When Anxiety Comes Knocking

Definition of Troubled

The dictionary defines troubled as feeling worried, anxious, or experiencing heavy problems, difficulties, or unrest. Does that feel incredibly familiar today? Worried, anxious, unrest, heavy problems…it feels a lot like what many of us are facing today, doesn’t it? Life weighs us down, and it feels too heavy sometimes.

Jesus knew all of this, and He gave us an answer to this problem. Jesus tells us in John 14 not to be troubled, but to believe instead.

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

John 14:1 CSB

He follows that up with why we shouldn’t let our hearts be troubled, and that is because this home is not our final destination. Jesus goes on to say these words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” True freedom from fear and anxiety is found in Jesus.

Jesus’ Answer to Anxiety

Later on in the chapter, Jesus says these words.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

John 14:27 CSB

Jesus gives us the answer to an anxious, worried heart; and the answer is peace. He told His disciples, “I’m leaving you physically, but I’m leaving my peace with you.”

The peace that Jesus gives is different than the peace the world gives. The world gives us peace in the form of a spa day, meditation, a quiet retreat, calming music. While none of these things are bad, Jesus reminds us that His peace is different. His peace lasts. His peace is more encompassing and will carry us through difficult seasons. But it’s a choice. We can choose to be troubled, worried, and anxious; or we can choose peace. It’s a choice we’re not going to make once but over and over and over again. Sometimes, it’s a daily choice; other times, it’s an hourly or minute-by-minute choice.

Choose Peace over Anxiety

Today, when your feet hit the floor, you can choose anxiety, worry, and fear, or you can choose peace. You can start your day with prayer and gratitude and a morning time routine that will set your focus on God for the day. When things get difficult, you can choose peace again. You can stop and pray and ask God for wisdom and for His peace. When you go to bed tonight, and anxiety tries to keep you awake, you can choose to pray and repeat a verse quietly in your mind until you feel God’s peace wrap around your heart.

God’s peace is there for the taking, but we have to choose to take it. This world will only ever give us grief, heartache, disappointment, worry, anxiety, and fear. That’s not going to change. Problems will come into our lives daily; that won’t change either. But we can choose our response. We don’t have to be overcome with so much anxiety, we can’t function. Instead, we can choose God’s peace and give our worries and fears and burdens to Him to carry.

Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

I Peter 5:7 CSB

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out Max Lucida’s book, Anxious for Nothing. I’m reading this with one of our children, and it’s really good.

Trusting Him in the Middle of the Unknown

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Recently, Matt and I and the kids were driving somewhere. I don’t even remember where, but we were using my phone to follow directions. We had literally no idea where we were, but we kept following the directions step by step. And wouldn’t you know? It brought us right to our destination. If we wouldn’t have followed the phone’s instructions or trusted that the GPS system knew the right way to go, we would have given up. Had we given up, we would have missed our destination.

Following Jesus is a lot like following the map on our phones. We can’t always clearly see the path, but if we trust the One guiding us, we’ll make it to the right destination because God always has a plan.

Jesus’ Plan

I read the familiar story of the loaves and the fishes this past week, and there were a few words that stuck with me.

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

John 6:5,6

Did you catch those words? Jesus was testing Philip. He already knew what He was going to do, but He used it as a time to test Philip. Jesus already had a plan.

Trusting in the Unexpected

How many times does something come into our life that’s unexpected, and it completely derails us because we didn’t see it coming. We feel sick, feel like we’re not going to make it through. We question how God could allow this to happen; and yet, He knew it was coming. It’s already part of our story, part of His plan. He knows how He’s going to use it and help us through it. He simply wants to see if we’re going to trust Him through it.

How many times do we fail the test? How many times do we lose our cool, fail to trust Him and see the good? So many of the problems that come into our lives honestly don’t end up being as big of a deal as we think they’re going to be.

Trusting His Plans, Not Ours

When life seems to throw a curveball, don’t forget that God knows exactly what’s going on. Maybe it’s not that big of a problem. Maybe your day derails; maybe you haven’t been able to sleep for several nights now. Perhaps the finances are terrible, and you feel like you’re losing the battle. Maybe it’s that you’re so discouraged, and you can’t seem to shake those thoughts of sadness. Whatever the case is, remember that God knows exactly what you’re going through, and He has a way through for you. He’s going to continue to work in your life and work out His plans for your life. Notice He’s not working out our plans for our lives; there’s a difference.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—

Psalm 138:8 NLT

I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.

Isaiah 46:10

You Are Not Alone

We won’t get through this life problem free. Jesus told us we would have problems or tribulation in this world. And yet, He promises to walk through those problems with us. We will pass through waters that overwhelm us and fires that threaten to destroy us, but He won’t let us be destroyed. He will walk through those waters and fires with us.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.

Isaiah 43: 2 CSB

Whatever you’re facing today, remember you’re not alone. Don’t forget, the God who made the universe and mapped out the galaxies, is walking hand in hand with you. He’s working out the plans He has for your life. And let me tell you something…those plans are beautiful and so much greater than anything you could dream of for your own life.

So keep trusting, keep walking in faith, keep believing because the God who created you is the God who is holding you and working out His plans for your life today.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Trusting God in the Dark. A great Bible study on this topic would be Daily Grace Co’s When Fear Meets Faith.

When You Need Grace Upon Grace

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Do you ever feel like you don’t measure up? Do you ever feel out of place, not enough? This week, I finished reading in the book of Luke and the resurrection story.

The women come to the tomb and encounter the angels that tell them Jesus has risen. They return at once to His disciples and tell them the good news. But the disciples didn’t readily accept their story.

Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest.Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things.But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

Luke 24:9-11

Peter was Different

The followers of Jesus didn’t believe the women, but Peter did. He believed them instantly.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.

Luke 24:12

I love the words written here. Peter, however… Peter was different. While everyone else sat around discussing the situation with doubt and disbelief, Peter took in their words and acted on them. He stood up at once and ran to the tomb. Not only that, but after he saw the tomb, he went away amazed. There was no doubt in his mind what had happened. He remembered Jesus’ words, and he knew Jesus had risen again. He knew Jesus was alive.

Accepting God’s Grace

How is it that the very one who denied Jesus is the one of the first to believe? How is it that the guy who denied even knowing Jesus is now the first to believe?

Because for those of us who have messed up, who have needed God’s grace over and over and over again…sometimes, we see Jesus more often. We see Him showing up in places other people miss or look over. Peter blew it. He denied Jesus. When it counted the most, Peter failed. Peter’s story reminds us that he’s human; we’re human. And that means we’re going to blow it. We’re going to fail at times and really mess things up. But it’s what we do after that failure that counts the most.

Peter didn’t stay down; he got back up again. He chose to accept Jesus’ forgiveness. Because of that, he was able to move forward and be used by God in a great way.

Grace Upon Grace

We have that same choice today. Jesus’ grace is still extended to us. John tells us that we’ve received grace upon grace; I love that phrase.

Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,

John 1:16 CSB

Do you need a little grace today? I know I do. Where do we find that grace? We find it at the feet of Jesus.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16 NLT

At the Feet of Jesus

Do you find yourself in need of that grace today? I know I do. Do you need a little extra grace for mothering today? For loving on hard people? To finish those never-ending tasks? For that hard conversation? To forgive? Let’s find it at the feet of Jesus and allow ourselves to accept it today, to realize that we’re not perfect and we don’t always get it right. But God will help fill in the gaps if we simply let Him.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, The Most Important Thing You’ll Do Today. The Daily Grace Co. has several great Bible studies on grace.

For the Weary Mom

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This post goes out to all the moms today. I think it’s so ironic that I wrote last week’s post, Hope for the Uphill Days, on Saturday morning. Later that night, we checked into the emergency room with our twelve-year-old, Maggie. Maggie had been having stomach pains all day and throwing up. Eventually, the pain transferred to her right side; and we knew we had to take her in. We started all the prep work at the hospital for surgery to take her appendix out. It was a long night followed by early morning prep for surgery.

Sunday Surgery

Sunday is not a super great day to have surgery, especially when your husband’s a pastor and you run the kids program and play the piano for worship time. Add to that, Sunday morning was a big day as we had two baptisms that day and were planning on a good amount of visitors. I watched my phone all morning and waited for a time for surgery. Eventually, I realized, there was no way I was going to make it for service. Matt would have to fly solo for this one.

Sunday morning in a hospital is a weird time. The hospital still functions normally, but it’s quiet. I was the only one in the huge waiting room as I waited for Maggie’s surgery to take place. I didn’t even think to bring my morning time stuff, and I didn’t have a plug for my charge cord. I’d forgotten to bring that. So there was literally nothing I could do except pray, worry, and pray some more. When I got too sleepy, I would stand up and walk around. I was very aware of the fact that church was taking place while I was in the waiting room. People were showing up at church, drinking coffee, celebrating, cheering for the baptisms, and worshiping together…all while I sat in silence at the hospital in an empty waiting room.

Being a Mom Isn’t Glamorous

I’ve thought about those hours in the hospital a lot this week. They brought back so many memories of another trip to the hospital–a trip that ended with five days in the ICU and a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis for our then five-year-old, Macey. This time, while everyone else was celebrating at church, I was holding my daughter’s hand, helping her out of bed to go to the bathroom, helping her shower, praying with her, discussing her fears, and holding her hair back when she threw up. It’s not always glamorous being a mom. We moms know that there are times we serve and love and take care of our kids that no one knows about.

Maggie won’t really remember a whole lot of details about this weekend in the hospital as she was out of it a lot. But do you know what she would remember for sure? She would remember if I chose to leave her at the hospital in someone else’s care, so I could be at church. She probably won’t remember all the times she threw up, or how she was in so much pain, or even how long it took for the anesthesia to completely wear off. But she’ll remember that her mama was there at her bedside every step of the way.

Being a mom means sitting beside your child in the hospital bed. It also means being woken out of a dead sleep at two in the morning because your son tells you something is beeping in his room. Yep, Matt and I dug through the trash can in Malachi’s room at two in the morning the other night because he couldn’t sleep and couldn’t find what was beeping. I was pretty sure he was losing it and told him that myself. Come to find out, there actually was something beeping. It was an old omnipod that didn’t get disconnected; those are the worst. They beep for hours! So, I was wrong; he was right.

The Weary Mom

Sometimes, we get tired as moms. I’m in the teen mom stage of life, but maybe you have a newborn, or you have toddlers. Maybe you have grown children that need you constantly, or you have grandchildren you babysit. Whatever it is, our jobs as moms are never done. Most of the time, nobody will see. Nobody will know all the hours you stayed up the first six month’s of your baby’s life. Your precious baby won’t even know. But God sees; He knows. He’s pleased when we take care of the ones He’s entrusted to us. After all, He gave us the example. He’s our shepherd, and He carries us.

He protects his flock like a shepherd;
he gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them in the fold of his garment.
He gently leads those that are nursing.

Isaiah 40:11 CSB

Let Jesus Carry You

So if you’re tired today, Mama, I hear you. I get it; we all do. Being a mom is exhausting. Whether you’re nursing, caring for a sick child, potty training, training, correcting, sitting at a hospital bed, or even looking for something beeping in the middle of the night, motherhood is not for the weak. Jesus’ answer is the same to moms as it is to all believers. Come to Him; bring your weariness and your burdens to Him. Lay them at His feet, and let Him carry those burdens. Let Him carry your exhaustion.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 NLT

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

I Peter 5:7 NLT

The Job That’s Never Done

Mamas, our job is never done, and that’s a good thing. We don’t want this particular job to ever end. So wherever you find yourself in these days of mothering, be all there. Love on those God’s entrusted to you. Give those adult kids a text or a call, remind your teen that they’re loved and worthy, watch those elementary kids perform that trick another hundred times, put a bandaid on that toddler again, and kiss that baby. The day is going to come when we pack them up and send them off to college, and they take our heart with them. There may be a day they don’t live close by, and we will wish to see them more often. Savor these days God’s given us, and choose to enjoy one of God’s greatest blessings–being a mom.

Hope for the Uphill Days

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Yesterday was one of those days when everything kind of crashed and burned. Ever had one of those uphill days? I should have known because our kids were tired after having spent the day at Six Flags the day before with the teens from church. Our downfall started early when everyone started fighting over the details of something that had happened the day before. It continued to train wreck when Matt and I got frustrated with each other. It was an uphill battle from then on.

An Uphill Day

By last night, I was just ready for the day to be over. When Matt and Maggie left to go on a walk before bed, I didn’t want to go. But when I looked outside, I could see the sunset was really pretty. So I grabbed my sneakers and socks and got ready to head out. But by the time I made it out the door, the color was gone. It was just a plain evening sky once again. Irritation reared its head, and I almost decided to go back home. But I pushed myself to get up the long, gradual hill and past house after house. The further I went the more frustrated I got. Several times, I almost turned around. But I finally got to the top of the hill and turned a corner, and there it was. Color. From this view, I could still see some of the sunset. I smiled to myself and thanked God I hadn’t given up and gone back home.

By the time I got back home, my spirit was better. I was still ready to go to bed, and everything wasn’t magically better. But I had hope, and that was enough to get through the night.

The Hope of Good to Come

I thought about last night’s walk as I went to sleep and what a picture of our walk of faith it is. There are so many days when it feels like we’re walking uphill and not making any progress. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel; there’s no beautiful sunset. There’s the only the hope of something good to come; and sometimes, there’s not even hope. But we keep going; we keep trusting, believing, doing what we know God wants us to do. Then one day, we get a glimpse of God’s goodness. It’s air in our lungs, wind in our sails, and just enough to keep us going.

I read this verse this week in Isaiah and love it so much. It’s the kind of verse we need to write down and hang up in a visible place in our homes to be reminded of daily.

Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy,
and is rising up to show you compassion,
for the Lord is a just God.
All who wait patiently for him are happy.

Isaiah 30:18 CSB

Wait Patiently

Find comfort in those words today if you’re going through a difficult season or simply just a bad day. God sees you. He is waiting to show you mercy, rising up to show you compassion. If you will simply wait patiently for Him, He will go to work on you behalf.

Wherever you are today, keep going. The sunset is waiting just around the next bend. You never know when God is going to break through. It’s too soon to quit. Your breakthrough might be just around the corner, and you won’t see it if you give up now. So keep loving, trusting, being faithful, and doing what God’s called you to do today.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out Matt’s book, Breakthrough: Transforming the Death of a Dream into the Birth of a Breakthrough or check out my post, Don’t Give Up on the Dream God has Given You.

The Most Important Thing You’ll Do Today

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I was reminded of a simple truth this week in my morning time. It’s a truth I know but one I need to be reminded of again and again. And that truth is this: time with Jesus is the most important part of my day. In fact, if I get nothing else done but spend time with Jesus, I’ve accomplished all I need to for the day for it to be considered a “success,” according to Jesus. We learn this lesson from Martha.

This was at one of our favorite coffee shops in Lancaster, where we did our morning time routine.

Martha’s Distraction

Martha wasn’t a bad person; she was doing really good things. She was making food for guests, cleaning her home, and being hospitable. After all, you can’t have company without doing all those things. And yet, Luke says she was distracted by her many tasks.

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Luke 10:38-40 NLT

Martha’s Complaint

Martha comes to Jesus to complain about the unfairness of her situation. She’s been left alone to prepare everything while her sister simply sits as Jesus’ feet. I get it. As a person often running an event or preparing my home or food for company, I get it. She was probably sweating, working furiously to get both her home and a meal ready for company. And this wasn’t just any company; this was Jesus coming to visit. And when she’s at her wit’s end, she looks around for her sister because she needs help. She finds her sister…not helping. Mary as the audacity to be sitting, listening to Jesus teach, as if there’s nothing to be done. Martha’s had enough and goes right to Jesus.

Jesus’ Rebuke

Jesus sees and knows all this, but He rebukes her gently and reminds her what’s really important.

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41-42 NLT

The CSB, which is the Bible I’m currently studying, puts it this way.

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 1041-42 CSB

Martha’s Distraction

Martha was distracted. She had so many tasks to accomplish, more than she had time for. She was worried and upset about many things. Sound familiar? This is an every day thing for me. There’s too much in a day to ever possibly accomplish. There are bills to pay, housework to start, piles of laundry to fold and put away, work projects to complete, another meal to prepare, dirty dishes in the sink, a phone call I’ve been putting off, paperwork to complete, homework to check, dessert to bake for church on Sunday….and on and on the list goes. If you’re anything like me, all of this crashes down around me around oh, one or two in the morning.

I wake up in a cold sweat thinking of all the things I need to do, all the ways I’m a failure, and all the things I’m not doing right. Shame and regret wrap themselves like a noose around my neck, and I can’t catch a full breath.

I wonder if Martha was feeling all this when she came to Jesus. Could Jesus see the overwhelm, the helplessness at getting it all done, weighing her down? Of course, He could. Not only that, He knew her every thought.

Jesus’ Answer

Jesus’ answer to her stress, her frustration, her distraction was this: “There is only one thing to worry about.” What’s crazy is that He doesn’t even tell her what that one thing is. Instead, He essentially points to Mary and says, “She’s figured it out; she’s doing it.” Jesus was often ambiguous in His teaching, and this lesson is no different. Maybe Martha’s eyes darted to Mary, still seated at Jesus’ feet, after Jesus said these words. Possibly, just looking at Jesus and remembering Who He was triggered a response, and she understood His teaching. The answer was found in the action. The action was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him. That was the most important thing.

Most Important Thing Today

The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of life, too long of a to-do list, shame and regret, remember the words of Jesus. “One thing is necessary; only one thing is worth being concerned about.” That one thing is spending time with Jesus. If you spent time with Him today, then you did what He wants you to do today. You got the most important thing in. Everything else is just extra credit.

When the stress builds, and you feel the overwhelm of it all, remember to carve out some time to sit with Jesus, to talk to Him, and read His word. When you do, you’ll find the grace and strength to face the rest of your day.

More Encouragement

Need help getting a morning time routine started? Check out our free morning time routine guide or read my post, Jumpstart Your Morning Time Routine.

A Glimpse into My Summer Morning Time Routine

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One of the things I love most about summer is that I have a little more time and flexibility in my morning schedule for my morning time routine. Today, I’m sharing what’s currently in my morning time basket.

Kingdoms Bible

Every summer, we read through one of the Immerse Bibles as a church family. This year, it’s the Kingdoms one, covering Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings.

Faithfully Stepping Journal

I use these journals every single morning. I’m currently using the Rest in God’s Love Journal. The insides of our Faithfully Stepping Journals are all the same. They each start with a section for prayer~gratitude, confession, and requests. Then there’s a section to journal what you read and learned from your Bible. The last section has blanks to write down tasks for the day.

Grace in the Wilderness

I am currently doing this Bible study on I Peter from Daily Grace Co. I Peter is one of my favorite books in the Bible, and I love anything Daily Grace Co puts out.

My Current Reads

Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson

I’m almost done with this one. As with all of Peterson’s books, you have to go slow to take it all in; but it’s been so good. This book covers the life of David.

Celebrate Every Day by Shauna Niequist

I’m a huge fan of anything Shauna writes. This small devotional is no different. It’s all about finding joy in every day life.

Graced to Go by Victoria Osteen

I just started this book. I’ve never read anything from her before, but it’s off to a great start with looking at the life of Gideon. This book is currently on sale on Amazon; so it’s a great time to snag it.

Of course, my morning time basket wouldn’t be complete without colorful pens. My current favorites are G2 pens–the purple set, the pink set, and the blue set. Add a candle and a cup of coffee to my morning time routine, and I am good to go.

What are you currently reading/studying for your summer morning time routine?

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my Sacred Places…at Home and read more about my summer mornings.

Sacred Places…at Home

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This last week, we had rain. Lots and lots of rain. The humidity has been crazy high, and it’s been impossible to be outside. So when the sun came out this morning, I was ready to soak it in. I made my way outside with a towel that I used to dry off a chair and the small table we keep on our deck. I carried out my morning time supplies~a candle, my coffee, and a fly swatter because the flys are crazy out there.

It was early, so it wasn’t super hot yet; and it was quiet. The girls were still in bed, and Matt took Malachi out to get some early morning driving time in. Malachi’s working on accumulating his sixty hours needed to get his license. So, it was just me.

A Look Into Our Backyard

Let me give you a picture of my back deck and yard both literally and figuratively. When I step out back, there are no views of the mountains. There’s no lake, and no view of the beach. The view in our backyard is…houses. And trees. Wet swimsuits and towels that should have been brought inside before the rain hang from the railings. There’s overgrowth that I need to cut down…again and a deck that needs to be restained…again. A random Lowe’s bucket sits in the corner, holding birdseed for our bird feeder that fell over during one of the storms over the weekend. There’s a tree that needs to be taken down.

And yet, as I sat here and do my morning time, I look over and catch a glimpse of sun rays coming through the trees by one of our neighbor’s houses. And in this moment of stillness, the start of a brand new day, I see the beauty of this life right here, right now. Those wet swimsuits? Those are evidence of my precious children and reminders of the laughter and fun they have in the pool. The Lowe’s container with birdseed reminds me of all the birds we see and hear in out backyard, calling out every morning. Those sun rays remind me that the sun came up today, and it will rise again tomorrow. And just as the sun rises faithfully every single morning, God will be walk with me through today and through tomorrow.

Sacred Places

It’s a beautiful life when you stop and consider it. Is it perfect? No, but if you look for beauty, you will find it. So this small table on my back deck becomes a sacred place, a place where I connect with God. A place where I am reminded of His faithfulness, His favor, and His many blessings.

There are a few sacred places in my home besides my spot outside. There’s my spot at the dining table where I do my morning time routine most mornings. There’s my writing desk upstairs in my room where I try to keep mementos and pictures of the amazing places we’ve traveled where I’ve gotten to see the beauty of God’s creation up close.

I’m working on making another sacred place in what used to be our homeschool room. We cleaned it out and repainted it and are planning on getting rid of the table we’ve had in there for years and replacing it with two overstuffed chairs, a lamp, and a rug. We want to make this a reading room.

Making Sacred Places

Making sacred places is all about looking past what is and seeing what could be. It’s about finding a place to connect to God and get away from the chaos of life for just a little bit. It’s about being able to renew your peace and find some breathing room for your soul.

Where’s your sacred place at home? If you don’t have one, where could you make one?

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post, Finding Inspiration and Creativity through Beauty. For some inspiration, check out these books by Myquillin Smith. Matt bought me two of these books while we were on vacation. She has great ideas on how to decorate and create inviting, cozy spaces on a budget.

Our Trip to the West and Southwest

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We are back from our trip out West and to the Southwest. We had such an amazing time visiting family, getting to see wildlife, checking out some amazing national parks, taking in so much of God’s beauty, making memories, and drinking lots and lots of iced coffee.

We got to go so many amazing places. Here are just a few of the places we got to check out.

Indiana Dunes- IN

We discovered beach glass for the first time while visiting the Indiana Dunes. Macey found a nice piece in the sand.

Henry Doorly Zoo-NE

We’ve had this zoo and aquarium on our bucket list for a few years now and finally got to go. It did not disappoint. We loved our visit here!

Estes Park, CO

We love Estes Park and try to go every year when we visit my parents in Colorado. This year, we saw so much wildlife! The elk were really active!

The Great Sand Dunes National Park- CO

This was so much crazier than we thought it was going to be. It was sooo windy, and the sand just buffets your entire body when you’re on top of the dunes. We found sand in our shoes and bags and clothes for days! But it was so worth it. Sledding down the dunes was an incredible experience and not one we’ll ever forget.

The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park- AZ

We really enjoyed driving through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. There were so many great stops. We got to see petroglyphs that are hundreds to even thousands of years old.

Oklahoma City National Memorial- OK

Our time here was sober, but I’m glad we went.

OKC

We had a great night in OKC. We ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory, which meant something to Matt and me. We ate at a The Spaghetti Factory in Philly the night we got engaged almost twenty years ago. That Spaghetti Factory has since shut down, so it was fun to experience one twenty years later with the kids. We also had a great time doing the Bricktown Canal riverwalk.

Pioneer Woman Mercantile and Lodge- OK

We had such a great time visiting the Mercantile and the Lodge. The food was Ah-mazing! Everything we had was so good, and the lodge was so fun to visit.

Scottsdale, AZ

We got to spend a few days in Scottsdale, AZ~our favorite. The sunsets in Arizona…there’s just nothing like them! We hit Butters, the best breakfast place in the area and a family favorite.

I will never tire of seeing the amazing beauty of God’s creation in all different places. Pictures just don’t do it justice.

We were on the go a lot, but there were a few mornings where we were able to savor a slow morning, drink an extra cup of coffee, and have a long morning time. Those were the best mornings. We didn’t take a photo until the last day…hence the towels in the background.

We are already making plans for our adventures next year! So thankful for this beautiful life!

God Meets Us in our Weakness

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We had our homeschool evaluations yesterday where each of our children meets with our homeschool evaluator. It always amazes me how each child is so different. They all choose different field trips that were their favorite and different favorite subjects. They also all have different goals and dreams that look like none of their siblings’ goals and dreams. They are all so very different, and they also have different struggles and weaknesses.

Different Personalities

Take a look at the members of your immediate family. My guess is that you’d say the same thing. Each of you is so different. There are millions of combinations of personalities and talents and passions that make us each different. What I love about God is that He works within those personalities.

When you look at different characters in the Bible, God dealt with them differently. He dealt with them according to their abilities, their talents, and even their weaknesses. I just finished reading the story of Gideon, and it always amazes me that God used Gideon. Gideon’s faith was so weak. He tests the angel of the Lord so many times. First, he tests the angel by telling him to stay until he brings back an offering. The angel of the Lord touches the food offering, and it incinerates. The angel disappears right after that. Then Gideon asks for two more confirmations and uses a fleece to do it.

God’s Instructions

It’s been three times the angel of the Lord has had to “prove” himself to Gideon. But what I really love about this story happens next.

That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!

Judges 7:9

God’s instructions are pretty clear to Gideon. He tells Gideon, “I’ve already given you the victory. Just go down and defeat the Midianite army.” But the next part is where it gets really good. Check out God’s next words to Gideon.

But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.”

Judges 7:10,11

Gideon’s Weakness

Gideon’s weakness was his fear or his lack of faith. Because of that, God gives Gideon another option. He says to go down and attack, but if you’re still too afraid, take your servant and go listen to the enemy. Gideon does just that. He takes his servant to the edge of the Midianite camp, and there he hears a man describe his dream to another soldier.

Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”

His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”

Judges 7: 13,14

A Warrior Leader

Gideon hears those words and knows God has surely given them the victory. He heads back to his camp and gives orders to his men. God fights an incredible battle for them, and Gideon gets the credit for it. Gideon seems to be the least heroic person around, and yet God chooses to use him. Something changes in Gideon after this battle, because he becomes a true warrior leader. After this battle, they chase down their enemies and kill them all.

Along the way, he and his men are too tired and hungry to keep going. He asks one of the towns they pass if they will spare them food and water. They say no, and Gideon curses them.

When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, “Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

But the officials of Succoth replied, “Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.”

So Gideon said, “After the Lord gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness.”

Judges 8:5-7

The man who was too afraid to go to battle now tells one town and then another who gives him the same reaction that he will tear their flesh. He became the mighty warrior that God saw in him.

Two Takeaways

Don’t see people for how they are now. See them for who they can become.

When the angel of the Lord first encounters Gideon, who is currently hiding from the Midianites, he calls him a mighty warrior. At that point, Gideon was not a mighty warrior. But God saw him for what he could become and called that out in him.

Call out greatness in others. Find what others miss. See the potential in everybody. Ask God for a vision of what that person could be and encourage them in that.

Remember that God works in spite of our limitations and weaknesses.

God knows you have weaknesses and fears, and He’s okay with that. He can work in spite of those things. Just don’t let them keep you back from what He has in store. He knew Gideon was fearful, but God still used him. God knew Gideon’s faith was weak, but He still used him. He gave chance and opportunity for Gideon’s faith to grow and didn’t give up on Him.

Choose to let God use you, weaknesses and all. We won’t always get it right, but if we stay faithful and allow God to change us and shape us, He will be able to use us.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post, Looking Past What is to What Could Be.