I Want to Walk on the Water

Recently, I read the account of Sarai, the wife of Abram and destined mother of Isaac. Bless her. Her story is filled with some questionable choices, often at Abraham’s suggestion, but she is known for that laugh. You know the one I'm talking about. Sarai laughed at the promise God made—the promise to bear a son when she and Abram were so advanced in years—and denied it. Honestly, who could blame her? Abram laughed, too. The Weight of Questions Sarai’s laugh, though, carried every single question swirling in her mind: I will be 90 years old. Can I conceive? Can I carry a child to term? Can I endure labor? Can I nurse a child? Will I live long enough to raise the child, or will someone else? Will...

As King David approached the end of his reign, the shadows of mortality loomed large. In this twilight, Adonijah (add-uh-NYE-juh), David’s fourth-born yet eldest living son, boldly declared himself the next king of Israel. Scripture recounts that Adonijah audaciously “exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king.’” He prepared chariots and horsemen, even gathering fifty men to run before him. In his quest for power, he secured the support of influential figures, including his cousin Joab and Abiathar the priest. In 1 Kings 1:6, we learn that Adonijah was a handsome man, yet he had not been disciplined by his father. This absence of correction sowed the seeds of pride and arrogance within him. The number four—Adonijah’s position among David’s sons—symbolizes divine order. Yet, he failed to grasp the lesson of his own family history: that familial position does not validate kingship. In the book of Samuel, chapter 16, we witness a pivotal moment when the Lord rejected Saul as king. When the ...

To prepare for the GO BE SALTY™ October Challenge, which involves reading the book of Proverbs throughout the month, I started rereading the account of King Solomon in 1 Kings. In the wee hours this morning, the Lord gently dropped this resounding message in my spirit. 🎺 At the beginning of 1 Kings, our beloved King David is nearing the end of his 33-year reign in Jerusalem, the city of peace, and is described as feeble and close to death. Scripture tells us that his fourth born, but eldest living son, Adonijah (add-uh- NYE -juh), has unabashedly declared himself to be the next king of Israel. Upon hearing this, Nathan, the prophet, informed Bathsheba—queen consort and mother of Solomon—about Adonijah's actions and advised her on how to approach King David. Following Nathan’s guidance, Bathsheba entered the king’s chamber and respectfully bowed before him. She reminded King David of his oath to her that her son would succeed him and occupy his throne. Then, she told him all that N...

Kure Beach, North Carolina In July of 2020, my family and I gathered to celebrate the 4th of July at Kure Beach in North Carolina. The day was radiant! The sun gleamed upon the refreshingly cool ocean water, while pelicans and seagulls soared above us, chattering and occasionally swooping down to catch a mid-morning snack. We played in the water for hours, laughter mingling with the gentle sound of waves. The tide was out, and the water appeared deceptively low. As we drifted toward a sandbar near the newly renovated, 700-foot pier, the waves were mildly active, inviting us to explore. Suddenly, the waves began to rise higher and come more quickly. The tide rolled in without warning, violently separating me from my husband and children. Panic surged through me as I realized I could no longer touch the bottom. The waves, relentless and tumultuous, seemed determined to pull me under rather than push me to shore. I began to tire quickly, my breaths growing shallow as I struggled to keep m...

How Big is our God?  On our last little getaway, Steven and I found ourselves deep in conversation about the ocean, its endless stretch and calming effects and how downright terrifying it can be when stirred up! This is how I see a holy, reverential fear of our God. He is all encompassing and steadies me. He is peace and His heart is for me! Yet, I tremble in His presence. My ears perked up and my spirit leapt within me when Steven whispered, “We are just a speck.” Just how BIG will we allow our great God be to us? When we look at nature, we see the almighty God. Romans 1:20 ESV states: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."  The Blue Whale The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, reaching lengths over one hundred feet and weighing up to two hundred tons—about as much as 20–30 elephants or 2,500 people. It...

(pronounced TAH-lih-kwah) I woke up this morning thinking about the grieving mama orca, Tahlequah. You may remember her highly publicized “Tour of Grief” in 2018. Heartbroken, she carried her dead baby girl, Tali, more than 1,000 miles over seventeen days. This story of raw grief is not uncommon in wildlife. In the same year, I read about a mother chimpanzee who also carried her stillborn baby for three days (“ Stillborn ”, The Journey blog). Over the years, I have read of two other chimps who did the same – one for three months and the other for seven. The thought of Tahlequah this morning drew me into a self-reflective mood. What is God saying through this powerful, yet sensitive, grieving mother? Am I still mourning a loss, or perhaps I am still bearing the weight of dead things? Does the internal work ever end? When I researched the biblical numerology in these sorrowful accounts, I found some remarkable and even uplifting insights. 🎺For the seventeen  days of mourning, we fin...

  “A fish always begins to stink at the head” is corporate jargon for saying leadership is the cause of an unsuccessful business or its organizational failures. Typically, that is a true statement not only in business, but in our country, communities, churches, and homes. If the head is not aligned with the Father, the rest of the body is out of sync. Let’s go deeper here and consider how this applies to us individually.  Have you ever heard the phrase “stink’n think’n”? That begins at the head, right?  If our thoughts are not aligned with the Father’s, our whole being is out of sync which translates to a life of chaos and disorder. Why It Matters What We Think King David wrote in Psalm 139 ESV : “O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” This verse illustrates just how closely God hovers ...

Twice in the night I heard these words. “Hide My word in your heart so that when these things come up that is what comes out of your mouth.” The words were soft, but the seriousness was the piercing sound of a trumpet in my ears. I could not wait to get out of bed that morning and dig into the scriptures because I knew I was embarking on a treasure hunt.   “I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips, I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.” ~Psalm 119:10-13 NIV The author says, “I seek, I have hidden, I recount.” For further clarification, I consulted a Greek and Hebrew resource to verify the definitions of some familiar, key words from this passage. Seek  – to inquire for, to yearn for, to ponder, and to study Seek is an irregular verb which means the conjugation (past, present, future tense) is sought, seek, o...