Sharing the Journey

           While working in my kitchen, I was listening to The Mississippi Mass Choir’s 2005 song narrated by Reverend Benjamin Cone, Jr, “It Was Worth It All.” As he shared his testimony of colon cancer and coding while preparing to be released, my spirit perked up and brought a few things to my remembrance.         The year had to be around 1994 or 1995. I began to feel a slight twinge in my side and decided to have it checked out. Normally, this was something I’d ignore, but I felt strongly that this time was different.         At the emergency room, I explained that I was feeling some pain in my side, and while it was not extreme, I wanted to get checked because I had a history of ectopic pregnancy. (This is a pregnancy where the baby lodges in the fallopian tube rather than the uterus. It is always fatal for the baby and had nearly been fatal for me in a previous pregnancy. I shared that testimony in a 2016 post called I Believe in Miracles Because I Am One .) Anyway, some tes

           Friends, I am so full right now I can barely type. But I know I’ve got to get this out of me before the enemy comes and tries to take it away. I just came out of prayer with my friends at Refugee Temple Church in Burlington North Carolina . Prayer was led by their faithful pastor, Bishop Reginald Davis, and he was on fire! Yet it was the closing of the prayer that took me over the edge.         As Bishop closed out and made his final remarks, they began to play a song called “ Any Day Now ” by Ricky Dillard and New G featuring the talented Bebe Winans. The song basically declares, “I’m expecting my miracle any day now.” It says I shall have what I believe any day now. As I listened I heard in my spirit, “Are you expecting? Are you believing?”         You see, I have this problem where no matter what I know in my head, there’s something that keeps telling me I have to earn the favor of God; I have to work for His goodness to operate in my life; that God will only do great

         Tonight, just about the time I should have begun preparing dinner, I looked at all of the unfinished things I’d planned to do around my house. My to do list is ever-growing and it’s daunting and more often than not I found myself wanting to quit instead of pressing on. But after having a conference with God, who always meets me in my kitchen, He did like my children do and followed me to the bathroom.         He recognized before I did that the enemy was launching an attack. I’d just had beautiful fellowship with God and before I could process it all, the enemy was saying, “The day is over and what have you accomplished? You will never get it right. Look at this place. And what are you going to fix for dinner?” But as quickly as those thoughts came, Holy Spirit came and chased Him away, and then He ministered to my heart.         “Give it to me, Dutchess,” He whispered. “It’s not your battle to fight. Give it to me.” And I did, kind of. Admittedly I started out by beratin

         On 20 August 2016, I shared the testimony of how God delivered me and spared my life when all reason said I should have been dead in a blog post titled, “ I Believe in Miracles, Because I Am One .”   Now I believe He’s telling me it’s time to share the story of three other lives He saved in a most miraculous way. Number one is the story of my mother. I alluded to her in my August 2016 post. Momma had been feeling bad for a while but it was nothing major. Still, she went to the doctor and they told her she had acid reflux. Nothing they did gave her relief. Jump ahead approximately two years, and her situation has gotten so dire that she cannot swallow – not even saliva. Her throat had completely sealed. She could breathe, but could not eat or drink.         Finally a doctor diagnosed esophageal cancer and gave her two months to live. They gave her a “peg” tube so that she could receive nutrients via liquids such as Ensure. She received radiation treatments and chemotherapy

         It’s been a long time since I’ve sat at my computer with the purpose of writing and sharing on my blog. I figured it didn’t matter much how much or little I shared since there weren’t too many people reading it anyway. I don’t have a lot of followers, so no one will miss me or what I shared if I stopped. That might be true, but stopping was wrong.         I started Sharing the Journey because God told me He had given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to he who is weary. ( Isaiah 50:4 ) He commissioned me to be a tool in His hand to turn the hearts of His people back to Him. He told me to share with others what He shares with me in order to encourage and edify and help His children fall in love with Him again; to seek Him with all their hearts.         So I say respectfully, but with strong conviction, I’m not writing for followers or popularity. I write for God. I write the words He gives me with faith that He will send those who

My soul doth magnify the Lord! My God, full of mercy and goodness and grace. My spirit soars in His presence. He gives me strength to run and finish my race.   I once said I was stuck on stupid, I once said it, but I say it no more. Jesus has shown me my path. He’s opened wide the previously locked door.   He once made a promise to me, A promise spoken in 1991. And to this day I wait expectantly For the fulfillment has finally begun.   My path seemed to wander meaninglessly Meandering backward much more than forth, But everything I went through is in God’s plan It’s all pointed to Him and revealed my worth.   Some of you won’t understand And that’s okay, really it’s fine To those of you God has sent me to Continue to watch in the passing of time.   God’s purpose and His plan will not be hindered Neither will His servant to whom He’s given a word. It’s time for the sleepy to rise up and work. It’s time to make your voices heard.

Yesterday my daughter had an appointment in a city larger than the one in which we live, so we decided to make a day of it and do some shopping. She’s preparing to leave for college and had been promised a shopping spree as a gift after her high school graduation. We thought this world pandemic gripping the earth would cancel her immediate plans, but with great care, we were able to push forward. While trying to navigate a city I’m not overly familiar with, I set up the Waze application (app) on my phone to get me to the places we wanted to visit. When I first logged on, it told me over three thousand “wazers” were logged on in my area. This was good news as it works on real-time information received from other travelers. In short, it meant that the app had greater information to safely and quickly get me to my destination. All I had to do was follow directions. Sounds simple right? Well, it is, if you follow directions. I didn’t. There were a few times where I turned left when it

            The other night, I got into bed much later than my normal time. As a result, I decided I would turn off my 05:00 (5a.m.) alarm and sleep in. Truthfully, I rarely got up with that alarm anymore. That’s the alarm labeled in my phone as “Coffee With Christ.” But He wouldn’t let me shut it off. In fact, He reminded me of the importance of that early morning time He and I spent alone together. He reminded me that for me, this time was vital. Yes, I’m still faithful in reading my Bible and praying and listening to teaching and preaching, and praising all through the day. I’m very committed to the Christian disciplines. But, was I still committed to an intimate relationship with my Savior?             As Holy Spirit reminded me of all the benefits of that time alone in the presence of my God, an old love ballad began playing in the back of my mind. It was Regina Bell’s song from her 1989 album, “Stay With Me” called “Make It Like It Was.” In the chorus, she sings: “Make it like

Please note, "Our God is Greater" was first published in my devotional " FromThe Shepherd's Heart ." I am sharing it here now to encourage you as we continue in the uncertainty brought on by the COVID_19 pandemic.             Today we want to have a quick word of encouragement – a reminder that no matter what happens in this world we have no need to fear. We need to be reminded that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (See  1 John 4:4 .) It is because our God – whose Spirit dwells in us – is greater that we can live victoriously no matter what it looks like.             The word of God lets us know, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19) This assures us that our God is greater; that no matter what is happening to us or around us, we, through our relationship with God, have the upper hand.             The Bible says in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the aff

             When my husband retired from the United States Air Force and moved me back to my home state, one of our Sunday afternoon traditions was to pile everyone into my minivan and go for ice cream and a drive. There were only one or two places we visited for ice cream, but the drive could take you anywhere. We generally went in a direction we'd never been before just to see something new.              When I started this blog, I called it “Sharing the Journey” because I knew God was taking me places. He had a good plan for my life and there would be much learned along the way. Recently, I discovered I’d gotten off the path. Actually, I’m still headed where God is leading me, but I’ve taken several side roads and detours. I’ve been sight-seeing and just enjoying the journey without the desired destination in mind.             When we went on those Sunday drives with my family and parents, we always had to make sure everyone used the bathroom before leaving. If you don’t

Yesterday, people all across the world celebrated Easter. We celebrated the empty tomb that announced our crucified Savior, Jesus the Christ, was no longer dead. We celebrated Resurrection Sunday. We celebrated differently than we had in the past because of a pandemic but still, we took the time to acknowledge Jesus is risen.   That was yesterday.   Today, many of us are awaking to severe storms and tornadoes. We are awaking to more news of lives lost to COVID_19. We are awaking to lost jobs, a shortage of tissue paper and hand sanitizer, and the stress of the unknown. Many of us are awaking to lost hope and fading faith. I mean, Monday is not the favorite day for most in “normal” a week. How much less do we like it today? In the context of what I’ve just said, I’d like to ask a question. What changed? Were you taken by surprise at the loss of a job or God forbid a loved one? Were you appalled to learn that after more than a month, there is still a terrible virus ravishing the la

Most days when I sit at my computer to write, as I pray and lift my heart to God the words simply flow. Most days when writing, my struggle is how to end. But today is not like most writing days. It hasn’t been like “most days” for quite a while now. We are indeed living in unprecedented times.             There is a pandemic killing people indiscriminately all across the globe. I no longer listen to the numbers because it is just too heartbreaking. We’ve all been told to socially distance ourselves; to stay at home. Tissue paper has become a hot commodity and the stock markets have taken a nose-dive. Someone told me they’d heard of an individual who was shot because they coughed without covering their mouth. No, these days are not like most days.             Still, I have hope. I have hope because I know the God I serve. I have hope because no matter who sits in the White House or who serves on Capitol Hill or in any other governing body, God sits on the throne. And because He s

Yesterday I was listening to Terri Savelle Foy and I really liked her idea to personalize Psalm 91 as a family prayer of protection during this unprecedented time in history. As I share it with all of you, I must stress that this Psalm is not a “charm” or incantation for protection from some God up there in the sky. It is a prayer and a declaration of trust in a personal God and holy Father. I can pray this prayer and declare it over my family because I know the God of whom I speak, and He knows me. We have a personal and intimate relationship. He chose me and adopted me into His family and clothed me with righteousness so that I can walk with Him and talk with Him and cast all of my cares on Him. I go to Him when I’m happy and I go to Him when I’m sad. When I have a need I call Him and He answers me – not always the way I want or expected, but He answers.   When I’m happy I praise Him. When I’m not so happy I still praise Him because He is worthy regardless of my situation. He is m

Some years ago the group MercyMe released a song called “ Dear Younger Me .” It is pretty much what it sounds like, a personal letter to a younger version of the writer. The song came back to my remembrance this morning because during a Bible study, “I Do Hard Things,” I was tasked with writing a letter to the future me. Author, Havilah Cunnington, said we should imagine writing to the person we hope to be five years from now – what would I say or hope to be? What goals would I want to have achieved and what actions would I have to take now to be that person I’m writing to?   Here is my response to this challenge. May it challenge you to examine yourself and maybe write the future you. Dear Future Me, I’m writing to you from the year 2020 with a heart of hope and expectation. I’m writing from a place of faith in the true and living God – my savior and my Lord. I’m writing because I’m making a decision that when you read this letter in 2025, you will know that I made some hard c