Hello, friends! Thanks for visiting today.<\/p>\n
This is a new adventure–blogging! In the days ahead,\u00a0we’ll talk about encouragement, emotions, marriage, parenting, relationships, and living abundantly in Christ. I’ll also\u00a0share excerpts from my new book, Cabbages and Kings<\/em>.<\/p>\n After a cold, icy winter, we’re approaching spring–my favorite time of year! Many of us started the\u00a0year with a list of resolutions and huge determination.\u00a0By now,\u00a0most of the resolutions–and the determination–are a distant memory.<\/p>\n But the arrival of spring signals a new beginning!\u00a0That’s what I love\u00a0most about the season. Warm, sunny\u00a0days\u00a0and bursts of color in my flower garden put a smile on my face,\u00a0energy in my steps, and hope in my heart.<\/p>\n Sorry to say, this is temporary. Spring yields to summer with its scorching\u00a0heat, leaving the land parched and desolate.<\/p>\n Isn’t that a picture of life stages?<\/p>\n Has your\u00a0springtime given way to summer, leaving your soul parched and desolate? Are you feeling overwhelmed, weary, hopeless?<\/p>\n Christ offers rest and refreshment!<\/p>\n “Come to me, all\u00a0you who\u00a0are weary and\u00a0burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).<\/p>\n “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, and my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you” (Psalm 71:5-6 NIV).<\/p>\n If you’re feeling discouraged and hopeless, remember this: the Lord\u00a0is with you and he has a mighty purpose for your life!<\/p>\n “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever–do not abandon the works of your hands” (Psalm 138:8 NIV).<\/p>\n Hang on! The Lord will bring you through as surely as the hyacinths and daffodils break through the frozen ground!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, friends! Thanks for visiting today. This is a new adventure–blogging! In the days ahead,\u00a0we’ll talk about encouragement, emotions, marriage, parenting, relationships, and living abundantly in Christ. I’ll also\u00a0share excerpts from my new book, Cabbages and Kings. After a cold, icy winter, we’re approaching spring–my favorite time of year! Many of us started the\u00a0year with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"yoast_head":"\n