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The Storm Inside Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are By Sheila Walsh Published by Thomas Nelson Book Description No matter the storm, God knows, God cares, and He is always there. The chaos of life can be overwhelming, and women get a heavier dose than most. Each day comes with its own pressures, heartaches, and disappointments that slowly erode the joy, peace, and closeness to God every woman needs. Chaos always feels like the enemy as it rages around us and inside us. But there is hope! In The Storm Inside , best-selling author and Women of Faith speaker Sheila Walsh invites you into ten life-changing, hope-filled transformations where hurt and heartache are divinely redeemed into joy and faith. With insightful biblical teaching, intimate stories of her own storms and the chaos other women have faced and overcome, Walsh shows how: Heartbreak can become strength Shame can lead to love Unforgiveness can find freedom Restorati...

Our Creator is a Committed Family Man (Malachi 2:10-16) This week’s study asked the question:   How do I demonstrate my love for God by how I love my family?   I love the title of this week’s study!   Growing up without an earthly father drew me into a special relationship with my Heavenly Father.   It also gave me a strong desire for a committed marriage – divorce would not be an option!   So I was fascinated to learn that, to the Jews, marriage was a covenant subordinate to the covenant between God and Israel! Our Heavenly Father grieves over the trauma caused when we are not committed to our families, our marriages, protectors of our relationships and our children and in our unfaithfulness to each other, we are actually unfaithful to Him.   This week’s activity involved writing love notes to family members and/or friends.   It also encouraged scheduling a couple of date nights – one with your husband, one with God.   These...

Going Big or Going Home (Malachi 1:6-14)   This week’s study asked the question:   How has fear made me less generous with my time, affection and money?   The story of Lisa’s friend who repeatedly received horrible gifts from her mother-in-law had me in tears.   If I were Lisa’s friend, I would feel distant from and devalued by my m-i-l.   As I continued reading the lesson, I was mightily convicted – similarly to how I imagine King David was when Nathan posed a question about a rich man who took a poor man’s lamb and David reacted furiously only to learn that he was the rich man!   I realized that my gifts to the Lord are frequently cheap!   I learned that when I honor God, I give Him weight.   This also tells me that my gift should be heavy, a burden, a sacrifice to carry.   Whether I’m intentionally holding back from God or not, my disrespect of Him stinks!   Abel gave his best!   Cain gave the moldy an...

I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder and their publisher for sending me a copy of "Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. “Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values” by Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder is a wonderful non-fiction read that has the potential to help the reader develop godly and desirable traits.  Each of the ten chapters showcase an equal number of Proverbs 31 values as highlighted through the lives of women in Scripture:  understanding people, forgiveness, responsibility, attitude, conflict resolution, restraint, honesty planning, generosity, influence. This terrific resource contains lots of practical helps to apply Biblical principles.  There are challenges designed to develop godly characteristics.  “Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values” is p...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 3 John. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, mid to late summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, issues caused by the BP oil spill in the gulf continue, there is massive flooding in Pakistan, building an Islamic mosque near ground zero is still being discussed. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor the entire epistle of 3 John. Then return here and ponder the ...

God's Definitive Declaration of Affection (Malachi 1:2-5)   Have you ever heard the phrase, “Never trust a leader who doesn’t limp”?   It took me a long time to understand it.   Remember back in Genesis when Jacob wrestled with God all night and God wrenched Jacob’s hip?   Jacob limped for the rest of his days.   He limped because he grabbed hold of God and wouldn’t let go.   I want to grasp God the same way. This week’s study asked the question:   How often do I take God at His word? I hope your answer to that question is: every chance I get!   I hope you really absorb God’s declaration of love in the first few verses of Malachi.   I hope that declaration saturates your soul and changes you.   I loved the awareness this week that God has always been publicly passionate about His people.   There was the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud.   Would you say that He is equally express...

Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen's cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits-and starting to fear she doesn't have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen. Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior-on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he's getting from Eden Christiansen isn't making things any easier. But when Owen's carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 2 John. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, mid to late summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, cleanup of the oil spill in the gulf continues, the leak is apparently capped off, there is talk of building an Islamic mosque near ground zero. . Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor the entire epistle of 2 John. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer ...

This week’s study asked the question:   How can I relate to the people of Malachi’s day? Malachi is the finale of the Old Testament Scriptures.   It is the last inspired word before a 400+ year silence from God.   My most recent finale in my life was the end of the BSF Genesis study.   Although I have a sense of completion and accomplishment, I’m also sad over the dissolution of our discussion group and the loss of momentum and accountability to these women.   So I suppose I can relate to Malachi and his contemporaries a little bit. Lisa Harper wrote that God was very real to the prophets.   They lived as witnesses, struck by His words, not trying to figure out His nature, but really knowing Him.   Society at the time was supremely depraved.   Our world looks the same.   Doesn’t it? Only God’s mercies keep mankind from perishing.   He allows us to argue with Him in spite of the fact that He doesn’t deserve it and that He cou...