Category: General

“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.

When I was asked to write a blog on Standing Firm in Faith, I instantly thought of all the ways my LORD has been so very faithful to His Word. He has increased my faith with every life event I have been through. How can I not give testimony of how God brought me through it all?

There are so very many instances in my life that I felt God’s presence and protection in my life. Even as a small child, before I understood what accepting Jesus as my Savior meant, God was with me. I learned then that relying on him and leaning on him got me through very hard times. I believe that each time, I learned more to stand firm on the LORD.  

It’s like learning to walk. First, you fall a lot. Then, you gain strength in your legs, and you become steadier. You learn not to be afraid because you fall less and less. Then, you run. It doesn’t mean you won’t fall and scrape your knees, but most of the time you don’t. Each time you don’t fall, you have more faith that your legs will hold you up. God is like our legs. He is our strength! Each time he gets us through trials, our faith gets stronger. Only in his strength and support can we walk and run. Only then, can we learn to soar.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”

In 2018 I found out I had breast cancer.  At first I thought something was wrong with me because I wasn’t afraid.  Actually, when I look back, there were short instances of fear.  But, fear didn’t take hold. I had many prayer warriors lifting me up to the LORD. I knew God was holding me in his arms. When you feel that, fear can’t take hold. I had two surgeries to remove the cancer and had radiation treatments. Through it all, I felt the prayers of the saints and the presence of God.

There was a new praise song we were singing at church that became my theme song during that season of life.

God is Always Good by Covenant Worship
You are constant and true
All my hope, found in You
Always faithful to do
What You promise

Through the dark, through the night
Flows a river of light
Through the storm, through the fight
Shines the promise

God is always good
Yes, God is always good
What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley
That God is always good

When I rise, when I fall
You remain Lord of all
You run to me when I call
What a Savior

You alone freely give
So that all can truly live
Every good and perfect gift
Comes from Heaven

God is always good
Yes, God is always good
What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley
That God is always good

Oh-ooh, mm
He’s always good

This one thing my heart holds on to
You are God and You are good
You are God and You are good
Through it all my soul will praise You
You are God and You are good
You are God and You are good

This one thing my heart holds on to
You are God and You are good
You are God and You are good
Through it all my soul will praise You
You are God and You are good
You are God and You are good

God is always good
Yes, God is always good
What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley
That God is always good, oh

God is always good
Yes, God is always good
What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley
That God is always good

What I sing on the mountain, I’ll sing in the valley
That God is always good

Singing this song reminded me that whatever happened it would be fine. God has always been faithful, and he would decide my future. If the outcome was good, I would praise him. If the outcome wasn’t what I wanted, I would praise him. Regardless, I would stand firm on God.

Fast forward a few years to January 2026. During a routine colonoscopy, my doctor discovered I had colon cancer in two places. When she told me about it after the procedure, I felt so calm. I knew instantly that this peace was from God. I’ve been through so much with my LORD that there was no fear. I had half my colon removed and no follow up treatments. I felt the peace of God through the whole ordeal. This was NOT coming from me. This was totally God!

1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

God is always faithful, but you have a responsibility too. You have to learn to be courageous. Courage means giving action even though you might be afraid. You have to turn your fear over to God. It may start out as baby steps, but the more often you do this, the easier it becomes the next time. Eventually, it becomes your first thought instead of an afterthought. Call out to God; he is faithful and true.

Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
John 14:27: “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.”
Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

If we keep our eyes on the Lord and not the circumstances that unfold in life, we will realize that everything that seems like a misfortune can be turned around to your good and His glory.

We would like to thank Naomi Jones for writing this blog.

I had a hard time writing this blog.

I’m not really sure why, but I got to the point where I wasn’t turning anything in because I honestly couldn’t think of what to write—and I didn’t want to write something just to write something. I didn’t want to be disingenuous.

Belief has not always been my strength. If you’re looking for an expert on faith and believing big, it isn’t me. But God has brought me a long way in building my faith, and I am so thankful for His faithfulness in that.

Recently—after this blog was already due—we hiked Pikes Peak with some of our friends and their families from church. And somewhere on that mountain, I think my faith grew a little more.

Day one started with the “easier” six-mile hike to Barr Camp. We packed in all of our camping supplies and hiked six beautiful miles up the mountain.

Hiking has always been special to me because I feel so close to God in nature. There is something about being surrounded by mountains, trees, and everything He created that quiets everything else.

We made it to camp, set up our tents, and watched the kids play in the creek and build forts out of limbs and string.

I felt accomplished. Proud. Tired. And incredibly thankful to be surrounded by God’s beauty.

Then came day two.

Another six miles, but this time with around 4,000 feet of elevation gain. We left around 6 a.m. hoping to beat the afternoon storms.

I woke up tired, but excited to hike.

Our team did so well. We pushed. We dug deeper. We encouraged each other.

But we didn’t beat the afternoon storms.

At that point, all of us knew we just needed to get up the mountain.

We helped each other. We encouraged each other. We carried each other’s loads—literally. Lucas and Cole were so steady through all of it. They showed their strength not just by carrying extra weight when others needed help, but by quietly stepping in and helping wherever they could. They carried loads, kept moving, and helped keep the rest of us moving too.

And when it felt like we had used everything we had, God sent some angels on that mountain to help us the rest of the way.

There was no going back down.

We had to go up.

And God gave us the strength.

The experience was deeply spiritual for me, and looking back, I think it gave me a glimpse of how much my belief has grown.

Even in the urgency of trying to get off that mountain and out of the storm, I had peace.

I knew I couldn’t make it up in my own strength.

I could see the support God was providing around us. I knew my worry couldn’t get us up the mountain any faster. My anxiety couldn’t make the storm go away.

So, I just kept going.

And somewhere inside, I knew we were going to make it.

Fast forward to getting home.

I was planning our homeschool year, looking at my work schedule between two jobs, looking at everything we had committed to—and I started to worry.

I was talking to my husband about how I wasn’t sure we could do it all.

He reminded me, we just hiked Pikes Peak.

I could, in fact, do hard things.

But more importantly, he reminded me that God can provide what we need for what He has called us to do. It doesn’t have to come from my own strength.

A few days later, I went on a run—because Pikes Peak also showed me just how much I need to work on my fitness, haha—and I felt God impress something on my heart:

“Quit looking for escape routes. Believe that I will get you through what I have called you to.”

That hit me.

Because I think, sometimes, I ask God to show me what He wants me to do, but then when it gets hard, I immediately start looking for the way out.

Maybe believing bigger isn’t believing that everything will be easy.

Maybe it’s believing that if God has called us to something, He will be faithful to meet us there.

It reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:24:

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

Not you are strong enough, and you will do it.

He is faithful.

Philippians 1:6 says something similar:

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

God calls us to things. Sometimes He calls us through things. And He doesn’t promise that we will accomplish them in our own strength.

He promises to be faithful.

Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Pikes Peak reminded me that sometimes there isn’t an escape route. Sometimes the only option is to keep climbing, one step at a time, trusting that God will provide the strength, the people, the peace, and even the “angels on the mountain” we need along the way.

So, whatever you’re walking through, or whatever God has called you to, my prayer is that you can stop looking for the escape route.

Believe bigger.

Not in yourself, but in the God who called you.

We would like to thank Lori Johnson for writing this blog.

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.