Don’t hug a cactus! That should be lesson #1 from the desert. Lesson #2 would be to always carry enough water. Those two lessons can also hold true when it comes to dealing with difficult, or “prickly”, people. The truth is while many people will never see a cactus...
An intimate message from God to YOU. What is Father's Love Letter?Father's Love Letter is a compilation of paraphrased Bible verses from Genesis to Revelation that are presented in the form of a love letter from God to you. This simple message of love...
On the podcast this week, my friend Robin Blumenthal tells a story of being on a boat with friends when she was asked to drop the anchor. So, she did. Not being an experienced boater, she let the anchor down into the water without first checking to see if it was tied...
A few years ago, I was living a double life. The “seen” Valerie was a leader in ministry, friendly, engaging, and seemed to have it all together. Then there was the “unseen” Valerie who was acting out in fits of rage toward her family; battling anxiety,...
For most of my adult life, I have felt that my story was my enemy. My story was heavy, like chains that shackled me to shame, denial, and fear. If I could just hide from it or outrun it, then I could live the life that I longed to live. So I kept striving, running...
Are faith and trust the same thing? It was May 13, 1999. A day that would forever alter my life. It is the day my only sibling and brother, Bryce, died from taking his own life. I was a college student living in Tijuana, Mexico for my missionary internship and before...
Sitting in a familiar space, I expressed to our marriage counselors a desire for my husband to be more of a 'promise land’ thinker--like me--when it came to our marriage. I was grumbling that he seemed to only be able to focus on the day-to-day. Even though my husband...
Because He lives I can face tomorrow Because He lives all fear is gone Because I know, I know He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives Dressed up in a white bonnet and my prettiest pink dress with all the ruffles and...
I have a confession to make. For many, many years I was addicted to being busy in life so that I would not have to face the fear I had around my past, my present, and my future. I was afraid someone might find out who I had been in the past or what I was struggling...