Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭141‬:‭3‬ 

Last week, I should have prayed that verse. I was in the last week of school, tired, ready for a break, a bit stressed with all that was going on, and I had a moment where I spoke words that I should have kept to myself. Have you been there? I had to apologize for the words I spoke, and I still feel bad about it. The person forgave and so did God. I am so thankful for forgiveness. 

I have pondered that moment a lot over the last week. I have beat myself up and I have regretted my uncontrolled words. Yes, I’m forgiven, but moving forward, how do I keep it from happening again? This morning, I was thinking about that moment and God reminded me of Psalm 141:3. The answer is there. Pray for God to set a guard and watch over our words. I must allow the words that come from me to be filtered by God. 

We live in a society that thinks it’s ok to say whatever in the name of “freedom of speech”. “Freedom of speech” does not allow us as believers to speak ugly words, say mean things, or express our opinions in ways that do not glorify God. We must speak and post words that are filtered by God Himself because our words have consequences. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ 

The words that come from us have the power to give life and they have the power to destroy. May God be the filter for our words so that we are spreaders of life and not destruction.

Let’s be real, ladies: midlife can feel like a cosmic joke where your metabolism slows down, your joints start making sound effects, and your internal thermostat is permanently set to “hellfire.” But those hot flashes? Think of them as a physical manifestation of the holy fire God is brewing inside you. You are not fading into the background; you are being upgraded. The world might tell you that your prime is in the rearview mirror, but God says your most impactful season starts right now. Your ministry is found where you have been broken, because you can’t guide others through a valley you’ve never walked yourself.

Think about the absolute trainwrecks you’ve survived over the last few decades. Remember the heartbreak, the career pivots, the parenting crises, and the hairstyles you deeply regret from the ’90s. God didn’t let you survive all that chaos just so you could sit on the sidelines of life. Your testimony is found where you have been restored, and it is meant to be shared loudly. You are living, breathing, wrinkle-creamed proof that God can pick up shattered pieces and build a woman who is fierce, fabulous, and completely unstoppable.

The Scriptures back this up, proving that age only seasons us for greater battles. Isaiah 61:3 reminds us that the Lord will “provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” If He can swap ashes for beauty, He can easily swap your midlife crisis for a divine commission. You have traded the naive insecurity of your twenties for the battle tested authority of a woman who knows exactly who she is in Christ.

So, put on your reading glasses, lace up your New Balances, and get ready to run enemy territory amok. Do not hide your scars, your laugh lines, or the wisdom you bought with tears. The younger generation is desperate for mature women who aren’t afraid to get messy and show them how to fight the good fight. Your history of brokenness and restoration is the exact weapon God wants to use to shake up this world.

Lord, thank You that while my collagen is fading, Your grace is ever-increasing. Grant me the patience to handle my changing hormones, the strength to survive another night of night sweats, and the wisdom to remember why I walked into this room. Holy Spirit, ignite a fire in my soul today that burns hotter than any hot flash. Use my mess, my mileage, and my midlife wisdom to shake things up for Your kingdom. Amen.

June 19th will mark 10 years since I rededicated my life to Christ, and shortly thereafter will be the 10 year anniversary of God calling me into ministry. This decade has had so many ups and downs, lots of “I laugh so I don’t cry” and numerous: 

• “God what are you doing right now?!” 
• “This is what you wanted for me?”
• “Why are you leading me here?!” 
• “Where do you want me to go?”

I’m sure that we all have asked these questions a time or two in moments that might not be our best. When I have asked them, I had been, and still sometimes am, searching for God’s direction for my future. 

When we talk about God’s direction/provision/His will, we are actually often seeking for clarity on what’s coming next. Clarity is fantastic when you have it, don’t get me wrong, but it can easily distract us from what we really should be seeking out. 

There’s a quote by Mother Teresa that has changed my mindset when it comes to asking God for clarity. A man once came up to Mother Teresa and asked for her to pray for him to have clarity from God. She simply responded with, “I will not pray for clarity for you. Clarity is the crutch of the Christian. I will pray trust for you, that your trust will increase.” 

…what a gut punch!

Because we all do this right? We all desire to know what is just around the corner or what may be in store for our future. And the tricky part to this, is that this desire “to know” can grow from a good place like excitement and the ambition to be prepared. Yet – seeking out clarity for the next step can often cause us to miss out on where God has us. 

Yes – this is a spiritual “Stop and smell the roses” devo – you’re welcome 🙂

If we’re being honest, we often seek out clarity because we don’t trust God with making the plans. Or if we do trust in His plans, we don’t trust in His timing. When we don’t trust in His timing, we often seek out the next step prematurely so that we know it is indeed on the way. 

This tends to be me when I think about the future. Seeking clarity for me isn’t about knowing what’s coming up, it’s seeking out that something is coming. If you are anything like me, you know that this is a tricky place to be, and I’m so glad God knew we would need reminders in His Word for this exact situation:

• His timing is perfect (Is. 60:22).
• His timing is intentional (Ecc. 3:11).
• His plans are for good (Rom. 8:28).
• His plans will be made complete (Phil. 1:6).

So – God perfectly and intentionally placed you where you are for your good and your growth! Seek to grow your trust, not your need to know what God has in store. He will make known your next steps in His timing, so be present in the place God has you for right now. The future will come in His time, but the present is already here. Enjoy it the best you can:)

At the end this month, my husband and I will be married for 6 years. My name has long been changed and we have moved several times, yet, every now and then I will still get something in the mail that has my maiden name on it. It’s usually some subscription service that I’ve long discontinued and it’s always something along the lines of “We miss you; we want you back! Save X-amount when you restore your account.” It’s probably something embarrassingly expensive that I never should have gotten into in the first place, but they try to reel me in with the limited time offer of “savings” or additional benefits. 

The world calls you by your old name and tries to get you reinterested in places you had no business being in the first place. The world tries to convince you that you are “missing out” if you choose not to be involved. The world tries to woo you with suspiciously convenient too-good-to-be-true benefits at a price that ends up being much higher than it initially seems. 

Romans 6:21-23 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We now have a new name and a new address! Return that mail back to sender because they no longer live here! The old identity is cast away and we get to take on our new identity in Christ. As God’s children, not only do we belong at the Father’s house, but we have a place prepared at His table because He already anticipated protecting us and providing for us. Our heavenly benefits far surpass the maximum satisfaction that this world can offer. These benefits are eternal; there is no time limit, and the price was already paid on our behalf. How can we possibly miss out on anything when we have unlimited access to the One who has authority over all things?

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

Mother’s Day weekend – one of my most favorite weekends of the year. I am surrounded by so many great mothers who inspire me to be a better mother each day, and I love a good reason to celebrate them! 

Motherhood is a beautiful calling, but boy is it also exhausting at times. There are days when the laundry piles high, patience runs thin, and your energy to keep going feels completely nonexistent. Yet even within all of the unseen moments, we must remember that God sees your faithfulness through every part of every day. 

“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. ” — Galatians 6:9

Kingdom work can look like this:

When you wake up tired and still choose kindness. 

When you guide little hearts even when yours feels overwhelmed. 

When you keep showing up, loving, teaching, and giving. 

Sometimes we all need a little reminder that God has placed you exactly where you are right now for a purpose. Your home is not just a place of routine and the to do lists, but it is a place of ministry each and everyday. The seeds you plant daily in your children’s lives are eternal.

The moments that we think are the smallest everyday things such as packing the lunches, wiping the tears, reading the bedtime stories — they all become acts of worship when done for Him.

On the days when you feel like you have nothing left to give, yet you somehow always find a way, remember this:

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

God does not expect perfection. He simply calls you to remain faithful. He will strengthen you when you are weak and carry you when you think you can’t go on.

Keep going, mama. Not in your own strength, but in His. You are not just raising children. You are building the Kingdom one faithful, tired, love-filled day at a time. Soak up every single moment because we all know just how fast it all goes by. 

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all!

My youngest son recently decided he is ready to buy his first home. It is an exciting new season for him, but also a season of patience and prayer. Our advice to him first and foremost has been that you want a house with a firm foundation. It doesn’t matter how good the house looks, if the foundation is bad, this will compromise its structural integrity. It reminds me of the parable Jesus taught in the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

 It is clear that Jesus is emphasizing that any one who hears His words and puts them into action is wise. Our entire christian walk revolves around wisdom found in God, instead of relying on our own understanding. When our foundation comes from the word of God we are able to fight through life’s storms. The floods(troubles) will not overtake us. Our lives can look very similar externally, but it is what is in our hearts that determine our paths. If we lean on God our Rock and follow His commands, we are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The wise man lives obedient to God’s word. We should put action to His commands. We are called to be disciples and to spread the gospel to the world. When our actions match the words we speak, that is our testimony.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1: 22-25

We have to view our lives from an eternal perspective. Everything we do follows us into eternity. When we read scripture we need to pray God will supply us with the ability to walk in wisdom in everything we do and say. Jesus was the perfect example of what we should strive to be. He modeled  a perfect life that honors God. We are not capable of living a perfect life like Jesus, but we do have a choice of  where we build our house. We don’t want our lives to crumble under pressure. Let’s live our lives with security and hope that our foundation is unshakeable.

“Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.” Psalm 62:6-7

I can remember learning to set margins on a typewriter in my high school typing class. Can you?  I was recently preparing a message for a breakout session for a women’s event and came across an interesting tidbit in an article about margins. 

Margins haven’t always been about neatness. (Have you ever had a teacher take off points for writing in the margin?).  According to the article, margins were often used to create space around the page because even if the edges were damaged by mice, the important message in the center would still remain intact.

Doesn’t this make for an interesting analogy for life? Full schedules, constant digital noise and notifications, relationship tensions, mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, and the list can go on. All the things that “chew at the edges.” If I’m not mindful, those things won’t stay on the edges. They’ll start eating the way into the center. Soon my peace, priorities, purpose, and relationships that truly matter are in danger. 

It just so happens that April is National Stress Awareness Month, an annual campaign started in 1992, created to bring awareness to the modern stress epidemic. God’s Word is filled with teachings about the importance of space, rest, boundaries, and  limits. 

Exodus 20:8 -10 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

If I know creating margin, space, and boundaries are needed to protect the important stuff, why can it be so difficult to do so?  Why may we feel we have to fill every space? 

The world’s influence sends messages like, “Busy equals important.” “Full calendars equal success.” “Slowing down must mean we are falling behind.” If we aren’t vigilant, productivity becomes tied to our personal identity. Rest and quietness become uncomfortable, foreign. 

Another interesting point I read is over time margins became more than protection, they became places of engagement. Scholars and scribes used margins to write notes beside the text. Teachers wrote corrections in the margins of student papers. Editors made revisions there. It became a space for reflection, correction, and growth. 

“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 1:2-3 NLT

Without margin, space, and quietness for our hearts, there’s no space to listen. No place for God to speak. For correction. For growth, reflection, or even gratitude.

Margins in our lives don’t equate to laziness or wasted space. They are protection for the things that matter most.