Everyone is searching for “true” love. We all experience many kinds of love. Love of our spouse, love of children and grandchildren. Love of our family, friends and pets. True love is what we all want, the kind that makes us feel special and secure. Love can be found even when we don’t expect it and it can be thrilling and scary all at the same time. Love can be fragile, so handle with care. Don’t miss out on love because you are afraid to take a chance. Life is too short.

The real “true” love can only be found in God, who loved us from the very beginning before we even knew what love was. “We love because he first loved us. ” 1 John 4:19. He sent Jesus to earth to be the one to save us all from our sins because he loved us so much! His love will never leave us or disappoint us. “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.” John 3:16

Come and experience God and His love for you. It is the “true” love you are seeking.

Change can be very hard to do. Change can be a good thing and can make us re-evaluate our life and priorities. In the new year we think of a lot of things we might want to change. Our health, finances, and relationships might be a few things that come to mind. In our spiritual life, do we want to read the Bible more and spend more time in prayer?

Our Pastor, Mark Balmer at Calvary Chapel Melbourne, always says “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” He also points out that “If something changes, something changes.” Real lasting change can be tough. If we do want something to change, we must make the commitment to see it through.

What are you thinking about changing in your life? Don’t be afraid to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone. Life can be very exciting when you follow God’s lead and listen for his voice as he guides you into new territory.

One thing to remember is that even if we are always a work in progress to become more like Jesus, HE never changes. “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 ) That can be a comfort when we don’t quite make the change we had hoped for. He is always there to love us, guide us and give us hope.

Since 2017 is almost over we all think back to what took place this year. All the ups and downs that happened. Maybe we didn’t do everything we set out to do or maybe 2017 was quite a challenge due to an illness or disability.

The good news is that the new year brings with it the hope of new starts and new opportunities. I love the start of the new year and always look forward to what God has planned for me. I like to have a new calendar with all the months waiting to happen. As we grow older we realize how quickly time flies and know the importance of living every minute.

What is your desire for the New Year of 2018? Do you want to make a major change? Take a chance on a dream you have held inside?

God will help you take that first step, will be there to catch you if you fall and set you back on the right path. Keep God first in your life and you will see amazing things happen.

Happy New Year to you.

Christmas is a special time of year. Most of us think of spending it with family and friends. Making new memories and cherishing the old ones.

When I was a little girl we would always go to my Grandparents house. My Grandmother has multiple sclerosis and I never remember her except in a wheelchair or her bed. To make things easier for her we all gathered at their house for Christmas festivities. Since it was in Northern Indiana I have fond memories of riding in our family car singing Christmas carols as it snowed outside. Many relatives from near and far would come to share this holiday. Those were the days when families lived closer together and could spend time with each other without traveling so far. I miss those days you knew all your cousins, aunts and uncles by name. Christmas was the time we all made a trip to Grandma’s house.

I was also blessed to grow up in a Christian home where my family knew the most important thing was the celebration of Jesus’s birth. Christmas church service, the carols, plays about the nativity, the Christmas story read from the Bible, was something we experienced every Christmas.

Now that I am a Grandma, I want my Grandchildren to always remember the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus our Savior. We love the lights, cookies, gifts, and decorations. We enjoy time spent with family and laughs we all share. We will share Christmas Eve services as an important part of our celebration. I pray that no one forgets who we are celebrating, the King of the world. I want Him to be their King too and keep Him in their heart every day of the year.

While you are celebrating Christmas this year make sure you keep Christ in Christmas. May you and your loved ones share your own special memories this year. May the New Year of 2018 bring you many blessings. We wish you peace and joy.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

As we get close to the Thanksgiving holiday it is easy to find lots to be thankful for. The last few months have been hard for us to sometimes see the reason for certain circumstances, but we press on. We are thankful for John’s return to health as he continues to recover from his hospital stay. We are thankful for family and friends who supported us during this time. Our family has went the extra mile with us and our friends have been such a blessing.

We are thankful for our Finding His Purpose family for their calls and encouragement. Many of you are going through your own tough journey but took time to encourage us.

When we think of being thankful, we come up with the main things. God, family, friends, our homes, our country and the freedom we have. While we are truly thankful for all these huge blessings, have you ever thought about all the small things that we need to be thankful for? A phone call from a long time friend, a wag of your dog’s tail, a smile on your sweet child or grandchild’s face, a laugh shared over coffee. These are some little moments that I want to not forget and remember to also be thankful for. During this Thanksgiving time think of your own special moments you want to be thankful for.

As we move towards the Christmas season let us all remember the gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Make this season count by spreading His love and pointing others who may not know Him personally to His open invitation of salvation.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Psalms 100:4

Waiting is never easy. Patience is not something most of us acquire easily. We wait in lines, for a new job, for a return phone call, and even for a new life to be born. Seems like waiting is all around us and we don’t always accept it graciously.

God uses our waiting time for His purpose. We might not see it at the time while in the process. When the sun finally peeks through during a time of waiting, we start to really recognize how we have been changed.

One of our current Life Principles by Charles Stanley says “God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him” It reminds us that God is always working behind the scenes to create the best in our toughest situations. We are developing faith during each minute, hour, and day that we put our trust in His plan. Waiting has been the season I am in at this moment and easy it is not.

It is surely not a coincidence that this Life Principle is right here in my face at this very time. I always tell our granddaughter, Mia that there are no coincidences just “God things.” I want her to know that God is always looking out for her best. I must listen to my own advice and wait patiently for the blessing that God has crafted just for me.

You think you got a routine. You are just moving along smoothly when bam something so unexpected comes your way. Life throws us a curve now and then. It can be scary and it isn’t fun but you can be prepared for it. If you have Christ in your life you know where to run for comfort and protection.

Being prepared means knowing without a doubt where our help comes from. Psalms 121:2 says “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” He made the heaven and earth so He could certainly help me.

John was in an emergency situation and remains in ICU as of right now. It is hard to see our loved ones ill and in pain. I know where my help comes from but it doesn’t make it any easier to watch. We do have that unexplainable peace, so we keep trusting. Trials can reveal your faith. We are waiting and praying for John to respond and get on the path to recovery.

John has been through much worse than this in his life. A valve in his heart was replaced when he was just 35 years old. In 2003 he had a terrible fall that broke his back in multiple places. The accident made it necessary for them to put a rod in his back, which causes him daily pain and left him paralyzed. God brought him through those tough times and I trust He will again.

John trusts in the Lord and knows he has a purpose for his life. What purpose does this event have? I don’t know yet. I am sure this purpose will be revealed in due time just like the others. Until then we press on with hope and expectation of a new day and John completely healed. Prayers are appreciated for John at this time.

Update: later in the afternoon of October 20th after I wrote this , John was doing much better. He is now breathing on his own and starting to recover.

Thank you Jesus.

Life has a way of challenging us and God uses those times to create in us a new dream. One that we would not have thought possible.

My impossible dream came true 8 years ago today on October 17, 2009. John and I got remarried at Calvary Chapel Melbourne. We got married the “first” time long ago in 1974 and were married 16 years. We were blessed with two wonderful children. Here’s the crazy thing we were divorced for 2O years (yes 20) until that day when God put our whole family back together again. The family by that time included our two children their spouses and three grandchildren.

It is amazing how God can mend your hurts and let you love again. Now it isn’t easy to start over, but we now have Christ at the center of our marriage. We have to open our hearts to new possibilities and let him show us how to truly forgive. You also have to find the courage to take the first step to reconciliation.

Life experiences often show God’s mercy and grace to us. He gives us all a second chance to come to him and follow him on our life journey. Sometimes circumstances change what you think your life will look like. Dreams and expectations can change due to those events.

John has to deal with chronic pain and disability everyday. This is not something we had to face in our first marriage. It is not something I truly understand, but admire how he keeps going. I do know I would much rather have him in a wheelchair following God then walking without Him.

Out of the pain and suffering a new dream gave birth. It was John’s God given desire to help others who have similar issues. So after much thought and prayer Finding His Purpose ministry started on January 23, 2014 with our first meeting. Our goal is to help those dealing with physical disabilities, chronic pain and illness find God’s purpose for their lives. God makes new dreams come true and he can put a new purpose in your life. God sees what we do not see at the time and works everything for our good. Keep dreaming and keep following Christ. You will be amazed at what might happen.

Fix it! That’s what you do when you are a wife, mom, grandmother, friend and even a caregiver. You see the problem and you try to get it repaired as soon as possible so it doesn’t linger. Sometimes it isn’t such an easy fix. It becomes very apparent that the issue will need some time and some fervent prayer.

Before rushing in to do my idea of what needs to be done, I have many times heard the Lord say to me “Be still and know I am God.” I have finally learned to listen to that advice (even though it has taken awhile). Once I let God Be God and let him work in my loved one’s lives or in mine, I find everything turns out better. I stopped wasting so much energy on worrying since my Lord had the situation already handled. No, he doesn’t need my help, but he does want my attention and prayerful conversation with him while I wait for the answer.

Next time you are faced with a situation that seems so overwhelming, take a deep breath, pray and wait as he shows you his wonderful plan.

“Be still and know I am God” Psalms 46:10

It always happens when you least expect it, the stress starts getting the better of you. Stress can rear it’s ugly head and make a mess out of our emotions. It could be on the job, at home or even inside us waiting to over take us. Maybe you feel pressured to perform in a super human way with unreasonable deadlines or be the perfect witness for Christ to others around you, and feel you are failing miserably on both counts. Maybe you just don’t know how to pay for another medical bill or how you will possibly endure another doctor visit with the same answers you been given time and time again.

Well there is hope for us all. We need to relax and access the situation. After thinking about it and resting our mind and body, it usually is not as bad as we had imagined. Stress can take you to a level where nothing seems right and never will be. Stress can also be good at times motivating us to make a change or seek the rest we need. Stress most of the time fills us with anxiety and that kind of stress we need to shut down immediately.

God does not want us to stress about our situations. He wants us to bring all our concerns to him. He is there to hear even the quiet whisper of our soul when we need him most. Go to God, pray and worship him with song and praise. As you lift your voice to him you will see how you are feeling less stress and hopeful once more.