Sunday, October 9, 2016
The Unstoppable Life
This week I had the great privilege to be interviewed on my very first podcast through The Unstoppable Life with Bart Shaw. This is a great ministry that takes people's stories and uses them to encourage others. Through this I was able to share my story on becoming an author and the passion behind my writing. Click here to listen to the podcast!!
The Unstoppable Life:
This week I have the privilege of chatting with an old friend, Natalie Replogle. Natalie’s story is one full of determination, persistence, hard work and a fair dose of failure. Listen in as she shares about the hurdles she faced in her dream to become an author and how failure was actually a good thing. It’s an inspirational story that is sure to give you the fuel that you need to help you take steps toward making a meaningful change in your life!
Saturday, April 16, 2016
A sneak peek of A Rescued Life
CHAPTER
ONE
Lucy Williams’ eyes slowly fluttered
open. She scanned the darkness, identifying the furniture, paintings on the
walls and modern ceiling fan above as the shadows took shape. Nothing but
breathing penetrated the quiet room. After a couple crusty blinks, she finally
registered where she was.
Taking a deep breath, the weight on her
chest didn’t allow her lungs to completely expand. She rolled her head to the
side on the pillow, putting her face only a couple inches from Dillon’s. She
watched him take a couple steady breaths before she carefully, with an art of
finesse, lifted his limp arm sprawled across her chest and placed it on his
side. He grunted, but stayed asleep.
She mapped Dillon’s face, soaking in his
long eyelashes that fanned atop his cheekbones. His dark, coarse hair that
showed off his Italian heritage no longer stayed perfectly in place. She’d
swipe a lock of his hair off his forehead, but she didn’t want to chance waking
him up. Her eyes ran down the column of his neck and over his bare shoulders
and chest.
With a slight twist of her body, she
laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Now that his arm no longer draped
over her chest, she expected the weight to feel removed, but instead her chest
continued to tighten. Her heart began to beat wildly, pulsing in her ears.
Maybe she was having heart palpitations or the beginning of an anxiety attack?
She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled at a slower pace
out through her nose.
Who was she trying to deceive? Herself.
A doctor would find nothing physically wrong with her. Yes, something was wrong
with her heart and mind alright, but nothing a physician could fix.
Not only had she walked away from God,
but for weeks she had been sleeping with a man. Not only was he a man that was
not her husband, but a man she really wasn’t even in a relationship with. And
to thicken the drama, he was technically her boss. Not that it mattered anyway.
A sin was a sin. Growing up in the church had taught her that much.
Still lacking in oxygen she pushed off
the silk sheets, slipped her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Hunched
over, she rested her elbows on her thighs and buried her face in her sweaty
palms. From a glance through her slotted fingers, she spotted her leftover wine
from the night before. With a slight tremble in her hand, she lifted the glass
to her lips and let the liquid slide down her throat. She had been depending on
alcohol too much lately to mask her problems and numb her pain, just like it
coated her insides now.
How had she gotten to this point?
She knew better than to walk away from
God and take the slippery slope that led her to a broken life next to Dillon in
bed. It wasn’t like she woke up one morning a different person. The road began
by taking footholds that slowly diverted her away from God. She started with
the ceasing of Bible reading, which turned into a lack of communication through
prayer. Then came her heart hardening to
God’s truths, which turned into bad decisions that morphed into worse
decisions.
This wasn’t the life she wanted.
So how did she fix it?
Dillon began snoring, and already fully
awake, sleep wouldn’t come again, at least not here. The clock on the
nightstand made her cringe, mocking her.
It was only 4:07 in the morning. She didn’t have to be at the restaurant
until ten-thirty for the daily staff meeting. It would be a long, weary day if
she didn’t acquire more sleep than this.
Behind her, Dillon took another deep
breath that rattled along his throat and cemented her decision to head home in
hopes for another couple hours of sleep. Tiptoeing along the hardwood floor,
Lucy picked up her clothing strewn along the way to the bathroom – like Hansel
and Gretel had left breadcrumbs to find their way back home. She shook her
head, embarrassed by how fuzzy the memories of last night’s activities were.
Fully dressed now, she found her coat, purse and keys by the door and made her
exit into the cold February night.
She parked outside her house
and wrapped her coat tighter against her midsection to keep the cold out.
Unlocking the front door, she about jumped out of her skin when she heard,
“Hey, Luce.”
Lucy stopped short and
gasped, putting her hand over her heart. This was the second time in a month
this had happened. “Jules, you scared me. What are you doing up so early?” Her
friend Jules had needed a place to stay after her house had caught on fire last
month and she offered her spare bedroom. So far they had a good groove going –
minus Jules scaring the life out of her.
“I’m on shift today, getting
an early start to my day.” She picked up her Bible and placed it back down on
her lap. An invisible dagger hit Lucy’s heart square on at the sight of the
Bible and the sound of Jules’ question, “Are you just getting home?”
She turned to hang up her
coat, giving her more time to come up with a cover story. “Oh, um, yeah. After
working at the restaurant I headed over to a friend’s house from art class and
we worked on our projects together. Time just got away from me.” The lie
slipped out with no hesitation. She had become a pro at hiding her life.
Not only was Lucy a sous
chef at the restaurant Riverside, but she had been pursuing her love of art on
the side by taking a second job at the local art gallery. One night a week she
worked the showroom at the art gallery. She would do the job for free if she
had to, she so loved being up close to the painting and talking to the patrons
as they came in. Lucy had also joined the art class they provided on the top
floor twice a month. Dillon had seen her work and was impressed enough to offer
her the chance to have her own first showing in the artist competition the
gallery was having this coming summer.
“Is this project for the
collection you’re building for the competition?”
“Yes, it’s my expressionism
piece.” She’d go into more detail of the paint, the contrast in the lighting
and the emotions behind the strokes, but she had learned early on that people
didn’t understand the lingo. “My boss, Dillon, says it’s my best piece yet.”
Lucy winced. She had to be careful. She
had been mentioning Dillon more in conversations lately and didn’t want to tip
anyone off. Their romance had to be hidden for now, and she hoped forever.
Lucy stepped into the room
and found a seat on the couch across from Jules. Her shoulders slumped and her
heart began pumping wildly again as Jules looked her over, concern etched in
her emerald eyes. “That’s great. Derek and I are looking forward to attending
your show and seeing how much all your hard work and time has paid off.”
Lucy’s resolve began to
crumble. She was going to break. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She had to change
the subject. Leaning her head back against the headrest, she asked, “Enough
about me. How’s the newly engaged couple doing?”
Last month Jules and her
boyfriend – of like a week – Derek, had gotten engaged. It had been a whirlwind
romance and even if she didn’t understand their urgent need to be married, she
was still happy for them. Just because she was anti-marriage, or more like,
anti-settling down, didn’t mean the rest of the world had to take on her
phobia. Granted, Derek and Jules knew each other for months beforehand and had
long ago fallen for each other before they made it official. But seriously. A
week. She’d had the flu longer than
that.
Jules beamed, a little too perky
for Lucy this early in the morning. “We are doing great. Last night we finally
decided on a date.”
“When?”
“June 6th.”
Lucy almost fell off the
couch. “Of this year?”
“Yes. Neither of us wants to
wait. When you know, you know, right?”
Lucy didn’t think Jules
truly wanted her marriage-is-a-trap-to-suck-the-life-and-dreams-out-of-you
opinion. Once again, it wasn’t her life and she needed to be supportive.
“Right.”
“We also finalized our
wedding party.” Jules stood up, her long legs crossing the room with elegance.
She sat down beside her on the couch. “I’d be honored if you’d stand up with me
as a bridesmaid.”
A bridesmaid? That was like
asking her to paint with her left hand. Or cook with ingredients from Walmart.
Throughout the years Jules had been best friends with her sister, Ava, but in
the last year they had also gotten close. And she would never want her cynical
attitude to ruin any of the joy that radiated from Jules’ eyes.
She made it through Matt and
Ava’s wedding last month, she could endure another one. Lucy reached over and
gave Jules a tight hug. “I’d love to.”
“Great! I’ll let you know
when we’ll go shopping for dresses. Ava is my matron of honor and then you,
Lauren, and Claire will be my bridesmaids. If they agree. I haven’t asked
Derek’s sisters yet.” She barely paused long enough to breathe. “I guess we
should figure out our colors first.” She slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh my
goodness, there is so much to do in such little time.”
“You could always wait until
next June.”
Jules giggled and pulled her
long auburn hair over her shoulder, “Oh Luce, you’re so funny.”
Yeah. Hilarious. And totally
serious.
Jules placed a hand on her
arm. “Hey, if you aren’t doing anything tonight, Derek and I are having a few
friends over for dinner. We’d love for you to join us.”
It had been a long time
since she had done anything outside of work other than going to Dillon’s place.
It would probably be good for her to go if she didn’t have to work. “Sorry, but
I work tonight.”
“You should come over
later.”
That could be a possibility.
It’d be better than coming home to an empty house or ending up in Dillon’s bed.
“Who are you having?”
“Matt and Ava, a couple
co-workers of mine from the hospital, a guy from our small group,” she paused,
“and Trevor Hudson.”
“That detective?” She could feel her face
scrunch up, just picturing the arrogant man. Matt and Derek were good friends
with him, in fact her whole family was, and she struggled to understand why.
Back in December Ava had gone missing and Trevor had come on the case to help
with searching for her. Lucy had tried to give her opinion and he had shot it
down without any consideration. And she had been right. She didn’t plan to ever
see him again, but if she did, she would remind him of that fact.
“Ah, I see your feelings are
still the same for him.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Like a piece of clear
glass.”
Lucy smirked. “I probably
won’t make it.”
“Seriously, you should give
him another chance,” Jules encouraged. “I know your first impression of him
wasn’t ideal, but he really is a great guy.”
“Thanks for the invite, but
I’m sure I’ll be tired after work.”
“Well, if you change your
mind and want to stop by later, chances are he won’t make it. He works a
ridiculous amount of hours.”
Her refusal to attend didn’t
really have anything to do with Trevor. Okay, maybe a little. What really
tipped the scale was because it was hard for her to be around people and keep
up her front. To watch everyone around her happy while her own life was falling
apart. To keep her secrets hidden from the people she loved most.
Jules sat, watching her, as
if she was trying to dissect everything Lucy had said. “Want some coffee? I can make us a pot and we
can sit and chat. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks. I miss you.”
She couldn’t let that
happen. Having a little heart-to-heart with Jules would press her to share
things. “No, thanks. Maybe another time? I’m going to try and get a little
sleep before I have to get back to the restaurant.” Lucy stood, rubbing her red-lined
eyes. Her body betrayed the weight of the world that rested on her shoulders.
“Hey, Luce.” Jules waited to
continue until she had her full attention. “I’m praying for you.”
Lucy paused, forming a
strained smile. Could Jules see straight through her? She was one of the most
observant people she knew. If she wasn’t more careful, the lies and sin she had
been hiding would become exposed. With a hand running through her dark pixie
cut hair, she said, “Thanks.”
Stepping into her bedroom,
she stopped at the edge of the bed. She needed a shower first, to wash off the
filth that had nothing to do with dirt. Twenty minutes later she lay in bed,
the quiet deafening. The last few months rushed through her mind as a knot
formed in her throat.
Something had to change.
And she finally conceded
with where it had to start.
“God,” she whispered, prayer
feeling foreign on her lips, “I’m sorry I’ve walked away from you. Forgive me.
I want to change and make my way back to you. Please, God, please…rescue my
life.”
Friday, November 20, 2015
Raindrops & Honey
Today I have the great privilege to share about my friend, Anastasia Corbin. We met through our church, but through our love of writing our friendship has blossomed. Anastasia has a passion for life that is very contagious, she is extremely kind-hearted with a tenderness toward others, she is a caring mom, respectful wife, and giving friend. And most importantly...she loves Jesus with her whole heart. Anastasia has recently started up a blog sharing God's truth and what He has been teaching her. Her words are uplifting and full of wisdom. Please check out her blog Raindrops & Honey and be encouraged. We did a little interview together for you to learn about her and the blog.
We also have exciting news to share...
We also have exciting news to share...
Natalie: Please introduce yourself.
Anastasia: My name is Anastasia Corbin. I love Manchego cheese and Jesus but not necessarily in that order. I'm still dating my amazing husband after 15 years. My Superpower is being a Stay at Home Mom of 4 kids, ages 9, 7, 5, and 3. Chocolate is great but I'll take a good burger over that any day. My favorite colors are purple and teal. My favorite activities include singing on Worship Team, meaningful conversations with my best friends, running and reading. I'm afraid of: the dark, heights and not being accepted. My biggest pet peeve is when things are put on the kitchen island after I just cleaned it.
Natalie: Explain your name- Raindrops & Honey.
Anastasia: One of my favorite places to go to be refreshed is anywhere by the water. So, I wanted to include it somehow in my blog name. The name Raindrops and Honey comes from two different verses. Deuteronomy 32:2 states: "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." My desire is for God to use my words to refresh people. Another verse that has challenged me in how I use my words is from Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." I also desire my words to be gracious and uplifting for the reader.
Natalie: Tell us how you started blogging?
Anastasia: In the Fall of 2013, I was involved in an Online Bible Study through Proverbs 31 ministries. There was an option of linking your blog once a week to share about what you had been learning. I started blogging at that point but was not very aggressive with it. This past year, God has laid on my heart to write more. It has been an amazing journey. I feel God's pleasure when I write. My goal is to share a new blog post 2-3 times a week.
Natalie: What is your desire for your blog?
Anastasia: The first desire I have for my blog is for God alone to be glorified. I want others to know about God's character and see His deep love for them. I also desire for people to walk away refreshed and encouraged after spending time on my blog. I want them to be challenged in their walk and desire to know God more.
I'd like to end with some exciting news!! God has been doing a lot of stirring in our hearts lately. Anastasia and I have such a passion to minister to women and moms, and we have felt the Lord leading us to co-write a devotional book together. With lots of prayer, amazing husbands, and the approval of my publisher...we are so pumped to announce that we will be releasing a devotional book sometime in Spring 2016. Squeal!!! A couple weeks ago we spent the evening together at a bookstore discussing our hopes and dreams for the book, figuring out look, size, format, etc., and praying for God's direction!!
Decisions...Decisions...
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Tuesday Truths - The Holy Spirit's Work In Your Life
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will
not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires
what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful
nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you
want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”
-Galatians 5: 16-18
The Father. The Son. The Holy Spirit. As I soak in the
Trinity and what that means for believers, I can’t help but wonder if we are
missing out a little and how often in our walk we lean heavier to God and
Jesus, but discount the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It makes me think
of when you take a picture using a tri pod. If you aren’t using each of the
three legs equally, what happens to your picture? It’s off center, crooked, not
nearly as effective and you might miss the focus of your picture. Each leg is
just as crucial as the other and they all have to work together on the same
level to have the biggest impact. God tells us in His Word how valuable and
important His Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit speaks through us (Matthew
10:19-20), He changes our hearts (Matthew 12:34-36), helps us understand the
Bible (Luke 12:10), convicts us, shows God’s righteousness, guides and gives
insight for the future (John 14:15-31), sets us free from sin and death (Romans
8:2), gives us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and helps us pray
(Romans 8:26-27). Many times through scripture it even says that Jesus was
filled with the Spirit. Jesus promised to pour out His Spirit on us in John 7:37-38, “On the last and greatest day
of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let
him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,
streams of living water will flow from within him.” I don’t know about you,
but that makes me want to shout, “Fill me Lord, fill me!” The presence of the
Holy Spirit in our lives should demonstrate the genuineness of our faith, it
proves that we are God’s children, it transforms us, and it secures our eternal
life. We must not forget that God is very unyielding about the Holy Spirit in
our lives. In Luke 12:10, Jesus says,
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but
anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” And
also in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.” This happens when we have a deliberate and ongoing rejection
of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. It’s when our hearts are so hardened
that we shut ourselves off from God and don’t acknowledge the sin in our lives.
I read a quote from Francis Chan’s book, Unforgotten God, which says, “If I
were Satan and my ultimate goal was to thwart God’s kingdom and purposes, one
of my main strategies would be to get churchgoers to ignore the Holy Spirit.”
How does that apply to your life? Even though the Holy Spirit lives in us, we
will still be tempted and sin, but we should be known by the fruit He produces
in us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23. So over the next few weeks we will be
focusing on these fruits and how our lives can be full of them…
Heavenly Father, I welcome your Holy Spirit
into my life. Please guide my steps, speak my words, and convict my heart. Fill
me Lord, fill me!!! Bring to light any sin that has grieved your Spirit, speak
your Truth into me and transform my life. In Your Name, Amen.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Tuesday Truths - A shout out to the wives!!
“Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.”
-Proverbs 31:23
Over the last few
months I’ve been meditating and being intentional about ways to lift my husband
up. God has been speaking to my heart that my husband can accomplish many
things…he can be a leader and great man with a strong character without me…but
how much more he can accomplish, lead, and impact, with me at his side cheering
him on and lifting him up as his helpmate and biggest cheerleader. So here are
a few things, we as wives, can help our husbands become the verse above. #1:
Pray for him. For his heart, his dreams, his passions, wisdom, discernment,
God’s will for his life, etc. Ephesians
1:16-19 says, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my
prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious
Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know
him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his
glorious in heritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us
who believe.” #2: Lift him up with your words – by speaking them to him and
to others. “The tongue has the power of
life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21.
Bring LIFE to your husband. #3: To be faithful and respectful to him. To be the
woman he is honored to have at his side. “A
wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her
husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him
good, not harm, all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12. #4: Be
diligent and intentional with loving him. Look for ways to give of yourself
selflessly in order to serve him. “Anyone,
then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17. #5:
Instead of highlighting his weaknesses, come alongside him and use a strength
of yours to compensate for it. Use the gifts that you have been given to help
him become a better man. “May the God of
peace, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:21
Heavenly Father, thank you for my husband.
Grant me the power in every area of my life to lift my husband up by words and
actions. May I draw closer to you, so that I am so full it overflows into my
marriage. Help me to see the ways that I can be a better helpmate to my husband
and give me the initiative to make it happen. In your name, Amen.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Tuesday Truths - Worst Sunburn EVER
“Let those who fear the
Lord say; ‘His love endures forever.’ In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he
answered by setting me free.”
-Psalm
118:4-5
Each year when the warmer weather comes, I burst in excitement to work in
my landscaping…and most years that usually concludes with a bad sunburn, even
with sunscreen. Three years ago as I was lathering myself up with sunscreen,
instead of washing my hand, I patted my back to wipe it off…and then forgot to
apply sunscreen to my back. I’m sure you can imagine where this story is going.
Oh yes. I burnt horribly except for one spot on my back. Yep! A big ol’
handprint. And just so you know, I get deathly pale during the winter. If pale was a
crayon color, they would name it Natalie. So imagine a bright red back with a shockingly
*white* handprint. I tried everything to get rid of it. At one point I even put
on sunscreen all around the handprint and then tried to burn it. Nope, little
stinker would not change color at all. So from April until October I had a
handprint on my back. Seriously. As I look back at that summer I realized I
couldn’t get away from my mistake. Every day was a reminder that I messed up.
And isn’t that what Satan wants to do to us. Mentally beat ourselves down over
and over of our mistakes, our shortcomings, our failures. Not God. He tells us
in Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they
are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Does anyone else see the same
color scheme as my handprint?!? Oy! Satan wants to keep us in bondage – God
wants to give us freedom. Satan wants us to feel condemned. God wants us to
feel redeemed. Satan wants us to live a life of regrets. God wants us to live a
life of promises. There is a song I like to sing, to proclaim over me. Let the
words wash over you and let it be a prayer...
Where the spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom
Lift your eyes to Heaven
There is freedom
If you’re tired and thirsty
There is freedom
Give your all to Jesus
There is freedom
Freedom reins in the place
Showers of mercy and grace
Falling on every face
There is freedom
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The End Of An Era
So last Friday marked a new season in my life. All three of my children are in school now. A few years ago the thought of it would have had me dancing in the streets, but when the day approached my heart responded differently. The night before my daughter started Kindergarten I laid in bed with her and watched her sleep and scanned each detail of her beautiful face while my silent tears soaked her pillow. The morning of, I held it together with finesse. I packed her Tinker Bell lunchbox with a smile, did her hair and slipped on her backpack with a smile, and then walked her down the hall to her room with a smile. And then the floodgates released. I got in the van, told my husband I needed a moment, and then started the UGLY cry that lasted the entire ride home and into the first half hour I was home, as I used up the leftover restaurant napkins we had stashed in the glove compartment. I was a mess. Don't get me wrong, I'm OKAY with the fact that during the day I am home alone to get things done and have more time to write. That's a given with a hallelujah hand raise towards Heaven. But I needed to grieve the fact that life was changing and my baby was no longer a baby. For a DECADE all I have done is stayed at home and raised my kids. I have hopefully done my job to prepare and guide them as they step out into the "school world". Problem with this? SHE IS 5 years old! Oy! So I just needed some time to mourn that my season of taking care of babies and toddlers had come to a close. That I was now a parent to all school-aged kids. That the years that slipped by so quickly when they were toddlers, would slip by even quicker now. That slowly they will need me less and less. The hugs and kisses will decrease while the eye rolls will increase. But my husband reminds me that this is a good thing (not the eye-rolls, the independence), because this is what we have been training for. This moment is what the sleepless nights, reading books, playing games, disciplining, working on the alphabet a million times, pouring into them every minute of the day is all about. FREEDOM. Just kidding. It's about training them as they begin their own life journey in becoming who God created them to be. "I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:11-13
And just so you know, I'm doing better. Today I only got teary-eyed a little when she walked away.
Progress, folks, progress.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
I tried to get my oldest to take this picture with them, but instead he shooed me away with a flick of his wrist and a sigh of embarrassment, "Mooooooom!"
5th GRADE
3rd GRADE
KINDERGARTEN
And this is what I like to call...A long walk off a short pier!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)