Clothed in Strength, Dignity… and a Little Sparkle
Sunday night I traded my election badge for a runway pass! Our fearless leader, Anita McGinnis, planned another one of her creative “Sweet Tea” events — this time, a holiday fashion show. Twelve of us “models” (and I use that term loosely!) headed over to Posh Mercantile, a new dress and accessories boutique, to find…
Are You a Cry Baby?
I watched my dear Larry (Staci’s husband — my bonus son), speak to his daughter on the eve of her wedding. As he looked at her, his voice wobbled and the tears started to flow. And, his first look at her the next day — adorned in her beautiful wedding gown — those tears flowed…
Let’s Flex Our Faith
Some phrases just stick. Our Lamplighters Bible teacher, Zack Dawes, tossed one out Sunday morning while we were diving into the book of Daniel: “Flex your mighty right arm!” That’s straight from Isaiah 51:9 — a bold, beautiful prayer:“Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm!” It’s an…
Laughing Without Fear
There’s a woman in the Bible who’s described as “clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). Honestly, that line always makes me pause. Laughing? At the future? With everything going on in the world, it feels almost ridiculous. Turn on the news and there’s enough doom and…
WANTED. CHOSEN. LOVED. ADOPTED.
There’s a little boy in our family whose back tells a beautiful story. His shirt says it all:WANTED. CHOSEN. LOVED. ADOPTED. And that’s exactly what happened. After years of waiting, praying, navigating challenges and red tape, my determined niece — an incredibly successful district attorney — never gave up. She could have looked the other…
Our Hero Never Misses a Rescue
I’ve always been a sucker for a good hero story. Blame it on my childhood attraction to Superman – first in comic books and then the big screen. Remember the slogan? “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look up in the sky!…
Boasting about Weakness
Here I go, stepping out from under my “mighty woman of God” rock. Confession: I have weaknesses. Wait, what? Who wants to hear that? Bear with me. I promise there’s a point. Let me remind you, the Apostle Paul himself bragged about his weaknesses. He wrote, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power…
If I Were God, I Would Have…
Thank goodness we’re not God! Imagine the mess we’d make, driven by our own limited understanding. Garth Brooks had it right: sometimes we have to thank God for unanswered prayers. If every one of my prayers had received a “yes,” I shudder to think where I’d be now. In Isaiah 55:8, God says, “My ways…
This is What Nobility Looks Like
Today I get to celebrate my NOBLE husband! It’s his birthday! It’s easy to talk about nobility when you have a name like NOBLE, but it’s much harder to live it out every day. My husband, Carl Noble, does exactly that. By name and by character, he is a man of integrity, kindness, honor, faith,…
We Can Do Hard Things
I flipped on the TV and started watching the 2024 Paris Paralympics. I was in awe of the talent, physical strength, drive, and sheer determination to do what those who have all their abilities intact – wouldn’t consider doing. These incredible Paralympians do what others would think is impossible. My heart opened with a new…