Category Archives: Journal

The place to find out what God is doing through Angie’s life.

Are You Up for Exploring?

Posted on

I am so ready for summer! What about you? I am looking for some fun on the water! We don’t have our boat yet, so we’re gonna do the next best thing – canoeing! I love canoeing, especially when I have my husband with me who will do all the rowing.

Our family did a canoe trip down the Kankakee River in Illinois several years ago. I loved it! Not only does canoeing get you on the water (when you’re waiting for your boat) but depending on where you decide to canoe you can almost imagine you were discovering America for the first time. That’s how it was on our family canoe trip.

From the very start we saw nature from such a different angle. There were reeds on the river. Don’t really see those from the street. There was a family of ducks walking (not floating or swimming) in the river because of the low water level. And the things you wouldn’t normally discover! We came upon an island in the middle of the river that had…shells on it! Talk about getting our imagination going! Shells in Illinois? Where’d they come from? Were they dragged down by the glaciers? It made for great conversation on the way back.

Have I peaked your interest? You can pretty much canoe wherever there is water. Find a river, lake or pond. If you don’t have your own canoe maybe you have a friend who does. If not, many water recreational facilities have rentals at pretty decent rates. (Years ago, ours was only $56 for the four of us for four hours.)

I wouldn’t be a good mom if I didn’t tell you to be careful. Please wear life jackets. Don’t play in the canoes. Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t interact with wildlife. Obey all signs on the waterways. Canoeing is fun and exciting, so get some friends, get out there and get paddling!

Who Will Save Our Children?

Posted on

As our country is fighting various battles all over the world, there are many who are fighting a very important battle at home. The battle to save our children. Our children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). The devil is going to go after our children, as never before, especially if they are believers and have a calling upon their lives.

How do you go to war with the enemy when your children have been whisked away from you by deception? The answer is: with few emotions. As parents we go through a range of emotions. But emotions get nothing done. Prayer does. And the enemy hates when we pray. So be a mighty warrior for your kids. Get on your knees and pray!

Have a plan: 

1. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17). 
2. Confession of the Word. (1 John 5:14-15). 
3. Fasting for our victory. (Isaiah 58:6). 
4. Prayer of Agreement. (Matthew 18:19) 
5. Journal it. (Isaiah 30:8) 

So who will save our children from the grasps of the enemy? Will we simply sit around and talk about it and hope for the best? Or are we willing to strap on the armor God has so graciously given us and go fight for what is ours? If we let the enemy take our kids and we let the enemy keep our kids, we have nothing to grovel about. We let it happen. So who will save our children?  I will! Will you?

The Best Mother’s Day

Posted on

What an amazing Mother's Day! God went up and beyond anything I could ever hope or imagine. But isn't that just like God?

I would be lying if I said I was thrilled with our son being 6,600 miles away the last three Mother's Days. But I overcame my emotions with reminders that everything I was seeing was a culmination of our prayers.

Our son became a youth pastor in Bible school and was asked to serve in Istanbul, Turkey. I could have been distraught, but what we saw was what we had prayed for when we dedicated our son to the Lord. Use our son. Thank you for trusting us to raise Him for your service. Now here he is. Use him for your glory God. And God did exactly that.

And what did I do those three Mother's Days our son wasn't here? I praised God for His faithfulness. And here's something I want every mother to grab onto. God...sees...our...sacrifices. I never whined to God about our son not being here on Mother's Day. How could I? Millions of people were going to hell. God needed our son. End of story.

But God in all His loving kindness, goodness and mercy showed me that He saw the sacrifices and He was going to make this a Mother's Day I would never forget. Not only did He bring our son and daughter-in-law home, for good, but with a bonus! A grandbaby on the way! What more could a mother ever want?

We spent Mother's Day not at a fancy restaurant or a big hoopla event but walking around a mall. Just the four of us. I told our son I didn't want any gifts because I had the greatest gift. Our family together. It indeed was the best Mother's Day I could have ever asked for.