Tag: Faith

It’s the Little Things

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They say it’s the little things in life that mean the most.

Well, the other day, one of those “little things” for our family was a walk.

Not just any walk — but a sort of impromptu pilgrimage to the spot where my husband sustained a life-threatening injury while riding his mountain bike just over five months ago.

As I explained in No News is Good News, the first 72 hours were touch and go…and at one point, we didn’t know if he’d ever walk again.

Our visit to the trail marked the first time he’d been back since the day of the accident and by God’s grace, this time he was returning as a triumphant conqueror — standing on his own two feet in the very spot where he had once lay paralyzed on the ground.

Going back to this spot was emotional to say the least.

As we arrived at the trail head, I couldn’t deny the queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice, but something about heading back to that fateful location made me wish I’d bubble-wrapped him before we came. 😬🫣

However, after a tranquil ten minute stroll down a surprisingly quiet, shady trail, I was feeling a little calmer about our visit.

Then, as we approached a clearing in the woods, my husband’s pace suddenly slowed to a halt.

“Here it is,” he said.

Here is what? I thought, squinting hard and shielding my eyes against the bright rays of Florida sunshine.

“This is where I crashed,” he continued, motioning toward the wide sandy plain straight ahead.

I was stunned.

The scene was not what I expected at all. No dips, curves, twists, or turns…just flat land as far as the eye could see.

And then a long, straight wooden platform caught my eye — it was the ramp my husband had fallen from.

Nearly camouflaged by a mixture of nearby sawgrass and sand, it’s low profile was no more than three feet off the ground — nothing like the Evil Kinevil-style stunt ramp I had imagined in my head.

To be honest, it looked more like something a kindergartener with training wheels could have dismounted with their eyes closed.

Which left me scratching my head and begging the question:

“How could someone with so much experience navigating the twisting terrain of off-road trails be taken down in such an unlikely place?”

Now, maybe that sounds like quite a judgmental question to pose, even rhetorically, but I promise I’m not trying to belittle the situation at all.

In fact, my husband has pondered these questions himself over the last five months.

And in his own words, he explains that he simply misjudged the ramp, failing to gain the momentum required to properly dismount. This caused the front wheel of his bicycle to take a nose dive, sending him careening over the handle bars and onto his neck…and, well, the rest is history.

It was a momentary lapse of judgment with life-altering consequences.

But…isn’t that the way life goes?

Not only is it the little things in life that mean the most…but it’s oftentimes the little things that trip us up the most as well.

Maybe that’s why the Bible says, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (I Corinthians 10:12).

It’s often in our comfort zones and our daily routines, when our guard is down and we think we’re safe, that we can be blindsided by the little things in life — a lesson my husband learned the hard way…and I think if we’re honest, we all can relate to in some regard.

I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve struggled with my faith more in the last few months than I ever did during the three weeks we spent in the hospital…and those were supposed to be the hardest times, right?

Wrong.

During those three weeks, though they were incredibly difficult, God was everywhere in my heart and in my life…and it showed.

Every serendipitous coincidence was not just happenstance…God was alive and working on our behalf.

He heard our prayers and the prayers of our loved ones. God really is near to the broken hearted…an ever present help in time of need. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t need a study Bible to explain that — I felt it.

And for that reason, during those three short weeks, nearly every phrase coming from my mouth was either a prayer, praise, or testimony to the grace and power of the one true and living God.

By all logical reasoning, those should have been some of the hardest days of my life…but with God, they were not only manageable, they were faith-building.

And yet, when we got home…that’s when things surprisingly felt like they got really hard.

But it made no sense to me.

After all, at home, we were no longer dealing with matters of life and death, but with the little things of life — juggling doctors appointments, therapy sessions, hospital bills and new medications in addition to the normal grind of dishes, laundry, dinner, and school functions.

Suddenly and very unexpectedly, the faith that was so “unsinkable” began drowning in a sea of to-do’s and what-if’s…and I’m ashamed to say that I was no longer turning my cares into prayers…but swears…and over the littlest things.

Like my husband, I underestimated the ramp into our new life and how difficult it was going to be to manage the transition…and figuratively speaking, it sent me careening over the handlebars of life as well.

But the good news is this:

Just as by the grace of God my husband stood up after his fall, I know that I will too — “For a righteous person falls seven times and rises again” (Proverbs 24:16a).

Maybe you’ve been there before. Spiritually speaking, maybe you were blindsided by the little things and you’ve made a misjudgment that has led to a life-altering fall.

You can still get up.

There’s no need to remain paralyzed by it when God has the power to heal and restore.

By His power, God can make you stand in the very places that you fell.

Through Christ we are more than conquerors. We are overcomers through Him alone!

Until next time,

PWAP

Independence Day

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July 4th…‘Merica’s Birthday.

A day of fireworks, weenie roasts, and all things red, white, and blue.

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Formally known as Independence Day, it’s interesting that July 4th does not actually mark the day that we as a nation won our independence, but rather the day we declared it. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

At first glance, it may seem that these phrases are almost interchangeable, but the reality is that it took approximately eight years and 20,000 American lives to bridge the gap between the two! 😳😳😳

From the time Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 to the day the British finally surrendered on October 19, 1781, thousands of courageous Americans paid the ultimate price to gain a victory that we are still reaping the dividends of today.

Freedom isn’t free. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Our forefathers understood that — and thankfully still chose the high cost of liberty over a “peaceful” existence under the hand of tyranny.

“Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!”

“Give me liberty or give me death,” are the rousing words spoken to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry in 1775, which inspired delegates such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to deploy the first Continental troops in the Revolutionary War.

Henry’s words hit on the crux of the matter — and even now, centuries later, the dichotomy between liberty and death is still as relevant today.

Liberty through Jesus…or death through sin — it’s one or the other, no in between.

Patrick Henry was right, liberty and death really are the only two choices you have in war…and the same goes for spiritual warfare, as well.

And as in any battle, the stakes are high — we have to make a clear cut choice and cannot afford to be lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16) or double-minded (James 4:4-8).

Figuratively speaking, you can’t fight for the cause of freedom while wearing a red coat.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

You may be thinking, wait a minute…I thought Jesus Christ already won the war against sin and death and purchased our freedom with His blood (I Corinthians 15:55-57)?

True.

But the battle isn’t over yet.

It may sound counterintuitive, but scriptures like II Timothy 2:3-4 still call on Christians to be soldiers of Christ and to fight the good fight of faith.

Why? Because unlike the British, Satan hasn’t signed a peace treaty yet. Our war with him will not be over until the world itself comes to an end (I Peter 5:8).

Many Christians don’t seem to understand this and mistakenly rest on their laurels long before the battle is finished…but we are called to be faithful to the end (Matthew 24:13, Hebrews 3:14, Revelation 2:10).

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but…against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Satan knows He can’t defeat Christ, but he would like nothing more than for us to become distracted in battle, retreat…or even worse, to convince us to defect like a spiritual Benedict Arnold, becoming a traitor to the cause of Christ.

And so we must remain “sober minded and vigilant,” putting on the full armor of God daily — the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit — so that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-18).

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph!”

But the conflict is long and is bound to wear us down. Just as the Revolutionary War wasn’t won overnight, often many years of sacrifice, perseverance, and endurance are required to stay faithful to our Lord.

Image courtesy of metmuseum.org.

During the American Revolution, the harsh realities of war caused many who were once full of zeal and patriotism to, in the words of General George Washington, return to the comfort and safety of their own “chimney corners” (Smithsonian.com).

John Kiger of History.com writes that during the winter of late 1776, after a series of particularly severe setbacks, “Washington and his troops camped out along the banks on the west side of the Delaware River, where soldiers tried to rekindle their zeal by reading Thomas Paine’s pamphlet The American Crisis, which exhorted them not to follow the example of “the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot” who melted away when times got tough. ‘The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph,’ Paine wrote.”

It was a much needed exhortation and reportedly inspired Washington and his troops to literally soldier on, courageously crossing the icy waters of the Delaware and advancing the American cause through a series of subsequent victories.

Much like these soldiers, at the beginning of our spiritual battle, we were undoubtedly full of faith, zeal, and determination for the cause of Christ. However, through years of disappointments, losses, struggles, and hardships, it becomes easy to forget that remaining faithful amidst the conflict will lead us to a glorious triumph!

It is in these trying moments that we too need to look to words for inspiration as well — the inspired Word of God, that is:

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

As we celebrate this 4th of July holiday, I am thankful to be a citizen of a nation where we have the freedom and the right to speak plainly and openly about Jesus Christ without fear of government interference or retaliation.

And yet, as proud as I am to be an American citizen, I also understand that my true citizenship is in Heaven and that our freedom in Christ is far greater than any earthly freedom could ever be.

Where is your citizenship?

If you want to enjoy freedom through Christ, it all starts with a declaration — a Declaration of Independence from sin through confession of faith in Jesus Christ and baptism into his death (Matthew 28:18-20).

The war is already won. Now, fight the good fight with us and let your freedom ring.

And as always, May God Bless America.

Until next time,

Pilgrim with a Pen

O Taste and See That the Lord is Good

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During the school year, convenience is how we roll when it comes to breakfast.

But with the kids home for summer break, we’ve decided to think outside the “cereal box” lately — starting with this frittata recipe from natashaskitchen.com:

Seeing as I had most of the ingredients in my fridge already, it seemed like a quick and easy way to change things up.

But I soon realized this “quick and easy” recipe called for a lot more whisking, shredding, grating, frying, dicing, chopping, and sautéing than I had bargained for…

In an effort to get the job done a little faster, I enlisted the help of my family — while I chopped, grated, and sautéed, they took turns whisking in each of the ingredients.

First the eggs, then the cream, hot sauce, shredded cheese, diced onion, grated potatoes, and…

Boys: “…Ewwwww, WHAT’s THIS green stuff?!?”

Me: “Oh, that’s just spinach.” 😊

Boys: “Spinach?!? Yuck!!!” 🤢🤮🤢 “We’re definitely not eating that!”

(Ughhh…frozen waffles were sounding less and less stressful by the minute…🤦‍♀️…)

My husband could sense my frustration.

“Don’t worry…you won’t even taste it in there once it’s all done,” he reassuringly replied — and reluctantly they relented.

As I poured the batter into the muffin cups, I began wishing I had just grabbed a package of those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches from the freezer aisle and called it a day — it would have been faster, easier, less expensive, and far less frustrating. 😩😩😩

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To tell you the truth, time, money, and frustration are the main factors that keep me from choosing hearty and healthy over hasty on a regular basis.

And when you stop to think about it, isn’t that sometimes true when it comes to our spiritual diet as well?

There are many moments when following God’s recipe for life is more costly, more time consuming, and more difficult than just picking up the conveniently (and attractively) packaged life that the world wants to offer us (Matthew 7:13-14):

– It’s a recipe that often costs us more than we bargained for. True, Christ paid our debt of sin at the cross…but we are also called to take up our own cross daily and follow Him — a choice that may cost us friends, family, money, jobs, fame, status, the list could go on and on.

But we would be wise to have to mindset of the apostle Paul when he wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

– It’s also a recipe that takes time and effort and even risk to prepare…and there is always the chance that we (metaphorically speaking) might be burned by a frying pan or nicked by a knife in the process. But you know what they say — no pain, no gain. It’s all going to be worth it.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:17-18).

– And it’s a recipe that will not often please the tastebuds of this world. The Gospel is foolishness to those who aren’t being saved by it (I Corinthians 1:18), and therefore may persecute us for righteousness sake.

But don’t give up and don’t give in. Don’t change the Word of God just to make it more palatable for yourself or others. We need only be concerned that we are a sweet aroma to the God who created us (II Corinthians 2:15).

The Bible is God’s recipe for life — a tried and true dish that’s been handed down for generations. If we follow it closely without adding to or taking away from it according to our own tastes, just like those muffins, in the end we too will rise (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

— But equally true, if we fail to take His commandments seriously, Jesus warns “…because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]” (Revelation 3:16, AMP).

And Gordon Ramsay ain’t got nothing on that.

Christ loves you. He died for you. He wants you to rise! All you have to do is follow his “recipe” and bake it ‘til you make it.

Until next time…

-PWAP

No News is Good News

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Yesterday, on my personal Facebook page, I shared a video of my husband walking up a small grassy hill for the first time since undergoing surgery on his spine two weeks ago.

In the caption, I wrote, “I feel like today is Good Friday for more than one reason!” ❤️

I literally couldn’t have been happier if he had climbed Mount Everest. 🙏⛰️❤️⛰️🙏

In case you hadn’t heard, the whole thing started two Fridays ago when he was involved in a freak mountain biking accident. He sustained what the doctor called a “catastrophic injury” to his spine, resulting in instant numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in all of his extremities. 😱

It was one of the scariest phone calls I’ve received in my entire life.

After being air-lifted to our local hospital, results of the MRI and CT scans confirmed what we were afraid of…he had a complete subluxation of the cervical spine…or in layman’s terms, the vertebrae in his neck were not only broken, but severely dislocated…and he would require emergency surgery.

Thankfully, his spinal cord had not been completely severed by the accident. However, the neurosurgeon informed us that it was in a very fragile state and there was a significant chance that the manipulation required during surgery could make matters worse, resulting in a permanent state of quadriplegia. 😱

This was NOT easy news to swallow, and in my desperation I remember asking if there was any other alternative…

The doctor assured me there were no better options — so, I signed the surgical consent and kissed my husband goodbye, not knowing what the future would hold.

That Friday felt far from being good.

In fact, it felt so bad that I remember thinking, “Whoever said Friday the 13th was unlucky, has apparently never met Friday the 24th.”

It was a helpless feeling watching him be wheeled away toward the OR.

The last words the neurosurgeon said to us were, “This is going to be a very long surgery and I will NOT be giving ANY updates during the procedure unless something were to go terribly wrong. If you don’t hear from me, things are going well. No news is good news.”

And off they went.

The operation began around 12:30pm on Friday afternoon and the next 12 hours were brutal.

We sat, we waited, we cried, we prayed.

Friends and family came to surround us.

And with every hour that silently passed, the surgeon’s words kept echoing as a small reassurance in my mind: “No news is good news.”

Finally, around 12:30am in the morning, the surgeon came in to update us.

The surgery had gone as well as it could have…however, there was no way yet of knowing if any permanent damage had been done to the spinal cord during the procedure.

We were not out of the woods yet.

He explained that post-op swelling could potentially cause additional compression to the spinal cord, resulting in permanent paralysis.

All there was left to do was watch and wait.

We spent the entire day Saturday in the ICU. I sat next to him all day and all night as he lie lethargic in the hospital bed, grimacing in pain from time to time. He was intubated and sedated —but I was as wide awake as I could possibly be.

Running on nothing but pure adrenaline, I sat anxiously for hours upon hours waiting to see how things would unfold.

Over the course of the day, we began seeing positive signs…first his legs moved…🙏🙏❤️❤️🙏🙏…then a few hours later, he began to move his arms a little too…and then a little more…🙏

As the nurses slowly weaned his level of sedation, he began to show signs of breathing on his own.

All of this information caused us to be cautiously optimistic, and we spent the rest of Saturday watching, waiting, and praying some more.

When the neurosurgeon came to do rounds, he was so pleasantly surprised by my husband’s progress that we finally allowed ourselves to fully embrace the hopeful signs we were seeing.

When I thanked the surgeon for all that he did, he simply said, “Don’t thank me. I just did my job…but I didn’t do this,” implying that a recovery of this magnitude was divinely disproportionate to the injury that he had sustained.

I was floored. I told him thousands of people were praying…and he didn’t hesitate to join us in giving the glory to God for such a positive outcome. 🙏❤️🙏

By 6am Sunday morning, my husband had been extubated and with some help from the nurses was standing up at the side of the bed for the first time!

I felt like I was witnessing a miracle…and I couldn’t wait to share the news!

I texted a picture of it to my husband’s side of the family.

That’s when my sister-in-law Christa texted back something that in my sleep-deprived stupor, I would have never realized on my own.

This is what she wrote:

“Call me crazy but it being Sunday, I just can’t help but think about the parallels here. No, he is not God’s immediate Son, but he is His child. Friday he wasn’t killed (thank God), but he was certainly knocked down on his back and it was hard to have hope! He stayed down all day Saturday and through God’s power Sunday he walked. God is certainly writing his story.
Friday is good because Sunday’s coming!”

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Her words were what inspired me to write this post.

She was right — the parallels of God’s love and mercy were overwhelmingly obvious.

Just like Jesus, my husband had been knocked down Friday. Stayed down Saturday. And rose up for the first time Sunday…all by the grace and the power of God.

The Great Physician had healed him.

Sometimes God needs to take you down into the depths…just so He can demonstrate the awesome power He has to raise you back up.

He demonstrated that power with Jesus’ resurrection, and with my husband’s physical healing.

But most of all, He wants to use that kind power in us spiritually — ultimately, He wants to save not just our lives, but our souls. (II Peter 3:9)

When you let God take you down His way, He will bring you back up more victorious than you could have ever have been before! This all starts by being buried with Christ in baptism and then raised up to walk in newness of life! (Romans 6:4)

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Seeing my husband walk up that hill yesterday meant so much to me…but the walk that Jesus made up to a hill called Mount Calvary will forever mean so much more.

Jesus didn’t walk up that hill for exercise, He did it willingly to die a cruel death on a cross for you and me!

He didn’t have a physical therapist walking along side him — but rather an army of Roman soldiers and an angry mob.

He wasn’t fully clothed with a gait belt for protection in case he fell — he was stripped of his clothing and given a crown of thorns to wear.

And though what happened on top of that hill that Friday looked like defeat…it was merely the beginning of the most victorious comeback in the history of the world.

The silence of Saturday was not a white flag of defeat…but simply one of those times when, like the surgeon said, “No news is good news” — literally! Pals…I can’t make this stuff up…the word “Gospel” literally means “Good News.” 😱❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️

And news just doesn’t get any better than that.

So, if you are living and breathing today and you’ve never dedicated your life to Christ through belief and baptism, what are you waiting for?

Then and only then can you have the peace of knowing that as unpredictable as this life is, whenever your last day might be, you will be ready to enter in those gates of Heaven.

Many have asked me how my faith remained strong in the face of trial…well, it helps to know that God is on your side and that no matter what happens to me or my husband in this life, as children of God, we have the kind of eternal hope that no one can take away, no matter what the outcome is here on earth.

I hope and pray you find that, too. If I can help in any way, please reach out and let me know. 🙏❤️

Until next time…

-PWAP

Williams-Sonoma

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When my husband and I got married, one of the wedding gifts we received was a gift card to an upscale home goods store called Williams-Sonoma.

Maybe you’ve heard of it.

I had heard of it, too…but at the time, the closest brick-and-mortar store was an hour away from us…so I’d never actually been there before.

That all changed one fateful Saturday, shortly after we said “I do,” when my husband and I decided to take a trip to check it out and use our gift card.

It was a day I will never forget.

After a 60 minute trek to the big city, we arrived in the parking lot of the most grandiose mall I had seen in my entire life. 😱

As we unbuckled our seatbelts and climbed out of our little Hyundai, I felt like Dorothy Gale arriving at the Emerald City. 🤩🤩🤩

Arm in arm, we proceeded through the front doors and down the main corridor.

Everything was suddenly in technicolor and it felt like we were walking the yellow brick road.

Our jaws dropped as we passed each consecutive storefront…Gucci, Armani, and Tiffany (oh my!).

I gave my husband a look that said, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Target anymore.” 😂😂😳

Yes, it seemed as if were actually in Oz…or at least somewhere very close to it — and by the time we finally reached Williams-Sonoma, I was half-expecting to see the Wizard himself.

However, we were immediately greeted by the Wicked Witch of the West (disguised as a pretentious saleswoman) instead.

After looking us up and down, she said, “Welcome to Williams-Sonoma, have either of you been here before?”

“N-n-nooo, this is our first time,” I managed to stutter.

She then insisted on showing us around, which I later realized was sales floor lingo for “I’ll get you my pretty…and your little gift card, too.” 😂

Nevertheless, we obediently followed her as she patronizingly pointed out all of the “must-have” kitchen gadgets and gizmos — things I never even knew existed 😳.

It was like watching one of those models showcase items on The Price is Right…only, the price was so, so wrong…😳.

I did my best to hide my sticker shock with a smile…but the more we browsed, the more it became apparent that a $40 gift card was barely going to be enough for a new set of dish towels.

And that’s when she showed us…the pasta maker.

The $300 homemade pasta maker.

About halfway through her discourse on homemade noodles, my husband and I exchanged glances and I could tell he had had his fill of this saleswoman’s highfalutin mumbo-jumbo.

That’s when he threw his arms up and said, “Thanks, but I’ve got a perfectly good box of Hamburger Helper in the pantry at home.”

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

My face turned as red as a pair of ruby slippers.

We were finally outed for the country bumpkins we are.

I wanted to laugh, cry, and crawl under the table all at the same time…silently wishing I could just click my heels together three times and go back home.

But the saleswoman didn’t flinch — she simply peered over the rim of her Christian Dior glasses and condescendingly rebutted that only uncultured swine eat noodles from a box.

😳😳😳😤😤😤😤

Okay, okay…maybe those weren’t her exact words…but they were close 😂😂😂.

To be honest, I don’t remember what her exact words to us were, but I do remember that what she said made me feel small, insignificant, unsophisticated, and poor.

What happened next, you ask?

Well, we threw a bucket of water on her and walked away while the other customers broke into a rousing rendition of “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.” 🎶🎶🎶

I kid, I kid. 😂

We came really close to doing that, but then we remembered the whole “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord thing. 🤷‍♀️ (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19-21)

So, we just paid for our dish towels and left.

And we’ve never been back since.

Not because of the steep prices. Not because of the long drive. But because of the way we were made to feel.

It’s just like Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

I couldn’t tell you exactly what that saleswoman said…but I can remember exactly how it made me feel.

It’s not just that we didn’t feel welcome — it’s that we were made to feel unwelcome.

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And sadly there’s a lot of visitors who don’t come back to worship with the Lord’s church for that very same reason.

They’ve been made to feel “unwelcome” in one way or another by the church.

But it shouldn’t be that way.

Because the Gospel is for ALL (II Peter 3:9; Mark 16:15), not just for those who are already Christians, but for anyone who might believe (Romans 1:16).

I need to remember, as a Christian who is working for God, that my behavior (both inside and outside of the church building) should not chase away His “customers,” but bring them back!

We should never use our knowledge of the truth or our position as a saved citizen of God’s kingdom to be condescending or dismissive, but in love and humility we should always remember to esteem others higher than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

That’s the kind of love Jesus wants us to have. And that’s the kind of love that will bring people back.

So, let this serve as a reminder to us all — there’s a whole world of people out there who need Jesus. And if we don’t treat them right the first time, we may never get another shot.

After all, you know what they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Until next time…

– PWAP

So Long, Farewell, auf Weidersehen, Goodbye…

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Goodbye.

It’s arguably one of the most difficult words in the English language.

Not necessarily because it’s difficult to spell or pronounce — but rather because it’s just a really difficult word to hear…and to say, as well. 😕

Nevertheless, we use the word so often that our society has been compelled to create a myriad of ways to express it:

  • So long
  • Farewell
  • auf Wiedersehen
  • Ciao
  • Sayonara
  • Adios
  • Toodle-oo
  • Ta-ta
  • Check you later, dude
  • Or as they simply say in Roll Tide country…“Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?!?” 😂😉

But I digress…

Maybe you’re wondering, how did all of this business about “goodbyes” start rattling around in my head in the first place?

Well, I’ve been thinking about it ever since stumbling across this quote on Facebook a few weeks back. It said:

“Everything you need to know about the way a person loves you is in the way they left you. If they left you like it was nothing, then you meant nothing to them.”

😳😳😳😳….Wow.

That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Have you ever experienced anything like that in your life?

I know I have…😣😔.

These types of encounters can make you feel so small. Insignificant. Worthless.

Or as the quote implies, like you’re nothing at all.

But just because someone leaves you like you meant nothing to them, doesn’t mean you are nothing!

Do you know why I believe that?

As counterintuitive as it sounds, it’s because we’ve all been loved and left before.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 Confused yet?

Don’t be.

You heard me right — this ain’t your first rodeo…and it ain’t mine either.

All of us, from the oldest to the youngest, from the least to the greatest, have been loved and left before!

By the SAME PERSON, no less!!!!!

Now, I know what you’re thinking — “That dirty scoundrel!” 😏😏😏

🤣

But I promise you, it’s not like that.

You see, the person who loved us and left us is not a scoundrel at all…in fact, He’s the farthest thing you could ever get from being a scoundrel!!

And His name is Jesus Christ. ❤️

About 2000 years ago, Christ loved us so much that He died for us. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-10; John 15:13).

He loved us and left us all on the same day!

Thankfully, that’s NOT where the story ends:

On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead, and according to Acts 1:3 He spent the next 40 DAYS with His disciples before ascending into Heaven.

Now…….I’m from Indiana, so I’m no stranger to long goodbyes…but even by Midwest standards, 40 days does seem a little over the top. 🤷‍♀️

I mean, where I’m from, at the end of a long visit, people will slap their knees and say, “Welp, it’s getting late,” and then proceed to chit chat with their hand on the doorknob for the next 40 MINUTES 😂…but 40 DAYS?!?! 😱😱😱

The more I think about it, Jesus’ goodbye looked more like a farewell tour!

And then I can’t help but think about that quote again…remember, it said:

“Everything you need to know about the way a person loves you is in the way they left you. If they left you like it was nothing, then you meant nothing to them.”

Jesus didn’t leave us like we were nothing. He left us like we were the most somethingest somethings there ever were!!!!!

Even though we didn’t deserve it, He did all of this for us…and He’s still not finished.

There’s a song by the band Cain called “The Commission” that really paints this picture poignantly. If you’ve never heard it, click here to listen. I literally can’t hear it without balling my eyes out every. single. time. 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

It’s written from the perspective of Jesus as He is about to ascend into Heaven. He’s giving “The Great Commission” to his apostles to go into all the world, teaching and baptizing others for the salvation of their souls (Mark 16:15-16).

The chorus reads:

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭😭😭😭

Goodbye is not the end…yes, even a 40-day-long goodbye is not enough for Jesus — one day He’s coming back and taking us with Him for good!!! And at that point, we’ll never have to say goodbye again…we’ll be with Him in Heaven eternally! (John 14:3)

Just as His death was not a final goodbye…if we believe, then our death is not a final goodbye either. (I Corinthians 15)

It’s more like a “see ya real soon”…or as my two-year-old nephew says, a “See ya later, ag-ill-ator” 😂😂😂🐊🐊🐊).

To which, with simple, trusting faith, Jesus simply wants us to reply, “After a while, crocodile!” 🥰🥰

Until next time…

-PWAP

It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know

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Last Sunday was my last Sunday teaching the children’s Bible class for a while — yep…new year, new quarter, new teacher…all I can say is, bless her heart! 😂❤️😇😇😇❤️😂

Don’t get me wrong — I love those little Bible students to death, but I’ve always said teaching kids has to be more difficult than teaching adults.

You see, adults know a lot of things already…and the things they don’t know, they’re usually too embarrassed to ask, so they’ll just Google it…but kids?? They just use YOU as their own personal Google! 😂

Yep, there’s no shame in their game!! 😂 And for the past 16 weeks, these little elementary schoolers have been coming outta left field every Sunday with their questions about God and life and death and the universe…and I’m just over here like, Jesus help me through another Sunday…🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😂😂😂

I kid, I kid…mostly. 😉

The truth is they ask great questions…I just don’t always have great answers for them…🫠😩🤔.

But I guess that’s the beauty of it all — as the students learn, I learn, too. It’s truly a humbling experience.

But it always leads me to wonder…when it comes to the scriptures, at this stage in life, DOES God expect me to “know it all?”

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

And for some reason, when I was thinking about this, the name Ken Jennings popped into my mind. Remember him? The guy who holds the record for the longest consecutive winning streak on Jeopardy!? 🤓🤓🤓

He’s obviously someone with a lot of knowledge, albeit useless🙄…but that’s beside the point.

My point is, even after 74 consecutive wins (😱), even he was finally stumped!

Ken: Alex, I’ll take Psalm 23 for $100, please.

Alex: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in these grassy plains where sheep love to graze.

Ken: (*Buzzzzzz*) What is…a meadow?

Alex: No. I’m sorry, the correct answer was actually green pastures.

😂😂😂😂

Okay, okay…that’s NOT the actual question that put Ken “out to pasture” so-to-speak (no pun intended 😂)…but I would feel a lot better about my own Bible knowledge if it were…😂

But is that what God wants from us? A Ken Jennings-level of Bible knowledge? 74 consecutive wins at Bible trivia?

Or does God desire that we give Him more than just a Jeopardy-style regurgitation of Bible facts?? 🤓🤔

That kind of knowledge lives in the mind, but God wants to live in our hearts and souls as well (Matthew 22:37).

In other words, God wants you and I to do more than just quote a scripture about a Shepherd — He wants us to know the Shepherd Himself, Jesus Christ…and he wants to make us one of his sheep, so that we too can lie down in green…meadows.

  • God doesn’t want us to just memorize…he wants us to meditate.
  • He doesn’t want our orations…He wants our obedience.
  • He doesn’t just want us to learn…he wants us to love (knowledge puffs up, love builds up! I Corinthians 8:1).

David, a man after God’s own heart knew a little something about this…Psalm 119:97-105 says:

“Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.

I have kept my feet from every evil path, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.

How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth! I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

***************************************

No, I’ll probably never know it all…but I’m going to keep learning, loving, meditating, and obeying God’s Word, because it’s the only way to know Him.

After all, sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know that counts…especially when it comes to Jesus.

Until next time…

-PWAP

New Year, New Me!

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Well, it’s New Year’s Eve!

Almost time to watch that ball drop and party like it’s…2023? 🎉🎉🎉

Oh, who am I kidding…it’s almost time to drink sparkling grape juice with my kids while my husband snores like a freight train on the living room couch. 😒😒😒😂😴😴😴😴

Got any resolutions yet???

I can already think of a couple myself.

As you already know, this is the traditional time people dedicate or rededicate themselves to positive change…in fact, “new year, new me” is a phrase often used around this time of year…

And whether your goal is saving money, losing weight, or just watching less TikToks 😂…let me just say, I hope you reach your goals this year. I hope your hard work pays off! ❤️💪

But……..do me a favor?

While you’re working hard to accomplish those goals, remember this:

Setting and reaching goals is great, but (spoiler alert⚠️)…it won’t make you a “new you.”

Shocking, I know. 🤯🤯🤯😱😱😱😱

It’s actually the same old you, just with a few new habits…

Buuuuut….there is one teeny weeny exception to the rule.

One choice, one change, one resolution that trumps the rest.

And it’s simple really:

The only way to become a “new you” is to be born…all over again.

😳😳😳😳😳😳

Sounds crazy, right?

In John 3:3-7, a man named Nicodemus certainly thought the same when Jesus first explained the divine concept to him:

But “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ “

When we are born of water and the Spirit through belief and baptism, our old self dies and a new self is born…or as the scriptures so eloquently describe, it is the moment in which we begin to “…walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

It’s the ultimate definition of a “new you.”

And it’s the most important New Year’s resolution you could ever make.

If you are seeking a new life that only God can provide, there is NO better time to start than today!!! ⏰⏱️🕰️⏳⌚️⌛️🕛⏲️

And there is no better Sunday to start worshipping Him than tomorrow, January 1st.

If you need a Savior — only Jesus can save your soul…

And if you need a church, I can save you a seat. ❤️

Happiest of New Years to you all!! 🎉

Until next time…

– PWAP

Oh, Christmas Tree

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As you may recall, for the last 3 weeks there have been boxes upon boxes of Christmas decor piled high on my living room floor…

Although I came very close to just arranging them in a pyramid formation, sticking a star on top and calling it a day, I am happy to report that I actually mustered up enough time and Christmas cheer this week to finally finish decking the halls. 🎄🎄🎄

Whew. Better late than never. 🤷‍♀️

Last night, as I sat on the couch admiring our freshly trimmed tree, I caught my reflection in one of the shiny red ornaments — and it reminded of something I heard recently on Facebook.

Scrolling through my feed, I ran across a holiday video touting an interesting theory: it boldly claimed that the way you decorate your Christmas tree is a direct reflection of who you are.

(Considering the fact that mine was quite literally reflecting me at the moment, I couldn’t argue there might be something to this… 🤔)

The man in the video asserted that trees decorated with a hodge-podge of handmade family ornaments are a testament to people who have loving homes, while those with more perfectly coiffed trees, do NOT. 😱😱😱

Ouch! 😣

You mean we can’t have it both ways — a loving home and a beautiful tree???? 😩😩😩🎄🎄🎄

Am I the only mom out there who struggles with wanting it both ways? 😔🙋‍♀️

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I get what he’s saying…and it’s about more than just a Christmas tree — it’s about the age-old struggle between self-sacrifice and self-indulgence.

Maybe having a pretty tree in and of itself isn’t wrong…but the bigger question is, when the two are at odds, which do we choose?…do we love our family or our self more?

When we choose the fancy tree OVER the family tree, our love is misplaced…and if you’re not loving the things that really matter, your tree will reflect that.

And in a way, our Christmas tree is sort of like a microcosm of our lives as well…

How I choose to “decorate” the proverbial tree of my life is a direct reflection on what matters most to me.

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

This year, our family ended up compromising on decorating the tree — a few fancy ornaments mixed in with handmade ornaments from the kids…and it turned out great.

But with God? There is no compromise.

You have to choose one or the other: hot or cold, God or self. There is no in-between. Jesus says if we are lukewarm, he will spew us out of His mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

We only get one tree and we only get one life — what are the “ornaments” hanging on yours? Do they reflect a love of self or a love of God?

🤔🤔🤔

Jesus Christ died atop a tree for you…and is more than deserving to live at the top of your tree as well.

Fresh cut trees don’t last forever…even the fancy ones. And Jesus is the only thing that can save you from being thrown in the fire at the end of the season.

Is Jesus the star atop the tree of your life?

I hope so, because He is the only real hope you and I have of ever being a true Evergreen.

Until next time…

-PWAP

So Much To Do, So Little Time

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It’s December 12th and this is the current state of my house…🎄🎄📦📦

Boxes everywhere.

Some freshly delivered from Amazon, while others have been sitting there for weeks…ever since the day I brought them down from the attic.

Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that for the past 3 weeks, my family has had to carefully step around boxes of my good intentions piled up in our hallway…each one filled with enough decor to transform an ordinary house into a winter wonderland.

Last night my husband finally decided it was time for an intervention 🤣— suggesting that with less than two weeks left until Christmas, I should just throw in the towel on the rest of my decorating plans…so we can actually have some semblance of a normal living room once again.

In the words of Stephanie Judith Tanner:

How rude.

😂😂😂😂

For your information, the reason I haven’t yet finished the decorating is because I’ve been preoccupied with arguably more important things…such as keeping our kids alive and stuff.

🙄🙄🙄🤣

But if I’m being honest, in my heart of hearts, I know he’s right…😔 we can’t keep living this way…at least not without ending up on an episode of hoarders or something.

I just wish I had time to do it all — enough time to feed my kids AND and set up all 87 pieces my miniature Christmas village. 😂

But I don’t.

I’m only one person and I only have a limited amount of time.

***************************************

On a more serious and personal note…my husband’s beloved grandmother unfortunately passed away this week 😔.

It’s times like these that make you stop and pause and think about the very limited time we have here on this earth as well.

We’ve all obviously been thinking a lot about her this weekend…and one thing that struck me is how even though she lived what we would consider “a long, full life,” 90 years still somehow doesn’t seem long enough.

“Don’t blink,” they say.

Because the stark reality is that some of us won’t even live THAT long. None of us is promised tomorrow, let alone 90 years.

With such a limited amount of time…what will we use it for?

Jesus teaches us to use the time we are given to prepare.

Prepare for what?

Our own death and/or His second coming.

Thankfully, Grandma H. did use her time to prepare and she taught her family to do the same. ❤️

But why doesn’t everyone spend their time this way?

Unfortunately, some people don’t prepare because they simply don’t believe.

But as believers, we know we need to prepare! So, we set out with good intentions, but we need to make sure the time doesn’t slip away from us.

Just as I got side tracked with the Christmas decor, Jesus warns us of doing the same with our very own lives.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus warns that sometimes the “cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” can choke out God’s purpose for our lives (Matthew 13:22).

In other words, when the frivolous things take over our time, we’re in danger of running out of time to devote to the things that really matter — the work of the Lord.

What happens when that happens?

Well, we’ll unfortunately be like the 5 foolish virgins whose lamps weren’t ready for the bridegroom — a parable that warns us to prepare for the second coming of Christ (Matthew 25:1-13).

Because we don’t know how much time we have, we not only need to prepare but prepare with a sense of urgency. Those described in Luke 9:57-62 believed, but didn’t treat their calling with the urgency it called for…why?

Simply put, because it just wasn’t a “convenient” time for them. They thought they had more time…just as Felix did in Acts 24:25.

Life is always going to be full of demands on our time…so, there will never be a more convenient time to follow Christ than the present. In Luke 10:38-42, Mary recognized this, while Martha did not:

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Christ calls us to be a Mary in a Martha world.

So, while seeing those boxes in the hallway may irritate me every time I walk past them, they should actually serve as a reminder that I’ve been trying to put first things first — God and my family. If I’m overcommitted, I’m overcommitted to Christ.

December 25th is coming in less than 2 weeks whether I am prepared for it or not. As much as I would like to turn back the clock (or the advent calendar, for that matter) and somehow magically have time to check off every item on my “to-do” list, that’s not going to happen.

And that’s fine. Because the truth is, those boxes could sit there all year long and it wouldn’t change my eternal salvation one bit. 📦😊

Until next time…

-PWAP