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.

My husband and I have been teaching the youth about truly trusting the Lord in everyday life— not just saying it, but living it. Making sure our actions actually align with what we claim to believe. Let me be real – it’s been stepping on my toes.

Here’s the idea: 

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.’” — Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

In a world that constantly says “it’s all about you,” “follow your dreams,” and “do whatever feels right,” we have to remember… it’s never been about us. We’re called to deny ourselves. To lay down our plans, our timelines, our way— and truly follow Him. Because the truth is, we miss out on the fullness of what God has for us when we hold on to control. I’ve seen it in my own life. The most meaningful, powerful moments in my walk with Jesus have come when I fully surrendered. When I let go of my way and trusted His. 

My prayer for us is simple:
That we would speak the name of Jesus over our day before the world has a chance to speak. That we would take up our cross— laying down the “about me” mindset. That we would choose to follow Him… again, and again, and again.

To truly follow Him, this is what we must do. Take up your cross – you won’t regret it. 

I devoured several good detective-driven dramas and missing persons mysteries during March. There’s something about a good read in the spring sunshine. 

I do have to admit something: I’m NOT a good mystery reader. Far too often, I come across a case that can’t unfold fast enough. I can’t just end a chapter with a life on the line or my favorite character hanging off the cliff…so I flip to the end. That’s right, I bypass the spoiler alert and ruin the ending for myself. 

I sat laughing with my husband about how I impulsively and impatiently skip ahead to the end, but part of me wondered why. Why did I need to know how the story ended? Why couldn’t I just wait and see? Why did I rush my reading to get to the ending? Why couldn’t I sit at the end of a chapter? Why did I HAVE TO KNOW how it ends?

Well, to put it plainly and honestly: 

Because I crave control and comfort. 

Because not knowing is not okay for me.

Because uncertainty makes me anxious.

As I reflected on my tendency to turn too many pages at once, I thought about how I do the same in my own life. I want to look ahead and see how it ends. I want to skip right past the uncertain, unknown, and unsure and get to the unraveling. 

Will my test results come back clear or with concern?

Will my postpartum season be marked by anxiety?

Will my sons choose to follow Jesus faithfully?

Maybe you’ve asked similar questions.

Will my marriage make it through this?

Will we ever get past this pain?

Will I ever recover from this?

As I dug into my own life story, I realized it’s less mystery and more history. I don’t have to wait and see how my story ends. I don’t have to frantically flip to the end.

Jesus solved our mystery on Resurrection Sunday. 

We don’t have to sit at the cliffhanger or wait for the conclusion. It is finished. He wrote our ending, beautifully, wonderfully, better than we could have ever imagined. 

Us with Him.

No matter the chapters of our lives…

No matter the plot twists or turning points…

No matter the unknowns or uncertainties…

The end remains the same:

As believers, we will be whole and healed with our Father in eternity.

So, we don’t have to rush through the incredible, purposeful, beautiful, story He is writing. We already know how it ends.

At the time of this publication, I am 3 days post remembering the 38th anniversary of my father’s death. Seeing that most Rays of Sunshine readers are likely from Southeast Texas, then you also likely know of our family’s story. (And if not, Google can bring you up to speed.)

My father was the Beaumont police officer killed in the line of duty on March 22, 1988. 

Two weeks before my 7th birthday.

I will never forget the chaos of that night. News crews everywhere. Cop cars everywhere. A driveway lined with food. People I had never met talking to me. My PaPaw and MeMaw drove in from Dallas; I can still see his giant, sturdy figure standing in our living room, glued to the tv. My neighbor rocked me. I barely knew what was going on, but I knew enough. 

What I didn’t know on that very night was the million, tiny ways God would be working things out for good. If there is one thing that I hold tightly to in suffering, it’s this- you never know whether the bad thing is actually the good thing, so we have to trust God with all things. 

I’d like to tell you just one of those good things that came out of the bad thing. My father’s rookie was John. John’s wife, Staci, would help my mom out with babysitting. One night during the summer after my father died, Staci told me about Jesus. My little 7 year old heart had been through quite a bit in those few months. I had no choice but to mature from 6 to 16 overnight. Somehow, in the midst of the utter upheaval of my life, I understood Jesus because I understood bad guys. The man who killed my father was also accused and later found guilty of the gruesome deaths of 2 teenage girls. But it was my father’s death that put Lockhart in jail. So, here’s how I pieced that together- my father, a good man, had to die so that Michael Lockhart, a bad man, wouldn’t do bad things anymore. Jesus, a good Man, died so that bad people wouldn’t do bad things anymore. While my understanding of salvation has certainly matured from my 7 year old Bad Guys Theology, it was what drew me to Jesus. I wanted this Jesus who would always be with me and came to die for the bad things in this world.

Through my eighth grade Bible class with Sharon Monk, I realized that because I had been forgiven of my sins, I needed to forgive Michael Lockhart for his sin against me. “Forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you…” (Ephesians 4:32). This verse gives no boundaries or stipulations. With the Lord’s help, I was able to forgive this man for taking my father’s life. I wrote to him in prison, telling him about Jesus and that I had forgiven him for what he did. I have no idea if that letter ever made it to him. I know that many people would just assume that a murderer spend eternity in hell. And I get that. But I came to understand that my sin and that of a murderer fall under the same verdict- guilty. If Jesus could cover my sin, then he could cover Lockhart’s, too. I won’t know, this side of heaven, whether Lockhart ever surrendered his life to Christ. He was executed on December 9, 1997. 

I was there. 

So was God. He is not absent when bad things happen. This is a famous argument for people who do not believe in God and a struggle, at best, for many who do. The question isn’t just “why do bad things happen to good people?,” but “why do bad things happen at all?” Find a Bible and read Genesis 3, you’ll see why. But I encourage you to keep reading. If you do, you’ll also see how God rules over all and redeems everything. I used to struggle deeply with the idea of God’s sovereignty when I had experienced something so horrific. But now I take great comfort in it. While I do not know “why” my father was killed, I trust that God does. This piece of my story is still very sad for me, even 38 years later. But it’s also filled with hope as this is a “what you meant for evil, God meant for good” moment. God was there on that night in 1988, He was there on that day in 1997, He is here with me as I write these things today. Not only that, but only God can bring about eternal good for people like me, people like Lockhart, people like you. 

Whatever He has brought you today, remember that you don’t know if this bad thing could be the good thing, so ask Him to help you trust Him with all things.