Run With Sparkle

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Lord, You are the reason for my praise. Because You came near, I all able to be joyful, to sing praise. There are so many reasons to rejoice, and I’m so thankful for all that You do & how You continually come through for our church & our family. But, it’s You that I’m most grateful for. Your presence changes everything. You change my perspective & renew my vigor to press on today.  What a joy it is to homeschool! I’m so grateful for the call to be around my children all day! Thank you that I get to learn right alongside them. I get to relearn history & math, I get to teach reading right alongside them.  Oh, Jesus, You are my reason to rejoice. I am able to stay right where You planted me because You sustain, You give li...

Thank you for Boardman. Thank you for a cool breeze on a fall evening walk. The sunset is setting in the sky. :-) Eight-month-old baby strapped to my chest. Your deep faithfulness. Your unconditional love. The joy of watching my kids learn new things and grow into amazing human beings. Lord, I recognize that I struggle to see the miracles in the mundane moments each day. You are the miracle worker. You are worthy of praise. When I am tempted to be discontented, help me to praise. Thank you for your call on our family to the ministry. Would you do something great here in Boardman Ohio with Venture Church? Help me to not quit the race early. I will be content as I praise and I focus on you. This is where I find my joy. It’s in you and You alone.

Last night a nice note and a $300 check arrived from the man that Nate sat next to on the airplane to Richmond, VA. Father, would you bless Him richly for His faithfulness & His generosity?  Thank you for continuing to bless our family!! Because of You & your provision I can run with Sparkle!

As the Lenten season approached, I knew I had to face off with what we were going to give up this year as a family. Let me preface this post with this: I have thoroughly been enjoying movies each night as I nursed Levi. It was something I looked forward to & I was getting to the place where I couldn’t imagine life in the nursing a newborn season without those movies.  One night, as I sat on the bed nursing the baby, I told the Lord that I really didn’t want to give up T.V., video games, or movies this year. I enjoyed playing Candy crush & watching movies to take my mind off of how tired I was. I asked God to give me the desire to give it all up. I needed a miracle! Sometime in the next 24 hours I was watching my kids on their devices & watching T.V. and I realized that it was time to regain our focus. To give it up again for the sake of putting it in its rightful place. The Lord actually gave me a longing to give it up, maybe even an excitement for what He would be able...

Run With Sparkle, Heather

She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household , For all her household is clothed with scarlet. Proverbs 31:20-21 I sit here watching the snow fall. We have enjoyed an amazingly warm & unusually sunny winter so far. Today, winter has come. And, it’s hard for me to get too excited about it.  But, there are always reasons to praise...always reasons to praise! 1. It’s a reason stay inside and get some things done! 2. It’s beautiful to look at 3. Even though it’s a dreary day, the sun brightens things up! 4. The kids get excited about sledding & building snowmen (I can stay inside and watch them having fun!) 5. I can enjoy the cold at 38 weeks pregnant because the cold helps bring my swelling down. 6. I don’t like not being able to walk out in it, but I have a Planet Fitness membership! I will continue to rejoice always, look for the good, & praise! I will not be afraid of the snow! I will rejoice! ...

As I wait for this baby, I will praise...focusing on God’s goodness & provision always. Rest in the truth that God knows exactly when this baby needs to come and will make it clear when I need to go to the hospital. Knowing that I have the Group B Strep virus makes it a little tricky because I have to go in four hours before giving birth so that I can have the antibiotics. But, God knows this! He will lead, my only job is to listen to Him! I read in Dr. Kinlaw’s devotional this morning that the Hebrews’ idea of the future was that it was behind them. They walked backwards into the future. Walking into the future with a remembrance of the past. Remembering God’s provision along the way. I want to live like that! That is my word for the year. BACKWARDS. Such a funny word, but it says exactly how I want to live. My hand in God’s, with my eyes on him, not on the future, but how He’s taken care of me in the past! There are so many things I can point to as I ponder the provision of God. ...

Do It Again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B_lnQIITxU&feature=share Goodness of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0FBb6hnwTo&feature=share Surrounded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBl84oZxnJ4&feature=share