Reflections and Highlights from 2018

My “One Word” for this year has been “Beauty.”  I’m grateful for this beautiful year that started with hosting my second women’s conference! What a blessing it was to be among all the lovely women who attended. What a delight to welcome Nyack College as the Presenting Sponsor! They generously offered a partial scholarship to one guest and my friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries and TBN NY also offered great prizes to my guests.

This year also included the launch of my fourth book, By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad. What a joy to get to share how I’ve seen God’s miraculous and lovely fingerprints during my travels to 6 continents! By Faith is a book that has been stirring inside of me for years. I’m so grateful that God allowed me to release it this fall and that it’s been endorsed by Our Daily Bread Ministries, the President of Nyack College and a Regional Director of the Christian Women in Media Association!

And after years of thinking and praying about it, the Lord also saw it fit for me to launch the “Abounding Faith for Today Podcast.” I’m thrilled that Season 1 of the “Abounding Faith for Today Podcast” is on iTunesSpotifyGoogle Podcasts or Stitcher and more!

Another delight was to have excerpts from By Faith published on SpiritLed Woman‘s website and Charisma’s social media! You can read excerpts about how God chased me down in Australia, how the Holy Spirit showed up during my short-term missions trip to Peru, how the Lord spoke to me during my trip to Israel and more. You can find links to all 6 six inspiring articles at AboundingFaith.com.

It was also a blessing to get to speak at Chapel at The Bowery Mission’s Women’s Center and The Bowery Mission’s Tribeca site and to help kick of the Christmas celebrations for my friends at Woodcrest Nursing Home and Rehab Center. What an honor it was to lead the service for my friends at Central Delaware Trinity Covenant on the last Sunday of the year! It was my fourth year in a row visiting them.

Other highlights from this year include getting to celebrate another birthday in my bday castle. Here’s a pic from one of my fave rooms, the library!

Here’s a short video greeting I shot in the library.

This year I also launched the Living by Abounding Faith collection on Abounding Faith’s online store. God is Good!

As I look back at some of the faces and places from this year, I smile and can see God’s hand in all of it. It hasn’t been a perfect year, but it has been filled with lots of beauty!

It helps to encourage me to continue inspiring and encouraging you and others through the words I write and speak and through the events I host and the items I create.

Walking by faith isn’t easy, but it’s worth it! I’m grateful that you’re on this journey with me.

As I look ahead to 2019 and beyond, I rest in knowing that God is in control and His beautiful plan for me and for you is already written and will continue to unfold in His perfect timing.

Keep fighting the good fight of faith! If you find yourself growing weary, as we all do at times, remember to keep reading your Bible and Pray, Dream, Do and Repeat!

If you’re being blessed by Abounding Faith’s books, events, podcast, articles, etc. and you’d like to join this faith journey I’m on, I’d be thrilled to have you become a member of Abounding Faith’s Dream Team! Let’s live our God-given dreams together!

As a Dream Team member, you get early access to Abounding Faith’s inspiring content to help encourage you on your faith journey, exclusive updates and info and you have the opportunity to be mentioned in shout outs on Abounding Faith’s growing social media and more (or you can remain anonymous if you prefer).

God willing, I plan to continue inspiring men and women, young and older and those of diverse backgrounds to grow in their faith and love for God and live their God-given dreams. Will you join me? You can learn more about Abounding Faith’s Dream Team by clicking here.

I look forward to what God has in store for 2019. Stay tuned! The best is yet to come! To God be the Glory! Blessings!

5 for 5

In honor of my fifth Blogiversary, I’m taking a look back at posts from past years. Below are links to posts that ran in January over the years. The lessons still ring true. I pray they bless and encourage you. If you have a favorite post from the past that you’d like me to re-visit, please let me know and I may feature it again. Blessings!

Help is on the Way January 2013

I once heard a sermon where the pastor mentioned that we pray one thing and God does 10,000 things in order to bring to pass the answer to our request. The photo above helps to remind me that God does hear my prayers and that His answer is on the way. [Read more by clicking here].

 

In Full Bloom January 2014

Lessons from the Lilies

This week, I’d like to share some lessons I was reminded of from these two lilies in the same bouquet. They caught my attention because at first they were all closed up. They were sealed tighter than in the picture on the left side. Then, in typical fashion, as the days passed they opened up so that their beauty was on full display. [Read more by clicking here].

 

Freedom in Facing Your Fears January 2015

Lessons Learned From Daring to Finally Use my Flat Iron

Ladies, I’m pretty sure you’re going to be able to relate to this post. Fellas, hang in there. Just substitute the mentions of the flat iron with something you fear. [Read more by clicking here].

 

3 Ways to Grow in Your Faith January 2016

If you desire to grow in your faith in Christ this year, congratulations! There’s no better time than today to start. Whether you’ve been a Christian for most of your life or you’re new to following Jesus, I’d like to help you on your faith journey. [Read more by clicking here].

 

7 Bible Verses to Boost Your Hope! January 2017

Are you struggling to wait on God to fulfill His promises in your life? Are you afraid that you’ll never see a breakthrough in your finances, personal life, or ministry work?  If so, I’d like to encourage you not to give up! God is Faithful and will move in your life in His perfect timing and in His perfect way! [Read more by clicking here].

 

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Happy 5th Blogiversary!

How in the world has private me been blogging for five straight years? Only God could do that!

I still remember how hard it was to launch this blog. There were tons of reasons why I shouldn’t have started blogging.

I have a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and have written for various publications including The New York Times, but I wasn’t used to writing publicly about my faith. I was trained to tell other people’s stories. But the more I started to share some of my insights and life lessons I’ve learned, the more positive reaction I got from readers.

I’m not techie by any stretch of the imagination. I remember spending hours reading and watching videos about the technical side of starting a blog. I made tons of calls to the support lines for help the weekend I launched my site. I still marvel that this site ever went live.

I was also going through a very rough time in my life. I was in tears most of the time I launched this blog. This blog easily could have been one big rant, but I was determined to create something beautiful and to write words that would inspire and uplift readers.

All my fears and concerns could have stopped me from publishing my first post, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted me to start this blog and that it was time to honor Him with my writing gift. What a journey it’s been!

I was worried that I might quickly run out of things to say, but God has been faithful to give me ideas for what to share here. As I poured out my thoughts on the screen, God filled me with fresh ideas (or manna) to help others on their faith journey.

I’ve written on good days and not-so-good days. I’m grateful that this blog has been a safe place for me to share my writing, photos, videos and designs.

By God’s grace, I’m still here. And you’re still here, too! I pray you have been encouraged by my posts!

I’m delighted that I’ve written three books during these years of blogging, and I’m thrilled that Book 4 is with my early readers. I plan to share parts of my testimony and some blog posts in my new book so stay tuned!

This year I also plan to have my second women’s conference. I will be sharing more info shortly.

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the Miraculous and Lovely moments in your life! God really is closer than you think, and He desires to spend precious time with you! Blessings to you on your faith journey!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

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For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Happy New Year & My One Word

Welcome to 2018! I pray you’re filled with God’s love, peace and joy in this new year! I pray that you will know Jesus in a deeper way and that you will dare to live your God-given dreams and SOAR!

As I’ve been praying and thinking about my “One Word” for this year, the word that keeps coming to mind is beauty. I will seek to see God’s beauty in my everyday life. Yes, I will rejoice in the Miraculous Lovely moments throughout the year.

God’s beauty is all around us. We just need to stop and cherish those moments.

I had plenty of time to soak in God’s splendor during my recent trip back to the Caribbean. The sunrises and sunsets on the ocean were truly breathtaking!

I’d like to start this year off by sharing some of those photos with you. I pray they will inspire you. God is so creative!

 

I’ll be sharing more pics this week on Abounding Faith’s Instagram page.

Many blessings to you this year, and remember that God promises to give us beauty for ashes.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Chapel in the City at Nyack College

I have felt drawn to Nyack College for a few years now. The Lord saw it fit for me to speak at the chapel service on Tuesday evening. What a blessing! It was truly another God-given dream that came to pass in His perfect timing. All glory to God!

What a sweet surprise to see the announcement on the screen pictured above! I had to snap a pic.

I’m so grateful to the staff and students at Nyack who made me feel so welcome.

I don’t normally go out on Halloween evening, but this was worth it.  And since the attack in Tribeca was just blocks away from where we were, I’m glad we got to pray for New York during chapel time.

It was a privilege and honor to get to encourage these students who are seeking after God’s plan for their life at such a young age. Here are just some of the students that were in chapel Tuesday evening.

Speaking at Nyack College ranks right up there with speaking to the group of Christians working at the United Nations and giving my brief testimony at Times Square Church. I am delighted with the doors the Lord is opening for me in this season. I’m so grateful that God opens doors that no man can shut!

Honestly, it’s an honor to get to speak about the Lord out on the street, in the subway, on the mission field,  in nursing homes and shelters, as well as one-on-one with strangers and friends.

We’re called to let our light shine! “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mathew 5:16)

Who will you share the gospel with today or this week at work, home, school or in your neighborhood? We all have a testimony to share about God’s amazing love and His faithfulness! You don’t need a microphone, pulpit or stage. Just pray and ask God to give you the right words to say with love.

Blessings to you as you go about doing the good works that God has ordained for you to do! And thanks for your prayers and encouragement! I look forward to walking through many more doors that God opens for me. Thanks for staying on this journey with me!

If you’d like to invite me to speak at your church, school, conference, retreat, or outreach event, you can learn more by clicking here.

As you pursue your God-given dreams, I hope you’ll Pray, Dream, Do and Repeat!  I hope these designs from Abounding Faith’s online store inspire you!

For more encouragement, follow Abounding Faith on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Blessings!

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Roctober 2017 Reflections

What a blessing this Roctober has been! There have been some ups and downs, but overall it was another rocking October, thank God!

I’m so grateful to my family and friends who help to make this month so special! This month included a trip back to my birthday castle as well as flowers, a ferry ride around Manhattan, mariachi singers, cake and the non-alcoholic pina colada pictured above.

I also got to go back and lead the service at Central Delaware Trinity Covenant. It was sweet seeing my friends there and getting to do everything from choosing the bulletin cover, to choosing the songs, preaching the sermon and greeting folks on the way out. It’s still surreal to see my name outside one of their church buildings. God is Good!

Although this was my third time visiting this congregation, it was my first time at this particular church building so I was thrilled to see horses right across the street! This city girl loves horses! It was another special birthday gift from the Lord.

We also wrapped up the study of Crossing Your Jordan River. It’s been such a blessing to see and hear how the book encouraged this group. We celebrated with yummy food and this beautiful birthday fruit tart!

Amid the celebrations, I’ve also had some really productive meetings throughout the month and still have one very important speaking engagement. I look forward to sharing more about that soon.

In the meantime, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I pray you are seeing God’s fingerprints in your life! If you’d like more encouragement in between blog posts, please make sure to follow Abounding Faith on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

If you’d like another look at the “God’s Princess Diaries” series that I shot during my first visit to my birthday castle, you can find the short and encouraging videos on Abounding Faith’s YouTube channel by clicking here.

Blessings!

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Part 7)

I’d like to let these quotes from Waiting on God Well do the talking this week. I pray they encourage you.

To find more images like these, follow Abounding Faith on InstagramFacebookTwitter, or Pinterest. Blessings!

 

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Crossing Your Jordan River: How to Possess and Prosper in Your Promised Land, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

3 Bible Verses About Patience!


I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

I have to admit that patience, or forbearance, is still not my favorite Fruit of the Spirit. I’ve gotten much better with waiting on God over the years, but it can still be struggle.

How about you? Are you waiting for a breakthrough in your finances, health, or personal life?

We’re all waiting on God for something, so it’s important how we wait.

I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit’s supernatural patience that helps us as we wait with expectancy for God to move in our lives and to fulfill His promises to us.

In my book Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough I share insights I’ve learned while waiting as well as encouraging Bible verses, actions steps, and reflection questions to help you during your season of waiting.

Here are just 3 Bible verses to help you during your waiting season:

  • “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14)
  • “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” (Psalm 46:10)
  • “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” (Hebrews 6:15)

There’s no short cut to becoming a patient person. It comes with much prayer, surrender to God’s timing, much practice with having patience with people, and with trusting that God is faithful and that He will see you through!

Waiting on God isn’t easy, but it is worth it! Blessings to you as you patiently wait in faith for God to move in your life as He has promised in the Bible and to your heart!

Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

3 Bible Verses About Love!

Copy of Fruit of the Spirit Series

I’m launching a new series this month based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Each month, I’ll pick a fruit and share a few thoughts and verses about it.

I’m starting with the fruit of love. There are so many verses to choose from especially since the Bible is God’s love letter to us!

I’d like to share verses that talk about three important aspects of love:

God’s love for us! But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Our love for God! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Our love for others! “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

Amid all the chocolate and flowers that are bought and given this month, it’s good to stop and think about these aspects of love. Allow me to ask you a few questions based on the above verses:

How are you doing with rejoicing in God’s unconditional love for you? Are you taking the time to bask in and to thank God for His matchless love? Everything we do should flow from that knowledge that God is love and that He loves us!

How are you doing with loving God? Are you taking the time to worship and praise God simply for who He is? That shouldn’t be reserved just for Sunday morning service or only for when you get good news.

How are you doing with loving others? It’s not about the car you drive, the neighborhood you live in, the clothes you wear, or your job title and salary. That’s not what sets you apart as a child of God. Jesus said people would know you are His disciple by how you love others. He told His disciples to love each other as He loved them.

If all this is a little overwhelming to you, I’d like to remind you that everything we do flows out of God’s love for us. The more you mediate on Bible verses about God’s amazing love for you and reflect on His perfect love, the more you’ll love Him back and be able to love others.

I pray God will give you a fresh revelation of His supernatural love for you! Embrace it! Celebrate it! And then share it with others!

Blessings!

Did this encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Birthday Blessings to My Mom!

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I’m celebrating my Mom’s birthday this month! In honor of my incredible Mom, I’m linking to two posts I’ve written about her in the past and a guest post she wrote a few years back. I pray you’re blessed and encouraged by re-visiting these posts!

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:30-31)

Did this encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the new “7 Journal Writing Prompts to Help You Wait on God Well” PDF as a free gift.

WOGW journal prompts header 1-16-17

For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.