About the Author

ALIZA LATTA is a writer, artist, and pastor who is a huge fan of telling stories. She creates content for Canada’s largest youth conference, Change Conference, and is a church planter in Ontario, Canada. Her artwork and writing have been featured in publications for LifeWay, Dayspring, and (in)courage. She is...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. Aliza,

    Life ins’t a simple 5-10 step program. We are so conditioned to having various programs to fix things. Do these steps & this is fixed-you’ll lose weight, be a better speaker, writer, etc. That is not how God works. Learning to be more like Jesus is no different. It is a life long process. Jesus completely understands our faults & failures. He became man in human form. He knows we won’t get it right down here. That’s why He allows clean slates each day & each new year. This life is a journey of baby steps. We get up try again, fail. Redo next day. Each day He starts out giving us mercy & grace anew. Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Good luck in the gym. Maybe one day you can become a gym rat. Meantime let’s take a journey with God & fall more in love with Him.

    Blessings 🙂

  2. I’m trying a new and different approach to 2019. I know I have a lot to work on, there’s a lot I could resolve to change, and I’m open, but oh . . . My heart needs to persevere one task, one sentence, one God-given insight at a time, so the least-athletic person on the other side of that northern border is working at healthful practices and remembering the grace you’ve written about so beautifully today.

    • Amen, we all need to remember his GRACE. I sure do! Does anyone ever battle with the voices and doubt that we are less than and underserving of Gods blessings? I know I do! It’s ok I know God loves me but I need to love me the way God does, to see myself the way He does to be confident in my abilities to serve him.

  3. Dear Aliza, those people who frequent the gym are called “gym rats” or at least that’s what my daughter and I called ourselves. And maybe you need to find a friend to do the gym with. Or find a friend at the gym. I haven’t done the gym thing for years. I walk and I work out at home. You just need to find what works for you. And, no, I haven’t missed your whole point about new beginnings. Yes, every day, every hour is a new opportunity to be better. And God’s grace is always there. Thank you for your honesty and your reaching out to us.

  4. Thank you for being real Aliza. I fail all the time and for some reason I feel like I have to wait for the next day to get a clean slate (especially with food failure.) I love giving gifts and encouraging others, but I have a hard time receiving gifts (I would rather give than receive). I think it’s hard to receive God’s grace in the same way. I need to be more receptive to His gift of grace and in turn, forgive myself. Thank you for writing this devotion. Blessings on your 2019!

    • I agree, Jen. Why is it so hard to accept grace as a beautiful, free gift that Jesus is excited to give us over and over again? I’m not sure, but I’m right there with you, friend.

  5. Dear Aliza,
    Thank you for words of encouragement on beginning again and God’s amazing grace for us. I have found that reading God’s love letter (the Bible) to us all helps me know Him, know Jesus more each day and fall more in love with Him. It’s perhaps obvious and seemingly easy but like going to the gym takes time to make it a constant habit. Here’s to grace in that as well. With love and prayers for you, Gretchen

  6. Hi Aliza, I was truly blessed to read your candid sharing, so refreshing and real in its human struggles we may face one way or another.
    THE UNFORCED RHYTHM OF GRACE
    is like resting on His everlasting arms, or taking His Hand and walking through the days of our life together. Never alone as His light shines on every situation we may face. What a comfort, what an assurance, Unconditional love promise. We believe it, but we can now do it, live it, walk in it in the rhythm of His Grace. Thank you so much for this much needed doze of encouragement.

  7. Dear Aliza,
    I had a good laugh reading your comments because I can so relate to many of your experiences!! It’s really embarrassing when you fall off the big rubber ball you’re sitting on (to strengthen your core) as you lift your weights to firm up your arm muscles. There really is no graceful recovery for that lol. Getting in shape has really improved my ability to laugh at myself 🙂 Maybe, just maybe, God chuckles when He sees us taking on these mammoth goals that set us up for failure. Like a baby learns to walk one small step at a time, I am learning (yes I’m a slow learner) that I need to approach many things one small step at a time. Just like a parent doesn’t chide a newly cruising toddler if he/she falls, God doesn’t chide us. He lifts us up, dusts us off , and encourages us to keep taking steps. His mercies are new every morning…in fact they are new every five minutes when it gets right down to it. So thankful for His grace that abounds. With every breath we breathe, there is new grace. Great insights and encouragement, Aliza.
    Blessings,
    Bev xx
    ps. I keep my eyes closed if I have to do something in front of the mirrors lol. I focus on how God sees me vs. what the mirror tells me. It works….that is until I fall off the rubber ball…..

  8. Aliza,
    Thank-you for sharing your honest and encouraging words…….
    As I read, ‘A Psalm of David’ Psalm 19:1-6 1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” this morning during a typical Coastal BC storm, the thunder roared louder than I’d heard in quite awhile. The gale winds slowly died down, and then the rain completely stopped. When I read about how you tripped on the treadmill I remembered the time when I was playing tag with my son and his friends. Somehow I managed to fall off the sidewalk and break my wrist. I was so embarrassed that I jumped up, and started to laugh. So yes, sometimes in life we might fall, but we can always trust that God that created the Heavens and Earth will pick us up when we do………
    Have a blessed day all,
    Penny

    • Penny – you’re a fellow Canadian! How fun is that. (Although I haven’t been to BC, but I’d love to go.) Thank you so much for your encouragement and that beautiful word picture.

  9. Thanks for this honest reminder of the precious Grace of God. We are so hard on ourselves. … “a rhythmic journey set to the tune of grace”… I love this!! My word this year is delight, and you just brought that to mind again. I want to take my focus off of me (and ALL my failures) and delight in the grace available to me!

  10. Dear Aliza,
    My word for this year is “courage.” So take courage, that you’ve started those first awkward steps and gradually, you’ll be more confident and STRONG. 🙂
    I’m in my middle years and take a seniors strength training class. We are wide mix of individuals both in age and ability. Luckily, if we can’t do something exactly as the trainer demonstrates it, he will show us a modification. I’ve always been a walker as well, and after a good, brisk walk, those endorphins do kick in and I feel refreshed. This will come for you too, in time.

    Blessings, eh, Sandy