Romans 12:11 “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

 This time of year is the perfect time to ask yourself, “Am I treating my time with God as something that’s set apart?”

The relationship God desires with us is something we can’t comprehend. He listens to us in prayer and speaks to us through His word. We know from Romans 8 there’s absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God. 

Psalm 1:3 describes one who loves the word of the Lord as a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season. This is what we constantly need in our lives. Planted, producing spiritual fruit, drinking of the living water.

 Being rooted in the love of God not only produces spiritual fruit but spiritual strength. We abide in Christ and Christ in us, a unique fulfillment that surpasses all knowledge and understanding. 

My husband and I welcomed our first born, Jonah back in April. He is 4 months old and such a blessing. 

I am a stay at home mom so I am with him 24/7. It’s the best thing in the world. We recently had a rough day though. He is teething and has also decided for himself that he only needs to take two thirty minutes naps a day and that’s it. Lol. 

The other day he was super fussy from being tired and his teeth hurting him and he would not calm down. I tried everything. He wasn’t hungry, he had a fresh diaper, I tried teething drops, I tried a nap, I tried a nap with him laying on me, I tried going outside…. I tried everything and I said to myself, “ I cannot do this. Why can’t I figure out what’s wrong.” And immediately I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to pray. So I prayed and begged the Lord to help me and help Jonah. 10 minutes later he fell asleep in my arms and took an hour nap. 

Philippians 4:13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This verse isn’t saying that God will give you strength to get through whatever you may be going through because you’re strong. No. It’s not about our own strength at all. It means that because of His strength we can do hard things. Because of the work on the cross we will make it through the battle. Because of Christ, through HIM and HIM alone we can do all things. Jesus died on the cross for my sins and your sins, but He rose 3 days later and because of that victory, the greatest one of all, the grace we need to survive our battles is given, and then some. 

I can do all things through Jesus Christ who showed the greatest strength ever, because He strengthens me because He saved me. 

I can get through a rough day with my 4 month old because of His strength on the cross. You can get through a rough day at work because of His strength. You can get through those family issues. You can get through the job search. You can get through your grief. You can get through your marriage struggles. Not by your strength, but by HIS strength, because He died for you.

Recently, I spoke with someone who had been holding space for a person processing some deeply painful and difficult things. “Holding space” means sitting with someone in their deepest pain, grief, or confusion without judgment or hurry.  It’s creating a temporary refuge where a person can be totally honest, really messy, and feel safe while doing so. 

This holding space kind of work doesn’t just happen in formal settings like at a hospital or doctor’s office, in a counseling session with a therapist, or in a church service with a minister.  It happens in the quiet, ordinary days of our lives where we are often called to hold space for someone… Space for the grieving friend dealing with the emotions of losing a loved one. Space for the one with the unexpected diagnosis. Space for the one with a marriage in trouble. Space for a parent of young children feeling overwhelmed. Space for aging parents who are grieving the loss of their health and independence. Space even for our  “strong friends”  you know, the ones who faithfully care for everyone else. 

Holding space can be sacred work. But let’s be honest, it can also be incredibly heavy. Sitting with someone else’s pain takes a toll on our own hearts. The truth is,  Jesus will sit in that space with us.  We may hold space for others, but we were never meant to hold the full weight of what they are carrying. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT) 

There comes a point when we have to take what has been entrusted to us and entrust it to Him. We can listen, love, pray, and be present but ultimately, we place that person and their pain into hands much stronger than ours.

Psalm 55:22 reminds us, “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.” We don’t have to solve every problem or carry every outcome. We can  hold space for someone for a season or a moment and allow Jesus to hold both of us.

The Lord has encouraged me to look for the space holders. The ones who stop and quietly listen, who faithfully show up when needed, and who often carry the weight of others. Even the strongest shoulders grow weary. They may secretly be longing  for someone who will simply let them be heard and receive care themselves. Reach out with a  kind note or word, a prayer, or a simple question,  “How are YOU doing?” And if needed … be a space holder for them. Galatians 6:2 (NLT)  “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” 

We are called to both carry and be carried. Wherever today finds you, I pray your “space” is filled with the peace and comfort of The Father.

are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

The older I get the more I realize my need to want to control every situation or circumstance that comes my way. I am a planner. I like to know every detail of the day and when things don’t go as planned I find myself frustrated, anxious, and at times even angry. I admit I have questioned God as to why he isn’t following the plan. I think as humans we all struggle at times and feel like God just didn’t get the memo. I know that is so prideful, but it is an honest struggle for me, anyway. I know that God understands and doesn’t condemn me for that! I also know that He does, however, expect me to repent and work on it.

Trying to control and manage every detail of life is not what the Lord intends for our daily lives. Our lives are to revolve around honoring and glorifying Him no matter what we face. We will never have all the answers and that is the way God designed it. That is why He commands us to have faith. He wants us to walk in the freedom that it’s all going to work out in His will and His way. We can look back and see the good in everything God has done for us. Yes, there are things we may never completely understand but we can be assured because we know the character of God. We know that He sees things we don’t! We just need to keep living to please Him in all that we do! The more we let go of our need to control, the more we can be a light and joy walking and serving the Lord.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Remember in Job, where He questioned God about his suffering? God answers him in chapters 38-41 with multiple questions that humble Job’s spirit.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, If you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” Job 38:4-5

That is a small part of what the Lord responded with, but wow, just these few questions is enough to humble me when I want to be in control and question God’s ways. I am so thankful for God’s word and that the Holy Spirit directs our minds to passages that help us in our struggling times.

“Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”Job 42:1-

There are seasons in life when we look around and wonder, “God, what are You doing?”

Seasons where relationships change, dreams don’t look the way we imagined, and the person we thought we would become feels so far away. Seasons where we feel like pieces of our life are falling apart one by one.

But what if the breaking isn’t the end of the story?

What if God is using the very things we thought would destroy us to create something new within us?

A few years ago, while I was sitting in graduate school, I had a picture in my mind of what my life would look like. I imagined myself working, building my career, and following the plans I had made for myself. I never imagined that a few years later I would currently be a stay-at-home mom, carrying my daughter into the library, watching her look around with curiosity, smile at strangers, and take in the world around her. I don’t feel anything like the same person I was three years ago, and yet now I am a mom, living a life I never could have planned for myself.

But standing there with my daughter in my arms, watching her smile and people-watch, I realized something: God’s plans were never limited to the ones I had created.

The life He gave me looked different than the life I expected, but it was filled with blessings I never knew I needed.

Looking back, I can see that some of my hardest moments were also some of the moments God was closest. When I felt uncertain, He was teaching me trust. When I felt unseen, He was reminding me that I was fully known by Him. When I felt like I was losing pieces of myself, He was gently showing me who I was always created to be.

God wasn’t wasting my pain. He was using it.

The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I used to think being joyful meant everything had to be going right. But God has shown me that true joy is not found in perfect circumstances. Joy is found in knowing that even when life looks different than we planned, God is still good, still faithful, and still working.

Just like a seed has to be buried before it can grow, sometimes God allows us to walk through seasons where we feel hidden, uncomfortable, and uncertain. But hidden does not mean forgotten. Waiting does not mean abandoned. And broken does not mean beyond repair.

The woman I am today is not the woman I was before the storms. I have more compassion, more understanding, and a deeper dependence on God than I ever had before.

I used to ask God to change my circumstances. Now I find myself thanking Him for how He changed me through them.

Because sometimes God doesn’t remove the fire immediately. Sometimes He meets us in the fire and uses it to refine us.

If you are walking through a season where you feel like you are falling apart, remember this: God is not finished with you. He is still writing your story. He is still creating something beautiful.

The same God who carried you through yesterday is already holding your tomorrow. 💛

Colossians 3:23-24 reminds followers of Christ that everything we do in our life- no matter how big or how small- should be done with our whole heart, as if we are working directly for the Lord. It can be easy to give only partial effort when a task seems of no importance, but God calls us to a higher standard because our work is ultimately an act of worship. When we remember who we are serving, even ordinary responsibilities take on eternal significance.

    This passage also challenges us to examine our motives. Many people work hard for recognition, praise, or rewards from others. However, those things are temporary and never lead to full satisfaction. During my high school journey, I always strived to fit into other groups and never truly focused on being the man Christ called me to be. In doing this, I was never working for the Lord, but instead I was working for man. By working for the approval of others and for myself through high school it made my early years a lot more stressful and heavy than what they should’ve been. It was my junior year when I realized that I was living all wrong. I stopped living for myself and instead tried to devote every aspect of my life to Christ. 

    Paul reminds us that we will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward for earthly faithfulness and service done for Christ. This faithful service is extremely important in high school and will ultimately play a major role in leading your path after graduation. This promise encourages us to persevere when our work feels difficult, exhausting, or unappreciated. God sees every act of obedience, every sacrifice, and every moment of faithfulness. Nothing done for Him is ever wasted or forgotten.

    God knows the plans He has for you during high school and even years after. Those plans are full of hope and a future. Rest in His love and faithfulness as you start either your adventure into high school or adventure into college.