All of us have talents and abilities.  Some are natural, others we have to work for.    As I shared in a recent post, I do some cake decorating.  I also crochet and like to sing.  These all came pretty naturally and none really surprised me but there is one that took me quite by surprise…my writing.


If you would've told me a few years ago that I would be writing, let alone sharing it with others, I would've shaken my head and laughed.   Not me, I'm a talker, not a writer.   Funny how things change.


This isn't true for everyone but my writing was born out of desperation.

What started out as a cry for help turned into a song of victory.   At first I would sit and pour out my thoughts on paper but eventually I started to notice that it was becoming more about what I was learning from my circumstances and not just the desperation for them to change. 


I'd like to share something very personal with you.  If you would see me behind the scenes getting ready to post, you'd see my finger hovering over the send button because I'm sharing private thoughts and feelings that may not have been shared with anyone else.   Whenever you use a gift or an ability and you put it out there, there is always a risk of rejection and criticism but if you believe in what you're doing, it's worth the risk.


This week I found myself entertaining some thoughts that were starting to chip away at my confidence as a writer.  I had entered a writers' challenge with a fine group of women writers from all over the world.   Forty women were going to have their work published in a book next year.  Needless to say,  I held onto the hope that I would be one of them.   


I received the notice that unfortunately my work was not chosen.  Of course I knew that was a possibility as I'm sure they received thousands of entries but what bothered me the most was how I took that rejection and ran with it.   I thought I had made some good progress in the rejection area but one email and bam, I started down that road.   My thoughts went something like this, "I'll never be good enough; I'm not in the same league as these other women; I'll never be able to write like they do."   


This afternoon, I sat with someone I trust and shared these thoughts.  I had already started to realize that it  was ok to be true to the gift I know God gave me.  I don't have to imitate anyone else.  I just need to be obedient to the message put in my heart and share it.   The lady I talked to confirmed my thoughts with one sentence, "Stay in your lane." 


I may never win any contests or awards.   I may never be published or go beyond where I am right now but you know what, I'm ok with that.  I've been given a song of victory to share.  I started this journey with a prayer asking God that He would use it for even one person.   That's all that matters. 


Before I close, I'd like to share a verse that is so close to my heart.  It was given to me back when I was crying out in desperation and my future was uncertain.


I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16 NIV


I didn't understand it then, but as time goes by, I'm starting to see it come to pass.  It's not always about what we know but allowing yourself to step out and take a risk.  And when you do, stay in your lane!

In the Midst of Chaos

By Eileen Glotfelty • July 30, 2025
“His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Nahum 1:3 Another word for whirlwind is chaos. That's a word I know well. From the moment I was born, I lived in a chaotic environment. Chaos continued to follow me as I grew up and finally into my own family. The funny thing is, I never recognized it. I thought it was normal and I learned to thrive in it. Left unchecked, chaos will take its toll. It attacks our nervous systems and spreads havoc physically and mentally. So how do we stop it? First, we stop and do a life check. This is when we take a long hard look at what's going on in and around us. Much of our chaos is caused by our response to our circumstances. For example, when I get caught up in someone else's drama, I create chaos in my own life. It's especially hard if the drama is going on under the same roof. I've had to learn that people will figure things out on their own and don't need me to be involved. As a fixer and a rescuer, that was an important lesson to learn. When it comes to faith, I've realized that when I jump into the chaos and try to fix it, I'm thinking that my way out is the only way and pridefully, the best way…even better than God's. The arrogance of it brings me to my knees. So now, I look at that verse from Nahum and I ask God to show me His way. If it's chaos that's out of our control, God's way is the only way out. I always wondered what it meant about the clouds being the dust of His feet. As I thought about it, I could see that clouds don't stand still. They move. The dust of His feet imply movement as well; so I think it's safe to say that God is on the move in the midst of the chaos. As I write this, I am over my head in chaos. It feels like a never ending battle. After reading that verse, I decided to take some time and see if there was any “dust.” It didn't take long to see it. God was moving through this storm. It wasn't the direction I would've gone so I almost missed Him. I don't know exactly what He's doing or where this is going but just knowing He's moving gives me the strength to hang on. Lord, when I get overwhelmed with the chaos, help me to see that You are on the move. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Even Though You Can't See Me

By Eileen Glotfelty • June 25, 2025
Over the past four weeks, I have traveled from California to Wyoming to Colorado. All had something special to see. California had hot air balloons floating over the vineyards. In Wyoming there were tumbleweeds, miles of prairie and horses being ridden through downtown streets. Both were fascinating but the scene that captured me most was in Colorado. My family's home overlooks a plain that runs over to join the Rocky Mountains. As beautiful as that is, nothing can compare with one specific mountain that rises taller than the others. Pikes Peak stands 14,000 feet above sea level and its presence commands a sense of majesty. Every morning as I stood there taking in its beauty, I would remember the words, “I lift my eyes up to the hills where my help comes from…” For me, it wasn't just a mountain, it was a revelation of the presence of God and I needed that reminder. There have been many times that I've prayed and prayed about a person or situation that weighed heavy on my heart. Most of the time it involved circumstances that were beyond my control. I knew what I thought needed to happen and happen quickly but it didn't. It seemed like my prayers fell on deaf ears. On my last day in Colorado, I went to look out the window to have one final look at that majestic mountain. To my dismay, the mountains were covered by a dense fog that made them invisible. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't know they were there. As I stood there wrestling with disappointment, I heard these words, “even though you can't see it, it's still there.” I knew this wasn't just talking about the mountain. God was letting me know that even if things aren't working out the way I want and I don't understand, He is still there behind the chaos and behind the doubt working to bring about His perfect plan…in His time, not mine. Now it's a matter of trust. Will I choose to let go and leave it in His hands? Will I choose to trust Him when I don't understand? And will I choose to believe that He has a good and perfect plan that surpasses anything I could imagine? This is a question I may have to ask myself every day in every situation. In my heart I want to so I'm choosing to lay the struggles at His feet. He'll take care of the rest.

What If

By Eileen Glotfelty • May 30, 2025
This is something I have asked myself for a long time. It usually goes something like this: What if I can't pay the bills? What if I get sick and can't take care of myself? What if I'm never free of the pain? You get the picture. I've always been the one on high alert and looking for trouble around every corner waiting for the other shoe to drop. The sad thing is that I didn't know there was another way…until now. Now I choose to look at the glass half full. It's not always easy because I was programmed in the negative for so long. It's a conscious effort to take a hold of those thoughts and turn them around but every time I do, the anxiety and fear is replaced with peace. For example, currently I'm on a flight to California. Never been there. Don't know the people I'm staying with. Everything fits into the category of “the unknown.” Normally I would be in panic mode but I've made the decision to turn the what ifs around from “What if the plane crashes? " to "What if I trust God to get me there safely?” “What if I don't know what to do when I get there and I feel awkward? to "What if I meet some great people who become special friends?” and one more: “What if I don't get what I came for and I return home disappointed? to "What if I am blessed beyond anything I can imagine and leave there better than I came?” As I encourage myself, I encourage you. You can do this. You know why…because God gave us His word and that's all we need. There are many that I hold onto but here are a few: “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me because he trusts in me.” “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Today is a new day full of what ifs. It all depends how you look at it. What if…