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Psalm 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.
My students and I have talked much this year about humility. In order to grow, we all have to be humble enough to realize that we have room to grow. We have to check our delicate egos that sometimes get bruised when we feel we’re being criticized. We have to be big enough, strong enough to say, “I want to be better than I currently am. Help me to grow by showing me areas where I can improve.” I think this is exactly the attitude being described in Psalm 51:17.
Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight….
It is easy to harbor negative thoughts and feelings against humans. It’s easy to be angry when we feel we have been slighted. It’s easy to say my anger is justified because of someone else’s actions. It is so much more difficult to do any of that when I acknowledge the God that is reflected in every one of His children. That single shift in perspective now shows me that my negative thoughts and my anger are aimed at God’s children, His deeply beloved, and by extension, at Him, the Creator. That’s certainly a sobering thought.
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Lord, Thank You for this day and the perspective You have given with this scripture. Help me to always recognize and respond to You in Your children. Help me to always be humble enough to say, “I want to be better than I currently am. Help me to grow by showing me areas where I can improve.” Help me to love Your children and to shine Your light every moment of every day. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 18:1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
Lord, I come to You this morning just to say Thank You–for strength, for provision and guidance, for opportunities. Thank You for taking all of my anxieties, even when I am reluctant to let them go. Thank You for being bigger than my fears and for being steadfast and true, even when I falter.
Psalm 18:2a The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer….
Lord, Thank You for the amazing people in my life, for my husband and children, my family and extended family, for the phenomenal network of framily and friends with which You have surrounded me. Thank You for looking at the mess I am and for seeing, recognizing, and acknowledging Your deeply loved child.
Psalm 18:2b …my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for my insanely emotional nature, for this heart full of love and gratitude for You and Your provision. Thank You for the opportunities of this day and the people with which You surround me today. Help me to shine Your light. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 18:2c …my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Have a blessed day.

1 Cor 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
Let’s talk about that inner critic that we all have. The one that has something to say about every mistake and misstep you make. Mine is particularly caustic and mean. If she talked to anyone else the way she talks to me, there’s no way I’d sit by and let it happen. But for some reason, I never stop that voice when it’s smack-talking me. Jesus, Help me.
Matt 10:20 For it is not you who will be speaking–it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
It occurred to me, though, that I get to choose whose voice I hear, whose voice I listen to. And “the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in me.” THAT’S the voice I want to hear, the voice of love and truth, not the voice of condemnation. Jesus, Help me.
2 Tim 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that Your power is within me, Your voice is the one I need to hear. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit in truth and love. Help me to treat myself with the same kindness that I try to show to others. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.
John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth….
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 3:3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
One of the goals in my classroom is to cultivate curiosity in my students, to get them looking and thinking and wondering about life and literature beyond what they see on the surface. It is easy to go through life accepting everything at face value, but I think that when we do that, we miss opportunities to see the extraordinary in the mundane of life. I realized this morning that I could benefit from cultivating curiosity in my own life as well. I wonder what metaphorical burning bushes God may have placed in my life, just waiting for me to notice and draw near so He could speak. Jesus, Help me.
Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him….
One of my devotionals this morning contained this gem: “God usually speaks out of the ordinary experiences of life.” I know this to be true, and while I try to be infinitely curious in my own life, I sometimes get complacent, missing His extraordinary presence in my day. Jesus, Help me draw near and listen.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that my perspective matters. Help me to approach life with a sense of wonder and curiosity, to see Your divine presence in the ordinary experiences of my day. Help me to slow down, to take the time to notice and wonder, to praise Your holy name. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
Psalm 46:11 The LORD Almighty is with us….
Have a blessed day.

Matt 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
God’s still working with me on finding balance. When I searched “What does the Bible day about balance?”, Matt 6:33 was the first verse I saw. So what does the Bible day about balance? Seek Him. First. Before worry. Before anxiety. Before to do lists, grading, deadlines. Seek Him, His kingdom, His righteousness. First. Always. Thank You, Jesus.
Heb 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
I’ve never been particularly enamored of money or possessions, but being satisfied with what I have, with where I am, where He has placed me at this exact moment is sometimes problematic, often more from the standpoint of my overwhelming “to do” lists than anything else. I can’t fully be present in the moment when I am stressing about how I’m going to do all the things that I don’t have time to do, grade all the things I don’t have time to grade. Jesus, Help me.
Rom 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for loving me too much to let me continue this pointless, overwhelming cycle of worry and stress. Help me to put You first always—before worry, before stress, before to do lists and deadlines. Help me to be satisfied, not stressed, exactly where You have placed me. Help me to focus on You and find the balance I so desperately desire in this life. Draw me closer. Amen.
Matt 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow….
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Once again this morning, I find myself exhausted, and the day has not even begun. And just for a moment, I thought, “To be a kid again. To not feel like the weight of the world rests solely on your shoulders…” And my sweet Savior sent Psalm 23:1, balm for my weary soul.
Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
When I think of my day, I think of the thousands of deadlines and to-do list items I’ve set for myself. But Jesus helps me regain my perspective. My responsibilities are quite simple when viewed through His lens: 1. Love God. 2. Love others. 3. Be His hands and feet in this weary world. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for strength, rest, and restoration. My constant state of exhaustion tells me that I’ve got to get myself back to Your basics—in the verdant pastures and near the peaceful streams, where I can see You and remember that my chief responsibilities are quite simple: love and service. When the world overwhelms and exhausts me, Lord, renew my soul and refocus my priorities on You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Have a blessed day.

2 Cor 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
It’s been a looooong week, and I am mentally and physically exhausted. I feel like there is more to be done than I could ever do, more needs to meet than I could ever meet, and I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep for a while.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
But my precious Savior is so good to me. I have felt His presence keenly through the ups and downs of the week. And this morning, He seems to be telling me to remember why I do what I do. There is no doubt that He made me an emotional being and an encourager. There’s no doubt that He calls me to lift others up when they are low, to shine His light, to point others to His grace and mercy in their struggles.
2 Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for calling me to minister to Your people through positivity, encouragement, and prayer. Thank You for being so obviously present with me this week and for the reminder, as I struggle with weariness, to keep my eyes and heart focused on You and to keep on shining Your light. Draw me closer. Give me strength. Amen.
Gal 6:9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.
Have a blessed day.

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
When I think of my role as a child of God, I think of a saying I saw years ago, maybe on a billboard or a gift-shop plaque, I have no idea. But the saying has stuck with me and sums up perfectly what I see as my Christian duty: “Just love everybody. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” Such a simple philosophy but so very difficult at times in practice.
John 12:47 …I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
I believe that God is love, that He created us, ALL of us, that He loves us fiercely and unconditionally, even when we mess up, which we all do, that He wants a relationship with us, not because there is anything we can do for Him, but simply because we are His deeply loved children.
John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your overwhelming love for us, for the reminder to be like You, loving instead of judging. Thank You for the compassionate heart You have given me and for the desire to shine Your light for all to see. Help me share Your love with everyone, Lord. Help me remember that it is not my job to judge, only to love. Draw me closer. Amen.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Have a blessed day.

1 Cor 12:25 …so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.
I believe that we are all children of God. For me, the miracle of conception, development, and birth is too intricate and amazing to be simply a function of biology. I believe that not only did God create us, but He created us to care for and love each other, to be His hands and feet in a dark and weary world, without expectation of payment and without judgment.
1 Cor 12:26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it….
I believe that judging others is a slippery slope because we are deeply human and therefore make mistakes ourselves. I know when I screw up or make a royal error in judgment, the last thing I need is judgment, I’m beating myself up enough over mistakes. What I need is someone to show me compassion, to show me I am still lovable and still deeply loved even if I messed up “big time.” I think that’s what we all need—love, compassion, to be told we have value and worth, especially when we don’t see it and can’t feel it for ourselves.
1 Cor 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You put me here to love and comfort Your children and to shine Your light, not to pass judgment on others. I cannot judge others, Lord. I’m not qualified. So help me to be Your hands and feet. Help me to see others with Your eyes and love them with Your heart. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Cor 1:12 …Our conscience testified that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
Have a blessed day. 

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul…. (ESV)
This morning, one of my devo readings took me to Psalm 23:3, a verse I’ve read many times. When I reached my prayer time, kicked back in my recliner, and closed my eyes to pray, I remember thinking, “I am exhausted. If only I could get a little more sleep.” And my precious Savior sent Psalm 23:3 roaring to mind. Sleep won’t restore my weary soul. Only my Shepherd can do that. Thank You, Jesus.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
I feel like I live in a state of perpetual exhaustion. My mind is going all the time. There is always something else to grade, plan, do, clean. Downtime is more “ignoring all the things I ought up be doing right now” instead of “time to relax and renew my soul.” I love this wording of Isaiah 40:31. When I trust in the LORD, I find new strength, His strength. My strength is just not enough for this life. Jesus, Help me.
Matt 11:28 “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the invitation to rest in You. Help me to fully comprehend what resting in You is and looks like. Help me to lay my burdens at Your feet and to wrap myself in Your amazing, transcendent peace. Restore my weary soul, Lord. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 23:3 He renews my strength…. (NLT)
Have a blessed day.