About Me
Fun Facts about Van Walton
My favorite smell: The way the earth smells after it rains.
My favorite sound: The first notes of a grand symphony.
My favorite way to relax: Sitting anywhere outside - on my front porch, on my deck, or by the lake, early in the morning with my first cup of coffee.
My favorite birthday dessert: a Peach cobbler baked by my husband. He’s my fave chef!
I will not eat: Avocado. They turn my stomach into a volcano that never erupts.
Technology I couldn't live without and why: My laptop - it takes me anywhere I want to go.
One thing that makes me smile: My sons' faces!
Friend Van on FacebookMy Resources
My book, From the Pound to the Palace, is available for $10
from Proverbs 31 Ministries.
My book, Little Halos, is available for $5.99 from Proverbs
31 Ministries.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Links
Friday, July 27, 2012
Prayer for the long trail
Thank you for visiting my blog. Please be encouraged as you read this prayer and then visit me at wordpress where I am now bloging: vanwalton.com
Sometimes I find myself without words! It's true- I have nothing to say.
Speachless.
Not because I am amazed, but because I've prayed, and begged, and cried, and prayed some more.I have nothing left to say. I'm spent.
That's when I pray God's Word.
Psalm 57: 1- 3 & 6-11
Fill in the blank with your name or the name of a loved one~
1 Have mercy on (me)___________________________, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
Hide (me) _______________beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for (me) __________________________.
3 Send help from heaven to rescue (me) __________________.
My God, (I trust that you) will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
Because I know (my life) _________'s life is in your hands today, I can sing your praises.
.Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.
Shine!
Sometimes I find myself without words! It's true- I have nothing to say.
Speachless.
Not because I am amazed, but because I've prayed, and begged, and cried, and prayed some more.I have nothing left to say. I'm spent.
That's when I pray God's Word.
Psalm 57: 1- 3 & 6-11
Fill in the blank with your name or the name of a loved one~
1 Have mercy on (me)___________________________, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
Hide (me) _______________beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for (me) __________________________.
3 Send help from heaven to rescue (me) __________________.
My God, (I trust that you) will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
Because I know (my life) _________'s life is in your hands today, I can sing your praises.
.Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.
7 My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
8 Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.May your glory shine over all the earth.
Father, watch over me and ________________ today. filling us with strength to accomplish your will and peace for the journey. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Who am I?
Throughout the entire conference ( Proverbs 31 Ministries
She Speaks annual event for women called to speak, write, lead) I found myself
asking…
“Who am I ~ that I’ve been so blessed to sit in the gorgeous
conference center listening to such powerful teaching?”
“Who am I to sit at this abundant table, eating this amazing meal, surrounded by
these lovely ladies?”
“Who am I, I mean I don’t deserve this, to return to my posh
hotel room and crawl into this cloud of a bed?”
“Who am I that God would paint a picture outside my window,
call me to sit for a quiet moment with Him and then speak directly to me
through His Word?” (scroll down to see the picture God painted for me)
Who am I?
That the God of the universe would shower His love on me?
Who am I?
If you want to know yourself, become acquainted with your Creator,
the one who formed and fashioned you as you grew inside your mother’s womb, the
one who knew you before you were born.
I walked into the prayer room during the conference, found
my name, and took a few little notes about the name of God where my name had
been placed.
Jehovah Mekaddishken
This morning I became more deeply acquainted with God, growing
more confident in who I am meant to be, how I’m designed to act, behave, react.
Before taking notes
on the different Bible verses that describe God’s character I wrote,
”Having been created
in God’s image- filled with the breath of God, I understand and believe that He
has placed His attributes in me!”
You know- like my parents’ DNA all over who I am and what I look
like.
Who am I?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing thought.
But true, if I BELIEVE God’s Word.
When I found my name in the prayer room, placed on the name
of God- Jehovah Mekadishken, my heart lept. I knew I was about to embark on
another spiritual journey, one that would draw me closer to Him, one that would
give me courage to continue maneuvering through life’s long trails.
This morning I read the many verses that address God’s
holiness. Doing so gave me a deeper insight to Who God is and confirmed in my heart
–
Who I am---
Sanctified, set apart, chosen, Holy to God, member of a royal
priesthood, one who has been cleansed…
Today I know who
I am, I just have to live it out.
Shine!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Hope for today and tomorrow
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. Luke 1:78-79
Shine!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Off the road and nearly home again!
My
mid-summer travels are coming to an end as I find myself hours away from home!
I
have mixed emotions- after having spent time with family, who I see once, maybe
twice a year. I long to keep the memories flowing. Yet, I am excited to get
back to my house, my friends, my fun summer routines.
One
of my routines, a conference I have attended for 10 years, is She Speaks, the
Proverbs 31 speakers’ and writers’ annual event. That is next on my agenda. I
must admit, I am excited and anxious…
Excited
because I know what to expect!
--Seeing
and spending time with all my P31 team mates- many I have not seen since last
year. They are the most amazing women- godly, loving, gracious, talented, and
fun loving. We meet a week from Wednesday to prepare for She Speaks!
--Meeting
with my Latina sisters to plan for our portion of the conference.
--Watching
hundreds of beautiful and excited women arrive at the Embassy Suites. Welcoming
them and encouraging each one.
--Worshipping
and praising my Lord with a room full of incredibly gifted ladies.
--Learning
from others who have much to share and teach me about ministry, listening to God,
and following His calling.
--Becoming
acquainted with the ladies of my speaker evaluation group. The stories we share,
the way our experiences move each other, the encouragement we give one another,
and the closeness we all experience create deep friendships that last forever!
And I LOVE collecting friends.
--Finally,
to hear the inspirational talks given by women who have perfected and polished
their presentations, is always a highlight for me. When God’s Word is creatively
communicated and I am challenged to change and grow in my spiritual walk, I
know my time has been well spent.
Anxious
because time is drawing nigh and I have a lot to do this next week.
So,
as I prepare to welcome my sisters to this grand and life-changing event, I ask
God to lay a foundation upon which to stand.
Psalm
37:5-7 is God’s perfect Word for each of
us as we make final preparations for our soon and very soon gathering:
Trust
him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
I
know some of you are reading this and you are among the hundreds who will be
here in Charlotte next week. Trust Him, be still and
Shine,
Monday, July 2, 2012
This entry is a continuation of a devotional to be posted July 3 at Proverbs 31 Ministries
Several hours after leaving home, on our way to our annual visit to see family, my husband and I moaned when we noticed the traffic slowing. The Tahoe crested a hill and, laid out in front of us on the interstate, we saw, not cars and trucks steadily moving as they should, but a parking lot!
Oh no!
Cars rapidly coming to a halt on the interstate is never a good sign.
Thankfully, we had just made the move to an i phone. Although I detest the thought of a detour, my heart raced to see if my new toy would prove to be as trusty as everyone had claimed it would be. I remembered the ‘map’ app. Since I had only owned my phone for three days I didn’t expect much. But, hey, what could I loose. I touched the little map. The screen popped into view. I spotted a pulsing dot.
“Oh look,” I said to Campbell (my husband).
He, being savvy of all things techy, responded, “Yeah, get us out of this mess.”
That is when I got nervous, not sure I had any idea what to do with my new plaything.
One look at the screen caused my heart to turn cartwheels. The tiny ball pulsated right there on the highway where we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.
It didn’t take me long at all to realize the bouncing dot was sending me a message. I noticed an exit nearby, and I saw an alternate route, highlighted in bright yellow.
We rerouted, based on the screen’s diversion.
I wonder, if Jesus were alive today, would he talk with His disciples as they took a road trip? “Consider the i phone. Like I said, ‘I am the way.’ Turn to me when life’s detours present themselves. I “will show you a way out so you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13b (NLT)
So many lessons to be learned when our routes are redirected:
1. Don’t let the excuse, “I’m not familiar with the Bible,”keep you from opening and reading.
2. Trust the pages of God’s word to help you find the way to go.
3. When you do find the direction, obey, and follow.
4. Remember to praise God and His Word for His marvelous and amazing ways.
The next time you find yourself forced onto an alternate route, thank God first. Believe He has allowed this circumstance to protect you, introduce you to a new and better way, or to teach you lessons you might not have otherwise learned.
If you have experienced God’s rerouting of your life, I’m sure others would love to read about your adventure. Please share it with us in the comment section to encourage or be encouraged. Remember, while you are traveling through life,
Shine,
Several hours after leaving home, on our way to our annual visit to see family, my husband and I moaned when we noticed the traffic slowing. The Tahoe crested a hill and, laid out in front of us on the interstate, we saw, not cars and trucks steadily moving as they should, but a parking lot!
Oh no!
Cars rapidly coming to a halt on the interstate is never a good sign.
Thankfully, we had just made the move to an i phone. Although I detest the thought of a detour, my heart raced to see if my new toy would prove to be as trusty as everyone had claimed it would be. I remembered the ‘map’ app. Since I had only owned my phone for three days I didn’t expect much. But, hey, what could I loose. I touched the little map. The screen popped into view. I spotted a pulsing dot.
“Oh look,” I said to Campbell (my husband).
He, being savvy of all things techy, responded, “Yeah, get us out of this mess.”
That is when I got nervous, not sure I had any idea what to do with my new plaything.
One look at the screen caused my heart to turn cartwheels. The tiny ball pulsated right there on the highway where we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.
It didn’t take me long at all to realize the bouncing dot was sending me a message. I noticed an exit nearby, and I saw an alternate route, highlighted in bright yellow.
We rerouted, based on the screen’s diversion.
I wonder, if Jesus were alive today, would he talk with His disciples as they took a road trip? “Consider the i phone. Like I said, ‘I am the way.’ Turn to me when life’s detours present themselves. I “will show you a way out so you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13b (NLT)
So many lessons to be learned when our routes are redirected:
1. Don’t let the excuse, “I’m not familiar with the Bible,”keep you from opening and reading.
2. Trust the pages of God’s word to help you find the way to go.
3. When you do find the direction, obey, and follow.
4. Remember to praise God and His Word for His marvelous and amazing ways.
The next time you find yourself forced onto an alternate route, thank God first. Believe He has allowed this circumstance to protect you, introduce you to a new and better way, or to teach you lessons you might not have otherwise learned.
If you have experienced God’s rerouting of your life, I’m sure others would love to read about your adventure. Please share it with us in the comment section to encourage or be encouraged. Remember, while you are traveling through life,
Shine,
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