Monthly Archives: June 2020

Finding the Rainbow

Date Night

We saw an incredible rainbow last night after we picked up the kids to go home from date night. I am just like a little kid when I see rainbows. I always have to stop and take a picture. We had to stop and get gas, so I was able to take a picture. The rainbow stayed with us most of the way home. We even saw a double one a few times.

There’s something about a gorgeous rainbow in the midst of a storm. It always reminds me of God’s enduring promises and faithfulness.

The Forming of Rainbows

There are no rainbows without gray clouds and rain. You won’t find a rainbow on a sunny day. A rainbow can only be seen when it’s raining and the sun is shining. The darker the clouds, the more brilliant the colors of the rainbow shine. Only God could show us beauty in the midst of a storm.

I think maybe it’s God’s reminder to look for the beauty in the storms of life. Life can be difficult. You may be going through a difficult time, but there is a beauty that can only be found in going through a storm. It’s knowing and feeling God’s presence. It’s a feeling you don’t get any other time than when you’re in a storm.

Maria Goff, in her book, Love Lives Here, says, “What I think God does is to allow each of us to go through difficult times to show us His presence through it.”

Finding the Beauty in the Storm

Wherever you’re at right now, choose to look for the beauty. You may be in the midst of a storm. The skies around you may be dark and cloudy right now. You may feel so far away from God, but if you look carefully, you can find the rainbow. It’s the presence of God. He hasn’t left you. He is right beside you. Look for Him, and you will find Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:13, 14a

He may show up in a Bible verse you read that reminds you of His great love. He may show up in a song that touches your heart. Maybe He will show up through a friend who gives a hug and cries with you. It may be He shows up in a rainbow, a reminder of his presence. It may be fleeting. Maybe it’s just a moment, but know that that moment was from God. It was a beautiful moment and it was just for you, nobody else. Bask in it and be reminded of all of God’s goodness, beauty, presence, and promises.

Rainbow over a field — Double Rainbow over Valley Forge Park

After the Storm

If you are just coming out of a season of storms, here’s some encouragement for moving forward. 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season

Love Is Still the Answer

Our Growth Group

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture at this time feels that way. This picture was taken at our house back in September. Every Tuesday night (aside from COVID), this group meets at our house. It’s our growth group or small group. We started as strangers and have become a group of tightly-knit friends. We have had candid discussions about so many topics. We’ve had good times as a group and endured losses as a group.

In this group, we have lost two grandpas, two dads, a mom, an uncle, and a baby. We have walked through those hard times together. We’ve listened and prayed for each other as we’ve lost jobs, changed jobs, and experienced hardships. We’ve also celebrated the birth of two babies, new jobs, new homes, new businesses, book launches, birthday parties, and so much more together.

We are a mixed group of black and white who are simply choosing to do life together and loving every minute of it!

Life Is Messy

Life isn’t always neat and clean. It’s messy. I think that has never been clearer than in times like these. We want our lives to be a neat picture where everything makes sense and looks good, but that’s not reality. The reality is that life is hard. It’s confusing and absolutely heartbreaking at times.

We live in a broken world with broken, sinful people. We can focus on all the evil and wrongdoing around us and be discouraged, disillusioned, and disheartened. Or we can choose to do what we can to make this world a better place.

Love is Still the Answer

We can choose to love others the way we want to be loved. Jesus told his disciples a simple truth that still rings true today. Jesus told his disciples, “People will know you are a follower of Me when you choose to love other people.”

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way, I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34,35 MSG

If all of us would choose to simply love those around us, we could do our part to bring change. Loving those around us includes our neighbors, the mailman and garbage guys, the post office and grocery clerks, the employees at the local fast-food restaurants, people in our church, our family, and friends. We must simply choose to love all the people we do life with regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or socio-economic standing.

Does that fix everything, no. But it would be a start in the right direction!

Matt’s Message

My husband, Matt preached a message two Sundays ago that was all about this topic. He does such a better job of addressing the issue than I do. You can listen to that message HERE.

Our Trip Across Country and Our Week at the Beach

Our Time in Illinois

On the way out to Colorado, we got to stop in Illinois to visit my sister and her husband for a few hours. It was Memorial Day, so we had fun celebrating with them.

Fun with sparklers — Sparkler fun at Aunt Katie and Uncle Brad’s

Our Time in Colorado

view of the Rockies — View of the Rockies from my parents’ neighborhood

Then it was off to beautiful Colorado for a week. We had a wonderful week with my parents. It was different from our normal vacation because of COVID, but we still had a good time. We got to go up into the mountains and found a few stores that were open in the area. We also got to see extended family and spend some time with our great Grandma. We were sad to leave.

parents at breakfast — My parents enjoying the brunch we had with extended family

grandma and grandkids — Picture with Great Grandma before we left town

Our Time in Kentucky

Too soon, it was time to head back towards home. We got to stop in Kentucky on the way home to spend a few hours with my older sister and her family. I am terrible at taking pictures and only got a few of the cousins in pictures. The kids had fun catching up with each other and were sad to leave the next morning.

cousins hugging each other — Cousin love with Meya

two cousins — Malachi with his cousin Nate

boy sitting in recliner — Our cousin Jace

Our Incredibly Long Trip

We drove and drove and drove and finally made it home. We spent a total of 52 hours driving and drove through a total of twelve states for our trip across the country! We took the northern route going out and the southern route coming home. We were so thankful for God’s protection for all those miles we traveled.

girls sleeping in the car — Madison was such a good big sister, letting Maggie and Macey sleep on her.

Our Trip to the Beach

When we got home, it was time to unpack, do church, then pack for a week at the beach with Matt’s family. We had a great week in Ocean City. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed spending time together.

family picture — Manney family at the beach house

kids playing in the sand — Cousins having fun in the sand

girls hugging each other — Maggie with her cousin Jade

Finally Back Home

So after the whirlwind of the last few weeks, we are so happy to be home! After all that fun, it’s time to get back to work! I am happy to be back blogging and writing. I have a book releasing in just a few weeks. So it’s crunch time for me.

Resources for Encouragement

If you’re looking for some encouragement during this time, I list several resources for encouragement in a recent post- My Meltdown this Week and My Reminder.

Faithfully Stepping

Encouragement for Women on their Journey of Faith