Unchanging
The drive was breathtaking.
Shades of orange, red and gold burst forth from the line of trees.
Fall is my favorite time of year.
My husband and I will be married 28 years this month.
But October is also when we lost both of our fathers.
A time of year that has held some of the most wonderful and the most difficult moments in my life.
How ironic it is to witness such beauty while remembering such pain.
A reminder that we will all experience good times and bad.
Love and loss.
Joy and sorrow.
But as the leaves change colors, I am also reminded of the promise that there is One who never changes.
The One who has been by my side in every season.
The One who is with you in every season, too.
Friends, His love for us never changes.
My prayer is that as you start this week, you hold onto that promise.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
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Focus
Sometimes it’s hard to turn off the thoughts in our minds that steam roll ahead at full speed before they completely derail our whole day.
And even with my praise music on and the beautiful beach scene in front of me on the treadmill, my thoughts were already on a collision course this morning.
Not the way I intended to start my day.
But I could not shift my focus, even after a mile and a half.
So I told my husband I would meet him in the car and went to open my Bible app.
Meditating on His Word is far better than stewing in our own.
Thinking about the best, not the worst.
Taking in the beauty around me.
Listing things to be thankful for.
My day had started spending time with my husband.
Him stopping to get me coffee and check my tire pressure before leaving on a trip this afternoon.
It’s easy to lose sight about what’s in front of us when we’re caught up in our own thoughts.
Friends, I don’t know how your day began.
But if you are starting your day off on shaky ground like me, pause and meditate on this verse.
Focus on the good in front of you.
Even if it’s a hot cup of coffee.
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.”
Philippians 4:8-9 MSG
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In the Morning
Somedays we wake up excited about what the new day will bring our way.
Others, we wake up exhausted before we even get out of bed.
But His love for us is never exhausted.
Each morning greets us with His new mercies.
Before you get out of bed and have your coffee or tea, may He fill your cup with His hope and love.
Friends, whatever kind of morning you are having, His portion is enough to carry you through today.
Blessings in heaps!
“YAHWEH’s tender mercies have no end, and the kindness of his endless love is never exhausted. New, fresh mercies greet me with every sunrise. So wonderfully great is Your faithfulness! I tell my soul, “YAHWEH is my abundant portion. I need nothing more. So, I will put all my hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 TPT
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Like a Child
It doesn’t matter how old I get.
The sight of a merry go round instantly brings me back to my childhood.
From choosing my horse to listening to the organ music,
I am magically turned back into a little girl.Even though there was no real destination on the carousel, the journey on that ride felt like you were in another world.
Maybe it was the childlike wonder of it all.
There is a destination that requires that same childlike thinking.
Heaven.
God tells us in His word that whoever humbles himself to become like a child will enter His gates.
That doesn’t mean we have to become children again, but become like a child.
Teachable.
Humble.
Full of awe and wonder.
As adults, it’s easy to believe we know what’s best.
That we know better than God.
As we grow into adults, we change our way of thinking.
It’s easy to drift from that childlike faith.
But no matter how old we get, our Heavenly Father reminds us we are all children.
His children.
My prayer for you today is that you see Him with the awe and wonder of a child.
“Jesus called a little one to his side and said to them, “Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable like a little child, you will never be able to enter in. Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this little child is the greatest one in heaven’s kingdom realm.”
Matthew 18:2-4 TPT
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The Beauty Ahead
Right lane closed ahead.
I was too far now to turn around and find another route.
Going through the construction zone was the only option.
What was being built would eventually make getting to my final destination easier.
But for now, it looked like everything had been torn apart.
And then there was the wait.
Before my thoughts could allow me to become upset with the extra time tacked onto my schedule, out of the corner of my eye I saw a butterfly.
A beautiful sight among all the concrete and machinery.
An incredible reminder that we can find beauty even when the path is not easy.
Maybe we are being rerouted or rebuilt.
The time might be longer than expected.
But regardless of the path, we can always find beauty as God leads us along the way.
Going through the construction zones in our lives won’t last forever.
But the beauty ahead that we can’t see now will.
Until then, I am grateful for the reminders that He provides that there is beauty right where we are.
We just need to look for it.
“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
2 Corinthians 4:16, 18 MSG
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No Words Necessary
There are times that words fail us.
Like staring at a blank page and not knowing where to start.
Maybe it’s a personal prayer or a pleading for someone you love.
Maybe saying the words out loud feels too painful.
And yet God knows our thoughts without us ever speaking a single word.
The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf, a companion walking with us in our time of need.
An interpreter of our hearts, making sense of our wordless groans.
What a comfort it is to be heard even without speaking.
How great His love is for us.
“And in a similar way, the Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words.”
Romans 8:26 TPT
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Standing Strong When You Are Falling Apart
“ I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;
He is near, and nothing can shake me
And so I am thankful and glad,
and I feel completely secure.” Psalm 16:8-9 (GNT)The feeling was hard to put into words.
What once stood strong was falling apart.
As I watched the news, there was a sense of grief as I saw how much the church I grew up in had deteriorated.
Bricks were coming loose.
The church was literally falling apart.
If I close my eyes, I can picture myself walking through the wooden doors.
On the right, the nursery where I learned that famous rhyme:
“Here is the church,
And here is the steeple.
Open the doors,
And see all the people.”Straight ahead, the lower sanctuary where my Grandma would attend services once a month because she could not climb the winding staircase for worship each week.
Classrooms for all ages behind the accordion doors that separated the teens from the elders.
The window to the kitchen that went up when classes ended to reveal red punch, black coffee and sugar wafers for all to enjoy.
The narrow back stairwell that was used by the pastor and the acolyte.
So many memories.
This is where my faith was born.
Not the Steeple, But the People
As easily as I can walk through the church in my mind, I know it was not the building that shaped my faith.
It was the people in it.
Aunt Betty in the nursery.
Mrs. Heffelfinger in the primary class.
Mrs Peiffer the choir director.
Chuck, Regina and Kevin, my youth leaders.
And my pastor, Reverend Snyder, who took me through confirmation and shared the gospel so articulately without words by the humble life he led.
This was the great cloud of witnesses who shared their faith with me.
It is the foundation laid by His people that has kept me standing strong when I have felt like falling apart over the years.
Because they pointed me to Him, I know that I am never alone.
Even when things around me are crumbling, like that old church building, I know that I am secure because He has me.
As a wife and a mother, this foundation has grounded me in my moments of doubt and insecurity.
Through a cancer diagnosis, the death of my parents, and the countless other changes since I walked through the doors of that church.
He is the one thing that He remained the same.
I can look back and am aware that His presence has always been with me.
Laying a Foundation for the Next Generation
My deepest prayer is that my children know this security as well.
The one only He can provide.
That they are always aware of His presence.
I have prayed for them to have an Aunt Betty and Reverend Snyder in their lives.
The ones who could help shape their faith and build a firm foundation, so that they will be able to stand strong, even when they feel like falling apart.
And one day, if the church that they grew up in is no longer standing, I pray they will be able to thank God for the people He put into their path that pointed them to Him.
I may never be able to sit in that old beautiful church building again.
But wherever I am, I know that I can always sit in His presence.
Friends, you can, too.
He is always near.
Who are the people of faith that have helped build your foundation, either as a child or an adult?
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Tribe
This week I had the honor of being part of a special celebration.
Three generations of women gathered together.
Sharing meals and stories.
Laughter and tears.
I loved bearing witness to how these women had joy and gratitude being in each other’s presence.
They have done life together.
Good days and hard days.
When we came upon a cute little shop to browse around, the clerk gave everyone a bracelet with the store’s name.
Girl Tribe.
It was perfect.
Jesus had a tribe as well.
In addition to the twelve, scripture tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
He called them friends.
It might be hard to imagine that the Savior of the world needed anyone.
But Jesus did life with those around Him.
Sharing meals and stories.
Laughter and tears.
Good days and hard days.
Fully human and fully divine.
As I was leaving to head back home, my heart was so full thinking of all of the people in my tribe.
And I gave thanks for them.
God never intended for us to walk this journey alone.
If you see someone who doesn’t have a tribe, invite them in.
Remember to thank God for those He has placed in yours.
And thank Him that He walks with you, too.
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
After saying these things, He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.””
John 11:5-6, 11 ESVShare this:
Look at What He Has Done!
Listen to what he has done!
Sharing the story of how a friend had been hurt stirs up different feelings in us.
Anger.
Betrayal.
Sadness.
It seems hard to fathom how some hurts can ever be forgiven, especially the ones that come from those who we love or call friend.
And yet that is exactly what Jesus modeled for us and instructed us to do.
He understood better than anyone what that hurt could feel like.
In His humanness, He felt the range of emotions we have all felt.
But in His divine nature, He showed us that forgiveness is possible.
So, listen to what He has done!
It is hard to fathom that He has forgiven the many sins of His children, the ones He loves and has called friend.
That is why we must remember to forgive as we have been forgiven.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22 ESV“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 ESVShare this:
The Choice to be Present
To do lists never seem to end.
Dishes.
Laundry.
Yard work.
Insert your household chore of choice here.
Being good stewards of what we have is not a bad thing.
In fact, we are called to be good stewards.
To offer hospitality to others.
But sometimes in doing so, we forget that being still is not laziness, but the act of being present.
Mary understood this.
Instead of choosing to help her sister, she sat at the feet of Jesus, drinking in His every word.
I really want to be more like Mary, but sometimes my Martha heart stops me from being fully present with Him and the ones He has graciously put in my path.
The dishes will not go anywhere.
The laundry can wait.
The grass will get cut.
Friends, I am talking to myself here, but in case you are like me and need to hear it, too:
Go outside and swim with your friends.
Play that game with your kids.
Have coffee with someone who needs a listening ear.
Sit quietly and read His Word.
And even if you struggle putting down that to do list, remember this.
Jesus still called Martha beloved, even when she got caught up in the distractions around her.
He calls you beloved, too.
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared. But Martha became exasperated with finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.””
Luke 10:38-42 TPTShare this:
