Month: May 2019

1 Cor 10:13a No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man….
When I think of temptation, I often think of vices—the temptation to lie, steal, cheat, gamble. But with my current slog through the doldrums, I’m beginning to broaden my definition. I know what I’m struggling with is not unique. It is incredibly frustrating, and I want to stick my head in the sand and ignore…everything, but I know I have to resist that temptation. It is tempting for me to turn my frustration on God—“I have prayed, I have pleaded, You have not moved me. What gives?” But I mightily resist that temptation as well. Jesus, Help me.
1 Cor 10:13b …God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability….
I know God is faithful. I know He is with me. Because I am still in this space of struggle, I know He is still working on me, in me, through my circumstances. Jesus, Help me to turn toward You, and not away from You. I know that healing and renewal can only be found in You and not in this world. Help me to stay focused on You.
1 Cor 10:13c …but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the wisdom to understand that You are with me, even in the struggle. Help me to lean into You, to cling to You, to draw closer to You. Help me to remember that You are making a way in this wilderness, even if I can’t yet perceive it. Sustain me. Renew me. Amen.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Have a blessed day.

Luke 12:22 … “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life….”
God is steadfast and faithful. Always. It should not surprise me that He always speaks to my heart, but somehow it does. I’m still in this weird mental space. My need for rest and renewal are palpable. I am quite cognizant of what I need, but I cannot seem to disengage from the relentless need to actively do. Part of that is due to the nature of my job and this time of year—we are winding down, which carries very specific obligations. Part of it is because somehow, mentally, my worth seems tied up in actively doing, not in resting and seeking Him. Jesus, Help me.
Luke 12:25 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”
My Savior MUST be my most important thing. Today’s message was all about seeking Him first and not worrying about all the little things, the thousands of little questions and concerns that worriers like me are keenly aware of. When I seek Him first, He will be sure I have what I need. Always. Thank You, Jesus. Give me the strength, the mental and physical space, to do what You are calling me to do—to rest and renew, to put You first. Always. 
Luke 12:31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this message. Thank You for Your relentless pursuit of me, for seeing where I am, what I need. Help me to reprioritize, Lord, to put You first, always, and to know that when I seek You first, everything else will fall into place. Draw me closer, Lord. Amen.
Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Have a blessed day. 

Isaiah 42:16a I will lead the blind by ways they have not known….
Lord, Thank You for being steadfast and true, for seeing us, for knowing our hearts, for understanding our fears and concerns. Thank You for leading us, walking with us, carrying us on unfamiliar, frightening paths. Thank You that during these trying times, we can grow closer to You than is possible when life is smooth sailing.
Isaiah 42:16b …along unfamiliar paths I will guide them….
Lord, Unfamiliar paths can be terrifically frightening. Thank You for the surety that we do not have to forge these paths alone. Thank You for giving us light and hope through small blessings and kindnesses that remind us of Your deep love. Thank You for walking with us, for holding us, for not abandoning us in our time of need. Help us to always be mindful of Your faithful presence.
Isaiah 42:16c …I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your fierce love and assurance that we are not alone, even in trials, especially then. Help us to feel Your peace and comfort. Help us to encourage each other. Guide our way, one step at a time. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 42:16d …These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 40:31a But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength….
My precious Savior is loving and faithful and steadfast. I know this truth. I write it often in these reflections. And yet, when He shows up so clearly in my circumstances, it always catches me off guard somehow. Lord, Forgive me for being caught off guard, and thank You for Your faithfulness.
Isaiah 40:31b …They shall mount up with wings like eagles….
Yesterday, at the end of a successful yet very long and stressful week, I was tapped out in a way I haven’t felt in a while. I was running on fumes with no gas station in sight. And He showed up so powerfully during a class discussion that it was as if He were right beside me, whispering to my heart, “I know you are exhausted. I know you feel like no one cares, but THIS is why I need you here.” The love, compassion, and vulnerability in that room yesterday, the encouragement and support I witnessed, may be the highlight of my 23 years in the classroom thus far. Thank You, Jesus.
Isaiah 40:31c …They shall run and not grow weary….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the reminder that I MUST take time to renew myself, to root myself firmly in You, so that I have the energy to love and encourage Your people. Thank You for the courage and vulnerability I witnessed first hand yesterday, for the love and support that was so evident during our discussion. Thank You for helping me see with such clarity both why it is important for me to keep on keeping on each day and why it is so crucial I refuel my tank so I can keep at it. Draw me closer, Lord. Restore my strength in You and through You. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.
Isaiah 40:31d …They shall walk and not faint.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Self-care is really hard for me. While I understand the importance of taking time to rest and renew, I have a hard time putting it into practice personally. It feels incredibly indulgent and selfish. The irony is that I would argue mightily for the importance of self-care, the need for self-care, the significance of self-care to anyone, especially those who spend great chunks of their day caring for others—teachers, nurses, parents, those in ministry, etc. I just seem to have a really hard time actually putting it into practice for myself. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him….”
Compassion fatigue is real. When you give (and give and give and give) so much of yourself in the care of others and don’t take time to renew yourself, to reconnect with your power source, you are going to run out of reserves—mental, physical, and emotional energy to keep caring for others. I feel that is where I am, yet I balk at the idea of putting my needs first, of taking time for myself. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the mental clarity to see exactly where I am right now. I’m exhausted—mentally, physically, emotionally. It feels selfish and indulgent to look after myself when there is so much need all around me, Lord, but I absolutely feel You calling me to be still in Your presence. Help me to be still, Lord, to sit at Your feet, to soak in Your peace and Your presence. Restore my soul, Lord, so that I can help care for and encourage Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.
Mark 4:39 And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 148:1 …Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him from the heights above.
For me, there is something very holy about watching the sun rise over the ocean. My first sunrise this year was on Easter Sunday, and it is hard to articulate the mix of emotions I felt as I watched the sun ascend seemingly from the ocean itself. The dolphins, the birds, the lapping of the waves, everything felt like hope, renewal, and praise. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
I wonder if my affinity for sunrise has anything to do with the stretches of “long, dark nights” of life? When I am sick, nights are usually the hardest. When my babies were little and not feeling well or were teething, nights were the toughest to endure. When I am struggling with grief or sorrow, worry or fear, nights are the longest, bleakest, toughest times. But even before the sunrise makes an appearance, the gentle lightening of the sky gives me hope. Sunrise is coming. This darkness won’t last forever. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the hope and praise that is the sunrise every morning. Thank You that the “long, dark nights” of the soul aren’t the end, no matter how they test us. Thank You that we can praise You in the darkness just as fervently as we can in the daylight, maybe even more so. Thank You for the hope of sunrise. Draw us closer. Help us praise You always. Amen.
Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
Have a blessed day. 

John 8:4 … “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.”
I try to behave in such a manner that if a tv camera were following me, broadcasting my every move, I would not be embarrassed. Somehow, though, I still manage to screw up in a thousand little ways daily, multiple times a day. Jesus, Help me!
John 8:7 … “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
We live in a judgmental society. We know we all mess up, but we often use an arbitrary scale of judgment to assuage our own guilt. Deflection is our friend. “Yeah, I messed up, but not as bad as she did.” Jesus, Help us!
John 8:10-11a … “Woman…Has no one condemned you?” … “Then neither do I condemn you.” ….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the show of compassion in this scripture. Judgement is so easy. Compassion can be so difficult. Yet You showed us the ultimate compassion when we absolutely did not deserve it. Help us to show that level of fierce love and deep compassion to each other, Lord—even when we don’t deserve it, even when we didn’t earn it. Especially then. Help us to love as You love, Lord. Draw us closer. Amen.
John 8:11b … “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 30:6-7 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” …but when You hid Your face, I was dismayed.
I consider myself to be a strong person, independent, capable. With time and effort, I can do most anything I set my mind to. Usually, these traits serve me well, but sometimes they get me into trouble. Sometimes I get so busy “working for the Lord” that I miss what He is actually calling me to do for Him. I told a friend recently that lately I felt like a banshee howling into the gale. That feeling should have been a tip-off that I was operating under my own strength and not in my Savior’s. Jesus, Help me.
2 Cor 12:9a My grace is sufficient for you.
I know that God created me exactly as I am for a purpose. I’m pretty sure His purpose for me involves loving others, encouraging them, showing care and compassion, especially to those who aren’t used to receiving it, those who feel they don’t deserve it, those who are in desperate need of His hope. But at times it seems so very overwhelming, the scope of the task before me. There are so many who need hope and encouragement, myself included. Jesus, Help me.
2 Cor 12:9b When you are weak, My power is made perfect in you.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You are my strength. Thank You for creating me exactly as I am for Your purpose. Thank You for the reminder that I’m not supposed to do this in my strength. I need You. Your strength is perfected in my weakness. Help me to breathe, to wait on You, to trust in You, to see what You are calling me to right this minute, to do that thing to the best of my ability, to refocus in Your will, to move on to the next thing You are calling me to do. One step at a time, Jesus. Show me the way. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 30:11 You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy….
Have a blessed day.

Mark 8:29 “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say that I am?” ….
Lord, You are my Creator, my Redeemer, my Rock, and my Salvation. Every good and perfect gift is from You. You are with me always. Your steadfast love strengthens me. You are present in every circumstance, and You can work all things for my good and Your glory. 
Acts 9:6 … “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” ….
Lord, I know that You have me here in this mental dessert for a reason. You have something You need me to do or understand, something You need me to confront or work through, maybe a new direction in which You are trying to move me. Honestly, I’m not sure, but I know You are here with me, Lord. I know You are trying to guide me. Help me to be still, to listen, to understand Your direction. I know You are making a way in this wilderness as only You can. Help me to perceive Your movement, Your direction, Your will.
John 6:69 We have faith in You, and we are sure that You are God’s Holy One.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for my rock-solid faith in You, even when I don’t understand. I know You are with me. I know You love me deeply, fiercely. I know You will reveal my path one step at a time. Help me to breathe. Help me to trust. Help me to understand Your will for me right this moment. Make a way, Lord, as only You can. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 John 4:16 And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Have a blessed day. 

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Lord, You are sovereign and holy, gracious and loving. You make sure I have exactly what I need to take my next step in Your will. Forgive me for the times when I am discontent. Help me, especially during those times, to be able to clearly see both Your provision and the next step You would have me to take. Give me a heart of gratitude for the abundant blessings You surround me with daily. Restore my world-weary soul.
Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters….
Lord, Just like a toddler who doesn’t like to stop playing to rest but needs that rest in order to keep going, I have a hard slowing down, being diligent about self-care. It feels selfish and indulgent, but I know it’s important because You encourage me to take care of myself, to rest, breathe, take time in Your presence and Your word, to take time daily to nourish my soul so that I have the space, the peace, the energy to do Your work. Help me, Jesus, to take better care of myself so that I can better care for Your people.
Psalm 23:3 …He restores my soul….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that with You, I lack nothing, through You, I have all I need for the next step You need me to take. Help me to trust and obey, even when the world tries to tell me I need more, more, more. Help me to take time daily to nourish myself, to root myself in You, so that I can nourish and uplift others in Your name. Draw me closer, LORD. Amen.
Psalm 23:5 …my cup overflows.
Have a blessed day.