More than Unbroken

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. Spring is my favorite time of year. We have been on spring break this week, and except for one rainy day, the weather has been mild and true spring-like temperatures. This is a luxury we don't often get in Florida. In fact, I'm writing in the windy March weather outside even though I'm "indoorsy." Spring is the ultimate season of renewal. One unfortunate detail about myself is my lack of ability to grow plants. Last year, I decided to try succulents. The frost got them, and I knew I had once again failed. On closer inspection, though, I recognized that new growth was sprouting up. I cut away the dead leaves and planted some new, smaller plants. It's been a few years, but we have baby chicks again at the barn. Our hens have been faithful to provide eggs, but it was time to raise up new production hens to meet our family needs. Baby animals are one of my favorite parts of springtime. Life is everywhere, and ...

It’s been a busy few weeks for our family. There have been birthdays to celebrate, shows to perform, tournaments to compete in, and we have managed to keep moving with daily life. Now, I feel like we have come to a brief pause. And it’s a welcome moment! Busyness in itself is not a bad thing. When you are active as a family, you make a lot of memories together, and that’s wonderful. At some point, however, there must be a reprieve from all of it. Some would call it margin. Making space to restore your mind and body. The fact is that I have become so dependent on this “white space” to function in a healthy way. It’s okay, and actually good, to set aside time to rest. God gave us this in the Sabbath. “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.” Leviticus‬ ‭23:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ God created the earth in six days and rested on th...

I’ve procrastinated in writing my blog this week. So as I sit at 8:00 on Sunday night, I feel a tad guilty. At the same time, this week has been particularly busy for me. I teach theatre, and this week was our spring musical. In the moments I’ve had time to think, I haven’t had any inspiration, and I have let time slip away.  So now, it’s 8:03 on Sunday night, and I’m working to form some kind of encouragement to share. All that resounds inside of me is that God meets us in the busyness. Even in my moments of stress and chaos, I am at perfect peace because I know the God of order. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Psalms‬ ‭142:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ An inspirational message has eluded me. And all I am left with is the peace of God and the confidence that He is with me no matter how I feel. He bends down and meets me where I am to give me what I need in every moment. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalms‬ ‭116:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This week...

Pray for Ukraine. Pray for the innocent people in Russia. Pray for local crises. Pray for friends and loved ones who are sick, having surgery, or have lost a loved one. I’ll be honest, sometimes it seems a little overwhelming to think about all the things that need to be prayed over. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray for specific needs. But one of the things that God has really been dealing with me about is my prayer life. Like most people of faith, I tend to spout off the numerous needs in my home, my community, and my world. Jesus taught us to pray. He made it personal and led by example, showing us that prayer is less about sharing all of our worries with God and more about just having a conversation with Him. This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lea...