Faithful

In my senior year of high school, I worked retail for a short time. It definitely was not one of my favorite jobs. I think everyone should have to work retail for a short time, just to see what customers are really like!

One of the things I hated was inventory. The store I worked at was a small lumber yard/hardware store that was not very up-to-date on inventory methods, and so inventory involved literally walking up and down the aisles and counting items.

This past Sunday, my pastor talked about the importance of taking inventory of the past year. I much prefer this kind of inventory, especially when the choice is between inventory or new year's resolutions. I think the only consistency in new year's resolutions is that no one keeps them.

Deer Stand Devotionals: Don't Chase the Coyote!

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Proverbs 7:22-23  

I am blessed to live on the edge of a forest preserve. In the Chicago suburbs, it's about as close as you can get to living out in the country. Beautiful sunrises, sunsets, innumerable species of birds, deer, and even a bald eagle now and then. Just about the only wildlife I have not seen in 7 years are wild turkeys.

Included in this menagerie of wildlife are coyotes. Just about every night you can hear the packs howling. Sometimes they are right on the other side of the treeline, and their cries can be downright eerie.

Announcing - A New Book!

It's been a long time since I posted here. Back in 2016, life got turned upside down and a year and a half later, my life would be forever changed. 18 years of marriage ended in an unwanted divorce, I began the life of a single parent/shared custody (which in itself is a life-changer), and a "new normal" had to be adjusted to.

All along the way, though, I was not alone. Even though there were points when life seemed so dark that I could not see the Shepherd Who promised to never leave me or forsake me, He was still by my side. The last three years have been a time of real spiritual growth and lessons learned.

Many of those lessons were parlayed into Bible study lessons at the detention center. As I began reaching out and ministering to people, making new connections, I repeatedly heard the statement, "You have a real story to tell."