Kitchen Cabinet Cash - Barbara Beyer

"I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches in secret places that you may know that I am the Lord God." Isaiah 45:3

Being the mother of five children can stretch the budget; and that’s exactly the predicament I found myself in as our family discussed impending school expenses.

In three days, fees for field trips were due for my younger girls, and our son needed at least twenty dollars to contribute to a white elephant sale for his high school trip.

I panicked as I looked at the checkbook. How could I possibly tell the children there wasn’t enough money for these activities? My mind raced back to the cliché, ‘the straw that broke the camels back.’ Our camel was overloaded and I had just been handed the straw.

Before bed that night, I called the kids into the living room for Bible study. We read Isaiah 45. It was a wonderful read and after a few comments, we gathered in a huddle on our knees to pray.

The next day I decided to clean out the cupboards above the refrigerator. I hadn’t done it in a very long time. As I rummaged through the contents, I came across an envelope shoved to the very back, behind a butter warmer. Eighty dollars lay folded in the envelope—hidden in a dark, secret place so I’d not be tempted to spend it. I had been saving for a special occasion that never transpired and I’d forgotten about the money.

As I stood holding the envelope in my hand, the Lord brought the scripture back to me, I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches in secret places that you may know that I am the Lord God. I was elated. Without knowing it, I had saved for a rainy day. Now I could turn in my straw and prepare the camels.

When we put our efforts into God, He promises to help us succeed. He provides for us in ways we never imagine. I’d saved, but forgotten, then God reminded me when the time was right.

What do you have hidden away that God can use? From talents, to time, to finances, God can use them all. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and all your plans will succeed. He provides fully for His children.



Barbara ‘Annie’ Beyer was born and raised in the ‘Motor City’ where life happens at a very fast pace. Five years ago she and her husband moved to Florida. Barbara is the mother of five wonderful children and ten grandchildren. Tucked away in her secret place of expression are her paintings of home and family. Her work includes nearly one hundred songs she has composed, along with inspirational poems. Her desire is to be used by God to encourage and edify others no matter what the task.
Read Barbara's devotions.

How to Grow Violets - Barbara Beyer

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you." Proverbs 4:6

Love wisdom….

Every afternoon, sunlight streamed in our east window and splashed across the brick hearth. Friendly rays seemed to call for something special to nourish. I envisioned a display of blooming violets such as I had seen in my grandmother’s living room while growing up.

I had frequently noticed that Wal-Mart carried a nice assortment of the African flowers…colorful edgings…maybe solids; dots or streaks; pinks and purples, lavenders and whites…the lively flora often drew my attention as I passed them.

So I headed to Wal-Mart, chose a holder for my flower pots and four beautiful plants…laid a large bag of potting soil in the lower rack and checked out.

That evening I carefully I placed each pot in the rack sitting on the hearth in front of the east window and waited for blooms.

Over the next year, I watered, fertilized and monitored the afternoon sun as it bathed my efforts. Though the leaves grew and prospered, there were no blossoms bursting forth as I had anticipated. Curiosity drove me to Google possible reasons. One site said bump the pot abruptly. Another site said to fertilize and water from the bottom up…make sure sun isn’t too hot… pH must be balanced…pot not too big…on and on I read. Up to this time I thought I had done it all perfect. I guess not.

I thought about grandmother’s success. Her display sat in the north window; while mine sat in the east.

“Maybe that’s it,” I mumbled.

I gave a hardy jolt to each pot as I moved the display to my north window. I watered from the bottom as the root system tightened up. If this didn’t work, I was ready to quit.

Within a month, blooms burst forth. Wisdom comes from experience, and grandma was wise about violets. Solomon prayed for wisdom and God entrusted him the gift. But along with that gift came the responsibility of using it appropriately—learning discernment and following through with a prayerful life, making decisions to heed the necessary information. That same wisdom comes to us through scripture. God tells us how to plant, water and grow healthy spiritual lives. We simply have to follow.

Are you missing the wisdom found in His Word? Open His pages and learn.

Barbara ‘Annie’ Beyer was born and raised in the ‘Motor City’ where life happened at a very fast pace. Five years ago she and her husband moved to Florida. Barbara is the mother of five wonderful children and ten grandchildren. Tucked away in her secret place of expression are her paintings of home and family. Her work includes nearly one hundred songs she has composed, along with inspirational poems. Her desire is to be used by God to encourage and edify others no matter what the task. Read Barbara's devotions.

God at Work - Phyllis Qualls Freeman

“Jesus said to them, My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:17 NIV

Jesus came to die, but first he came to share his message. His message was, God is love and is at work to bring man back into fellowship with him.

The man at the Pool of Bethesda was an invalid for thirty-eight years. When the Jews complained that Jesus healed him on the Sabbath, His response to them was “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

While the Jews were looking at the letter of the law, Jesus spoke about compassion toward their fellow man. He went on to do whatever he saw his Father do.

Have you ever become discouraged as you prayed for a child or loved one and things just seemed to get worse—their life not going in the direction you hoped and prayed that it would? We can become frustrated with our praying and even with God because we don’t get the answers we want.

Just because we don’t have an answer, doesn’t mean God isn’t working toward an answer. God is working in, around, and even through the one who we lift before Him.

Perhaps we need a different perspective. When you feel you have prayed the will of God, ask God to allow you to notice the ways in which he is working.

Our family prayed for my dad’s salvation for years, and we began to see small changes in him before he accepted Christ. We didn’t know what to make of the 3 x 5” oval framed pictures of Jesus he purchased at an auction and placed in his home. We should have jumped up and down, but we didn’t mention it to other family members until after his death. We missed an opportunity to praise God for any sign that Dad was thinking on spiritual things.

Open your eyes and observe. Can you see anything God is doing? Begin to praise Him that He is at work in the situation. Keep praying, but also keep watching. You will see good things.


Phyllis Qualls Freeman has over two hundred fifty published devotionals, human interest, and other articles. She is working on her first book. Phyllis loves reaching out to touch those who have long-term, life-altering situations to share God’s love. Married to her college sweetheart for fifty years, they have three children and five grandchildren. Pqfreeman40@yahoo.com

Cracks and Momma's Back - Barbara Beyer

“The scriptures tell us to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“Step on a crack…break your momma’s back…” a catchy ditty I learned at age four—the same age my mother began telling me the story of Jesus and how much He loved me.

Twice a week I tagged along with our neighbor and her seven kids for long walks through the older neighborhood. Together we hopped, skipped and jumped over cracks in the sidewalk, chanting the little rhyme. I knew I didn’t want to break my momma’s back so, as the years slipped by, I skipped and skirted around friends, parties and situations that might bring hurt to my parents.

However, at nineteen, someone caught my attention who managed to lead me on another path.
Not only did my walk create heartache for me; but for my parents as well.

Six years later I came to the end of myself and began to search for the old path I had known
as a child. My first step was to go back to the beginning—the very neighborhood where my walk
started. When I arrived, I was shocked to see the changes…even my childhood house had
been torn down. An empty lot, the stark reminder of just how temporal the things of the world
really are.

I tried to find other landmarks that spoke of my life as a child only to discover they were gone—they no longer existed. What did remain were the stories my parents told me as a child—the stores of God’s love and forgiveness, stories of the cross.

God talks about paths, some straight others narrow, and I began to seek after Him asking to be put back on the right path. Bring me back into thy presence and fill me with your joy because there I will find pleasures for evermore.

Soon the Holy Spirit led me to a place of restitution; not based on whether I stepped on a crack or managed to walk perfect, but based on His unconditional love for humanity at the cross. As
I felt His unconditional love cover me, I knew I was finally home.

When your life is in shambles, return to the ways of God. Seek Him for guidance.


Barbara ‘Annie’ Beyer was born and raised in the ‘Motor City’ where life happened at a very fast pace. Five years ago she and her husband moved to Florida. Barbara is the mother of five wonderful children and ten grandchildren. Tucked away in her secret place of expression are her paintings of home and family. Her work includes nearly one hundred songs she has composed, along with inspirational poems. Her desire is to be used by God to encourage and edify others no matter what the task.

Keeping Watch on my Heart - Barbara ‘Annie’ Beyer

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any roots of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many are defiled.” Hebrews 12:14-16

I remember the time my family picked bunches of lush, ripe grapes from the vines surrounding the empty lot next door. We were going to process the fruit into delicious grape juice and tasty preserves.

Excited by the possibilities and ways to utilize our crop, my family worked together to pour colanders full of washed grapes into a large pressure cooker. After turning on the heat and setting the control, we gave each other the thumbs up and waited for the process to happen.

Suddenly, without warning, there was a tremendous explosion. The lid blew off the cooker and grapy gook flew upward, downward, sideways…in all directions. The kitchen was destroyed; countertops and floor were forever stained.

Shocked and disappointed, mother put her pressure cooker away and never tried to can grapes again.

This reminds me of human nature and the tendency to let the pressures build until a flare-up of anger destroys those closest in our circle. Harsh, unbridled words can leave stains for a life time.
I have to admit that being the mother of five children created a lot of pressure in my life. There have been times, in moments of weakness, when frustration gave opportunity to vent with words that could never be recalled. Realizing just how close I was to an eruption, I cried out to God, asking Him to lift the pressure…give me what it takes to mother my children and be the wife that pleases my heavenly father.

God promises us that if we forgive we'll be forgiven; and He will never let the righteous fall if we turn to Him.

How comforting to know that the Creator understands our limitations. He even warns us to watch out for roots of bitterness that if left alone, will spring up and destroy us and defile those around us. He knows when the pressure is building in our hearts and waits for us to ask Him to turn the heat down. He watches over his own children with love and compassion and offers His spirit of victory to those who call upon Him in their time of need. He has saved me many times from just doing what comes natural.

Barbara ‘Annie’ Beyer was born and raised in the ‘Motor City’ where life happened at a very fast pace. Five years ago she and her husband moved to Florida. Barbara is the mother of five wonderful children and ten grandchildren. Tucked away in her secret place of expression are her paintings of home and family. Her work includes nearly one hundred songs she has composed, along with inspirational poems. Her desire is to be used by God to encourage and edify others no matter what the task.