Speed Up for the Finish Line~Don’t Slow Down

This senior season it would be so simple to slip into rest and solitude for me. I am extremely good at saying no thank you to invitations and opportunities to be with others. Yes, I have been bold in sharing my faith with others in the form of my book. But calling a friend or spending time with others is much more difficult for me. I know that God is shifting my focus for a podcast that He keeps pressing me to start. No longer do I believe I am to be the single voice over the airwaves. It is His Will that I have conversations with others to share our life stories not just mine. 

Paul wrote the above quote while he was in prison awaiting death and chained in a cold underground cell. Even in those circumstances, his heart’s desire was to continue sharing the love of Christ with others. It is clear to me that each of us has opportunities to reach out or hold back. This calling is not about a book, a blog, or a podcast. It is to be there for others throughout our daily routines. To create the connections that we need to have in life. 

You all must be exhausted by my words always being about how I need to reach out more but rarely actually pick up the phone. It is so comfortable to get in the routine of only connecting with a handful of comfortable people rather than including a wider network of people into life. I apologize to each of you. But I write what God puts on my heart and He knows that I stubbornly need to be reminded and encouraged time and time again. The struggle is not that I am too busy but that I isolate myself. That is so frustrating to me. Thankfully, God never gives up on me and how I strive to live my life for Him.

 

Expect a call from me or better yet, call me. Kick me in the butt to share a cup of coffee and conversation. Smack me in the head to pick up the phone when you call and converse. How many of us are sitting here alone with our cup of hot coffee when we could be sharing it with someone in our contact list of phone numbers? Young Life has a directive………..never do anything alone that you could do with a teen. That means whether you are spreading fertilizer in your garden or returning items you never should have purchased to Target. Call a teen and ask them to join you. The same is true with life as a retired person or a mom with littles. Invite someone to join you. Isn’t it true that we all have a need to be included? But just don’t limit your invitations to your handful of peeps. Call someone you haven’t connected with in a while. They may be shocked initially to hear from you but oh what joy to catch up. That is how we turn our handful of people into so much more. 

So here is to running our race well every step of the way. It is so much more rewarding when we know that those we spend time with here will join us in heaven one day. These connections are for forever and so worth pursuing. 

In Him,

Joyful

9-21-25

Dream Come True Fancy Pants Style

 Three glasses of wine, a ride home, and an incredible find. So I rode home with Jenn after a third glass of wine in several hours time. Yes, she was okay to drive but I wanted to go with her regardless. Ronnie B stayed at the pub for a chat with a friend. We passed our lemon lot and this little gem was on the lot for sale. We whipped around to have a look. To begin with I didn’t think it was a convertible since it has a retractable hard top. My hopes soared when I got out and saw the details that it was only 5k and a convertible. How could this scratchless beauty be so inexpensive. I called the number on the sign and texted as well to be safe. All this before I even told Ron about it. Mark, the owner, called me back and said we could meet in the morning since I was the first to call. When Ron got home he encouraged me to go to the 24 hour video teller and get cash in hand.

Needless to say, Fancy Pants is now mine and I must admit I got a bit of a sunburn driving her for hours just to feel the wind in my hair. It appears I need to go hat and sunglasses shopping to look appropriate in this sweet ride. Jenn had not left for Texas so she was the first to get a ride. Then Lissa got to drive her a bit joltingly I might add. It has been awhile since she drove a stick. 

So Fancy is a 2008 Mazda mx5 with heated seats and has six gears that I apparently need to learn to use. Her lid goes up and tucks away with the touch of a button. Her previous owner loves Mazdas and treated her like his baby. She is spotless. She has 162k miles and all her maintenance records. 

Ronnie B is heading out for an archeology conference in Chaco Canyon today so I have the weekend to give everyone rides. Bring your sunscreen and let’s fly. 

In Him,

Joyful

9-19-25

His Plan and His Purpose for My Life and Podcast

Be open handed with the plan but keep a firm grip on the purpose. Steven Furtick

My life goal is to know Him and to make Him known. That is my purpose. To build an ever closer relationship with Jesus and to help others see the gift that is His presence in my life. To share His unconditional love for them and how they never have to take a step without Him right next to them. The gift of His presence is what I hope to share with any and everyone who crosses my path. That is my purpose to not only make heaven more crowded but to have others have a relationship with Jesus here on earth. 

My plan has been to continue sharing my life and my faith with each of you through my blog. It is a selfish plan since it is so healing for me and gives me a voice to share. Then came the book. Not a book that I wrote but a journal of my walk through losing my son to suicide. It was proof for me and for others that Jesus never left me for a moment in my grief but surrounded me with others to love me through the tears. It was my plan to share that journey right here on my page but God had other plans. Leona turned it into a book as a gift to me and with the help of Susi, Leona, and others it became a book to share. Now I keep this with me to give to others who I meet throughout my daily travels. I never expected to connect with so many people the story of God’s love in my life. But here I am buying author’s copies a hundred books at a time to give to people who cross my path. 

In 2023, God put it on my heart to start a podcast to share more of my story. The adoption of my family, the classroom that I had, Young Life tales, and raising my kids. How do you title something that needs to encompass life in general? I had no idea. God said Stepping Out With Jesus. Not stepping out for Jesus but with Jesus. That is perfect. Because I don’t ever want to take a step without Him. I don’t want others to have to face life without Him. So I got the website on Anchor podcasts and wrote a couple episodes. I even went through old blog posts to see what needed to be included. Then I got long covid. Here it is two years later and I have not put this into motion. 

Whether it is fear, laziness, or just excuses this has been on my heart but not in my hands. It has occurred to me that I need an accountability partner to press me to stop waiting and move. I don’t need all the details or the promise of success. I just need to put my heart out there on the airwaves like I do here with you. 

I have asked a couple people to cohost with me thinking that would be the motivation to step up. That did not go as planned. On a recent trip, I met a heart sister who would be perfect to share this vision with me. We are connected on so many levels in life. But maybe rather than seeking a cohost I need to have contributors to my podcast and man up and keep the purpose in my hands while the reins remain in God’s hands. So here I sit once again motivated and encouraged that God has this. I just need to stay close enough to hear His steps for moving forward. After all, it is Stepping Out With Jesus.

In Him,

Joyful

9-16-25

Read the Room Noni

 I heard something very clarifying yesterday. Someone close to me expressed concern that I read the Bible, share my faith but also say inappropriate things at times. It never occurred to me that anyone would view me that way. I never think of being in a relationship with Jesus meant I needed to be stodgy or not get silly. Jesus is right by my side but life is full of opportunities for joy in the silly, in the serious, and in the quiet moments. Never have I ever wanted to be holier than thou. Do I want to do God’s will for my life? Absolutely. But being a Christ follower does not mean giving up a life abundant with fun. 

Ronnie B and I just spent three weeks in Ireland and Barcelona, Spain. We learned so much on this archeology trip but it was not also filled with connections with others, beer and whiskey in noisy pubs, and time to hold hands throughout our day. My grandparents and parents had a faith in Jesus that allowed them to live fulfilled life while also kicking up their heels. Mom and Dad had the best New Year’s Eve parties filled with laughter and goofiness. Yes, we even played a few games that could have been viewed by Mrs. Craving from Bewitched as off color. But the memories of rubbing my dad’s calf in Leggy Weggy to see if it was Ron’s is still a fond memory. I picked my dad’s leg because it was muscular and Ron is a runner. What a surprise when I took off the blindfold to see my dad’s calf in my hands. That told me something about my dad. He didn’t run hurdles but he worked hard in construction to have legs of steel. Some of the moments that come in my view of my dad who died too soon, are those where he is throwing his head back in laughter. He had joy along with faith and hard work. 

Life is a balance and it is okay to step into our humor. What I know now is I might need to temper or filter myself with those who don’t see my heart clearly. It is not fun to be misunderstood. But I need to learn better how to read the room. Just because I know my heart doesn’t mean it is clearly to others. So I will leave my inappropriate silliness to myself more. But I really hate the idea of filters. Ask anyone they will tell you that it is futile for Ronnie B to check me with Filters, Noni, Filters. But at the same time I want to represent Jesus with my whole life so I need to pray a bit more about this. 

In Him,

Joyful

Living the Life I Have and Loving It

 My picture was one most mother’s have. The life of my adult children’s lives entwined creating memories together with their families. I have prayed endlessly for this. Today at Montserrat Monastery, I  lit a candle with my prayer. We have not all been together in fifteen years at Ryan’s funeral. 

It is not one person’s doing. Life unfolds. What I need to do is be thankful spent with any of my grown kids and the beautiful families they have created. Spending time with kids, grandkids and even great grandkids is me building lasting memories in all our lives. 

Perhaps we will all enjoy being together one day. Even if that doesn’t happen, I must learn to find joy in this beautiful family I get to embrace. 

In Him, 

Joyful

European Trip and the Most Heartfelt Encounters

 

What an honor I have been given to share my story with the most incredible people on the planet. This is Juan from Chili serving others with his contagious smile. To share our stories was a treat. He misses his Madre who is oceans away. I shared my book on losing my son and my faith walk after that loss with this twenty-six year old. He brought us dessert and insisted on a photo and a hug. 

For the past five years God has given me the gift of boldness to share how I live my life stepping out with Jesus always by my side. Hearing other people’s story as I gift them mine connects us in the most special way. God does that. 

This is Lexi. She is studying in Dublin for a semester. She will turn twenty-one here. I bought her an iced coffee and listened to her adventures and how she misses her mom. She is so grateful for FaceTime to connect. I got to jot a note in her book about how courageous she is in this adventure. 

Another book went to Jerome in Killarney who spends his day writing in his bakery. He doesn’t think anyone would be interested in his words but I did my best to convince him otherwise. Still another to a young waiter named Dave who was especially helpful and pleasant. He gave me my first ever gin and tonic. Okay I chose to drink that particular drink because of the pretty blue bottle. When I shared my book and my story, he shared the loss of a close friend to suicide two weeks before. He pushed up his sleeve and had a tattoo for Dylan on his wrist right where I have mine for Ryan and Hector. The embrace that followed was life giving. Connections bring us together in the most incredible ways. Then there was the young waitress in Dingle that had the scars of cutting up and down her arm. I shared how Alicia and I started writing because she craved the blade. Writing was an alternative to cutting. This waitress did not cover her scars but shared them with the knowledge that they were not to be ashamed of but to show what she had overcome. Each of us needs that lesson to share the hard things we have lived through.

Our trip was an archeology tour of Ireland  in the eleven days we shared our group became family  Each of us has a story that needed to be shared  I am sure many of us will become lifelong friends  As I gave each one my story in book form their own heartaches came out. Even our bus driver and guide had a twenty something daughter he needs prayers for. Connecting and expanding our prayer circle is the greatest gift of the trip  

Finally, on our plane from Dublin to Barcelona we were by the most loving young mother. She had two girls who were more than a handful. Her nonverbal daughter was overwhelmed with her first plane ride and shrieked most of the trip. Did this disturb others? Absolutely. But this mom did not let that upset her. She loved her daughters through this without ever apologizing for who they are or how they handled this terrifying adventure. I let her know in the cover of my book just how much I admire her for staying calm in the chaos.

God gives me opportunities each and everyday to connect with others and let them know how much they positively impact those around them. I am beyond thankful to connect with people and let Jesus be the center of each encounter. 

I left New Mexico with twenty-five books and have two left. I can’t wait to see who the next two are that will fill my heart with joy. 

In Him,

Joyful

9-10-25

A Faith Filled Life

Ron and I have been exploring Ireland and been blessed with sunshine and rain intermittently. It has been an adventure meeting the people and hearing their history. 

How blessed we feel to have walked through life together with a shared love and faith. Our hope is to continue thanking God for our family and friends, trusting Hom with our future, serving others along our path and keeping God close as the center of our relationship. 

This trip I have been honored to share our faith walk through losing our son. So many books have been shared. Our testimony gives us an opportunity to share how walking with Jesus in our lives has been our most treasured gift. I love the stories and connections that come from sharing our faith. 

In Him, 

Joyful 

9-5-25