Author: everyday adventure

I’ve been involved with three yard sales in my life. One when I was about 7, one during college and one two years ago. It’s this last one I want to tell you about. Everyone who has planned one knows the drill. You prepare for days and then you’re up at the crack of dawn on the day of the sell.

This time was no different. We were about to move and we needed to declutter so we geared up and we were ready to go. The kids were helping and we were all excited. Ok, well, as excited as you can be at a yard sale. We had toys, books, furniture, shoes, the whole 9 yards.

The morning was successful but as the afternoon progressed we had more left than we had hoped. We were tired and ready to go home so we decided to put a “free” sign at the road. A few people stopped and looked around but didn’t take much. Then a couple pulled up and started strolling through our belongings. They ended up packing into their car a crib, a high chair, a baby carrier, clothes and a nursing pump. 

It was then that the man began to cry. He shared with my husband that his wife was 8 months pregnant, they had recently moved to the area and he had no job. The day before, his wife had told him, “Our baby is due in one month and we have no crib and no furniture.” He looked at Jake and said, “God remembered me.”

We talked with them for a while then we said goodbye. We’ve never seen them again but I know that day we were blessed as much as they were.

May we all be encouraged today that when we feel forgotten, God is preparing the answer even in His silence and at the right moment – His moment – He will speak. We are never alone. He sees us. He loves us. He remembers us.

I’ve heard the story of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea since I was a little girl. There is so much encompassing this story, but let’s be honest, how often do we jump straight to the miracle part? The wow moment. 

Lately, this story has been coming back to me in full force but God has been taking me to a different part of the story – the struggles surrounding the miracle. For God is in the journey as much as He’s in the miracle. 

I’m a planner and a list person so when my daily and monthly routines suddenly get turned into complete uncertainty, it’s easy for me to fall into survival mode shrouded with stress. If I’m not doing something physical to try to figure things out, my mind is working overtime trying to find a solution. And that is where I found myself two months ago. Stressed. Confused. Frustrated. My husband is so good for me. Somehow in the midst of roadblocks and life’s surprises, he has the ability to stay calm and relax. (I’m still working on this gift.)

Through all of this, I’ve been reminded that the presence of God is beyond amazing in our lives. The miracles and provisions we’ve experienced during this challenging season have been a reminder that we serve the God who sees.

It’s been in this state that God has brought me to the story in Exodus over and over again in recent days/months. 

After the mass exodus of thousands of Israelite men, women and children from Pharaoh’s oppression, we read in Exodus 13:17-18, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”

At the beginning of their journey, no doubt, they were already experiencing unmet expectations. They were ready to fight, probably emotionally fired up anticipating victory. But God didn’t lead them into battle. He took them another route. He took them a longer way of trekking towards the Red Sea. In retrospect, knowing their tendencies for complaining and grumbling, this could have been the onset of a stirring of discontentment. 

What they failed to realize was that God was working on many levels behind the scenes. With every difficult and exhausting step they took, they were walking out a miracle. Scripture says that God led them with a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. Verse 22 says, “Neither…left it’s place in front of the people. 

So here we have them, already journeying through different circumstances than imagined, and God directs them to turn back and encamp by the sea. I’m sure emotions were really stirring at this point. While all of this was happening with the Israelites, the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials were shifting. They were regretting their decision to let their captives go and devising a plan to recapture them. 

Fast forward and once again we see God had them turn back and encamp in another place. Even in this, God had a purpose and was confusing the enemy. Finally we pick up the story where the Egyptians are pursuing the Israelites. They realize the danger and their panic turns to complaining – and lots of it. 

Moses then tells them (verses 13-14), “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 

Today I can see how God fought for us. I can see how I took unnecessary stress upon myself when God was simply calling me to rest. So once again, I find myself learning to trust on a daily basis.

I pray this for each of you as well, whether you are walking in the struggles surrounding your miracle or experiencing the joy of the miracle itself, be still in the peace that comes from giving Jesus control of every area of your life.  

I’m back. How I’ve missed this space! I’m sitting at my desk, the kids are in bed and I’m grabbing a few moments of quiet. What a wild ride it’s been the past two months. Here’s a little glimpse of the reason for my absence. We’ve lived out of suitcases, we’ve moved and I survived the first trimester of my fifth pregnancy (pregnancy is not nice to me) all while managing life, ministry and three kids six years old and younger. 

I love that God is in the sweet chaos and He speaks when we listen. I want to share with you one theme that He has been reiterating to me in these months of transition in hopes that it will encourage you as it has me. 

“Just show up. Speak about My goodness and I’ll do the work.”

The task oriented side of me wants to go hard and get everything done at once, but lately I’ve been reminded of my limitations. In these moments of inadequacies, Jesus’ voice of encouragement has brought a deep joy and expectancy in the midst of the exhaustion. God has reminded me over and over of His greatness. When we are weak, He is strong. When we exalt Him, He will draw others to Himself. 

Limitations are not an excuse for passivity but rather an opportunity to depend on Him and a reminder that anything good we do comes from Him in the first place. God gives us daily opportunities not only to recognize His goodness but also to share it with others. And what a privilege it is to do just that! We can trust Him to open doors for us if we are willing to show up and speak. 

The last chapter of the book of Romans has intrigued me for years and this morning I went back to it. On the surface, it doesn’t seem too interesting as Paul is simply sending greetings and closing out his letter. However, when I stop to imagine the daily lives of the people he is addressing, I’m challenged and inspired. Each person is living out their God-given opportunities and they don’t all look the same. Check it out…

1. Priscilla and Aquila – they risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
2. Mary – worked very hard for you.
3. Andronicus and Junias – my relatives who have been in prison with me; they are outstanding among the apostles.
4. Apelles – tested and approved.
5. Tryphena and Tryphosa – women who work hard in the Lord.
6. Persis – another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
7. Rufus – chosen in the Lord.
8. Rufus’ mother – who has been a mother to me, too.
9. Timothy – my fellow worker.
10. Gaius – whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy.
11. Erastus – who is the city’s director of public works.

As I have been reflecting on this theme the past few weeks, I pass on the challenge to you. Examine your season. What opportunities has God placed in front of you? What are you doing with them? I go back to my original thought from God, “Just show up. Speak about His goodness and let Him do the work.” 

We may not know the outcome of showing up but we can be certain of the outcome for not showing up. 

There are a million little moments I want to tuck away in my pocket to pull out and relive. But life doesn’t pause, leaving me to be content with the memories made. 

People. Places. Events. There are so many things God has used to shape the person I am and mature me into who He has created me to be. It’s a daily process. A daily surrendering. And a lifetime of growth. 

Recently I sat in my favorite spot of our house, looking around the room at the pictures hanging on our walls and my candle and books creating the centerpiece for our coffee table and I simply reminisced the gift of the past season. My heart ached at the upcoming goodbyes but was comforted by God’s reassuring Presence. In that moment, He reminded me that I didn’t have to say goodbye to Him. 

He has been with me in every move, every transition and every season. He is my constant and He is never leaving. An overwhelming peace and joy settled in my heart as I celebrated this part of the journey with Him. Releasing anything we love is hard but when we know God is moving us on, there is comfort in the change and strength in the letting go. 

God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Remembering this gives me courage to embrace each new horizon. I can let go of what I know and walk toward the unknown because I walk with the One who knows not only my current end but also my new beginning. 

I’m not sure what a panic attack actually looks like, but if it’s an overwhelming feeling of stress in my gut that leads to tears every time I think of a situation then I had a mini panic attack this morning. Even while I prepared my tea and excitedly sat down for my moments of quiet before the household woke up, it took every effort to still my pounding heart. 

I’m a pretty transparent person, but this morning I’m going to leave out the details of how I arrived at this moment because that is not the point. (However, if your curiosity gets the better of you, just ask and I’ll gladly share. I’m basically an open book.) 

What I want to focus on is what happened when I sat down. It’s cliche, I know, but it was as if Scripture came alive. The “peace of God that transcends all understanding” (check out Philippians 4:32 in the Bible if you aren’t familiar with this verse) settled in the room and gently took my stress. In the short time that I sat there, God worked on my heart, shifted my perspective and gave me joy for my upcoming day. 

I write this to encourage you in your struggles. Whatever burdens you wake up to, let Jesus carry the weight and teach you how to navigate them gracefully. It doesn’t have to take a long thought out action plan. It simply takes asking God for help. 

If you’re a list person, like myself, here are some bullet points to remember when you feel overwhelmed:

-Be still

-Ask God for help

-Open the Bible

-Let go

It’s that simple. 

So, I leave you with these thoughts and trust you have a wonderful week. Come good or bad – with Jesus’ help, YOU GOT THIS!

I hate being satisfied and content. Before you think I’m turning into an egotistical gal, please read on. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the seemingly high speed motion picture that we live in and put our relationship with God into neutral, but I feel a tugging in my spirit to fight this tendency, to reach for more and to challenge you to do the same. I never want to be satisfied with how close I am to God. There is always more. There are more things to learn, more ways to change and more areas in which to grow. And God is desperately waiting for us to want this enough to do something about it.

Do you ever just look around and wonder at God’s handiwork? It’s in everything around us. The mountains, the ocean, the intricate detail of flowers, the variety of personalities, a child’s smile. And in the midst of His grandeur, His voice speaks when we are listening. He is drawing us to Himself. 

My heart’s cry is to know God more. I want to hear the whispers which can only be heard in the close moments of intimacy where His love is spoken over me and I feel the deep beatings of His heart. I want to see the brokenness in this world through His eyes causing me to throw away my comfort in order to do something about it. 

Sometimes we don’t want to listen because we are afraid of what it will cost us. And often times it will cost a lot. But what we will receive in return, both now and in eternity, will far outweigh anything we sacrifice.

Even as I write this, I feel an urgency. Wherever you find yourselves today, I dare you to abandon whatever is hindering you from surrender (fear, doubt, materialism, laziness, stress, busyness, etc.) and run after God like never before. 

You may say you have no idea where to start. Open the Bible, open your heart and watch what God will show you. It’s that simple. 

My prayer for us all:

“Lord, You said that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. Give us hearts that desire to know You more. Give us courage to let go of temporal things that hinder a relationship with You. Teach us to slow down. Help us surrender. Mold us into Your likeness. Take us to new levels of friendship with You. Show us Your glory.”