very best to share Jesus with my sister and me. They always allowed us to come and discover God in our own time and in our own way. They never pushed their faith on us. They just loved us and show Jesus as often as they can. They provided every opportunity to grow and hear about His love. Christ was a priority in there lives and it became a priority to us. I am so grateful Lord that you saw fit to give me to my parents, Thank You.



As my children grow I now feel that longing that my parents felt. I want more than anything for my kids to know Christ, to know His love, to know His power, to know His joy! I want them to know that Jesus is doing everything He can to reconcile them to himself. All of this is the prayer of my heart as it was the prayer of my mom and dad!

Thanks mom and dad!





As our children bring us joy...may we bring them joy by our example!

Jamaica Here I Come!

So, I am going to pause from my "Get Joy" Book Verses today. Tomorrow, I will share I Timothy 2:5-6.
I am really excited to share that in November I am going to Jamaica to go work at the City of Refuge children's home. My sister and I are going down to visit my sister's best friend and go to work. We are going to help in the classrooms, I am going to paint a mural and maybe we will go help in the coffee fields. I am so excited that I make my sister laugh. Anyway, I would just ask that all of you be in prayer for me and Jen. Also pray for my mom who is coming up to help John with the kids. I will be gone for 8 days. I have never been away from my kids that long. I am just so thrilled to have the opportunity to go...lets just hope I get my passport in time.



This is Laura's kindergarten class. Jen and I will be staying with her in her apartment. It is going to be so much fun! These kids are too cute!

This children's home is up in the mountains....pretty cool...I know!

Steve and Kim Puffpaff are the Assembly of God missionaries there. They will not be there during our visit because they are in the States raising funds. I have written Kim and they seem like extraordinary people.

Just looking at those faces...how could I not...


I promise to take a ton of pictures and I will most certainly write about it!

Galatians 6:9

"Get Joy" Book Verses

There is something to be said of hard work and waiting. I don't mind hard work most of the time. It is the waiting that gets me. It probably has something to do with me being an American in the western way of thinking...we want it now or yesterday...who knows.


Here in Galatians we are told to not get weary and to not give up! Sometimes that is really hard especially if you don't see results for a really long time.



The other day, while driving to an appointment, I was really discouraged...again. Then I looked out my window and there it was...a rainbow. "Yeah, Yeah I got it God", I thought to myself. If you remember God sent a rainbow to Noah as a sign that He would keep His promise to not flood the earth again. Rainbows always remind me that He does in fact keep ALL His promises.



You can trust God in this verse when you do your part...do good, don't weary and do not lose heart! We you do those things then we will see the benefits of His glory!



~Love it!







Yup, I know I spelled Galatians wrong...going to fix it. LOL