Author: hcfwomen

I like to be in control of things. I like a clean, organized house. I like our finances to be in order. I like the yard to look nice and to know what is coming up on our schedule. I don’t like to be surprised. I like to be in control, and I like order!

However, there have been times in my life where I have had to surrender my control and order to the One who has it all under control! And if I’m being honest, He knows a lot more about that than I ever will!!!

Thinking back to our very first year of farming, God showed me that I didn’t have to have everything under control, and He would take care of us. One afternoon in late June, we were crushed by a hailstorm, and it left our 5-foot corn laying on the ground. We were devastated! I vividly remember watching my 20-year-old husband on his knees in the field looking at his ruined corn crop. I sat at the kitchen table wondering why God allowed this to happen. What were we going to do? We already owed money to the bank, so how were we going to pay them off if we didn’t have a crop? I had no idea how this was going to work out, and it was totally out of my control!

My husband immediately went to work to replant, and at the end of the year, we paid off the bank almost to the dollar that we owed them. There wasn’t anything left over, but at least we were able to pay off our debt. 

It was at that time that God showed a young married couple that He is faithful, and we can trust Him! God showed up in such a way that we knew it was only from Him! There was no other explanation of how we paid out at the bank. It was GOD!!!

I wish I could say that was the last time we had a hailstorm or lost a crop, but after 42 years of farming, we have had several storms over the years. Each time we have a disaster on the farm, I think back to that first year and remember God’s faithfulness to us. There was a song that was popular back then, and I still sing it in my spirit when I want to be reminded of God’s promises to us during hard times:

            He’ll do it again. He’ll do it again.

            Just take a look at where you are now and where you’ve been.

            Hasn’t He always come through for you, well He’s the same now as then.

            You may not know how, you may not know when, but He’ll do it again!

God is bigger than my control! Often, I try to put God in a box and think that I have to solve the world’s problems or keep everything in a certain order. But when I surrender to God’s plan in my life, things turn out MUCH better! Ephesians 3:20 says that “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” 

Why do I think I can do it better than God? Why do I think I have to have everything in control, when I can just trust God? I know I can trust God completely, because He has proven time and time again that He is trustworthy! He can do things BIGGER and BETTER when I surrender! He’ll do it again!!!

We would like to thank Vickie Young for writing this blog.

I’ve been working my way through The Bible Recap, and in true form, I started it in the middle of the year.

It’s so easy to read through the Old Testament and think, Why do they keep making the same mistakes over and over? Look, the golden calf didn’t do anything for you the first time. What do you think it’s going to do this time?

My daughter even asked me, “Are we done reading about the Israelites? They just keep doing the same thing over and over.”

But then I remind myself that while my actions may not be the same, I still sin over and over again, making many of the same mistakes. I limit what God can do because I can’t wrap my mind around how He does it or why He would do it for me.

When King Hezekiah came to power, “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.” 2 Kings 18:2–3, 5–6

Because of Hezekiah’s faith and trust in God, the Bible tells us that he prospered. Then, when Hezekiah became sick and was near death, he asked God for healing, and God granted it.

What did Hezekiah do next?

He boasted about himself and became prideful. He stopped seeking God’s wisdom and made foolish decisions.

I want to focus on the moment when Hezekiah asked God to extend his life and God granted his request. Sometimes, I don’t even allow myself to ask for things because I limit what God can do or rather, what I believe He is willing to do for me.

I’m not the ruler of a country, so why would God do something big for me?

Thankfully, He is God, and He isn’t limited by those thoughts.

In times of doubt, I remind myself of examples from my own life when God showed up in big ways simply because I had the faith to ask.

When my youngest daughter was still in the womb, one of her kidneys was retaining too much fluid. We had to schedule an additional ultrasound, and the condition remained the same. The doctor told me that if things didn’t improve, she would need a procedure after birth to drain the fluid.

So, what did I do?

I stressed about it. Then I tried to rationalize it by thinking, Well, it’s not that bad. It could definitely be worse. It’s not a chronic illness. Maybe it’ll just work itself out.

Of course, even when my child has a cold, I worry, so those thoughts weren’t especially helpful.

Then one day, while I was sitting in church, I felt a strong urge to go to the front after the service and ask for prayer for God to heal her. Honestly, it was going to be the first time I had ever gone forward for prayer. I was uncomfortable and, once again, trying to talk myself out of it but I didn’t.

I told Ty, “We’re going to the front to get prayer for Audrey’s kidney.”

So, we did.

We walked to the front, which felt like a mile because we both usually sit toward the back and were feeling uncomfortable. We received prayer, and I felt such relief afterward.

At the next ultrasound, they measured her kidney, and it was within the normal range. They checked again before she was born, and everything looked great.

I’m not the ruler of a country, and I wasn’t asking God to extend my life, but none of that matters to Him.

He wants us to come to Him and bring Him the desires of our hearts.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

God wants our hearts and desires a relationship with us.

When Hezekiah turned away from God, he lost God’s favor and wasted the precious gift of extra life on earth that had been given to him.

We don’t know what big things God has planned for us. God can and will do more than we can imagine.

Sometimes, we just have to ask.

We would like to thank Chelsea Criswell for writing this blog.

 There’s a tension many of us live in but don’t always recognize: God speaks big, but people often think small. 

If we’re honest, one of the greatest obstacles to believing bigger isn’t a lack of faith, it’s the weight of other people’s opinions. It’s the offhand comments, the doubts, the questions, and even well-meaning advice that slowly pulls us back into what feels safe, realistic, and understandable. 

But God rarely calls us to what is safe. 

Isaiah reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). When God places something in your heart, it often stretches beyond logic. It goes beyond your resources, your experience, and definitely beyond what others can immediately see. 

And because of that, the people around you may not affirm it, they may question it. Not because they’re against you, but because they’re limited to what they understand. 

The real question is: whose voice gets the final say? 

Because the voice you agree with will shape the future you step into. 

We see this clearly in Scripture. When David stood before Goliath, he was surrounded by voices telling him to be realistic. Yet David declared, “The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). Everyone else saw a giant that couldn’t be defeated. David saw a God who couldn’t be stopped. 

The difference wasn’t the size of the giant; it was the voice he chose to believe. 

If David had listened to the opinions around him, he would have never stepped onto that battlefield. His calling required him to reject what made sense to others in order to embrace what God had already spoken. 

And we face that same decision. 

Too often, we give people’s opinions a level of authority they were never meant to have. Proverbs 29:25 warns us, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” When we prioritize people’s reactions over God’s direction, we trap ourselves in hesitation and doubt. 

Believing bigger requires a shift. 

It means learning to filter voices instead of absorbing all of them. Not every voice deserves equal access to your faith. Not every opinion is qualified to speak into your calling. 

It also means accepting that obedience to God may look unreasonable to others. There will be moments when saying “yes” to God means saying “no” to the comfort of being understood. 

Paul writes in Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?” That question still challenges us today. 

We all want confirmation. We all want support. But if you wait for everyone to understand what God is doing in your life before you move forward, you may never move at all. 

Believing bigger requires courage, the kind of courage that is willing to stand alone before it ever stands in victory. 

It’s choosing to trust God’s character over human consensus. It’s deciding that if God said it, that settles it, even if no one else sees it yet. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 

This doesn’t mean we ignore wisdom or isolate ourselves from counsel. God uses people. But there’s a difference between seeking wise counsel and surrendering your conviction. 

At the end of the day, you must settle this: whose voice carries the most weight in your life? 

Before you ask, “What do people think?” ask, “What did God say?” 

Because you can’t step into something greater if you keep shrinking it to fit inside someone else’s understanding. 

Not every opinion deserves access to your faith. 

Believing bigger begins when God’s voice becomes louder than the crowd, and when His “yes” matters more than everyone else’s hesitation. 

We would like to thank Cassie Mogg for writing this post.

There are so many things that the hand of God is able to do. In my life, the two things that have had the most profound impact on me are that the hand of God has created me and covered me.

I have always been in awe of creation and the world around us. The peace and solace of being in nature is unlike any other. As my faith journey has progressed, I have learned that it is not just about being in awe of creation, but more about becoming more intimately connected to my Creator. About twenty years ago, I watched two talks by Louie Giglio titled “Indescribable” and “How Great is Our God”. From the massiveness of the galaxies and universe to the minute intricacies of our fearfully and wonderfully made human bodies, these two talks birthed a reverence and worship in my heart that has grown ever since. Spoiler (but no surprise!) alert: no matter how majestic or miniscule, the cross is at the center of it all.

We are not some random splat. We are the furthest thing from an accident, and there is nothing unplanned in God’s plan. We have been created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:27). We have been measured even to the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). Our DNA sequence has been calculated unlike any other of the billions of people on our planet. We have been known before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) and were knit together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Knit. Intentionally. Intricately. Intimately. His hand has created me.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:8-30) is a story of God’s provident protection when we refuse to bow down or worship anything other than Him. In my career as an educator, I have been faced with many situations where I had to choose between my earthly boss and my heavenly Master. It has not always been an easy road, but I have felt the hand of God cover me every single time. 

The most trying of situations came several years ago during our daughter’s junior year of high school. Matt and I both faced tremendous adversity and had several negative actions taken against us. It was no doubt the worst professional storm we had walked through together…the fire seemed seven times hotter than it ever had before. But God. We chose “One Way” as our basketball team’s theme for that season, based on the movie “Woodlawn”. We professed that Jesus would be at the center of everything for our team and season. Our covenant with each other, our team, and our God was that we would do everything “One Way” to bring honor and glory to Him and Him only. 

I have never felt the covering of God’s hand over my life as much as I did during that year. Even when the storm swelled and the fire raged, His peace was ever present on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Our team won the 3A State Championship with an undefeated 37-0 record, and I will forever be grateful to The One who scripted that entire season. Am I grateful for the furnace, fire, and flame? I would not know the 4^th Man in the fire more deeply without them. I would not know how powerful His presence truly is without them. I would not know the deliverance of coming out not even smelling like smoke without them. His hand has covered me.

One of my favorite song lyrics says, “I may not know what the day may bring, but I know Who brings the day”. When the almighty hand of God pushes that glorious sun up every morning, I am reminded of how thoroughly and affectionately I have been created. I am reminded that no matter what storm may come, He will be there in the fire and deliver me from it. My Creator is sovereign and I am safe in the covering of the Lord.

We would like to thank Courtney Garrett for writing this post.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Let’s talk about the hand of God. When you think about the hand of God, what is the first thing that comes to mind? We may first think about what He gives, how He provides, how He moves obstacles for us. For me, it reminds me of all the things God is willing to receive from us. I grew up with trauma being a regular occurrence, and it was crippling. When I was at the lowest time in my life, I turned to alcohol to numb the pain from the worst trauma I had recently experienced. I wasn’t drinking to party; I was drinking in attempts to just not think, to stop or slow down the anguish, to stop panic attacks. My mind was tormented with fear, suicidal ideations, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and wondering how this happened. My life as I knew it was over; I was a shattered shell of a woman and mother. I had been a fighter all my life and made it through so much, but this time I had no fight left in me. I prayed everyday asking the Lord for help to cope with this crisis. The Lord revealed to me that what I was going through was spiritual, and that I needed to deal with it spiritually. I rebuked the suicidal thoughts and told them to leave me in Jesus Name, and they immediately left. I started begging God to take the desire and addiction to alcohol away.  

God had supernaturally taken the desire for other addictions away throughout my life, so I knew He could and would. This time was different, every time I sat on my bed with a bottle of rum in my hand just wanting to numb the ravaging pain away, I would pray. Lord, please take the desire to drink away from me, I don’t want it. The Lord would show me an image of His open hand toward me, palm up, like He was willing to receive it if I was willing to give it to Him. No, Lord, please take it from me, then He would show me his open hand again and impress on me that this time I had to GIVE it to Him. I didn’t think I could put this in His hand on my own; I knew if I was willing to give it to Him that He would help me, but I just couldn’t give it to Him. I was stuck, fearful of how I would be able to manage this pain without alcohol. The alcohol was NOT helping; it rather held me captive in my body while my mind ran every scenario, every fear, everything that I could have done differently, and every way that I failed. I felt like I was stuck in a prison cell with little hope, but the Lord kept showing me that the prison door was open, and I could walk out if I wanted to.  

I didn’t want to have to do the work myself; I wanted the Lord to do the work for me. My daily prayers begging God for help went on for months. I knew what I had to do yet questioned my ability. God was showing His willingness to take it IF I was willing to give it to Him; God obviously knew I had the ability. I wish I could say that the battle was easy once I gave it to Him; it was not. I had a lot of spiritual warfare to battle after that, learning how to make healthy choices in my mind and body, and learning to lean on the Lord for strength and guidance every step of the way.  

Learning how to live life without substances to cope was a great challenge for me as my earliest addiction started at age 9. I learned, grew, and matured my ability to feel the feelings and not run from them. God offered me His open hand, and I took Him up on His offer; God knew that if I expected Him to do the work for me every time that I would not learn and grow the ability to do it for myself.  August 2026 will be 9 years sober for me, because I chose to put it in His hand. May He do the same for you in whatever He is leading you to put in His hand. God bless you.  

We would like to thank Leah Montez for writing this post.

There are many times in my life I can think of when the hand of God has definitely been felt and present. From answered prayers, opened doors, challenges, and provision even in moments of life where we did not recognize it. Seasons of life are inevitable and change has to happen. Some seasons come with excitement and anticipation while some come with uncertainty and letting go. As women, one of our greatest gifts is adjusting to changes as we watch our children grow. 

Over the past nine months, we have been in a season of lasts, watching chapters close in my son’s senior year of high school. In a couple of months my oldest will be moving to attend college. While I am so proud of him and have so much joy about his growth and upcoming experiences, this makes me anxious as well. I have spent eighteen years raising, nurturing, praying for and teaching him, getting to watch him become the amazing young man he is today, all thanks to God’s hand in our lives. 

As this next chapter draws near, I have to trust that God has him in his hands, as he always has and always will. Isaiah 41:10 says “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Being in God’s word and trusting in truths like these give me comfort. While I know that this season of change in life is inevitable, it is hard for me to think about him being on his own and not needing me. The realization that life is not only changing for him, but for me and his sister at home can seem overwhelming and scary. While we get impatient and want to know God’s plan for our lives and for our families, scripture reminds us to fully trust in God’s plan, because it is better than anything we can imagine for ourselves. As I watch my son prepare to step into this next chapter I am reminded to trust in God’s plan for every detail of his journey. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

Whatever season you find yourself in, remember God is already there. I encourage you as we go through seasons of change, whether they be exciting or scary, that you stay in God’s word. Trusting in His plan can be difficult but there is such a peace in knowing he has it and we do not have to worry about it. As women we take on so many roles and responsibilities, and this is something we can turn over to God and allow him to guide our paths. 

I want to end with one of my son’s favorite scriptures, Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.” He has turned to this verse many times over his high school years, and it is such a good reminder that when you feel that overwhelming stress of the world, that God will not let it overcome you. I have no doubt he will keep this verse in his heart and God’s hand will be in every step of his next chapter.

We would like to thank Jamie Austin for writing this post.

Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Acts, and I came across the story of Stephen. I’ve always known him as the first Christian martyr, but never really dove deep into his story. The story of Stephen is just a short story, but you can see God’s hand over it.

Stephen was chosen to serve the Hellenistic Jews and care for their spiritual needs. When Stephen was appointed, he started preaching boldly.

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen… who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” (Acts 6:8-10)

Stephen had remarkable wisdom for someone who had only recently begun his ministry. That wisdom came directly from the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Spirit was one of the reasons the disciples chose him in the first place. (Acts 6:5)

Stephen knew the hand of God was upon him because he knew the Holy Spirit dwelled within him. And he wanted the Jewish leaders to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit like he and so many other people had. This is how Stephen responded to the Jewish leaders when they accused him of being a false teacher. 

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51)

The passion and boldness in those words just amaze me of the faith Stephen had. Stephen’s message wasn’t rooted in anger but in his love for God and his desire for others to know the God as he did. Yet this was their response:

“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.” (Acts 7:54)

But Stephen knew God and he had a relationship with Him. He knew the hand of God was over him every moment, even as he faced death. And just before he was stoned, God allowed him to see His glory.

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'” (Acts 7:55-56)

As I read Stephen’s story, I can’t help but reflect on my own life. Just as the hand of God was over Stephen’s life, I can look back and see the hand of God over mine.

Whenever I hear the lyrics from Goodness of God—

“All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.”

—I always get the same picture in my mind. I see God’s hands resting on my head and my husband’s head and then moving on to resting on our children’s head. But God’s hand keeps moving, resting His hands on generation after generation. 

I know God’s hand is over my life. I know His hand is over my husband’s life. I know His hand is over my children’s lives. And I believe His hand will remain over the generations that come after us.

There are things about my heavenly father I cannot fathom but God gave me an earthly father whose life reflected so much of His character.

My dad was kind and loving, just as my Heavenly Father is kind and loving. My dad also corrected me when I needed it, just as my Heavenly Father disciplines His children.

When I think of my dad, one of the things that brings me the greatest comfort is remembering his hands.

From the age of twenty until he was sixty-four, my dad farmed. I remember him coming home with dirty hands, bruised hands, and sometimes even bloody hands from the hard work he did to provide for his family. His hands were ever-present in my life. Those hands provided and protected me. 

But when cancer forced my dad to stop farming, his hands began to change.

His strong and calloused hands become weak and smooth. Eventually, not only his hands but his entire body wore out, and he passed from this life into eternity.

As grateful as I am for my earthly father whose hands were all over my life, there is an even greater comfort in knowing that the hand of God has never left me.

My earthly father’s hands grew tired, but God’s hands never do.

My earthly father’s hands became weak, but God’s hands will always be strong enough to take on any battle I will face. 

My earthly father’s hands eventually gave out but God’s hands will continue for generations until His return.

Just like the words from Goodness of God, I can look back over my life and see the hand of God all throughout my life. Through every bad choice I made as a teenager, through the hardships my husband and I have faced, through every hill and valley of parenthood, the hand of God has remained steady, and He has been with me every step of the way.

We would like to thank Bethany Williams for writing this post.

 ^“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139: 7-10 (NKJV)

How does a former New Yorker end up in West Texas? Unusual? Yes. Impossible? Not at all. The only explanation is the hand of God—the very same hand David describes above. Many of you have probably wondered how a “New York City girl” and “globe-trotter” came to a small Texas town. I get that question all the time. To be honest, I wasn’t excited about the dry heat or the lack of shade, but I was sure God had led me here. How? I’m glad you asked. To tell the full story, I need to go back about ten years ago to the same month this is being published.

While working in “the uttermost parts of the sea”, on a cruise ship, I had to attend a sail-away party. There, I heard a woman call to her grandson, “Boaz!” I had recently been reading the book of Ruth, so I made a beeline for her. As we talked, I learned she was traveling with her daughter, a golf pro who was teaching lessons onboard. I was thrilled to find out she was a believer. In that brief conversation, I shared that I was waiting for God to bring me my own “Boaz”—my future husband. She encouraged me that God had someone for me and said she would be praying. What I didn’t tell her was that just a month earlier, on June 24th to be exact, the Lord had spoken clearly to me about meeting my husband within six months.

I never exchanged contact information with the guest, so I assumed I would never see her again. Then that December—exactly six months after the Lord told me I would meet my husband—I had my first phone date with Shiloh! We were then married on that special date, June 24, 2018. He didn’t know anything about the significance of that date until our wedding ceremony when I was sharing my vows. To say he was surprised was an understatement!

But wait, it gets even better! 

A few months into our marriage, I was at a doctor’s appointment in Plainview. When I mentioned my work at sea, the doctor lit up and said he knew someone whose daughter taught golf lessons on cruise ships. “Does she happen to have a grandson named Boaz?” I asked. “Yes—that’s the family!” he replied. When I asked where she lived, he said, “Here in Plainview.” Shiloh and I stared at each other, jaws dropped and minds blown. The doctor gave me her phone number, and of course I called her. Imagine her surprise when I told her I was not only married, but also living in her hometown! The hand of God ladies!

So, was that the end of the story? Not even close. You may wonder what God has been doing since I left behind my life of travel and adventure. Well, He had another big adventure planned, and it was just around the corner. Following God to a new place came easily for me, putting down roots in one place did not. It can be harder to trust the promise that “even there your hand will guide me” when life begins to feel more like Groundhog Day.

Just because God’s call was from a place of beauty to a place that was dry and remote didn’t mean it was out of His presence or plan. The truth is ladies, that when God called me here, it wasn’t just to a place, but to a person. A man of God whom I have built a life with. We are now raising two beautiful children who now adorn our home like precious jewels. Our lives are not perfect, but God’s hand is with us always leading, guiding, protecting and sustaining us to the uttermost. Instead of waking up in a new country on a new continent, I wake up to a house that needs cleaning and children who need to be fed. As I write, magnet tiles cover the floor around my feet, unfinished crafts are scattered across the table, the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, and the laundry still needs to be put away.

Another version of Psalm 139:5 says it like this, “you lay your hand upon me, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139 :5-10 (NIV)

If I truly believe that “even there” His hand will guide and hold me, then I can trust Him in the details of everyday life. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “His past faithfulness demands our present trust.” I can trust His hand to guide and hold me even when my two-year-old throws a tantrum I cannot calm, or when my daughter cannot find her glasses and we are already late for school. Psalm 139 reminds me that God’s hand guides me “even there”. I often think His guidance is only for life’s big, dramatic moments, not the ordinary, everyday ones. But from the extraordinary to the ordinary, His hand leads just as faithfully and will continue to do so until I see him face to face.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
  Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13(NLT)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen    you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

We would like to thank Julie Posey for writing this post.

When I was first asked to write this blog about how “Kindness Transforms,” I really didn’t know what God had in store for me to write. Because the truth is, when looking back at my life, I wouldn’t say that, naturally, I’m a “kind person.” I bet anyone closest to me could probably tell you the same thing is true! Ha! Ha! For many years, the type of person I was, and what I can still battle with from time to time, is what you give to me is what you get back. If you’re unkind to me, you get that right back, and if you’re kind to me, well then, you get kindness back. That’s how I had always been until one day, God started to shift my life.

Romans 2:4 – “God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.”

It started with a series of events unfolding through the years of my life. I was born and raised in the church, and yet, throughout my younger adult life, I struggled in and out of following God and attending church. In 2004, I came back to God and Harvest, broken, ashamed, and pregnant. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I desperately needed God and was skeptical about how I would be accepted and received in the church. But I was welcomed with open arms by everyone in the church. People all around me were kind and generous and made sure I felt loved and like I had a place to belong. My Life Group threw me a baby shower and made sure I had things for the new baby. I felt like I had not been overlooked; not judged for the life I had been living. 

Another time, in 2010, I experienced a divorce and found myself a single mom of four while in the middle of going to community college. Gosh, talk about feeling broken and ashamed for being divorced in the church! Again, people came together to love me and help out. I had a vehicle that was provided by a friend to get myself and my kids to school and Christmas was provided by the church. So many needs were met for me and my kids that year. Those situations softened my heart and led me to change how I wanted to treat others around me, especially during those times, because my walk with God was still a big struggle. I love how God is sovereign in the way he works out the details of our lives and how we experience His hand, His kindness, and His goodness even when we don’t deserve it. It has happened all my life. His kindness and mercy changed my life and still does.

Jeremiah 31:3-4 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again and you, will be rebuilt.” 

Recently, we celebrated our 5^th child graduating from college. While at his party, watching all my children and their spouses and my grandchildren interact and have fun, I couldn’t help but be grateful and overwhelmed at the kindness of God to give me such a wonderful family when I didn’t even know half the time if I was being a good mom or doing this parenting thing right. This alone makes me want to continue to live a life worthy of Him and all that He has to offer. It puts a fire in my heart to minister and treat people as He sees them whether they are kind or not, whether they like me or not. Do I do this perfectly every time? Definitely not! I’m a work in progress, and I’ve come a long way from the woman I used to be. My kindness might look different than yours. We all express it in different ways to each other, but my heart is continually growing and being healed. It is being softened with every act of kindness from God and others around me. 

Titus 3:3-7 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

We would like to thank Brenda Martinez for writing this post.

“For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:3-5 CSB

You’ve probably heard the saying “happy wife, happy life.” Maybe you’ve even used it as a gentle reminder to your husband to pay attention to your wants and needs. I know those words have left my mouth a time or two. But honestly? There’s a flip side to that phrase that can feel a little unfair. As the wife, the mom, the heartbeat of the home, your attitude and demeanor has a way of setting the emotional temperature for everyone under your roof. When I’m struggling to keep a good attitude, more often than not, my husband and kids follow suit.

So, on those hard days, when everything is going wrong, and you just can’t pull yourself together, what’s a girl to do?

Let me tell you.

When I started praying about this topic, I asked the Lord to bring to mind past moments where kindness clearly made a difference in others. But He had something more immediate in mind. He wanted to show me examples unfolding right in my own home, in real time.

This past week has been a lot. We put our house on the market, which means the constant pressure of keeping everything spotless. Our dog is very pregnant and could have puppies any day. It’s mid-May, which brings the beautiful chaos of end-of-school events, baseball, softball, and a to-do list that never seems to shrink. Work has picked up as we’re growing our team, which means training new people on top of everything else. Summer is literally starting this week, and I am not ready for my kids to be home all day. My husband has a work trip, my in-laws are out of town, and I will be the sole adult running the show as school wraps up with a bang.

I’m stressed. And being kind, especially to the people I love most, has been a real challenge.

But here are three things I’ve tried this week that have genuinely shifted my perspective.

1. Stop and breathe.

Before anything else, just pause. Calm those nerves, sister. The Lord truly cares about every detail of your life, every stressor on your plate. Take a moment to find even the smallest win and give thanks for it. That simple act can break the spiral before it starts.

2. Turn your frustration into prayer.

This week, I found myself in that familiar cycle, frustration with my husband building into full-blown irritation. But instead of letting those thoughts run wild, I stopped and took them captive. I started praying for him. Thanking God for his hard work and dedication. Asking the Lord to guard his mind and heart. And something shifted. The bitterness softened. My heart moved from anger to compassion, to a real understanding of the weight he’s been carrying. That one choice to respond with kindness, even just internally, transformed me.

3. Choose kind words and a softened tone.

Nothing raises the temperature in a home quite like an angry mom. If you need a moment before you open your mouth, take it. Step away, breathe, reset. The words you choose and the tone you carry them in matter more than you know.

Here’s what I keep coming back to: the passage in Titus doesn’t say God was patient with us until we got our act together. It says He showed us kindness, and that kindness is what changed everything. We were foolish, disobedient, enslaved, and He met us there with mercy and love. Not because we earned it, but because that is who He is.

Kindness isn’t passive. It’s a choice, often a hard one, made in the middle of a messy, stressful, imperfect life. But when we extend it, to our husbands, our kids, ourselves, something transforms. Sometimes it’s the room. Sometimes it’s a relationship. And sometimes, it’s your own heart.

So today, wherever you are and whatever kind of week you’re having, choose kindness. You might be surprised what it changes.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We would like to thank Megan Hollis for writing this post.