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Jer 17:8a “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream….”
Anyone who comes into my classroom probably thinks I am incredibly skilled with plants. After all, I have 19 mostly-thriving plants by my window. But the truth is, I do not consider myself skilled with plants at all. Honestly, the fact that they are indeed still alive is a testament to the hardy plants I have. I’m always slightly afraid I’ll kill them with my non-gardening abilities.
Jer 17:8b …”It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Today’s verses put me in mind of my plants. Totally dependent on me, those poor things are always at risk of death. But when we sink our roots into our Savior, when we nourish our souls from the inside with His word, then we don’t have to fear external forces—heat, drought, poor gardening skills—because we know where our strength and our life-source originates. We know God’s got us.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Lord, Thank You for this day and the reminder that when we root ourselves in You, we don’t have to worry about whether the world will provide because we know You hold us securely in the palm of Your hand. Help us to ground ourselves daily in Your word, Your love, and Your grace. Draw us closer. Amen.
John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
Have a blessed day.

Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!…’”
As I type this, the lyrics to The Afters song “Well Done” are running through my mind. Isn’t it what we all hope to hear some day? That what we did, despite the screw-ups and missteps and mistakes, was a job well done? I know I hope to hear it, but the cynical, earthly side of me, the side that so quickly and readily recites my list of mistakes, tries to convince me that I’m too much of a screw-up, too much of a fraud, to ever hear those words. Can you relate?
1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
But God is love, and He sees through the eyes of our loving Father. He knows my heart and my intentions, even when they don’t play out as I had planned. And isn’t it the ultimate act of love, when you could lambast someone for all their many, many, many mistakes, to praise them instead for the things they have done well? “Well done, good and faithful one.” 
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your Spirit of love. Thank You for seeing us through the loving eyes of the Father, for pursuing us past the edge of reason, for accepting us openly when we realized how deeply we need You. Thank You, at the end of a life lived deeply, humanly, brokenly, for seeing our hearts, our intentions, our desire to honor You, and for welcoming us Home with open arms. Help us to love each other as well as You love us, concentrating on and praising the good. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!
As I was driving home from work yesterday, the Plumb song “Exhale” was on the radio. I’ve heard the song many times, but for some reason, yesterday, the lyrics “Oh God, we do not exist for us but to share Your grace and love” really struck me. And then this morning, my sweet Savior sent me to Psalm 115:1, which echoes the same sentiments as the song. I don’t think that was coincidence.
Psalm 86:12 I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.
Have you ever wondered why you are here on this earth? Ever struggled with your existence? This world will tell you that you are here to prove yourself, to amass possessions, to gain promotions, to be better than others. Just typing the words makes me anxious. But God says, “I created You for more than the trappings of this world. Don’t get caught up in what the world says is important.” To quote the Plumb song again, “Oh God, we breathe in Your grace….and exhale.”
Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You created us for more than the anxious, materialistic, rat race of this world. You created us to love and be loved by You, to share Your grace and love with others, to shine Your light for all to see. Help us not to get distracted by the things of this world. Draw us closer to You daily. Amen.
1 Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
Have a blessed day.

Matt 6:16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others the are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
I’m not very good at fasting. I have a really hard time with that kind of self-deprivation. I’m afraid that when it comes to that, I am rather like the hypocrite spoken of in Matthew, loudly disclaiming my hunger, not able to move past the immediate discomfort, receiving no other reward.
Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed free, and to break every yoke?
But I suspect the purpose of fasting is to draw a person deeper into the Savior. Much like the last mile of a half marathon for me, when I have to give it all to God and get out of His way to finish in His strength because mine is gone, I suspect fasting is one more way to push aside all of the things of this world and instead draw solely and completely from God’s store of strength and grace instead of our own pitiful reserves.
Daniel 9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for ways to draw closer to You, to depend more fully on You. Thank You for the understanding that self-deprivation is about getting ourselves out of the way so that we can cling more closely to You, depend more fully on You. Help all of us find ways to draw closer and to depend more completely on You than on ourselves. Reshape our hearts to be more like Yours. Amen.
Matt 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Have a blessed day.

1 Cor 13:12a Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. 
I first learned I needed glasses when I was in 10th grade. There was a vision screening during PE class, and the lady asked me if I had left my glasses at home. Only I didn’t wear glasses. She was shocked, but I didn’t know any difference. I saw the way I’d always seen. While I don’t remember a vivid difference in vision back then, now is a different story. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that without my glasses, there’s much that I miss.
1 Cor 13:12b All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
I think life, death, heaven, God and Jesus, faith—all of them must work similarly. We think we know. We think we see. We think we understand. We don’t realize how blind we really are, how poor our eyesight. We don’t realize the pieces we are missing. We will one day, but right now, we are just incapable of seeing the total picture, so we have to trust the One who does.
Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this knowledge that now we understand partially—there are things that we can’t yet know—but one day we will understand fully. Thank You that we know and can trust the One who does understand all. Help us to cling to You and trust You always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….
Have a blessed day.

2 Cor 12:9a But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 
At present, there are several situations in my life that I am not handling with grace. Jesus promised that His grace is sufficient for me. Always. In every circumstances. So when I find that I don’t have enough grace to handle a situation, I think it’s a pretty clear sign that I’m trying to do it within my grace, which will absolutely never be enough. Jesus, help me.
2 Cor 12:9b Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I wonder if the process of letting go of myself and surrendering to His grace is like that of floating. As I think of the analogy, I am instantly transported to a summer pool, trying to float, reminding myself to breathe, to relax, to trust that the water will hold me. And it will, but I have to quit fighting, quit trying, and just let go before I can float. I think it’s similar with grace. I have to stop trying, stop fighting, stop whining and grouching. I have to surrender, breathe, relax, and trust that Christ’s grace will hold me because it absolutely will.
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the analogy of surrendering to Your grace being similar to floating. I want Your grace, Lord. I NEED Your grace to do this life. I cannot do it on my own. Help me to stop fighting, stop trying to do it without You. Help me to relax, breathe, and trust. I know Your grace is enough, Lord. Help me to live that trust. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 42:16a I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them….
Yesterday, as I was gathering my belongings to leave my classroom for the day, I saw a magnet on my filling cabinet: Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them but you know they are there. And last night as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw a picture of the New Zealand night sky, which had to be far away from light pollution because the number of stars and their utter gorgeousness was unreal. And it reminded me that just like the stars, God is always with us, but it isn’t until we find ourselves in utter darkness that we can clearly see His light, His presence, His magnificence.
Isaiah 42:16b …I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth….
It is frightening, at least for me, to go into a situation blind, to not know what to expect, to not be able to think through how I might handle it. I have always been a planner and a worrier, but my current aversion to the new and unknown is at a startling level. I don’t know how I ended up mired here, and I praise God for making me aware and providing me a way to put my focus and trust back on Him when I face the unknown.
Isaiah 42:16c …These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your steadfast love and trust. Thank You for making me aware of the fact that my love of comfort and routine is affecting my complete trust in and reliance on You. I can’t say I’m excited to have my comfortable routine ripped away, but I know it is for my good and Your glory, and I trust You fully. Guard and guide me on this journey. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.
Have a blessed day.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (NIV)
Have you ever been in absolute darkness, a darkness so deep that you can’t even see your hand in front of your face? But introduce even the smallest sliver of light and give your eyes time to adjust, and you will find that you can see well enough to navigate. The darkness isn’t so powerful in the face of light.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (NLT)
Such is the power of God’s light. Even one little spark, the flame of the tiniest candle, is enough to banish the darkness. When we shine His light into the darkness, we can banish the blackest deep. The darkness has no power over the light. It can’t extinguish the light, can’t overpower the light, can’t overcome it. God is light. There is no darkness in Him. (1 John 1:5) And we have the power to reflect His light, to magnify and intensify it when we work together.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (NASB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your light. Thank You that darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:12) and that even the smallest bit of Your light can banish any darkness. Thank You that we have the power to shine Your light for others and for the hope that comes only from You. Draw us closer. Help us shine for You. Amen.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. (WNT)
Have a blessed day.

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
I am a doer—I can set my mind to a task, figure out the best way to accomplish it, and get it done in a timely manner. I try to be an active, contributing member to society. I know I have to work hard to accomplish my goals, and I am not afraid to do so. What I receive is often a direct result of the effort I give, so if I want something, I know I have to work for it. 
Eph 2:8 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
However, God’s amazing love for me throws all my ideas about hard work and effort out the window. I can’t earn His love. I’m not worthy of His love. And yet, He loves me fiercely because I am His. He sent His Son to save me when I could do nothing of value for Him in return. He loves me deeply even still, and I have nothing of worth to earn that love. He doesn’t care. He loves me anyway, simply because I am His. 
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your paradigm-shattering love for Your children. In a world where we are given nothing, where we have to earn everything, it is hard to fathom Your gifts of love, mercy, and grace, yet You lavish them freely on Your children and command us to love each other in the same way You love us—without payment and without limits. Help us to love each other as You love us, a love so different than the love of this world. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
I love my life. It’s not perfect, of course, but it has a beautiful cadence and rhythm, which I understand. I’m a planner. I like to be prepared, and I don’t like surprises. None of that is especially bad in and of itself, but with this amazing adventure God is calling the hubs and the oldest to begin, He is gently whispering to me that I need to let go of my plans, my routines, my comfort, and trust Him with my life.
Psalm 56:4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.
I would be lying if I said there was not a lot of fear about this adventure. A friend asked me recently what I was most afraid of, and I thought—EVERYTHING! But that’s not true. What I am most afraid of is the total shattering of my well ordered life. Everything will be new and different, there is no frame of reference, no familiarity. And to someone who loves routine, who loves to know what to expect, that’s terrifying. But I know with every fiber of my being that God’s got me, that He’s got all of us.
Psalm 56:10-11 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise—in God I trust and I am not afraid.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for showing me that my love of the familiar and routine has caused me to rely on myself instead of on You. Thank You for loving me too much to leave me in my comfort zone and for the rock-solid trust that You’ve got us, that You will guide us, that You are in control. I am so tired of being afraid, Lord, and You do not want that for me. Help me to lay my fears at Your feet. Blanket me with Your peace. Guide and guard us all through this amazing adventure. Amen.
Psalm 118:6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid….
Have a blessed day.