Inside the Mind of a Jesus Follower

I am a child of God I have faith in the Lord, hope in His promises, and strive to love others as Christ has called His children to do. I believe that we are in a time when we can easily forget our human form was fearfully and wonderfully made. We can become so wrapped up in the what-ifs that we take our worry and anger out on anyone who does not reside in the echo chamber of doubt and fear with us. We can judge others if they do not believe all the fake-news stories that float through the air faster than a virus. However, in this household, we will not be plagued by unkindness, we will not show hatred towards our brothers and sisters (masks or no masks), nor will we fall victim to believing the media hype that tells us we should be afraid to be human. I am human This is a saying that I have always used with my kids, "God made dirt, and dirt don't hurt."   This attitude came in large part because I was raised by my grandfather who was born in 1918. He used to...

Our son, graduated early from high school this year and was sworn into the Marines by his dad, a Lieutenant in the Navy. This Friday he graduates from Marine boot camp as a United States Marine! OORAH. This amazing accomplishment is something families are not allowed to attend due to the pandemic, which is heartbreaking and spirit-crushing. However, we remain focused on the positives, as this does not change his goal one bit. His training continues albeit some new requirements and restrictions, but the military teaches you to adapt and overcome. As a military family, we use the term Semper Gumby, which means always flexible! We are well-versed in embracing change as an opportunity for growth, so we are looking at the pandemic as a way to improve our perspective moving forward. Our two daughters are also learning to adapt to this new normal. This next year will be our oldest daughter's senior year and I wonder about the impact this pandemic will have on her high school exper...

The Miracle of One Day Now  By: Allie Gardner  We have a calendar posted by the back door Detailing our lives and obligations and much more  There used to be something important listed for each day  And when I would rush by with a weary sigh I’d say,  “ One day God, I just want some white space.” Not just events piled with time, people, and place Until then my resolve, focus, and coffee would just have to be stronger  As I rushed out the door with my list of to-dos growing longer  I rationalized this busy schedule would only last for a season  That one day I would balance life, activities, and work within reason One day I would have the time to slow down and smell the roses  One day we would be able to enjoy what was right under our noses But for now, I had work to be done, money to be made, and children to raise  I justified that I have to give more, achieve more, succeed more in this phase Then one...

Dear Educators, The end of summer break is in sight As classrooms are lovingly decorated Bulletin boards colorful and bright Desks are assigned and lessons created The halls are waxed in anticipation Supplies stocked and sorted with care Most purchased by the teacher w/o reservation While smells of pencils and glue fill the air Teachers, staff, and administration Everything is ready to go it would appear You just have to answer one question As you prepare for the the upcoming year Is your  HEART READY with love ?  H ear their voices not just their words  with love E mbrace families as part of your team  with love A ccept every student for who they are and where they are   with love R ecognize the unique genius in all   with love T each what you expect and expect what you teach   with love R esist the urge to give up when facing challenges   with love E ntertain new ideas and perspectives   with love A sk ...

Today is Day 11 of our Get Clean with SOAP & WATER journey. (If you missed the start you may read about it here)  Gavin and I get up in the morning and over our first cup of coffee we read the scripture we were assigned for the day, and discuss. Then throughout the day we pay attention to how the verse applies to our day. In the evenings or afternoons we reflect in our journal and this has proven helpful to process our daily struggles and joys. We have been moved in so many ways by the relationship we are building with God as we focus on being intentional with our walk.  Some highlights from scripture, thankfulness, and physical health over the last 11 days: Day 1:  No matter what God loves us and we will never be separated from Him Thankful for starting the mornings out with God and discussing His wonderful works Waking up hungry and with joint pain Day 2 I had three affirmations of God’s light shining today at work. Thankful for our three k ids who...

Gavin and I have begun formalized training to serve in ministry. We feel called to pursue this route in even though we do not know where God is leading.  Jesus said   " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  (Luke 10:27) Therefore to  better prepare and strengthen our hearts, souls, bodies, and minds,  we are embarking on a 21-day quest to get clean.  Although we know there is no empirical evidence supporting the 2 1-day habit theory , we understand creating time-bound goals are more achievable. Thus,  we will be focusing on getting clean with a little SOAP & WATER over the next 21-days.  So what do we mean by getting  clean with SOAP & WATER ? SOAP  is a method of studying the Bible in which daily you study the Word of God and connect to your Savior. This is not a new acronym and has been around in the c...

My grandma once told me that sometimes in life happiness or joy will be a choice, not a feeling. There are days I understand that wise saying more than others.  Sometimes I focus on all the things I cannot control and choose to see all the chaos and obstacles in my path instead of the joy at the moment.  I imagine you have had those days too when nothing seems to go right, and you just cannot catch a break. You are tired and frustrated and snap at your kids, your spouse, and your dog, and you just want to crawl back into bed and wake up in a new day. Well, the book of James 1:2-3 says, " Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."  This verse tells me God recognizes we will struggle and have days which test our faith. However, these trials are not meant to drive us away from a relationship with him or with others. Instead, God wants us to find pur...