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Right Kind of Desperate

Psalm 42

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.”

Wounded, tired, grief stricken and trudging through the battle field fighting and feeling like I’m failing to carry on. Begging God to take the weight from me. So desperate to have the life that is only known through relationship with God but fighting to get there. That’s the imagery I get of the psalmist who wrote Psalm 42. Or maybe when I read it, the words just so closely resemble me. The psalmist here was experiencing exile, so it is fair to recognize them as someone who has lost quite a bit and based on their words you can tell they are fighting to continue. The psalm shows a person who in the midst of the brutal warfare they recognize their desperation for God and they recognize the choice they get to have to hope again even in the midst of what feels downright awful and unbearable. We all have had those moments where life has felt downright awful.

God revealed in a new way to me Psalm 42 back at the beginning of covid when I was still in the midst of dealing with some grief, was struggling, tired and then everything around us shut down. We can get so tired don’t we? We begin to become desperate. Desperate for a vacation, for a break, for quiet, for a fix, for freedom, for relief, for love; it overwhelms us to the point where it motivates us. We stop living from a place of freedom and peace, where God has called us, and we begin living out of place of desperation for all the wrong things. Our motivation must be the Kingdom of God. When we recognize that we are becoming desperate we must ask ourselves what am I actually desperate for and we must ask the Lord to make us desperate for Him. We must push forward always recognizing our great need of the living God. The only One who can provide relief to our longing souls.

Here are some key points about this passage that I want you to see and remember. The psalmist reminds himself consistently throughout the psalm who God is. He is our salvation (v5), He is with us (v7-8), He is steadfast in His love (v8), He is our rock (v9), He is our hope (v11), He is our God (v11). The Psalmist never loses sight of who God is and what He is capable of even when his enemies are saying “where is your God?” (v10). The psalmist is brutally honest about how he is feeling. He hides nothing from God. Bring it to the Light, friends. What you are feeling God can handle and what we bring to the Light the darkness cannot follow. Be brutally honest with your God, but like the psalmist don’t forget to return to praise. He never looses sight of what God is capable of and because of that he is able to speak to his soul and say “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” He challenges the feelings of despair with the truth of the character of God. And God wins every time. No matter the circumstance, the desperation, the longing, the suffering, we begin and end with praise and recognition of who our God is and in the midst we share our heart with Him.

I ask you, friend, what is your soul longing for? Are you longing for the things of this earth that will pass away and are beyond your control or are you longing for the presence of the Living God? Do we long to be in the presence of God the way this psalmist describes? He was in exile from the sanctuary he served God in and was in distress about being cast away from there and being taunted by it. Do we grieve the same when we are not where God has called us to be? Do we ache to be back where God is the way the psalmist aches to be back with God. We should be so desperate to be in His presence, no matter the suffering we are in the midst of.

Keep yourselves focused on God and who He is in the midst of whatever you are going through. Praise Him in all things. Friend, I pray that whatever you are longing for would be trumped by a new sense of desperation for the presence of the living God. As a friend recently said in a devotional, “We must learn to linger longer.” So let’s linger longer with Jesus and receive the rest our souls need.

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A Stirred Spirit

I feel unsettled today. I originally had plans to write regarding goldfish-dusted worship, and I will another day, but today there is something the Lord is doing and stirring in me that I feel I must share. I woke up tired, unfocused, cloudy and knew immediately it was the work of the enemy. I do have quite a bit going on and I know that takes claim to some of this, but today was different. I was being tempted to feelings of loneliness, comparison, neglect, being forgotten, control, pessimism, disdain, frustration, a thought to take care of myself and “do me.” I felt horrible. So I did what I always do. I prayed. As I awoke, when I showered, on my drive in, while I worked, until now as I write this. I prayed and talked to God constantly. “God, take these thoughts from me.” “Lord, I know these thoughts are lies. Lord, restore me.” “Lord, comfort me. I hurt.” “Lord, show me what you are doing.” “Lord, don’t let me miss you. Keep me here with you. Fight for me, Lord. I’m tired.”

Finally, He reminded me of a list I was keeping on my phone. Whenever God speaks to me I type it into my notes. I’m a mom of four, holding anything in my brain is near impossible – I must write it down (and even then I still sometimes need a reminder it is there). Sometime during the beginning of covid, God started to reveal certain scriptures to me in a new way. In a way that stirred me differently. Maybe you have had those moments. Holy “Aha” moments. When a bit of scripture stands out in a way you’ve never noticed before. It’s this list I want to begin to share with you today.

God is doing something BIG right now. I can feel it and I can feel the spiritual warfare around it too. The enemy wants to de-rail us, distract us, and confuse us. He wants to take us out of the battle. Even in the midst of the enemy’s attempts I can see all around me the people of God rising up. I can see the relationships He is restoring, the people He is alerting and preparing for what is to come, the people He is healing and calling forward. I can see His people starting to wrestle with their stuff and turn to God. It is so good, so hard I know, and the enemy is taking note and taking aim. Friends, here is the hope in the battle. We’ve got God. God is bigger. God is able. God is willing. God is faithful. God wants you. Just. as. you. are. There are some of you reading this that have felt that nudging to go to church, to open your Bible, to start talking to God, to ask someone about Jesus, to deal with something that God has been asking you to deal with, to start that project that God has been leading you to and I want to invite you to take your reading of this as another nudge from the Holy Spirit to do it. God is inviting you into something big and something good. Take the step.

Now the list I mentioned. There were three specific scriptures I spent months meditating on and praying. The first is Psalm 42, the second Ezekiel 37, and the last 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. Last month God gave me a fourth, 1 Peter 5:6-11. In the coming weeks I’d like to unpack each of those with you. For today, let’s briefly look at 1 Peter 5:6-11 because if you are feeling that warfare like I am and feeling the nudging of the Holy Spirit, like I did when He was asking me to change my writing topic, this scripture is the focus and reminder we need.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:6-11

We must be willing to be obedient to what God is doing. Humble ourselves. Put Him first. In the midst of our anxieties, fears, and long to do lists we must be willing to go where God is calling. I almost didn’t write this week because I just had too much going on and God was persistent to make known this had to happen. There is always going to be an excuse as to why we can’t do what God is asking us to do, but none of them are good enough. When God calls us He already knows all the stuff we got going on. He is asking us to press in anyways and to trust Him.

There is an enemy that prowls around looking to take us out. We must be diligent. We must resist him. Notice God’s Word doesn’t say that we will be without suffering but that there will be suffering for our faith. Here is the promise even though we experience suffering, Christ will RESTORE. Christ will STRENGTHEN. Christ will ESTABLISH. He will do this for YOU. It changes the suffering we endure. Our suffering has a purpose and has a hope attached to it. We need Hope. We need Jesus.

There is an invitation to participate with God in what He is doing. Friends, now is the time to take that step. In the midst of the confusion, in the suffering, in the pain, in the doubt, God will meet you. If He is calling you (and He is) then He will meet you. He is doing something big, I can feel it. We don’t want to miss what God is doing and we won’t when we say “Yes, Lord.” Stand firm. Pray for God to attune your ears to Him and your eyes to see what He is doing. It is so worth it. It’s time for us to say, “Yes, Lord.”

Lord, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.

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Studying the Word of God

Studying the Word of God is not just for scholars, pastors, or Bible students. It doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming! As disciples of Jesus, we all must learn how to study scripture. It’s the truth that helps us stand when we start to feel unsteady. It reveals the nature and characteristics of God, which then shares truth about who we are. We cannot define ourselves or God by what we think or how we feel. God and us can only be defined by Himself, and we find those definitions within His Word.

There is often a misconception that we must read a lot at once and that reading just a chapter is not enough. It’s not about how much we read, it’s about how often we read and what we do with what we read. That is how we feast on the Word. We enjoy it and we aim to understand it as it was intended. So this is your permission, as you study scripture, to start with a chapter, or even a verse! Trust me, there is a lot you can learn from just one verse in the Bible. This was a particular source of frustration for me and often discouraged me from doing any actual studying. Then someone told me even if I read a chapter and used my study tools to look into just one verse that stuck out to me, it would still make a difference in my walk with Jesus. I admit I was skeptical because I am often an “all or nothing” kind of person and if I couldn’t give as much time as I wanted or read as much as I wanted then I would put it off until I could. That logic is flawed, and I KNOW I am not the only one who does things like that! The person who told me I could just read a chapter was right. Between toddlers, kids homework, work projects, chores (hello, laundry), and figuring out dinner, sometimes all my brain can handle working through is one verse. The kindness of our Father in heaven is that He meets us where we show up to meet Him.

The second piece of discouragement for me was not having the right tools to study. There is so much information out there and we must be careful what we use. In this case, if you have a question about something you are reading that is breaking down scripture for you (i.e a Bible commentary) ask your pastor for some input. Trust me, as a pastor, we want to help make sure you have the right resources to study! Some of my favorite tools are at the end of this post. Make sure to check them out!

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

Life is hard, friends. Parenting is hard. It is easy to get discouraged. Life changes can cause unwanted disruptions and unwanted feelings. It is easy to get off course, distracted, and confused. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His Word gives us the best understanding, best advice and keeps us on the right path, no matter how hard it is to see. We often complain that we don’t know what God is asking us to do or where He is but we rarely open our Bibles to find out. There is a wealth of understanding within those pages and they are illuminated through the Holy Spirit, who gives us understanding. When we study what the intended purpose of the scripture is saying we receive the wisdom and confidence to walk out the lives God is calling us to.

As you begin to study the word you will need your Bible (I am partial to the ESV), a learning resource (see below for some options), a desiring heart, and something to take notes. I typically will choose to study a specific verse or section of verses based off of my devotional reading (my regular reading time) that piques my interest, confuses me, or I have more questions about. I will use the tools below to dive into the context of the Word and learn more about what God is trying to teach me.

Where are you going to start today? Here are some tools and terms to get you started:

  1. Blueletterbible.org – This is a free site that you can use to study. I love using this site because it is fairly user friendly and offers a lot of great features. You can type in any scripture and click on “tools” to see the original Greek or Hebrew used, hear how the word is said, see where it used in other places of the Bible, as well view commentaries, dictionaries, and multiple translations of the Bible.
  2. Logos – This is a software that you can get from logos.com. This is an amazing study tool but cost some money. You can get a standard starter pack (which honestly for the home study is MORE than enough) for about $100, sometimes you can catch it on sale for $50. You can add on resources as you want. Logos can be pretty pricey, but if you ever want to get serious about your study and are comfortable spending $50-$100, this is definitely the route to take!
  3. How to Study the Bible for All It’s Worth – Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart – Read this book and get a college credit (just kidding.) But, it is a basic book for Bible college students and just about anyone entering into ministry leadership. Great book to get you started!
  4. ESV Study Bible – By far my favorite study Bible!
  5. Commentary – A written explanation and/or interpretation of the scripture. Gives verse by verse context. I recommend this one.
  6. Bible Dictionary – this will help you with all those Bible words that are hard to read or understand! Another early deterrent to me reading, never-mind studying, my Bible! I have had a Zondervan Bible Dictionary since I was a teenager, but I honestly often use my logos or blueletterbible.org now.
  7. Bible Atlas – A tool that shows historical, geographical, culture, archaeological, and topographical perspectives. I’m a nerd when it comes to getting to look through these!
  8. Eisegesis vs Exegesis – big words, I know. But don’t tune out on me. These are super important to understand and will help keep you in check as you study your Bible. To eisegete (eisegesis) the Bible means to put your own ideas and experiences into what you are reading. This often leads us to misinterpret the text, having it say something that it is not actually saying. We have to be careful that we never manipulate scripture to say what we want it to say. That is why we study, so we can exegete (exegesis) the text. To exegete the text means to interpret the text as it was intended. That means learning the who, what, where, when, and whys. When you study the text make sure you find out who is writing (if it is known), to whom it was written, what is being intended or discussed – any special circumstances happening, when is it being written (history and cultural norms are important for understanding context,) why are they writing it (like in 1 Corinthians where they asked Pauls advice on issues they were facing as a church and 1 Corinthians is his response). Being able to answer these questions will better help you understand what you are reading and how it applies in your relationships with God and with others.

Let me leave you with this. The more you study and seek to understand the Word the more you are going to fall in love with God. When you fall in love with God, He becomes the most consistent presence in your life. Reliable, unwavering, dependable. We need that. The truth you learn as you study is going to deflect every lie of the enemy and aid you in standing when the storms come. I encourage you to prioritize this time in your Bibles. Your families need you to be who God created you to be. Your coworkers, your friends, and your disciples, need you to be who God created you to be.

I would love to answer any questions you may have or hear about any other tools that you love to use when you study. Leave a comment below or send a message on our contact page!

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Praying the Word of God

Prayer is a weapon.

Daughters of God, prayer is a weapon made available to you, from God, so that you can combat the schemes of the enemy, advance the Kingdom, commune with God, and open your heart so God can bring change. Through prayer God changes us; our perspectives, our actions, our hearts, our circumstances. Prayer is a necessity for us! God knows this. He knew that we needed to be in constant communion with Him. That is why His word says “..pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)

Can I tell you, your Bible is also a weapon. We are told in Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” That is why today we are talking about praying the Word.

I fully believe there is a war we cannot often see but we definitely feel it. It is a spiritual war, it is an attack on our minds, on our spirits, on our families and is all too familiar to us. My mind is attacked on all fronts and I’m sure yours is too. Little whispers that attack our value, our abilities, our identities, whether we are loved or not, whether we are doing enough and if it even matters. This is spiritual warfare. We combat it through prayer, our Bibles, the Holy Spirit, and community. Today I want to share some practical ways that I have prayed scripture over myself. I love prayer. I crave it.

The more time we spend with God the more we learn who we are. In our times with Him, He reminds us who we are so we don’t get distracted by all the posts, lies, and comparisons that are trying to redirect our attention to everything I am not. He reminds us that we are not alone. He builds confidence and boldness. He removes fear and fills us with peace and passion.

The more time we spend with God the more we learn who we are.

As you engage in praying the Word, be willing to be vulnerable, be honest, be transparent. He is God. Can I tell ya, He already knows what you are thinking and what you are feeling. There is healing and freedom in the light. The lies and worries we hold onto and never say out loud, sit in the dark and fester. When we say them aloud and when we submit them to God, they are brought into the light. There in the light healing and freedom can occur.

Be willing to take the time to grow in spending time with Him, the more you do the more inclined you are going to be in hearing His voice. Also, pray all the time. I will often have one scripture that I pray all week long. When a doubt or lie or my crankiness starts to show I will pray scripture. When something creates awe in me or joy, I will pray scripture. I often pray “Lord, every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17)” when my kids are filling my heart with joy and when I need to be reminded that God gave me these kids and it is good and perfect even though they are driving me crazy. As you can imagine in those moments with my children, it isn’t quiet enough to sit down and have a moment just Jesus and I. It’s an on the go, in the moment prayer. You can literally talk with God whenever, wherever.

What it looks like. Here are a few prayers I have prayed.

 “for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6

“Lord, I feel like no one ever sticks around. I feel forgotten and I feel lonely. God, your word tells me that You never leave me, You never forsake me! Lord, you are always near. You help me. No matter what people do to me, God I know I have you and it is enough. Lord help me to remember that you alone are enough. Thank you, God that you choose me and that you are always with me. Amen”

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

“Holy Spirit come. I never want to quench the work you are doing in my life. Lead me and help to be obedient to what You are doing, Lord. I surrender to You, Lord, my crankiness. I admit I haven’t been rejoicing, but have felt bitter. God change my attitude. I give you permission to create in me a rejoicing heart. Teach me to pray at all times about all things Lord. Let me know grow weary in giving thanks because Lord You are always worthy of praise. Lord, thank you for Your love over me, thank you for my children and their health and safety, thank you for my husband, thank you for my job, and the people I get to serve. Lord may your joy rise up in me so that others may benefit. Amen”

“from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” Psalm 6:2-3

“Father, I am so overwhelmed. I am so tired with all I have to do and with all I have to care for. I call out to you, Lord. I know when I’m tired I get lazy and Lord the enemy uses those moments to tear me down and make me feel like I’m not where I belong, someone else could do it better. God I recognize those lies right now and I surrender them to you. God you are my refuge from those lies. God you are my strong tower where I run. With you the enemy cannot touch me. You are my protector, You are the truth. Lord, be my strength and shut the mouth of the enemy. God I love you. Thank you for being a place I can run to and rest when I am tired. Amen”

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

“God, you are so good to have made a way to destroy the strongholds in my life. God through you, I am able to be set free. I am struggling with doubt and with the culture and what they say is truth and what You say is truth. Lord, I choose right now to take those thoughts captive that are against Your Word and I surrender them to you. God I choose Your word. I choose You, God. Lord, increase in me, teach me. Remind me who I am in You, not who the world says I am. God, you above all. Transform my mind and make me more like you, Lord. Amen.

Now it is your turn. You heard my vulnerable prayers, what are yours?

Praying for you always,

Selina

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Nibbling Ain’t Enough, EAT!


At the beginning of every year my family participates in a 21 day fast with our church family. We always fast social media and television and then we each choose what food we are fasting. I typically get to a point in the fast where I start nibbling on food here and there instead of eating full meals because I get so tired of lettuce and fruit. When I do this I get so hungry, because I’m never actually filling myself. I’m continually unsatisfied. How often is this also the case with our spiritual lives. We feel underwhelmed, unsatisfied, and hungry for more of God. We wonder where He is, but we never actually open our Bibles and sit at His table. We nibble instead of feast on the Word of God.

Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV) says

“Your words were found, and I ate them,
    and your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.”

Jeremiah was in a season where he was prophesying to the people and instead of the people believing what he was saying they ridiculed him and left him lonely. Jeremiah turned to the Word of God and took comfort and joy in it. How often are we turning somewhere other than the Word of God to receive comfort and joy? Or do we read our Bibles and just read it and leave it, nibble on it here and there like I often do on my fast? Now imagine a feast – all of your favorite foods sitting on a table in front of you. You probably don’t take just one or two bites but you feast on what’s in front of you. Taking delight in all of your favorite foods. You leave satisfied and full. How much more satisfied and full we would feel if we feasted on and delighted in God’s Word, the way Jeremiah describes.

Jeremiah says the word was a delight to his heart. With the current chaotic state of our world, I treasure the moments that my heart feels delight and I crave for the Lord to be my delight. It can be so easy to try and fill that craving with other things. People, food, music, distractions, addictions, work, hobbies, and the list goes on. All of those things are temporary. In the moment we may feel good, happy, satisfied but it isn’t long after that we start to revert back to our dissatisfied selves. If instead our choices led us to the Word, our souls would find delight and satisfaction that could weather the trials of this life.

In order to feast we must come hungry. Come hungry to the Lord’s table and come regularly. When we do feast, we not only read but we pray the Word, we meditate on the Word, we study the Word, we journal the Word, we share the Word. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing more specifically what it looks like to do each of those and share some of my favorite resources.

May we all learn to go to His table, receive His Joy, and be filled.

Reflection:

Are you typically a nibbler or a feaster on the Word of God?

Where can you adjust your schedule to make time to feast on the Word?

Where in your life are you feeling unsatisfied or sad that you can ask the Lord to bring joy and fulfillment?

Hope When You’re Tired

You often hear people say “There is a light at the end of the tunnel.” It is often said in the midst of some sort of distress or personal crisis as a way to spur on hope. My question is, what happens when you can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel? When you know you should be hopeful but it is a lot of darkness and you’re not sure how you are gonna get out of this one.

Have you been there? School, a rough season with kids, toddlers, those sleepness nights with an infant, the loss of a loved one, addiction, chronic illness and pain. I have had many of those seasons. It feels bleak, we feel bleak. We are just so tired. What do we hold onto in those times?

As a kid I can remember doing a math problem (I know I said math, don’t check out. I’m going somewhere with this.) It was something like – you have a caterpillar in a jar. If everyday the caterpillar gets two inches up the jar but falls back one inch how many days until the caterpillar is out of the jar? Probably not word for word, but you get the idea. In my kid brain I immediately started thinking that poor little caterpillar is always falling behind after its hard work. Why does he even bother? He is stuck in the jar and all he is doing is exhausting himself. I hated this problem, I all too often felt like that little caterpillar. God brought this back to my recollection many years later and reminded me that the little caterpillar made it out of the glass. He wasn’t the fastest, but he did endure, he was resilient, he was persistent, he did not give up and he made it out of the glass. He probably knew he couldn’t stay where he was because that led to certain death. The only option was to keep going.

We can make it out of the jar too. We gotta know that where we are at isn’t where we were called to stay. We may be tired trying to get out, yet in the midst we need to hold onto the hope of things assured and start moving. Scripture says “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). God never told us we would be able to see all the things we are hoping for, but calls us to faith for those things. We are called to put our whole trust in Him even when we can’t see. We can get tired, but let us not lose our sight to what motivates us to keep going. Let us not forget who we serve.

We are going to have days in our darker seasons where, like the caterpillar, we can’t see what’s on the other side. I want to encourage you to keep moving forward. The enemy wants to discount our steps that move us closer to God. He will tell us that they are “too small” and “they don’t matter” and “we aren’t really getting anywhere.” He will do whatever he can to discourage us and cause us to give up. He doesn’t want us anywhere near God, anywhere near our freedom! We know better so we are gonna keep going. No step we take toward God is too small. Even if we are crawling we are still moving towards Him. Sometimes all we can do is crawl, so friend, CRAWL. I don’t care how you gotta get to the One who gives life, the One who secures our victory and our freedom, you just get there! No matter how small the steps feel, those steps matter.

We have the light of Jesus available to us whenever we want. We don’t need a light at the end of the tunnel when we have the Light Himself. Let’s be that little caterpillar. Let’s be persistent, resilient and let’s endure, never giving up. When you keep your head and heart focused on the God who created you to do hard things and who walks with you through hard things, you will be victorious. God reminds us that we already have victory through Christ. We just need to remain focused and remember the victory that we get to have in Him.

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

JOHN 8:12, ESV

Don’t give up in this hard season, friend. The Light is with you. This is our assurance. This is our hope.

What is the glass you are trying to climb out of? What keeps you from getting momentum? What areas do you need to surrender to God in this season of life?

I pray God would be the strength of your spirit and drive of your soul to go for what He is calling into or out of today. May you be resilient, persistent, and never give up as you seek out His light. May you walk in your victory and may it be a testimony of God’s goodness to those around you.

Fighting for Peace

Life is a little weird right now. A little hard. I guess it has been for a bit since covid came into our lives. I’ve started to notice more of my control freak and irritability come out the last couple weeks. Typically those two items are closely linked with my level of anxiety and stress. And well, I am feeling a bit anxious. When is this going to be over? When is my family going to be able to return to do fun stuff outside the home like we used to? When will all this terrible and sad news stop?! How do I help the people I care about who are struggling too? I am anxious. I am nervous. I so dislike being in this state! Friends, I’m not staying here and if you’re here too, I bet you don’t want to either.

So here is what I’m doing. I am thanking the Holy Spirit for showing me where I am at and I am surrendering how I am feeling. I am turning it all over to Jesus. Because I just don’t know. I don’t. I have no answers. Yet, He knows. I listen, I meditate, I pray, I worship, I obey. He knows. That feels good. HE KNOWS. Feel that burden release that we don’t need to know? Tell yourself again.

He knows. The beginning from the end, He knows.

I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
Isaiah 46:9b-10, ESV

We just need to surrender and put our trust in Jesus. We need to stop trying to figure it out and fix everything. The only fixing we need to do is on Jesus.

So tonight as I felt a bit of anxiety start to creep in, I took that moment of thinking captive and brought it to Jesus. I put on one of my favorite songs right now (The Story I’ll Tell – Maverick City Music) and I lit a candle, just to mark out the time and space, and I preached the Gospel to myself. Friends, we don’t have to stay in our yuck. We have a Savior, A Love, who wants us and even DIRECTS us to bring it to Him. So do it. Set apart some time for Him today and tomorrow and the day after, and the day after and after and after….

I think it’s important to note that in the midst of surrendering and spending time with Jesus I was also cooking dinner. We must learn to worship in every circumstance, in every task no matter how menial, repetitive or mundane. We are busy, I know. So with all we do we must make communion with God possible no matter where we are or what we are doing. It is a beautiful opportunity when we can go to a quiet place to be with Jesus, but if you are a mother quiet doesn’t come often. Learn to worship in all that you do.

Let’s light that candle, set a time and space apart for you and Jesus. Let His presence and His peace wash over you. Talk to Him about where you are at and preach the gospel to yourself. Pray scripture over yourself. Let Him be the Rock on which you stand. We are okay. We have Jesus. This too shall pass, and in His strength we will continue to stand.

Love to you,

Mrs. RevMom, M.S., Daughter of God