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Get Higher

As I was reading in Luke 19, I came across the story of Zacchaeus. Most of us know the story. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but there was a problem. The Bible tells us that he was a short man, and because of the crowd, he could not see over the people around him.

So what did he do?

He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus.

As I read that passage, I couldn’t help but think about how often this happens in our own lives. Sometimes there are things standing between us and a clear view of Jesus. Sometimes it is stress. Sometimes it is busyness. Sometimes it is fear, disappointment, distractions, or simply the demands of everyday life.

The reality is that when we stay down in the middle of it all, it can be difficult to see what God is doing.

Zacchaeus recognized that if he wanted a better view, he needed to get higher.

That reminded me of our recent trip to Hawaii. We hiked the Diamond Head Crater Trail on Oahu, starting at the base of the crater and making our way to the top. The climb was not easy. There were steep sections, uneven ground, narrow pathways, tunnels, and what felt like countless stairs. At times, all you could see was the next step in front of you.

But as we climbed higher, something changed.

The higher we went, the more clearly we could see. What was hidden at the bottom became visible from above. The view at the top was absolutely breathtaking. We could see the ocean, the coastline, and so much more than we ever could from where we started.

Life can be like that.

When we are stuck in the middle of our circumstances, it can be hard to understand what God is doing. We may not see how things could possibly work out. We may not see the purpose behind the struggle.

Yet Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The challenge is that we do not always see that when we are standing at ground level.

Sometimes we need to climb higher.

For me, one of the ways I do that is by protecting my time with the Lord each morning. Before I start my workout, before I eat breakfast, before I dive into my to do list, I grab my coffee and spend time with God. I read His Word. I pray for my family and friends. I talk to Him about the day ahead and the things weighing on my heart.

That time helps lift my perspective above the noise of everyday life. It helps me see things through His eyes instead of my own.

What about you?

What might you need to climb above in order to see Jesus more clearly?

Maybe it is worry.

Maybe it is distraction.

Maybe it is a packed schedule that leaves little room for God.

Whatever it is, be encouraged today. Like Zacchaeus, make the choice to get higher. Position yourself where you can see Jesus clearly. The view is always better from above.

To listen to encouraging messages to build your faith and strengthen your walk with Jesus, head over to my YouTube channel! Link below

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Be the One

In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten men who were suffering from leprosy. What stands out to me is that the healing did not happen immediately. Jesus told them to go, and the Bible says that as they went, they were healed. It took faith for them to start walking before they saw the miracle.

Can you imagine being one of those men? After years of isolation, pain, and rejection, suddenly your skin is restored. Your life is given back to you. Your family, your future, and your freedom are all restored.

Yet out of the ten who were healed, only one came back.

When he realized what Jesus had done, he turned around, ran back, fell at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. Jesus noticed. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17).

As I read this passage, I found myself asking a simple question. Which one am I?

I want to be the one.

I want to be the one who notices God’s blessings and takes time to thank Him for them. I want to be the one who chooses gratitude instead of complaining. I want to be the one who sees the good in people instead of focusing on their faults. I want to be the one who speaks life, encourages others, and looks for reasons to be thankful.

Our world is full of criticism, negativity, and complaints. It is easy to join the crowd. It is easy to become one of the nine who simply move on to the next thing. But gratitude sets us apart. It changes our perspective and reminds us that every good thing we have is a gift from God.

Today, let’s be the one.

The one who says thank you.

The one who chooses kindness.

The one who sees the good.

The one who gives God the glory.

Because while ten received the miracle, only one returned to worship the Miracle Giver.

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Faithful in the Little Things

This morning I was reading Luke 16, the parable of the shrewd manager. The story begins with a manager who is about to lose his job because he has been wasting his master’s resources. Knowing his time is running out, he takes action and begins settling accounts.

As Jesus explains the lesson, He makes a powerful statement:

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” (Luke 16:10)

For years, this has been something God has continually brought back to my attention.

Many of us have big dreams. We feel God has placed desires in our hearts, ministries we want to build, people we want to impact, opportunities we hope will come. But often, while we’re waiting, we spend more time complaining about what we don’t have than being faithful with what we do have.

Why would God trust us to speak to thousands if we aren’t preparing well to speak to twenty?

Why would He increase our income if we’re not managing the money we already have?

Why would He expand our influence if we’re not stewarding the opportunities right in front of us?

The truth is that preparation happens long before promotion.

Faithfulness looks like showing up to work on time. It looks like handling our responsibilities with integrity. It looks like being honest with our time, our finances, our relationships, and our commitments. It looks like serving wholeheartedly, even when nobody notices.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this with my blog and with women’s ministry. Neither one is reaching the world right now, and that’s okay. My responsibility isn’t to make them bigger. My responsibility is to be faithful with what God has already placed in my hands.

God doesn’t ask us to be successful by the world’s standards. He asks us to be faithful.

So today, instead of focusing on what you wish you had, take inventory of what God has already entrusted to you. Are you stewarding it well?

Because often the little things we’re tempted to overlook are the very things God uses to prepare us for what’s next.

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Learning to Rest

This week’s blog is coming out a little later than usual because I just returned from a family vacation in Hawaii. Between the travel and the five hour time difference, my body is still adjusting back to Wisconsin time.

Our trip was incredible. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of God’s creativity. The variety of plants, the beauty of the ocean, the mountains, the wildlife, it all pointed back to the Creator. God didn’t have to make the world so beautiful. He could have created one type of tree, one type of flower, and called it done. Instead, He filled the earth with incredible variety for us to enjoy. As I reflected on that throughout the week, I was reminded of how good and generous He is.

But this post isn’t really about Hawaii. It’s about something the vacation reminded me of, the importance of rest. I want to spend some time talking about a subject that is very important to me, the Sabbath.

My family and I have always tried to be intentional about setting aside a day for worship, family, and rest. We attend church on Sundays, spend time together, and are careful not to fill the day with endless errands and activities. It’s a habit I’ve let slip in some ways recently, especially when it comes to putting my phone aside, but it remains one of the healthiest rhythms in my life.

What I love about the Sabbath is that God Himself established the pattern. After creating the heavens and the earth, He worked for six days and rested on the seventh. Later, when He provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, they gathered it for six days, but on the seventh day there was none. God was teaching His people to trust Him enough to rest.

I’ve seen that principle at work in my own life.

During the pandemic, I began selling handmade masks through my Etsy shop. Orders poured in, and I found myself working 14 to 16 hour days just to keep up. I was constantly tempted to work on Sundays so I could get ahead. But I made the decision to continue honoring the Sabbath.

Looking back, I truly believe that weekly day of rest is what sustained me through that season. By stopping, worshiping, and trusting God instead of striving, I found the strength I needed for the days ahead.

I think one reason so many people feel exhausted today is because we never stop. For many of us, Monday through Friday is spent working. Saturday becomes the day to catch up on chores and responsibilities. Then Sunday becomes the day we spend preparing to do it all over again. We keep moving, but we never truly rest.

Yet I believe God offers us a better pattern.

There is an old saying, “The devil never takes a day off.” But I’ve heard someone respond, “God rested one day a week, so who are you trying to imitate?”

I’ve always found that thought provoking because Scripture calls us to be imitators of God. God modeled rest for us. He knows we are not designed to run endlessly without stopping. It was never His intention for us to live overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted every day of the week.

Jesus said in Matthew 11 that those who are weary and burdened can come to Him and find rest. I believe that honoring the Sabbath is one practical way we do exactly that. We come to God and say, “Lord, I know there is still work to be done, but I’m trusting You enough to stop. I’m trusting You to provide what I need.”

We often quote Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Usually we think about material provision when we read that verse, but I believe rest is part of God’s provision too. When we seek His ways first, He gives us what we need, including peace, strength, joy, and rest.

So if you’ve never practiced a Sabbath before, I’d like to challenge you this week to give it a try. Set aside a day to truly rest. Spend time with God. Put aside the endless to do list. Trust Him with the things that will still be waiting tomorrow.

For me, that day is Sunday. For you, it may be another day depending on your schedule. The specific day matters less than the intentional choice to stop, rest, and trust God.

You might be surprised by how much you need it.

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Little by Little

I started running back in 2018, and lately I’ve been sharing a little more about my running journey. I really enjoy running, but I wasn’t able to run for the last three years. It’s been really nice to finally get back out there again.

When I first started back in February, it was hard. I look back now at my pace, and it took me a long time just to do a little bit, but I’m really glad I started anyway. I’m the type of person that when I jump into something, I go all in. I want to move fast, progress fast, and do more right away. But this year, when I started running again, I told myself, “I really need to take my time,” because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing too much too soon.

Honestly, it was hard to hold back sometimes. I felt like I could do more or go faster, but I’m glad I took my time. The Bible talks about in Ecclesiastes how there is a season and a time for everything, and how God makes everything beautiful in its time.

When I first started back running, it wasn’t beautiful. It would take me almost 45 minutes to run three miles, which for some people might even be a walking pace. But that’s where I was, and I’m thankful I didn’t let comparison discourage me or make me want to quit.

Now, I can run three miles much faster than that, and it only happened because I allowed my strength and fitness to come back little by little.

That phrase, “little by little,” reminds me of Exodus 23:30, where God says, “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

I love that verse because sometimes we want everything to happen immediately. We want instant growth, instant strength, instant results. But God often works little by little because He’s growing us in the process. Sometimes we are not ready yet for the full thing we’re asking for, and growth takes time.

This is a lesson I’ve had to apply throughout my whole life.

When I wrote my book from 2021 through 2023, I had to write it little by little too. I was homeschooling, still new to homeschooling, and I didn’t have large chunks of free time. I didn’t release my book until 2024, but little by little adds up.

Whatever feels overwhelming to you right now, start little by little.

Maybe you have a huge room you need to declutter. Work on it for 5 or 10 minutes, then come back tomorrow and do another 5 or 10 minutes.

Maybe you want to organize the 24,182 pictures on your phone. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and organize a few at a time.

We live in such an all-or-nothing society, and sometimes that mindset can become part of our personality too. But the truth is, you can accomplish a lot little by little.

I hope this encourages you today.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

So whatever feels insurmountable to you right now, just know that with the help of the Lord, and with the willingness to keep moving forward little by little, you can do it. You can make progress, and you can see success.

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Grace for the Race

Last week, I wrote about running our own race and staying focused on the path God has marked out for us. But during that same 10K race, something happened that stayed with me long after I crossed the finish line.

As I was running, I saw a woman walking in the opposite direction, crying.

I don’t know her story. Maybe she got hurt. Maybe she realized the distance was more than she expected. I truly don’t know the details, and this is in no way meant to shame her.

But seeing her walk away from the course made me think about how easy it can be in life to feel like turning around and giving up.

Sometimes life feels overwhelming. Sometimes we hit seasons where we think, “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

Maybe it’s your finances.
Maybe it’s your marriage.
Maybe it’s parenting, ministry, work, or just the weight of life itself.

Paul encouraged believers over and over again to keep going. In Galatians 6:9 he writes:

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

I love that verse because it acknowledges something important:
Sometimes you will feel tired.

But tired doesn’t always mean it’s time to quit.

One thing I love about races is that all throughout the course there are water stations. And it always amazes me how they seem to appear at exactly the right moment, right when you feel like you really need one.

When you’re running, stopping briefly at a water station doesn’t mean you failed the race. It doesn’t mean you quit. It simply means you needed to refresh yourself so you could keep going.

And I think Jesus is that for us.

Jesus said:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Sometimes what we need is not to give up.
Sometimes we simply need rest.
We need to pause, regroup, pray, worship, breathe, and spend time in the presence of God.

The goal isn’t to push ourselves until we completely fall apart. The goal is to stay in the race.

2 Peter 1:3 reminds us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. That means whatever season we are facing, God will provide the strength, grace, wisdom, and endurance we need to keep moving forward.

So if you’re tired, rest.
If you’re weary, go to Jesus.
If you’re discouraged, pause at the water station.

But don’t give up mid-race.

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Run Your Race

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. Paul writes:

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win. All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I’m not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified.”

Part of my goal for this summer is to let some of you get to know me a little bit better, and one of my favorite things in the world is running.

I started running in 2018, and over the years I’ve completed a few half marathons and even a marathon. I had to take a couple years off because of some different life circumstances, but this year I’m finally back to running consistently for the first time in three years, and honestly, it feels amazing.

There’s just something about being outside in God’s creation that brings me peace. The quiet. The movement. The fresh air. It clears my mind and settles my spirit in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it yourself.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran my longest race of the year so far, a 10K. The event also included a 5K, a half marathon, and a full marathon. Those races started before ours, so by the time we got onto the trail, runners from all the different distances were already spread out along the course.

At one point, I saw someone already turning around and heading back toward the finish line, and for a second I thought, How are they already that far ahead of me?

Then I remembered… they weren’t running my race.

They may have been part of the half marathon or the marathon. Their turnaround point was different than mine because their course was different than mine.

And immediately I felt the Lord speak something to my heart:

Stop comparing yourself to people who were never assigned your race.

How often do we do that in life?

We look around and think:
“They already bought a house.”
“They’re married.”
“They have kids.”
“They’re traveling.”
“They seem further ahead.”
“They’re doing better than me.”

And before we know it, we feel behind simply because we’re measuring our journey against someone else’s course.

But God never asked us to run their race.

He asked us to faithfully run ours.

We are not competing with other people. We are not competing with other ministries, organizations, or platforms. Our responsibility is simply to run the race God has marked out for us, and to run it well.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:23:

“The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.”

That verse has grounded me so many times.

When I feel behind…
When I feel uncertain…
When I wonder if I should be further along than I am…

I remind myself that if my life belongs to God, then He is ordering my steps.

Not because I’ve earned it through perfection or performance, but because I belong to Him.

That means every step matters.
Every season has purpose.
Every delay, every stretch of growth, every quiet season, every new beginning, God sees it all.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:26:

“So I run with purpose in every step.”

That’s what I want my life to look like.

Not distracted.
Not constantly comparing.
Not discouraged because someone else appears farther ahead.

I want to run with purpose the race God has given me.

Paul also says:

“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”

If I’m honest, there are plenty of mornings when I don’t want to run.

I don’t want to get up early.
I don’t want to run when it’s cold.
I don’t want to look at my training schedule and realize I have seven or eight miles ahead of me.

Sometimes I’d rather stay on the couch and watch a movie.

But training teaches you something important:
You don’t always do what you feel like doing. You train yourself to do what you should do.

And I think spiritually, that matters too.

So many people are overwhelmed because they’re focusing on everybody else’s calling, everybody else’s success, everybody else’s timeline.

But maybe the better question is simply:
What should I be doing right now?

Not ten years from now.
Not what someone else is doing.
Not what social media says your life should look like.

Just:
“What has God asked me to do today?”

Micah 6:8 says this:

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

That’s it.

Run your race.
Do what’s right.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly with God.

And trust that if He ordered your steps, He knows exactly where He’s leading you.

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Directed, Not Distracted

I was reading this morning in the book of Mark, chapter 1, verses 35 through 39. This is toward the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

It says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”

Jesus went off to be by Himself to pray, as He often did. The disciples found Him and said, “Everyone is looking for you.” There were expectations. People needed Him. People wanted Him. There were things to do.

But before He responded to people, He met with God.

The disciples had expectations of what Jesus should be doing and how He should be moving. But Jesus didn’t let the expectations of others determine His direction. He got His instructions from the Father first.

And because of that, when they came to Him, He already had clarity. He told them they needed to move on. That wasn’t random. That came from time spent with God.

For me, this is why having a morning routine with the Lord is so important.

And when I say morning routine, I’m not talking about skincare, workouts, or getting everything ready for the day. I’m talking about time with Jesus.

As believers, our lives should be in line with the Word of God. Ephesians 5:1 says to be imitators of God. That means we follow the example of Jesus.And Jesus got up early. He spent time with His Father. He received instructions for the day.

But a lot of times, we wake up and immediately start receiving instructions from everyone else.

We check our phones. We look at our schedules. We think about what we need to do, who needs us, what’s expected of us.

And before we know it, our day is already being directed by everything and everyone around us.

But what if we stopped first?

What if we took time to ask God, “What do You want me to do today?”

Because the truth is, I don’t know what I need for the day.

But He does.

No matter how busy the day is, I make time for this every morning. Because I don’t want to move based on pressure, expectations, or habit.

I want to move based on His instruction.

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When Stillness Feels Hard

Just a few minutes ago, I finished one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

In 2021, I ran my first, and possibly only, marathon. If you don’t know, a marathon is 26.2 miles, and it was very hard. In 2024, I released a book that I worked on for three years. For half of that time, I didn’t even have a laptop and had to write on my phone. That was hard too.

But the hard thing I just did was something that has always been difficult for me, and still is. I sat in silence for five minutes.

Silence is really hard for me. I like to talk. I like noise. I’m one of those people who has the TV on all day, even if it’s just a screensaver. Most of the time I’m listening to something, a podcast, a teaching message, or music. I just don’t really like silence.

But I’m working on incorporating times of silence with the Lord every day.

I have no problem spending time in His Word. I have no problem watching encouraging messages. I have no problem singing worship, writing, or journaling. But to just sit still, be quiet, and do nothing is so hard for me.

And yet, we see so many examples in Scripture where Jesus went off to a solitary place, an isolated place, to be alone. To sit with God.

That’s what I’m learning right now. To sit with Him. Not always asking Him for things, or telling Him about my day, or processing all my thoughts out loud. But just sitting and listening, being open to anything He might want to say.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I’m in a season where I’m coming out of a lot of movement and a lot of activity. And now, that movement is intentionally slowing down.

There’s a line from the Sound of Music where a character says that “activity suggests a life filled with purpose.” And I think that’s how I’ve lived for a long time, always moving, always doing, always filling the space.

But I’m learning something new.

I’m learning that stillness is not wasted. That quiet is not empty. That stepping back does not mean losing purpose.

Sometimes, the most faithful thing you can do is stop.

There are situations and seasons you cannot plan your way out of. No matter how much you think, organize, or prepare, it won’t be enough.

And in those moments, the invitation is simple.

Be still.
And know that He is God.

Be still, and wait for His instruction.

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Don’t Let the Crowd Silence You

I was reading in Matthew 20 about the two blind men sitting on the side of the road as Jesus was passing by.

They couldn’t see Him, but they heard that He was coming. And they knew, this is my moment. This is my chance. This is the One who can actually help me.

So they started crying out, “Lord, have mercy on us.”

And the crowd immediately tried to shut them down.

Be quiet. Stop yelling. Don’t bother Him.

But I love what the Bible says next. It says they only shouted louder.

They didn’t let the crowd silence them. They didn’t let the opinions around them quiet their need. They knew what they needed, and they knew who could meet that need.

And then it says something powerful.

When Jesus heard them, He stopped.

When they cried out, Jesus stopped.

Sometimes we can feel like we’re in such a great need, and nobody around us can help. No solution, no person, no resource can fix what we’re dealing with. That’s where these men were. The crowd couldn’t help them. The people around them couldn’t change their situation.

Only Jesus could.

And when He calls them over, He asks a simple but deep question:

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

I think about that sometimes. If Jesus asked me that today, what would I say? What would you say?

It’s easy to throw out surface-level answers, but when you really stop and think about it, what is the real need?

These men didn’t hesitate.

“Lord, we want to see.”

They knew exactly what they needed from Him.

And Jesus, full of compassion, touched their eyes, and instantly they could see.

But what stands out to me most in this story is not just the miracle, it’s their persistence.

They refused to be silenced.

There are times in life where it’s appropriate to be quiet. But there are also moments where you cannot afford to stay silent. Moments where you have to go against the noise, against the pressure, even against what people around you are saying, and cry out to Jesus anyway.

Because the crowd isn’t your answer.

The crowd can’t heal you.

The crowd doesn’t carry what Jesus carries.

So don’t let the crowd silence you.

If you’re in a place of need, cry out to Him.

If you’re desperate, cry out louder.

If everything around you is telling you to be quiet, that may be the very moment you need to speak up.

Because when you cry out to Jesus, He hears you.

And He still stops.

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A Different Kind of Clean

I was reading Matthew 23, where Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders, the Pharisees and others who were interpreting the law of Moses. He doesn’t hold back. He calls out how everything they do is for show, how they elevate themselves above others, and then He reminds them of what really matters.

“The greatest among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

He goes on to say that while they are careful to follow the law, they are neglecting what matters most: “justice, mercy, and faith.” (Matthew 23:23)

But what really stood out to me was this:

“You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy, full of greed and self-indulgence… First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too.”

Matthew 23:25–26

“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28)

As I read this, it made me think about something very practical. I am in a season of spring cleaning right now, going room by room, getting rid of things that no longer serve us, donating what I can, throwing things away, and reorganizing what’s left.

And it hit me, how easy it is to do that in our homes, but not in our hearts.

It is easy to let things build up inside. Pride, greed, bitterness. Just like clutter in a room, those things do not just disappear. They sit there until we deal with them.

So while I am spring cleaning my home, I am also asking God to help me spring clean my heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

We live in a culture that puts so much emphasis on the outside. Looking put together. Wearing the right things. Presenting ourselves well. And while those things are not wrong, they can easily become the focus.

But God looks deeper.

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

And the truth is, when we look honestly at our hearts, we need Him.

“The heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6)

We cannot clean our hearts on our own. Real cleansing only comes through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

So this has become my prayer in this season: that I would not just focus on the outside, but that I would take time to sit before God with an open heart, willing to receive His correction and His refining.

To let Him deal with what is inside first.

Because when He cleans the inside, the outside follows.

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Make it Enough

There’s a popular movie from the 90s, the best decade ever, with a scene where the main character’s mom sends him to the store. He looks at the money she gave him and complains that it isn’t enough for what she asked him to buy. She looks at him and simply says, “Make it enough.”

Have you ever felt like what you have just isn’t enough?

I was reading in Matthew 14:13 about when Jesus feeds the five thousand, and it led me to a simple but honest question.

I am not even talking about finances necessarily. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough time in the day to do the things you would like to do. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough energy to do the things you need to do. Or maybe you feel like you do not have the capacity to serve the way you want to serve. You are doing the best you can, you are doing what you can, but it still feels like it is not enough.

As I was reading this story, it really encouraged me. There were large crowds that had come out to see Jesus, and they were hungry. The disciples even encouraged Jesus to send the people away so they could go into the villages and find food for themselves. But Jesus responded in Matthew 14:16, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

This story is told in all four Gospels. In one account, a disciple finds a little boy with a small lunch. In Matthew, when Jesus tells them to feed the people, they respond in Matthew 14:17, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

They were stating a fact. What they had was not enough.

And that is often where we stop. We see the facts, and we feel defeated.

But Jesus did not stop at the facts. He gave them instructions.

First, He said to bring what they had to Him. When we feel like we do not have enough, what we do have needs to be placed in Jesus’ hands. I think about waking up in the morning and saying, “Lord, I have things I want to do today. Maybe I did not sleep well, maybe I feel tired, but I give this day to You.”

Then Jesus had the people sit down on the grass. He created order. He made a plan.

If you feel like you do not have enough, that may be true, but it is not the end of the story. Look at what you do have and give it to the Lord, then take a moment to organize. What actually needs to be done today? Maybe instead of trying to do twenty things, you only need to focus on three. Jesus paused and brought structure before the miracle.

Finally, Jesus took the loaves and the fish, looked up to heaven, and blessed them. He gave thanks for what was already in His hands.

That is a reminder for us to thank God for what we do have and trust Him to make it enough.

Matthew 14:20 says, “They all ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.”

Because the disciples were obedient in giving what they had to Jesus, it became more than enough.

If you are in a season where you feel like what you have is not enough, I want to encourage you to give it to Jesus.

He will make it enough.

Posted on by jwlozano

Take It Off: Criticism and Hypocrisy That Cover the Gospel (Week 5)

Scripture references: Galatians 5:14–15, 24–26; Matthew 7:3–5; Titus 1:16; Ephesians 4:22–24; Romans 12:2

I ended the message with a picture that has stayed on my mind:

We get saved.
We take off the old self.
We put on the new.

But over time, we start layering things over the gospel until it becomes hard to see.

This week is about two layers that can quietly become part of our “Christian outfit” if we aren’t careful:

  • criticism
  • hypocrisy

Criticism: when we lead with correction instead of Christ

Correction has a place. Truth has a place. Discernment has a place.

But criticism is different.

Criticism is when our default posture becomes:

  • picking at flaws
  • highlighting what’s wrong
  • speaking judgment faster than mercy
  • tearing down more than building up

Paul warned the Galatians:

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out… you will be destroyed by each other” (see Galatians 5:14–15).

That’s not just about arguments. That’s about a culture of criticism.

And Jesus addressed it directly:

Why focus on a speck in someone else’s eye when you have a log in your own? (see Matthew 7:3–5)

Jesus wasn’t saying “never help people.”
He was saying we can’t become blind to our own hearts while being obsessed with everyone else’s.

Because a critical spirit doesn’t just hurt others; it slowly makes love feel optional.

Hypocrisy: when we say “Jesus” but live like we don’t know Him

Hypocrisy isn’t “imperfect Christians.” We all grow. We all repent. We all stumble.

Hypocrisy is choosing a double life:

  • singing worship but refusing forgiveness
  • talking grace but withholding mercy
  • claiming surrender but living in secret rebellion
  • presenting holiness publicly while excusing sin privately

Titus says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (see Titus 1:16).

That is sobering.

The call: take it off

Ephesians says to “put off your old self… and put on the new self” (see Ephesians 4:22–24). Romans says we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2).

And Galatians tells us what this looks like in real life:

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (see Galatians 5:24–26).

This is not about perfection.
This is about direction.

It’s about refusing to let anything cover up Jesus in our lives.

The simplest closing question of the whole series

If someone watched your life for one week, without hearing your words, would they still be able to tell:

Jesus came.
He lived.
He died.
He rose.
And He’s coming back.

Because church, the world needs to see the one gospel.

Not Jesus plus opinions.
Not Jesus plus traditions.
Not Jesus plus division.
Not Jesus plus criticism.
Not Jesus plus hypocrisy.

Just Jesus.

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Division: When the Church Fights, the Gospel Gets Muffled (Week 4)

Scripture references: Galatians 3:26–29; Galatians 4:17; Mark 3:25; Romans 16:17–18; John 17:20–23

Division doesn’t always start as hatred.

Often it starts as preference.

Then preference becomes position.
Position becomes pride.
Pride becomes separation.

And separation becomes a witness to the world that says:

“Jesus can save you… but He can’t unite us.”

Paul directly confronts the unity issue in Galatians:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (see Galatians 3:26–29).

The gospel creates a new family. A new identity. A new belonging.

So when division takes center stage, it’s not just relational damage, it’s a gospel distraction.

Division is a strategy

Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (see Mark 3:25).

That’s true in homes. It’s true in marriages. It’s true in churches.

And division doesn’t have to be loud to be effective. Sometimes it’s whispered:

  • “Don’t trust them.”
  • “That church is off.”
  • “Those believers aren’t serious.”
  • “We’re the only ones doing it right.”

Paul even warned that some teachers try to “shut you off” from healthy influence so you’ll pay attention only to them (see Galatians 4:17). That’s a control tactic and it fractures the body.

What division looks like in real life

Division can look like:

  • arguing over nonessential doctrines
  • splitting over preferences instead of truth
  • making secondary issues primary issues
  • speaking against other churches and leaders
  • creating “us vs. them” inside the body of Christ

Romans warns believers to watch out for those who cause divisions contrary to the teaching they’ve learned (see Romans 16:17–18).

Not everyone who divides is bold and obvious. Some divide by constant suggestion, constant suspicion, constant critique.

Jesus prayed for our unity

This matters so much that Jesus prayed for it (see John 17:20–23). He connected unity to witness so the world would know the Father sent the Son.

That means division is not just a church “problem.”

Division is a mission problem.

When the church is busy fighting, we stop reaching.

Next week we’re going to land this series where it gets very personal: criticism and hypocrisy. Because sometimes the gospel isn’t hidden by what we believe, but by how we live.

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Traditions: When “We’ve Always Done It This Way” Becomes the Rule (Week 3)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:13–14; Matthew 15:3–9; Colossians 2:8; Acts 15:1–11

Tradition is not automatically bad.

Some traditions are beautiful. They keep us anchored. They create rhythm. They help families and churches remember what matters.

But traditions become dangerous when they start carrying the weight of God’s command, instead of staying in the place of human practice.

Paul admitted he once was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors (see Galatians 1:13–14). That’s the part many of us can relate to. Tradition can feel like faithfulness.

But tradition is not the same thing as truth.

Jesus’ warning about tradition

Jesus confronted religious leaders because they elevated tradition above the Word of God (see Matthew 15:3–9). His point was clear:

When tradition replaces obedience, the heart drifts, even while the mouth keeps singing.

That’s what makes tradition tricky. It can look holy while quietly pushing Jesus out of focus.

What traditions can look like today

Traditions can show up as:

  • how communion must be served
  • what “real worship” sounds like
  • what “proper church” looks like
  • what people should wear
  • what programs are “necessary”
  • what time Sunday services should be

None of those are automatically wrong.

But when we act like someone can’t belong, can’t be saved, or can’t be “right” unless they adopt our way, we’ve turned tradition into a gatekeeper.

And the gospel does not need gatekeepers.
The gospel needs witnesses.

Galatia’s issue was tradition as requirement

The Judaizers weren’t just offering cultural preferences. They were making traditions a condition of acceptance (see Acts 15:1–11 for the broader early-church conflict).

Paul’s response throughout Galatians is essentially:

Don’t put a yoke on people that Jesus didn’t put there.

The cross is enough.

A simple test for tradition

Here’s a helpful question:

Is this tradition helping people see Jesus or helping people see us?

If a tradition:

  • produces pride
  • produces exclusion
  • produces control
  • produces shame
  • produces distraction from Christ

…it’s time to hold it up to the light of Scripture.

Colossians warns about being taken captive by human tradition instead of Christ (see Colossians 2:8). That’s not just a warning for ancient believers. That’s for us too.

Next week we’ll talk about division, because when believers fight each other, the world stops listening to the message we’re called to carry.

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Opinions: When “I Think” Starts Sounding Like “Thus Says the Lord” (Week 2)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:11–12; Proverbs 18:2; Romans 14:1–4; 1 Corinthians 8:9; Colossians 2:20–23

Opinions aren’t automatically sinful.

We all have preferences, perspectives, convictions, and experiences. But one of the easiest ways to accidentally cover up the gospel is to elevate opinions to the level of truth and then present them with the weight of God’s authority.

Paul said the message he preached was not from “mere human origin” or “human reasoning” (see Galatians 1:11–12). In other words:

“This gospel isn’t my take. It’s God’s truth.”

That matters because the moment we confuse truth with take, we begin leading people to ourselves instead of leading them to Christ.

How opinions become gospel add-ons

This is what it can sound like:

  • “A real Christian would never…”
  • “If you truly loved God, you would…”
  • “Well, Christians should vote like…”
  • “That church isn’t a real church because…”
  • “If you were mature, you’d do it my way…”

And now the message becomes:

Jesus + my opinion

Even if we don’t intend it, it can turn discipleship into pressure, and freedom into fear.

Convictions are real, but convictions aren’t universal commands

I shared in this message with the ladies at my church that I personally don’t drink. For me, that’s a conviction God has spoken clearly into. And convictions can be a gift from God. They can be for our protection, direction, and clarity.

But the Bible also warns us not to turn personal convictions into a standard of righteousness for everyone else (see Romans 14:1–4).

Convictions are about obedience.
The gospel is about salvation.

When we blur those two, we end up measuring people by our personal lines instead of by Christ’s finished work.

The Bible’s warning about “airing opinions”

Proverbs says, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (see Proverbs 18:2).

That verse convicts me because it reminds me:

Not every thought needs a microphone.
Not every preference needs a platform.
Not every conviction needs to become a rule.

Sometimes maturity looks like this:

  • “I’m listening.”
  • “I’m learning.”
  • “I’m praying.”
  • “I’m not making my preference your burden.”

When opinions become obstacles

Paul warns elsewhere about using our freedom without love, because we can harm others and distract from Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 8:9).

That’s the key: love.

If my opinion is louder than love, I’m not representing Christ well.

If my preference is heavier than grace, I’m not presenting the gospel clearly.

If my “I think” becomes someone else’s shame, I’ve stepped out of my lane.

A gospel-centered way to speak

Here’s a question that helps me:

Is this a gospel issue, a discipleship issue, or a preference issue?

  • Gospel issue: salvation, the cross, Jesus as Lord
  • Discipleship issue: holiness, wisdom, spiritual growth
  • Preference issue: my style, my comfort, my background

When we put things in the right category, we stop demanding agreement where the Bible doesn’t demand it.

And we leave room for the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do: transform hearts from the inside out.

Next week we’ll talk about traditions. Because sometimes what we call “spiritual” is just what we’re used to.

Posted on by jwlozano

One Gospel: Don’t Trade Grace for “Jesus Plus” (Week 1)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:6–10; Acts 9; Acts 13–14; Galatians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Timothy 4:2; John 1:1, 14

Paul opens Galatians with a sentence that should make every believer sit up straight:

He says he’s astonished that they are “so quickly deserting” the One who called them by grace and turning to a different gospel (see Galatians 1:6–7).

That word “deserting” matters. Paul isn’t talking to unbelievers. He’s talking to people who have heard the gospel, responded to the gospel, and are now drifting from the simplicity of the gospel.

And Paul doesn’t treat it like a small issue.

He says that what they’re turning to is “really no gospel at all” (see Galatians 1:7). Then he repeats himself about anyone preaching another message (see Galatians 1:8–9). Paul is not being dramatic. He’s being protective.

Because when you change the gospel, you don’t just tweak a belief, you wreck the foundation.

The moment “one gospel” becomes “a different gospel”

To understand why Paul is so intense, you have to know what was happening in the churches of Galatia.

These churches weren’t just one congregation in one city. They were a collection of churches throughout a region Paul visited in his missionary journeys (see Acts 13–14). The believers were a mix of:

  • Jewish Christians (raised under the Law of Moses)
  • Gentile Christians (not raised under Jewish law)

When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law. Salvation was no longer about trying to prove righteousness through rules. It was about receiving righteousness through faith in Christ (see Galatians 2:16).

But here’s where the conflict came in:
Some Jewish believers struggled to let go of the old way of measuring “holiness.” They believed Jesus was the Messiah, yes. But they still felt that Gentiles should also adopt certain Jewish markers, like circumcision and dietary restrictions.

So after Paul preached and left, teachers often referred to as Judaizers came behind him and told the Gentiles:

“Yes, Jesus saves… but you also need to do this and that to be truly right with God.”

And the moment the message becomes Jesus plus anything, the gospel gets blurred.

What is the gospel?

If we can’t define it simply, we’ll struggle to defend it clearly.

The gospel is this:

  • Jesus came
  • Jesus lived
  • Jesus died
  • Jesus rose
  • Jesus will return

That’s the message that saves. That’s the message that transforms. That’s the message the enemy works overtime to distract us from.

Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word… in season and out of season” (see 2 Timothy 4:2). And we know the Word is not just a concept; it is Jesus Himself (see John 1:1, 14).

So when Paul says “one gospel,” he’s saying:
Preach Jesus. Stay with Jesus. Don’t mix Him with requirements He never asked for.

The “not the gospel” list

Let me say this plainly:

There are many important topics in the Christian life. There are many practices that matter. There are many discussions we can have.

But not everything is the gospel.

The gospel is not:

  • the exact wording of a baptism formula
  • spiritual gifts as a measurement of salvation
  • denominational preference
  • political alignment
  • secondary doctrinal debates
  • personal lifestyle convictions presented as universal law

Those things may be part of discipleship conversations. But if we make them the entry point, the focus point, or the “proof” of salvation, we’ve changed the message.

And Paul won’t allow it, because love won’t allow it.

Paul knows the danger:
When the gospel is altered, the cross becomes small. Grace becomes suspicious. Freedom becomes fragile. And people end up trying to earn what Jesus already purchased.

So Week 1 is our foundation:

  • Christ alone saves.
  • Grace alone calls.
  • Faith alone receives.

And if we can anchor ourselves here, we’ll be able to recognize the things that try to creep in and cover up the gospel.

Next week we’ll talk about the first one: OPINIONS, and how quickly “my perspective” can become “God’s requirement” if we aren’t careful.

Posted on by jwlozano

Things in the Bible

From Many Things to One Thing

There are a lot of “things” in the Bible.

Many things.
All things.
Every thing.
No thing.
One thing.

And if we’re honest, that’s how life feels sometimes. Let’s talk about all of the things!

Many Things

Many things pulling at our attention.
Many responsibilities.
Many expectations.
Many worries.

In Luke 10:38–42, we see Martha distracted with much serving while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Jesus gently tells her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed.”

Many things.

That phrase alone feels heavy. Because it is not always bad things that distract us. Sometimes it’s good things. Necessary things. Responsible things.

But many things can still pull our attention away from Jesus.

And often, the presenting problem is not the actual problem.

Martha thought the issue was that Mary wasn’t helping. But Jesus pointed to something deeper — worry and distraction. The external situation wasn’t the root issue. The internal condition was.

That is true for us too.

We have to decide what gets our attention.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says we are given a choice between life and death, blessing and curse — and then it says, “Now choose life.”

Choosing life means choosing where your focus goes. It means deciding what deserves your emotional energy. It means recognizing that not every “thing” deserves access to your heart.

Martha chose productivity.
Mary chose presence.

And presence will always outlast productivity.

All Things

When life feels like “many things,” we can be tempted to believe everything is random, chaotic, and disconnected.

But Romans 8:28 reminds us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

That means the hard things.
The confusing things.
The delayed things.
The painful things.

God is not absent in any of it.

And Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The strength to endure.
The strength to forgive.
The strength to keep going.
The strength to obey.

We do not overcome in our own power. We overcome because Christ strengthens us.

When we understand that God is working in all things, it changes how we respond to many things.

Instead of spiraling, we trust.
Instead of panicking, we pray.
Instead of giving up, we press in.

All things are under His authority.

Every Thing

James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Every thing that is truly good comes from Him.

If it is from God, it will be good.

2 Peter 1:3 says His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.

Everything.

Not some things.
Not most things.
Everything we need.

We may not have everything we want.
But we have everything we need.

He has given us what is necessary to live abundantly and to live righteously.

So when we feel inadequate or unprepared, we have to remind ourselves: He has already supplied what is required.

Every thing that comes from Him is good.
Every thing He gives has purpose.
Every thing we need for this season is already available through Him.

No Thing

Then Scripture shifts again.

Philippians 4:6 says to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Anxious for no thing.

Nothing is too big for Him.
Nothing is too small for Him.

There is no burden you carry that He cannot handle.

Romans 8:39 reminds us that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing.

No mistake.
No failure.
No disappointment.
No attack.
No season.

Nothing can separate you from His love.

When we understand “no thing,” anxiety begins to lose its grip.

Because if nothing is too hard for Him…
And nothing can separate us from Him…
Then what exactly are we holding onto so tightly?

We were never meant to carry it alone.

One Thing

And then we arrive at the most important shift.

Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”

One thing.

Not many.
Not all.
Not every.
Not no.

One.

David reduces his entire desire down to one pursuit: God’s presence.

Paul echoes this in Philippians 3:13 when he says, “One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

One thing requires focus.
One thing requires discipline.
One thing requires practice.

Going from many things to one thing does not happen accidentally.

It takes intentionality.

It takes daily decisions.
It takes redirecting your thoughts.
It takes choosing presence over pressure.

Hebrews 12:1–3 tells us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Fixing our eyes.

That is how we move from many things to one thing.

When your eyes are fixed on Jesus, the many things begin to lose their volume.

They may still exist.
But they no longer control you.

Focusing on Jesus frees us from being ruled by the many things that worry us.

It realigns our priorities.
It steadies our emotions.
It simplifies our hearts.

The goal is not to eliminate responsibility.
The goal is to reorder it.

Jesus first.
Everything else after.

Martha wasn’t wrong for serving. She was distracted while serving.

The difference between chaos and clarity is often simply this: where are your eyes?

Many things will compete for your attention.
All things are under His authority.
Every thing good comes from Him.
No thing can separate you from Him.

But only one thing is needed.

His presence.

So today, choose life.
Choose focus.
Choose to sit before you strive.
Choose to gaze before you grind.

Let’s move from many things…
to one thing.

And let that one thing be Jesus.

Posted on by jwlozano

Firm Foundation

“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.”
— Matthew 7:24

There is something about building that fascinates me.

You can have the most beautiful house design. The best materials. Skilled workers. A stunning vision.

But if the foundation is wrong, none of it will matter.

Jesus said the wise person is not just the one who hears His words — but the one who puts them into practice. That is the difference between a house that stands and a house that falls.

If we want lives that endure storms, we have to build intentionally.

We need the right plan.
We need the right pieces.
We need the right people.

Let’s talk about what that means.

The Right Plan

Before anything is built, there is a plan.

Blueprints. Measurements. Direction.

For us, the right plan is not self-help strategies or trending advice. It is the Word of God.

Psalm 119:105 says,
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Notice it doesn’t say a spotlight for the next ten years. It says a lamp for my feet. Enough light for the next step.

Psalm 32:8 says,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

He is not distant. He is not vague. He promises instruction. He promises counsel. And He does it with a loving eye.

Proverbs 4:13 says,
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”

Not a suggestion. Not a bonus feature.
It is your life.

And 2 Timothy 3:16–17 reminds us why Scripture matters so deeply:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

If we want to be equipped, we cannot neglect the blueprint.

We cannot build a firm foundation while ignoring the plan.

The Right Pieces

Even with a perfect plan, you still need the right materials.

Jesus said in Luke 14:28,
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”

There is intentionality in building. There is counting the cost.

And Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:12–14:

“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.”

Not everything we build with lasts.

So what are the right pieces?

Prayer.
Fasting.
Giving.
Serving.
Reading the Word.
Fellowship.

These are not religious checklists. They are structural beams.

Prayer keeps us connected.
Fasting refines our dependence.
Giving loosens our grip on the temporary.
Serving shapes humility.
Reading renews the mind.
Fellowship strengthens endurance.

These are gold and silver pieces. These are materials that survive fire.

If we neglect them, we shouldn’t be surprised when cracks begin to show.

The Right People

No one builds alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 says:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

It is important that we surround ourselves with people who can encourage us. People who can give us godly counsel. People who can pray for us. People who are positive and life-giving.

Because here is the truth: when you begin to build your life intentionally, it will expose deficiencies in others. And sometimes, instead of being inspired, people respond with negativity. That negativity can actually cause you to regress if you are not careful.

So we have to be intentional about who we build with.

Psalm 1:1 says,

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.”

There is movement in that verse. Walking. Standing. Sitting.

We are not walking with the wicked. We are not standing in compromise. We are not sitting and settling in environments where there is no growth.

We are not meant to be sedentary in places that stunt our progress.

And this is something I truly believe:

“Criticism is the language of people who are not creating, building, or moving toward anything.”

You do not want to sit in the company of people who are not building. People who are just floating through life. People who criticize everything but create nothing.

Scripture makes it even clearer.

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”
1 Corinthians 15:33

That is not dramatic. That is direct.

Who you surround yourself with matters.

“Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
Proverbs 13:20

If we are building a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, then we need people around us who love God, who love His Word, who speak life, who challenge us, who sharpen us, who remind us of truth when we forget it.

The right people do not distract from your foundation. They strengthen it.

The True Foundation

And at the end of the day, even with the right plan, the right pieces, and the right people — none of it works without the Lord.

Psalm 127:1–2 says,

“Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

This Scripture reminds us that if we are not building on the Lord — on His Word, His precepts, His commands — we are wasting our time.

We can strive.
We can grind.
We can exhaust ourselves trying to construct something meaningful.

But if Jesus is not the foundation, it will not withstand the storm.

Trials will come.
Pressure will come.
Testing will come.

The question is not if the storm comes.

The question is: what are you standing on?

So let’s build our house on the Lord.

Let’s make Him the priority.
Let’s make Him the blueprint.
Let’s make Him the foundation beneath every decision, every relationship, every discipline, every dream.

Because a life built on Jesus is a life that stands.

Posted on by jwlozano

Deep Roots

This post is from my message Deep Roots. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE

How to Stay Standing When Everything Around You Is Shaken

As we are making our way in this new year, my prayer is simple:

Lord, strengthen us.
Help us grow deeper than we ever have before.
Root us so firmly in You that nothing can destroy us.

Because the truth is — life does not stay calm.

There will be shaking.
There will be fire.
There will be seasons that test what we are made of.

The question is not if storms will come.

The question is: Will our roots be deep enough to survive them?

The Tree That Changed How I See Resilience

A few years ago, my family traveled to Maui for a wedding. It was one of those full-circle moments that make you emotional — a former flower girl from my own wedding getting married, my husband officiating, my children participating. It was beautiful.

While we were there, we visited Lahaina and saw something that left a lasting impression on me: the Lahaina banyan tree.

At first glance, it looks like an entire grove of trees. But it’s not. It’s one single tree.

Banyan trees send their roots down from their branches. Those roots grow into the ground, become trunks, and spread outward. What appears to be multiple trees is actually one deeply connected root system.

This particular tree was planted in 1873. It started as an eight-foot sapling. Over 150 years, it grew to cover nearly two acres.

Then in 2023, wildfires devastated Lahaina. Buildings were destroyed. Over 100 lives were lost. Entire blocks were reduced to ash.

The banyan tree looked like it had been burned to a shell.

But in 2024, something incredible happened.

Leaves began to grow again.

Why?

Because the roots were still alive.

The portions of the root system that survived underground began strengthening the damaged areas. Life returned, not because there wasn’t real destruction, but because what was hidden beneath the surface was strong.

And I felt the Holy Spirit whisper:

This is what My people need.

Not surface strength.
Not emotional hype.
Not temporary motivation.

We need roots.

What the Bible Says About Roots

Paul writes in Ephesians:

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”
— Ephesians 3:16–17 (NLT)

Your roots will grow.

Proverbs says it plainly:

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.”
— Proverbs 12:3 (NLT)

Stability comes from depth.

Not visibility.
Not popularity.
Not productivity.

Depth.

So how do we grow deep roots in 2026?

God showed me four things.

1. Discipline

Discipline is not restriction — it is preparation.

Hebrews tells us:

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
— Hebrews 12:11

Spiritual discipline is not about checking religious boxes.

It’s about building habits that steady your steps before life gets chaotic.

Going to church regularly.
Reading your Bible consistently.
Serving faithfully.
Practicing self-control.

These are not burdens. They are stabilizers.

Many people drop spiritual habits when life gets busy. But that’s when we need them most.

Discipline means making decisions before the crisis comes.

You don’t wait until you need strength to start building it.

2. Education (Biblical Literacy)

We live in a time where people consume snippets of Scripture but rarely read the whole story.

Imagine trying to play in a championship game without knowing the playbook.

You wouldn’t even make it onto the field.

The same is true spiritually.

If we don’t know the Word for ourselves, we cannot discern truth from something that merely sounds spiritual.

Proverbs says:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
— Proverbs 1:7

Messages are wonderful. Podcasts are helpful. Devotionals are encouraging.

But nothing replaces reading the Bible yourself.

Not just verses.
Not just highlights.
The whole counsel of God.

If we want deep roots, we must go deeper than surface inspiration.

3. Execution (Doing the Word)

It is not enough to hear Scripture. We must live it.

James writes:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
— James 1:22–24

If we look in a mirror and immediately forget what we saw, nothing changes.

In the same way, if we hear truth and do nothing with it, our roots stay shallow.

We cannot claim to love God and refuse to love our neighbor.
We cannot speak faith and live in constant compromise.
We cannot claim integrity and behave differently when no one is watching.

Execution is obedience in action.

This is where depth forms.

4. Prayer

Without prayer, none of the other disciplines hold.

Prayer is not a last resort. It is a lifestyle.

Scripture says:

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

Prayer is ongoing connection.

It’s not just calling on God in crisis.

It’s thanking Him when things are good.
Asking for guidance in small decisions.
Letting Him interrupt your plans.

Sometimes we become so rigid in our schedules that we forget to ask God what He actually wants us to do that day.

Deep roots require conversation with the One who planted you.

What Keeps Roots Shallow?

If we want depth, we must remove what prevents it.

Distractions

We say we don’t have time, but often we are simply distracted.

If something consistently pulls you away from growth, it needs boundaries — or removal.

1 Corinthians 7:35 says:

“I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”

Sin and Weight

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us:

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.”

Sin doesn’t just offend God — it corrodes us from the inside.

Excuses

Excuses build the house of failure.

When God invites us to grow, we cannot respond with “someday.”

Procrastination

Ecclesiastes says:

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
— Ecclesiastes 11:4

There is never a perfect time.

If you’re waiting for calm, for quiet, for ideal circumstances — you will wait forever.

Depth begins today.

The Promise for the Rooted

Jeremiah gives us this promise:

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord… They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
— Jeremiah 17:7–8

Notice what it does not say.

It does not say heat won’t come.
It does not say drought won’t happen.

It says the rooted tree does not fear it.

Because depth removes fear.

The enemy will do what he does — steal, kill, destroy.

But when you are rooted in Christ, you know something deeper than circumstance:

You know you will survive the fire.

This Year

This year, let’s not just aim for productivity.

Let’s aim for depth.

Let’s grow roots through discipline.
Through biblical education.
Through obedience.
Through prayer.

Because when everything around us is shaken…

We will still be standing.

And we will still bear fruit.

Posted on by jwlozano

The Harvest Is Ripe

This post is from my message The Harvest. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE

Lately, God has been pressing something on my heart in a way I cannot ignore. You know those seasons where you feel like the Lord is highlighting one message, and then you keep hearing it everywhere. In songs. In sermons. In conversations. In your quiet time. It is as if He is underlining the same sentence until you finally say, “Okay, I hear You.” That is where I have been.

And the word that keeps showing up for me is this: the harvest.

Jesus saw the crowds and felt something deeper than pity

In Matthew 9, we are given a glimpse into the heart of Jesus.

Matthew 9:35–38 (NIV)
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

That word compassion does not mean mild concern. It is not simply feeling sorry for someone. The compassion Jesus felt was deep, gut-level, and impossible to ignore.

And I had to ask myself a hard question.

Do I have the same compassion Jesus has for the lost?

If I am honest, the answer was not always yes.

I could feel sorry for people. I could say, “I will pray for you.” I could recognize that someone was struggling. But the kind of compassion that moves you and compels you to act was something God started convicting me about.

The world we live in is full of people who are confused, harassed, and helpless. Not just emotionally, but spiritually. People are confused about who they are, what truth is, whether Jesus is real, and what kind of life they are supposed to live.

As followers of Christ, we cannot afford to be casual about that.

The enemy has a strategy and it is real

Scripture reminds us that there is a very real spiritual battle happening.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Sometimes our lack of compassion is not because we do not care, but because we forget how real the battle is. There is an enemy whose goal is to keep people from seeing the truth.

I believe we are stepping into a season where God is emboldening His people again. A season where we stop shrinking back and start speaking with love, clarity, and courage. People are hurting. People are searching. People are breaking.

And we have hope in our hands.

What we must have to reach the lost

As I prayed over this, I felt the Lord show me three things believers must have if we are going to reach the harvest.

A heart for the lost
A hand for the lost
A home for the lost

A heart for the lost

We have to care, not in theory, but with eternity in mind.

We have to care that people are headed toward a forever without Jesus. We have to care that many are spiritually wandering like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus made His mission clear.

John 3:16–17 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus did not come to condemn the world. He came to save it. That means we cannot spend our lives offended by people’s sin while refusing to love them the way Jesus does. Scripture also reminds us to keep our priorities straight.

1 John 2:15–17 (NIV)
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

We are not called to love the system of this world, but we are absolutely called to love the people God created.

Love is not optional.

1 Corinthians 13:1–2 (NIV)
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith

2) A Hand for the Lost

There’s an old saying that stays true:

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Words alone don’t always reach a hurting soul.

Some people need the Gospel spoken.
Some people need a sandwich.
Some people need socks.
Some people need a letter in prison.
Some people need someone to sit with them when life collapses.

Jesus said when you do it for “the least of these,” you’re doing it for Him. And God doesn’t ask us to do anything He hasn’t done. Scripture says In Romans 5:8 that He demonstrated His love for us—while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Love that doesn’t move into action isn’t love that looks like Jesus.

3) A Home for the Lost

I read a quote that stuck with me:

“The church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.”

Yes, as believers, we gather to be built up. We need fellowship and discipleship. But the church is also meant to be a place where the lost can come in and breathe. Not be stared at. Not be whispered about. Not feel like a project.

A place that feels safe—where someone can say,
“I don’t know if I believe yet.”
“I’m struggling with sin.”
“I have questions.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

…and still feel welcomed.

Because that’s what a home is.
A home is where you can come in messy, and still be loved.
A home is where you can learn.
A home is where you can grow.

Acts 2 shows us the early church—devoted to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and generosity. They ate together, met daily, cared for needs, and Scripture says the Lord added to their number daily.

That’s what happens when God’s people create a home.

A Costco moment that changed me

After God gave me this message, I started praying differently. I asked Him to help me be more attentive, more aware of the people around me. And then one day, I was in Costco (because of course I was), waiting on a sample like it was a full-course meal.

Two employees were talking, and suddenly the conversation turned spiritual. One said something like, “That person isn’t going to heaven because they’re not good enough.” I looked at the man and asked, “Are you going to heaven?”

He said, “No.”

I said, “Why not?”

He told me he didn’t believe in heaven. He talked about not remembering before birth and assuming death is the same. He believed being “good” would be enough. And right there—between a sample table and a warehouse of bulk groceries—God opened a door.

I told him Jesus made it simple.
Not “try harder.”
Not “be better.”
Not “earn your way.”
But believe.

We talked. We laughed a little. We didn’t argue. But the Word was coming out of me in a way that felt led and intentional. I introduced myself, we shook hands, and when I finally walked away, I started crying.

Not because the conversation was dramatic…
but because I cared.

I cared about his soul.
I cared that eternity is real.
I cared that if something happened to him, he was not ready.

And I realized: that’s the compassion Jesus had.

A Bible example: Nehemiah had all three

When I asked God for a biblical picture of heart, hand, and home, He brought me to Nehemiah. Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down—his people were in trouble and disgrace.

And what did he do?

He wept.
He mourned.
He fasted.
He prayed.

That’s a heart.

But he didn’t stop there.

He asked the king for permission, went back, and rebuilt.

That’s a hand.

And once the wall was rebuilt, the Word was read to the people, and they were taught again.

That’s a home.

Nehemiah didn’t just feel something—he let that burden move him into action.

Why this matters so much to me

In 2005, I moved to Houston and worked in a senior living community. There was a library upstairs full of donated books. I was not a believer then, but I loved to read. One day, I found a book from the Left Behind series, and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s about people who missed the rapture—people who were lost, scared, confused, and left behind. And as I read, something hit me:

If Jesus came back today… that would be me.

That weekend, I went to church and gave my life to the Lord.

And I can trace that moment back to something simple: someone else in that community had cared enough to plant truth in my life for months, and God used a book to wake me up.

So when I think about the harvest, this isn’t abstract to me. This is real.

What we must do now

So what do we do with all of this?

We keep the main thing the main thing.

Read the Word.
Not just verses—the Bible. From beginning to end. We can’t reflect God’s heart if we don’t know His Word.

Know the Word.
When Scripture lives in you, the Holy Spirit brings it up right when you need it.

Live the Word.
Our public and private lives should align. Not perfection—but integrity.

Share the Word.
Not aggressively. Not arrogantly. But boldly, with love.

Because there are people all around us who will be left behind if nobody tells them.

And hell was not made for humanity. God made it for the devil—who has been trying to drag people with him ever since.

God made heaven for us.

A prayer I’m praying daily

Titus 3:3-7 reminds us who we used to be:

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

The only difference between me and the lost is grace.

So my prayer is this:

Lord, give me compassion again.
Help me see people the way You see them.
Make me a worker in the harvest.
Give me a heart, a hand, and a home.

Let’s pray for the lost

Jesus said, “Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers.”

And here’s the truth:

We can be the answer to our own prayers.

So this year, let’s make it a resolution that actually matters:

Not just goals.
Not just plans.
Not just self-improvement.

But souls.

Let’s pray for the lost . Let’s pray for our families, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, and let’s get to work.

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Week 4: Letting Jesus in the Boat

This post is part of a 4-week Bible study from my message Lord, Save Me. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE! To download a free printable PDF of today’s study, click HERE.

Reading: Matthew 11:28–30

The miracle doesn’t end when Peter is rescued. It ends when Jesus gets into the boat.

“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” (Matthew 14:32)

Peace didn’t come when Peter tried harder. Peace didn’t come when the storm explained itself. Peace came when Jesus was fully welcomed in.

So often we cry out to God for help, but once the crisis passes, we try to take control again. We invite Him to rescue us, but hesitate to let Him stay. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

When life feels heavy, we sink. When we exchange our burdens for His, we find rest. Letting Jesus into the boat means allowing Him access to every part of our lives:

the fear, the frustration, the confusion, and the healing. Not just the polished moments.

He is close to the brokenhearted. He stays when the storm ends. And He is still saving, not just from sin, but from every storm we face.

Discussion Questions

What does it look like to let Jesus stay in your “boat”?

Where do you still try to take control back?

Application

Ask Jesus to be Lord over one specific area you usually keep guarded.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for this time today, and we invite You fully into our lives. We invite You into everything we do. We do not want to keep any part of our lives hidden from You, because we desire for You to remain at the center of all things.

Today, Lord, we choose to exchange our burdens for Yours. You have promised that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light, and we thank You for the rest our souls find in this exchange. Teach us what it means to stop striving and to truly rest in You.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are close to us. Thank You that You are not only with us in the storm, but that You remain with us in every season of life—the good and the difficult alike. You stay when the storm ends, and You continue to lead, guide, and carry us through all that we face. We give You all praise and glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thank you for taking part in this study! If you would like to review the complete 4-week study or complete it in a group, click HERE.

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Week 3: What Keeps Us Sinking

This post is part of a 4-week Bible study from my message Lord, Save Me. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE! To download a free printable PDF of today’s study, click HERE.

Reading: 2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 Peter 5:6; Romans 10:13

Peter didn’t start sinking because he stepped out in faith. He started sinking because he shifted his focus. The storm didn’t change—his attention did.

Scripture gives us a clear framework for how God rescues His people in moments like this:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways…” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Peter lived this out in real time. He humbled himself—admitting he couldn’t save himself. He prayed—calling out to Jesus. He sought Jesus—not the boat, not the crowd. And he had to turn—from fear, doubt, and distraction.

But there are things that keep us sinking longer than necessary: pride, silence, comparison, and sin. God’s rescue is available—but we have to let go of what’s pulling us under..

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)

Discussion Questions

• Which of these areas is hardest for you?

• How has silence kept you isolated in the past?

Application

Confess one area where you’ve been carrying unnecessary weight and release it to God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

If there is any area in our lives that is causing us to sink in the midst of the storm, whether pride, silence, comparison, or sin—we ask that You would reveal it to us. Give us the humility to see it clearly and the wisdom to know how to deal with it. We

choose to humble ourselves before You. We pray to You, we seek Your face, and we commit to turning away from the sins and the weights that are entangling us. We ask for Your help, Lord Jesus, because we cannot do this on our own. Thank You that we can cast our cares upon You, knowing that You care deeply for us. Help us to turn to You when we are struggling. Help us to turn to You when we feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. We trust that You are our answer, our peace, and our comfort in every storm.

We love You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Week 2: Lord, Save Me

This post is part of a 4-week Bible study from my message Lord, Save Me. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE! To download a free printable PDF of today’s study, click HERE.

Reading: Matthew 14:27–31

Peter does something remarkable in the middle of the storm. He steps out of the boat. For a moment, he does the impossible. He walks on water—until fear takes over. The wind becomes louder than the voice of Jesus. The waves feel stronger than his faith. And then he begins to sink. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30)

That’s his prayer. No explanation. No justification. No long speech. Just honesty.

Sometimes we think prayer has to sound a certain way—calm, confident, put-together. But this prayer came from panic and desperation, and Jesus responded immediately. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” God is not waiting for polished words. He’s listening for honest ones. “Lord, save me” is enough when you don’t have the strength to say anything else.

Discussion Questions

• Why do we sometimes avoid asking for help?

• What keeps you from praying honestly?

Application

Practice praying simple, honest prayers this week. No polishing. Just truth.

Prayer

Father God, Today we come before You as Your children, carrying needs, requests, emotions, and burdens that feel heavy and overwhelming. In the middle of our storms, help us remember that we can come to You with confidence, knowing we don’t have to have the right words or perfectly formed prayers. You know our hearts. You know our desires. You know our needs even before we speak them. Your Word reminds us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans we cannot understand, and we are so grateful that nothing we carry is hidden from You. Lord, thank You that in the storm, we can cry out to You. Thank You that a simple, honest prayer—“Lord, save me”—is enough. Thank You for the relationship we have with You, for being near, and for responding with compassion when we reach out. We love You, and we trust You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Week 1: When the Storm Hits

This post is part of a 4-week Bible study from my message Lord, Save Me. Listen to the full message with presentation HERE! To download a free printable PDF of today’s study, click HERE.

Reading: Matthew 14:22–26

Storms have a way of catching us off guard, especially when they arrive right after something good. In Matthew 14, the disciples had just witnessed one of the most incredible miracles of Jesus’ ministry. Thousands were fed with a few loaves and fish. God’s power was undeniable. Spirits were high. Faith felt strong.

And then they got into the boat.

“Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” (Matthew 14:25)

By the time Jesus reached them, they were already battling a violent storm. They were exhausted, afraid, and feeling alone. That detail matters.

Storms don’t always come because we did something wrong. Sometimes they come right after moments of obedience, faith, and victory. A storm is not proof that God has abandoned you. It’s not evidence that you missed His will.

Jesus already knew where they were. And He was already on His way.

If you’re in a storm right now—emotionally, spiritually, or physically—know this: You are not forgotten. You are not overlooked. And you are not navigating this alone. Storms may shake us, but they do not remove us from God’s care.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever experienced a storm right after a season of growth?

• What storms are hardest for you, external or internal?

Application

This week, identify one storm you’re currently facing. Write it down and acknowledge it honestly before God.

Prayer

Our most gracious God and Father, we thank You that You care deeply about us. We thank You that Your Word reminds us in John 16:33 that we can take heart, because You have already overcome the world. We know that in this life there will be trouble and trials, but You came so that we could have peace. So today, God, we speak peace over the hearts and minds of Your children. If anyone reading this is walking through a storm, we speak to that storm now, and we command it to be still in the name of Jesus. We thank You, Lord, that You are with us in the storm, that we are not alone, and that we will not be overtaken. We trust that You will carry us through, and that we will come out victorious, because of who You are and what You have already done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Posted on by jwlozano

Lord, Save Me

Listen to the full message with presentation HERE!

There’s a moment in Scripture that feels almost too honest to gloss over.

Peter is walking on the water. He’s doing the impossible. And then suddenly, the wind catches his attention. Fear takes over. His feet begin to sink beneath the surface, and he cries out one simple prayer:

“Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30)

That’s it. No long explanation. No fancy wording. Just desperation and trust wrapped together in a few words.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

This story has always reminded me of something that happened with my son years ago. He was running up the stairs at full speed like kids do, and suddenly we heard a loud boom. I called out, “Are you okay?” and he meekly answered, “I’m okay.” But I knew better. I asked again, and after a pause, he burst into tears and said, “I’m not okay. Somebody call 911.”

We still laugh about it now, but the truth is, we do the same thing as adults. We walk into church, into work, into conversations carrying stress, fear, grief, and overwhelm—and when someone asks how we’re doing, we say, “I’m fine.” Sometimes it feels like it’s not okay to admit that we’re struggling. We think that real faith means pretending we’re always winning, always strong, always unshaken.

But Scripture tells a different story. It’s not a sin to be overwhelmed. It’s not a failure to need help.

Peter Needed Saving and So Do We

In Matthew 14:22–33, the disciples find themselves in a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. This wasn’t a small inconvenience. These were experienced fishermen, and they were terrified. What makes this even more striking is when the storm happens.

It comes right after one of the greatest miracles they had ever witnessed—the feeding of the five thousand. They had just seen Jesus provide supernaturally, and yet now they were fighting for their lives. Sometimes the greatest storms come right after great spiritual victories.

Storms don’t mean God is absent. They don’t mean you missed something. They don’t mean you failed. Jesus already knew exactly where they were—and He was already on His way.

Look for Jesus in the Storm

When Jesus approached the boat, walking on the water, the disciples didn’t recognize Him at first. They thought He was a ghost. How often does Jesus show up in ways we don’t immediately recognize? Sometimes He looks like a friend checking in.
Sometimes He sounds like a Scripture that won’t leave your heart. Sometimes He’s the conviction that stops you mid-sentence.

Jesus said, “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Look for Him in the storm. You’re not in it alone.

How Do We Survive the Storm?

Peter shows us exactly how to respond. The answer actually reaches back nearly 900 years earlier, when God gave King Solomon a clear prescription for times of crisis.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

Peter did all four.

He humbled himself.
Admitting you need help is hard. Pride tells us we should be able to handle it. But Scripture says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) Peter later wrote those words—after living them.

He prayed.
“Lord, save me.” That was his entire prayer. Prayer doesn’t have to be long to be powerful. It just has to be honest.

He sought Jesus.
Peter didn’t turn back to the boat or to the other disciples. He turned to Jesus. “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)

He turned from doubt.
Jesus caught him and asked, “Why did you doubt?” Doubt doesn’t disqualify us—but we can’t stay there.

What Keeps Us Sinking

Some things will keep us stuck in the storm longer than necessary:

  • Pride — thinking we can handle it ourselves
  • Silence — refusing to cry out for help
  • Comparison — measuring our lives against others
  • Sin — carrying weight Jesus already paid for

Scripture reminds us: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

But you have to call.

Exchange the Weight

Jesus invites us into something better: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28–30) When things are too heavy, we sink. When we release them to Jesus, we float. And notice how the story ends—Jesus gets into the boat with them. It’s not enough to cry out once and then push Him away. He wants to be part of every part of your life: the storms, the victories, the confusion, the healing.

He is close to the brokenhearted. If you’re sinking today, you don’t need perfect words. Just this one prayer will do:

“Lord, save me.”

COMING SOON!!

If you’re in a storm—or coming out of one—I don’t want you to walk through this alone. Over the next four weeks, I’ll be releasing a weekly study based on this message, breaking it down piece by piece so we can walk through it together. My prayer is that each week gives you space to reflect, be honest with God, and experience His rescue in a fresh way. Come back each week and let’s do this together.

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Right Place, Wrong Time: Lessons from the Life of Joseph

Listen to the full message with presentation HERE!

Have you ever felt like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time? Like no matter how much you were trying to do the right thing, life just wasn’t lining up the way you expected?

That question came to mind when I was studying a familiar story in the Bible—Joseph, starting in Genesis 37. Joseph’s story covers 14 chapters, which is a lot compared to other people in Scripture. Some figures we meet for a verse or two, some get a chapter, but Joseph’s life unfolds in detail.

I can’t cover every verse here (though it’s worth reading Genesis 37–50 straight through—it’s one of the most gripping narratives in the Old Testament). Instead, let’s pull out a few lessons from Joseph’s journey.

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1. Not Everyone Will Be Excited About Your Dreams

Joseph was already on thin ice with his brothers. He had a special coat, he was his father’s favorite, and yes—he was a tattletale. (The Bible literally says he brought a “bad report” about his brothers back to their father.)

Then Joseph shared his dream about his brothers’ bundles of grain bowing down to his. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t go over well.

Here’s the lesson: not everyone is going to celebrate your dreams. Sometimes the people closest to you—family, friends—may not understand or support what God is doing in your life.

And that’s okay. Their lack of excitement doesn’t cancel God’s plan.

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2. Obedience Doesn’t Mean Easy

Joseph obeyed his father when he went to check on his brothers. He was doing the right thing, but obedience didn’t keep him out of trouble. His brothers saw him coming and immediately plotted to kill him.

Being in God’s will doesn’t mean smooth sailing. Paul obeyed God and still ended up shipwrecked (Acts 27). Sometimes obedience comes with setbacks. But setbacks don’t mean failure—God is still at work.

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3. God’s Blessing Isn’t Limited by Circumstances

Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. From the outside, it looked like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Genesis 39 tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did.”

Potiphar noticed. Joseph rose to the top in his household.

This shows us that God’s favor isn’t confined by our situation. You may be in a job you dislike, surrounded by people who don’t share your values, or in a season that feels heavy—but God’s blessing is not limited by your circumstances.

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4. God Is with You, Even in the “Wrong Place”

After refusing Potiphar’s wife, Joseph ended up in prison. From slavery to prison—it seems like a downward spiral. Yet the Bible says, “The Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.” (Genesis 39:21)

Even there, Joseph prospered.

This is a powerful reminder: no matter how “wrong” your situation feels, God has not abandoned you. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

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5. Your Success Comes from God, Not People

Joseph helped interpret dreams for Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who promised to remember him—but forgot for two whole years.

Two. Full. Years.

Joseph wasn’t overlooked because God forgot about him. He was waiting on God’s timing.

Psalm 75:6–7 says, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor the west… but God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.”

Your promotion, your breakthrough, your open door—ultimately, it doesn’t come from people. It comes from God.

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6. Our Gifts Are for God’s Glory

Finally, when Joseph stood before Pharaoh, he could have boasted. After all, he correctly interpreted dreams before. But instead, he said, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Genesis 41:16)

That’s humility. That’s perspective.

Our gifts aren’t for self-promotion—they’re for God’s glory. 1 Peter 4:10–11 reminds us that every gift we have is meant to serve others and point back to Him.

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Final Thought

Joseph’s story is full of ups and downs—family betrayal, slavery, false accusations, prison, and eventually, leadership in Egypt. Through it all, we see a God who is faithful, present, and sovereign over timing.

So if you feel like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, remember Joseph. Obedience doesn’t guarantee comfort. People won’t always celebrate your dreams. But God’s presence, blessing, and timing are never off.

He’s with you. He has good things for you. And He will make everything beautiful in His time.

Reflections

As we move into a new week, let’s remember that every small act of faithfulness adds up. Sometimes progress feels slow, but God is always working behind the scenes. Our role is simply to stay faithful, to show up, and to trust Him with the results.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the gift of a new week. Help us to walk in Your strength and not our own. Remind us that even in the small things, You are present and working for our good. Give us endurance when we feel weary, peace when we feel overwhelmed, and joy in every moment. May our words and actions bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Spiritual Spring Cleaning

”Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,“
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I woke up this morning and did what I always do first thing: made my coffee. After that, I usually stand in front of the window to let the sun hit my face and to prayer silently for a few moments.

This morning, I heard birds chirping, which is a sound I miss during the sometimes long winters here in Wisconsin. But the birds are back earlier this year thanks to a record breaking warm winter.

Spring has come early and for many people that spurs the urge to do some spring cleaning. I try to keep a good handle on the house and send old things out as new things come in but I have some spring cleaning to do also.

I don’t know what it is about spring that gives us the motivation to start getting rid of things but it reminds of Hebrews 12:1. “Let us throw off everything that hinders…”.

Spring cleaning is a chance for many to throw out physical things that hinder. Maybe they hinder access to a part of a room or the ability to comfortably have guests over. Maybe they hinder us from moving forward from a painful past. But our homes aren’t the only thing in our lives that need regular maintenance.

God wants us to throw off the spiritual things that hinder us. He wants us to do a sweep for unforgiveness, jealousy, negativity, and a host of other things that clutter our spirits.

We can only do this with the help of the next verse. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” When we fix our eyes on him, we can focus on who he is and strive to be more like him.

This year, if you plan to clean out the attic or garage or basement, take some time to ask God what areas of your spiritual life could use some spring cleaning so you can run the race he’s naked out for you.

Have a great week!

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All You Need

I like to plan. I make a to do list for the month, week, and day. I wish I was more spontaneous but this is how God made me. I don’t like when things pop up in the week that are not on my list already and as a result, sometimes struggle to adapt.

Last week, my son fractured his toe at taekwondo. It was a pretty rough fracture but he is doing ok now. Thank God he doesn’t need his toe to game! But handling all that went with his injury was a lot of stress for me. Not just because it wasn’t on my to do list, but I don’t handle my kids being in pain very well. I probably cried more than he did by the end of it!

But as I was in the middle of everything last week and feeling overwhelmed, this verse came up in our daily scripture calendar. “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others,” 2 Corinthians 9:8.

I know Jesus told us to ask God for our daily bread, but often I want to know the meals for the whole week. This scripture reminded me that whatever happens, planned or not, God is in control and he’s given us everything we need to handle what each day brings. I was able to encourage my son with this as he was having his toe readjusted and was afraid.

We don’t know what the day will bring but God does and he is faithful to walk with us every step of the way. I think of Shadrach, Meschack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. God didn’t just yell in to the fire, “You’ll be ok!! Just wait it out!”. He got in the fire with them. And he is with us. It’s who he is. Emmanuel.

Have a wonderful week!

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Happy New Year

I love beginnings. The beginning of the day, week, month or year all get the same amount of excitement from me. I’m one of the weird people that wake up Monday morning, ready to go!

Like most years, I’ve set a few intentions for 2024. One is to become more consistent on this blog. But I have a good reason as to why it’s been on the back burner. I just published my first book at the end of last year and am working on a launch in March. I wrote in my last post that you can do everything you want, just not all at once.

Now that the book’s done, I have a little more time for creative writing and insight. I’ll be sharing the book here soon! I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I pray God’s best for you in 2024!

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Th Sufficiency of His Grace

I have fallen off the wagon a bit. I guess I haven’t fallen completely off but I’m dragging behind the wagon by my ponytail! The past few weeks have been busy with sickness, houseguests, back to homeschool, activities, basement renovation, and a host of other obligations, both fun and not as much.

This who know me, know that I’m a bit of a time management guru. I’ve given myself that title but few would disagree. I pride myself in being productive but over scheduled. Being organized but flexible. So when things get a little off plan/schedule my usual inclination is to get frustrated and irritable.

But as a Christian seeking God and desiring to me like him and not being conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2), I’m learning that every issue, natural or spiritual, has a biblical solution. When I feel overwhelmed by life and I all have to do, I remember that 1 Peter 5:7 invites me to cast my cares on Jesus. Because guess what.. He cares about me!

When I find myself entertaining negative thoughts, I employ Philippians 4:8 and think on things that are pure and lovely and true. Lately, I’ve been depending on 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the apostle Paul reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I don’t have to do it all or be it all, but instead can rest in the grace of God and allow his grace to help focus on what really matters.

There will always be things to do, laundry to fold, houses to clean, pets to care for, kids to drive around, but we NEVER have to do these things in our own strength. That’s why so many people are burned out. We can do them in the strength of Lord. We can do them by giving ourselves grace and accepting the grace of God.

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Return, Remove, Restore

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent… Job 22:23

This week is a busy week for me. I’m getting my message ready for our women’s meeting at church which is returning from a summer break. I’m also preparing for homeschool to restart next week, and if that wasn’t enough, we just got a new kitten the day we returned from vacation! But I’m in a planning, back to school type of mood so my message for the ladies this Friday will tie in with that!

I love that God can use whatever we have going on to speak to us and maybe even help someone else. I’ve been reading a passage in the book of Job for a lot of the summer. It’s found in Job 22 (verses 21-28). My pastor/father in law quotes this passage often and it has become one of my favorites, but I want to zero in on one verse. The 23rd verse gives us a formula for restoration.

Math is one of my favorite subjects. It can be really simple, IF you know the basics. Math was not my son’s favorite subject. When we started homeschooling, he would dread math time. But as we slowed down and focused on the basics of memorizing math facts and seeing the patterns in them, he began to love it! He loved that there are rues to math that apply every time.

As I was ready this passage in Job, I began to think about patterns in the Bible. The children of Israel (yes, them again!) had a pattern they would fall into often. Get complacent in their faith, turn to idols and instant gratification, fall into sin, regret their disobedience and the consequences of it, cry out to God, get forgiven and restored, repeat.

This happened over and over and then over again in the Bible. But God’s response was always the same. His formula always worked and it’s found in Job 22:23. RETURN, REMOVE, RESTORE.

If the people would return their hearts to him and remove wickedness from their lives, he would restore them. This is the same promise he gave Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. God commanded his people to return to him (pray and seek), to remove wickedness from their lives (turn from their wicked ways), and he would restore them (I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land).

In the spirit of back to school, here is our formula: Return + Remove = Restoration

The formula has worked throughout scripture. Look at the prodigal son. He returned to his father, he removed his pride and arrogance, and he was restored to his position as a son. But there are also instances were people tried to only use part of the formula. Many of the kings in the Old Testament were counted as doing right in the eyes of the Lord. They returned to him and encourage the people to do so. But I noticed a phrase that kept reappearing: “But they failed to remove the high places”. The kings would return to God but would to get rid of the places of idol worship that would distract the people of God from serving him fully.

Many of us don’t physically go to the temple of an idol and make sacrifices. But everyday, we make spiritual sacrifices while we worship at the alters of busyness, technology, complacency, greed, discontent, criticism and whatever else I didn’t name that fits you! If we want to see restoration in a certain area of our life, we have to apply the formula. And yes, it always works!

In your finances: RETURN your tithe to the Lord and learn how to be a good manager of what he’s given you. REMOVE unnecessary spending, overspending, debt and a poverty mentality and prioritize saving and investing and RESTORE your ability to experience financial freedom.

In your health: RETURN your body to God as a temple you want to take care of. REMOVE unhealthy eating habits and negative patterns surrounding food. Your health will be RESTORED and you can live a life full of energy and unnecessary heath issues.

In your walk with God: RETURN to God by daily prayer and reading his Word. REMOVE distractions keeping you from spending time with him (turn your phone off, go outside for a walk, put in your noise cancelling headphones!). See your spirit restored and your faith grow.

I could go on forever, but you get the point! God wants his children to prosper and be in good health. He wants us to serve him and others and be a blessing to everyone we encounter. And we do that by living restored, redeemed lives. What are do you need restoration in? Take some time and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover it. I need to restore my daily time with God. I’ve allowed the busyness of summer activities to distract me from some of the habits and routines I normally have in place. I’ll be asking the Holy Spirit to help me to be consistent in my time with God. Let me know in the comments what the Holy Spirit is guiding you to restore.

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You Know Who You Are.. Be That

I’d love to tell you I received this revelation while sitting on my back deck during my quiet time, with my Bible open, a cup of coffee, and my notebook. But I didn’t. I got it while watching the TV show Blue Bloods.

I was watching one of my favorite shows, Blue Bloods, when I heard the line “You know who you are; be that” from Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, known IRL as Tom Selleck. Blue Bloods is a crime drama following a family of law enforcement officers in serving the city of New York in different capacities. The show is in it’s twelfth season and I’ve been a fan now for years.

In this particular episode, a detective who had spent time previously working for the commissioner was shot in the field. Commissioner Reagan rushes to the hospital and catches her before she’s rushed into surgery. She is bleeding, holding her wound, and looks terrified and that’s when he tells her, “You know who you are; be that.”

Listen.. whoever told you that you can only hear from God sitting in a meadow with a journal may need to expand their idea of how God works! God can use anything to talk to us. Look in the Bible! Angels, Burning bushes, donkeys, children.. The truth is that as long as we’re listening, he’ll speak.

This line has captivated my thoughts now for a bit. Sometimes I feel like we are constantly searching for this ideal self. We read books about how to be better, look better, feel better, and do better but as children of God, we can obtain all of this and more in his word.

When we know who we are (children of God) we can simply be that (heirs to the promise). We are heirs to God’s promise of grace, freedom, love, acceptance, favor, and the list goes on. We have the mind of Christ! We only have to know that we do and use it.

I’ve stopped chasing this imaginary future self who looks a certain way or does certain things and have decided to just be who I am.. a beloved child of God. I’m leaning on who I am in him and trusting him to show me what’s missing (and abounding) in my life. So know who you are today.. and Be That!!

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He Will Restore

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

I have been stuck in the book of 2 Kings with the Shunammite woman for months now. I suppose “stuck” is not the best choice of words. Stuck has a negative connotation and implies that someone is in a place they’d rather not be. So I’ll say that I’ve been “stationed” in the book of 2 Kings. There is a purpose, a responsibility assumed when someone is stationed, like in the palace guard or in the army. I feel like I can’t move on from this story because God keeps showing me more things the longer I stay there. (That’s a whole different message!)

As I get ready to leave the land of Shunem, I wonder where God will take me next. The final installment of this series ends with the last event recorded from the Shunammite woman’s life. In 2 Kings 8:1-6, the Shunammite finds herself in need of one last miracle from God. 

The Shunimmate woman was instructed by Elisha to go and find somewhere to live because there was going to be a famine lasting seven years. So the woman listened, went with her family and they stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

When the seven years were over she came back to her home and land and found that it had been seized. We don’t know a lot about why her land was taken but theologians think that during times of famine, when many houses and land were abandoned the king would often seize land and use it for whatever he needed. 

Also, in the book the 1 Samuel when Israel first asked for a king, Samuel warned them against it because a king could do whatever he wanted. He could take their children, their animals, and their land so this was also just one of the consequences of having a king rule over Israel instead of allowing God to be their king. 

When the Shunammite returns to find her land has been taken, she decides to go to the king to beg for her house and land to be returned to her.

Have you ever listened to God’s instructions and things got worse? Don’t kick me out of the church yet? I have. And if you’re honest, you probably have experienced this too. But let me assure you, obedience to God is always the best option, no matter the outcome.

God will not ask us to obey in an area where he does not already have a plan. We sometimes think that everything is always linear but regardless of the ups and downs, God is always working things out for our good. We don’t obey God simply to get blessed even though that is a reward for obedience.

1 John 5:3 says, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.” We obey God because we love him. When I ask my kids to do something for me, they don’t wait to see what I will do for them first. They just do it. I may not reward them for days or weeks! I may even have to fuss at them later that day, but their obedience is not based on what they expect to receive but on their love and respect for me.

The Shunammite woman could have been upset that her land was taken from her but she had an experience of God always meeting her needs so I have to think she knew he could do it again.

As the woman is making her way to the king, the king is watching TV. Not really. He was having Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, tell him about all the things that Elisha had done. So he was listening to a podcast. Gehazi was telling him about the time that Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son back to life, when in the middle of the story, she walks in the door.

Unbeknownst to Gehazi, he was acting as an intercessor for the Shunammite. He was opening a door for her to receive favor from the king. Doors are being opened that you know nothing about.

The Shunammite didn’t know that she had an intercessor. She had someone that was already preparing the groundwork for her to come in and make her request. And we have someone interceding for us. 

“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Jesus is always already putting things in motion for us. He’s moving some people out of the way and putting others where they need to be.

I think about the story of Daniel when he was fasting and praying for 21 days. In Daniel 10:12, the angel tells Daniel “Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”

The answer to your prayers are already on the way. You may not see them, you may not know them, you may not know where they’re coming from. But they are already on the way. God has great things in store for you and he wants to bless you in ways that you haven’t even imagined.

When the Shunammite finished telling her story, the king assigned an official to her case and told him to give her back everything that belonged to her. She didn’t have to beg or plead or cry. All she had to do was show up. 

The things you are begging for God wants to bless you with (and more). Not only did the king return her home and her land to her, he gave her all the income made from the land for the last seven years. She got more than she was planning to beg for! God knows how to bless his children. He knows what we need and how to get it to us.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20)

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Everything is Alright

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

A few years ago, my husband and I were getting ready to close on our home is Southeast Wisconsin. We had moved from Houston, Texas to be closer to his family and after months of living in an apartment so small that I could see everyone no matter what room they were in, we were excited to get a bit more space. The day of the closing, we were sitting in the car when he got a call from the lender that they were unable to verify his employment and needed a contact to do so before we closed.

No problem, right? Well, he was set to resign in 5 days. And he didn’t have another job! I could see his demeanor change. At the time, I didn’t know what was going on. I asked him if everything was alright and he said, “Yes. Let’s go in the bank.” To make a long story short, his employer verified he worked there, we closed on the home, and despite resigning 3 times, he now works remotely for the same company.

There has been a lot of resistant towards positive confessions or affirmations. Many people think declaring positive statements are naive or just wishful thinking. I’m not here to argue as to whether or not they work, but I do know that the Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:21 that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” The Bible also says in Proverbs 15:4 “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

I read an amazing book last year by Jon Acuff called Soundracks. He talks about replacing negative patterns of thinking with helpful, positive ones, or as he calls them new soundtracks. This idea is not new. Philippians 4:8 encourages us to think positively as well. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“

In 2 Kings 4, there is an account of someone who did just that. Instead of focusing on what was going wrong, the Shunammite woman (I talked about her in my blog Make Room) confesses boldly “Everything is alright!” when literally everything was falling apart. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about her story and the incredible testimony of God’s provision, healing, and restoration in her life.

But until then, I want to encourage you to start confessing God’s promises over your life. Here are a few I rehearse regularly. you can borrow them!

  • Jesus is with me, and he is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9)
  • I am well able (Numbers 13:30)
  • His joy is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10)
  • He carries my cares (1 Peter 5:7)
  • I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
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Make Room

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

There is an amazing story in 2 Kings 4 that I’ve read a number of times. We meet a woman who isn’t even named but whose story stretches across a few chapters in this book. The Bible calls her the Shunammite and while we don’t a lot about her background, the story gives us a few details that helps us to get to know her better.

I won’t quote the entire passage, but it’s found in 2 Kings 4:8-17. I’ll paraphrase for the sake of time, but make sure you read it for yourself! One of the biggest mistakes Christians make are believing everything they’re told so please do your homework.

In this story, the prophet Elisha is a frequent visitor to the land of Shunem and a wealthy woman and her husband often host him for meals. The woman suggests to her husband that they should make a room on the top of their home so he has a place to stay whenever he stops by. While laying in his new room, Elisha asks his servant, Gehazi, what they should do for this woman to thank her for her hospitality.

She tells them she doesn’t need anything, but Gehazi tells Elisha she doesn’t have any children and her husband is old. He tells the Shunammite that at this time next year, she will have a son. And just as he said, it happened.

I love this story. It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I say that about a lot of stories but hands down, I think this is it. At least until I come across another one I love! God has really been nudging me to get uncomfortable lately. To step outside of my little world and really look for opportunities to be a blessing to someone. There are 3 things the Shunammite woman did in this story that have encouraged me to be more mindful about how we treat and serve others.

SHE PROVIDED NOURISHMENT AND REFRESHING In November 2021, I ran my first marathon (you can read about it here!). Every 2 miles or so along the course, there were aid stations set up for runners. Aid stations had volunteers that provided water, gatorade, fruit, energy gels, or medical help for anyone who needed it. There were helpful, kind people there to help the runners keep going. One of the stations I ran through had a hockey team that formed a bridge with their hands for runners to go under as they yelled our names and cheered us on.

This woman provided an aid station for Elisha. She made sure that when he was in town, he had somewhere to go to be refreshed and energized (2 Kings 4:8). This is a practice that we have to return to as the body of Christ. When people come in contact with us, they should leave feeling refreshed and encouraged.

We have the responsibility as the people of the Way to feed them the love of Jesus, kindness, faith, the word of God, encouragement. But far too many Christians feed others their opinions. We set up aid stations with our ideas, political beliefs, and judgments. So instead of leaving feeling refreshed and strengthen, people leave feeling unseen and malnourished.

When we give people the life giving, soul quenching truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they will leave us with the hope for change. Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

SHE LOOKED FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BLESSING

This week, I planned to get up early to get some things done. I have a hard time writing at home so I like to go across the street to the coffee shop to write without distractions, then head over to the gym. I packed my bag the night before but couldn’t find my headphones. I knew I had brought them upstairs but couldn’t find them anywhere.

I looked in my kids’ room, the office, under my pillow. I looked in the closet and even the in the bathroom drawers. Nothing! I finally gave up and decided to work headphone free. Gross.

When I cam back home, I tried to find them one more time. Lo and behold, I found them under a lone sock on my dresser. After more minutes than I cared to spend looking for them, I had finally found them. What’s my point? We have to look for an opportunity to be a blessing.

The Shunammite woman (I wish she had a name; I’m tired of typing that!) didn’t wait for Elisha to come to her! She urged him to come to her home. She approached him. A lot of times, we expect people to come to our places of worship, bursting down the door to hear about Jesus.

Can I tell you a secret? They’re not coming. People who don’t know Jesus are not usually running into churches just because they drove by one. They are running into you and me, at Walmart, at the gas station, at the pharmacy, at our kids’ schools. We have to urge them to come. We have to look for an opportunity to bless them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-16 says,‬ “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” Every time we leave our home, there is an opportunity to bless someone. But we’ve got to be on the look out.

SHE MADE AN INVESTMENT, EXPECTING NO RETURN I don’t know how many of you have ever invested in the stock market but I’m sure you know that the point of investing is to get more back. You expect a return. When a farmer plants corn, he expects to get more corn.

But in this story, this woman makes an investment into someone’s life without expecting anything in return. the Bible tells us that when we sow generously, we will reap generously, but that shouldn’t be the reason we sow. We give out of our love for God, not because of what we can get from him.

Theologians believe that this woman and her husband actually built a room on their roof. My husband and I are remodeling our basement right now, and let me tell you it is a lot of work! We’re building walls, a bathroom, doing electrical work, windows, lightening, like everything! So imagine that when this couple decided to make a room, it took both time and money to put it together.

She not only made a room for him, but furnished it as well. According to my trusted sources at Google, it costs on the low end about $10,000 to remodel and furnish a bedroom. That’s a big investment. And she did it because she wanted to honor Elisha, not get something from him. As a prophet who was known for performing miracles and hearing from God, I’m sure he was used to always doing things for people, but this woman wanted to do something for him.

Philippians 2:3 reminds to “Do nothing out of  selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” There will be times when God will prompt us to pour into someone that would never be able to repay us, and that’s ok. He sees our hearts and our work. We read in the story that because of her kindness and generosity, she was rewarded.

Moe then ever people need to experience the love of God and the life changing truth of his word. It won’t come just from church services and programs, prayer meetings and planning sessions, but from radical hospitality and opening our homes and hearts to other. Next week, I want to share someone’s story who did exactly that.

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Saying Yes to God

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10

We’ve declared this a Year of Yes for God. We’ve identified the distractions and how to overcome them. So how do we actually say yes? Thankfully the answers are found in the book of James.

Yield – We have to yield to God. This is the first directive we’re given in James 4. Yielding is another way to say submit. Submission is the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. I’ve heard it described as coming under the mission of another. To be sub/under another’s mission. 

When we drive, there are yield signs. Yield doesn’t mean to slow down. The yield sign is telling us that there is something else already happening. There are cars already moving at high speeds and if you are entering, you need to join in with what’s already happening.

When we submit to God, we are agreeing to join in with what he has going on. We agree to do what he wants us to do. Micah 6:8 is one place in the word that tells us what God requires of us. God requires that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

When you walk with someone you get to know them. One of my closest friends I have is because we ran together. We started to train for a race together and during that time, we got to know each other on a deeper level. 

Enter His Presence– James encourages us to come near to God. When we come near to God, we enter his presence.God’s presence is not some mystical place or weird room with candles and soft music.God’s presence is wherever you prepare for it. His presence can be at your dining room table as you read your devotional. His presence can be in your car while you praise on your way to work.

When we come near to God, we are showing him that not only do we trust him, but he can trust us. 

Sacrifice– And here comes the hard part. Look at James 4:9 “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” None of that stuff is fun! But honestly, saying yes to God often requires sacrifice.

Saying yes to something requires saying no to something else. Saying yes to attending worship service consistently requires saying no to staying up all night on Saturday. Saying yes to making time to read your Bible requires saying no to binge watching your favorite show. Saying yes to managing your finances requires saying no to overspending and accumulating debt.

Saying yes is not always easy either, but saying yes to God, whatever he asks is always most beneficial. God has asked me to do a lot of things outside of my comfort zone, but every time I’ve said yes, I’ve never regretted it.

Whether God has asked you to start a ministry, focus on getting out of debt, serve as a foster parent, or minister to single mothers, I can assure you that your yes will not be in vain.

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Distractions in the Year of Yes

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

We were riding to church on a cold morning recently and my son asked me what my last name was before his dad and I got married. I was deep into explaining the importance of keeping my maiden name in my new married name when he interrupted, “I just saw a dog’s breath in the air!”

In a moment’s notice, he went from caring to hear about our family history to watching a dog breathe in the cold air. I was shattered!

But aren’t we all like this? Especially this time of the year if you’re reading this in January. We can be so focused on our New Year’s Resolutions. We’re hitting the gym, reading our Bible, eating better. Until we get distracted.

This is one of Satan’s favorite tools to use against God’s people: distraction. He may not get us to curse someone out or lie to your spouse, but he can get us distracted. His first recorded deception is of him distracting Eve from what God said.

When we get to heaven, I think Eve is going to go off on everyone who’s used her as an example of distraction. But we’re the same. God instructed them not to eat from one tree. God has given us instructions that we gloss over all of the time. Instructions regarding our finances, health, children, we take as optional suggestions.

I have a few ways that often distract us from giving God our best yes. And you know how I roll; they all start with S! Remember, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes???) so The enemy just revamps things as times change.

Social Distractions – You had to know it was coming! Never in the history of man have we actually been able to carry distractions everywhere we go. When I’m talking about social distractions, I’m referring specifically to social media.

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok and whatever else is out there or coming has stolen so much time from people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting at a table with people and instead of engaging in conversation, they are scrolling.

We are so concerned with what everyone is doing when as people of Faith, we should be worried about what God is doing. Paul tells us in “to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,” (1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬). But social media encourages us to do the exact opposite. We are in other people’s business and not working with our hands. I guess swiping could be considered work by the scientific definition but I’m not going there!

Aaron, the first priest of Israel and brother of Moses, had a major social distraction. In Exodus 32, he was so concerned with what the people wanted that he helped create a golden calf for them to worship. When Moses was taking too long on the mountain talking to God, Aaron collected their gold jewelry and melted it to form a calf to serve as their god.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he said to his brother “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?””
(‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬) I love Aaron’s response in the next verses! He blamed the people and then lied. Really, you should read the Bible. It can be hilarious!

But isn’t that what Eve did? Isn’t that what we do? We rarely take responsibility for our distractions. We try to justify them or make excuses. My pastor from my previous church would say an excuse is a dressed lie with a hat on.

I’m currently practicing a time of fasting and prayer and one thing I cut out in addition to coffee, meat, sweets and intimate relations is social media and TV. I’m already not a huge consumer of either but I can get sucked in rather quickly if I allow myself. But by putting those things aside for a period, I’ve found myself talking to God more and in his word.

Schedule Distractions – Here is a sample of an average day for me in November 2019:

  • 7am- Kids to school
  • 8am husband to work (we had one car for 4 months!)
  • 8:30-11:30 Work at coffee shop
  • 11:45-12:45pm School Organization meeting
  • 1-2pm work out
  • 2pm pick up kids
  • 3pm Cook dinner and clean
  • 5pm Showers for church or rehearsal
  • 6pm Church or rehearsal
  • 7pm Church or rehearsal
  • 9pm Veg on couch until I can get upstairs

I was busy and overwhelmed and this didn’t include gymnastics and birthday parties and my stuff! But I recognized it. I began to trim back my schedule until I wasn’t busy and overwhelmed anymore. I cut out extra things I was involved in that didn’t fulfill me or add value to where I was going until all that was left was what was essential.

Busyness isn’t a new problem. When Jesus was visiting his friends in Luke 10, one sat at his feet listening to him while the other bustled around in busyness. She was so busy serving the Lord that she didn’t have time to sit with him. She was so busy preparing that she didn’t stop to praise the one she was preparing for.

I don’t know what your schedule is like but I can almost bet there are things in it that are not benefiting you. I’ve learned I don’t have to go to every party and I don’t need a reason why. Our schedules should work for us, not us for them.

Take a look at your current schedule. If you don’t have time to do things for God and for yourself, it’s too full. I heard this quote “If you are too busy to pray, you are busier than God wants you to be.” -Wanda Brunstetter.

Satisfaction Distraction – We all want to feel comfortable and satisfied but when our satisfaction distracts us from saying yes to God, something is wrong. I live in Green Bay Packer country in Wisconsin. I’m not lying when I say that our church has less attendees on the Sundays the Packers play. Some people are just more interested in being entertained than coming to worship. Its mean but it’s true.

We satisfy our desire for more sleep by skipping our morning prayer time. We satisfy our desire for sugary snacks by choosing a cupcake over an apple. We satisfy our desire for worldly materials by going into debt for things we don’t need rather than managing our money well. Every day we make choices based on what will satisfy us, not on what will sustain us.

But the Bible tells us these things will never satisfy us, only God can. “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
(‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

But don’t feel bad. I’m certainly not trying to make you feel that way. I just want us to be aware of the traps we can easily fall into when we take our eyes off of Jesus. Paul had to correct the church at Corinth for the same things. But they were really going crazy!

The Corinthian church was full of new believers who were leaving an old way of life for a new life in Christ. But they were struggling! They were suing each other, people were creating divides based on spiritual positioning, and they had some major sexual immorality going on!

Paul corrected this church and let them know that while being satisfied is not necessarily a sin, not everything we do to satisfy ourselves is helpful.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23

I ran across a wonderful acronym just this week. Think before you speak. And for our use, I’ll say think before you speak or do.

  • TRUE- Is it true?
  • HELPFUL- Is it helpful?
  • INSPIRING- Is it inspiring?
  • NECESSARY- Is it necessary?
  • KIND- Is it kind?

Let’s agree to not let distraction rule over us in 2022. Examine your life to see what area you struggle most in and ask God to help you set boundaries so you can give him your best yes.

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A Year of Yes

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

I recently watched the movie “Yes Day” with my kids. I was hesitant to watch it because I didn’t want them getting any ideas! The premise of the movie is that for one day the parents agree to say yes to everything their children ask. The parents set a few rules about how much money could be spent and a distance they could travel, but other than that the answer had to be yes.

The morning of the Yes Day, the kids enter the room with a poster board containing their 5 Big Asks that were to be revealed later. And the movie continues with a lot of foolishness and falls and family fun ending with a good lesson and maybe a tear or two shed. As I was watching this movie, I began to wonder if this is how we sometimes approach God.

We want a YES DAY from Him. And not just a YES DAY, but a YES LIFE. We want every request answered the way we want it and within our timeframe. I have a very active imagination so I imagine myself entering heaven with a bright green poster board, approaching God’s throne: “Here are my Big Asks for you, Lord. I want more money than I know what to do with. I want my kids to be smart and talented and get into a good college. I want my business to be booming! I want my marriage to be picture perfect. And can you please keep me healthy despite the trash I continue to consume everyday? Oh and I ask this in Jesus’ name, so now you have to do it.”

I don’t think any of us would really approach God like this. At least I hope not! But I wonder if he ever feels like we do? As a parent, there are times when I do. I have actually told my kids “Do not ask me for anything for the rest of the night!”. I don’t think God would say that; he’s far more patient than I am!

But as I thought more about this, I began to wonder what would happen if we gave a YES DAY to God? What if whatever Big Asks God had for us, we did them. What if when we saw the homeless person and felt the pull to buy them dinner, we did it? What if we prayed for the cashier at Walmart that is clearly having a bad day?

In September 2015, I was at a conference hosted by my church called “Say Yes”. If you haven’t been to a Women’s Conference, I highly recommend you try one out. It’s on my to do list for this year. But during the praise and worship, I clearly heard the voice of God tell me, specifically, He needed me to say yes. I can’t explain it but I could feel that whatever I would be saying yes to was going to be big.

Three months later, my husband asked if I would be interested in moving across the country to his hometown. I already knew the answer. I knew this was what God was telling me to say yes to. A few months after moving, my father in law/pastor asked me to start a Women’s Ministry at the church. I was terrified but I said yes.

I’m reminded of another woman in the Bible who knew what it was like to say yes. Mary, the mother of our Savior, was approached by an angel of the Lord at a very inconvenient time. She was preparing for her wedding to a carpenter and I’m sure she wasn’t expecting this interruption. But what began as an interruption became a life changing invitation.

Mary had questions. Oftentimes when we’re asked to do something for God we will have questions. Google has spoiled us! We can get the answer to any question in a matter of seconds. How tall is Jennifer Aniston? (She’s 5’5″, I know you wanted to know!) Thankfully, God is gracious and doesn’t want us in the dark. We don’t always get the full details but there are times when God tells us exactly what to do.

In the first chapter of Luke, Mary asks the angel how could she become the mother of the Messiah since she is a virgin. The angel tells her “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35).

Then Mary gave the answer I believe God desires from all of his children. “I am the Lord’s servant” (Luke 1:38). Now I don’t know anyone with a servant nor have I met a servant, but I do know that servants serve. Servants respond to the call of their master with yes.

One of our greatest examples in scriptures, the apostle Paul, who wrote almost half of the New Testament, opened many of his letters introducing himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ” (See Romans, Philippians, and Titus). And Paul was next level! He started churches, taught people how to live a God-centered life, proclaimed the gospel to the Gentiles, all this while being imprisoned, shipwrecked and victim to an occasional beating for doing these things to further the kingdom!

But like Mary, Paul knew the benefit of being a servant of God. They both knew that obedience was better than sacrifice. Servants say yes. Servants seek to please their master. Jesus himself came to serve. Matthew 20:28 says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We don’t even have to give our lives for many, only to one. But I won’t lie to you. It’s becoming increasingly harder to say yes to the things of God. There are so many distractions that even 25 years ago weren’t an issue. We have to be even more deliberate about how we spend our time so we can give God our best yes.

Next week, I’ll continue this line of thinking with “Being Distracted from a Year of Yes”. There are things that the enemy uses, and not all of them are bad, that can cause us to miss out on the opportunity to give God a Year of Yes.

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Building the Temple: Pt 3 Take Care to Prepare

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

My mom just flew in to visit the kids after Christmas. I had to buy some new sheets for the room she sleeps in because the old ones were well, old. Aside from this, I didn’t do much to prepare for her visit. Now, if I’m honest, I don’t ever take a lot of time preparing for her to come. She visits sooo much! And I’m glad.. she’s my kids’ best friend. She comes so much that she has a library card here!

But typically when someone comes to visit my home, I take some time preparing for them. Washing sheets and towels and probably doing extra cleaning that I don’t normally do, as if they’re going to under the shelf in my pantry! I stock up on groceries and coffee and try to have an idea of what to do for entertainment. If you’re like me, you make a list of everything that needs to get done before guests arrive. It becomes a part time job!

If we do all of this preparing for guests to stay in our homes for 3 or 4 days, how much more preparation should we make for the 365 days that each year brings? Now that the holiday season is winding down, we have a great opportunity to prepare our lives for the new year. Whether you have gigantic, almost impossible goals or smaller, more practical ones, I guarantee you will be more likely to succeed if you take some time to prepare.

It’s easy to make a list of what you’d like to see in your life, but the preparation comes in when you figure out HOW you will accomplish this list. “I want to read the Bible more” is a great goal for the new year, but it’s not enough? What time of day do you want to read? What books of the Bible will you read? How many verses will you read? How many chapters? I know it seems like a lot but if you don’t prepare for how you will carry out your plans, you are leaving your success up for chance.

When Solomon started building the temple, he not only followed the plans given to him by his father, David, he made other preparations. He gathered the people of Israel to seek God and gathered horses and chariots and all of the supplies necessary to complete the temple (2 Chronicles 1).

He wasn’t leaving the building of the temple of God up to chance. Look at what he said in 2 Chronicles 2:5. “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.”

The temple that God has given us (our bodies) should be great. Our families should be great. Our finances should be great. Our relationships should be great. Our churches should be great. Why? Because our God is great! You don’t have to have all of the answers, because you can seek the God who has them. But you can take some time to prepare as best as you can and leave the rest to Him.

Happy New Year!

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Building the Temple: Pt 2 Plan to Prosper

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

“Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s here! It’s finally here. My Christmas gift from my husband just came in the mail. Most people wouldn’t be excited to get the same gift every year but I like consistency!

For the past few years, I’ve been using the Christian Planner. This isn’t sponsored but people at the Christian Planner, feel free to hit me up! I use this planner because it allowed me to go from carrying around a to do journal, sermon note journal, budget journal and planner to having one place to keep all of these things.

So every year, this is what I ask my husband to get me for Christmas. There is nothing more sas tidying than opening a new, fresh, empty planner. I mean, there are but I just really love this planner!

Like the New Year, my new planner is a chance to start fresh. For many of us, the next few weeks are either going to be the groundwork for a great new future or the continuation of a stagnant, unproductive, mediocre life.

I know that sounds rough but it’s true. One of my favorite quotes says, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Some people take this to the extreme and try to plan out every detail of their day and life, making them a slave to their plans. You also have the person who makes no plan at all and proudly, albeit mistakenly, labels it as spontaneity.

Either side of the extreme is not beneficial and will have you further away from your goals than you would hope.

Did you know God was a planner? He told Jeremiah “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬)‬‬

And we are supposed to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). If God has taken time to make plans for us, we should take time to make plans for our lives to steer them in the direction that gives him glory in every area of our lives.

Make sure you check out the podcast where we go a bit deeper into how you can plan for your best year!

Next week, we’ll talk about the next step: Take Care to Prepare.

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Building the Temple: Pt 1 Pray Before You Plan

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death. – 1 Chronicles 22:5

Once David was informed that he would not be the king to build the temple of the Lord, he did the next best thing: he began making preparations for it. The Bible says he gathered wood, gold, silver and gems so that when Solomon was old enough to take over, everything would be ready.

When the day comes for Solomon to take his position as king, it was time for to begin building. But he does something else first. HE PRAYS. He has the right job, the right supplies, the right crew and yet he still stops to inquire of the Lord.

I’ve mentioned before that I homeschool my kids. As a planner, I usually have their entire month planned out and I review each week on Monday to be sure I have what I need. But one thing I’m learning to never overlook is beginning our days with prayer. Especially if I’m teaching something new! “Lord, help me to teach equivalent fractions with clarity and minimal yelling. Amen.”

I think some of us reserve prayer for major situations or a crisis. But we’ve been instructed to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

God doesn’t place any stipulations on what we can bring to him. Big or small, he cares and wants to help us. As the New Year approaches, I want to face it like Solomon did when it was time to build the temple. I want to start with prayer.

Solomon asked God for wisdom in how to lead the people of Israel. He didn’t just pop up and make a bunch of new rules as king and then ask God to bless it. He asked God what he should do.

When you prepare for the new year (or new week or new day), ask God how you should make your goals and what they should be. Psalm37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Many people think this only means God will give you what you desire. But I also believe he will give you WHAT TO desire.

I’ve started the year with fasting and prayer every year since I became a believer in 2006. It’s a great way to quiet down from the holidays and reset for the new year. It’s a great way to hear from God about your life and to get direction. Like Solomon, it would do us good to take time to inquire of God before we barge into the throne room with a list.

Next week, we’ll talk about step to: Plan to Prosper.

Posted on by jwlozano

Building the Temple

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death. – 1 Chronicles 22:5

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And yes, I sang that as I typed it! I really love Christmas time. For me, it’s the point in my year that signals it’s time to relax. I would say I go against the grain at this time of year that is usually spent bustling around to parties, stores and shows. A study in 2019 showed that 88% of respondents believed the holidays are the most stressful time of the year!

I have my yearly traditions of decorating, gift giving and fellowship just like most people, but I decided a long time go that I would not give into the belief that this time of year would be stressful. I’ve worked to be very intentional about centering our celebration on Jesus and his magnificent arrival into the world. That means saying no sometimes to the busyness that tries to creep in this time of year.

During this time of year, I usually spend some time reflecting on what has happened during the year. Goals I’ve completed and the ones that will carry over. Fun activities or trips with the family. I also spend some time starting to prepare for the next year. What do I want to see happen in my finances? My homeschool? My fitness? My faith?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Chris Voss in his book, Never Split the Difference. “When the pressure is on, you don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to the highest level of preparation.”

Every year, thousands of people write New Year’s Resolutions. I think what many people are writing is actually a wish list. By definition, when you make a resolution or resolve to do something, you are deciding firmly on a course of action. Resolutions should be more than just a cute list at the front of your planner. They should be accompanied by a plan of action. If you want to reach your goals, whatever they are, you have to prepare.

Every year, I prayerfully choose a word to guide my year. For 2021, my word was prepare. I wasn’t sure what this meant but knew from experience that God would show me throughout the year. This year, I committed to improving this blog, started a podcast and ran a marathon. I also have seen our homeschool blossom into a loving, calm, fulfilling environment that my kids are thriving in. But none of this happened accidentally. I began preparing for the change I wanted to see.

We are given a great example of this in the Bible. King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord but was told that his son, Solomon would be the one who would build the temple. Instead of being upset about what he couldn’t do, David began to pour himself into something he could do: make preparations for the building of the temple.

Over these last few weeks of 2021, I want to help you begin to think about where you’d like to see yourself this time next year by looking at the building of the temple in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Let 2022 be the year that you prepare your temple inside and out for what God wants to do through you.

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Trust in the Lord

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬


In today’s world, it’s hard to know who to trust. One day, coffee is good for you. The next day, it causes cancer. One channel says it’s the end of the world. The other channel says everything is great.

I don’t know about you but this can get exhausting. I decided a long time ago that no matter what was going on, in the world, in politics, in my personal life, I was going to trust God. When our faith and trust is in God, it will put your mind at ease. You won’t be easily shaken by what you see or hear because you know God is in control and he is who you trust.

Find more inspiration and hopefully a few laughs on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

Posted on by jwlozano · 1 Comment

My First Marathon

Listen to this week’s blog on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

It is the day after my first marathon. I hobbled down the stairs, made a cup of coffee and grabbed my laptop. While I doubt I will ever forget the events that transpired yesterday, I decided I wanted to get them down while they were fresh.

They say finishing a marathon will change your and they, whoever they are, were not wrong. While I am not even a full day removed from the marathon, the experience definitely changed me.

I got to the race at about 6:15am and found the team I was running with, Team World Vision. It was nice to not be alone and I got to meet all of the online people I’d been interacting with for the past several months.

After a quick prayer and gathering, we headed to the start line. Oddly, I didn’t feel nervous at all. I was ready to run and pretty excited.

The gun went off and we ran. I felt fresh and ready. My training went ok considering all of the interruptions I had during it. Three funerals, an injury, and three colds (one of which I was still shaking). But I felt good!

The first few miles were quite pleasant. The weather seemed to be holding up well and the expected snow seemed to be a possible wrong prediction. But around mile 8, the heavens opened.

Despite the snow/sleet and the brutal winds, I was still feeling ok and was on pace. Miles 1-13 flew by and before I knew it I was at mile 18, which was the longest run I’d done in training. With a wet face and feet, I kept pushing forward.

I could tell that these 18 miles were much more difficult than my training run of the same distance. The snow lasted from about mile 8-17 and was accompanied by some very intense wind gusts. By 18 miles, I felt physically drained. The snow and wind beat at my body for almost 10 miles and I was feeling it.

Luckily, a wonderful man named Mohammed, whom I will NEVER EVER forget was running close by and we began talking and encouraging each other.

I stopped at about 18.5 miles to take some pebbles out of my shoe, but when I slid my ankle back into my shoe, my left calf seized up as tight as a rock! I had never gotten a cramp during running so this was new territory.

With tears forming in my eyes, I began to message my calf and told it “Loosen up, right now!”. I used my mom voice to tell it who was in charge. I stood up and continued to remind my leg of its responsibility to keep me moving.

The cramp left, but the exhaustion stayed. My legs felt decent but my feet felt like lead. I knew as long as I could keep my mind strong, I’d be ok.

My family called to find me and as I approached about 19 miles, they drove by. I smiled and yelled at the kids from the road and it really brightened up the atmosphere. It’s amazing what being around the right people can do! (Another blog for another time!)

I pressed on and a bit before the 20 mile mark, my family had parked and were waiting for me. I stopped to hug my kids and to tell my husband that I was struggling. To this point I was still on my target pace, but I could see the crew removing the 20 mile tracking strip that’s used to update spectators of where there runner is. I literally had to run around the person removing it!

When I got to mile 21, the proverbial wheels fell off. I stopped to use the bathroom, hoping the change would bring on a second wind. It did not.

At this point, it crossed my mind to quit. I’d seen a lot of people drop out back when the weather got rough. It would be understandable. These running conditions were not ideal. I’d like to say that I fought hard the whole way through. I was mentally tough and nothing was going to break me down. But truthfully, I considered it.

As I sat in the port-a-potty, I had a decision to make. I can keep going or I can give up. But truthfully, I had already decided I was going to finish. I decided when I signed up for the marathon. I decided when I did the training. I decided when I pre-purchased the 26.2 sticker for my car!

I came out of the bathroom and kept going. I was doing ok, walking/running with my new friend. We talked about our running, families and got excited as we could see the capitol building in the near distance, which was the finish.

Feeling confident, I kept moving. Around mile 23, disaster knocked on my door again. And I let it in. The race crew was beginning to pick up the cones. One of the guys came to us to let us know that they needed to pick up the cones and mile markers so we needed to stay on the sidewalk to finish.

I’d been using the cones to guide me to the finish, and as a directionally challenged person, I knew if I had to read a map to get pack, I was toast. I burst into tears. Like, my dog just died tears.

Mohammed immediately checked on me. He thought I was hurt or something bad had happened. through my sobs I explained that I was scared I wouldn’t know the way to finish. He reassured me that we would follow the map and finish the last few miles together.

I wiped my tears and thanked God for sending me someone to help me when I was struggling. I apologized to Mohammed for falling apart and let him know I was ok!

My family called me at around 25 miles because the race was no longer tracking me since I would not make the cut off. I assured them I was doing fine and was on my way. The race crew had radioed in that we were coming so they left the finish line up.

At this point, I knew it was a good time to open the letter my daughter gave me days before the race. “See you at the finish line!”

I picked up my pace a bit and as I turned the corner onto the street where the finish line was, I could see my family. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I was almost done.

The workers who were still there cheered me on like I was running for gold! As my feet crossed the finish line, the floodgates opened and I couldn’t contain my emotions. I’d finished a marathon!

It was harder than I thought and I’d ran slower than I’d hoped, but I finished. I didn’t quit. I didn’t give up.

At the beginning of this year, I couldn’t run a mile and a when I finally could, it took me 15 minutes. I’d come so far and felt so proud. Since I didn’t finish the course by the cutoff time, I got a DQ by my name in the results. It stands for Disqualified. But for me, it means Didn’t Quit.

I felt like the psalmist in Psalm 27. “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” ‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭27:13‬)

I learned so much from running 26.2 miles about me, life and what I hope to give in the time I have on this earth. I’m excited to see what’s next!

Posted on by jwlozano

Joy in the Lord

“Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

‬It’s the Christmas season. I know we haven’t gotten to Thanksgiving yet but ads, commercials and stores are definitely telling us it’s time. The loud, colorful commercials want us to believe that we will find joy this season by getting or giving the right gift.

But we will only truly be joyful when we set our hearts to obey God’s word and seek him. He is the source of our joy and contentment.

Find more inspiration and hopefully a few laughs on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

Posted on by jwlozano

Run YOUR Race

Head over to my podcast for 5 ways to RUN YOUR RACE!! Seeking God, Loving Others.

“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In 48 hours, I’ll be running my first marathon. I can’t believe that after almost 8 months of training it’s time. It’s time to run my race. My training has been interrupted more times than I care to remember but I’ve made it through.

I’ve learned so much over the past few months about both running and life. Many of the blog posts I’ve written were worked out during a run on the trails.

As I’ve been preparing for this race, I’ve come across Hebrews 12:1 quite a bit. In fact, the planner I use has a monthly verse and this month’s verse was Hebrews 12:1! Coincidence? I don’t think so.

This verse is such a powerful reminder that each of us has our own race to run that God has marked out for us. But many of us are too busy looking at other people’s races and envying their results.

I’ve found it so freeing actually running my own race. Both physically and spiritually. I use a running app that is basically like Facebook but for runners. We can see our friends’ runs and comment and like but I’ve heard many people say they feel bad about their own run after seeing others’ stats.

When we compare ourselves to others, it actually slows us down in our own race. We end up doing too much too soon or losing focus on what God wants us to do.

If I look at and envy the free time my friend has while her kids are at school, I won’t be content in homeschooling my children even though it’s the race God has marked for me.

If I envy the lavish vacation someone on Facebook posts, I won’t be content with sticking to the financial goals God has marked out for my family.

When we run the race that God has marked out for us in our homes, business, career or family, we can trust that he has everything figured out.

I know a few people who have a running coach. If ever I win the lottery, that will be one of my splurges. A running coach can create a plan tailored specific to your goals. You don’t have to think about what workout you need to do or how far you need to run; you just look at your plan. And if something comes up that interferes with your training, your running coach adjusts things and moves them around.

Now, a running coach is not in my budget (yet) but I do have access to someone who has created a tailored plan for my life. I don’t have to worry about what city to live in or what job to take, I can just look at his plan. I don’t have to know how long it will take for my blog to get noticed or my book to get published. I can look at his plan and know that “he who began a good work will carry it to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

When something interferes with my race, he can move things around so that “all things are working together for my good” (Romana 8:28). If you haven’t caught on, I’m talking about God! God has every detail of my life, and yours, mapped out and when we stay in our lane, stay in his word and stay in his presence, we WILL run our race and run it well.

Posted on by jwlozano

Seasons Change; God Doesn’t

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s fall here in the Midwest, a season I had very little experience with growing up in Texas. I love this time of year. There is a street that we take to go to the library that we call “Tree Tunnel Road”. The trees on either side of the road meet above the road, like they are reacting out to each to each other. During the fall, the leaves trade their green wardrobe for yellows, orange, red and purple.

In a time when things can change overnight, it is reassuring to know that God is always the same. He is faithful and his great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4) are not conditioned on what is happening in the world. Take heart! His promises are still YES and AMEN!

Find more inspiration and hopefully a few laughs on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.