Jeremiah 29:4-7 are some of my favorite verses in all of scripture. They describe to me the heart of God for those in exile. I had lived in the desert of life for far too many years. I have lived from conference to conference, event to event, spiritual high to high. I just didn't know how to live and thrive when life got really hard.

God was so gracious to call me to Himself when I was 8 years old. I sat in a little chair with 3 other children in the basement of a old rural church building. My pastor's wife, Cherry Junkins, led my heart to the Lord and I have been His ever since. 

I was raised in the church, mentored by one of the best youth ministers, discipled by amazing author and teacher Donna Greene, and participated in every mission trip and conference I could find. I was well discipled, but unmotivated. I was like the servant who was given a talent to invest and I had squandered it deep into the ground. There were moments of recommitment and devotion followed by months of defeat and dissatisfaction. I was a desert dweller.

Then in God's mercy, He led me to a conference where CeCe Winnans was to sing. I didn't really know much about CeCe Winnans and merely thought I would sit back and enjoy the concert. Little did I know that God would speak to me so clearly in that place and I would never be able to live a life of mediocrity again. He literally placed a call on my life that night.

You see, my husband is a pastor. We had been leaders in college, traveled with a christian ministry team all over the South, led mission trips, and stepped into positions of leadership in churches. I didn't have the excuse of having a terrible background. I was well equipped. I just didn't realize I had a call to victory in the desert!

Now, God has drawn me to call out to my sisters in the desert, in exile, and let them know that we can be desert flowers! We can bloom and flourish right in the middle of our deserts! We may not be getting out of those deserts any time soon, but we can be a living testimony of God's goodness while we are there. Please join me as we learn to become Desert Flowers.