Starts today


“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
My husband and I really took an extended trip to Italy to celebrate our retirement.  4 cities, 17 days, a couple of long flights, and the experience of a lifetime.  We usually plan our own travel, but this trip was a little (or a lot) daunting, so we used a travel agent who’s also a dear friend.  Our trip was amazing and most, if not all, of that is due to her diligence and planning.  She’s been there, done that, so she was able to discern the “must see” excursions from the overhyped, social media driven tourist traps.  

One of the best aspects of this trip, aside from not having to plan the minute details, was the private transfers to and from airports/train stations to hotels, partly because we didn’t have to hail a cab or catch a bus, but mostly because we were met by some of the nicest Italians.  Now I know what you’re thinking:  Jana, they’re in the tourism business, they’re SUPPOSED to be nice to you.  And you would be correct, but this goes further than that.  The absolute pride they feel to be Italian and to welcome you to their Italy is palpable.  It was incredibly cool to experience.

I mentioned we visited 4 major cities plus surrounding regions.  Everywhere we went was stunningly beautiful and the locals we interacted with were no different.  Italians as a rule have a style about them, for real.  Polished, put together, proud.  That style carries into their daily lives as well.  Without fail, the Italians we met were gracious and kind.  They were sweet, helpful, and mildly amused by these crazy Texans asking them questions.  

But what struck me the most was their pride for their family, their city, and their country.  I bet we heard “Let me tell you about MY Italy” at least 40 times during those 17 days.  That comment was usually followed by at least 10 minutes, usually longer, of them describing the town or region they’re from and why we need to come back and spend a month there.  From the shopkeeper in Venice who pressed upon us to not miss San Gimignano, the 30 minute conversation with the pharmacist telling us all about Sicily and what we had to do there when we come back, to the family-owned ceramic shop mom in Sorrento who not only introduced us to her daughters, but told us all about her kiddos at home and how grandkids are the greatest gift from God.  Italy, when you’re here, you’re family.

All of this got me thinking about what we project to both strangers and those we know.  I feel like, for myself, you don’t have to know me long to know how much I value my family and how absolutely beyond proud of them I am.  But what other messages am I sending, out loud or otherwise?  Do you know that I was raised in the church my entire life but that I really only recently rekindled a close relationship with Jesus?  Do you know that I don’t quote the Bible often because I feel like I don’t know it well enough, even though searching God’s word provides me with comfort and solace EVERY SINGLE TIME?  Do my words and my actions show that I’m not just a good human but also a good Christian? Do those words and actions say “Let me tell you about MY Jesus?”  

1 Peter 3:15 says ““But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

I think that as a society we are sometimes overly concerned with two things:  privacy and portrayal.  We want to keep some things private but then we also want to make sure we are portraying the message of our perfect life to the public. Because of that I think the most important, vital things get lost in the shuffle or hidden from public view.   

I consider myself an open book to my friends through the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I can roast my family, and myself, with the best of them.  But I came home from this trip with a different perspective.  I’m going to try to be intentional with letting people know, even total strangers, about the comfort and peace Jesus brings to me. Not just by my actions, but also verbally, out loud. Am I going to be good at it?  Probably not at first, because that is totally out of my comfort zone.  I’ll get better with practice.  Practice makes perfect, and practice starts now.    

Open your eyes

I had an entirely different direction I was going to go with this writing. But lately, I have been asking the Lord to open my eyes, direct my steps, and help me see Him in the little things I so often overlook.

If you know me well, you know I love old things. I love walking through antique shops, finding forgotten treasures, and seeing beauty in things that may be broken, worn, or tarnished. There is just something about seeing the potential in something others may have passed right by.

This week, my husband Cody, and I traveled to Round Top for a little getaway to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. We originally had a pretty elaborate trip planned, but life has kicked us around quite a bit lately, and we had to scale things back. While there was some disappointment in changing those  plans, I knew the Lord would work it out and that big New England Fall trip would happen when the timing was right. Little did I know He was about to use something as simple as antiquing to speak to my heart.

On our way there, Cody asked if I had a list of things I was looking for. I explained that I didn’t. This time, I was praying that the Lord would allow my eyes to fall on pieces that are meant for me. When I said that, it had the Holy Spirit hit me. 

Why am I not praying that same prayer over my everyday life? I should be praying this prayer in more ways than one. Not just toward an old piece of furniture or a forgotten treasure, but toward HIM. 

Toward the person who needs encouragement. Toward opportunities to show the love of Christ. Toward the blessings I’ve become so accustomed to that I hardly notice them anymore. Toward the beauty hidden in difficult seasons.

In 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” Elisha’s servant was surrounded by an enemy army, but when the Lord opened his eyes, he saw that God’s protection had been there all along. His circumstances hadn’t changed. His ability to see what God was doing had.

How often are we so consumed by the junk right in front of us that we miss what the Lord is doing all around us? We see the disappointments, the brokenness, and the plans that didn’t work out. But what if we started asking the Lord to show us what HE sees?

When I go antiquing, I don’t immediately dismiss something because it’s old or tarnished. I see what it could become. And isn’t that a beautiful picture of what the Lord does with us?

Isaiah 61:3 reminds us that He brings beauty from ashes. He restores, redeems, and brings purpose to things that may appear broken.

This now has me coming back to our anniversary trip. We didn’t get the elaborate getaway we originally planned. Something we had been wanting to do since we got married. But we got time together. We slowed down, enjoyed the simple things, and right there in the middle of a cow pasture antique show the Lord reminded me of something I desperately needed to hear.

What if I had been so focused on what we couldn’t do that I missed the beauty of what was right in front of me? And how often do I do that in everyday life?

My prayer is that we would begin each morning asking the Lord to direct our eyes. To help us notice the people, the opportunities, and the little glimpses of His goodness that we might otherwise walk right past.

Matthew 6:21 reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What a reminder to be intentional about where we place our focus and what we allow our hearts to treasure. Are we so consumed by the things of this world and the circumstances right in front of us that we miss the Lord working all around us?

Through this experience, he reminded me that the most beautiful treasures aren’t the ones we set out looking for. Most of the time they’re the ones the Lord opens our eyes to see. Lord, direct our eyes so that our hearts may remain fixed on You. 🤎

Murky waters


When participating in any type of aquatic recreational activity, I have one rule—the bottom of said body of water must be visible from the surface. If I can’t see my toes, I’m out. Even if I can count the toes on my feet, I’m leery of anything that moves in the water that is not of the human kind. There was a viral video several years ago in which a woman proclaimed most definitively that the ocean is the shark’s home, and we don’t need to go in the shark’s home. I’m wholeheartedly on board with this line of thinking. I used to love the lake until I saw the news story of the 13-foot gator that called our cove his home. Absolutely not. I’m done. You can have the whole lake, sir. Even when my husband and I are in the crystal-clear waters off the southern coast of the Florida Keys, the salty viscosity of the ocean mixed with sand and plant life still clouds visibility and evokes sheer panic in my mind. The thoughts of imminent demise overshadow any chance of relaxation or enjoyment in that situation, and so I leave my husband to blissfully float in the cool, crystal-blue water all by himself as I retreat back to the beach chair in the blazing hot sun.
Lately, life in general has me feeling like I’m floating around in murky waters, existing in a sweeping state of panic because I cannot clearly see what’s happening in front of me. How much longer are my husband and I going to work before retirement? Is my son going to fall in love, get married, and raise a family in England (his current residence)? Where is my daughter going to go to college in nine months? Will I live in Southeast Texas for the rest of my life? What if my grandchildren live in another state…or country?! Will we have enough money to take care of ourselves as we age so we don’t burden our children? I need answers, God!
It’s easy for us to get wrapped up in the “what if” or the “what will be” of this life because we have plans, but no crystal ball. I have to remind myself that it’s a normal human trait to want to know what the future holds…especially when that future involves the ones I love the most in this world. And God, in His perfect love for us, meets us where we are in this struggle. I tell Him all the time that I’m stressed out about the future, but He already knows. He can handle it. He planned for it. That’s why His love letter to us, the Bible, is full of reminders to cast our cares on Him. David tells us in Psalm 55:22 to “cast your burden on the Lord,” and Peter echoes that same instruction in 1 Peter 5:7, telling us to cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us.
The word cast is what gets me. We’re not being told to carefully hold on to our worries while politely asking God to help us manage them. We’re being told to throw them His way. All of them. The questions about our children, our finances, our future, and all the things we can’t possibly know or control. He doesn’t ask us to figure everything out before we hand it over. He simply asks us to trust Him with what we cannot see. And that’s where I struggle.
Much like my adventures in the ocean, I want to see what’s out there in front of me before I commit to staying in the water. I want to know what’s coming, what’s lurking around the corner, and exactly where my feet are going to land. I want reassurance that everything is going to work out the way I’ve imagined it should. But faith doesn’t come with crystal-clear water and an unobstructed view of the bottom. Sometimes faith means floating in the deep, murky water with absolutely no idea what’s beneath you or what’s ahead. It means trusting that the One who created the water knows every inch of it, even when you can’t see a thing. And maybe that’s what God is trying to teach me in this season of life. I don’t have to know where my children will end up, what retirement will look like, or where the next chapter will take us. I can find joy in the life that God has given me today and rest in the fact that I don’t have to see the the future to know whose hands it’s in.
So, the next time my husband is floating peacefully in the ocean while I’m sitting on the beach worrying about everything that might be swimming out in front of him, perhaps I’ll remember that there’s a reason he’s enjoying the water and I’m not. He’s willing to float without knowing what’s coming towards him. And I’m so busy trying to see what’s in the distance that I’m missing the beauty of the water all around me. Maybe it’s time I learned to float, too.

Thankfulness

Thankfulness comes naturally to me. I wake every morning and begin thanking the Lord for His provision, protection, and abundant kindness to my family. I thank Him as I drink my coffee that I am living in my dear grandmother’s home, loved by a wonderful man, blessed with a beautiful view out my large back window.

 I am daily thankful for my Godly heritage, faithful children, the miracles I’ve seen the Lord do in my life and the lives of friends and family. And the greatest miracle of all, Jesus Christ providing salvation for all who will simply come and receive.

Some days though, the Lord really shows up and shows off! He shakes us out of our routine and reminds us that He is the promise keeper and our true provider and protector; He deserves all the praise and all of the thanks that we can express! Yesterday was one of those days.

Around 12:45 on Monday, Sept. 28, the call for prayer went out. A 5 yr old boy in our church family had been at a local lake fishing with his dad and had wandered off into the depths of the Big Thicket! It was a long, fearful day that brought a huge group of church family and law enforcement out to the middle of nowhere to search and to pray for his safe return. The search lasted around 6 hours! During that time, we prayed and we begged our Father, God, for mercy on this family, for protection over this child, for wisdom and supernatural eyes and ears for all who were searching. Praise God, right about sunset, he was found, safe and sound.

This morning I woke up so thankful to God for turning what could have been a day of grief into a day of rejoicing! It occurred to me; I want to spend as much energy and time today thanking God for His mercy and goodness as I did begging Him for it yesterday. Let us never forget the Lord’s kindness towards us; let us never take it for granted. As we walk with the Lord, there are no coincidences or happenstances, He orders our steps and gives guidance as we need it.

So today, give Him the praise and thanks due Him. Don’t miss an opportunity to join with the heavens and proclaim that He is good and His mercy endures forever.

Psalms 100:4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise, Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Psalms 118:1 “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!For His mercy endures forever.”

The perfect mix

I have the belief that there is nothing a medium rare chocolate chip cookie can’t fix. One that is gooey in the middle, but the edges are slightly crispy (but not too crispy). That is the perfect cookie in my professional opinion.
Think of all the individual ingredients that typically go into chocolate chip cookies: flour, egg(s), baking powder and/or baking soda, and salt. These ingredients by themselves are quite gross. The other ingredients such as brown sugar, sugar, butter, and chocolate chips are very delicious, but typically better when combined with other ingredients.
When baking chocolate chip cookies, the sweet, salty, dry, and bitter all come together to create something beautiful. Isn’t life like that as well?
In life, hardships, grief, waiting, and disappointments feel unpleasant on their own, but they are necessary parts of the recipe. Some seasons of life feel hard, like we can’t catch our breath. Some are as peaceful as a fall morning on the front porch. Some seasons it feels like God’s blessing are pouring down from the sky. Some seasons feel lonely and secluded and we wonder if God hears us.
When we’re in the thick of it, it’s hard to see the good of that particular season. However, God takes the bitter and yucky and uses them in the master recipe of our lives. He takes the bitter and makes it sweet.
Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ tells us “He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also He hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.”
If it feels like you’re currently going through one of those bitter or yucky seasons, trust God. We, as humans, don’t know how things will play out because we don’t know the “recipe.” But God does. Trust that He will use all the ingredients, or seasons that we go through, to create something beautiful.
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Seasons of renewal

Fall is my favorite time of the year! I love the way the first cool snap feels. It is like a breath of fresh air, especially when that cool breeze blows, and the leaves start changing and falling to the ground. 

I read that the leaves fall off trees to help the tree survive the cold and dry winter months. Leaves lose a lot of water so, without leaves, the tree is able to store water for when the ground freezes and water is hard to find. If they remained on the tree,  they would hold snow and ice, which would weigh the tree down. 

When they fall to the ground the leaves decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients that will help the tree to stay strong. It is kind of a rest period for the tree which in turn gives the tree strength to come back to life in the spring. This reminds me that every season in nature and life always has a purpose.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

It is so easy to let the busyness and worries of this world pull us from the peace of God. The enemy, Satan, likes to attack our minds and lives and keep us so busy that we don’t know if we are coming or going. 

The fall season represents a time of rest and renewal. A time to let go of things from the previous season’s burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Like the tree, it is okay to have a season of rest. God wants us to rest. 

This isn’t about being lazy but about taking the time to allow God to be God. This honors God because it shows our faith and trust in His provision and protection. When we realize our rest comes from Him, we will experience a season of renewal and it will strengthen us. 

We can shed all the burdens that would weigh us down.  We can have confidence that each new season whether good or bad is in the hands of our Lord and Savior. We just need to trust and obey, allowing His will and purpose to be accomplished.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Provision

I’ve been studying the biblical fall feasts, and this week families around the world are observing the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). You can read about it in Leviticus 23:33–43 and Deuteronomy 16:13–15.

For seven days, God’s people were told to live in temporary shelters, rejoice before Him, and REMEMBER how faithfully He had provided for them. It was also a celebration of the harvest and everything God had provided.

I’ve been thinking about how intentional God was to make sure His people didn’t forget what He had done for them. 

Maybe take a few minutes with your family this week to sit outside, read part of Leviticus 23, and talk about some of the ways God has provided for you. There is SO MUCH to thank Him for!

But this is the part that really got me…

When God told them to celebrate His provision, He specifically included people who could easily be overlooked (Deut. 16:14).

What if remembering how God has provided for us also causes us to look around and ask how we can be part of His provision for someone else?

And that immediately made me think about Rays of Sunshine. ☀️

Sometimes loving our neighbor looks like prayer and encouragement, but aometimes it looks really practical like providing school supplies, clothes, a new pair of shoes, or making sure a child has something to open at Christmas.

Many people probably don’t even realize how often Rays of Sunshine gets to step into those kinds of needs for children in our local public schools.

And let me say this! Daisy would NEVER ask me to use this space to promote Rays of Sunshine. But I love her and what she does through this ministry, and I think it’s important for people to know there is a practical way to help meet real needs right here in our community.

Let our prayer this week be, “Father, thank You for how faithfully You have provided for me. Now show me how I can be part of Your provision for someone else. In Jesus’ name, amen!” Then believe that He WILL show you and obey Him.

If you’d like to help Rays of Sunshine meet needs for local children, you can give through the link in the comments.

Keep sowing

Every Monday and Thursday morning for the past year, I’ve had to adjust my car seat. And every time I do, I say a silent prayer of thanks.

I’m so thankful that my husband now drives us—together—to worship the Almighty. (He’s taller than me, so he moves the seat back!)

For 26 years before that, I mostly went alone.

But now, there’s nothing sweeter or more precious than having my husband as my brother in Christ. I was blessed in the fact that he has always been a wonderful husband, father and provider. He never discouraged my faith. But he had not made that full surrender himself.

A lot of ladies (and men) find themselves in a similar situation. Some even carry a much harder burden with a spouse that actively discourages and disparages the faith of their partner. 

If this is you, I want to encourage you: don’t give up. 

Never stop praying for their hearts to be softened. Never stop being the example they need to see. Never stop loving them as Christ loves the church.

It’s hard to be unequally yoked. That’s why we are warned against it (2 Corinthians 6:14). But if you have found yourself in that position, I encourage you to pray for your spouse and your family. Be the example they need. Let them see your fruit. 

Our job is to sow the seeds and pray that it lands on the good soil. (Matthew 13:18-23, Mark 4:13-20, Luke 8:11-15) But like in the parable, it might not…for years, but keep sowing and keep watering and God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

Mamas (or Daddies)…keep bringing those babies to church. Even when it’s hard and they’re cranky, you’re cranky, and you feel like you don’t have the support system! Sing to them, study with them, read their Bible storybooks, and pray with them. You’re sowing seeds there, too. And your spouse is observing.

Most of all, do not forget to be humble and patient.

I failed miserably in this regard.

My pride led me to believe I had all the answers and had everything figured out. I had a haughty attitude that was not helpful in winning souls. I was a know it all, goody two-shoes! I was like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32)

Once I got that sin of pride in check and learned to communicate more effectively with my husband, we were able to have much better conversations. I could share Jesus with him.

And today, I get to adjust my car seat twice a week because the man I prayed for is sitting beside me on the way to worship. And now we can help one another on our walk.

Don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep being the example. Keep sowing. Keep watering. God is still working.

Carry the light

Lately, I’ve felt a stirring in my spirit that I can’t quite explain. I’ve felt a deeper desire to pray. To pray for people I know and people I don’t. To pray for the Church, our communities, our nation, and especially for a generation that seems to be desperately searching for Jesus. And I keep wondering if I’m the only one feeling it.

I’ve noticed a hunger in so many people for something deeper in our churches. We want worship to be more than a few songs we sing on Sunday. We want to encounter God. We want prayer to be alive. We want Spirit-led worship and a real desire for His presence. I think there comes a point when routine just isn’t enough anymore. Religion without relationship isn’t enough. We want Jesus. Maybe that hunger is part of what God is stirring in us. Maybe He is drawing us closer to Him  in the middle of everything happening around us.

We’ve seen enough brokenness. We’ve watched families hurt, people wander, churches struggle, and a generation look for answers in places that can never truly satisfy. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by it all, but I believe God is reminding us that we were never meant to carry all of it ourselves. We know the One who can. So we bring our families, our churches, our communities, our nation, this generation, and every burden on our hearts before Him.

Isaiah 62:6 says, “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never be silent day or night.” That verse keeps coming back to me. Watchmen don’t look away. They stay awake. They keep watch. They keep praying. And maybe that is what so many of us are feeling right now. Maybe the heaviness we’ve been carrying isn’t meant to pull us down. Maybe it’s drawing us deeper. Maybe it’s a reminder that there are things we are called to pray about instead of trying to carry them on our own.

So let’s answer it. Let prayer rise from our homes, our churches, our cars, our quiet places, and wherever we find ourselves. Let worship become more than something we sing. Let it become part of how we fight, how we surrender, and how we remind ourselves who God is. When we don’t know what else to do, pray. When we don’t know what to say, worship. When we don’t know what is coming, trust Him.

We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. We may not be able to change everything happening around us, but we can stand in the gap and call on the One who can. Let us be people who do not run from the darkness, but faithfully carry the Light of Christ into it.

Full surrender

If all the weight is on you,
your faith is in you.
Read that again.
I frequently see friends share about
the endless list of demands:
Be a present mom and a good wife. Be an excellent employee. Run the errands. Keep up with the calendar. Manage the house. Maintain a social life. Make it look easy. Not to mention, read your Bible and serve at church.
The comment section is often full of women comforting each other while confessing their inability to keep up and commenting on the load of their life.
I can relate…but we have to stop and ask:
Why does life feel like a load of bricks
if He says that His burden is light?
I found some insight in Isaiah 41.
Right before the comfort, promise, hope, and help of Isaiah 41:10, there is a heart check and challenge in Isaiah 41:6-7.
Isaiah describes the joint-effort of erecting an idol. “Each one helps the other, and says to one another, ‘Take courage!’ The craftsman encourages the metalworker…He fastens it with nails so it will not fall.”
SO IT WILL NOT FALL.
In my studying, I read that they had to hold the weight of the idol because God wasn’t the one holding it up.
They weren’t crafting on His foundation, they
were controlling and creating in their own faith.
They weren’t building in surrender and obedience, they were searching for a sense of security in themselves.
They weren’t establishing altars,
they were assembling idols
and bearing all the weight.
We may not build statues,
but we do build lives.
Lives that we often attempt
to hold up on our own.
Lives that are comfortable, controlled,
socially acceptable, Christian-looking,
but often not Christ-depending.
This is my personal conviction 😳🥺
And that’s heavy.
It’s heavy holding up life.
It’s heavy bearing all the weight.
Trying. Striving. Building. Bearing.
The good news is that God doesn’t ask us to hold up our lives, He invites us to be held by Him.
The hard part is that it requires
full surrender and true sacrifice.
We have to allow Him to rebuild our lives His way. It requires breaking. crushing, and removal, but it makes room for His strength, help, and freedom.
Like Isaiah 41:10 says, I will strengthen you:
I will help you; I will hold on to you with
my righteous right hand.”
If life feels heavy, ask yourself:
Who holds my life?
Who holds me up?
Let it be Him. Only Him. Always Him.
Here are a few ways I’m putting this into practice:
-Asking Him to expose what I’m trying to carry alone or control. Asking Him to break mindsets that break me, like the desire to fit in and keep up.
-Allowing Him to continually shift my mindset in marriage. This one is huge and changes the whole rhythm and weight of our home.
-Creating space in our schedules and prayerfully asking for permission before piling any more on my plate 🙃🥴
-Letting Him build. Getting out of the way. Trusting Him with the weight. Every single day. ❤️