Full of Joy

It's nearly impossible to predict how and when Jesus will completely and abundantly refresh my soul. I feel as if my soul needs refreshing on a daily basis. But there comes a point in time where to the depth of me I am completely dry and worn weary. Mothering plus ministry life has a tendency to overwhelm me to the point of crazy, if I'm not careful.   Jesus watches over me so tenderly and knows exactly what I need, when I need it. Last weekend, I had the honor of attending a wedding shower in Northern VA (our home before we moved to PA) and decided to visit with some other friends while I was down there for a quick 30 hour trip. Every friend I visited with, every hug I received, every gift that was given, every conversation, every smile, every laugh, and every moment of prayer filled my heart until it was practically bursting with joy. Jesus is in His people.      My dear friend, Denise and I met years ago through a Bible study. We ended up doing several B...

Last night I was boiling fresh  from a Pennsylvania farm corn on the cob. I had set the timer and then moved on with dinner prep, which also inevitably included breaking up a toddler WWE tournament. Sigh. Right in the middle of one of their matches, I heard this sound in the back of my mind. It took a couple moments for the sound to register in my brain as BOILING water BOILING over. Sizzling. Splashing. Lid rattling. Explosion ready to happen. I sprinted to the stove to turn down the burner, and tipped the lid to let some air in…ahhhh. All was well. If only dealing with the pressures of life were that easy. I feel sick to my stomach thinking about it. The pressures of life. Ick. They make me feel on the verge of blowing the lid off my mental boiling pot at any minute. Let’s just start with emails. “Are you going to be joining such-and-such group in the Fall? Please respond ASAP.” “Do you need child care for such-and-such group. Please sign up ASAP.” “Here are the notes for su...

Hello, my name is Abigail. My birth certificate says Abigail. My license says Abigail. My passport says Abigail. Every single official document in my life says ABIGAIL. I tell people my name is Abigail. I want to be called Abigail. Some call me, “Ab” or “Abs” or “Babe” (Ok, maybe only one person calls me that.) or “Auntie” or “Aunt Abigail” or “Mama”- all names I love to hear. All names that bring joy to my heart. All names that fill me up with respect, affirmation, and affection. All names I like to be called. I borrowed the title to this post from my great husband. Several weeks ago, he spoke to a group of people in their twenties (How am I not in my twenties anymore? Like, not even close.) on our names. There are many instances in the Bible where God changed people’s names. Sarai:Sarah, Abram:Abraham, Saul:Paul, Jacob:Israel. And even times where people changed their own names. Naomi:Mara. This says to me names are extremely important. There is value in a name. There is mean...