Recently, my family took a trip out west and we had the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time in all of our lives! We have seen pictures….we have seen puzzles…..we have heard stories…..we have flown over parts of it…..but we had never been ourselves.

We arrived at the West Rim and followed our tour guide’s advice to spend the majority of our time visiting Eagle Point and exploring Guano Point. (For a little flashback humor, those of you who grew up in the “Ace Ventura” movie days May recall that “Guano” is the fancy name of BAT POOP.) We took our first pictures at Eagle’s Point and just soaked in the handiwork of our Creator. The two fellas in our family are Eagle Scouts, so it was super cool to get a picture of them with the Eagle formation in the canyon.

Once we finished up there, we went over to Guano Point to explore a little bit. Our tour guide recommended climbing the “ant hill” for some great views of the canyon from an elevated perch. From the ground, it didn’t look so bad. However, for the one in the family who has an intense fear of falling…..it was something else.

As I made my way around the back side of “the ant hill,” my husband told me to come closer to where he was for a better picture of the canyon below. As I moved towards him, the path on which I was moving became very narrow….and, as you can see in the photo above, the edge of the “ant hill” came pretty close to where my feet were.

Yes, it’s beautiful.

However, when you’re terrified, all you can think is “how in the world am I going to get off of here….alive?!?” Yes, my mind went there. My foot slipped just a tad (seriously was not much in hindsight) and it sent me into a full blown anxiety attack. I could not move off of the rock I was pressed against. Heart rate was up. Mouth got dry. Sweating was intense. Eyes were leaking and nose was running. For a few moments, I believe I was “scared to death.”

My son came and helped guide me back in the safest and least scary way possible. I was a bit embarrassed that I was so afraid. In the midst of trying to be safe and cry and not hyperventilate, I mumbled under my breath multiple times…..”Lord, please help me.” I started praying 1 Peter 5:7 to remind myself to “cast my anxiety on Him because He cares for me.” That’s all I knew to do.

I don’t have a pretty end to the story that is as clean as “I prayed and all of my fear is gone.” But I did pray. And He did help me. (I’m writing this blog today, so I made it!) It’s easy to feel like a Spiritual peon because I can’t shake that fear. Exposure therapy didn’t make it better. But in the moment, I called on Him in prayer, I quoted His Word, and He helped me THROUGH the fear. It’s not gone. But neither is He.

Maybe you don’t have a fear of falling. Maybe it’s social anxiety, fear of spiders, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of being alone, fear of dying, fear of being exposed, fear of _____________. You know what blank applies to you. As a Believer who continues to walk with the Lord, who wants to know Him more and love Him better…..let me assure you that He would love to join you in the middle of your ________________ and be with you THROUGH it. I won’t discount your faith if the fear is still there…..the enemy of our souls is good enough at that. But I do have full confidence in saying that inviting Him in to whatever it is you are facing will give Him the opportunity to help shoulder that burden.

Fear of ______________ is scary.

Invite Him in. He will give you strength THROUGH it.

The “It’s Time” Tour made a stop in Birmingham on May 25.

Natalie Grant.

Tasha Cobbs Leonard.

Tamela Mann.

Katie Torwalt.

Naomi Raine.

Powerful voices singing an even more powerful message. From the get go, the ladies told the entire crowd that they had battled through some intense Spiritual warfare just to be there that night. No details were provided…..yet.

What I can tell you is that as my daughter and I were walking towards the concert hall, the crowd headed that way looked like potpourri. Tall. Short. Bald heads. Gray heads. Braids. Buns. Wedges. Tennis shoes. Great grandmothers being escorted in on walkers. (This is where my crying started. Their resolve to worship Jesus spoke so loudly without saying a word.) A 10-year old sitting next to me. Every shade of skin color. It was beautiful.

As the music began, every hindrance amongst the crowd was dropped. We clapped. We raised hands. We laid on hands and prayed. We cried. We expressed gratitude. We. Had. Church.

When Natalie Grant took the stage for her solo portion, she shared that she wondered why there was SO MUCH opposition to the Tour happening in Birmingham that night. She shared that she had done a bit of research about Birmingham and that it made sense……because the crowd did not reflect the racial bondage that continues to hold Birmingham (and most of Alabama, to be honest) captive today. She talked about how beautiful the sea of people was…..reflective of THE Body of Christ….THE Church. It was one of those moments that it felt like a mass hug was in order. The Holy Spirit was in the room.

Thank you, Natalie, Naomi, Tamela, Tasha and Katie for fighting through pain, pneumonia and other afflictions to sing Hope over our city. Thank you for not backing down and for fighting against what we can’t see so that we got to “see” what we did see!

May 25 was an Altar of Remembrance night. We. Had. Church.

Today’s world has made online shopping commonplace for most. Long gone are the days when you shopped from a catalog (made with paper and ink) to pick out your clothing or home decor, only to call a 1-800 number to place your order over the phone. Today, you hop on an app of some sort, find what you want (and many things you don’t!) and add it to your cart. Once you pay for your purchases, you can follow their journey. They start out in processing as your order is connected to some human or some robot on the other side. It’s packaged up and made ready to send towards you. Then…..you can watch the status of your package while it is “in transit.” We’ve gotten spoiled to think we can order it today and have it in our hands within 24 hours. Sometimes, though, the package gets stuck “in transit.” While we know it’s on the way and that there is a final destination in store, we don’t know where the package is, if the package is safe or demolished, and when the package will, in fact, actually arrive. Sometimes, the “in transit” process is an exciting period of waiting for something anticipated; other times, it’s a point of frustration as we sit in the uncertainty of an unfilled order.

In Genesis 37, we get an in-depth introduction to Joseph, one of many sons of Jacob, but the one who is hated by all of his brothers because he’s loved the most by their father. (Ricki Lake, Maury Povich and Dr. Phil could have gotten an early start with this family.) Aside from the family junk, there was something special about him. He dreamed dreams. He shared his dreams. He was isolated because of his dreams. What did all of this mean? There was something special about the “package,” but there was so much unknown as it was all “in transit.”

Joseph’s brothers threw him in a cistern and left him for dead. They changed their mind, got him out, and sold him into slavery. They lied to their father about his status. Joseph earned the favor of Potiphar and then was falsely accused by his wife. He found himself imprisoned and then, in an amazing turn of events, found his gift of dreams to be a tremendous blessing. Through an amazing journey of events, Joseph became the saving grace for the same brothers who once tried to kill him. He showed us a powerful example of the power of forgiveness when we’ve been hurt – especially by those who “shouldn’t” do that to us. We tell his story often as an inspiration to persevere, to not give up in challenging circumstances, and to remind others that good really can come out of what seems to be really bad.

I love the fact that we start with Joseph in Genesis 37 and continue through his “in transit” process. I love that we can see his resolve and faith as he continually got knocked down and always got back up. But do you know what the most powerful part of the story is? Joseph had not read the “delivery story” of his life while he was “in transit.” THAT is why we can be encouraged by his story to press on in ours.

Surely Joseph experienced some concern when his brothers threw him in the cistern and left him for dead, no water to be found.

Surely Joseph got a little nervous when those same brothers sold him off into slavery.

Surely Joseph had some angst when his integrity was smothered out by someone’s selfish intentions as he was falsely accused and imprisoned.

As he was “in transit,” he knew who his father (and Father) was, he knew the gifts he had been given, and he knew that he was not made to be a conformist. Those incredible attributes allow us to read the “delivered” message of Genesis 50:20 when Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

He didn’t have access to the “delivered” message as he went through the processing, the shipping, or the in transit. He remained faithful and believed that, SOMEHOW, everything that was happening was going to be used for the good. Maybe for him. Maybe for others.

So can YOU.

Don’t quit “in transit.”

There are still parts of your story being written. To borrow the words of Pastor Greg Surrat, “maybe the thing you’ll be known for hasn’t even been done yet.”

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When I was a little girl, I wanted to reach the top of our toy shelf in the basement. No one was downstairs to help me and I was too impatient to wait for a response. I took it upon myself to stand on top of the back rest portion of a desk chair and stretch to reach what I wanted. In just an instant, the chair flipped, I landed on it, and found myself crying for my mom’s help as I bled. There began my fear of falling.

In 2017, we took the kids to Disney World over spring break. We had fast passes for a ride named “Expedition Everest.” As we walked around waiting for our arrival time to come, I decided it would help me to read about the roller coaster so I’d know what to expect. Mistake. BIG mistake.

I read something like “the tower was taken off the top of the coaster because of its interference with the airspace” and “the track appears to be broken in mid-air before you shift to another track to go backwards.” Cue the anxiety. Sweaty palms. Hurting stomach. I needed a way out. However, I sincerely tried not to pass my fear of falling (which most people love in relation to roller coasters) on to the kids. Our daughter, who was 10 at the time, said there was only ONE WAY she would ride the roller coaster…..if I was sitting right beside her. I rode it. I screamed. It was a great coaster and I have ridden it again. The interesting thing is that I would have never, ever ridden that had it not been for her. The courage of a ten year-old was necessary to help her mama conquer a lifelong fear.

Friend, you CAN do hard things. Often times, you will ONLY do them with the support and presence of another.

This past Saturday, I participated in a half-marathon. About 8 years ago, this was a bucket-list item. After some setbacks and some health issues, I “surrendered” that item and settled for 5ks. Until November of 2022.

I was getting ready for work one morning when I got a call from a school principal. One of their faculty members – a former co-worker of mine – unexpectedly and tragically passed away the night before. Jennifer was less than a year older than me. It hit hard. At her celebration of life service, the slideshow remembering her life had picture after picture of her running, of her crossing finish lines with her sisters. Her life and one of her passions – that I don’t even know about until she was gone – inspired me to sign up. Had she been here, Jennifer probably would have run the half-marathon. Since she couldn’t be here, I wanted to run it for her. Shortly after the service, I submitted my registration. #JoggingForJennifer

We had a lot of cold and wet weather here. I made a lot of excuses. I didn’t train enough. But I made a commitment to do this for my friend and I had the bonus blessing of having another friend sign up to run with me. The one difference? Gwen IS a runner. She has slayed several half-marathons this year alone. I told her she could run ahead and wait on me at the finish line. Her response? “Absolutely not. We will do this TOGETHER.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

My lack of training could have easily kept me at home. Getting in my own head about my speed could have sidelined me.

However, Jennifer inspired me to start and Gwen said she’d be by my side the whole time through the finish. These friends helped me accomplish something very hard, but something that was much less hard because I wasn’t alone.

Jennifer, thank you for being such a kind-hearted person who never let anyone go unnoticed. Thank you for never losing your zeal for teaching science to high school students. Thank you for loving your family like you did. There are so many people who are looking forward to Heaven to be able to see you again.

Gwen, thank you for helping me accomplish something I had tucked away several years ago. Your presence and your encouragement helped me cross that finish line. Thank you for slowing your pace to include a lot of walking….just to help me finish.

Friend, you can do hard things.

Invite someone into the story. and be the inspiration for someone else’s.

We are truly #BetterTogether.

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Today, our youngest child turned 17. At her birthday breakfast, she opened the card given to her by her brother (but not before he popped her in the head with it!!). When she opened up the card, some critters popped out from the middle with 3D words declaring, “I’M TELLING! I’M TELLING!” We chuckled about the card selection and our son said he selected it because those were his sister’s favorite words early in life. Maybe it actually was telling the truth. Maybe it was actually tattling. Maybe…..just maybe….it was blaming.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary,, blame means “to place responsibility for.” There is no doubt that everyone reading this blog has been blamed for something that WASN’T your responsibility. It’s also a certainty that everyone reading this blog has blamed someone else for something that WAS your responsibility. Blame was actually one of the first relational issues we read about in the book of Genesis.

In Genesis 2, there was God, there was the Garden, and there was Adam. There was purity. There was open communication and unhindered relationship. The Lord had a little conversation with Adam about all the Garden had to offer…..but gave him a clear directive that there was one tree (only ONE!) that he was not given freedom to eat of its fruit. No one else was there – the conversation was had with Adam alone. Realizing that he needed companionship, the Lord made Adam fall asleep and from him created Eve. All was good. Still open communication and unhindered relationship. Genesis 2:25 even says they were “naked and unashamed.” What an amazing place to be – ain’t no shame in their game! Yet.

We move on to Genesis 3 and the drama begins. We do not see in Scripture that the Lord speaks directly to Eve about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so we have to assume (dangerous, I know) that the information she received was through Adam. The serpent approaches her when she’s alone (he does his best work in isolation – stay connected!) and questions what God really said. It all goes downhill from here. She adds a little bit to the Truth, she gets enamored by what she sees, and she eats “the forbidden fruit.” Being generous, she even gave some to her husband!

Innocence is now gone.

Shame has now arrived.

And blame makes its way into the game.

Adam blamed “the woman You gave to me.” Eve blamed the serpent. And the rest of the story – including yours and mine – changed forever (I do understand that it was the eating from the tree that led to their removal from the Garden). Definitely doesn’t seem like the blame game was successful then – and it certainly isn’t successful now. So, what do we do?

One word can shatter the bondage of blame: OWNERSHIP. Merriam-Webster defines OWN as “to acknowledge to be true, valid, or as claimed : admit.” Can you imagine rewriting chapter 3 of Genesis from this perspective? The fruit had been eaten and the Lord inquired of Adam as to why they were hiding. What if his response – instead of blame – had been “I’m so sorry I left Eve alone. I didn’t protect her. I didn’t communicate well.” And what if Eve answered, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t listen well enough to understand what this meant. I followed the leading of my eyes and went for what I wanted instead of what You wanted.”

Dang!!! Ownership is powerful. Blaming is weak. But blaming is easier…..it requires less of us….and that is why it is so easy to do. To borrow the words of novelist Sarah Dessen, “Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.”

In a world that appears to become more and more fractured every day – our “game” plan has got to change. We will never win when our strategy is the blame “game.” We will continue to walk in the ruts of irresponsibility as long as that is our mode of operation. Think back one last time to Genesis 3. Could the entire narrative of humanity been different had shame not introduced us to blame?