It snowed in my town recently, not a lot, but enough that school was cancelled for my kids for several days.

When my kids hear “snow day”, they hear music and singing, birds chirping and the rejoicing of the local youth celebrating across the neighborhood. When I hear “snow day” I hear a snarky voice inside my head saying, “Good luck getting anything done today.”

I love my children dearly, but after several days of everyone home due to the weather, all my plans for getting my work done and being super productive went out the window with the snow flurry!

Normally when everyone leaves for their respective jobs and schooling, I can sigh a deep breath out and begin to make a dent in the never-ending to-do list, get work done for my job, and run errands before it’s time to pick up the kids and the next shift of my day starts.

I treasure that time in the morning, in those first few moments after I kiss them goodbye and send them off, because it’s quiet and peaceful. I long to spend some time with God, curled up on my couch in my fuzzy socks, wrapped my fluffy blanket and quietly sipping my coffee while the dog turns a circle and gently plops down next to me with a contented sigh. I long to take my journal off of the new, cute and trendy side table I just got for Christmas and settle in to read God’s Word, jotting down my thoughts and prayers. As I lean against the sofa pillows, I imagine I am leaning against the very throne of God, safe, secure and at peace.

At least that’s how it goes in my head. I have had that experience a few times, but most of the time I find myself chasing it, frantically packing up the kids and then walking the dog so she doesn’t spend all morning barking at her own reflection. In reality, my cute trendy side-table has been commandeered by my youngest child and my fuzzy blanket is usually occupied by the dog after Bark-fest 2024 wraps up. Heaven help us if the mailman comes. And just beyond my cute little corner of the living room, are piles of laundry waiting to be folded and a bathroom that needs deliverance (AKA deep cleaning).

These moments with God are often my anchor to sanity. Especially when I have a crazy-busy week or my reserves are already tapped. Spending time with God resets my perspective and gives me the insight and stamina to not just survive the day, but live it to His glory. But I’ll admit, it is hard to feel that peace when nothing lines up the way I planned, and the day threatens to overwhelm me. Today was one of those days.

As I was aimlessly wandering around the house trying to figure out my next steps, a song I haven’t thought of in years came to mind and put words to the longing in my heart. It is a simple song with a melody sort of like a lullaby:

Hide me away O Lord,
Hide me away O Lord,
In the day of trouble, ‘neath the shadow of your wing,
Hide me away O Lord.

Give me your peace, O Lord,
Give me your peace, O Lord, ,
In the day of trouble, ‘neath the shadow of your wing,
Give me your peace, O Lord.

In a house that felt busy, with stir-crazy kids and a noisy dog, I wanted to hide away. I wanted to sneak back into my bedroom and stay there, wrapped up in my blankets and just let the day roll past. The day felt troublesome and I began to long for peace. I hadn’t planned on the kids being home. I didn’t have a game plan for when the novelty of the snow wore off and the cabin-fever bickering  would begin. I desperately needed a place where I could meet God, connect and get my mind right.

So I went to the one place I figured I could hide for a little bit. I went back to my bedroom and got under the covers. Not for the rest of the day, but to pause for just a few minutes. I knew that if I could just be still and let go of my expectations for the day, that I would be able to hear God, comforting me and guiding me. I trusted that if I allowed God to quiet my mind, that he would give me the strength and clarity I needed for the rest of the day.

While I was hiding out, I found the verse of the day on my Bible phone app. As I lay there, I read these words, from Psalm 91:1,4:

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Psalm 91:1,4

I asked God to shelter me in His wings, to hide me away for a moment and restore me. I asked Him to shield me from the chaos and anxiety that kept trying to creep into my mind and let me rest in His shadow. I asked God to help me do the things. All the things. Because frankly I did not want to get back up and head back into the living room.

I lay there complaining to the Lord for a few more minutes and, as He always does, He gently began to change my heart and mind. Somehow, I got dressed (like in real clothes, not sweats) and took my kids to get hot chocolate and run a quick errand. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was good.

When we got back, I realized that the kids weren’t chaotic, my mind was. They had actually been pretty great. I was so focused on meeting God on my terms, in my “perfect” setting, that I forgot I serve a God who is omnipresent! He can meet me anywhere. In fact, He was already steps ahead of me, providing for my every need and care. I can hide away under the shelter of His wing and find refuge, in any circumstance. He would shield me and care for me whether the day brought discontentment or actual real trouble.

By the end of the day, I experienced peace. I got the kids fed, my husband came home from work and I got back into my fuzzy sweatpants & slippers to wind down the day. It is amazing the power our minds have to alter our perception of a day. I’m pretty sure that nothing changed today except me. The weather stayed gloomy and cold, my kids did their thing, even the dog stuck to her routine. But I was changed, I found peace, under the shelter of God’s gentle but mighty wing. Even in what feels like chaos, whether everything you planned for the day worked out or not, He is there. You can trust that God will meet you right in the middle of your day to be your refuge and strength and to bring you peace.

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Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – Psalm 105:3-4

Okay, so we are now two weeks into the new year. If you are like me, you have set some new goals for yourself and started the new year super excited to achieve them. Maybe you’ve even been chanting, “This is the year!”

For me, this is the year that I want to conquer early mornings! You see, I am not a morning person. My bed is warm and cozy and my eye lids would rather not open until the sun is up (which this time of year, is fairly late!). But for years now, I have had a desire to get up before my family and have some time in the early morning to spend with the Lord. I can picture it now: the house is quiet and peaceful, I’m sitting in my comfy chair by the fireplace, curled up in my fuzzy blanket, sipping on my chai tea while I’m spending time with my Lord.

And, while, yes, over the years I have still found a way to make time with God happen, I have always looked longingly toward that early morning picture. It just seemed out of reach. I recently came to realize that the main thing that has gotten in the way of me achieving this goal, has been the “I can’ts”. The “I can’t get up that early because I just not a morning person.” Or the “I can’t function that early so I would be unproductive.”

I am determined this year to stop limiting myself with the “I can’ts” and have the courage to say, “with God’s help, I can!” While I know it will be hard at first, with possibly many difficult, half-awake mornings, I believe that I can get to the other side and reach my goal of that vision I have for my mornings. I know that if I can persevere through the hard stuff at the beginning, I will get to the place where it isn’t so hard and I will reap the fruit of my persistence in seeking the Lord.

Maybe you have set a goal to seek God more this year too. If you haven’t yet, what is one goal you can set that will help you grow in your faith and relationship with God this year? Whether it is to have time with God each day (even if it is only 15 min), to be in God’s Word, to pray more often, go to church consistently or finally check out that small group bible study, God will bless your efforts. Any goal that draws you closer to God is a good goal! And I have found that when I put my faith first, my other goals in life tend to fall into place as well.

So, what is that one faith step that you have not taken because of the “I can’ts? If you are willing to trust God and give Him that “I can’t”, he will turn it into something beautiful. He will strengthen you to do what you didn’t think was possible and grow your faith in the process.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phil 4:13

It is our hope that by the end of this year, you will be able to look back and see growth in your faith and a list of ways you have been stretched, trusted in God and experienced Him more fully. May you find joy in seeking the Lord this year!

P.S. If you have a faith goal that you would like us to pray about for you, please email us or comment below and let us know. We would love to be praying and encouraging you in your walk of faith!

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You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3

I don’t know about you, but when I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are anything but peaceful. Like a rushing river, my mind is swirling with a million thoughts and worries–a financial crisis; a project at work I need to finish; a problem to solve; I’m running late and ran out of clean clothes; I’m having conflict with a family member; and what awful thing will I find out happened in the world when I turn on the TV or look at my phone?

For many of us, these thoughts come flooding in the moment we open our eyes. This is precisely when we must stop, be still, and welcome God’s presence into the midst of our crazy. His presence brings a perfect peace as we dwell there, as we trust in Him with each part of our day.

So as you go about your morning routine, allow your mind to stay focused on Christ. Give him all those things that flood your mind; all your worries, doubts and fears, give him your busy day and all your tasks. As we do that, we are putting our trust in Him to work in these things and carry our burdens. Only then do we get to receive the perfect peace that comes through trust in our Savior.

When we acknowledge his presence at the beginning of each day, we get the blessing of experiencing his peace throughout our days. How would your day go differently if you took time each morning to recognize his presence and keep your mind focused on his perfect peace?

Lord Jesus, we welcome your presence in my lives each and every day. May we think of you first when we open our eyes. We know you are here with us right now and we give this day and all its challenges to you.

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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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

Have you ever been in a race before, whether it was competitive or just for fun? Or even a hike with an awesome destination at the end? You start out with lots of excitement and energy but somewhere along the way, you begin to get tired and lose steam. What started out as smoothly, begins to get rough as you start taking it one step at a time. Along the way in life, we can feel like this too. This life has its ups and downs and twist and turns, but we keep walking forward in faith.

When we encounter times where walking forward is difficult, remember, just like the sidelines of a race, we too have a crowd cheering us on. We can look to those who have gone before us in faith. We can look ahead and see how they have made it through the finish line and know that we can too. Isn’t it amazing how the example of others can give us hope and spur us on to keep going? We have our friends, family and community of believers to rally around us and encourage us.

As I read this section of the book of Hebrews, I almost can picture the author like the coach who is giving us a pep talk halfway through our race. He says, “You can do it! Keep going and don’t let anything get in your way of finishing the work God is doing in you through faith.”

So how do we keep from getting off track? The coach in Hebrews gives us three ways:

1. Throw off, get rid of, actively get away from all the things in your life that keep you from living the life God has for you. Maybe you are carrying a heavy burden that you need to give to the Lord because it is slowing you down and making you weary. Maybe you are stuck in a trap of sin that has entangled you. Sometimes something as small as anger or bitterness toward someone can take root like a vine across our path and cause us to stumble. This where we need to do a heart check. What’s been creeping in that shouldn’t be there? Bitterness, doubt, fear, pride? All of these things keep us focused in the wrong place (ourselves and our present circumstances).
2. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, looking always toward him. He is waiting at the finish line and is the one who will help us get there. He knows what it is like to face trials and difficulties in this life and yet he ran the race with joy. He can help you too! If you are running a race and you start looking to the right or the left instead of in front of you, you will either start running in that direction or you may end up flat on your face. Either way, you won’t get to where you are supposed to be. The best way to stay focused on the finish line is by staying close to Jesus in prayer and by reading God’s word.
3. We don’t just have the people who have gone before us, but we have the community of believers that we need to embrace and to encourage us. Seek to be be surrounded by those who live also by faith whether through a small community group at your church or with a couple of close friends. Allow them to run alongside you. “Two are better than one, for if one falls, they can pick the other up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

We each have a different path to run, a different story God is working out, but we all have the same finish line. The one that ends in the arms of the Father. Jesus is there to guide us through this life toward the finish line. He knows the way to true life, because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

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Did you know that September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? It all started back in the 90’s when a couple of fellas in Albany, Oregon would insult each other like pirates when they played racquetball together. So they declared this day “Talk Like a Pirate Day.” Not much later, comedian Dave Barry heard about it somehow and it took off. Now even the restaurant Long John Silver’s offers free treats to commemorate what may be the goofiest international day ever.

Having all boys in my family, this a fun one for us. Something about referring to meal times as “time to put grub in ye gullet” or telling the boys to “swab the deck in yonder galley” is fun. It’s entertaining to put on a silly persona and walk around in it for a little bit.

But what if the persona were real? What if there was a talk like a princess day? I’m not talking about Disney princesses (although if I can get woodland critters to clean my house while I sing, I will count it as a total win). Instead, what if we talked and lived like actual royalty, like daughters of not just any king, but the King Most High?

1 John 3:1 says “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

God loves us so much he calls us his children and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14).

On my best days, I remember to live in this identity. I embrace my calling to live in relationship with my Heavenly Father. I’m lost in His grace and love, and marvel that He chooses me, just as I am, but doesn’t leave me there. He shapes me to be more like him, to represent Him as a member of His family. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I walk and talk like a Daughter of the King.

Being royalty also comes with responsibility. In Colossians 4:6 we are reminded “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

It’s harder to live this out when I am feeling tired, busy, hangry or anxious. When I’m hard-pressed for patience, it’s challenging to walk and talk like a princess instead of a pirate. My husband and kids do not always get my best, in fact on my worst days they get distracted, distant or short-tempered. When I am operating on my own strength and my own discernment, I find that I can’t muster grace when it is required or have an answer that will preserve and add good flavor to the conversation the way salt does to food. I find that I carry myself in a manner that is less than what God has invited me to–because I’m trying to do it all on my own.

When I intentionally slow down and spend time with the One who made me, I remember the Princess that I am in Him. He fills my heart with peace and wisdom so that I can discern between what seems urgent and what is truly important. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I can speak life to my family and friends. Not only does my outlook change but even my countenance is lifted. Allowing God’s love to permeate my mind, restores my soul and my true identity in Christ. I can once again see the great love that He lavishes on me as his child. And I believe once again, that is who I am.

As you go once more into the fray, and the day seems to be running you instead of the other way around, when you find you are talking more like a pirate instead of a princess, stop and reevaluate. Are you leaning on your own strength and wisdom or on the infinite love and wisdom of the Most High King? Dear friend slow down and let Him care for you. Spend time with Him in prayer and worship and be reminded of who you are in Him. And when your cup is full, share it with others. Let Jesus be seen in your joy and in how you talk, full of grace and seasoned with good things.

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“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” – Mark 8:22-25

Have you ever felt blind to what God is doing in your life and the world around you? Do you ever wish you could put on God-vision glasses and see where God is working around you and see what He sees. I know I want to see the world and others the way He sees them. Many times we just need a renewed vision to be able to see clearly how God is working around us.

Just like in this story of a blind man, we start to receive this renewed vision by seeking after God. The best way to have God-vision is to spend time with God. Through this time, we are given fresh perspective and a new outlook. God-vision allows us to see our circumstances through the eyes of hope; it helps us see those around us through the eyes of unconditional love.

Through the vision God gives us, we can always see goodness and hope in even the bleakest situation. As we look at our circumstance or situation through God-vision, it will keep us from being overcome by disappointment, discouragement or negativity. If we can recognize that God is always at work in everyone and everything, then there is always hope to be found.

As we seek God in every moment of our days, we can ask, “What is it God that you want me to say or do? What should I be aware of in this moment or situation?”

Whether we are currently spiritually blind or just not seeing clearly, Jesus is the answer! Allow him to restore your spiritual sight as you walk by faith, so that you may clearly see the world through His eyes.

Lord, give me eyes to see you and how you are working. Help me be willing to respond to your call in each moment and have God-vision. Keep my heart soft and moldable. Renew my vision and help to see myself and others are you see us–your beloved children!

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“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18

I can be a real grump. Not intentionally, but I find there is a limit to my patience and tolerance for certain shenanigans. There are times that I feel hard pressed to get along whether because of dealing with a difficult person, or navigating my own insecurities. Either way, it triggers a lack of empathy and perspective. I can become inwardly focused and tone deaf to the needs of the people around me. To further complicate things, my mom is from the south and I am also Latina, so on the outside I will look calm and composed and say something like “Bless your heart” but on the inside I am ready to take off my earrings and throw down. It’s a challenging thing to balance.

As a daughter of God Most High however, I am called to do whatever is in my power to live at peace with everyone. Everyone? Surely, that is not what the Lord means! I mean, some people can be downright impossible at times!

I don’t believe I am alone in this. As humans, we all bump up against our own selfishness and have to buffer it with the grace and humility that Christ calls us to. There are a million different scenarios that can be tough and they’re not always directly related to conflict. Being in new or uncomfortable social settings, feeling insecure, being nervous about a test or presentation, all of these can get us thinking inwardly.

Jesus literally endured the impossible because he knew who he was, where he came from and where he was going. We have that same benefit. We are God’s beloved daughters. He has redeemed our past and set us on a new path with Him, headed toward a beautiful future where conflict and heartache are no more. Our past, present and future are secure in His hands, therefore we are secure.

In this truth, I am freed to look at things through the eyes of Christ. The verse says to live at peace, as far as it depends on you. I may not always have the right words to resolve a conflict, or know how to be still when I’m feeling insecure, but I know how to point to Jesus.

I can ask myself, “How can I show the love of Jesus in this situation?” That IS within my control, that IS in my power, and through the Holy Spirit, I can model Jesus’ love in any situation. Because of who I am in Christ, success is redefined. It no longer matters if I’m perfect, only if my actions point to the One who is. And suddenly, the peace that passes understanding washes over me because I’m back on mission, doing what Jesus would do.

We can remind ourselves who we are, and then ask, “How can I show the love of Christ here?” Maybe that looks like comforting someone else who is nervous too, or letting the joy of the Lord shine through as you speak. Perhaps it is staying silent when you are angry, until you can speak in love instead.

While we cannot control other people, how we handle conflict can open the door for God to change hearts and lives. We can continue to walk forward with a clear conscience that we did what was in our power; having the confidence that prayer and the grace of God will cover the rest.

In whatever situation you find yourself, may you step out boldly in faith, assured of who you are as a daughter of the King, and ready to show the love of Jesus.

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