the kickstand

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
 
Let me tell you about the motorcycle ride I took this weekend.
I went approximately zero feet.
Camp Eagle Rock is set up so several groups can be there at the same time. Our CMA group gathers at Gray Fox Lodge, where we have cabins, a big conference area, room for the kids to play while the adults do Bible study, a kitchen for snacks and—most importantly—a coffee pot.
The wonderful staff feeds us three very good meals every day and provides activities around the camp. Since everything is spread out, we use ATVs and dirt bikes to shuffle people back and forth. I was in the final group to go axe throwing. When we finished, we had three adults, one kiddo, two ATVs and Randy's Honda TransAlp.
Easy solution: I'll ride the TransAlp. After all, I ride a motorcycle. I've had my motorcycle license for years. This wasn't exactly my first time on two wheels. I climbed onto the bike, centered myself on the seat and leaned over to pick up the kickstand.
Except...I kept leaning. The kickstand never came up. And neither did I. I just flopped over onto my left side, effectively wedging myself between the TransAlp, an ATV and the ground.
I never started the motorcycle, I never put it in gear, I never moved an inch, I never even got off the kickstand.
The problem wasn't that I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle. The problem was that this wasn't my motorcycle. The TransAlp is taller than what I normally ride. Its weight felt different. Its balance was different. Where my feet landed was different.
I approached it thinking, I know how to do this. And technically, I did. But knowing how to ride didn't change the weight of what I was sitting on.
I think we do that in life, too. We look at something in front of us and think: I've done this before. I've handled hard things, I know how this works - I've got this. Until suddenly we don't.
Something shifts.
The weight is different, our footing isn't where we expected it to be. And before we've even gotten started, we find ourselves thinking, How in the world did I end up down here?
Maybe there's a reason God never asked us to prove that we can handle everything.
Paul asked God to remove something he was struggling with, but God's answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
God didn't tell Paul to try harder, He reminded Paul where his strength came from.
There's nothing wrong with experience. There's nothing wrong with confidence. And there's certainly nothing wrong with knowing how to ride your own motorcycle.
But sometimes we encounter something that reminds us that our own strength has limits.
And maybe that's not failure - maybe it's an invitation. An invitation to stop saying, “I've got this,” and start saying, “God, I've got You.”
Because there will be things in life that are taller than we're used to.
Heavier than we expected, different from anything we've handled before, and occasionally, we may discover that before we've even gotten off the kickstand.
When that happens, we don't have to pretend we're strong enough. His grace is sufficient. His strength doesn't depend on ours, and sometimes the first step forward is simply admitting:
This is heavier than I thought.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible
 

empty but full

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
— 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)
 
I am tired. Not the I could use an extra cup of coffee kind of tired. I'm talking about the we just spent the weekend at Camp Eagle Rock kind of tired.
And it was wonderful.
We spent the weekend with our CMA family. Some were people who have been there before, and this year we had new people join us too. We studied God's Word together through Kyle Idleman's When Your Way Isn't Working, and some of those lessons hit pretty close to home. We worshiped, talked, and laughed. We made little crosses in the blacksmith shop. We threw axes. We rode ATVs and dirt bikes. We worked together on a 500-piece puzzle. We ate together, sat together, we simply did life together for a little while. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, God filled us.
That's the strange thing about weekends like this. I came home physically empty. My body is tired. My muscles know I did things they don't normally do. There are bags to unpack, laundry to wash, things to put away, and regular life is already waiting for us.
But inside? I'm full.
Paul wrote, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
I understand that a little better today.
Sometimes we think being renewed means resting until we aren't tired anymore. But maybe renewal isn't always about what happens to our bodies. Sometimes God renews us while we're sitting around a table with friends. Sometimes He renews us through a conversation we didn't know we needed. Sometimes it's through a Bible study that seems to speak directly into something we've been carrying. Sometimes it's through laughter, through worship.
Sometimes it's standing beside a fire, pounding a piece of hot metal into a little cross. And sometimes it's simply stepping away from the normal noise of life long enough to remember what really matters.
We went to Camp Eagle Rock with schedules, bags, motorcycles, helmets, expectations, and probably a few burdens nobody else could see.
We came home tired.
But somewhere along the way, God took some of those burdens and replaced them with something else: encouragement, connection, peace, joy. A reminder that we aren't walking this road alone.
Maybe that's one of the beautiful things about allowing God to fill us. Our bodies can be tired while our souls are rested. Our energy can be empty while our hearts are full.
Today I may need a little extra coffee, I may move a little slower, and that laundry isn't going anywhere, but I wouldn't trade this tired for anything.
Because sometimes you come home exhausted... and realize you've been renewed.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

tomorrow

 
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
- Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
 
I love sunrises and sunsets. I feel like some of God's most beautiful paintings are put right there in the sky for us to simply look up and see. But maybe the best thing about a sunrise is this: Every sunrise is evidence that yesterday ended. Whatever happened yesterday—good, bad, exhausting, disappointing, frightening, or just plain boring—it eventually ran out of hours.
Then morning came.
Psalm 30:5 reminds us that weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Have you ever considered how often we talk about “tomorrow”? Even Scarlett O'Hara did it in Gone With the Wind: “I'll think about it tomorrow... After all, tomorrow is another day.”
I'll deal with it tomorrow.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.
I'll try again tomorrow.
We'll see what happens tomorrow.
But eventually...tomorrow comes. And sometimes nothing dramatic happens when it does. The sun simply rises while we're going about our ordinary lives.
A couple weeks ago, I caught a gorgeous sunrise on my way to work. There was no beach, mountain or beautiful lake in front of it. There was a parking garage. And yet, there behind all that concrete was this spectacular sunrise.
Sometimes we're so busy waiting for the beautiful season, the answered prayer, the perfect circumstances, the vacation, the weekend, or the next milestone that we miss the beauty God put right behind the parking garage.
God doesn't require a beautiful setting to create a beautiful moment. He doesn't need perfect surroundings. And neither do we.
So don't wait for the perfect view to start looking for Him. Look for God in the ordinary places. Look for Him on the commute, at work, in the backyard, behind the parking garage. Because God is present in an awful lot of ordinary life when we're paying attention.
And if yesterday was a hard one? Look up. Tomorrow came.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

still growing

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 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.
- Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)
 
This year, I decided to plant a garden. I already had the raised beds, thanks to my handy husband. All I had to do was fill them with dirt and seeds, water them, and watch everything grow.
Well...that was the plan.
The carrot seeds were eaten by some critters—I suspect the Backyardigans. My zucchini fell prey to the dreaded squash bugs, quickly followed by the cucumbers. The green beans were amazing producers, but the strawberries became snacks for little grubs. The chickpeas were kind of “meh,” and we haven't dug up the beets yet, but they aren't looking very promising.
The tomatoes, though? Good grief. I had tomatoes for DAYS.
Then the rain stopped. And it stayed gone long enough that cities began asking people to conserve water and burn bans started popping up. The garden stopped getting watered. The ground became dry. Rain was scarce. Everything started looking a little thirsty.
Then we got a few sprinkles. And later, a few more. And apparently that was all my tomatoes needed.
They're still growing.
Jeremiah 17 describes someone who trusts in God as a tree whose roots reach toward the water. When the heat comes, it doesn't have to be afraid—and it keeps producing fruit.
We have dry seasons, too. Seasons when prayer feels harder. When answers don't come. When we're tired. When life isn't particularly exciting. When we don't feel like we're flourishing. But apparently my tomatoes didn't get the memo that there's a drought. They're just out there doing tomato things. Maybe that's because what matters isn't only what's falling from the sky. It also matters where the roots are finding their water.
Our circumstances may be dry, but we don't have to dry up with them. When our roots are deep in God, He can continue growing love, patience, kindness, faithfulness and peace in us—even when the conditions around us aren't ideal.
You don't have to look like the season you're living in. Stay rooted. Keep growing. And keep producing fruit. Even in a drought.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

stop feeding the fire

Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
- Proverbs 26:20 (NIV)
 
My handsome and amazing husband is perfect for me. We're one of those couples who will ask, “What do you want for dinner?” while already knowing exactly what we want. In fact, we have a rule in our marriage: You can't ask the other person what they want for dinner unless you have at least one suggestion of your own. Saturday night, Randy wanted steak. Not unusual for a weekend, and he's a really good grill master, so I was completely on board. Simple plan: Fire up the grill. Cook dinner. Eat steak.
Except apparently, sometimes good grills go bad.
We went outside to find smoke and flames rolling out of the grill. The lid was so hot we couldn't lift it. We immediately shut off the propane and started dousing the flames. It got hot enough to melt the dials off the front and crack the glass window.
Needless to say, there was no steak dinner Saturday night. But later I thought about what we'd done. We didn't stand there arguing with the grill. We didn't keep trying to cook the steak because that was the plan. We shut off the fuel source.
Sometimes the smartest thing we can do spiritually is stop feeding the fire.
An argument. Gossip. Anger. Resentment. Social media drama. Someone who keeps baiting us. Even our own thoughts replaying something somebody did six months ago. Sometimes we keep supplying the propane and then wonder why the flames won't go out.
Some fires don't need us to fight them. They need us to quit fueling them.
Saturday night, we disconnected the propane before anything serious happened. We lost a grill and a steak. (Although apparently the steak wasn't a total loss. One of the Backyardigans thought charbroiled beyond recognition was perfectly acceptable).
But that burned-up grill left me with a question worth asking:
When something in my life starts burning hotter than it should, maybe my first question shouldn't be, “How do I put this out?”
Maybe it should be: “What am I feeding it?”
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

did you see that?

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
— Psalm 104:24 NIV
 
I think most of us have a morning or evening commute—a route we've driven so many times we could almost do it in our sleep. When we travel the same roads every day, it's easy to stop noticing what's around us. We focus hon getting where we're going and everything along the way becomes background.
The other day I was driving home from work and stopped at a traffic light along my normal route. Nothing unusual about that. But I happened to glance to my right.
And there he was. A little groundhog, happily nibbling on a tree.
Obviously, my first thought was that I should grab him and take him home. 😂 He was only 1.3 miles from my house! He could join the Backyardigans, live completely free, be fed regularly and, of course, have a name.
I didn't.
The light turned green, and I continued home, leaving little Wobbles exactly where he belonged. But I've looked for him every day since. It made me wonder: How much do we miss simply because we're so focused on where we're going?
Psalm 104 reminds us just how many of God's works surround us and that the earth is full of His creatures. They're there whether we notice them or not.
And maybe that applies to more than groundhogs. We tend to care more once we've noticed. We can't encourage the person we never see. We can't help with the need we don't notice. We can't appreciate the little gifts God puts along our path when we're too busy staring at the destination. Sometimes we need to slow down—not necessarily our vehicle, but our attention.
Look around.
Notice people. Notice needs. Notice creation. Notice the little unexpected things God has placed along today's familiar road. You never know what you've been driving past. And apparently, sometimes it's a groundhog named Wobbles.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible
 

hand of God

 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

— Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
 
Have you ever looked at the sky and found shapes in the clouds? It might be a children's game, but I still do it. I love finding dragons and dinosaurs, whales and cars in the puffy white clouds. A few weeks ago, I happened to look out the window at work and noticed an unusual group of clouds. The first thing I saw was fingers—almost like an outstretched hand. And immediately I thought, the hand of God.
We tend to look for God's hand in the big stuff. The answered prayer. The miracle. The door that suddenly opens. The disaster we narrowly avoided. But most days don't look like that. Most days look like sitting at work, looking out a window, doing ordinary life. Yet His hand is still there.
Sometimes it's easy to see God's hand. Other times we're standing in the middle of something we don't understand. The prayer hasn't been answered. We don't know where the road is leading. We can't connect the dots. Maybe faith isn't always seeing God's hand. Sometimes faith is trusting the hand you're holding.
Not every situation will end the way we hoped. Not every prayer will be answered the way we expected. But God doesn't promise that we'll always understand what He's doing. He promises that we won't walk through it alone. And so often, when we finally get far enough down the road to look back, we can see things we couldn't see while we were living them.
Turns out, His hand was there all along.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

truth in advertising

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
- Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
 
When smartphones first came out, my kids would ask me about games, and I was very clear: “I don't play games on my phone.”
Apparently, I meant "yet". I currently have somewhere around 51 games downloaded on my phone. In my defense, some of them are games my granddaughter plays. Some are relaxing games that help me wind down. Others are puzzles and word games that I tell myself are keeping my aging brain active. But almost every one of them has something in common:
Ads.
And then there's social media.
The ads there seem to know exactly what might catch my attention. I've successfully broken my Temu addiction. I'm trying very hard not to buy more clothes. But somehow “Pete's Pasta” convinced me that I needed to try their no-carb pasta. Then there are ads promising to tell me my feminine archetype. At 57, I'm pretty confident I can dress myself—but I admit I did ask my good friend ChatGPT about it. There are products I've never heard of, exercise programs I'm suddenly convinced I should try, watch bands, underwear, health products and things I didn't know existed five minutes ago that I am now wondering if I need.
That's what good advertising does, it gets our attention. It makes us curious, it shows us something and makes us think :maybe I want that.
And somewhere in all those advertisements, I started wondering, what if we advertised God?
Not with flashy commercials or catchy slogans. And certainly not by trying to “sell” Jesus as though following Him is another product promising to make our lives easier.
What if we were the advertisement?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 to let our light shine so that people see what we do and ultimately glorify our Father. In other words, people should be able to see evidence of God in the way we live.
What would that advertisement look like?
Maybe it's peace in a situation where everyone expects panic. Maybe it's kindness toward someone who can't do anything for us in return. Or maybe it's forgiveness when holding a grudge would be easier, or generosity without needing recognition. Maybe it's sitting beside someone who's hurting when we don't have the words to fix anything or maybe it's admitting when we're wrong. Perhaps maybe it's joy that doesn't disappear simply because life gets difficult. And maybe someone watching begins to wonder what do they have that I don't?
That's when our lives have an opportunity to point toward Jesus. But here's where truth in advertising matters. Following Christ doesn't mean everything suddenly becomes easy. Christ followers still get sick. We still lose people we love. We still struggle. We still make mistakes. We still have days when our faith feels strong and days when we have questions.
We're not advertising a perfect life, we're showing people a faithful God in the middle of an imperfect one. And unlike the ads that promise something miraculous if we'll just click BUY NOW, Jesus isn't asking us to make exaggerated claims on His behalf. He's asking us to live differently because we know Him.
To love, to serve, to forgive, to give, to shine. And when someone notices the difference, we can tell them where the Light comes from.
So maybe the question isn't: “Would people buy in if we advertised God?”
Maybe it's: “When people look at my life, what am I advertising?”
I hope they see enough of Jesus in me to want to know Him for themselves.
No pop-up ad required.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible
 

it doesn't fit anymore

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
- Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
 
Even though the weather hasn't exactly gotten the message that fall is coming, I took advantage of the long weekend to start pulling out my fall and winter clothes, which somehow turned into a complete closet cleanout. As I started going through things, I realized that a lot of my clothes simply don't fit anymore. After losing so much weight, that's certainly not a bad problem to have. But I'll admit, there were a few things that were hard to put in the donation pile. Some of my favorite cat shirts and sweaters had to go—including my beloved blouse with a cat version of Van Gogh's Starry Night. I love that blouse. But no matter how much I love it, I'm never going to be able to wear it again. So why am I carrying it into another season? And somewhere between the keep pile and the donation box, my closet started preaching.
Because maybe that's a question worth asking about more than clothes: What am I still carrying that doesn't belong in this season of my life? We go through our closets deciding what still fits and what doesn't. We pull things out, look at them, remember when we wore them, and decide whether they still have a place.
But we aren't always as willing to clean out the spiritual clutter. We keep carrying the horrible things a boss once said or did to us, we carry the lies that destroyed a friendship. We carry old disappointments, resentment, rejection, embarrassment and conversations that ended years ago but somehow keep replaying in our heads. Some of those things hurt deeply. Putting them down doesn't mean they weren't important. It doesn't mean what happened was okay. And it certainly doesn't mean we have to pretend we don't remember.
It simply means we don't have to keep carrying them.
Hebrews tells us to throw off everything that hinders us so we can run the race God has placed before us.
Maybe some things belonged to another season. Maybe they taught us something, maybe they changed us. Maybe there are even parts of that season we'll always remember. But that doesn't mean they still fit the life God is leading us into now.
There was nothing wrong with my Starry Night cat blouse. It just doesn't fit anymore. And maybe there's something you've been carrying that doesn't fit anymore either. An old hurt. Someone else's opinion of you. A mistake you've already asked God to forgive. A grudge you've gotten so accustomed to carrying that you've forgotten how heavy it is. A version of yourself that God has already helped you outgrow.
Maybe it's time to take it out, acknowledge what it meant, and finally say: I'm not carrying this into another season.
There is freedom in making room.
And just like that closet suddenly has space for the clothes that fit the person I am today, maybe our hearts need some empty space too—for what God is doing now and for whatever He has waiting in the season ahead.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible 

dinos and pink bows

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
- Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
 
At 57 years old, I never thought I would have an interest in dinosaurs, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, Paw Patrol or SuperKitties.
Then my world exploded with two absolutely adorable grandchildren. Suddenly, things I probably wouldn't have given a second thought became important. I find myself teaching a little girl to sew and doing crafty things simply because they make her happy. We watch cartoons on the big screen outside. I buy dresses for Grandpa-granddaughter dates. We're teaching both of them to ride dirt bikes and four-wheelers. There are swimming lessons and magnetic-tile garages to build. Dinosaurs get hauled around in toy trucks, and sometimes the day ends with a snuggly kiddo beside me watching something quiet while I attempt to convince him that going to sleep is actually a good idea.
Somewhere along the way, our world changed.
We still have all the adult things. There are jobs and bills and groceries and laundry and responsibilities. But now, when we're deciding what to do, there's another question:
Can we involve the grandkids?
And suddenly I'm interested in dinosaurs. Not because I've developed a lifelong fascination with the Tyrannosaurus rex.I care about dinosaurs because someone I love cares about dinosaurs. I care about pink bows and crafts and cartoons and little dirt bikes because the people I love light up when we're doing those things together.
And I think sometimes we underestimate how much God delights in us that way. We know God loves us. We say it all the time. But do we ever stop to think that God enjoys us?
Zephaniah tells us that God delights in His people and rejoices over them.
That's different from imagining a distant God who watches from heaven and occasionally intervenes when something is important enough to get His attention. He's our Father, and what matters to His children matters to Him.
That doesn't mean God gives us everything we want. And it doesn't mean every little desire we have is part of some enormous divine plan. It means relationship changes the importance of the conversation.
When my grandson tells me something about a dinosaur, I listen. The dinosaur isn't what makes the conversation important. He is. When my granddaughter wants to show me something she's made, I want to see it. The craft isn't precious to me because of what it's worth. She is.
Maybe we sometimes decide that something is too small to bring to God. Surely God has more important things to worry about. Of course there are enormous things happening in this world. But an infinite God doesn't have to ration His attention.
So tell Him. Tell Him what made you happy today, what you're worried about, about the thing you're excited about that nobody else seems to understand, about the disappointment that seems too insignificant to bother anyone with. Bring Him the big things, the little things, the dinosaurs and the pink bows.
Because sometimes what matters most isn't the thing we're talking about. It's the relationship between the One listening and the child doing the talking. And you are His child.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

welcome home

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household
- Ephesians 2:19 (NIV)
 
There are two words that always catch my attention when I travel: “Welcome home.”
The funny thing is, I'm usually nowhere near my house when I hear them. I've heard “welcome home” at vacation resorts. I've heard it at campgrounds. I've heard it when arriving at CMA events and rallies. And every time, it makes me happy, because sometimes that campground in Oklahoma is home, sometimes the facility on Iron Mountain in Mena, Arkansas is home and there are even times when that vacation resort is home. Not because that's where my house is or because my belongings are there or that's the address on my driver's license.
It's home because I've been there before. I know the place. I know the people. There are memories there. There are people I'm excited to see—and people who are excited to see me. Somewhere along the way, those people stopped being strangers. They became family.
Maybe that's why I love the words Paul uses in Ephesians 2:19 so much, “Members of His household.”
Not visitors., not strangers standing awkwardly at the door, not guests who need to behave themselves because they're in somebody else's house. Family.
Think about the difference between being a guest in someone's house and being family. A guest waits to be invited in. A guest might wonder where they're supposed to sit. A guest asks before opening the refrigerator. A guest worries about overstaying their welcome. Family walks through the door and hears: “Welcome home.”
And God says that is who we are. Through Christ, we aren't outsiders trying to get close enough to God. We aren't visitors hoping He'll let us stay a little longer. We don't have to wonder whether there's room for us at the table.
We belong to His household. I think sometimes we forget that. We approach God like guests. We try to clean ourselves up before we come in. We worry that we've messed up too many times. We wonder whether we've been away too long. We look around at everyone else and think maybe they belong here more than we do.
But that's not what Scripture says. It says we are no longer strangers. We are His people. We are His family. We are home.
And maybe that's also why there are places on this earth that can feel like home even when our house is hundreds of miles away. God gives us glimpses of what belonging feels like through the people He puts around us.
Someday, we'll hear the greatest “Welcome home” of all. But until then, we don't have to stand outside wondering whether we belong. The door is open. There's a place for us. We're family.
Welcome home.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

labor day

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.
- Mark 6:31 (NIV)
 
Labor Day has meant different things to me at different stages of my life. As a child, it was the last camping trip of the summer. We'd have one final weekend, then the camper would be cleaned out, packed up and parked until May. Summer was officially over. As a young adult with kids, Labor Day meant something completely different: three days! The kids didn't have school, we didn't have work, and everybody could sleep in. That extra Monday felt like a gift.
But somewhere along the way, something changed.
Now I see a three-day weekend and think, Look at everything I can get done! Clean out the closets. Sort clothes for donation. Drop them off. Do the laundry. Buy the groceries. Run the errands. Finish the spreadsheet. Take care of the things I've been putting off so everything is ready when I go back to work on Tuesday.
Apparently, I've gotten very good at the labor part of Labor Day.
And I don't think I'm alone.
We're very good at giving ourselves permission to rest only after we've earned it. After the laundry is finished. After the groceries are bought. After the donation pile is gone. After the spreadsheet is done. After everybody else is taken care of. Then I'll sit down.
Except there will always be one more thing.
That's what catches my attention about today's verse. Jesus' disciples were busy. People were coming and going. There were needs everywhere. Scripture even tells us they hadn't had time to eat.
And Jesus didn't say, “Finish taking care of everybody, and then you can rest.”
He said, “Come with Me… and get some rest.”
The work wasn't finished, the people hadn't stopped needing them. Jesus simply knew that His disciples needed rest too.
God didn't create rest because He ran out of things to do. Rest is part of the rhythm He established for us. And maybe that's something I need to remember on a holiday literally created to give us a break from our labor. Rest isn't laziness. It isn't wasted time. And it isn't a reward we receive when we've finally checked everything off the list. Because our value to God has never been measured by our productivity.
So today, enjoy your Labor Day. Have the cookout. Take the motorcycle ride. Sit on the porch. Take the nap. Spend time with the people you love. The laundry can wait. The garage can wait. That last thing on the list can probably wait too.Because there will always be one more thing.
But today, Jesus' invitation is still the same:
“Come with Me… and get some rest.”
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

temporary storms

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
- Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
 
Memorial Day weekend in 2024 started like so many other three-day weekends—camping, lake time and family gatherings. The weather was beautiful, and everyone was enjoying the holiday. Then, in the early hours of Sunday morning, everything changed. A storm began brewing, and multiple tornadoes tore through Northwest Arkansas. People were caught completely off guard. Two of my kids were heading home after late shifts, driving through the storms while tornadoes were on the ground.
When the sun came up, we saw the devastation. Friends had lost homes and vehicles, and some had lost something much harder to replace—their sense of safety.
In the years since, communities have worked together to rebuild. Houses can be repaired. Trees can be replanted. Debris can be cleared. But for some people, the nightmares remain. So when we say the storm is temporary, we're not pretending storms don't hurt. We're not slapping “God is good” over someone's pain and expecting those words to magically make everything okay. We're remembering that we don't measure God's faithfulness by today's weather.
The storms in our lives won't always look like tornadoes. They may come as illness, grief, financial trouble, broken relationships, fear or uncertainty. Whatever your storm looks like, don't give up. The same God who was with you before the clouds gathered is with you in the middle of the storm—and He will still be there when the skies begin to clear.
The storm is temporary. God is not.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

hummingbirds

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
- Matthew 10:29–31 (NLT)
 
Birds are really cool, and they're fun to watch. From the glorious bald eagles soaring across Northwest Arkansas's Beaver Lake, to the sparrows gathering at my father-in-law's feeders in Iowa, to the tiny hummingbirds that grace my own yard—God's creativity is everywhere.
Can you imagine something that weighs roughly as much as a penny migrating hundreds, even thousands, of miles? Hummingbirds show up at our feeders, hover like tiny helicopters, and argue with each other because apparently being adorable doesn't prevent you from being a jerk. Hummingbirds are incredibly territorial! Then, somehow, they know when it's time to leave and begin their migration.
And God designed that. The wings. The instincts. The migration. That ridiculous little metabolism. Every detail.
Sometimes we look at the enormity of God—the One who created galaxies—and wonder whether something happening in our tiny little life could possibly matter to Him. But the God who designed the hummingbird down to its tiniest detail didn't create us carelessly either. He knows the color of our eyes. He knows the thoughts running through our heads and the condition of our hearts. He knows our fears, our hurts, our hopes and the things we haven't told anyone else.
And still, He loves us.
If our mighty God sees and cares about the smallest creatures of His creation, you can be certain He sees you, too.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

compassion

The righteous care for the needs of their animals.
- Proverbs 12:10a (NIV)
 
For those of you who know me, the announcement that three of my cats are celebrating birthdays this week will come as no surprise. For those who don't know me, let me just say—I have a very intense passion for cats. Latte, Boots and Mouse all have birthdays this week. It's fitting that my three youngest celebrate together, although you couldn't find three more different personalities if you tried!
I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't have cats, and thanks to my wonderful husband, I've spent several years of my adult life working with animal rescues. Through local rescues, I've had nearly 200 kitties pass through my home. Some left permanent paw prints on my heart. Others... weren't nearly as interested in loving me as I was in loving them.
Rescues call spring and summer “kitten season,” when kittens seem to appear everywhere. It's supposed to slow down as fall approaches, but rescue people know kitten season has an annoying habit of ignoring the calendar.
And the need never completely ends.
It's easy to say we care. But sometimes caring means spaying or neutering our pets. Fostering. Donating food or $5 to a rescue. Sharing an adoption post. Helping catch a stray. Or simply noticing a creature that needs help.
Proverbs reminds us that caring for animals isn't separate from our faith. God entrusted His creation to our care.
Compassion isn't just something we feel.
It's something we do.
One last note: If caring for animals is on your heart and you'd like to donate to a local rescue but aren't sure where to start, please reach out to me privately. I'd be happy to point you toward a rescue where your donation—whether it's money, food, supplies, or simply your time—can make a difference. 🐾
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

change

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
 
It's September 1! Except Arkansas apparently did not receive the memo that September is supposed to mean FALL. The calendar says September while the thermometer says, "Absolutely not". But seasons change—eventually—whether we're ready for them or not.
We see that even more clearly when we look at our own lives. One minute we're little kids without a care in the world except maybe whether we're getting cookies after dinner. Then we're teenagers, and suddenly life revolves around having the latest fashion, passing the next test, fitting in, or figuring out who we're going to become.
Before we know it, that season ends too. We're adults. Our focus shifts to jobs, families, bills and responsibilities. Eventually another season arrives, and we're thinking about retirement and what we want our golden years to look like.
Not every season is wonderful. We walk through seasons of loss, illness, uncertainty and loneliness. But there are also seasons overflowing with joy and laughter, when everything seems to happen at exactly the right time.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a season for everything.
Whatever season you're in today, don't become so comfortable that you believe it will last forever—or so discouraged that you fear it will.
Seasons change.
God doesn't.
The beautiful thing is that the God who was with us in the last season is already waiting for us in the next one.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

caught off guard

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
- Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
 
The world as we know it can change in a second. Last week, the world lost an icon when Dolly Parton passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Dolly was never shy about her faith in God, who she was, or where she came from. Even after becoming one of the most recognizable people in the world, she never seemed to forget that little girl from the mountains of Tennessee. Knowing how openly Dolly spoke about her faith, I can imagine her receiving that diagnosis and thinking, “Well, OK, Lord. How are You going to use me in this?”
We may never know that answer. But we do know how God used her life. Her legacy reaches far beyond music—from childhood literacy and education to medical research and healthcare, disaster relief, community assistance, and conservation.
None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes we can see the storm clouds gathering. Other times we're standing there wondering, Where in the world did THAT come from? A diagnosis. A phone call. A bill. A relationship problem. A literal or figurative storm.
We may be caught off guard. God never is.
Psalm 46 doesn't promise that trouble won't come. It tells us where to go when it does.
God is our refuge, God is our strength, and He is always ready to help.
We don't have to understand the storm to trust the One who wasn't surprised by it.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

go

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
- Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
 
And just like that...it's Friday again. Yesterday we talked about settling the question of who Jesus is. Today, Jesus gives us an assignment.
Go.
Matthew 28 is an incredible moment. The disciples are standing before the risen Jesus. Some worshiped. Some doubted. Surely they could have stayed there awhile, simply taking it all in. But Jesus doesn't allow the encounter to become the destination. He gives them a commission. Go and make disciples.
Encounters with Jesus are important. So is being equipped. We need church. We need worship, teaching, fellowship, encouragement, and opportunities to grow together.
But most of our lives happen outside the church.
Let's do some math. (because everyone who knows me, knows that I do not math under any circumstances!) If we live 80 years, that's roughly 29,200 days. There are about 4,160 Sundays in those 80 years.
That's only about one-seventh of our life. What are we doing with the other six-sevenths?
Our assignment isn't simply to get someone to come to church with us. Moving someone from one church to another might increase attendance, but Jesus didn't tell us to collect attendees.
He told us to make disciples.
That requires more from us.
It means building relationships. Walking alongside people. Praying together. Opening Scripture together. Answering questions—and sometimes searching for the answers together. It means continuing to grow in our own faith while helping someone else grow in theirs.
God gives us spiritual life, but we have to participate in it.
Sunday equips us for the assignment, but Monday through Saturday are where much of that assignment is lived. At work. At home. In our neighborhoods. With our families. In conversations with friends. Even with the person who tests our patience in traffic. We don't just go to church, we are the Church—and we have somewhere to go.
So take what God has given you, step outside those walls, and live your assignment.
After all, six-sevenths of a life is a whole lot of opportunity.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

questions

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
- Matthew 28:17 (ESV)
 
This verse has always fascinated me. The disciples weren't hearing stories about Jesus from someone else. They had walked with Him. They had heard Him teach. They had watched Him perform miracles. They knew He had been crucified. And now the resurrected Jesus was standing right in front of them. They worshiped Him. But some doubted.
If people standing in the presence of the risen Jesus could still have questions, maybe we shouldn't be surprised when we have them too.
Can God really do this?
Does God really do this?
Is what I believe really true?
Questions aren't necessarily the enemy of faith. Questions can send us searching for answers. They can lead us deeper into Scripture, into prayer, into conversations with other believers, and into church where we can learn and grow.
But eventually there is one question we have to settle:
Who is Jesus?
Because our circumstances will constantly try to answer that question for us. When prayers aren't answered the way we expected, when life hurts, when we're disappointed, discouraged, or ready to quit, it's easy to allow what is happening around us to change what we believe about Him.
But circumstances change. Jesus doesn't.
Knowing who Jesus is doesn't mean hard things stop being hard. We will still experience pain. We'll have unmet expectations. We'll get discouraged. There will be days when we want to quit. Faith doesn't require us to pretend otherwise. It gives us something solid to stand on while we're going through it.
So ask your questions. Search Scripture. Pray. Learn. Grow.
But settle the most important question.
Know who Jesus is.
Then when everything around you feels uncertain, you won't have to redefine Him according to your circumstances. You can set your mind on what you already know to be true—and keep going.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

hiding

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
- John 20:19 (ESV)
 
I have not always been very good at standing up for myself. Actually, if I'm being truthful, there have been plenty of times when I've allowed people to walk right over me—or use me as a convenient stepping stone on their way to wherever they wanted to go.
I wish I could say that changed completely as I got older. It hasn't. I still sometimes find myself allowing other people to dictate what happens because speaking up feels uncomfortable. Sometimes it's easier to keep quiet. Go along. Don't cause conflict. Don't make anyone upset. In other words, sometimes I still hide.
In John 20, the disciples were hiding too. Their reasons were certainly bigger than mine. Jesus had been crucified. They were afraid, and they had every reason to wonder what might happen to them next. So they gathered together and locked the doors. Then Jesus showed up. I love that He didn't wait outside until they found enough courage to unlock the door. He met them where they were hiding. And His first words weren't criticism. “Peace be with you.”
But Jesus didn't give them peace so they could become more comfortable behind the locked door. Just two verses later, He tells them, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” In other words, you can't stay here. That challenges me.
Because hiding doesn't always look like sitting behind a locked door. Sometimes hiding is staying quiet when we know we need to speak. Sometimes it's letting someone else make a decision that affects us because we're afraid of confrontation. Sometimes it's allowing ourselves to be overlooked or mistreated because keeping the peace seems easier than standing our ground. And sometimes we call it being flexible, easygoing, or gracious when the truth is that we're afraid of what might happen if we finally say, “No.”
There is a difference between being gracious and making ourselves smaller so everyone else can be comfortable. Living with conviction doesn't mean becoming loud, argumentative, or unwilling to compromise. It doesn't mean we always have to get our way. It means knowing what we believe. Knowing who we are in Christ. Knowing when something matters enough to stand our ground—and trusting God enough to stand there.
Jesus will meet us behind our locked doors. He will bring peace into the places where fear has kept us quiet. But He loves us too much to leave us hiding there.
So maybe today the question isn't What are you afraid of? Maybe it's simply: Are you hiding?
Because there comes a time when we have to unlock the door, step outside, and live with conviction. I'm still learning how to do that. But I think it's time for me to stop hiding.
 
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Daily Inspiration from the Bible