Month: June 2026

  • Knowing God, Mentorship

    Helping the Next Generation Know Jesus

    • by

    “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…” Romans 12:1a

    When you think about your own cloud of witnesses – the women who may have passed away, or may still be alive, but who influenced your own faith – who comes to mind?

    I am blessed to have many faces and names in my own cloud of witnesses. My mother, who prayed over me when I was a deeply anxious and troubled teen; my aunt, who talked me through relationship troubles and taught me how to make sure I put Jesus first in my relationships; my piano teacher, who became more of a spiritual mentor and taught me to use my gifts within the church; and so many more.

    All of the women in my cloud of witnesses are in a different generation than I am. And often, this is how it goes – after all, as we age we are often called on to share our gifts, experience, and wisdom with younger people. The trouble is that while some of us know what it was like to be mentored, in this day and age, it can be tricky to figure out how to mentor the upcoming generations.

    Gen Z, who are young adults right now and have been labeled the “anxious generation”, is a generation that tends to be more pragmatic and aware of mental health than previous generations. Gen Alpha, the youngest generation, is trendy and tech-savvy. Both of these generations have been shaped by an algorithm that has been curated for them and are in danger of falling further away from faith. They need their own cloud of witnesses to show up in their lives and point them to Jesus. Though it may be challenging, this is where you and I have a chance to step in.

    While it feels intimidating, these generations are asking us to step into intergenerational discipleship and mentorship. But you may be wondering what this looks like? For me, mentorship has never been a one-size-fits-all equation. Some of my mentors took me to coffee and chatted about life with me. Others led Bible studies, introducing me to the truths of God’s Word and how it impacted my life. And still others helped me navigate mental health and taxing relationships during my turbulent teen years with grace and unconditional love. It was their consistent presence in my life, simply showing up and loving me well, that made the most significant impact in my life.

    If you have a heart for the next generation but don’t know where to start, the first step is to look around and see who the Holy Spirit might be guiding you to love. Ask God to help you see opportunities that He is presenting and to have the boldness to step forward in faith. Perhaps you have a daughter who is having a tough time at school. Maybe a young woman in your church is living far from home and seems to be craving community. Prayerfully consider who God has placed in your path, and then reach out! You can invite them to coffee, to your house for lunch, or to join you in part of your everyday life. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Remember, the goal is just getting to know one another and building relationship. As the relationship grows, you will have more opportunities to share Jesus, show His love and point them toward God’s truth and wisdom. Trust that God will guide your steps and teach you to love the way He does.

    As we take God’s lead to share our life and faith with those around us, we will look back one day at the impact our simply showing up and loving well has made. When the next generation of believers thinks on their own cloud of witnesses, I hope that you and I – their mothers and grandmothers, their aunts and their mentors – are on that list. I believe we can leave a legacy of faith with the women who will lead their generation to revival.

    Read more

  • Knowing God, Spiritual Rhythms

    Finding Delight in the Lord

    • by

    What do you think of when you hear the word “delight”. What picture comes to mind? Do you picture a child’s face on Christmas morning or a dog who is joyfully running free in a large field without a care in the world. Maybe you picture biting into the best pastry in the world and savoring every bite.

    When I think of delighting in something, I picture experiencing joy, pleasure, contentment and a sense that all is right in this moment. I’ve had several moments of delight in seeing my kids grow up or spending quality time with a friend, or delighting in being in nature, hiking to my favorite waterfall, taking in all the beautiful spring flowers and the warm sunshine on my face.

    But the best kind of delight comes from times spent delighting in the Lord. In the Bible, delight is defined as finding supreme pleasure, satisfaction, and affection in God and His will. It’s more than a fleeting emotion; it involves an active turning of our heart toward God, producing a tender, loving, and trusting relationship with Him. To “delight yourself in the Lord” means to find your ultimate joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment in God rather than in the things of the world. 

    God created so many wonderful things for our enjoyment. As we delight in those things He created for our good pleasure, ultimately we are delighting in Him. Our hearts can’t help but overflow with gratitude and love when we think of all He has created and done for us because He loves us.

    We don’t just delight in the Lord but He delights in us as well. We see in the Bible that God takes great pleasure and delight in His people. 

    For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Psalm 149:4 NIV

    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

    How amazing is it that the God of the universe delights in spending time with you and me?! It isn’t an obligation or a have to, but rather a delight simply because you are His precious daughter. 

    When we take time to delight in the Lord we find a deeper sense of joy and strength in our faith. Often when we think of delighting in the Lord, we think of time spent in worship at church or in time reading our Bible, and those are part of delighting in the Lord, but I’m talking about a deeper level of delighting. 

    What I want for you is the kind of delighting that finds joy in simply dwelling and abiding in the presence of the Lord. The kind that comes from resting in the knowledge that you are loved by the God of the universe and that He delights in you. It’s the kind of delight that says, “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). This deep, abiding kind of delight is a proclamation that no matter what we are facing in life, whether good times, bad times or difficult times, we can always find joy in God and in his promises–for He is our strength.

    One of the most common scriptures about delighting in the Lord is found in Psalm 37:4 and says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”. We often hear this and think it’s an if-then statement. If I delight in God, I will get what I desire. But this verse isn’t merely a prescription for getting everything you want, rather, as we delight in God, our personal desires begin to naturally align with His. We begin to desire the things He desires and thus He gives us “the desires of our heart”. As we spend quality time with our God, enjoying who He is and who we are in Him, we become more like Him and our will bends toward His, shaping what we long for so that it matches His perfect plan. As we delight in the Lord, our heart longs to want the things of God and we desire more of those things that are close to His heart.

    This kind of delight develops a close relationship with the Lord that makes it easier to surrender our plans and desires to the Lord, trusting Him and His timing. Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” 

    If you are unsure how to start delighting in the Lord, begin with paying attention to the things you find joy in this week. Take note of what you find delight in. Then spend some time dwelling in God’s presence, whether that is going on a walk or curling up in your favorite chair with your Bible. You could even write down some of the verses in this devotional to remember how much God delights in you. The goal is to spend a little quality time with your Heavenly Father. Finding joy in God’s presence means actively enjoying God—savoring His character, spending time in His Word, and resting in His love. May you find delight in the One who loves you beyond measure and experience the joy and peace of living life with Him.

    Read more