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Pandemic Ponderings

There’s no way to fully describe all the mixed emotions I’ve felt during this part of the pandemic. I won’t even try.  But I have been chronicling some of my thoughts. The reporter in me had to document some of the happenings. Here are a few excerpts from my online journal entries. It’s just a glimpse of what these past weeks have been like. Many blessings to you and yours. God will continue to see us through day by day! For more encouragement during this trying time, visit Abounding Faith’s Fuel Your Faith page that’s filled with encouraging videos, articles, podcast episodes and images to help spur you on during this pandemic: 

March 26 

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood to venture out wearing a mask and gloves?  Yup. I finally wore a mask and plastic gloves to run errands… I didn’t want people to stare at me funny or to think I’m paranoid. Guess what… just about everyone else was wearing a mask too. So I fit in!

The news about the temporary morgues going up was startling .. the bright side is the rate of the spreading is supposedly slowing so the social distancing seems to be working. Thank God! The peak is now about 21 days away.

Let’s continue choosing faith over fear.

God will see us through!

Prayers and hugs to you all. Stay well. Stay encouraged. Blessings 🙏

March 29

I’ve never been a big fan of roller coasters. And if given the choice, I don’t joyfully hop into the front row. I don’t like inching up to the top of the first peak nor plunging down the first steep drop. It’s just not my thing.

Alas, we have a front seat on this crazy pandemic ride.

There’s a mix of emotions… if I’m not mistaken, the grim reality is the state’s total death rate is supposed to hit a staggering 1,000 as soon as possibly tomorrow…

On the brighter side, the rate of spread has gone from doubling like every 3 or 4 days to every 6 days

And thankfully help is on the way! The cavalry also arrives tomorrow in the form of extra hospitals and workers.

God is Good. God has not forsaken us. We may not be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but God loves us.

I’m touched by all those who are praying and helping during this time of great need.

As we brace for a rough week(s) ahead, I’m praying for you. You’re also on this roller coaster.

We’re in this together, United States of America. God bless and have mercy on the USA and the world. Christ Loves the Nations.

Have a blessed week! Stay well. Stay encouraged. Choose faith over fear. Blessings!

April 2

What was weird and strange just a week ago is now the new normal. Local friends, please use even a simple face covering when you’re out in public.

And friends outside of the state, take note … as the Gov. said today, this virus is gonna march through the country …

Stay well. Stay encouraged. Choose faith in God over fear. Blessings to you and yours.

April 3

Ever accidentally go over a giant pothole and get so upset that you make it your mission to warn your family and friends (and anyone else who will listen) to avoid that street or road like the, um, plague …

Multiply that by about a million and that’s sorta kinda how I feel watching the rest of the country following our path … there’s an eerie lag time of a few days/weeks that I can spot through Facebook posts …

The toilet paper started flying off the shelves here and then a week or two later I saw friends in other states posting about similar situations. Same thing with the gradual social distancing and staying indoors and now the face covers, etc…

Not to mention the rise in cases, etc …

It’s kinda like I’m ramming into the nightmare potholes first and then trying to warn others, but am not able to prevent them from encountering the same potholes.

Kinda like how Italy tried to warn the U.S. …

If these notes can help others prepare and brace for what may be headed their way, I’ll keep sharing them as the Lord leads. This writer/reporter has also gotta chronicle (and process) what in the world is going on …

As I write this, we’re getting dangerously close to hitting a staggering 3,000 deaths in the state … mercy!

On a brighter side, it’s still heartwarming to see how companies, celebs and regular folks are stepping up to help. There are always blessings to count! Yes, God is Good!

May we continue to pray and praise as God sees us through to the other side of this … May we draw closer to God as a result.

Stay well. Stay encouraged. Choose faith in God over fear. Blessings to you and yours!

April 7

The good news is that the rate of hospitalizations seems to have leveled off. Thank God!

The awful news is that we had our largest single day increase of deaths… including a sweet lady I knew from my previous church. She is at home with Jesus now.

We also crossed the 5,000 mark in total deaths.

Can we get off this pandemic roller coaster now?

Amid all the chaos and confusion, I hope you are still finding reasons to smile and still finding blessings to count.

God is in Control. God will see us through.

Thanks for your prayers! Blessings to you and yours.

Stay well. Stay encouraged. God is Good 🙌

April 11

We have reached the apex and have plateaued, according to the Governor. Glory to God! Thank you Jesus! And thank you to everyone who is praying! On this Holy Weekend, this is something extra to celebrate!

On the downside, the Gov says we are stabilizing at a horrific rate…

People are still getting infected and going to the hospital but at a lower rate of increase so … what are we to do? Keep praying and as the Gov said, “We stay the course.” We don’t want a second wave to hit.

God is seeing us through. God is speaking, I hope you’re taking time to listen to Him by praying and reading your Bible.

Stay safe. Stay encouraged. God is Good! Have a very blessed weekend.

April 12

On this Resurrection Sunday, my heart is filled with hope! God is seeing us through this pandemic. God is Good!

May God continue giving us the grace and strength for each day. May we continue praying and praising our way through.

Stay safe. Stay encouraged. God is Good! Blessings!

April 13

Amid the joy of seeing the curve flattening, let’s pause for a moment… we’ve reached a sobering milestone today .. we have lost 10,056 people to the virus so far … every number has a name and face and family and friends .. let’s continue to remember the families in our prayers.

While many are recovering, Praise God, we need to keep praying and stay the course.

Social distancing and prayers are making a difference!

I trust there will be many testimonies from people who are recovering and being healed.

Blessings to you as you continue to stay home and practice social distancing to help save lives.

Stay safe. Stay encouraged. God is Good! Blessings!

April 16

We’ve reached an interesting spot in our pandemic roller coaster ride.

On the one hand, on Monday the Gov. said the worst is over for us as long as we continue to act smart and stay the course. Praise God! And Tuesday he said our healthcare situation is stabilized and the rate of infection is down to a manageable number. We’re at the point where we can start sending coveted ventilators to other states. Beautiful!

On the other hand, the Gov. is cautioning us that we’re not out of the woods yet. People are still being infected, the death toll has crossed 11,000 and now there’s an executive order that we should wear a face covering when out in public and not able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.

We’re building a bridge to tomorrow, according to the Gov. We’re not going to the same place we were, but to a new normal and a better place …

It’s gonna be messy and bumpy and gonna take time. God will see us through every step of the way! God promises to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

May we continue to pray and praise our way through this trial in the name of Jesus!

God promises to turn our tears into dancing (Psalm 30:11) and that joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Amen 🙌

April 19

“We are past the high point,” according to the Gov. “Right now we are on a descent.”

What a relief that we’re no longer inching up the roller coaster or mountain, but slowly working our way down and seeing the numbers coming down!

“We just pray to God that it remains down on the other side,” said the Gov.

Amen 🙏 God is Good!

We still need to stay the course. The Gov. says we still have a long way to go. Yesterday some 1,300 people tested positive and were hospitalized with the virus.

“This is only halftime,” said the Gov.. We have a whole second phase to go through.

Let’s stop and pray and praise God from the halftime of this awful pandemic 🎉

And let’s continue to pray and praise our way through this trial 🙌

Blessings to you and yours!

Stay well. Stay encouraged. Choose faith over fear. 🙏

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Want to know what’s happening at Abounding Faith? Join the mailing list and get updates about Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast and more. As a thank you, you’ll get access to the free “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Fuel Your Faith” PDF.

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Happy New Year – My “One Word” for 2020

Happy and Blessed New Year! I pray this year will be the best and brightest year yet! I pray it will be filled with much love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), goodness, faithfulness and self-control that is the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.

I’ve been praying about my “One Word” for this year.  I’m delighted to share that my word for 2020 is:

SHINE

The verse that comes to mind when I think about the word Shine is:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

I’m looking forward to sharing how the Lord brings the word Shine to life in my life this year.

And I encourage you to Shine where God has placed you. May you Shine for Jesus and be a beacon of light and hope at home, work, school and in your community and beyond.

It’s tempting to want to shrink back and sit on the sidelines these days, but God is calling His people to arise and Shine for His glory.

If you are being blessed by Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast and more and you’d like to Shine together this year, here are 5 wonderful ways to do so:

Blessings to you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and live your God-given dreams! Feel free to share your “One Word” for this year in the comments below or on Abounding Faith’s Facebook page.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Want to know what’s happening at Abounding Faith? Join the mailing list and get updates about Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast and more.

 

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Highlights From 2019 – My Year of “Surprises”

My “One Word” for this year has been “Surprise.” I have delighted in the big and little surprises the Lord has had for me this year.

I’d like to take a look back at some of the lovely surprises sprinkled throughout 2019. I hope you enjoy taking this trip down memory lane with me.

What a blessing to be invited back to speak at Chapel at Nyack College in February and to be part of two Meet the Author events in their library this year! You can read more about my visits in this blog post and this one.

What an honor it was to teach a class based on my Abounding Faith book at the New York School of the Bible this past June! You can read more about my lovely experience teaching the Abounding Faith: Believing God for the Impossible class here.

What a privilege it was to lead the service for my friends at Central Delaware Trinity Covenant for the fifth straight year. You can read more about that blessed time here.

What a treat to get to teach Life Skills classes for my friends at The Bowery Mission’s Women’s Center! The two sessions were based on my book, By Faith.  You can read more about my visit here. It was also a delight to get to speak at Chapel for the women and at The Bowery’s Tribeca site.

The Lord showed up in such a beautiful way at Abounding Faith’s BELOVED Women’s Conference, presented by Nyack College.  And what a delightful surprise that the church was decorated for a wedding! You can read more about my third women’s conference and Abounding Faith’s 10th event here.

It’s wonderful to see how Abounding Faith’s books are blessing Readers near and far. These uplifting books have been encouraging young and older, women and men and ministry leaders and new believers.  I hope you enjoy the super short video above. I’m thrilled that I’m already getting great feedback about Book 5 from my early readers! Stay tuned for more details.

What a joy to get to minister with my friend Pastor Gary Fishman four times this year. You can read about my visits to AGLOW Queens Lighthouse here and Eternal Hope Ministries here.

Other surprises this year included celebrating my connection to Apollo 11 and getting to meet Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle at a gathering for Pastors and Leaders. For the first time, I also got to hear Ravi Zacharias and Anne Graham Lotz speak in person at my home church, Times Square Church.

Other notable moments from this year included producing my 15th episode of the “Abounding Faith for Today” podcast, marking the 1 st Anniversary of By Faith and writing my seventh article for Charisma‘s website.

God is so Good!

 

Was the year perfect? Nope. Not by a long shot. But was it filled with surprises? Absolutely!

Thank you for staying on this faith adventure with me. I appreciate all your encouragement and prayers!

I plan to continue helping to jump start people’s faith and bring hope to hurting hearts. If you are being blessed by Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast and more, here are some wonderful ways to show your support:

All the best to you in the new year as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and live your God-given dreams! Blessings!

_______________________________________________________

Want to know what’s happening at Abounding Faith? Join the mailing list and get updates about Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast and more.

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Over the Moon: My Connection to Apollo 11

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, I’m proud to share that my Dad was a machinist who worked on parts for Apollo 11’s two capsules. It’s only recently that my Dad has begun sharing some of his fond memories of that time in his life. It’s been great hearing his stories about how dedicated and disciplined he and his co-workers were to make sure every part and every detail was just right for this historic mission.

My Dad had previously worked as a machinist for automobiles, helicopters and airplanes. He enjoyed some of those projects, but he’s still over the moon about having worked on parts for the lunar module.

My Dad became fascinated with space exploration during his teen years. He founded two mountain climbing clubs at his technical high school in Ecuador.  When he would reach the mountains’ summits, including the towering Cotopaxi volcano (more than 19,000 feet above sea level), the stars would really seem within reach.

Once he was in the United States and he had the opportunity to work on the lunar project, he says he was very excited.

My Dad recalls working 70 hours a week and how everything had to be super precise. He knew how to work basically any machine needed, so his supervisors loved that.

He was one of the youngest on his team and one of only two Hispanics.

My Dad worked on parts for the capsule that landed on the moon and the one that remained in orbit with the 3rd astronaut. He worked on the project for about 2 1/2 years.

He cheered when their mission was accomplished on July 20, 1969.

After the successful mission, work soon slowed down and my Dad eventually switched fields. He would go on to run a successful business for years and has been involved in community service (and has even met two or three Popes over the years) but he still beams when he talks about working on Apollo 11.

It was a blessing to get to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the lunar landing with my Dad at the Hall of Science.

Here’s what my Dad had to say on the historic anniversary:

“It was a privilege for me to work as a first class machinist building parts of the lunar module project, especially the capsule that circled around the moon and the capsule that took the astronauts from the cycling capsule onto the moon. Happy 50th Anniversary! Congratulations United States for conquering the moon. God bless America!”

He added that he felt like he was celebrating his own birthday. Sweet!

Growing up, I didn’t know I had a connection to Apollo 11. I’m so happy to now know that my Dad played a role in helping “The Eagle” soar and land on the moon.

I was also so touched to hear that upon landing on the moon and before even stepping out of the capsule, the first thing Buzz Aldrin did was take Communion.

It’s a great reminder that God is Good and Lord of all 🙌

“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NIV)

 

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Celebrating the Trio – Abounding Faith’s First 3 Books

I’m celebrating the Trio because Waiting on God Well, Abounding Faith and Crossing Your Jordan River were all released in March/April. God is Good!

I love looking back and reflecting on my launch events and seeing all those smiling faces! Each book has been a milestone for me. And I’m so grateful that God has allowed me to inspire others through through writing and speaking.

I’m still so touched to hear from readers who have been encouraged by the Trio. The Trio has encouraged Pastors, Pastors’ wives, chaplains, missionaries, ministry leaders and new believers.

The books are filled with Bible verses, insights I’ve learned along my faith journey, action step ideas and prayer prompts to help you keep moving forward on your faith journey.

I pray you’ll be inspired by the Trio and by my latest book, By Faith. May you be encouraged as you walk by faith and live your God-given dreams!

You can get all four books in print or on Kindle on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble’s website.

If these books have been a blessing to you, wonderful! Kind and short Amazon reviews are always welcome so others can find out about the Trio and be encouraged on their faith journey.

Thank you! Blessings!

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Reflections on My Return Visit to Chapel at The Bowery Mission’s Women’s Center

“I’ve always wanted to meet the author!” That’s how one lady at The Bowery Mission’s Women’s Center welcomed me Thursday morning along with two big hugs! She’s read Crossing Your Jordan River and thanked me for writing it.

I’m so touched by her response. I went to be a blessing and God blessed and encouraged me as well!

My readers are the best!

It’s such a joy to get to encourage the lovely ladies at chapel.

It’s surreal to know my books are in their library. God is Good!

The ladies may be new each time I go there to minister, but I always feel welcome.

God is doing a beautiful work in the ladies’ lives.

I’m grateful for The Bowery Mission’s commitment to bringing hope and transformation to these women.

Continued blessings to my friends at The Bowery Mission! Learn more about their important work at www.bowery.org.

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Happy New Year 2019 & My “One Word”

Happy New Year! I pray 2019 will be your best year yet!

How in the world is it 2019 and how is it that I’m still blogging? I was sure I’d run out of words in my first year of blogging, and now I’m starting my sixth year. God is Good and has a sense of humor.

I’ve been pondering and praying about my “One Word” for this year. I actually have several, but the one I’d like to share is … “Surprise!”

I believe that God is going to surprise me all throughout the year.  Why? Because so much of this year remains a mystery.

Instead of being anxious or nervous about what’s ahead, I’m choosing to stay at peace and open to God’s surprises. After all, God promises:

He has a good plan for us .”‘For I know the plans I have for you,'” declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” (Jeremiah 29:11)

His ways are higher than our ways. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

He will  complete the good work He started in us. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

He works all things together for our good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

I plan to share some of those surprises along the way. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you’re being blessed by Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast, articles, etc. and you’d like to join this faith journey I’m on, I’d be delighted to have you as a member of Abounding Faith’s Dream Team! Let’s live our God-given dreams together!

As a Dream Team member, you get early access to Abounding Faith’s inspiring content to help encourage you on your faith journey, exclusive updates and info and you have the opportunity to be mentioned in shout outs on Abounding Faith’s growing social media and more (or you can remain anonymous if you prefer).

Looking ahead, I plan to continue inspiring men and women, young and older and those of diverse backgrounds to grow in their faith and love for God and live their God-given dreams. Will you join me? You can learn more about Abounding Faith’s Dream Team by clicking here.

The best is yet to come. Believe!

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Reflections and Highlights from 2018

My “One Word” for this year has been “Beauty.”  I’m grateful for this beautiful year that started with hosting my second women’s conference! What a blessing it was to be among all the lovely women who attended. What a delight to welcome Nyack College as the Presenting Sponsor! They generously offered a partial scholarship to one guest and my friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries and TBN NY also offered great prizes to my guests.

This year also included the launch of my fourth book, By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad. What a joy to get to share how I’ve seen God’s miraculous and lovely fingerprints during my travels to 6 continents! By Faith is a book that has been stirring inside of me for years. I’m so grateful that God allowed me to release it this fall and that it’s been endorsed by Our Daily Bread Ministries, the President of Nyack College and a Regional Director of the Christian Women in Media Association!

And after years of thinking and praying about it, the Lord also saw it fit for me to launch the “Abounding Faith for Today Podcast.” I’m thrilled that Season 1 of the “Abounding Faith for Today Podcast” is on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher and more!

Another delight was to have excerpts from By Faith published on SpiritLed Woman‘s website and Charisma’s social media! You can read excerpts about how God chased me down in Australia, how the Holy Spirit showed up during my short-term missions trip to Peru, how the Lord spoke to me during my trip to Israel and more. You can find links to all 6 six inspiring articles at AboundingFaith.com.

It was also a blessing to get to speak at Chapel at The Bowery Mission’s Women’s Center and The Bowery Mission’s Tribeca site and to help kick of the Christmas celebrations for my friends at Woodcrest Nursing Home and Rehab Center. What an honor it was to lead the service for my friends at Central Delaware Trinity Covenant on the last Sunday of the year! It was my fourth year in a row visiting them.

Other highlights from this year include getting to celebrate another birthday in my bday castle. Here’s a pic from one of my fave rooms, the library!

Here’s a short video greeting I shot in the library.

This year I also launched the Living by Abounding Faith collection on Abounding Faith’s online store. God is Good!

As I look back at some of the faces and places from this year, I smile and can see God’s hand in all of it. It hasn’t been a perfect year, but it has been filled with lots of beauty!

It helps to encourage me to continue inspiring and encouraging you and others through the words I write and speak and through the events I host and the items I create.

Walking by faith isn’t easy, but it’s worth it! I’m grateful that you’re on this journey with me.

As I look ahead to 2019 and beyond, I rest in knowing that God is in control and His beautiful plan for me and for you is already written and will continue to unfold in His perfect timing.

Keep fighting the good fight of faith! If you find yourself growing weary, as we all do at times, remember to keep reading your Bible and Pray, Dream, Do and Repeat!

If you’re being blessed by Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast, articles, etc. and you’d like to join this faith journey I’m on, I’d be thrilled to have you become a member of Abounding Faith’s Dream Team! Let’s live our God-given dreams together!

As a Dream Team member, you get early access to Abounding Faith’s inspiring content to help encourage you on your faith journey, exclusive updates and info and you have the opportunity to be mentioned in shout outs on Abounding Faith’s growing social media and more (or you can remain anonymous if you prefer).

God willing, I plan to continue inspiring men and women, young and older and those of diverse backgrounds to grow in their faith and love for God and live their God-given dreams. Will you join me? You can learn more about Abounding Faith’s Dream Team by clicking here.

I look forward to what God has in store for 2019. Stay tuned! The best is yet to come! To God be the Glory! Blessings!

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5 for 5

In honor of my fifth Blogiversary, I’m taking a look back at posts from past years. Below are links to posts that ran in January over the years. The lessons still ring true. I pray they bless and encourage you. If you have a favorite post from the past that you’d like me to re-visit, please let me know and I may feature it again. Blessings!

Help is on the Way January 2013

I once heard a sermon where the pastor mentioned that we pray one thing and God does 10,000 things in order to bring to pass the answer to our request. The photo above helps to remind me that God does hear my prayers and that His answer is on the way. [Read more by clicking here].

 

In Full Bloom January 2014

Lessons from the Lilies

This week, I’d like to share some lessons I was reminded of from these two lilies in the same bouquet. They caught my attention because at first they were all closed up. They were sealed tighter than in the picture on the left side. Then, in typical fashion, as the days passed they opened up so that their beauty was on full display. [Read more by clicking here].

 

Freedom in Facing Your Fears January 2015

Lessons Learned From Daring to Finally Use my Flat Iron

Ladies, I’m pretty sure you’re going to be able to relate to this post. Fellas, hang in there. Just substitute the mentions of the flat iron with something you fear. [Read more by clicking here].

 

3 Ways to Grow in Your Faith January 2016

If you desire to grow in your faith in Christ this year, congratulations! There’s no better time than today to start. Whether you’ve been a Christian for most of your life or you’re new to following Jesus, I’d like to help you on your faith journey. [Read more by clicking here].

 

7 Bible Verses to Boost Your Hope! January 2017

Are you struggling to wait on God to fulfill His promises in your life? Are you afraid that you’ll never see a breakthrough in your finances, personal life, or ministry work?  If so, I’d like to encourage you not to give up! God is Faithful and will move in your life in His perfect timing and in His perfect way! [Read more by clicking here].

 

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Happy 5th Blogiversary!

How in the world has private me been blogging for five straight years? Only God could do that!

I still remember how hard it was to launch this blog. There were tons of reasons why I shouldn’t have started blogging.

I have a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and have written for various publications including The New York Times, but I wasn’t used to writing publicly about my faith. I was trained to tell other people’s stories. But the more I started to share some of my insights and life lessons I’ve learned, the more positive reaction I got from readers.

I’m not techie by any stretch of the imagination. I remember spending hours reading and watching videos about the technical side of starting a blog. I made tons of calls to the support lines for help the weekend I launched my site. I still marvel that this site ever went live.

I was also going through a very rough time in my life. I was in tears most of the time I launched this blog. This blog easily could have been one big rant, but I was determined to create something beautiful and to write words that would inspire and uplift readers.

All my fears and concerns could have stopped me from publishing my first post, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted me to start this blog and that it was time to honor Him with my writing gift. What a journey it’s been!

I was worried that I might quickly run out of things to say, but God has been faithful to give me ideas for what to share here. As I poured out my thoughts on the screen, God filled me with fresh ideas (or manna) to help others on their faith journey.

I’ve written on good days and not-so-good days. I’m grateful that this blog has been a safe place for me to share my writing, photos, videos and designs.

By God’s grace, I’m still here. And you’re still here, too! I pray you have been encouraged by my posts!

I’m delighted that I’ve written three books during these years of blogging, and I’m thrilled that Book 4 is with my early readers. I plan to share parts of my testimony and some blog posts in my new book so stay tuned!

This year I also plan to have my second women’s conference. I will be sharing more info shortly.

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the Miraculous and Lovely moments in your life! God really is closer than you think, and He desires to spend precious time with you! Blessings to you on your faith journey!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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