Isaiah 61 Ministries, 25 Stoneridge Drive Suite 101, Waynesboro, VA (2026)

02/23/2026

Last call for our upcoming small group

Depression: Keys to Hope and Healing

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02/14/2026

It’s Valentine’s Day, and this brings to an end my thoughts on love—God’s love—which brings me full circle back to John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

A number of years ago, God made me realize that even though this verse was very familiar to me, I did not readily recall its context. I had been taught the importance of not taking a verse from the Bible out of context. A general rule of thumb was to read ten or more verses before and after a passage to better understand it. John 3:16 certainly has enough depth all on its own, but I was curious about the context and discovered that it appears in the middle of the story of a man named Nicodemus.

Nicodemus held a prominent position among the religious leaders of his day. He certainly would have known the Scriptures and the prophecies of the coming Messiah. He had been hearing much about Jesus—His teachings and His miracles—and he was curious. Yet because of his religious position, Nicodemus went to Jesus at night so as not to create a stir.

The two had an interesting conversation. Nicodemus began by acknowledging that Jesus was a teacher who had come from God, because no one could do the things Jesus was doing unless God was with him. Jesus responded by speaking about being “born again.” Thinking Jesus was referring to a physical birth, Nicodemus was confused about how that could be possible. Jesus explained that He was speaking of a spiritual rebirth rather than a physical one, and further revealed that this new birth would only be made possible by His being “lifted up,” referring to His coming death on the cross.

It is at this point that we find John 3:16, spoken by Jesus Himself. Jesus knew Whose He was. Jesus knew Who He was. Jesus knew what He had come to do. And Jesus knew what this would mean for all mankind.

The Bible does not record Nicodemus’s immediate response, but later, in John 19:39, we see him publicly bringing spices for the body of Jesus as part of the burial ritual. Something must have changed in his heart—for a religious leader who once “came by night” to now come openly in honor and respect of the Man his fellow leaders had put to death.

So, what is significant about the context of John 3:16? There is much in this passage, but two things especially stand out to me.

First, it causes me to search my own heart. Am I in any way a “come by night” sort of Christian? Or am I bold and courageous enough to live out my faith publicly? Sadly, there are times I shrink back in fear of what others may think. Oh, how I long to be like Nicodemus—willing to risk it all for the sake of Christ!

Second, it is interesting—even striking—to read John 3:16 in context and realize that it was first spoken by Jesus to a religious leader. Let us not be fooled. Even the “religious”—perhaps especially the “religious”—need to hear the gospel. Just because I sit in church, read my Bible, or consider myself a “good person” does not save me or make me a Christian. My only saving grace, the only way to be born again, is found in John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God’s love for us is the greatest love we will ever know.
God’s love is deeply personal, like that of a Father.
We are God’s beloved—dearly and divinely loved.
God’s love is the only true love.
God is the only One Who can love us perfectly.
And God’s love is the only love that can save us.

For God so loved….Happy Valentine’s Day!

02/13/2026

1 John 4:18 NKJV

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

…perfect love…

Oh, how we long for that perfect love. Ever since I was a little girl, the fairy tales of a prince on a white horse carrying off the princess into the sunset to “live happily ever after” captivated me. The modern-day version might be found on the Hallmark Channel. Every little girl—and yes, every grown woman—dreams of a perfect love.

Sadly, no perfect love can be found in another person. No matter how hard I try to love someone, it will never be perfect. I am human and fallible. It is impossible for me to love perfectly and equally impossible for me to be loved perfectly. The only One who can love me perfectly is God.

The question is: Do I receive it? Do I accept God’s perfect love for me? Do I embrace it to the point that it transforms me? Do I rest in God’s love so deeply that it changes the way I think about myself, my life, and my God?

This verse is very clear:

There is no fear in love.
Perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment.
The one who fears has not been made perfect in love.

If I come to understand God’s perfect love for me—as much as is humanly possible—I truly have nothing to fear. If I have accepted God’s sacrificial love, I do not have to be afraid of Him. As a little girl, I lived in fear and dread of God, afraid that if I messed up He would “zap” me. But knowing His love, that fear is gone. Discipline, yes—every loving parent disciplines a child—but no more fear of being “zapped.”

I do not have to be afraid of what I may face in this life. I may not like my circumstances; I may even hate them. But I do not have to live in fear in the midst of them, because my God, who loves me perfectly, has promised to always be with me. Out of His love, He gives me strength, comfort, peace, and grace to face whatever this life may bring.

If I am still living in fear, I need to examine how I have—or have not—embraced God’s love.

I am now “mature” enough to look back and see God’s perfect love in action throughout my life. It is not a fairy tale or a Hallmark movie. This is real life. I no longer dream of one day finding my perfect love—my perfect love found me.

Oh! FYI…one day, my Prince will indeed come on a white horse, and His name is Jesus. But that is a post for another day.

02/12/2026

Romans 8:38–39 (NKJV)

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing. No “thing”… nothing can separate us from the love God has for us—God’s love proven through His Son, Jesus. NOTHING! Once again, we see so clearly that God’s love for us is far greater than the love we experience here on earth.

It’s hard to believe I’m now in my 27th year as a pastoral counselor. I admit my view of life may be a bit jaded. No one has ever scheduled an appointment to tell me how wonderful their life is and how blessed they are. Quite the contrary. I’ve heard countless stories of grief, trauma, abuse, pain, divorce, loss, and devastation—each one touching my heart, many bringing tears to my eyes.

Many of those stories include, and even revolve around, not feeling loved. Various life circumstances have caused people to feel unloved, even unlovable. Far too many have endured abuse in its many forms and are left with deep voids where love should have been. Others have known love, only to have it taken away through broken relationships. Whether personally or in the counseling office, I have yet to meet anyone who has lived life unscathed—either by not truly knowing love or by being devastated in its context.

A lack of love—or love gone wrong—can certainly leave its mark on our hearts and minds. It can wreak havoc on our beliefs about ourselves and even about God. When we experience a lack or loss of love, we may make poor—even foolish—decisions that leave us with a boatload of unintended consequences. But all is not lost. There is hope for all of us when it comes to love.

That hope is found in the truth and reality that we are indeed loved. We are loved with a love that cannot be fully understood—a love that is unconditional, unchanging, unfailing, sacrificial. A love that will never leave or forsake us. No human being can love like that. Let me say it again: no human being can love us like that. God is the only One who loves us perfectly and completely.

His love will never end.
His love will never be taken away.
His love cannot be lost.

And when human love fails us or leaves us high and dry, God and His love will carry us through even the most devastating circumstances to a place of healing, wholeness, and freedom.

God’s love… our only TRUE LOVE.

02/11/2026

Yes, God loves us and rejoices over us with singing. God also dearly loved His Son, Jesus. As Jesus began His earthly ministry, God expressed His love for all to hear:

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

“Beloved.” That’s a word we don’t use very often in everyday conversation. Outside the context of something related to the Bible, I don’t know that I’ve ever used it.
Beloved. In English, it means “dearly loved.” The Greek word used in this passage is agapētos, derived from agapē, a word expressing the highest form of love. God was stating in the strongest possible way that He dearly, divinely loved His Son. God also said He was pleased—proud—of His Son. He had every reason to be! Jesus would go on to live a perfect, sinless life, obedient to His Father in every way.

It is this Son—this dearly loved, perfect Son—that God sacrificed for me, for you.

And God didn’t wait for us to meet any criteria or complete any kind of checklist:

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 ESV

Even though I don’t use the word often, my daughter is truly “beloved.” She is not perfect, but I am beyond proud of her—of who she is and all she has become. I simply cannot fathom choosing for her to die for another person—not even a really, really good person! And to die for a known sinner…?

But that is exactly what God did for me—for us. His beloved and perfect Son, Jesus, died in my place, paying the price for my sin. You’d better believe I love my daughter! But God’s love for me? The book of Ephesians says this kind of love “passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). Never were truer words written.

God loves us. So much so that even while we were still sinners, His Son Jesus died for us.

This Valentine’s let’s all soak in the truth that we, right along with Jesus, are truly BELOVED.

02/10/2026

God’s love is certainly captured in John 3:16, but the love of God is seen throughout the entire Bible—both the Old and New Testaments.

Years ago, when I was really trying to wrap my head around God’s love for me, I came across this verse. It leaped off the pages and grabbed my heart:

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

God. Not only is He with me, but He is rejoicing over me with gladness and singing, and quieting me with His love.

I am a mother at heart. I can and have mothered just about everything and everyone—whether it was wanted or not. It started years ago as a young girl with my doll babies, many of which I still have. The love in my heart was put on steroids with the birth of my daughter. The moment she was born and laid on my tummy, I knew what true love was. A switch flipped in my heart, and it’s still going strong.

According to the experts, I did much of motherhood all wrong. Apparently, you’re supposed to make sure your baby’s needs are met, then lay them down in their own bed—preferably in their own room—and allow them to cry and learn to soothe themselves. My baby girl slept in a bassinet right beside our bed (she would have slept in the bed, but we had a waterbed and I was afraid for her safety). Much of the time—okay, almost all of the time—I slept with my hand stretched over, gently resting on her.

After two weeks, my husband Dave said something needed to change, so we put her in her own bed in the room next to ours. I had a baby monitor that I held next to my ear all night so I could hear her if she needed me. Of course, the volume was turned all the way up, and if there was the slightest noise—even a sigh—I would jump up and literally run to her side to see what she might need. Many times, I would find her simply sleeping and, after making sure all was well, return to bed…until the next sigh.

When it was time for a feeding or diaper change, I would take her out to the living room and care for her needs. Then came my favorite part—I would sit with her in the recliner, rocking and fawning all over her. At night, I would quietly hum; during the day, I would softly sing over her. If she was fussy, I would walk and bounce with her while humming or singing, trying to calm her and bring her comfort.

Several years later, her baby brother was born and lived a very medically involved life, often spending time in the hospital. I became a professional at rocking, bouncing, singing, and humming to soothe my baby boy through some very difficult and painful days and nights.

That’s what moms do. They rock, sing, and quiet their babies. And the babies snuggle and nestle into their mother’s arms, knowing they are safe and loved beyond measure.

That is exactly what our God does for us. When life is hard, when we are struggling, when we can’t sleep, when we are anxious, afraid, or simply need someone near—our Father God is there. Maybe not physically, but even more powerfully, our Heavenly Father is lifting us up, holding us close, and gladly rejoicing over us with His singing—quieting our hearts and bringing His peace into whatever we are facing.

Oh, that we would truly rest in the sweetest of loves—our Father’s love for us!

02/09/2026

It’s the week of Valentine’s—a time when we think about love. A time for flowers, cards, chocolates, and dinner dates for our special valentine. It’s also a great time to remember and reflect on God’s amazing love for us—a love we could spend a lifetime trying to understand and still never fully grasp.

Let’s start with a very well-known verse that we hear and see quite often, John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

For many of us, we can’t even count the number of times we’ve heard or read this verse over the years. If I’m honest, it’s become too familiar. So familiar that I almost zone out when I hear it or skim over it when I see it. Sure, I know God loves me. I can tell you God loves you. I can even quote the verse. But the words—and the truth of that verse—have become far too rote for some of us.

I consider myself fairly low-maintenance. It all speaks love to me—the flowers, the card (especially with a handwritten sentiment), the chocolates. Top it off with a lovely dinner and a yummy dessert, and I know I am loved!

But the love of God described in John 3:16 is soooooo much more.
I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating:

GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON… FOR ME… FOR MY SIN.

I love and care deeply for many people in my life, but I would never give my daughter over to die—especially for someone else’s sin. That is simply not going to happen.

Yet that’s how much God loves me. That’s how much He loves you. He loves us so much, and desires a personal relationship with us so deeply, that He gave His own Son for us. Stop and think about that for a moment. Let it sink in. God allowed His Son, Jesus, to die for our sin—to remove the barrier—so we could have a relationship with Him.

Sometime during this upcoming week, I plan to enjoy and celebrate Valentine’s Day, and I hope you do too. But let’s also be intentional about enjoying and celebrating the greatest love we will ever know—the love of God for us through His Son, Jesus.

02/04/2026

Isaiah 61 Ministries invites anyone (18 and older) walking through depression to join our upcoming small group, “Depression: Keys to Hope & Healing,” beginning in March.
Depression isn’t just a feeling—it affects every part of who we are: emotionally, mentally, relationally, physically, and spiritually. In this small-group setting, we’ll talk openly about how depression impacts each of these areas and explore practical, compassionate strategies that help move the whole person toward hope and healing.

Because of the nature of this group, space is limited to 8 participants. Registration is available on our website at i61ministries.net.

There is no cost, and all materials will be provided.

01/18/2026

We are well into the New Year and, yes, Christmas decorations are all put away…except for my nativity scene. And of course, there is a story as to the why.

It was December 26, 1998. I looked at the clock. 2:30am. Christmas was officially OVER! I could hardly wait for it to be time to get up. I knew exactly what I was going to do…take down every sign of Christmas and put it all away, out of sight.

Christmas 1998. It was our first Christmas without Nathan, our 6 ½ year old son who had died less than 7 months earlier from complications following a kidney transplant. If it had been up to me, we would have just skipped Christmas. I could hardly stand seeing all the lights, decorations and signs of the season every where I turned. Just the thought of putting up a tree and decorating our own home was almost unbearable. However, Ashley, our 9-year-old daughter, very much needed me to put that tree up and set up at least some of our traditional Christmas décor. For her and her alone, I did only the bare minimum. Decorating the tree was the worst. Every year the kids would each get special ornaments for their age or their interests at the time. Plus, they each had their handmade ornaments from school. Our tree would never make the cover of any magazine but I had always loved our tree with the sentiments of each ornament. Until this year. I have no words to describe what even seeing Nathan’s ornaments did to my mother’s heart. How in the world could I bear to hang them on the tree this year? But how could I have a tree without them? I decided our tree would not be complete without Nathan’s ornaments and with many, many tears, I carefully hung each one. Each one a stark, painful reminder of his absence and the void in our lives.

Somehow we managed to get through the Christmas season. We did what we felt we had to, much of it because Ashley needed it to be as normal as possible. Pain. Surreal. Numb. Sheer determination. By the grace of God! And then, I wake up and its no longer Christmas. It’s over! We did it! I made it! December 26 was finally here! Now I could get rid of all signs of the holiday as quickly as possible.

I had to wait until everyone was awake and then I went into an absolute frenzy! I could not get Christmas back in the boxes fast enough! My desperation did not fair well with Ashley. She began to cry. “Mommy please don’t take Christmas down, please Mommy!” Talk about being torn. My grieving mother’s heart wanted all signs of Christmas gone, somehow thinking that would make the grief a bit more tolerable. But then there’s my daughter…crying and begging me to leave Christmas up. I tried to explain to her as gently as I could that Christmas was over and it was time for it to come down. That didn’t fly. Then I tried to explain Christmas made Mommy sad and I needed to put it away. That didn’t cut it either. She continued to voice her need for Christmas to remain a little while longer. By this point, my tears are flowing as well. As the mother of Nathan AND the mother of Ashley, what was I supposed to do?

I know it was God. It had to be. I could hardly breathe much less think. God made me know how to be both Nathan’s mom AND Ashley’s mom. A compromise. I explained to Ashley that we could leave something of Christmas up for awhile but the rest had to be put away until next year. She agreed, again, God’s grace. We both decided on the nativity scene. I would put everything away except for our nativity scene. We would leave that up for a while longer. There were hugs and now smiles even in the midst of a few lingering tears. It was settled. The most painful parts of Christmas were put away. And I felt like I could actually breathe for the first time in weeks.

As for the nativity scene…weeellllll…

That nativity sat out for days…days turned into weeks…weeks turned into months. After such a strong reaction from my daughter, I just didn’t have the heart to put it away. It just became a regular fixture in our home that never got put away. Years later, my daughter and husband decided it was time for a new nativity scene and surprised me with a complete Willow Tree Nativity. Yes, it reminds me of that first seemingly impossible Christmas when everything was colored by my grief. However, it now also serves as a reminder of Jesus…the One Who not only carried me through that first Christmas season but the One Who has walked with me every day since.

Another Christmas has come and gone. The decorations are down and all put away. But the nativity scene remains. After 27 years, I don’t see that ever changing

12/24/2025

A final reflection of the Christmas Story is found in the book of Luke. Here we find two short passages about a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna and their personal encounters with the Baby Jesus.

Simeon was a “just and devout” man waiting for God to fulfill His promise that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He was led by the Spirit to the temple at the same time as Joseph and Mary were bringing their Baby to be dedicated to the Lord and to offer up a sacrifice. When Simeon saw the Baby, he took Him up in his arms, praising God for keeping His promise to see God’s means of salvation for the world before his death.

While Baby Jesus is at the temple, we are introduced to Anna, a woman of “great age” having been a widow for about 84 years. We are told she was always at the temple serving God night and day. When Anna saw the Baby Jesus, she gave thanks to the Lord and told everyone she could that she had seen God’s redemption for His people.

Life application and prayer…

I am not waiting on the arrival of the promised Christ Child. Not only am I on this side of the manger, I am also on this side of the cross. The cross…the very reason God sent His Son Jesus in the first place! Baby Jesus had a purpose even before He was born. To grow up, live a perfect life and then to die on the cross to pay the price for my sin. If Simeon had reason to praise God, I have so much more! And to be as Anna. No matter how old I live to be, that I would offer up all manner of thanksgiving and praise for Jesus, my Redeemer, and to share the Good News with everyone…not just at Christmas.

Let’s enjoy this Christmas season—time with family and friends, gift giving and receiving, good food. Let us also reflect on the Christmas Story and all who played a part—Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wisemen, Simeon, Anna and, of course, Baby Jesus—and carry the heart of Christmas into the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

12/22/2025

In the book of Matthew, we find yet another facet of the Christmas Story with the wise men from the east. God had gotten their attention with a unique star in the sky and made them to know it was a sign pointing to the birth of “the King of the Jews.” They understood the significance and set out on a journey to find this Baby for the specific purpose to “worship Him.”

Their arrival in Jerusalem must have created quite a stir because we’re told even King Herod was troubled and sent for them so he could find out the details regarding their search for the Baby. King Herod encouraged them in their quest and asked them to report back to him once they found the Baby so he, too, could go and worship this King.

The wise men continued following the star trusting they would be led to their destination. Apparently, their journey to find the Baby took a bit of time because, when they arrived, Jesus was no longer a “baby lying in a manger” but a Child living in a house with Joseph and Mary. The Bible says when they saw the young Child they fell down and worshiped Him and opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As they were leaving, the wise men were divinely warned in a dream they were not to return to King Herod and so they went back to their home another way. King Herod was furious over their deception and sent out his men to kill all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and under according to what he had learned about the appearance of the star from his conversation with the wise men. I can’t even imagine this evil mandate being carried out in that town! Joseph, however, had an angel appear to him in a dream to get up and take the Child and his wife to Egypt until it was safe. Joseph immediately got up and fled with his family to safety.

Life Application and my prayer…

I love how God gets our attention in unique and specific ways as He has wired us! For some, it may be music or art. For others, it’s a walk in nature or sitting at the ocean. For these wise men, God got their attention through a star and then spoke to them about the birth of His Son. I pray I’m not too busy or distracted to hear and see God around me. Then as God makes clear His word to me, may I not delay but follow Him as He leads persevering through to the destination He has for me. May I not be deceived or deterred along the way by the agendas of others trusting God’s protection and following His instruction without delay.

When all is said and done in each journey with the Lord, may I be as the wise men and fall down and worship the King!

Isaiah 61 Ministries

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