My husband Steve and I enjoy traveling together, one of our favorite place to go is the beach, most of our vacations are at the beach. For me, a beach is a place I am reminded of the power of God’s creation, how he created this world for our enjoyment and it is also a place to dream.

For our 25th wedding anniversary, we traveled to Port Saint Joe, this is one of our favorite Florida destinations, we had a front-row seat every evening, to a beautiful art show of Gods doing. Steve and I also used our time away to vision cast our dreams, what would it feel and look like to see those dreams come true! One of our big dreams is to someday own an income property on or near one of our favorite Florida beaches, while that dreams reality may be a ways off one of my personal dreams is now becoming a reality, God prepared my heart 12 years ago to become a speaker, writer, and event planner for Christian women, I have been doing the event planning for the last 6 years , but now God is opening doors for me to write and speak and in doing so is preparing my life as such in other areas.

Never give up on the dreams God has planted in your heart, His plans are always better and He will always shape those plans in the way He created you. The other thing He does is that He prepares you, notice I said 12 years ago, I wasn’t prepared at that point to go out and make those dreams a reality, God used those years as preparation for what was to come, in Ephesians  2:10 it talks about how we are Gods workmanship, we are created for good works which He prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.

In Psalms139:13-14 God shows us that from our very beginning He created us, it says; “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Did you get that? We are to praise Him! The very one who created us also knows the plan for our lives and He will reveal and show us that plan in His own time, the very dreams we dream are from Him, He plants them in our hearts then waters them until it is time for them to bloom.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God says; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God is a God of dreams and hope, His desire is always for our best.

What dreams has God planted deep in your soul?  Will you trust him to see them bloom?

Lord, remind us that know we are fearfully made, that your plans are always for our good and that the dreams in our hearts were planted there by you, help us in our doubt and to always to turn to you. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Saved To Serve,

Maggie P

God has been showing me many things here lately, I started making it a practice each morning to get up and get quiet before God, I have been reading in a devotional book called Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst, there are several things that have spoke to my heart but the one thing that has really stood out is this quote from Lysa in the book, “The exact way God made you is in keeping with how God will use you.”

Tonight at church Jimmy talked about starting and how God closes doors and opens others, I took a giant scary step toward my dreams that God planted in my heart 12 years ago and did something that will give me forward momentum to reaching my dream, I don’t think it is a coincidence that at this same time I take another very bold step out of my comfort zone to go public with my weight loss journey, the whole thing scares the bejesus out of me…lol

So as Lysa TerKeurst quoted “The exact way God made you is in keeping with how God will use you.” and today I truly believe through much prayer God is doing exactly that! I am excited about this new journey and will continue to tune in to what God speaks to me, knowing all the while that The very way God made me will always keep with how He uses me!

Saved To Serve,

Maggie P

                                                                         Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate, For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Hiking through the woods is a good illustration of this concept that Jesus talks about in this passage… One of the paths in an area in my hometown stretches from one highway to another, there are parts of that trail that get very narrow and difficult to walk in some of the places, that’s how it is for us when we walk “through the small gate and on the narrow road, one slight misstep and down you go.

Let’s face it the easy way would be through the wide gate and on the broad road, in the woods I speak of there is a broad road on one end of the trail , there used to be a rest area and picnic tables there ,now at that end of the trail it is blocked off so you can only park there and walk. The path is easy to walk until you get to the wooded area where it cuts through the woods to the other entrance.

The thing is this, like this parable of the narrow and wide gates, God is simply saying we have a choice to make, one way is the easy way but will cost your life, the other way is difficult but leads to life! I can’t tell you how many times when hiking that trail on one of the more narrow paths I will roll an ankle or stumble a bit that’s how it is when we chose the path God sets before us.

Which gate and path will you chose? The wide gate leading to the broad road or the small gate and the narrow road. God has already chosen the path for our lives, will you obey and follow it or stray and be lost? the choice is up to you.

Saved To Serve,

Simply Peg

1 Samual 16:7

There is a head knowledge of knowing that what God thinks of me is far more important than what others think of me, but can we be honest here we all have a desire deep down to be liked or have the approval of others. So many times in my life I have felt overlooked as if I couldn’t possibly have something of significance to say, I have been planning retreats and events in a church setting for at least 25 years and every time until most recent years the planning team would always mention women who would be great speakers but never ask me to speak, in fairness I probably didn’t volunteer either because I had that little voice in my head telling me no one wants to hear what you have to say.

Think of it this way, you are lined up in gym class and the teacher says we are going to play kickball, the teacher chooses two players to be captains, usually the ones the teacher knows to be strong players, you are the one who is a little on the heavy side, who is a slow runner, but good at catching and throwing but always the very last to be chosen for either team, you are overlooked because of the extra pounds you carry.

Let’s take a look into Gods word  1 Samual 16:7 tells the story of David being chosen as King when he was just a small boy, David’s Father Jesse lined up all his sons but David for Samual to consider as the future King, was Jesse’s oversight of David intentional? Maybe, maybe not perhaps he thought one of his sons would be immediately taking the throne, whatever his reason we see that David was overlooked, he was left to tend to the sheep.

Like David I always felt overlooked because of my outward appearance, I was a fluffy girl or so I thought back in school, oh what I would give now to be that size, but that is another blog post for another time. God is clear with Samual, this is what the Lord said to him, ” Do not consider his outward appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samual 16:7NIV) If we read further on we see that David as a young man took on a giant with only a rock and slingshot, he had a strong faith even when his outward appearance would have made him be overlooked for being on the front lines of any war. We also read that later in life David struggled but God continued to use him even in the seasons of disobedience, again another blog post for another time.

Until 12 years ago I wasn’t really sure of my calling or the direction God wanted me to go, I went on a silent retreat and God got real with me, I have always had a heart that was and is shaped for women’s ministry and like David it was during this retreat that God revealed to me his plan for my life and that was and is to speak and write to the hearts of women and also to create opportunities for both. I know all too painfully what it feels like to be overlooked and now I create opportunities for women to be heard and also like David God didn’t immediately open that door, he took time to grow me and continues to grow me in those areas.

My best friend Jackie and I share a birthday and most always give one another a gift card to a bookstore as we share a love for all things books! This year we went to Barns and Noble and both purchased the same book, Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst, this book has resonated in both our souls, it is funny how Jackie and I talk most days and share a little nugget from this book, how God directs us to just the right message for that day. Lysa is so real in the stories she shares, it was a devotion on 1 Samual 16:7 that really spoke to my heart It wasn’t until I read the prayer at the end of this devotion that it really clicked for me, Lysa prayed the very prayer of my heart  ” Dear Lord, I’m grateful that even when I feel overlooked, I can rest in the fact that I am hand picked by you. here is the important part that really spoke deep to my soul, ” Help me live my life for an audience of one, In Jesus name, Amen.”

What a reminder to me that even if God doesn’t open a door for me to speak to the hearts of woman, I should be living my life for an audience of one!

Saved To Serve,

Simply Peg

Foot Note:

Check out the links in the Author and Books section on this blog and hop on over to https://lysaterkeurst.com/ or follow her on https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLysa/ and also https://www.proverbs31.org/ and check out Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast.

                                                           Photo Credit: Dixie Durbin

Doubt sees the obstacle, faith sees the way

Doubt sees the darkest night, faith sees the day.

Amish Proverb on Faith

The words grace, peace, and simplicity come to mind when I look at this picture above, taken on a local Amish farm in Southern Indiana, this picture represents to me the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle, on this particular day several of the Amish from nearby farms have gathered as the sun comes up to help Sarah and John build an addition on to their farmhouse, Sarah and John’s son has come from Pennsylvania to help out as well and will stay with the family for at least a couple of months, the house is full of children and woman cooking meals while the men and boys are outside helping build the addition. 

The family is the most important social unit in Amish culture and as the children grow they learn from a very early age about life on the farm. Just as in English culture, there is nothing easy about farming, it is never ending, sore backs, callused hands, sun up to sun down kind of work.  Amish farming is very similar to the way our ancestors did long ago, by horse-drawn plows and hay balers, not by the number of horsepower under the hood of a tractor, it’s in the power of the horse and the commands of its owner.

When I think in terms of the Amish lifestyle, I think in reference to a much simpler time, for part of my childhood I lived on a farm, and while we had modern conveniences the work was the same, the process to achieve the work is what is the difference but even then I feel our life was much more simplistic back then than in today society, everything is done at the speed of fiber optics these days, we are so connected to our devices and electronics we almost disconnect from each other.

In a community of people who cherish the family, look to children as a gift from God  welcoming them with great joy, who also take care of their elderly by staying a family unit well into their golden years, I can’t help but feel that these God fearing, God loving,  peaceful living people have the right idea about life, and being a connected community, where grace and forgiveness are the norms and not the exception.

The buggies in this picture could well be a Sunday morning, church host for Sarah and John, instead of a building raising, there is just something so simple and serene about it, living authentically and peacefully is just a way of life for the Amish, we English can learn a lot from their lifestyle of grace and simplicity.

The following scriptures remind me of our fellow Amish communities, their faith may be no greater than ours but their trust in God and for His provision is a matter of fact as it comes, there is no question that God provides for their every need, in Matthew 6:25-27, this scripture reminds us of how God provides for all of our needs

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

and Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  it is a reminder to us English folks that we certainly need to live much simpler and content lives, to disconnect to reconnect with one another.

Heavenly Father, help us to learn to be content in all things, especially in a world that goes at the speed of light, help us to connect with one another and to be authentic in our relationships, to trust you for all things and in all things. We are a world community of people, help us to show one another grace, love and when it calls for it forgiveness. Lord, help us all to live authentically, in your name we pray this, Amen.

Saved To Serve,

Simply Peg

How many times have I looked at the number on a scale and thought HELP! maybe once, maybe never, don’t get me wrong I look at the number and know I need help but ignore it, that was until a little over a year ago when I had an in your face wake up call. In March of 2017, I sat in the local ER getting my heart checked out, I was having chest pains and had been without my regular meds for 8 days because I couldn’t keep anything down and this is what I was focused on, why can’t I keep anything down? they gave me fluids for dehydration, ran an EKG for my heart which was fine and ran a battery of bloodwork, which was not so fine, turns out I had a blood clot in my lung, Dr is telling me we need to do a CT scan with contrast, I am like no I can’t I am allergic to the dye, so off by ambulance I  go to another hospital  3 towns away, meanwhile I am still stuck on why can’t I keep anything down??

This is the question I ask anybody and everybody who will listen, the doctor who ordered me to this hospital comes and after my many questions about why I can’t keep anything down, she says to me I need you to understand  you have a blood clot in your lung, we need to do this VT scan to determine where in your lung it is, then we need to put you out and get rid of it. in the meantime, if it moves before that it is 10 seconds from your lung to your heart and it isn’t a matter if you will die, but when you will die, there is a very good chance you will not see the end of the day if this happens.

I receive this news all by myself, so I call my Dad and tell him what the doctor said and he tells me to have my husband call him, he is booking a flight on the next plane out of Florida to come be with me, meanwhile my husband arrives and I have to tell him what the doctor said and then tell him my wishes because at this point I have nothing in writing.  The doctor needed me to realize the situation was life and death serious, the next thing that happened is my life flashing before my eyes.

Let me tell you God will use and do whatever he needs to in order to wake you up, turns out I am also allergic to the dye in the VT scan no more shellfish for me. So what does this all have to do with a hill of beans? bare with me, that was an eye-opening experience and it was a game changer in so many ways. We only get one life and zero do-overs, but I feel I got a second chance that day, my allergic reaction was a server one and I was admitted and because of being admitted the doctors were able to pinpoint what was making me so sick, I was diagnosed with Diabetic Gastroparesis, most likely brought on from food poisoning , it had laid dormant  for a few months and when I had ate something bad again it went full-blown, a couple months after my diagnosis I joined Weight Watchers only to have to stop by doctors orders, I was losing weight too fast 13 pounds in one week, but I did get on medication and get regulated.

So fast forward to April 3 of this year, having already lost 20 pounds in a good way I rejoined Weight Watchers and as of this week I earned my 10-pound charm, I am now 30.8 pounds lighter! As I write this a couple of friends and accountability partners and myself attended a Weight Watcher meeting of a man named Mike who has inspired each of us and if that wasn’t enough we went to dinner and got to share our stories as he shared his! I thank God for bringing my two friends along on this journey, for their prayers and support, for Mike and his continued inspiration and encouragement, for Georgena our Weight Watcher leader who is why I am back on the program, but most of all I am glad that God spared my life so that maybe I can be that inspiration to others someday along this journey.

My wake up call came in March of 2017, my new life journey began on April 3 of 2018, I invite you to join me through this blog as I journey through to goal and everything in between as I shed this whole other person I am carrying with me. With God, all things are possible, Even This!

Saved To Serve

Simply Peg