Petals of Friendship

  A new season begins. It is Lent. We are born. And the moment we are born, we leave one realm and enter another. We were conceived by the greatest Artist, God. Designed, created, and with the breath of life in us, He perfectly places us exactly where we are supposed to be. Yet, at this moment we entered imperfection, and became needy. Needy for so many things, but more than anything else, it was the beginning of our need for Him. Our need for His grace for our souls. Our search begins. Is it possible we have a memory of where we came from? Is it possible our needy souls long to be seen and loved as we once were? Could it be that this is what drives our search? Our search for someone to hold us, care for us, nurture us, and grow us? The neediness in us becomes so great that our lives can turn into broken fragments and pieces that scatter to anyone or anything that appears to have the ability to mend our souls together. We can be stuck in this fragmented and scattered state and cont...

It has been a tough winter, hasn't it?  We are more than ready for a new season!  For some of us, it might mean a change in a season in our lives, and that could look like many different things. Maybe it's simply a time to get back to the basics of understanding how deeply loved you are.  To really allow yourself to rest in that and to fully invite God into your journey.  Baby steps, my friend! This post include a devotional to help you take one baby step.  You will enter the story of Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well, and will explore the kindness and grace of God. Be bless on your journey- Re A Walk to the Well Devotional - click here

I was never a good swimmer.  But when I was invited to a friend’s pool party, I begged my mom to go.  The pool looked mammoth to me and all I needed to know was which side was the shallow side.  The safe side. So that’s where I parked myself.  But after a while, I noticed I was the only one at that end of the pool.  The other girls were experienced swimmers and were bouncing around in the deep end. Longing to fit in as much as possible, I was determined to somehow get to the other side. I carefully navigated my way across  by tip toeing on a narrow ledge along the perimeter of the pool.  I used it to make the journey over to the deep end, and I felt pretty satisfied for making it there successfully.  Then my foot slipped.  I felt my body slowly drift just far enough from the edge of the pool where the security of the ledge disappeared.  Suddenly, I had nothing to hold on to that would keep me safely attached to the edge of the pool. ...

When I said yes to God, I had no idea of the path it would take me on.   My heart and the broken places inside of me were a mess, yet I found hope in God and I was “all in.”    I found a God that offered a way through truth.   Truth that I was truly forgiven and fully loved.   Thirty years ago, I said yes, and looking back on the path, I see the inclines that have given me spiritual muscle.   I’ve seen grace and miracles come through pain, growth, beauty and love.    These days, though, I’m tired.   Because I often think that after all this time, I’d have some kind rest, maybe a little coasting.   But just like the physical body, if we stop working it, using it, we die.   Atrophy sets in.   Spiritually, I sometimes feel atrophied.   My spiritual laziness makes me feel even dead at times.   It is a place so easy to get to.   I rest on my own “goodness,” whatever that is.   And that’s the beginning of...