We are walking, talking "masterpieces" created in the most amazing and marvelous fashion. The more I study the human body, the more I marvel at the power of the Divine Craftsman. We truly are fearfully and wonderfully made! Pictured is a drawing of a laminin. This is a cell adhesion molecule. Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue. Laminins are what hold us together, literal

How does "hope" transform you from a word? Hmm, herein lies a deep secret that few find, yet it is a simple treasure to be mined. The answer lies at the start of the Book of John, "In the beginning was the Word..." This morning I tried to imagine this: just God and the Word, nothing else. This is the beginning of all things. The mystery of this passage lends us more clarity as we continue on, "...and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". God and the Word are one. This

Hope, joy and peace seem to be in short supply these days! Is it any wonder that anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the United States? Over 16 million adults are diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Nearly half of all people diagnosed with depression also have anxiety disorder. (1) I suffered through a few years of depression when my boys were in elementary school. It was a very difficult season of life. Thankfully, with the help of medication, prayer, i

I've always been facsinated with the manna that was heaven-sent on a daily basis to the Isrealites for their 40 year journey in the desert. They were on their way to the land of "milk and honey". But for now, they had to be satisfied with manna, day after day. What is manna, exactly? It is made of sprouted grains that contains no salt, sugar, yeast or gluten. Well, that doesn't sound very appetizing! Yet it is nutrient dense and easy to digest. The Bible describes it like thi

I readily admit that I do not have a green thumb. Maybe it's my helicopter parenting style that causes me to overwater most of my plants. Eventually they die from rotten roots. On a recent morning walk, I spied this fallen tree pictured here. It's roots were black and rotten. I couldn't help thinking what a shame it was that the whole tree suffered as a result of these little rotten roots. The tree looked to be in pretty good shape. It's deadly base had not yet caused any mal

Parrots are gawky and screech annoyingly. However, it's their brilliant colors that attract me. Their splashes of the rainbow bring visual delight! If you see them flying as a group, however, their beauty takes a backseat to their disorganized flying patterns. Surely there must be a plan to their winged madness. On one of my morning walks, I heard that unmistakable squaking from afar. I looked up to see about ten parrots flying in the same general direction. One, however, one

I probably look like I'm practicing for the Olympic skating division. While walking, you might see me suddenly kick my leg to the side. Why? The trees drop these cone-shaped shells to the ground. I not only want to avoid tripping on them on my next walk, I want to leave the pathway clear for any walkers coming after me. It's such a simple effort. I've listened to a very well-known Bible teacher remind us to always make the effort to return our shopping cart to the designated

The bumper sticker said, "Wag more, bark less". I observed it on a recent morning walk. Now I see it daily since I walk by this car on my route. I laughed out loud the first time I saw it. How delightful! Then I wondered what a waging tail signified in doggy language. I found that it doesn't necessarily mean they are happy. It's a little more complex than that. If their tail wags more to the left (as pictured above), it is a sign of negativity and you should not approach the

Sometimes I run and hide. Sometimes I fight. This is the normal reaction to stress. Lately, I have been experiencing a transformation. Like the caterpillar, inching his way along in life before hiding away in his chrysalis, I have been on a similar journey. I stopped blogging for the month of July. After my 3-1/2 year book writing journey, I had reached burnout. Creating my business and writing my book has cost me dearly, on all levels. It has been a very frustrating path to

When God's love overflows in us, we are able to love others! This is the secret to finding joy and hope in life. Have a blessed week! #ShalomHealth

Pictured here on the right is my sister, Arlene. I'm still in a state of amazement! Over ten years ago God whispered an impossible idea to me, "Write a book about your faith journey." I practically yelled back, "Are you serious? Are you kidding me?" I was barely handling life as a mom with two special needs boys. I was never sure how much strength and energy I would have to survive the next day. I was always in survival mode! I did, however, promise God to at least ponder the

I can still hear my toddler shout, "I can do it myself!" Although it's the beginning of an independent mindset, the immature child doesn't yet have the wisdom to be making all the decisions. Although I was raised in a Christian home, I became restless at age 20 and started on a quest for spiritual fulfillment. I would learn how to dwell in altered states of consciousness. I would experience transcendental meditation from the teachings of the Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Look closely. Do you see the ladybug covered with droplets of dew? She is extravagantly draped with nature's beads. She sparkles when the sun arises. When she sees food on this flower, she will taste it.This is the usual order of nature. In God's order, it is: taste it, then you will see. I've always loved the verse in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him." Isn't it fascinating that God wants us to "taste" before "seeing

So many friends have asked me this one question over the last 26 years that I finally decided to share my answer on a larger scale. The question was always the same, "How do you cope and stay hopeful?" I have spoken to many groups over the last couple of decades to answer this question. It was my intent to share more of my answers on this Sparkling Hope site. Although my answer is simple, it is multidimensional. You will be able to read the whole story in my book, "The Song o

Of all the amazing earthly benefits of Christianity, my most treasured jewel is my daily renewing. Each morning I sit in God's presence, and I am made new. Each time I leave my morning sacred space, I leave refreshed in spirit, mind and body. Last week I wrote about the importance of taking a daily respite. This routine gives you the benefit of participating in the life-giving force of Jesus' power. When we wait upon the Lord, He renews our strength and gives us the power to

A recent Gallop Poll showed that 80% of Americans are reporting that they are stressed (1). The CDC reports that 110 million people die each year as a direct result of stress (2). The NIH says that continued strain on your body from routine stress can lead to: heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety disorder and other illnesses (2). Science has also proven that a respite has many benefits including: more energy, reduction in inflammation, better slee

Below is the second blog I shared with you back in August 2017. My coffee mug, pictured here, had been created from my logo. Just gazing at my design and the Romans 15:13 Scripture brightened my day! My friend Paul Litzinger helped to improve the design and I made a larger version of these beautiful coffee mugs. They are now available for you too! To purchase, see the mug pictured at the top of the Blog page and click just below the mug photo. Now for my encore presentation o

I'm not going to lie. This is an uncomfortable subject. As parents of kids with autism, bipolar disorder, sensory processing disorder or other special needs, we sometimes feel like failures. We're embarrassed that we don't know how to control our child. Well I have good news, there is help! This problem is more common than we thought, but there is a reluctance to talk about it. We struggled with our son's aggression for many heartbreaking years, but I've learned a lot along t

I've been a lover of solitude and silence most of my life, probably because I get overstimulated very easily. Although I love going out to eat with family and friends, I usually come home exhausted form the onslaught of stimulation to my senses. There was, however, a season of silence that was incredibly painful; my years of infertility. I yearned for a baby and longed to hear my little one call me "Mommy." Ironically, our first adopted child, Sean, was only able to utter a h

Sweet memories float by like bubbles blown into a soft breeze. I feel revived when I let my mind drift over beautiful thoughts. It would be years before I realized this is a secret to healthy living. Letting our thoughts dwell in places of beauty breathes life into every fiber of our being. God's method of creating life was to speak His Words of creation. His breath caused life to form. When we sit quietly and read His Words, then speak them out loud, His Spirit creates new l