About the Author

Anna works full-time for DaySpring from Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and four kids. Anna is the author of A Moment of Christmas and Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul, and she shares the good stuff of the regular, encouraging you to see the ordinary glory in your everyday.

(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
DaySpring.com
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  1. Anna,
    It saddens me that in the world, as it is now, we are forced to consider heinous shootings in our schools. School should be a caring, safe haven for our children. Fear creeps in in every possible crevice today. I take heart knowing that the Bible continually refers to God as the “Lord of Armies”. There is a continual battle going on between the forces of good and evil. We see the aftermath of a spiritual battle in the heavenlies every day. It seems like the enemy is winning some days, but we can can take heart that God and Good finally triumph. The Lord of Armies will fight for our children and our prayers will provide a hedge of protection. Fear brings us to our knees in reliance upon the Lord. We can trust or we can control, but we can’t do both. Joining with you in releasing my fears unto the Lord who is More than able to hold my worry-filled heart. Praying for the safety of ALL our precious children.
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  2. Thanks, Anna, and having just taught the lesson about Gideon to my preschoolers in Sunday School, I’m smiling an amen to the over-the-top assurance that God gives us in the midst of our fears. We don’t have to be a fearless super-mom–but we do need to hand our worries and that sick feeling in the pit of our stomach over to God.
    Blessings to you and your littles at the beginning of another year of Trust.

  3. Anna,
    Beautiful! Thank you! There is such a sweet spot of surrender in entrusting our children to God’s care. He is the safest place. After homeschooling since 1997, I just sent my youngest (9th grade) to school. Letting go is hard, but with 4 of mine in college, I know the road to letting go is done best when we place them in His hands continually!

  4. Thank you for the lovely prayer I am a teacher and there are days I have to pray and say Lord keep us safe he entrust us with your babies and we take it seriously . Thank you for reminding me about Gideon.

  5. Anna, this spoke to my momma heart today and speaks right into a specific situation in my life with someone so close to me. I’m sharing your words with her today, as well as with many others. Thank you for your wisdom and speaking His word into anxious hearts this morning.

  6. Anna, I feel for you especially with all the shootings lately in America. It is something that I never grew up with in society of people having guns unless they were a farmer and I grew up in the suburbs in Australia. Here in NZ the crazy horror unfolded of a mad man in March. The world has changed and we live in different times BUT the one thing that hasn’t changed is God. He goes before and makes a way and goes after us I can’t exactly remember this verse word for word but He is always with us and we cannot control anything really we simply have to trust in a God and take courage that he gives us over fear and march on. Praying for your children and for you sweet mama for Gods gracious protection and blessings over you all. He will be by their side, by your side and mine, every single minute of every day. With such an awesomely powerful God we have nothing to fear. Thank you for this post
    Blessings
    Jas

  7. Thank you so much Anna for your perfect words. My fear is that my youngest will is spending her last year in high school this year. Her two older brothers are young men set in their careers and one even just engaged. I’m fearful that she will be in the “real” world soon. I trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and I know he has all our beautiful babies.

  8. Dear Anna, thank you for putting into words so beautifully the feelings on so many of our hearts. My son and daughter-in-law are teachers in Newtown and were in a school a half mile down the road from Sandy Hook the day of the horrific shooting . They were in lockdown as the situation was unfolding and I was watching this on television in sheer panic. I called my church and had one of the pastors pray with me over the phone as I didn’t know what else to do until later through a text heard they were safe. I pray God’s hand of protection daily on my little grandchildren and for my son ,daughter-in-law and daughter who are teachers. I knew that day it was God Alone who spared their lives. I remind them of that as they also struggle with fears for their little children. Our God reigns, and is on the throne, and only by placing our loved ones in his care daily can we have any peace about sending our loved ones out into the world each day. God bless you & your family ,Monica B.

  9. Thank you Anna. Beautifully put, and so many of us can relate to your fears. My youngest is starting University and dorm life in another city as I type this. What helps me is to remember that even if I were able to remain with my children it would not ensure ‘safety’ … bad things could happen as you said, in any regular place in broad daylight, even if their dad and I would be present. It is not my presence that will keep my daughter safe from experiencing various levels of violence or horrific acts. My peace of mind and heart will be found in giving God what He is worth – “worship / worth-ship” (as Tim Keller teaches)… He is my four (now adult) children’s Perfect Father who is never careless or distracted or not present. He is far more qualified to care for them and meet their needs in any situation than I am no matter how ‘good’ a mama I may be. My role now is to actively place my trust in Him for my children and grandchildren – through prayer. He convicted me one day years ago, showing me I was actually placing my trust in fear (yikes!!), essentially placing my trust in the Enemy. Seeing it that way has helped me to turn away from focusing on Fear, to focusing on the author of my faith and the giver of peace. I pray now that He will be our continual source of peace and strength and faith, as us mamas and papas release the children he’s entrusted us to raise back into His care every time fear threatens to steal our inheritance – our joy, our trust, our assurance of his goodness. And yes: May our children experience today freedom and protection from violence wherever they are!

  10. thankyou for this..i know most moms have some fear or anxiety over this ! I was taught many years ago two things : one ..to balance life out. which means sometimes our emotions God uses to teach us things and strengthen us.
    and two that fear often used by the enemy stands for :

    F- false
    E- evidence
    A- appearing
    R- real

    so is it false evidence appearing real to scare us into standing still or shrinking back ?
    while we must use our emotions to navigate away from danger and things we must also balance life out with a greater sense of faith.
    I pray for every mom who has to make decisions to send her children to school , all I know is no matter where they are if we pray then God is there with them ! whether that’s the mall..theatre..school etc.

  11. Thank you so much for that prayer. I just dropped off my crying Kindergartener and my anxious third grader at school. Many other parents see my kids crying and just stare. I’m trying to help them be brave but I too am crying and anxious. Parenting is so tough most days I feel like I’m failing them. So I especially appreciated the last line of the prayer Amen.

  12. How many of us stop to pray for Teachers teaching the kids. I have no kids. But I pray for the Teachers as they are teaching my Nieces and Nephews. Plus I pray for teacher’s salvation as some of them might not be saved. That everything they do to teach each child will be done in Love like Jesus did. Pleasing on too Jesus. Like the kids song Jesus Love all the Children lf the world Red and Yellow Black and White and the Teachers will do the same. Kids will know they are loved too. Especially those kids who come from homes who have parents who are struggling to make ends meets for them. Then kids don’t feel loved by their parents. That other school kids will not be cruel to them and bully them. Because they don’t come from as nice a home as them. The teacher will teach kids to be kind to everyone no matter what homes they come from. To like everyone. Like Jesus did. Plus I pray for prayer to be brought back into our schools. As when I went to school we at break time where taught to say a simple prayer. It was just simply this. Thank you God for the food we eat thank you God for the Birds that sing thank you God for everything. Now I find it sad pray like that is no longer said in schools anymore. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little

  13. We all have Fears like Kids starting School or Nursery for first time. It is going to be scary. Kids especially leaving a parents who love them for the first time. Seeing teachers or Nursery teachers for the first time can be scarey. They have to put their trust in them. You as parents are putting your trust in them to take care of your child or children. It is their first time out in the big world without Mummy especially if Daddy way working all day. What life when they meet new people in School or Nursery. They are strangers to them until they get to trust them. We as Adults are like that with People too. We are like that with Jesus. We have to learn to trust him and trust what his word the Bible says too be true our we would never get saved or do what Jesus tell us to do.

  14. “The only way I can even begin to combat fear is to focus in sharply on God and His response to others who have trusted Him in spite of their fear.” Such a timely truth and reminder! Thank you, Anna, for letting us see your fear (which makes it safe to acknowledge our own) and then together remember who God is in the midst of it!

  15. It really is overwhelming when we can make such long lists of so many things to fear and know they are all completely out of our control to change. But we can change our attitude and prayer will help us daily fight the battle to succumb to the grip fear can have on our hearts.

    I pray we will be strong and courageous because we know God is with us!
    Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

  16. Anna,

    This world is so full of hatred & disunity. The devil seems to be working overtime to get us depressed & afraid. God says several times in the Bible “Do not fear”. Ephesians 6 loosely states: be strong in the Lord & His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God to stand your ground and after everything stand. Pray hard. God is telling us to trust Him. Don’t be afraid. He will put a hedge of protection around us. Sure things look bleak at times. We must remember that God is in control & He will ultimately win the battle of good & evil. When we face trials of fears God is near. He is right there ready to fight our battle for us. We just need to lay it at His feet & ask Him to protect us. I am saddened by the way our country/world has gone. It is no longer the gentle, family ways of the early 1940-50s. We must equip our children & pray for their safety. Prayers for all the teachers, administrators, bus drivers, & children going back to school. May this be a safe year for all!

    Blessings 🙂

  17. Hi Anna,
    Lovely post, reminding us to keep trusting God, no matter the situation. When we keep our eyes, mind and heart on Jesus and the Word, we really do find peace in this sometimes, scary world. I like all the examples you give of regular people who obeyed God to accomplish His purpose.
    Since worry and anxiety can be too large a part of me sometimes, this post really spoke to me today.

    Thanks and blessings, Sandy

  18. Seriously stop watching the news! Lots of things scarier.
    Mental Illness, unplanned pregnancy, rape-much more statistically probable.
    Doubt this will be published