Category: General

Philippians 4:6 –”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God!”

Well, here it is: November, again. Doesn’t time go by fast?!  Those of you who are younger than me—and that is a lot of you—don’t take anything for granted; it goes by even faster the older you get!  But I thank and praise God for every day He gives me to serve Him!

This is the month for our Thanksgiving celebrations. And I do love Thanksgiving Day when we get together as a family and give thanks to God for what He does for us. But I believe that we need to give God thanks every minute of every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day.

Let me give you some examples of what I mean. As a child we were very poor, and at the time I couldn’t find much to be thankful for. As I have matured, I have found that I can be thankful for how I grew up because it made me a stronger person. I have made it through tough times because of the tough times I had as a child. I didn’t know then that God was giving me grace to rely on Him.

Have you looked in the bible for Scriptures on thanks? It was mind boggling how many are in there. One of them is:

Psalm 107:1 – “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

There were many of them that said to give thanks, for His love endures forever. Do you think God is trying to tell us that He loves us? Give Him thanks for His love!

Ephesians 5:20 – “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This Scripture is one of my favorites because I do give thanks for even the little things.  God cares about everything that we are, say, and do. I used to feel like I didn’t need to bother God with the silly little things. I was making Him small because I wasn’t asking Him for the little things. Now I ask Him and then I thank Him for it. Sometimes I thank Him for things even before I ask. We have been in a season of HOT, dry weather. I thank Him for the rain He will send our way in His time. I thank Him for a good parking space, good health, if I trip but don’t fall, when I figure out hard things on my phone, and as you can see the list can go on and on. I just thank Him for being Him. Of course, we have so many big things to be thankful for, the blood of Jesus, the cross, salvation, to mention a few.

Psalm 69:30 – “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Music plays a big part of my relationship with the Lord. I hear words of songs, and I may like them, but after hearing them one more time, they just jump out at me. I thank God for music and how He speaks to me through the words. So many words in songs are Scripture.  An old hymn that I love is “Count Your Blessings.” There is a newer song by Seph Schlueter called “Counting My Blessings”:

It’s like it was yesterday, I was praying for a miracle
Scared to have a little hope
And now, looking back today, seeing all the things You’ve done
I can’t even add them up
One, two, three
Up to infinity
I’d run out of numbers
Before I could thank You for everything

God, I’m still counting my blessings
All that You’ve done in my life
The more that I look in the details
The more of Your goodness I find
Father, on this side of Heaven
I know that I’ll run out of time
But I will keep counting my blessings
Knowing I can’t count that high

And I know that seasons never last forever
So, God, I will remember
All of the reasons my heart has to be grateful
All the times You’ve been faithful to me!

Thank You, God, that I can’t count high enough!  Another one I just noticed the words today before I started writing is by Forest Frank called “Thankful”:

I’ve got so much to be thankful for

Look, I’ve got a roof and a bed
A couple groceries to stay fed
I’ve got a phone and clean water
And some shoes when I wanna go farther

Today I’ve got so much to be thankful for
I woke up this mornin’ thinkin’, “Thank You, Lord”
For giving me everything I could ever need and more
I’ve got so much to be thankful for

Ay, I have lights and a fan
A couple people who know who I am
I have a car and clean clothes
Pots and pans I can cook on a stove

I have the sun and air in my lungs
And a big mess that I get to clean up
But most of all, one thing’s true
Jesus, I’m grateful for You!

Thank You, Lord, for Seph Schlueter and Forest Frank. Yes, I can be thankful for these two guys for writing words that speak to my heart. God uses them in a mighty way.

I could sit here and write for days about my many blessings and all I am thankful for. I think you get my heart by now. I also want you all to know that I am thankful for each one of you! The more I thank Him for things, the easier it is to truly be thankful. I will keep counting my blessings, knowing I can’t count that high!

We would like to thank Debbie Crosby for writing this blog.

Years ago, on a day that was completely ordinary, I was apparently wearing my feelings all over my face.

I don’t remember what was wrong. I don’t remember what had happened that morning or why I was in such a bad mood. I just remember that I was sour-faced enough for another woman to notice.

She said something to me that day that I have never forgotten. She told me, “If you start your day being grateful and you stay that way, you can’t stay in a bad mood. God and the devil can’t live in the same place.”

Now, I’m pretty sure my attitude did not magically change right then and there. I probably remained at least a little sour-faced. Growth is a process.

But she made me think.

And I kept thinking about what she said long after I had forgotten whatever had put me in that mood in the first place.

Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space.

Over the years, I’ve learned that gratitude doesn’t mean everything in my life is good. It doesn’t mean I don’t hurt. It doesn’t mean I don’t get angry, frustrated, scared, tired, or overwhelmed. Gratitude is looking at my life exactly as it is and remembering that God is still good.

So now, I try to begin my mornings with gratitude. I look at my children, and I thank God. I thank Him for the child we didn’t get to keep—the precious life that changed mine forever. I thank Him for the two children He has given us to raise, who have brought more love, laughter, chaos, and purpose into our lives than I ever could have imagined. I thank Him for my husband, the man He gave me to walk through this life with and who helped bring those beautiful children into the world.

Is our life perfect? Absolutely not. But there is always something to be thankful for.

Recently, I had to remind myself of that in a different way. There was a situation involving one of my children where Mama Bear had to show up. I needed to advocate. I needed to use my voice. And yes, I may have had to get a little loud.

But even in the middle of that, there was gratitude.

I could thank God for the people He has placed around my children—the teachers and others who spend their days teaching them, caring for them, and pouring into their lives.

I could also thank Him that when something wasn’t right, He gave me a voice. He gave me children worth fighting for. He gave me a heart that loves them fiercely. And He gives me wisdom to know when I need to speak.

Gratitude didn’t mean I had to pretend the situation wasn’t difficult. It helped me remember who I wanted to be while I walked through it.

That is something I think we sometimes misunderstand about gratitude. Being thankful doesn’t mean being happy about everything. Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances.”

It doesn’t say every circumstance will be good.

It doesn’t say every circumstance will feel good.

It says that in them, we can still give thanks.

And maybe you need that reminder as we head into the holidays. Maybe this year doesn’t look anything like you thought it would. Maybe there will be an empty chair at your table. Maybe someone you love is missing, and no amount of turkey, Christmas music, or holiday cheer is going to make that absence disappear.

Or maybe everybody will be there—but there is someone you’re not exactly looking forward to sitting beside. Maybe money is tight. Maybe your family is struggling. Maybe you’re waiting on an answer to a prayer that seems to be taking forever. Maybe you’re carrying something nobody else at the table even knows about.

There are a multitude of reasons the holidays can be hard.

And gratitude does not require you to pretend they aren’t. But even when we struggle to make a list of things we’re thankful for, there is still One.

God.

The God of the full table is also the God of the empty chair.

The God of the answered prayer is still God while we’re waiting.

The God of the mountaintop is still God in the valley.

The God of the beautiful, picture-perfect holiday is the same God sitting beside us when Thanksgiving requires prayer, patience, grace—and possibly some strategic seating arrangements.

Life doesn’t have to be perfect for God to be good. Maybe that’s what that woman was trying to teach my sour-faced younger self all those years ago. I don’t remember what I was upset about that day. Isn’t that funny? Whatever seemed important enough to ruin my mood has completely disappeared from my memory.

But I remember her words.

And years later, I still wake up and try to choose gratitude first. Not because every day is good. Not because everything in my life has turned out the way I wanted. Not because there aren’t still days when Mama Bear shows up, grief pulls up a chair, bills pile up, people get on my nerves, or life simply hurts.

I choose gratitude because before any of those things get a vote in how I see my day, I want God to speak first.

So this November, whatever your table looks like and whatever you’re carrying when you sit down at it, look for the light.

Find one thing.

Whisper one thank-you.

And if you can’t think of anything else, start with the One who has been there through every circumstance:

Thank You, God.

Sometimes that’s enough to turn on the light.

We would like to thank Randi Cason for writing this blog.

Diamonds

Diamonds, precious stones full of brilliance and luster, refract light in an alluring way that draws people to their enrapturing beauty. Yet these fascinating gems do not begin as ornate stones set in jewelry or useful, industrial blades. Carbon endures intense heat and pressure before crystalizing; even in this state, rough diamonds blast from the depths of the earth and then endure much refining and precision planning before being cut into beautiful or useful products.

When asked which path I have walked concerning the topic of peace in the pain, the answer was: too many. I’ve walked countless paths that involved heart-rending pain and spirit-crushing pressure, yet those moments did not result in decimation; rather, in refinement and multifaceted depth. Certainly, this side of Heaven will involve more cleaving and shaping and faceting and polishing. And, while in my humanity, I do not eagerly anticipate those moments, I can walk in faith and confidence and hope.

Pains

I have never been persecuted as a Christian, yet pain has been a part of life. I have walked through loss – young and old, expected and startling, peaceful and violent. I have walked through seasons when faith was quick and easy in spite of uncertainty. I have wrestled through questioning my identity as a daughter of the King of kings, questioning my faith, questioning my calling, my very ability to hear God. I have struggled to ask for help even when others offered it with grace and generosity. I have felt the sting of betrayal and wanted to fight back or to quit altogether. At times, physical pain has plagued my ability to live life. But keep reading to the end!

When pain happens, it’s human to be troubled, but it’s not sinful. In John 11, Jesus was troubled when Lazarus died and Mary was weeping. Yet, in verse 40, Jesus talks about seeing the glory of God, and in verse 44, Lazarus, “the dead man, came out.” Again, in John 12:27, Jesus is troubled when telling of His own death. Yet, Jesus does not ask to be saved from the hour of his death; rather, He says, “Father, glorify your name!” Again, in John 13, Jesus is troubled over Judas’s betrayal and his own imminent death. Yet, Jesus washed Judas’ feet and told the other disciples after Judas left, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him” (31). Jesus knew loss and betrayal and persecution and sacrifice. Troubling moments in Jesus’ walk are flipped on their heads by His submission to the Father and the renewing of His mind.

Each time the word “troubled” is used in these passages, it is the Greek word “tar-as’-so; of uncertain affinity; to stir or agitate (roil water):—trouble.” I looked up “roil” and it involves turbulent water that stirs up the sediments, muddying the water “by bringing up bottom sediment.” This process reminds me of the diamonds being thrust from the depths of earth and brought to the surface for refinement and beauty and useful purpose. Roiling turbulence and kimberlite volcanic eruptions bring what is buried to the surface.

This yields the question, “What’s buried?” In the sediment? How about, “In my heart?” No matter my painful moments, God’s word, hidden in my heart in previous days, roiled to the surface yielding beauty rather than sludge.

Peace

One verse that has pervaded my life and has been a major factor aligning my will with God’s will, is John 14:27. This word shaped my views through many pressures and painful situations. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” In context, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit who indwells us and empowers us. No matter the trials and tribulations of this life, Christians, disciples, followers of Jesus Christ, have the Holy Spirit who guides, directs, and intercedes for us. His presence in my life encourages, equips, and leads me in the path of peace even when the world cannot comprehend the stillness inside. Though the world may rage around me, the turmoil exists there and not inside my heart and soul. Because of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we, like Jesus, can live counter to the world’s logic by walking in peace. The world says turmoil is cloudy and blind, but peace roils up and uncovers the beauty of truth when God’s word is hidden in our hearts.

I would be remiss to dive into the word for “turmoil” and leave out the Greek for “peace.” The name Irene comes from this word. It means tranquility, harmony, security, the Messiah’s peace that leads to salvation. It has the connotation of being restored or set in order, like a broken bone mending even stronger than prior to a break. Breaking may happen, but mending will, too, when we call on the great Physician, God our Healer. Healing may not always appear as earthly eyes would will it, but, like Jesus, we can cry out, “Father, glorify your name!”

We would like to thank Mary Coleman for writing this blog.

“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.'” I have always had a certain affection for peace. I can remember a time in my life when a comment was made about me that went something along the lines of, “Oh, yes, Savanna, our little peacemaker.” Peace has been a fruit that I believed was a way to rid myself of all the pain that would come against me. Got Pain? Get Peace. If only it was that easy. If only that was what Jesus meant when he said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The space between pain and healing can sometimes feel long and impossible. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was diagnosed with PUPPPS. While it sounds cute and cuddly, I can assure you it isn’t. I was left with hives covering my entire body, and I itched 24/7 until my raw skin bled. They told me that once I had my baby it would go away, but unfortunately that wasn’t true. For months after I had Eloise, I itched and itched. I laid miserably in bed, unable to avoid the pain. Physical pain has a way of making you feel too weak to reach out to God. Very rarely did I feel peace. I couldn’t fathom how peace and pain could coexist in my body. I wish I could say that I ran to God during this season. This season was followed by an even more painful one, and this time instead of physical pain, it was emotional turmoil and mental anguish. That’s the thing about pain: it might recede for a moment, but it is guaranteed to return. When I revisit Jesus’s words in John 16:33, I focus on a different part of his words: “I have told you these things, so that IN ME you would have peace…” It is IN Jesus that we have peace, not because the pain goes away, but because the pain doesn’t hold the power. Jesus does!

I was recently talking to a friend who was going through a challenging season at work. As she was stepping into this new role, feeling much outside her control and capability, she made the comment that she still felt she had peace. The Holy Spirit spoke in that moment and reminded us that He doesn’t give His peace to those walking outside His will. If you feel like the pain is too much, start by taking it the Lord and asking Him to search your heart and motives. It might be that He is asking you to surrender instead of endure. Some pain can be self-inflicted, and we won’t know until we ask God to reveal it to us. This is where God uses community to help bring His peace. Don’t live isolated or believe the lie that you have to walk through painful circumstances alone because you don’t want to burden others. The truth that is spoken by trusted members of the body of Christ can help lift the burdens you are carrying and usher peace into your heart.

Now, when I am overtaken with pain, I can remind my body, mind, and soul that it is not the final say in my hope. Peace is found in surrendering the pain to Jesus and allowing Him to hold me through it. The verse that is written on my heart and gets repeated over and over is Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” When pain washes over you like sea billows, use Scripture as your prayer. Allow it to be the balm to your heart that can keep you steady and anchored in Him.

We would like to thank Savanna Rodriguez for writing this blog.

When I am in pain, my knee-jerk reaction is to find the way out. I’ve joked with my family that I am not a survivor. I love to read WWII stories, and I admire the bravery and the perseverance of people who endured food shortages, enemy hostility, danger—the complete and total interruption of their lives. But even in my admiration, I’m always thinking, yeah, I couldn’t survive all of that. If a major war breaks out in our country, then Jesus, take me.

In August, Lori Johnson blogged about how we sometimes look for escape routes instead of pressing through in faith. I love that! I think it puts language to what I sometimes do when I’m in pain. If life just got really hard, I’m looking for the fastest way out, or at least the fastest way through. Jesus, heal us all now. Jesus, move in this situation now. Jesus, tell me what to do now. 

When I’m in that mindset, I’ve bought into the lie, the deception, that the way to peace is to be without pain, or at the very least to be free from adverse circumstances. If my children would quit fighting, if our vehicles would run well, if our fence wouldn’t fall down, if our budget wasn’t so squished, if everyone could stay healthy—then all would be well.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7 that if we will surrender our worries to God in prayer and be grateful for what he’s done, then there’s a peace that comes. And it’s a peace that surpasses all understanding, meaning it’s beyond our logic or our reasoning. And that peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 

This verse teaches me that I can’t be at peace and worried at the same time. I can’t be at peace and complaining at the same time. But the choice is mine. I have to present my requests to God instead of fixating on them in my mind. I have to remind myself of all the good God has done in my life instead of focusing on the temporary thing that’s bringing me pain or worry or frustration. 

When I make the right choice, when I choose well, then God’s peace becomes like a shield of protection that surrounds my heart and my mind.  

If we keep reading in Philippians 4, we see how to walk this out. Our prayer life and what we think about matters (vv. 6-9). It looks like contentment, whether we have abundance or shortage this month (vv. 10-12). This is how—through the peace of God that surpasses all understanding—we are able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us (v. 13). 

So, it starts with surrender, with the laying down of our worries. It builds as gratitude grows in our heart and as we train our minds to think of what is good and true. And eventually, we become women who are content with whatever our circumstances look like. 

I love the words of Habakkuk in his final chapter (3:17-18). He says, even if there’s no crop, no cattle, no security—even still, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. I was doing a Bible study recently that asked us to write out our own “Even if” prayer, like Habakkuk. I’m going to share mine, and I want to challenge you to write out your own. 

Even if my children are whining and bickering. 

Even if I’ve had three interruptions before I could finish this sentence.

Even if my budget for the week is gone.

Even in sickness. Even in pain. Even in disappointment. Even in grief. 

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 

The cross was enough. Jesus is sufficient. If we’ll cling to him, he will exchange our temporary pain for his eternal peace. 

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (ESV)

We would like to thank Laura Brandenburg for writing this blog.

Growing up, I never fully understood my grandmother’s faith. I only knew that she became a follower of Jesus after losing her son to a car accident. I didn’t know who Jesus was and what he did, but I was happy for Grandmom because it seemed her pain of losing a child could only be comforted by Jesus. Grandmom talked to Jesus often and had peace, so as a child, I knew she was going to be okay because she had Jesus walking by her.

Then, Grandmom had to bury another one of her children.

How much pain is too much pain?

I wanted to ask Grandmom this question after my uncle’s funeral. He had died of cancer. But the question never came out. We were just sitting by each other quietly as I held her hands. Grandmom seemed to know what was in my heart, and she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “His grace is sufficient for me…”

Many years later, when I, too, found Jesus, I began to understand Grandmom’s faith.

Jesus never promised his followers a life without pain; instead, He promised peace.

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

I think my grandmother knew that peace. Not because her circumstances were peaceful. They weren’t. Her peace came from knowing that God was bigger than her circumstances.

She didn’t need to understand everything to trust Him. She didn’t need every question answered to keep praying. She didn’t need a life without sorrow to believe that God was good. She simply kept holding on.

And perhaps that is what I admired most about her. Her faith was not complicated. It was quiet, steady, and persistent. She prayed, she trusted, and she kept going.

Until the end of her life, she continued to pray for the people she loved.

Now that she is gone, I realize that her prayers were one of the greatest gifts she ever gave us.

Her legacy isn’t something she left in a bank account or a collection of accomplishments. Her legacy is in the faith she passed down. It is in the prayers she whispered. It is in the example she left behind.

She taught me that peace isn’t the absence of pain.

Peace is knowing Who is with you in the pain.

Psalm 30:5 says, “…weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

I like to think my grandmother finally reached that morning. After a lifetime of loving, losing, grieving, praying, and trusting, she stepped from this life into the presence of the Savior she had chosen to follow so many years before.

And I hope that when I face my own difficult seasons, I will remember her. I hope I will remember that faith doesn’t have to be loud to be strong. Sometimes the most powerful prayer is simply, “Jesus, help me.” We can cry and still believe. We can hurt and still hope. We can have questions and still trust.

And when the pain comes—as it inevitably does—I hope I will do what my grandmother did. I hope I will fall to my knees, call on Jesus, and keep the faith.

Because my grandmother taught me something I will carry for the rest of my life: We may not always find an explanation for our pain, but we can always find Jesus in the middle of it.

We would like to thank Yanna Elliott for writing this blog.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you, nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:8

It is 2:30 in the morning, and once again I am awakened with pain and burning from the sores on my leg. This is one remaining issue from five-and-a-half months of healing. I sit here in my recliner, drinking herbal tea, crying out ‘How much longer, Lord,” as David did in the Psalms. I am reminded that most of the Psalms were written in the midst of a storm! Storms that brought with them pain, anguish, and deep sorrow. David knew he had been anointed by God to be king of Israel. But all he experienced and saw was one battle right after the other, rejection and hatred from loved ones, fighting and running for his life. He knew God‘s future for him, and that’s what he kept his heart and mind focused on (1 Samuel 16:12; 2 Samuel 5:1-3). Through each battle and each storm, God was sharpening and strengthening the tools David would need to lead Israel. David also grew in his relationship to the Lord. He was learning to praise and give honor to the Lord in the midst of the storm and his pain.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I never fully understood this Scripture until I realized how much our Heavenly Father loves us. When we give our lives to Christ, everything that He allows to come into our lives is through His eyes of love. He will take our storms and pain and make something good come from them! Only when we allow him to do so; He will not interfere where He is not wanted. Most often I tried to do it myself, and that only made it worse! Looking back at the times in my life that were painful, and I was struggling, I see Jesus there with me, waiting for me to give it all to Him. Taking the fear, doubt, and pain from me, and giving me His peace and comfort, He also took care of the situation better than I ever could. Teaching me godly principles that I could not have learned any other way. Strengthening and sharpening my spiritual gifts. Growing my relationship with Him.

Psalm 23 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; he leads me in the ways of righteousness, for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

As I have reached my golden years, I have learned to turn my troubles and sorrows over to my Good Shepherd sooner rather than waiting, knowing he will take care of me and give me everything needed! He walks beside me, giving me comfort and peace, giving me wisdom in what to do and say. He puts me in the right place at the right time. He has a plan for my life here on Earth, and in the life to come! He has given me His righteousness and taken all my sins, diseases, and unrighteousness, nailed them to the cross, buried them in the tomb, and He rose from the grave (proclaiming victory, redeeming all that was lost in the garden)! I live each day walking in His grace and mercy, knowing that when I leave this earth, I will be with Him forever!

Do I still have fears, doubts, and times when I feel like I can’t go on anymore? Yes! And yes! I still have times wondering and asking the Lord how much longer. Some prayers have been answered very quickly, some take a little longer, and there are some that take years before seeing the answer. Then there are those prayers that seem to not be answered at all. These are the hard ones to understand and to see God’s love. This is when our trust and faith in our Lord is really stretched and tested. Do we really believe God’s Word is truth, that He is a good Father who loves His children? (John 3:16).

Years ago, I was asked this question by a friend, “If you had a picture of God, what would it look like?” My answer when she asked, and still today, is very different from what it was when I was a young believer. I have seen God’s goodness and love, even at my lowest moments. When I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, seen loved ones suffer from health issues, lost loved ones or other tragedies, I have learned, like David, to rejoice and sing praises to my Lord, in the midst of my storm! The Lord has the last word in all things! Amen!!! You may be wondering what my picture of God looks like? I see Him holding me in His arms, hugging and looking at me with pure love! This is how I find peace through the pain! 

“You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” Isaiah 26:3.

We would like to thank Elaine Norell for writing this blog.

I recently saw an ad for shoes that said, “the foundation for every great walk.”  Hmmm… I’m sure most of us have different shoes for our activities: walking, running (not me!) dressing up, going casual, or working in the yard.  They look good on our feet, some are more comfortable than others, and they protect our feet.  But, what about the “foundation” part of that statement?  It got me thinking about my “foundation,” that is, the foundation of my life, what I stand on.  Lots of songs come to mind that I’ve heard and have sung in church through the years.  Remember “the wise man built his house upon the rock…the foolish man built his house upon the sand…and the rains came down and the floods came up. So, build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the blessings will come down.”  Can you really read those words and not sing the song we learned in children’s Sunday School classes?

Where would I be without Jesus? When I sit and think about the ways He has blessed me my whole life, I am in awe! Why would I ever fret or be anxious? The Bible is full of God’s promises to bless us, to go before us, to fight our battles, to never leave us. One of my favorite promises is in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness.” The shorter paraphrased version I remind myself of is, His mercies are new every morning! He has provided for our needs and continues to provide day after day. And yet, sometimes I’m surprised! I think when I actually started understanding this and believing it, my spiritual life began to change. Not just knowing what it says, but really believing it applies to me. I spent too many years listening to the deceiver who told me I wasn’t good enough. When I could look in the mirror and say, “I am the daughter of the King of Kings, the Lord God Almighty,” I experienced freedom to actually believe His promises are meant for me.  And they are meant for each of you! I’m so thankful that Jesus loved me even when I didn’t really love myself, even when I thought I had to achieve a certain level before He could love me.

Do you remember that country song about the tree in the backyard that never had been broken by the wind? What’s the reason it’s still standing? It’s strong enough to bend. Those lyrics are like our lives. What is my foundation? How deep are my roots? When the winds of life blow against me, when trials have come, am I strong enough to bend and not be broken? I am. And I have been able to stand against those winds because my hope and my faith are in Jesus. Praise God! Even when I strayed, even when my focus was not on Him, even when I wanted to be in control, He was right there with me waiting for me to turn to Him. I am blessed beyond measure. His Word says He holds me in the palm of His hand, and no one can snatch me out. And He holds you, too. If you don’t have that assurance, seek Him. There is room for you, too.  

What is your foundation? How deep are your roots? I pray you know you are loved.

We would like to thank Carolyn Curry for writing this blog.

There are seasons when faith feels easy.

When prayers are answered, rain is falling, our children are doing well, and doors are opening, it’s easy to say, “God is good.”

But what about when they aren’t?

What about when you’ve prayed the same prayer for years? When you watch the sky, desperately hoping for rain? When you’re raising young children in a world that feels heavier by the day? When you truly believed God called you to something, poured your heart into it, and then watched door after door close?

That’s where I’ve found myself learning what it really means to stand firm in my faith. Not when everything makes sense, but even when it doesn’t.

I’m going to give a few personal examples that may resonate with you too. 

Fertility struggles taught me a kind of surrender I never wanted to learn. There is a unique heartbreak in desperately wanting a child and realizing you have absolutely no control over whether that prayer will be answered. You can do everything you’re supposed to do. You can make the appointments, take the medicine, pray until you don’t know what else to say, and still wait. There were times I didn’t understand God. But I learned something in that waiting that I still carry with me: Faith isn’t trusting God only when His answer is yes. Faith is trusting His heart when I don’t understand His answer at all. We can grieve and still trust. We can question and still believe. We can desperately want a different answer and still know that God is good.

Being a farm family also has a way of reminding us just how little control you actually have. You can prepare the ground, plant the seed, work from sunup to sundown, and make every decision you know to make. But you cannot make it rain.

During a drought, you watch storms build and disappear. You see rain falling miles away while your own ground stays dry. And when your family’s livelihood depends on something completely outside of your control, fear can creep in quickly. Farming continues to teach me the difference between doing our part and believing we control the outcome. We plant. We work. We pray. And then we trust God with what we cannot control. Sometimes His provision looks like rain. Sometimes it looks like enough strength and grace to keep going while we wait for it.

Motherhood has made me more aware than ever of how heavy this world can feel. Sometimes I look at my children and wish I could protect their innocence forever. I think about what they will face as they grow, and if I let myself look too far ahead, fear can take over. Then I remind myself: God did not accidentally place my children in this generation. He knew what the world would look like when they were born. He knew what they would face. And He chose me to be their mom right here, right now. I can’t protect them from every hard thing, but I can give them a foundation. I want them to see a mom who prays when she’s scared, who turns to Jesus when she doesn’t have the answers, and who trusts Him even when life doesn’t make sense. I don’t need my children to think their mom always had everything figured out. I want them to remember, “When Mom didn’t know what to do, she trusted Jesus.”

And then there’s the business I truly felt God called me to. I prayed about it. I poured my heart into it. I sacrificed for it. I believed there was purpose behind it. So when door after door continues to close, it’s hard not to ask: “God, did I misunderstand You? If You called me here, why does it feel like I’m fighting so hard to stay here?” I’m still living this one, so I don’t have a perfect answer. But I’m learning that a closed door doesn’t necessarily mean I heard God wrong. Sometimes a calling is for a season. Sometimes obedience produces something completely different than the outcome we imagined. And sometimes God uses the thing we thought we were building to build something inside of us instead. Maybe standing firm doesn’t always mean fighting harder to keep the door open. Maybe sometimes standing firm means having enough faith to loosen our grip on the handle. To say, “God, I believe You called me here. I’ve given it everything I know to give. But I want Your will more than I want my way. If this door is supposed to open, I trust You to open it. And if You’re closing it, give me the faith to follow You wherever You lead next.”

I used to think strong faith meant never questioning, worrying, or feeling discouraged. Now I think sometimes the strongest faith simply says: “God, I don’t understand this, but I’m still here.” I’m still praying. We are still planting. We are still raising our children to know Jesus. I’m still trusting Him with the dreams He placed in my heart. I’m still believing that a closed door doesn’t mean my obedience was wasted. Because my hope was never supposed to rest in answered prayers, rainfall totals, the safety of this world, the success of a business, or my ability to hold everything together.

The circumstances will change. Seasons will change. Doors will open and close. There will be years of abundance and years when everything feels painfully dry. But God doesn’t change. So when I don’t understand what He’s doing, I’ll stand on what I know about who He is. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13

I don’t want a faith that only works when life works out. I want a faith that can look at an uncertain future and still say: “Whatever comes next, God, I’m still Yours.” And I will stand firm.

We would like to thank Beckah Hunt for writing this blog.

“Be alert, stand firm in faith, be courageous, be strong.” 1Cor 16:13 (CSB)

When you are independent, a problem solver, and a slight control freak, and you are going through something that you don’t know how to fix, can’t control, can’t see a solution, or there isn’t a solution, it can be tough and frustrating. I am that person. So, when I suddenly lost my husband, and it was a situation I couldn’t fix for myself or my family and was completely out of my control, it was hard. But I knew I had to remain strong for my girls and firm in my faith as we walked through this.

That meant me relinquishing my need to control a situation that I couldn’t control or fix to begin with and truly leaning into God and my belief that he would see us through. I spent a lot of time praying for strength and answers to all my questions while hanging on to the belief that God was there with me, walking with me and sometimes carrying me on this journey. I knew in my heart that God would use this for good and to his glory, but it’s hard for us as humans to have faith in something we can’t see, much less understand. But faith is all we have to help us through those valleys; without it we would be lost. Even the smallest bit of faith, if we hold on to it and lean into God, can help us through.

It has been a little over five years now, and it hasn’t always been easy to stand firm in my faith, but through all of it, I have seen God use me and what I went through to help others who find themselves in similar situations. Not just by my words spoken to them, but by the way that my faith has helped me walk down this road of loss, grief, and uncertainty for a future that now didn’t look anything like I had always thought it would. I am living proof that God can take those shattered pieces, those that can’t just be mended or repaired, and make something new and beautiful from them.

My future doesn’t look anything like I always thought it would, but it does look exactly like God had planned long before I was even born. We just have to stand firm in our faith and “Let go and Let God” because his plans are so much better than our plans, and his love for us is relentless.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Cor 4:17-18 (NLT)

We would like to thank Torrie Gilleland for writing this post.