June Scripture Challenge

Here is a challenge for you. For the last half of the year I am going to focus on 1 scripture per week until the end of the year. I am grabbing my index cards and copying down 4 verses for June. I am going to carry them with me in my purse, attaching them to my mirror and placing them by the sink while I do the dishes.

After all of the scripture digging I have been doing for my first few posts of the month, it was hard to choose four. These are the verses I have decided on for June.

• Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith., who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
• When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
• Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28

• Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

  
  

Name Above Names Prayer

Prayer is an area that I have often struggled with. I have such good intentions, but as I go into my quiet time I am often distracted by my thoughts, my children or my to-do list.

I decided that since I am focusing on the Father this month that I would take some extra time to focus on praying specifically with the names of God in mind.

I realize it is already the 2nd of the month, but I have included 31 names and scriptures to pray God's name through any month.

1 - Almighty

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. Genesis 17:1

2 - Author of Our Faith

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith., who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

3 - Bread of Life

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

4 - Christ the Lord

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

5- Comforter

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26 (KJV)

6 - Cornerstone

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. Isaiah 28:16

7 - Counselor

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

8 - Creator

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28

9 - Deliverer

He said: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer." 2 Samuel 22:2

10 - Eternal God

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' Deuteronomy 33:27

11 - Father

"This, then, is how you should pray:" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.' " Matthew 6:9

12 - Foundation

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

13 - Holy One

Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. Psalm 30:4

14 - Holy Spirit

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." John 15:26

15 - Hope

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

16 - I Am

God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Exodus 3:14

17 - Judge

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. Isaiah 33:22

18 - King of kings

which God will bring about in his own time-God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 1 Timothy 6:15

19 - Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29

20 - Light of the world

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

21 - Lord of All

You know the message of God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36

22 - Merciful God

But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

23 - Mighty One

You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16

24 - Omega

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13

25 - Redeemer

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

26 - Rock

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

27 - Savior

Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. Psalm 38:22

28 - Shepherd

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

29 - Teacher

You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. John 13:13

30 - Truth

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

31 - Vine

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

This was an amazing post for me to write. I feel so much peace right now as I have been focusing on many of the names of the Father. I look forward to praying through these scriptures this month. I hope you join me.

Everlasting God = Everlasting Life

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isaiah 40:28

Can you imagine not growing tired and weary? I cannot.

The Bible is the Everlasting book of Life from Genesis to Revelation. Abraham, Isaiah, Paul and John all give us examples of a God that offers us everlasting life.

Today as I sat by the pool and thought about what it means to worship an everlasting God I thought of these things. . .

E Eternal

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' Deuteronomy 33:27

V Victorious

We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. Psalm 20:5

E Ever-present

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

R Righteousness

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. Psalm 7:17

L Light

Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Isaiah 60:20

A Almighty

"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18

S Strength

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

T Thirst-Quencher

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

I Indescribable

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

N Name above all Names

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. Zechariah 14:9

G Glory

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Psalm 105:3

I am praising God today for Everlasting Life.

A New Chapter

For a South Dakota girl that lives about as far away from sea water as I can get, it is amazing how good this massive body of water is for my soul. Once a year I get somewhere that I experience the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Last night at supper we were talking about the amazing creation God performed in making the oceans. My middle daughter said, "I know one reason why God created the oceans. It was so we could know that He loves us as deep as the ocean and as wide as the sea."


Maybe that is why I can come to this place and experience so much peace. I stand in the waves and I can sense God's power. As the waves roll towards me I feel God's love being poured on me.

I am far from home, far away from the stresses that come with keeping a home. I have been pretty much unplugged for the past week and a half. That has been very good for my soul, too.

It is amazing how much inspiration I have when I sit with a blank pad of paper and a pen.


As June approaches I have decided to change my blog a little bit. You have all been so patient as I have worked through my rough drafts. You will have to stop by to see where I am headed with this new chapter.

I will tell you this, June will be all about Focusing on the Father. We will be celebrating our Heavenly Father, our earthly fathers and our amazing husbands - our children's fathers. Do you have a Father story to share, I would love to feature you here this month.

Join me tomorrow for the first post on our Everlasting Father.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Imitators of God

I have been working through Ephesians for Gather Inspirit. I have been so busy with life and getting ready for this vacation that I didn't get a chance to post on Ephesians 5.

Actually, I started to write the post, twice, and I still have not gotten past the first half of the first verse.

In my NIV Bible it says,"Be imitators of God. . ."

I immediately wen to the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

The first thought when I think of imitating God is these nine words. Before I started to beat myself up about how I am not a very good imitator of God I decided to check out this verse in a few different translations.

The Message Bible says, "Watch what God does, and then you do it".

The New Living Translation says, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do."

So I am to Watch God, and Imitate God, in everything I do.

I go back to focus on the Fruit of the Spirit. Each week I am going to spend some time focusing on each of the nine words above. I will start with LOVE.

This should be an easy one this week. After all, I am on vacation with my family in the Place Where Dreams Come True, right?!

Well, it isn't always easy when you are with your family for 24 hours a day in a condo, many miles from home. We are doing pretty good so far. I am trying to watch my tone with my girls. (Sometimes easier said than done). I am trying to love my husband when he is slow getting out the door and I have a schedule I am trying to keep.

I am going to spend my quiet time this week thinking about Christ's love for me. My love for my family and my love for those that I find it difficult to love.

I will move on in Ephesians 5, there is so much more to share in this chapter, but next week I am coming back to Ephesians 5:1 to tell you how I did with loving others. Next week I will focus on joy.

Last night I got to experience pure joy when I got to meet to amazing women with beautiful hearts. Stop by and visit Stacey and Stef. Read the wonderful words that they have to share.

Disney World Here We Come!

I really am still here. . .just spinning through this crazy place we call life.

We are headed out on a family vacation today so you won't hear much from me the next couple of weeks. We are spending some much needed time away.

When I return I will have experienced all of the Magic of Disney with my girls, my husband and my parents.

Today we are on our way to the American Girl Store. Say some prayers now for my husband before we walk in with three little girls that are full of big wishes. :-)

When I return I have some news to share. I look forward to chatting with you all again soon after I get a little rest and relaxation.

Oh wait, I am going to Orlando. . .rest and relaxation probably are not the words to use. Bring on the craziness I am ready for some fun!

Life, In Spite of Me

I am awake way too late tonight, but I could not go to bed until I finished reading the amazing story of Kristen Jane Anderson's life. As a mother to three young girls, her story is one that I needed to read.

I have been burdened so much lately about raising my children in a house that serves the Lord. A house that goes to God for wisdom and guidance. I want my girls to understand how much God loves them while they are young. I want their relationship with him to be so much more than church on Sunday mornings.

This story is one that everyone needs to read. Kristen talks of how real God became in her life. Her story helps you realize how real God is in our lives as well. This amazing woman has endured more than almost any of us will ever endure in our time on this earth. It took her a lot of pain and suffering to find peace. Now she has it and she gives all credit to God.

Her story is not easy to read. As a mother it hurts to read how she felt and what led her to the train tracks that day. I think of the pressures that teens face today and it scares me.

One verse in the book really stood out to me. It is in Proverbs 19:21, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

God has a purpose in all of our lives, a plan that He has mapped out for us. We are all His masterpiece. He loves none any more or any less. He longs to have a deeper relationship with every one of us.

Life, In Spite of Me shows you how deep God's love is for us. Check out a summary of the book below.

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity to review. I am so thankful that I did.


After her fatal choice… extraordinary hope.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook on life. Once a happy child, Kristen’s world darkened after three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a depression that didn't seem to have a bottom.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old made a decision: She no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited—for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

Amazingly, Kristen survived her suicide attempt… but the 33 freight cars that ran over her severed her legs. Now she not only had to deal with depression; she also had to face the physical pain and life without legs.

But Kristen's story didn't end there. After her darkest days Kristen discovered a real purpose for living. Now, in her compelling book Life, In Spite of Me, Kristen shares her journey from despair to hope.

Includes letters from Kristen that share messages she wishes someone would have told her—when she was depressed and struggling with loss, shame from sexual abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

You can purchase a copy of the book here.