A topic that’s been heavy on my heart this past year has been walking through the wilderness. 

As I entered into my first year of college last fall, I felt foreign to the world. I didn’t have sports anymore, I was distant from friends that I have grown up with, and I was scared to death of what the future looked like for me. 

I would think to myself, “How do I navigate my future when I have no idea what it even looks like, or where the Lord is leading me? What if I choose the wrong career path and waste my life and money going to school for something I don’t even like?” 

One day at bible study we were discussing being obedient to the Lord. As we were discussing this, the question I previously stated came into conversation. We began talking about what if we think we’re being obedient to the Lord, but in reality the Lord was leading us somewhere different. 

My pastor told me something that gave me such peace. He said that no matter which path you choose, the Lord will be glorified if you are choosing HIM and putting HIM in front of your every step. That reminds me that no matter where I am in life, or how foreign the circumstances seem, the Lord will be glorified. 

Another thing to add is that when it seems you are in the wilderness, make sure that your identity is being found in Christ. Not in your boyfriend/girlfriend, sports, social media, or the world. 

When we lose focus on who God calls us to be, we lose focus on where he calls us to be. 

Going forward, I hope to encourage everyone with this verse from Isaiah 42. In verse 19 it says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers on the desert.”

 

When Adam and Eve fell to temptation in Genesis 3, sin entered the world. The first man and woman were cast out of Eden when they chose to disobey God. In the followingchapters of Genesis and throughout scripture, we see shame, strife, death, disobedience, pain, chaos, and people living as though there were no God. Though God sent a flood to cleanse the earth, it didn’t take long for sin to become rampant again. When we look at the world around us, we see the destructiveness of sin. We have the same enemy that the first man and woman had, and he will do anything to keep us from knowing and walking with God. We have assurance even in this because Jesus tells us in 1 John 4:4: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 

 

Romans 6:23 tells us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Father God sent His only Son to be our Savior. What an unbelievable,indescribable gift of love – the love that sent Jesus to take our place on the cross. We earned the death sentence, yet He willingly poured His life out for us. Hebrews 5:7-10 reminds us that Jesus suffered in our place: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” 

 

When we hear the “old, old story about a Savior who came from glory,” the Holy Spirit stirs our souls and leads us to the nail-scarred feet of Jesus. For the first time, we see ourselves through His eyes – our lostness and utter helplessness to save ourselves. We see and grieve at the depravity of our sin, but we also rejoice at the depth of love poured out for our redemption. We come to know that it is the love of Christ that brings us straight into His arms. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” There is no greater love…

 

But the story doesn’t end at our salvation. We, too, are called to walk the path of suffering, to stand in the gap for others. We have a story to tell, and we will pay a price for sharing the story. Some will scorn and think us ignorant, and others may seek to silence us as we share the truth of God. We must always remember that Christ was no stranger to suffering. His suffering saved us from eternal death; likewise, we will experience suffering when we follow Him. Suffering reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus who molds and fits us for the paths we are called to walk. Suffering leads us to put our hope in Him, and in Jesus, we have the Light of the World that sets us apart in a dark world that desperately needs a Savior. Jesus brings a sweetness into our suffering when we lean fully into His love. He is all we need. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

 

 

 

 

“For the despondent, every day brings trouble;

for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 NLT

I thought of a childhood memory when I read “continual feast” in this scripture. Often

our favorite memories involve food or is that just me? Summertime for me as a child

meant a road trip to Mississippi to visit my paternal grandmother. We confidently knew

we would be greeted with something warm on the stove and a table filled with pies and

cakes. This would be every day of our visit. Her kitchen felt like a banquet that never

ended.

Proverbs 15:15 puts two drastically different lives side by side. This verse reminds us

that how we see life has a lot to do with what’s happening in our hearts.The New Living

Translation uses the word “despondent.” A despondent person is defined as someone

that often behaves as if their situation, or someone else, has total control of their story.

Despondency or discouragement can often look like an inward sigh that says “this is just

how things are” or “nothing will change”. This inward distress shows up in how a person

lives and speaks. Every day seems to be a “bad day.”

I thought about Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. A cloud seems to follow him around

while he says things like “oh well” and “it probably won’t work anyway.” Then, on the

flip side, there’s Tigger, who bounces into a room full of hope and energy, even if

nothing around him looks all that exciting. It’s the same Hundred Acre Wood. Same

weather. Same world. But Tigger has a totally different mindset and he’s wearing an

entirely different pair of lenses.

This verse is such a good reminder that joy is an inside job and so is hopelessness. It’s

like a crime show where the twist is that the thief was inside all along— someone

trusted, someone no one suspected. Sometimes the thing robbing our peace is our own

thoughts, fears, or expectations quietly convincing us that today is just one more

struggle.

So, what do you and I do when we realize the thing stealing our peace and joy might be

coming from inside? We let God into it. We let Him speak truth to those despondent

thoughts that say things like “nothing’s ever going to change”, “just another bad day”, or

“why expect anything different today?”.

Like David we self-reflect— “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?”. And

then we make a decision: “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my

Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11)

It doesn’t mean everything around us will suddenly be perfect. But it does mean our

perspective can shift. We don’t have to live like every day is just one more thing tosurvive. With God, we can start to see hope again. And with a heart that has hope, even

the hard days begin to feel a little lighter and the table looks a little fuller.

I understand now why as a child my grandmother’s kitchen left such an impression on

me. It wasn’t just the food… it was what else was offered— it was the joy, the love, the

invitation. Her table was a reflection of her heart. God is still cooking up goodness, and

His daily invitation is to “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who

take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

 Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…”  I live out in the country in the Upstate of South Carolina. Summer is lovely here- there’s abundant sunshine, blue skies with mountain views & rolling  hills  all around.  

Everything is green and something is always blooming. Right now tiger lilies beautify the road sides & the hydrangeas and gardenias are really showing out. A half mile down the road, our good friends farm- they have everything from cows to eggs to strawberries and my personal favorite- white peaches. 

Most people have a garden- my Daddy has a huge one! All this real, local produce has me thinking about spiritual fruit.  It is probably because of my Sunday School class. Each summer we combine a few classes and participate in a group study. 

This summer we are focusing on the FRUIT of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.  These two little verses pack quite a punch, don’t they? I’d love to share some of the things I am learning during this summer season of refreshment. 

First of all, the fruit of the Spirit is FULL and complete. Did you notice that it is F-R-U-I-T singular? Prior to this study I thought about them as the F-R-U-I-T-S plural. I thought of them separately as things that I could work on, with some incomplete and some achieved and some that weren’t “me”.  But really they are all part of God’s character. 

He possesses them ALL effortlessly and all at once.  I am realizing that I cannot try harder to be more loving or more patient etc.  God causes these changes in me as I trust and live for Him. He brings about this fruit in its season, just like those strawberries that I love to eat each May!

Next, the fruit must be FRESH! We must spend time examining our hearts. This time will inevitably show sin and/or relationships and areas we need to work on. Sin stops up our relationship with God and essentially rots the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. We must confess and repent to prune  (see John 15:1-8) so that we can continue to grow and produce fruit. 

Lastly, we need to FOCUS on the fruit. Where can we look? There are several places- your Bible, your prayer life, and how you are ministering to others. Don’t let that Bible get dusty this summer! Continue to read and pray and learn. Seek Him. If we don’t spend time with God, how can we expect  Him to challenge our progress? Who can you share one (or all) of these attributes? Who needs to hear about Jesus? 

I get so busy and distracted especially during the school year. I know I miss opportunities He puts right in front of me.  Maybe we can use the slower pace of the summer to adjust our outlook.

I hope you enjoy your summer and all the fruit it brings. Try not to be discouraged.  Paul offered the Philippians this reminder  “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6. 

Don’t automatically go there. 

When the picture is posted. The one that makes you cringe. Just don’t mentally go there. 

One was posted a few weeks ago with me in it, and my first inclination was to think, “Wow, this really highlights the most unflattering part of my body.”

But I wasn’t looking hard enough. I wasn’t looking at what really mattered. 

The smiles. The happy tears. The sparkle in my loved one’s eyes. The meaning of the moment. 

Ladies, we’ve got to stop that. 

First of all, I guarantee you no one else honed in on that body part except for me because if they did – well, that’s just weird. 

Second of all, who cares!!! Let’s retrain our minds to focus on what matters. 

Let’s focus on the meaning of the moments not the insecurities that we see that no one else does. 

Let’s focus on our family and our friends and our faith. 

Let’s focus on the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. 

After all, we will all have perfectly perfect bodies in Heaven. And here on earth, I guarantee your loved ones think you’re perfect just the way you are. 

Now that’s good news. 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

rays of Sunshine 

At the start of every school year, I pack up my backpack with pencils, folders, papers and anything else I might need. I always just kind of guess with how much stuff I should put in there, and I keep a stash of extras in my closet in case I run out of anything. This year, I just put a random amount of paper in my math binder and was like “yeah that looks about right” and didn’t think anything about it again. Until it was the day before our last homework assignment, and I see exactly one sheet left. 

Exactly one sheet. 

I used the exact perfect amount of paper in my sophomore year of high school in my binder. 

I didn’t plan it. 

I never noticed it and was like “hmmm if I plan this out accordingly it will line up like this.” There were days I did random doodles when I wasn’t paying attention in class, or gave a classmate a sheet and yet every thing lined up perfectly in the end…

And this was a huge deal to me.

Literally a week before I had been praying to God for wisdom and just a sign that He was there for me. When I told all my friends about my perfect amount of paper, they were all just kind of like “cool- whatever.” None of them were as amazed by this as I was. 

God knows exactly how many hairs are on my head, and He knew exactly how many pieces of paper I would need for my Algebra 2 math class. He showed up for me in such a tiny way, but it was such a miracle to me. 

When I was reaching out, He didn’t give me a huge spectacle. He gave me a tiny miracle that other people looked over, but that meant everything to me and showed me that He loves me and cares for me every single day. God answers all your prayers and shows up for you every single day.

“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Waiting

“29 He gives strength to the weary, And to the one who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

— Isaiah 40:29-31 (NASB20)

Waiting.

That is my season right now. The Lord asked me to move, so I moved, but He has not revealed the next step. Here – I’m supposed to wait.

Wait for the right open door.

Wait for direction.

Wait for Him to place me where He wants me.

Here’s the thing:

I struggle with patience. And I want to be in control. I’m sure none of you can relate to that, right?

In the waiting, both of those things are tested. What does next year look like? Where does He want me to go?

I thought I knew what the rest of my career looked like. I was home. With my people. Comfortable. Until – a yearning for more began to rise up in my heart. I never wanted to be anywhere else.

Until some things began glaring at me…until I poured myself out for everyone else…until I saw the sacrifice my own children made for me to hold this job. Until I grew tired – weary. Restless.

Then my thoughts became more like:

Can I really do this for the next 10-15 years?

I love my school so much, but it is time for change.

During this wait, I have watched the interviews happen to fill a spot that I have held for five years. Though it shouldn’t bother me, it does. There’s a lump in my throat even now. This spot…this place.

Not my will, but Yours, Lord.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Even when we want to shove Jesus out of the way and take the reins back, we still have to trust. Letting him direct us may be difficult, but it will be worth it.

I’m doing my best to trust right now. I know He will direct me…and that’s the truth I’m going to walk in.

During this wait, I have noticed a change. That restlessness – gone. The weariness – gone. I am enjoying time with my girls already even though I’m still going to work every week. My situation hasn’t changed yet, but my heart and mind has. Sadness has been replaced with hope and excitement.

I know the Lord has led me to this moment. I know He’s working on me. I know He already knows the next step even if I don’t yet. I have to trust that even when the control freak tries to take over again. Each day, I have to resolve that I will trust that He will provide the door. 

So here – I – wait.

Here’s my question for you: 

Are you trusting God with those areas you like to control? If not, take a step of faith. Trust Him to do what He says. Let Him direct your path and if He asks you to, wait on Him. The rest I have found in Him already is so very worth the step of faith.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
Romans 12:9

Have you ever had days when you just don’t want to______ ? Get out of bed? Pray? Read your Bible? Exercise? You fill in the blank.
You just want to cry uncle and go back to bed.

Discouragement is real and I have to be diligent to keep it in check. My nature is to push through in my own strength and be like Martha. Just. Keep. Going. That doesn’t last long and I’m worse off for trying.

Even if it’s for just a 1/2 hour I need to follow Mary’s example to sit with Jesus. I have to fill myself with His love and receive the rest and encouragement He alone can provide.

We have to be diligent because discouragement comes straight from the enemy. He is going to try and back us off the plate any way he can. Curve balls, breaking balls, fast balls to the helmet….he is relentless. Stay in the box. Crowd the plate more. That’s what we are called to do. Press. In.

The verse I shared is from a good solid Christian walk chapter. It tells us exactly how we should walk in the Kingdom and minister to others.
We start by being a living sacrifice, renewing our mind and move on from there.

About mid chapter Paul reminds us to let love be without hypocrisy. 😳
Y’all it’s peopley. It’s messy. It can be discouraging. If anyone knew that it was Paul. We have to battle letting hypocrisy creep in. When it does we have to take the time to go back to 12:1 and restart the renewal process.

Reminding myself that my works and good deeds are filthy rags if Jesus is not the driving force behind them is key. Renewing my mind to keep it in line with His truth is of utmost importance. Without His love shining through me I can accomplish nothing and hypocrisy will creep in. (Think clanging cymbal)

God is faithful to love me, encourage me and use me. That’s my focus. Shake off the discouragement and remind the enemy of his future. He is truly defeated. 🤺