Why is it so hard for us to ask for help sometimes? I mean, is it just me lol? We want others to ask us if they need anything- prayer, physical, or even everyday things. ❤️ 

But, here we are, stubborn, unsure, reluctant, listening to the lies, and hesitant to ask for help for ourselves. I know I’m guilty of it. Guilty of thinking I have to have it all together, be strong, not show or share my insecurities. By doing those things it very much invites loneliness, exhaustion, DEFEAT. We get so worn down trying to carry the raw real mess and STILL DON’T ask. 

This has been HEAVY – like all around me. But… here lately … as He does so often, God has stepped into my conversations, prayers and circumstances with some easily forgotten truths. He has reminded me through some of the “what seems like”, pits so deep you can’t even see the speck of light at the top, that we are never in this alone – AND to ask for help. 🫶🏼 God has blessed me with some pretty amazing prayer warriors and just this month, when some circumstances have been so heavy, we have had the sweetest conversations about Moses – Aaron – and Hur. He so gently but BOLDLY reminded us of the power of prayer. 

The treasure of the SUPPORT He sends for us in battle! And man oh man!  

In Exodus 17 Moses commanded Joshua to choose men and go out and fight the army of Amalek. This was quite a frightening event – it was pretty crazy against a fully armed enemy! Moses told him, “I will stand at the top of the hill holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did just that! And meanwhile, Moses, Aaron and Hur climbed the nearby hill – and as long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But, when Moses hands dropped the Amalekites took the advantage. Of course, as we humans do, Moses grew tired and could no longer hold up his arms. So, Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on- stood on each side holding up his arms! So his hands held steady until sunset and Joshua defeated the army of Amalek!! Yall!! Who is holding up your arms? Or who needs you to hold theirs?! We need God’s help! He sends amazing “Aaron and Hurs” in our lives – AND – He equips us to be the same for others! To support, to pray, to hold up arms when all strength is gone! 

The battle is God’s, there was no magical strength in Moses’ arms- God brought the victory and used others for prayerful and physical help in Moses’ battle. WOW! I pray God reminds you each day, and each hard moment, that you don’t have to fight alone, it’s ok to ask for help. Jesus is always there interceding. The One who has all authority and conquered death has GOT YOU! 

“Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matt. 18:20 💛💛

“Hit me with your best shot… fire away!”
For years, that Pat Benatar anthem was more than my go-to karaoke song. It was my love life.

I’ve always loved love. But love hadn’t always loved me back. I was used to fighting for it — fighting to be chosen, fighting to be adored, fighting to be enough. When I was 28, my dad asked, “Are you thinking about getting married?” I laughed and said, “Dad, I’ve been thinking about getting married since I was 12.”

The truth? I didn’t have a good picker.
In November 2022, I finally admitted I couldn’t figure this out on my own. I joined a relationship coaching community for single Christian men and women. What I discovered changed everything. I learned that God created me divinely feminine. Yes, I’m a leader — a leader of leaders. But in marriage, I desired to be led by a man of God who loves Jesus more than he loves me.

When that revelation settled into my heart, I surrendered. My heart softened. My striving stopped. I became open, willing, and available — even to men I wouldn’t have chosen before.

In April 2025, I met Clayton.
What began as friendship grew into a committed relationship. For the first time, I wasn’t fighting to be chosen. I was chosen. I wasn’t striving to be adored. I was adored. He loved the Lord. He loved the Church. He loved me — steadily, intentionally, faithfully.
I kept waiting for it to explode. It never did.
Clayton is my best friend, a servant leader, kind and generous — and my fiancé. On May 7, 2026, I will become Mrs. Clayton Shults.

God didn’t send perfection. He brought together two imperfect people who love Jesus and love serving one another.
“Love is patient, love is kind… it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

God showed me how much He loves me — through a man who reflects His heart.
And this time, love didn’t fight me.
It chose me.

Stacy McVane @stacylmcvane

Funny fact about me — I have FOMO.

Yes, a big fear of missing out. But as I’ve grown older, what I fear missing has changed.

I used to have FOMO over girls’ nights, dinners out, and trips to Hobby Lobby (and I still love those!). But now, I feel it most when I think about missing my girls and their tiny moments. My priorities shifted.

Six years ago at Passion Conference, Christine Caine spoke about FOMO in a way that changed my perspective. I realized what I truly don’t want to miss out on:

• I don’t want to miss out on what God has planned for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

• I don’t want to miss out on seeing Christ work in the lives around me. (Ephesians 2:10)

• I don’t want to miss out on being a light in a dark world. (Matthew 5:14)

• I don’t want to miss out on God-given opportunities because of fear. (Psalm 23:4)

• I don’t want to miss out on having peace because I didn’t surrender control. (1 Peter 5:7)

So yes — I have FOMO. But now it’s a fear of missing what God wants for my life.

Do you have FOMO too? I hope there’s a part of all of us that longs for what Christ desires for us.

I am a mom in the trenches right now. Two words…Potty Training. My patience is being tested, and I find myself questioning if I am doing all the right things to equip my toddler for this big transition. Although this stage is temporary, the task and responsibility to “train” my little girl will continue as she grows up. Most importantly, I desire to train her to know Christ as her Lord and Savior. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭6‬ ‭

Parenting is a hard job, and the tough battles can start early. Our children will learn the behaviors they see from us. We can ask ourselves; are we representing Jesus through our words and actions? This training will happen with consistency, not perfection. It comes from modeling repentance and humility as we make mistakes along the way. An essential and underrated parenting tool is prayer. Communicate with God daily and lean on the truths of His word. 

Pray for your child’s salvation often, because it matters. I aspire to raise my child to know her identity in Christ to the extent of not needing the approval of this world. This is not an easy task, and it’s safe to say impossible in my own strength. The training up is our role, the outcome is God’s. My prayer for anyone reading this is to lean on God and His teachings to raise up our children so they may be sons and daughters of His Kingdom.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ 

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ 

Peace. It’s what we long for, isn’t it? The world is in turmoil. Our nation seems in chaos. Things are happening that we never thought could or would. We have differing opinions than our friends about things and that rocks us because society says it is unacceptable to believe differently. Social media is filled with arguing and oftentimes untruths. There are work situations that leave us feeling frustrated.  We see our families hurting and struggling. Our kids don’t know how to act or what to do. We hurt, we struggle, change happens, and we find ourselves feeling out of sorts. We don’t know what to believe or how to act in light of what is happening. Life just does not seem very peaceful. I don’t know about you, but as of late, I feel like my peace is on shaky ground. 

As I thought about our longing for peace, I was reminded of an accommodation some of my students are provided. It is to have an opportunity and place for “cool down” when they get agitated, feel angry, or become out of sorts. This accommodation affords them a chance to get refocused and be able to move past the agitation, frustration, anger, feelings of unrest, etc. They have various things and places to bring them back to a place of calm. When they listen to the teacher helping them and utilize what is available to them, they are able to refocus, go back to a calm state, and be successful. The underlying cause may not have been removed, but the focus has shifted allowing peace to return.

God gives us that accommodation in life. However, it’s not a one and done experience. It is ongoing. He clearly tells us that there will be turmoil in life. However, in the midst of that turmoil, we can have peace. It comes through Jesus. We have to have our minds focused on Him. We have to trust Him. He is the stability in the midst of the chaos. Just like my students, we have to have our focus changed. We have to go to the Word and to God in order to “cool down”. When our mind is stayed on Him, we will have peace because our Redeemer is the Overcomer. The underlying causes for our feelings of unrest may not be removed, but the Rock we focus on will allow us to have peace and stability in the midst of it all.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8

What if resting was actually a form of obedience… and a doorway to joy? When you think of Sabbath, what comes to mind? Going to church? The Ten Commandments? Religious, rigid rules? Or freedom?

Sabbath is God’s gift! The Hebrew word Shabbat means to stop, to cease, and in that pause, something beautiful begins. God designed it for relationship, with Him, and with the people He places in our lives. And I know this might make some of us squirm a little, but Sabbath isn’t just about going to church or checking a box like your Sunday School envelope. It’s about slowing down, breathing, and delighting in God, and enjoying the people He’s placed in your life. It’s a chance to step off the endless treadmill and experience rest and joy exactly as God intended.

As a goal-setter, a planner, a reader of motivational books, this concept has truly turned my world upside down. It flies in the face of the “work harder, do more, achieve more” mindset. That way of thinking, 24/7, for years, is exhausting. As a pastor’s wife, there are endless things I could be doing, events to be planning, lessons to be studied for, people I could be visiting, social media I could be investing in. And yet, I’m learning that God never intended life to be lived this way ALL. THE. TIME. (Real relationships aren’t built like that anyway…another devotion for another day!😉 I digress…)

As I’m learning to practice Sabbath, I find that it restores me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and even physically. It’s not just about stopping work, it’s about delighting in God, sharing meals, laughter, and conversation with family and friends, and remembering that rest is part of God’s ORIGINAL design.

For me, Sabbath is very rarely on Sunday. Find the rhythm that works for you to cease from labor and enjoy God.

So here’s the challenge if you’re up to it. This week, set aside even a few hours as your Sabbath. Turn off your to-do list, put your phone down, enjoy a meal with family or friends, laugh, pray, and watch how God shows up when you intentionally stop and delight in Him.