I have always been a person who acts on impulse. A thought comes to my mind, and I focus on it instantly. I guess you could say I’ve always had a restless spirit. That spirit has shown itself in many of the decisions I’ve made. I was reflecting on all the things I have done in my restlessness. I always thought it was the conqueror in me—something that brought excitement and adventure. I would be sitting in my kitchen, looking out the window while drinking coffee, and suddenly

Spirit  – the nonphysical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul. “ We seek a harmony between body and spirit. ” Those qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group, or in the thoughts and attitudes of a particular period: “ The university is a symbol of the nation's egalitarian spirit. ” Have you ever been in a place where, no matter how hard you pray, there is one thing after a

1 Peter 2:21  – For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 2 Samuel 22:37  – Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. Job 18:7  – The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down. Job 31:4  – Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? Proverbs 16:9  – A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. Steps.

I have a dark place inside my heart. It’s not a place of evil or a place that seeks to harm anyone. It’s a place of loneliness and isolation. A place of anxiety. A place of being hidden in plain sight. For the past few days, my dark place has been chasing me. It seeks to engulf me and keep me all to itself. God knows about my dark place. He knows how it pricks at my heart. He is right there on the other side of the door. I know that now. I depend on that now more than I ever

When I was a little girl, my favorite word was “why?”  No matter what I was told, the first thing out of my mouth—or popping up in my head—was, “but why?” My mom might say, “Okay Valerie, it’s time to get up for school. "And I would ask, “Why, Mommy? ” Because you have to go to school,” she would urge. "Why do I have to go to school? ” So you can learn and become smart and brilliant.” I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or a pest—I was simply an inquisitive child. The worl

I woke up early this morning, as I always do. The first words from my mouth were, “Thank you, God.”  My love placed a hot cup of coffee in my hands. I rose to my feet and went into my prayer closet, seeking God and waiting to hear His voice. Then, almost like rapid fire, God began to pour these scriptures into my heart: John 3:16  – For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Matthew 22:37–

The word friend  appears in the King James Bible 49 times . Variations of the word— friendship , friends —appear 139 times  across different translations. That tells me that friends  are important to God. John 15:15 says: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” This scripture makes a clear distinction between a servant and

Genesis 2:21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. I have often wondered why God put the man to sleep while He created woman. I wonder even more what they might have talked about during that sacred time. The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the man was asleep or what that time was like. But I have my own theory. Woman— womb of man —must have received a significa

Who Do You Say That I Am? Matthew 16:13–20 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to

Have you ever tried to put something together yourself? They call it DIY. You receive a box and inside there are many pieces, a few screws, bolts, tools and instructions. The instructons don’t seem to make sense to you, so you use your own skills to put it together. Then you get to what you believe is the finished product only to realize that something is amiss. It doesn’t sit up right or it’s lopsided or it instantly falls apart. Then you go back to the instructions to disco

Dear Friend, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. You might wonder why I would be concerned about you. You might even say, “I don’t know you, so why would you be all up in my business?” Well, I might not know you personally, but I am a part of you, and you are a part of me. You are my family. We may not share the same DNA or biological parents, but you are still my family. You know why? Because we share the same Father. Our Father is GOD. He wants us to love one another

For many years, I was told that the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent was indeed cunning—but does cunning automatically equate to deception? I read Genesis 2:16–17: “But the Lord God warned him, ‘You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.’” Then I read Genesis 3:1–6: “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One

This morning, God led me to the story of Simon of Cyrene , an African man who was simply visiting the countryside when he was pulled into a moment he never expected. When Jesus could no longer carry His cross—beaten and tortured beyond recognition—the Roman soldiers ordered Simon to help Him complete His final journey to Golgotha. At first, I didn’t understand why God brought me to this passage. The Bible often connects this act to the Christian duty to take up our own cross

John 21:17 — The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” God has a way of getting our attention — and He got mine this morning. Last night, I was talking to my daughter about trusting God. During that conversation, I shared something God told me years ago: “You don’t trust Me.” Like Simon Peter, I was shocked — and honestly, a little upset — that God would even suggest such a thing. “God, what do you mean? Of course, I trust You!” I argued. But what G

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the battle between good and evil. In this reflection, I’ve been asking GOD a lot of questions. A conversation with my daughter this morning compelled me to continue dissecting these questions with GOD. In Ezekiel 28:12–17 , Lucifer is described as the seal of perfection—full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. He lived in Eden, the garden of GOD. Every precious stone was his covering. He was an anointed guardian angel, blameless in his way

While strolling through Facebook, I reviewed the Virginia Governor’s debate between the two candidates. As hard as I tried to find common...

IT IS FINISHED! This morning, God—just as He has so lovingly been doing for me—placed three powerful words in my spirit: “It is...

My big brother and I were 13 years apart. By the time I came along, he was already well into adulthood. My mother was just 17 when she...

I have been in such a place of peace and trust in God. It feels different than it ever has before. God is teaching me, speaking more...

Dear God, Today I want to talk to You parent to parent. As I was thinking about my children this morning and the love I have for them, it...