OUT OF ORDER!                      I sure get frustrated when I see that sign hanging on a vending machine when I need a snack or when I finally find a restroom only to see that I will have to keep searching for one that is in order. Has your life ever felt out of order? Mine has, especially here lately; it seems nothing is in order. My... Read more

Choose Him Above Other Sources      Wow! How quickly the world seems to have been turned upside and down and come to a complete stop. The recent turn of events has left me and my family wondering what’s next. As I stayed home today from church more for my mental health than for any other reason I reflected on my personal life in comparison to the world. Honestly, they match up at this moment yet deep down I have... Read more

“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” – Martin Luther King Jr.      I’ve been rather busy today, but the whole day my mind hasn’t wandered too far from the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. In many ways his “I have... Read more

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2      Before I could settle on a word or allow myself to accept my word for 2020 I needed to reflect on my word for 2019. As I sat back in my chair and allowed myself to think of the entire year I laughed at the word/phrase God gave me. Giggling, I told God, you told me to be still and you showed me how to be... Read more

For the past month I have been trying my best to count my blessings. At times it comes easily to see the blessings before me, but there are times that I am overcome by the sorrow of losing my brother and can’t seem to find the light. Finally, in the last week, I have been able to look back over the past year and was finally able to recall my blessings. This past year was filled with ups and downs.... Read more

Joel Mark Whitmire    You were named after our dad, Mark, and his dad, our grandpa, Joel.     You were special in so many ways, yet you never saw that and succumbed to the thoughts in your head allowing a powerful addiction to overtake you.    Your already weak body, due to diabetes, could only handle so much and I’m afraid by the time you took back the power your body was too tarnished to deal with the ailments of... Read more

I wish I could remember exactly how long ago it was that Nick and I read the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  If I were to take a guess, I would say it was about 7 years ago, because I remember the kids being little. The book is based on Jericho and circling your dreams. At the time we wanted to sell our house, we desperately wanted to move to a nice brick home with land or a... Read more

A glimpse of the past four years and my one word. In 2015 my word was trust and I learned to trust God more as mine and Nick’s lives were roller coasters that year. We both were in amazing projects that we thought would last longer than what they did, but in the midst of not understanding the why we trusted God. In 2016 my word was different and I lived differently in order to make a difference. This was... Read more

     Pack your bags and let’s hit the road. We would drive 4 hours north of here and arrive at our destination tucked into the forest of Oklahoma. A hallmark style cabin with the beautiful colors of fall bringing out the beauty of the state and our home for the week. The campfire and the hikes with my family were great memories, but this year, we decided to stay home. We wanted to save money and be around our... Read more

Over and over again I hear the question what is wrong with this world. There are, of course, many theories or answers depending on how you want to view the problem. The one answer that I hear repeatedly is we need God. While I completely agree with this answer; I have a thought that I want to share and maybe it will provoke you to do something as well as me. The world seems to be getting worse, falling a... Read more