It’s Not How You Start, It’s How You Finish

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We spent a few hours yesterday at a track meet for one of the girls from our church. We had a great time cheering her and her teammates on. There were competitors from four different schools. Some of them would fly around the track; others would struggle and fall a lap or two behind. But they all had one thing in common. They all finished the race. Not a single competitor didn’t cross the finish line.

Finish the Race

No matter what position they came in, no matter how far behind they were, they always finished. Sometimes it would be a sole competitor running an entire lap by themself because everybody else had already crossed the finish line. And yet, when those stragglers came into view, every person–whether in the stands or runners on the field–would start cheering for them as if they were going to win the race. It was pretty amazing. Teammates and opposing teams alike would stand on the sidelines and clap and cheer them on to the finish line.

Why? Why would they do that? Even when they were dead last? Because they finished. Each runner out there and every parent in the stands knows how much hard work goes into training and then running out there and giving it your all. So when each player simply finished the race, it was like they received a standing ovation.

It’s How You Finish that Counts

There’s a powerful lesson to be learned here. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish or that you finish at all. It’s the same in the Christian race; it’s not how you start, it’s not the stumbles and falls you had along the way, it’s how you finish the race that counts.

Paul understood this principle. He often spoke of the Christian life as a race, and he was proud of the way he had run his race. He stayed faithful and finished his race, and he would receive the rewards for that.

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

II Timothy 4:6-8

Handicaps for Racing

There was another thing I noticed sitting there yesterday. Some runners seemed to have an unfair advantage. They were tall with lean bodies and long legs that ate up the track. Then there were others that were much shorter and had to work even harder to run as fast. They seemed to take two strides for every one stride the taller athletes took. And yet, they weren’t given any special help or conditions. They had to run just like everybody else, and they had to finish. Some of them even beat out the taller, longer legged runners.

Sometimes, we are given handicaps along our race; handicaps that make it harder for us to run. Those around us may be running just fine, but our handicap is slowing us down. Those handicaps may come in the form of financial struggles, health problems, chronic pain, addictions, mental health struggles, infertility, single-hood, divorce, loss of a loved one…the list goes on and on. And yet, in spite of those handicaps, we still have a race to run; we have to still finish.

Running with Endurance

Paul tells us what we have to do. We have to get rid of the weights that slow us down and the sins that trip us up and then run with endurance, no matter what handicaps we have.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

It seems like an impossible task–running this race of life with handicaps and still expected to finish. How do we do it? How do we find that endurance when life is so hard at times? Paul didn’t leave us without an answer. It comes in the next verse.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Hebrews 12:2

Focusing on Jesus

We run with endurance, handicaps and all, by keeping our focus on Jesus and remembering that He gave everything, so that we could have eternal life. As we run, we focus on the fact that one day, we will see him face to face.

We also run with endurance by remembering the cloud of witnesses in heaven, looking down on us. They are those who have run their race ahead of ours and have finished. Now they watch us run ours, and are cheering from the grand stands of Heaven.

Finish Your Race

You may feel tired today; you may feel like your handicaps have cost you the race. Or maybe sin and its destruction has kept you from even running. It’s not too late. Paul gives us these encouraging words.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.^.Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Hebrews 12:12,13

It’s time to get back in the race today. If you’re already in the race, this is your encouragement to keep going. Keep running towards Jesus; keep your eyes on the prize. Stay faithful. Remember that it’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish.

One day, we will finish our race. We will stand before God and give account of our lives. Will we face God with regret? Or with joy, knowing we ran the race He gave us and we didn’t give up. We finished.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, The One Guarantee if You Quit.

5 Lessons from Nehemiah on Pursuing God-Given Dreams

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Do you have big dreams? Something that you believe God wants you to do, something that’s bigger than yourself?

There’s a small book in the Old Testament called Nehemiah; it goes hand in hand with the book of Ezra. Both men were contemporaries and worked together to rebuild Jerusalem when those who had been exiled to Babylon began to return to the city. Ezra was a scribe and a religious leader. Nehemiah led the charge to rebuild the wall.

Nehemiah’s Story

When the book of Nehemiah starts, we see that he has a high position in the court of Persia. He serves as the cupbearer to the king, but he has a burden to return to Jerusalem and help his people rebuild the wall to protect the city so that others can return. The king grants him leave, and he travels to Jerusalem.

He doesn’t tell everybody his plan. Instead, he slips out at night, taking only a few people with him, and inspects the wall. Only then does he gather the leaders of the city and tell him his plans, and they get to work. They are met with obstacles along the way–men who tried to get them to stop the work. But Nehemiah forges ahead. He prays and asks God for protection; then they split the people in half. Half the people continue to work on the wall; the other half stand guard.

Even despite disruptions, the wall gets rebuilt in 52 days. It’s an amazing feat and a great story. To get the full picture, you have to read the book. But there are some really good lessons to pull out of the book of Nehemiah, specifically when it comes to doing something that God has laid on your heart to do.

Lessons from Nehemiah

1. Make sure your dream is from God

Nehemiah had a passion and desire to help rebuild the wall in Jerusalem, but he acknowledges that that burden came from God. It wasn’t something he came up with on his own.

I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:12 NLT

There are so many good things to get passionate about, to devote our time to. I believe God gives us passions and desires and dreams to help people and help make things better. When we decide to go after one of these dreams and do something about it, we just have to make sure that it’s God who is directing and leading us and not ourselves.

2. Keep It to Yourself

This is where so many of us go wrong. We get really excited about what we believe God is leading us to do, and we start telling everybody about it. The problem is, people are often discouraging. They see all the problems with your dreams and all the reasons your plans won’t succeed. True, those problems may be real, but with God’s help, you can overcome them. But if we tell the wrong people and get discouraged and overwhelmed, we may never even start the thing we know God wants us to.

Don’t tell anybody to start with; just pray about it and begin to plan. Nehemiah didn’t tell anybody when he entered the city that he was making a plan to rebuild the wall. When he made his tour of the broken down wall, it was at night for a reason.

I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:12 NLT

3. Tell only a few safe people about your dreams

When you are ready to tell others about it, only tell people that are “safe.” Only tell those who really love you and want to see you succeed in life, who love God and won’t feel threatened by God’s plan for your life.

Nehemiah only took a few people with him on that night trip around the city. It doesn’t seem to make sense until we see what happens next. Once Nehemiah does make known his plans, here come the men that begin to oppose the work.

I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me.

Nehemiah 2:12 NLT

4. Don’t Give Up When People Oppose You

As soon as the people decide to follow Nehemiah and start rebuilding the wall, their enemies showed up.

Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.

They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.

Nehemiah 2:18,19

There are always going to be those who oppose what you’re doing. They won’t understand; they may even try to stop you. You have to choose to ignore those people and instead, focus on the task God’s given you.

We’ve had really good people over the years try to talk us out of what we know God’s called us to do–pastors even. That’s hard. You begin to second-guess yourself and doubt. That’s why you have to be so certain that this is God’s plan in the first place. But once you’re certain of that, you can hold your ground and go after that dream with all your heart.

5. Pray and then Do the Work

When Nehemiah hears that their enemies were making plans to come and fight them, he does two things. He prays, and he sets a guard around the city wall. He doesn’t just pray and sit back and do nothing. Nor does he make a plan without talking to God. He does both.

But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

Nehemiah 4:9

When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.

Nehemiah 4:15,16

We have to do both as well. When attacks and criticism come (and they will), we go to God first. We pray and ask for his help and courage and strength to continue on. Then we make a plan and get to work. The best thing you can do for your critics is prove them wrong by accomplishing that dream God’s laid on your heart.

Nehemiah and his team finish the wall in record time. He completes the task God burdened him with, and he rejoices in the finished work. By following these five principles, we can do the same. We can go after the dream that God has given us and see it accomplished in our lifetime.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Never Give Up on Your Dreams or check out Matt’s book, Breakthrough: Transforming the Death of a Dream to the Birth of a Breakthrough.

5 Ways to Deal with Anxiety

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Do you ever struggle with anxiety? Do you have a hard time sleeping because of anxious thoughts? I know I do; I think we all do at times. God, who created us, knows that we struggle with it. David wrote about it in the Psalms.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Psalm 139:23 NLT

God’s Answer for Anxiety

God understood that we have anxious thoughts, but He didn’t leave us without an answer. He gave us a solution for when we feel anxious.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6,7

God understood our tendency to worry, so he told us what to do. He told us to pray about it and talk to Him about it, and then thank God for all he has done for us. Then He told us what the result would be—peace. The older I get, the more I realize what a gift peace is! That’s it. The answer to our anxious thoughts—pray about it and be grateful.

That sounds great, but how do we do this practically speaking. Here are five ways to push away anxiety.

1. Go for a walk.

Sometimes, when anxiety feels like it’s crippling me, I get out the door and go for a walk. I talk to God and tell Him what’s on my heart. Then I listen. And sometimes, that’s it. And then, maybe I’ll put on my audiobook or some music; but the anxiety starts to recede. I feel like I can face the day again.

2. Listen to uplifting music that puts your focus back on God.

Listening to music that points my attention to God helps soothe my spirit and brings peace and calm. It says the words for me that I can’t say right now through the language of music.

3. Read the Bible before bed.

One of the most anxious times is at night when we go to bed. I’m not sure why it is, but nighttime is the worst for anxiety. To help with that, I read a Psalm every night before I go to bed and pick a verse to think about as I drift off to sleep. I can’t tell you what a difference it makes!

4. Talk it Out

There is something about talking out your anxiety. There is power in the darkness, but when we bring light to the darkness, shadows dissipate. When we talk out loud to God, we hear the words we’re saying. I don’t know the science behind it, but it makes a difference. Talking out loud to God brings a deep peace.

5. Gratitude

Practice being thankful. There is a direct coorelation between gratitude and worry. It’s impossible to be thankful and worried at the same time. Try it. It doesn’t work. Find ways to incorporate more gratitude into your day. I do this each morning in my Faithfully Stepping Journal. It’s also fun to create a gratitude journal; we did this at the beginning of the year.

The next time you feel anxious thoughts taking over, try one of these ideas.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, 3 Steps to Releasing Worry and Fear.

My Favorite Books of the Bible

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We all know we need to read our Bibles each day, and most of us even want to. But sometimes it’s hard to know what to read or which books of the Bible to start with. Maybe you’ve just finished reading the Bible from cover to cover, and you don’t know what to read next. Maybe it’s been a really long time since you read your Bible, and you don’t know where to begin. Or maybe it’s new to you, and you have no idea where to begin.

No matter where you find yourself, the best thing is to just start reading. While you can’t go wrong, because it’s all God’s Word, sometimes it helps to have somebody come alongside and just give some suggestions. So with that in mind, here is a list of my favorite books of the Bible by category.

My Favorite Books to Study:

Habakkuk
Ecclesiastes
I Peter and 2 Peter
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians
James
Job

These are the books of the Bible that I get the most excited about studying. I know there is so much good stuff in there, and I can’t wait to draw it out. There are also verse after verse underlined in these books that just remind me how much I love God’s Word. I need a journal and a pen when I study these books. There’s so much richness to them.

My favorite book for encouragement:

Psalms

When my heart is discouraged, I turn to the Psalms. Reading the book of Psalms is the antidote for an anxious heart. I read a Psalm every night before bed to help calm my mind before I sleep.

My Favorite Gospel

Matthew

I love all the Gospels, so it’s hard to pick. But Matthew comes out on top for me.

My Go-To Book for Wisdom:

Proverbs

When I need wisdom for a choice or decision I need to make or for a certain time in my life, Proverbs is my go-to book.

My Favorite Books that Give Me a Challenge:

Isaiah

Minor Prophets:

Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zachariah
Malachi

(Yes, Hosea is excluded. That book just makes me sad. And Habakkuk is on the list further up of my favorite books to study.) I love the challenge that each of these books present. You have to work at it, but you always find a gem in there. And when you do, it makes it so worth it.

These are some of my favorite books of the Bible to read and study. What are your favorites?

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Simple Steps to Get Back to Reading Your Bible Each Day. If you like the idea of journaling, check out my Faithfully Stepping Journals.

Habakkuk: From What if to Even If

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I recently finished my Habakkuk study from The Daily Grace Co. Habakkuk has some of my favorite verses in the entire Bible buried at the very end of the book. So I really enjoyed my study. In that study, they write about this thought–from what if to even if.

Conversation between God and Habakkuk

In this short book, we are given a glimpse of a conversation between God and Habakkuk that is absolutely fascinating to study. God tells Habakkuk that the Babylonian empire, as cruel and evil as they are, is going to rise and take over Judah. Habakkuk is shocked and grieved and obviously terrified. He understands that God is judging Judah for their sins, but with Babylon? Babylon is even more wicked. God tells him to be patient. The time for Babylon’s judgment will come, but he will use them to judge his own people.

Habakkuk was given clear insight into the coming judgement. God’s words came to pass, as they always do. And the Babylonians invade Judah and destroy it and carry off its citizens. This is the last time the Jews have their own nation until the 1950s.

Habakkuk’s Response

If you haven’t read Habakkuk, it’s sobering and so worth reading and studying. It’s only three chapters long, but there’s a lot packed in there. My favorite part of the book comes in the last few verses, but before that is Habakkuk’s response of fear.

I trembled inside when I heard this;
    my lips quivered with fear.
My legs gave way beneath me,
    and I shook in terror.
I will wait quietly for the coming day
    when disaster will strike the people who invade us.

Habakkuk 3:16

That one verse gives us such an insight into what Habakkuk is thinking and feeling, similar to what we would feel if we’d been told our country was going to be invaded as part of God’s judgement.

Some of my Favorite Verses

And yet, the very next set of verses are some of Habakkuk’s finest and some of my most favorite.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
    He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Agricultural Society

To understand these words, we have to remember that he lived in an agricultural society. Crops were everything. To have no crops, no fruit, no animals…this was devastation of their entire commerce system. This was starvation and desperation.

And yet, look how he responds. Even though all this happens, and it would, he says, “I will choose to rejoice. I will be joyful in God. God is my strength.” These thoughts from Habakkuk blow my mind. How can he respond this way?

Habakkuk’s Choice

The reason he could respond this way was that he had made a choice. He had already made the choice to serve God and joy in Him no matter what. So his what if was turned to even if. His worry of what if this happens turned to Even if this happens, I will trust God.

I don’t know what you might be facing right now. It may seem like you’re in a what if situation. How do you get through? You choose even if. Even if the bottom falls out, I will choose to trust God and find my joy in Him. Even if I get this diagnosis, I choose to trust God and find joy in Him. God is so much greater than our circumstances. We can find joy, no matter what comes our way. Because our joy is not dependent on circumstances.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, A Roadmap to Building Deep Faith.

9 Things I’m Currently Loving

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Every so often, I like to share what I’m currently loving and using. Here are 9 things I’m currently loving.

Women Create Magazines

I bought one of these magazines on a whim sometime maybe a year or so ago. They are now my absolute favorite. I find them at Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics. Each magazine focuses on the studios woman create or the products they make. I’ve also started collecting In Her Studio as well. I save these magazines for night time. Right before bed, I read one section. As a creator myself, I love seeing what other women are creating and how they’re creating.

Bright Gel Pens

I love bright colors, and I love these Paper Mate bright gel pens. They’re fun and colorful. I use them every morning for my morning time.

Daily Grace Co Bible Studies

I recently discovered these Bible studies, and I absolutely love them. I’ve done Colossians, Ecclesiastes, and Habakkuk so far and have loved each one.

Essential Oils

This is the time of year for colds and sore throats and congestion. We live off of doTERRA Breathe and On Guard this time of year. When I can’t breathe at night, I put these two oils in my diffuser and run it during the night, and we use the roll-ons for everybody before bed. It makes a huge difference.

Magnesium oil lotion and spray

This spray has been a game changer for us. It helps so much with sore muscles or arthritis-type pain. It also promotes better sleep, and I can tell a huge difference when I put it on at night and when I don’t.

Shower steamers

I received steamers from Bath and Body for Christmas and love using them. I use the orange energizing ones in the shower in the mornings when I’m exhausted and need to wake up. Our daughter uses the lavender ones before bed to help her relax. Only a few come in the containers, but we cut them up into smaller pieces so they can last longer.

Javvy

Javvy has been my coffee of choice for my mornings for several months now. I love iced coffee and make one every single morning…even when it’s really cold out. I hate making iced coffee at home, though, because it’s hard to get it just right. Enter Javvy. I love Javvy because I don’t have to make hot coffee and then add ice. I just add cold concentrate. It’s also really great if your iced coffee sits too long and gets watery. All you have to do is add more concentrate. It works well for me.

Toasted Marshmallow Syrup

My favorite flavor syrup for coffee is toasted marshmallow. I’ve tried a few different ones but really love the Torani brand. It’s my favorite.

World Market

This is a new store to me. One of my favorite things about this store is the entire wall of coffee syrups. This is where I got my huge bottle of toasted marshmallow syrup for only ten dollars. Another favorite thing to do from this store is to pick a sauce to try at home. We recently bought a bottle of Korean Chicken sauce to use on our chicken at home. It was delicious! We’ve also used Kewpie Japanese mayo on some dishes and loved that as well. I’m looking forward to going back and getting some other sauces to try.

What are you currently using and loving?

5 Passages of Scripture to Read When You Need Encouragement

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All of us go through hard times. You may be going through one right now, or you may have just come out of one. It’s so important to have passages of Scripture to read during those times to find encouragement and hope. But sometimes, in the midst of a difficult time, it’s hard to remember or even think about what to read.

So I compiled a list of five passages that can comfort our hearts during a difficult time. Write them down somewhere, so you have them the next time you need them.

1. Habakkuk 3:17-19

Habakkuk is one of those hidden gems in the Bible. The book is only three chapters long and is a dialogue between Habakkuk and God. God tells Habakkuk of the coming fall of Jerusalem, of God’s judgment on his people who have chosen to turn their backs on him. It’s a dark time in Israel’s history, and it’s about to get worse. And yet, chapter three ends in these verses, some of my favorite verses in the Bible. Though everything seems to fall apart, we can still trust in God’s goodness and rejoice.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
    He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    able to tread upon the heights.

2. Lamentations 3:20-23

Lamentations, most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah, is a book of lament or sorrow, written after the destruction of Jerusalem. Babylon came in and destroyed Jerusalem and carried off the people into captivity in a foreign country. This is the same captivity that Daniel and his friends were taken in. It’s interesting to note that Daniel, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk were all contemporaries.

During this book of lament, we find these amazing verses that have stayed with us thousands of years later. Songs have been written with these words; books, art, home decor, and more all quote these famous verses.

I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.

3. I Peter 1:4-7

These words found in I Peter give us comfort regarding trials. Sometimes we get lost in the midst of our trials. We can’t see any way out; we feel like God has forgotten us. These words, written by a man who saw his own share of trials and ended up dying for his faith, remind us that there is joy ahead…after the trial.

And we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.^.And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

4. Psalms 23, 91, 18

When making a list of the most comforting/encouraging passages in the Bible, it’s impossible not to include the Psalms. There are so many amazing Psalms, so many favorites of mine. I picked just a few of my favorites.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

91:1-4

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

18:29-33

In your strength I can crush an army;
    with my God I can scale any wall. God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

5. Job 42:1-5

These verses come at the end of the book of Job. Job has been through incredible testing. He lost all of his children, his wealth, his health, and everything he valued. He’s spend the entire almost forty chapters before this asking God what is going on and trying to understand. When God finally talks, he doesn’t explain anything. Instead, he starts a series of questions, effectively reminding Job of who he is and of his sovereignty. The verses below are Job’s response. Job had heard about God before this, but after his trial, he says that he has now seen God. Sometimes it’s only through the hard times that we actually begin to “see” God for who He is.

Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything,
    and no one can stop you.
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
    It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
    things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
    I have some questions for you,
    and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before,
    but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

The next time you feel yourself feeling discouraged, down, worried, or depressed, choose one of these passages to read. Then add some of your own to the list as well.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, The God Who Sees Me. A great book to read is A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23.

What Do You Already Have that God Can Use?

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Dreaming is an amazing thing; hope is something that gives our soul reason to breathe. God gives us this ability to dream and to see things that aren’t right now. But it’s often hard to see into the future; it’s hard to see what hasn’t already happened. So, how do we create these dreams? Where do we begin?

First, you have to look at what God’s already given you and go from there. God only works with what we have. Not money we don’t own, a talent we haven’t developed, a building we don’t have. Rather, God works with what you already have.

What is in your hand?

In the book of 2 Kings, a widow sets out to find Elisha. Her husband had been a prophet and served with Elisha. But after he passes, creditors come to take her sons away. She needs money, and she needs it now. So she turns to the prophet Elisha.

Elisha doesn’t panic. He simply asks two questions. “What can I do to help?” and “What do you have in the house?”

It’s the second question that captures my attention. He didn’t come up with a bunch of different ways to make money; he didn’t give her ten ideas to try. He asked her simply, “What do you already have?”

What Do You Already Have?

The widow doesn’t own much; all she has is a single flask of oil. Elisha nods because that’s enough. He tells her to collect as many jars as she can from her neighbors and then start pouring out the oil into those jars.

This process is interesting:

1. She has to find something she already has.

2. Then she has to do the work of collecting the vessels and talking her neighbors into letting her borrow those vessels and then pouring oil into all those vessels.

3. As she’s doing it, God takes her little and increases it.

How does that process work for us?

The Process

1. We spend the time to find out what we already have. Sometimes, it comes easy; sometimes it takes a little bit more work. Figure out what talents and abilities you have, what passions you have, what things God has already put in your hand.

2. Then get to work. Work hard at whatever God has gifted you with or whatever he has put in your hand.

3. Then watch as God blesses that work and uses it to provide for you as well as others.

What She Already Had

Elijah worked in the parameters of what the woman had. He was able to bless what she had, not something she didn’t possess.

Sometimes, we convince ourselves that God can only bless us when…when we get the money, when we own that building, when we start that career, build that retirement fund, etc. But we often forget that God works with what we already have.

The woman in our story had a little oil and the ability to collect jars from neighbors. For Moses, it was a rod. With David, it was a slingshot. For Samson, it was his strength. For Joshua, it was brilliant mind for battle strategy. The little boy in the New Testament had a lunch.

Small Beginnings

Don’t underestimate what God can do with your life with what you already have; don’t underestimate small beginnings.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.

Zachariah 4:10

God can make something out of the little you have when you allow him to. What do you already have?

Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, What’s in Your Hand? A great book to get you thinking about what you could do is Money Making Mom.

Staying Strong in Uncertain Times

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It’s been quite the start to this 2025 year. A presidential change, the fires in LA, the plane crash in DC this week…and it’s only January. I’m reminded of a verse in Ecclesiastes chapter seven.

Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT

Solomon’s Observation

Solomon observes that nothing is certain in this life. That feels like a really bleak way of looking at things. We almost feel like we should throw our hands up in the air and give up. Why even bother?

But to understand the full context, we have to look at the beginning of this verse and the verse that comes before.

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Ecclesiastes:13,14 NLT

The Uncertainty of Life

The uncertainty of life is a very real thing. Solomon understood that. He grew up under the reign of David, his father, in a tumultuous time in Israel’s history. His dad was a man of war. Solomon understood war; he understood threats against the kingdom, against his father. He had first-hand knowledge of living in uncertainty. So when he tells us that nothing is certain in this life; he knew that truth himself. He’d lived it.

Acceptance

Solomon teaches us that there is a way to live in spite of this uncertainty in life. It’s called acceptance. Webster’s Dictionary gives a few different definitions of the word acceptance.

1. To receive willingly.

2. To endure without protest or reaction.

We can put those definitions back into the verse, and here’s what we get.

1. Receive willingly the way God does things…

2. Endure without protest or reaction the way God does things…

The Answer to the Uncertainty of Life

The answer to uncertainty in life is to accept the way God does things. We will never understand an infinite God with our finite minds. Consequently, we won’t understand why he does what he does. And that’s okay because he doesn’t ask us to understand; he asks us to accept it.

I love the next verse from Solomon. After we learn to accept the way God does things, Solomon tells us to enjoy prosperity when it comes. When blessings come your way, revel in them; savor them. Remember that we serve a good God that loves to give good gifts.

Find the Good

Solomon adds a caution at the end of the verse. He reminds us that hard times will also come. But when they do, we can choose to accept them and remember that both prosperous times and hard times come from God.

Instead of clinging to uncertainty, find the blessings that God is bestowing on you right now. Look for the good and enjoy it; soak it in. Love on your family, enjoy the income God has provided, travel and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, get a coffee with a good friend, spend time each morning with God in a morning time routin e. Find the good that’s all around you; celebrate that good. Draw close to the One who’s given you those good things. Remember that our relationship with God is more important than anything else.

When we choose to accept His plans and look for the good, we will find ourselves better able to navigate the uncertainty of this world.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check my post, 3 Ways to Remember God’s Goodness When We Forget.

A Roadmap to Building a Deep Faith

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I’ve been doing a deep dive into the book of Colossians with my new Bible study from The Daily Grace Co. I have to tell you, these Bible studies are my new favorite. It started with the Ecclesiastes study I got for Christmas. Ecclesiastes is probably my most favorite book of the Bible, so I really enjoyed that study. Now I’m following up that study with this Colossians study and absolutely loving it.

The Theme of Colossians

The reoccurring theme of the book of Colossians is In Him. Paul continually draws us back to Jesus. In this world, there are so many things that fight for our attention and focus. But Paul continually reminds us of what’s really important.

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:1-3

A Glimpse into Paul’s Life

We get a glimpse into Paul’s personal life and goals. He writes that he agonizes for a group of believers, many of whom he has never met. Why would he be so torn up about a group of people he hasn’t even met? He answers that question in the next verse. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan. What was this mysterious plan? Well, it’s not so mysterious, even though we make it that way so often. This mysterious plan was simply…Jesus. Through Jesus, we find the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that we all seek after. There is no wisdom and knowledge outside of Jesus.

The Lack of Peace Around Us

We can take a look around and be so easily overwhelmed and discouraged. It’s a political week in which lines have been drawn in the sand, and people say hateful things to people who didn’t vote or don’t think like they do. At the same time, fires still threaten communities that have already lost so much. There are threats everywhere you look, and it feels overwhelming and daunting. If we’re not careful, we get buried in all of it—the uncertainty, the overwhelm, the discouragement.

And yet, in the midst of a tumultuous culture, over two thousand years ago, Paul told believers what that answer was. And that answer was Jesus. It was then, and it still is now. Only in him do we find the wisdom and knowledge we need to get through this life

Three Ways to Grow a Strong Faith

How do we find that wisdom and knowledge found in Him? Paul tells us how in the next few verses.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6,7

Paul breaks it down for us into three steps. He writes that if we do these three things, our faith will grow strong, and we will overflow with thankfulness.

1. Continue to follow Jesus

It’s not enough to accept Jesus by faith. Now we have to continue in that faith. Don’t turn back from following Him when it gets hard. Don’t let fear and doubt creep in. Refuse to listen to Satan’s lies that you aren’t important to God, that he doesn’t love you. Choose to follow Jesus, no matter what.

2. Let your roots grow down into him

We have to go deep in our relationship with God, or when the hard times come, we will cast our faith aside. The best way to grow our roots in him is to develop a morning time routine in which you spend the first part of your day…every day…with God. We have to make sure our roots run deep, so that when the storms of life come, we aren’t uprooted.

3. Build your life on Jesus.

Build your life around Jesus. Get involved in a local church. Find a small group to join. Teach your children how to have a morning time routine of Bible reading and prayer. Pray before meals. Pray as a family. Make God a priority in your home.

If you want the treasures that are found in a relationship with God—wisdom, knowledge, peace, thankfulness, and a life overflowing with God’s goodness, this is the roadmap.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, 6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today.