Dianna Buchwalter

(1 Timothy 6:6 NIV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. A few months ago, I watched my daughter, who was then four years old, run behind a duck that had made his way onto the boardwalk at the beach. Of course he didn’t let her latch onto him but it sure was entertaining to watch her try. This triggered thoughts of all the people and things I’ve pursued in my own life. As a small child I dashed behind butterflies. As a hormone crazed teen, it was boys. In my early twenties, it was the latest trends. After I had my first child, I darted after him.  Most everything I tried to obtain brought a lot of satisfaction that never lasted. At the ripe age of 33, I found myself empty, broken, and lost.  All the running left my heart invigorated but my soul depleted. On a quest to find what was missing, I soon discovered the only One I needed to chase didn’t need to be caught because He ha...

This post was written in 2015. Though it is a year old, it still rings true and always will. Happy Birthday in Heaven, Bubba! One of the most miserable, agonizing feelings is the separation from a loved one. In 2014, I was 7,000 miles away from my children and was only able to talk to them once in eleven days. On the day I arrived home from my trip, I couldn’t put my arms around them fast enough! Though it seemed it had been an eternity, once I held them, it was as if no time had passed. I went from glum to glee immediately. Today, my brother would’ve blown out 34 birthday candles. I wonder how he would’ve turned out. If the girls would still be chasing him or would he have settled down. I imagine my children jumping all over him and laughing as he was doing one of his famous impersonations. It’s been almost 11 years since he passed and there is still a pang in my heart. Remembering him is bitter sweet for thinking of happy times spent together is followed by the ache of...

Yes, God, your God, dried up the Jordan’s waters for you until you had crossed, just as God, your God, did at the Red Sea, which had dried up before us until we had crossed. This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong God’s rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always. Joshua 4: 23-24 MSG We can tell a lot of one’s life by glancing at photographs. They tell a story. From a baby’s first arrival into the world to high school graduation to wedding days and beyond. The commonality in most pictures is the subject normally wears a smile.  If someone were to go through my old photos they would probably think I was the happiest person on the planet. But, pictures only allow us to see what we want them to. I can’t think of anyone that wants to capture a moment of despair. Why? Because we don’t want to remember it.  The essence of snapshots is to freeze time so we can fondly look back at happy memories and pass those down t...

I fall on my knees in defeat, tired of the fight. Why does it have to be so hard, I cry out with all my might. Two steps forward and one step back seems to be the going rate. Where are you trying to get to, He asks. Don’t you know I’ll never allow you to be late? I have things I want to accomplish, I’m ready to begin. Your not ready for the task just yet my friend. Waiting can be so painful. It fills me with such strife. I know, He said, I waited for you to come to me for half your life. I’m working behind the scenes, good things are on the way. Will you trust me not just now but every day? Will I be enough for you when the answer is no? Will you move when I say go? You see, He said, I’m molding you into the person I created you to be. The process isn’t always easy but it’s placing your dependence on me. When you think the battle has been lost, I order my angels to hold you up. Spend some time with me, I AM the living w...

The clock read 5:36 a.m. I had four minutes until the dreadful sound of the alarm would go off.  Everything in me wanted to stay snuggled under the covers but there was work to be done. With one eye open and flashlight in hand, I made my way to my daughter’s room where I pried Mittens the elf out of her arms. I then gathered up Christopher, my son’s elf and stood there asking “what shenanigans can these crazy rascals get into this morning?” Thirty minutes later, I saw Ava peek from around the corner and ask me in a soft tone with slight lisp the same question she had for days “where’s Mittens?” Their scavenger hunt began as they ran from room to room with such anticipation of what they would find. Moments later I heard my most favorite sound on the planet. Both of my little ones chuckled as they discovered their bathroom covered in toilet paper and the two elves sitting ever so innocently on the towel rack. In the middle of that normal Thursday morning, after I mad...

A few days ago, there was a dense fog that laid like a blanket covering the grounds and filling the air. As I drove my children to school all I could make out were the yellow and white lines on the pavement and the taillights in front of me. Traffic slowed as most people used common sense and caution but we all continued to move forward. We trusted the road ahead was clear though the view wasn't. I've had many adventures on the asphalt. I've witnessed drivers swerve in other lanes and I've done the same. Red lights have been run and speed limits ignored. Yet, with all these scenarios, I continue to get behind the wheel. Why? 1) My job appreciates it when I show up to work and these old feet won't get me there. 2) I presume I will be safe and all will be well. Driving takes faith, as does everything else in life. Our lives can easily be compared to excursions on the highway. We can't foresee what tunnels, twists and turns lay ahead until we get there. In ...

Have you ever felt a passion deep within and just knew it came from above?  With a little persistence, patience and prayer you felt God would fulfill those desires. Have you watched those same dreams crash and burn when they didn’t come to fruition? For an entire year, I was sure God placed a yearning in my heart He intended to bring to pass. I had entry after entry in my journal of “coincidences” (which I don’t believe in) happen.  I heard from other trusted Christian friends on their opinion of the situation and it paralleled with mine. I earnestly fasted, prayed and read the word.  I had done everything I knew to do to make sure my feelings were aligned with God’s will and that I heard from Him and not just my own longings. But, I didn’t end up with what I prayed for.  How could I have been so wrong about something which felt so right? Reflecting back, it could have been either of the following: God used this particular circumstance to draw m...