“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV All winter long, I’ve waited for spring.Last night, I stepped out onto my porch and heard the frogs peeping for the first time this year. It’s one of my favorite parts of country life; the sound of […]

“And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:19 (NIV) Every Wednesday, when the new sale

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17–18 ESV Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we hoped. Plans unravel. Doors close. Prayers seem unanswered. We can find ourselves standing in the

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NIV) The room was dark, so I lit six candles. At first, I placed them all together in one corner. The light was beautiful, but it only touched a small portion of the room. The rest remained in shadow. It

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it… But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul compares

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 ESV Feeling behind is part of being human. We fall behind on laundry, dishes, deadlines, and expectations. Life piles up quickly, and before we know it, we’re running in circles—busy, overwhelmed, and unsure of what needs

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV We often hear the phrase, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” While it sounds comforting, it isn’t actually found in Scripture. What is true and far more powerful is this: God won’t give

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 KJV The day warmed just enough to take the dogs for a walk in the snow. The sun shone brightly, melting the snow and ice into a muddy mess in the driveway, right where my

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 ESV Do you ever have days where everything feels impossible? Days when no matter how many steps you take forward, it feels like you’re somehow still moving backward? You pray, you try, you show

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 NIV After a long day of moving and stacking firewood, I finally stepped into the shower to wash the day off. I remember thinking, I don’t want to go into tomorrow with today’s dirt still on me. As