THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME.And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life." John 6:35Bread. My favourite.  Give me a choice between a fresh slice of bread with butter and a decadent dessert, and I will go for the bread any day, all day long. In fact, the extra ten pounds I cart around can be attributed to my love of bread. It stands to reason then, that John chapter six is one of my favourites. Let me explain.The chapter starts out with Jesus feeding a great multitude (5000) famished people with two small fish and yup, bread—five barley loaves (a staple of that day). The crowd had followed Jesus up the mountain in se...

YOU ARE NOT ALONE FOR IMMANUEL MEANS - GOD WITH US.With Christmas edging closer the amazing name of God—Immanuel is perfect to reflect upon and pray this week. Seven hundred years before Christ was born the prophet Isaiah proclaimed these words. Is.7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel."This time of year I reflect upon what it must have felt like for the scared young woman—Mary to be pregnant out of wedlock and for a man of integrity—Joseph (no more than a boy himself) to marry her despite the unusual circumstances. All this, so the fu...

Have you ever failed a test? I did recently. How did I fail, you may ask, and how does this tie in with the names of God? Read on.Conflict is a fact of life, but how we deal with it defines our emotional and spiritual maturity. I recently fell under criticism sprinkled with untruths from someone I truly care about … my failure was in getting defensive. I took on the mantra that I had to stop shoving things under the carpet or I'd become a carpet dweller. But after refreshing myself with Scripture … I know I failed the test and needed God's loving grace.I didn't have to jump to my defence, I merely had to have&nbs...

Today is my Birthday, and such a day deserves a reflection on who, how and why we are on planet earth. I shudder to think our origin came from a cosmic big bang up through the chain from tadpoles to apes and poof humanity is born with no more meaning to the universe than a sickle cell. Seems like one would have to entertain a whole lot of misguided faith to embrace Darwinism.I love this quote by David Berlinski, it brilliantly puts into words the sheer improbability of evolution. "At some time in the history of the universe, there were no human minds, and at some time later, there were. Within the blink of a cosmic eye, a universe i...

THE ROCK    Names of God # 8When I googled the question "who is the rock?" Dwayne Johnson came up. The successful American Actor/Producer, former college football player and wrestler is nicknamed the Rock. His 121 million Instagram followers tune in to whatever he posts as if he a rock to lean upon. Though built like a brick house, I assure you he is a mere mortal like the rest of us. He will live. He will die. And the only question that really matters for any of us is … do we know the true "ROCK?"After many long years of waiting for a child in a culture that shunned a barren woman, Hannah prayed these words.1 Samuel 2:2 says, "Ther...

FATHER OF COMPASSION AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT  (Names of God #7)One of God's wonderful names which displays His character and love towards humanity is the Father of Compassion, and The God of all Comfort.Why does this world need a God of All Comfort?Shocking news of shooting after shooting hit the airwaves in a recent ten-day span.-Synagogue in Pittsburgh PA, 11 died. A hate crime against Jews. -Yoga studio in Tallahassee FL, 2 women died … the shooter had made numerous posts of his hatred toward women. A hate crime against women.-Supermarket in Jeffersontown KY, 2 black people died. The shooter was reported to have walked right by whi...

YAHWEH-SHALOM IS WAITING FOR YOU. Names of God #6In this world of worry and constant change one of the greatest gifts to have ... is peace.The dictionary states that peace is the freedom from disturbance; a quiet and tranquility and/or freedom from war or violence. I say peace is larger than that definition, it is freedom from ALL fear.The first time in the Bible that God introduced Himself as Jehovah-Shalom is in Judges 6:23,24. (Yahweh-Shalom pronounced shah-LOME means The Lord Is Peace.) For God to be the source of peace, or the peace giver to mankind, He has to embody perfect peace. In other words, nothing can disturb, dist...

Isn't it fun to sit down with a book and from the very get-go the story pulls you in? Page after page, all the way through, you can hardly put it down. Life seems to take a back seat until you get to that oh so satisfying end—happily-ever-after with all tension tied up into a beautiful bow a top a brightly wrapped gift of dreams come true. Then back to real life you go where there is no script, nor author to tidy up the complexities of life.FOR THE SEEKER AND SKEPTICBut what if I could share a truth that embodies the wherefore and why of your existence.? What if there was a powerful poet, playwright, and author o...

 WHAT IS TRUTH?I randomly picked up my old King James Bible I received in 1974 at the age of twelve. The yellowed pages fell open to scribble marks my toddler son had made, who is now thirty-two. A truth struck me as my eyes filled with a sheen of sentimental tears, I'm getting old. This is a truth.What is truth? Is my truth, or your truth, or whatever we perceive to be truth, the bench mark for truth? We live in a world where absolutes are considered narrow-minded, prejudice, and even hateful. Messages are mixed. Money and possessions are the gateway to all truth and a good life, knowledge or science elevates a select few into...

El-Shaddai (God Almighty)I was driving down the road today and an old song by Amy Grant came to mind, called El Shaddai. I started humming the tune and remembered this song was my first introduction into the vast array of the names of God. All those years ago my interest was piqued enough to explore what El Shaddai, El-elyon na Adonia meant translated from Hebrew to English. (God Almighty, God in the highest, Oh, Lord.) Why, you may ask, should I be interested in the names of God or understanding them in Hebrew? They are a portal, a window, an illumination into the very character of God. If God seems distant, you are not readin...

NAMES OF GOD #2ABBA FATHER How many names of God do you think there are listed in the Scriptures? And what is the significance of knowing them or understanding them? Like a treasure hunt of vast proportion…the unveiling, unearthing and unraveling of each name not only helps us understand the character of God, but gives us strength and power as we use them. This week we are going to delve into the power and treasure of the title "Abba Father," which is an Aramaic word of affection for "father" meaning Daddy or Papa in English. Abba means exactly that … God is our affectionate, loving, perfect Daddy. One without fl...

KNOWING THE SECRET TO AN ABUNDANT LIFE.In my last blog, I made some BIG statements, and I plan to unfold, elaborate, and expand upon this subject week by week. I will start with a once a week blog each Monday morning with the hope you will use the information given to transform your life. The subject is not new, has been done before, and is as old as time… but as I talk to people, so few have delved into the power just waiting to be theirs by calling on the NAMES OF GOD. THIS PRACTISE HAS REVOLUTIONIZED MY LIFE, and I am so excited to share it with you.There are many names of God because He is vast and amazing, howeve...

A WORTHY BLOG SUBJECTI was wondering what to write about in my blog that would speak to all people not just to fellow writers or readers of inspirational romance, but to the soul of every boy and girl, every seeker, every person on their journey through life no matter the age, sex, race, religion, or political preference and only one subject came to mind.Only one subject is BIG enough, interesting enough, and powerful enough to fall into this category. Only one subject can embrace the atheist, the agnostic, the seeker, and the believer all at the same time because they are all people of beautiful creation. Only one subject can stand the test ...

 This past week a friend of mine sent me this email…the message touches so many of our lives and so I asked her if I could reprint it in my blog and she graciously gave her permission respectfully keeping her name anonymous.When we first started reading Larry Crabb's book "66 love letters" he said in the beginning that history is "His Story." (Meaning God's Story.) I had never thought of it t...

Each life, each placement in time and territory, each story, is uniquely and divinely appointed.Do you believe you have influence in your world?Do you believe you have love and wisdom to share and impart?Do you believe God knows exactly what you are going through, and though He may not remove your troubling circumstances, He has promised His unfailing love and peace?Isaiah 54:10 says, “Though the ...

Who sets out on their wedding day with dreams of sadness, betrayal and adultery in mind? What, you say, that would be crazy? Yes, of course it is, but the sad reality is that way too many relationships have memories they would love to obliterate.That's the way I feel. I would love to pretend that I have a fairy tale life, a happily-ever-after, nothing but a happy-go-lucky existence, but that would...

I am sick today...a weak kitten sitting in my chair with nothing but time...a rare gift. Not the flu of course but the time.Given time I think about my blog site and how life has stolen most every moment working at a business I neither love, nor care to do, yet here I am stuck on a treadmill running way to fast. Commitment dictates I stay the course but...I ask God why? Why, when I would rather be...

Dear Reader,The next stretch is extremely busy for me. Our business in spring is full on. We work long, long days everyday of the week except Sunday. This being the case I find it hard to find the time to write.. On top of this we have to move in the month of June and I have to find time to pack each evening. In saying all this, please know I haven't given up on this blog, but am realistically hav...

Through the eyes of child a Dandelion holds color,Through the eyes of child  a gift to a mother;Through the eyes of a gardener the dandelion holds seeds,No value, no beauty, nothing but weeds.A flower so beautiful, chubby hands hold tight,A rare treasure to place in water and guard through the night;Through the eyes of  an adult, the Dandelion must die,Rush to the store, a pesticide to buy.Through...

Nature is God's balm, His infusion of love in an often cruel world.Come, let's walk together...may these photos and the detail of God's creation bring balance and perspective to your day as it did to mine.Today out in God's creation I found solace, peace and was given a gentle reminder...Here is what God showed me.The bud of a leaf... Daffodils in the neighbors yard...My walk took me from the...

How does one take the mundane out of just another day? NO… it’s not winning the lottery. It is a process I call salt and pepper…a dash of goodness and a sprinkle of generosity added to any day, any time.Let me explain!A work day, a toothless man, and an opportunity.Saying good bye to a friend, I opened the door of our store and stepped out. Inhaling the crisp spring air felt cleansing after the li...

Ever since I was a child…as far back as my memory goes, I remember that flicker of excitement within when I would catch my first glimpse of the bright yellow Buttercup flower. It signified that spring had FINALLY won the battle over winter.I don’t often get time to walk these day, but being Sunday I stole a half hour of fresh air with my lab Lyla and off we went. She raced around in sheer delight ...

Today is my 100th post, and I feel a distinct need to change the focus of this blog. I will forever and always have a heart for those who suffer betrayal and are in the process of healing, but the winds of change are blowing through my life. A dominant message and theme emerges...Interactive ways in which to make our world a more positive place.I need your story and would love to hear from you the...

The past number of weeks in my blogs we discussed the sovereignty of God and the question whether He could be trusted when circumstances are difficult. To sum up the message, I would like you to consider reading a portion of the Bible to solidify the concept of a God who has all in control, at all times.Start in Genesis and read the story of Joseph, my all time favorite Bible character. He was fai...

Thanks for joining me while I work through posting a chapter of my book  called “Friendly Fire.” This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity.My healing could not move forward until I accepted the sovereignty of God. When I did, the “why” questions...

Thanks for joining me while I work through posting a chapter of my book  called “Friendly Fire.” This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity.The hard work of accepting God's sovereignty began on those sun-drenched beaches of Australia, cradled in ...

Thanks for joining me while I work through posting a chapter of my book  called “Friendly Fire.” This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back a few weeks to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity.GOD’S SOVEREIGNTYDuring my time in Australia, God supplied a stress free rest filled with rela...

Thanks for joining me while I work through posting a chapter of my book  called “Friendly Fire.” This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back a few weeks to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity.This next portion is a journal entry written after I went sky-diving in Australia.January 20, ...

 Thanks for joining me while I work through posting a chapter of my book  called “Friendly Fire.” This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back a few weeks to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity. My time in Australia took on a new face. Grief faded. Anger visited, but trust bec...

Dear reader, as you can see by the title this is an on-going series. If you have joined today, please go to the bottom and click on previous posts and begin at part 1  for greater clarity and benefit.HOW DO I TRUST AGAIN?I understand now that a big part of my wanting to know why David strayed was my attempt to control the future. I believed that if I understood his reasoning, then I could ensure a...

Dear reader, as you can see by the title this is an on-going series. If you have joined today, please go to the bottom and click on previous posts and begin at part 1  for greater clarity and benefit.AUSTRALIA, THE LAND OF MY HEALINGWhen I left for Australia, I understood very little of why this time away was important. Though I hugely benefited from the physical and emotional rest, over time the ...

Join me for the next few weeks while I post a chapter of my book  called "Friendly Fire." This chapter primarily deals with the difficulty of trusting in a good God when life is not good. If you have not read my blogs before, please go back a few weeks to Part 1 and begin there for greater clarity.November 8, 2008 (One year post revelation) Journal EntryI feel God’s direction, his hand in this pla...

In Pastor Brian Jones book, Getting rid of the Gorilla, he describes how distancing ourselves geographically can allow space to regroup and heal. He gave the Biblical account in Acts 15:36-41 where Paul and Mark had a “sharp disagreement” and went their separate ways. He states, “I wonder if sometimes the only way to move past a traumatic event and heal is to put a literal ocean between our hearts...

FOR THE NEXT NUMBER OF WEEKS I AM GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH A  CHAPTER OF MY BOOK DEALING PRIMARILY WITH SPIRITUAL HEALING  AND HOW TO BELIEVE IN A GOOD GOD WHEN LIFE IS NOT GOOD.SOMETIMES A BREAK IS NECESSARY—CREATE TIME, SPACE, EVEN DISTANCEThat first year after disclosure, passed in a daze. I worked through the shock first November through March. In April  I moved out of our home into my own apar...

The holidays come with expectations rarely met. The Hallmark commercials, the Christmas movies and carols ring out…“Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore, faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more…City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, people laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile…It's the most wonderful time of the year, the...

If you have not read last weeks entry, this week will not make much sense, so please read that first. (Go to the bottom and click on Previous Post.) The whole objective here is to paint a before and after picture. It is to give hope to those suffering from the pain of betrayal this Christmas believing they will forever be changed for the worst.This is not the case when God heals the broken heart. ...

Dear Reader,Sorry I have not been available the past few weeks, we received a much needed holiday and rest. I came back feeling re-energized, re-focused and  refreshed. However, from past experience, I know the pain of betrayal does not take a holiday. Thus, the next two weeks before Christmas, I will depict a before and after scenario...the pain I felt that first Christmas, and the healing that h...

I read an article in the paper today from “Annie’s Mailbox,” entitled “Trust Is Hard To Earn After Partner’s Affair. I just wanted to hug this dear woman who signed herself as “Broken in Omaha” and assure her there is hope of healing. She had none.She had chosen to stay in the marriage after her husband’s affair, but describes herself today as one who is broken and cannot heal. “It is the most pai...

When a couple marries the dream is this…a life-time of love and support. Rarely do people marry with the thought of divorce, except for those previously jaded.Every little girl dreams of a flowing white dress, and then sailing off into the sunset with a man who will love, protect and cherish her as the most special woman in the world. Likewise, she will respect and honor him in return.Fast forward...

Firstly, I want to thank those who spared the time to write and encourage me onward. It is encouraging to know there are those receiving help and hope in reading this blog, and in dealing with betrayal.Now I want to tell you a little story…a true story.At a Sunday dinner, my adult daughter casually blurts out that she had ran into the woman who had an affair with my husband. (My children knew her ...

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? Time is a precious commodity…a gift.Sadly my life has taken a turn I never asked for, nor wanted, and days fly by in stolen fashion.The business we bought sucks the life out of us and eats up a large portion of our day. We are caught in a vortex much like I would imagine the black hole in space…(a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matt...

DOES PRAYER WORK?To be honest, I had misgivings regarding the validity of prayer after I found out about adultery in my marriage. I could not believe where I found my life after so many years of praying. I wondered what good they had accomplished? I asked God some tough questions. I wanted to know how it all worked. If God would not answer my heart-felt prayers because my husband had the free will...

 This is a song for all those suffering...write to me and I promise I will pray for you. Though Jesus has healed the broken, I will never forget the pain...never cease to understand. My mandate from Jesus is to show love, give hope and pray for all of you walking the road of betrayal.Listen to this song done by the Gaither Vocal Band and have hope...http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwoscl_bil...

Verbal and emotional abuse is one of the hardest types of abuse to recognize…most people understand physical abuse, however emotional abuse can be disguised in a plethora of ways but equally as damaging.  So I thought it best to start with the definition of abuse before tackling the subject of extending grace.Abuse is defined in the dictionary as…1) To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse o...

Depression can creep into the soul unaware. Sad happenings tend to invite this beast. Suddenly you wake up and find the darkness overwhelming, all joy stolen. You turn the light on, but the gloom does not lift. The sun rises, but there is no warmth. Sadness demands not just a portion of your life, but life itself.With depression edging in, my physician asked some pertinent questions and carefully ...

COMMIT TO A WEEKLY PAMPERI know it’s strange to think of pampering oneself in the midst of crisis, but it has a definite cathartic benefit.Your reserves are low, your immune system is taxed due to stress, and your body is physically struggling to maintain health. A weekly massage, bubble bath with relaxing therapeutic oils, lunch out with a good friend, or taking time to read an encouraging book, ...

THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY DIETI am not a certified nutritionist, but as a Personal Trainer have taken numerous courses on this subject. Choosing to eat healthy is important during times of high stress. Many of us will do the opposite and turn to comfort foods (high in sodium, sugar and fat) or not eat at all. Both scenarios are destructive over time. For the first few months after disclosure I d...

FIND A GOOD COUNSELORPreserving emotional health during your time of crisis involves reaching out for help. As with the old adage, it takes a village to raise a child, so it is with emotional healing. This is not something you should tackle alone. Isolation creates problems.It may prove difficult finding positive avenues of support, but it is crucial. Consider talking to a pastor, certified counse...

I have had numerous positive responses to my blog and few negatives, but this negative response got me thinking...I had of course received my husband and adult children's blessing  before ever starting such a web site and it was for the very love of God and love of people I opened a very personal struggle up to the public. Sadly when we were in the midst of our pain we were shocked to find little ...

SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND A VISIT TO THE PHYSICIANJournal Entry February 19, 2008 I had another wretched sleep last night and wonder how I’ll go on at this rate. I long for those nights of endless slumber where sleep was sweet and not tortured. The fact my emotions are all over the map and I feel like I’m going nuts may be related to sleep deprivation as readily as my hellish existence.Prior to revela...