You are a beautiful work in progress in the hands of your Creator. He is a Master Craftsman, shaping and forming you into his likeness. God has done good work in you, but he isn’t finished!

He is the healer of lives and hearts and souls.

He is the redeemer of our stories.

He is our rescuer and our help in trouble.

He is defender, our strength, and our shield.

He is powerful and mighty.

I know it’s hard, but he’s with you. His promises do not fail. This pain pales in comparison to the good he is working. Let’s hold firmly to the one who will overcome. Let’s patiently and confidently trust in his promises, his timing, and his power.

I know it wasn’t intentional. I love these people, but I still felt frustrated and offended. I thought about raising my voice to talk over those who kept talking over me, but I knew that wouldn’t be helpful, so I paused a moment and considered my options. Instead of fighting to have my voice heard, I felt the invitation to a more humble and gentle way.

New is hard. My tear-stained cheeks today are evidence that reality is true. Another reality also exists, though. Change is an inevitable part of life. Every living thing is in the process of changing. It’s absolutely impossible to just stay the same. If we want to grow, we have to be willing to embrace change.

When thoughts, concerns, plans, worries, and what-ifs rise to the surface, we turn to God and acknowledge that he is over it all. Like a wooden spoon set across the top of the pot, his presence says to the increasing simmer, “Go no further.”

Our joy doesn’t come from our jobs, our family, our relationships, our finances, or our success. Our joy doesn’t come from what we have on earth or who we are with. Our joy is a gift.

And, if you’re like me and you feel like you might be a little late on the holiday festivities, I want you to know that IT IS OK! Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, smile, and give yourself permission to just be right where you are without feeling stressed, guilty or frantic.

It’s hard to put into words just how holy these moments feel. Problems that loomed large suddenly regain their rightful size as I imagine God speaking the galaxies into existence. I am deeply aware of the power and presence of God and that awareness reorients everything. 

You’re not in control of the plan.  God does the most incredible things in the most unexpected ways.  He often grows beautiful things in the most unlikely of places.  Trust that God has a good plan and that he is a good Father.

That night, as I was reflecting, I thought about how important it was to my husband to lay a good foundation throughout this project.  The foundation mattered most.  Nothing we built would have had any longevity to it unless we did the proper groundwork first. 

Living on purpose is so much more intentional. It’s right here and right now living.  It's prioritizing the right things every day like connecting deeply with God, caring for my own soul, connecting with people, and living life in a way that is wholistic and life giving so that I can be fruitful for the long term instead of only fruitful for a season.

My focus shifted from the thoughts in my mind. I became aware of myself and aware of the beauty of God’s creation around me. I began noticing the shape of the clouds and smelling the sweet scent of the flowers in a yard I was passing. I began to move from wrestling through my thoughts to conversing with God.

I can’t help but feel hope bubbling up in my soul as I think about new life springing forth from things that look dark, dismal, and even dead. Giving new life and new hope is something God is really good at.

Real rest refreshes. Real rest restores. Real rest revitalizes. Real rest that can do all of these things can only be found in one place.

Whatever the situation and whatever the circumstances, he is worthy of our praise.  He is deserving of all glory.  And when we talk about the amazing things that he’s done for us, it has the power to strengthen faith and renew hope.

In this kingdom where the first is last and the greatest is the serves, achieving big things most often involves the smallest steps. It’s our little everyday moments that change the world. Our daily willingness to be people who love God and love people is what shakes this world to its’ very core.

This may sound like one of the oddest practices, but it is one I am finding particularly powerful in this new year.  I am choosing to do something I am bad at.  While it may seem counter-productive, allowing myself the grace to be bad at something is producing something incredibly good in me. 

God will take every trouble and transform them into opportunities for us to experience love, grace, mercy, peace, and even joy through him. He is with us in our struggles and he invites us to be with others in theirs. 

Our moments matter.

Our everyday minutes are the building blocks of our lives.

What we give our time, energy, and attention to every day impact our life.