About the Author

Kaitlyn is a Virtual Assistant, book launch manager, and storyteller who writes about discovering God's goodness in the ordinary and faithfulness in the difficult. She loves good books, deep conversations, and iced vanilla lattes. Kaitlyn is the author of Even If Not: Living, Loving, and Learning in the in Between.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. I love this! I have so many candles resting on tables and sitting in cabinets waiting to be lit. What a great way to acknowledge God’s presence in the midst of my ordinary day. Thanks, Kaitlyn.

  2. Kaitlyn,
    It’s so ironic that I read this shortly after I put a candle on our dinner table and have been lighting every night. It’s just my husband and me, and dinner may only be spaghetti, but we can “savor the small” in any situation. Maybe? we needed a 2020 to get our minds off the great and grandiose and simply be grateful for the everyday blessings. I woke up this morning. I’m breathing. The sun will rise shortly. Thank you, God!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  3. I have always lit candles around the house. After the 9/11 attack, a few of us put lights in all the windows of our small country church. And, while I no longer live in that town, those candles still burn in the windows to remind folks who drive by that there is hope and light even in the darkness. Today, I will light my candles as i have done so often.

  4. I love the phrase “mark this ordinary moment as worthy of beauty”. I’ve challenged by crew to notice the taken-for-granted moments & people around them & see the beauty. Also encouraged them to light a candle at dinner even if it comes in a paper bag. ;~)

  5. Thank you for your words today! It reminds me of the song “go light your world” by Kathy Troccoli! God bless your 2021~

  6. After my husband died I realized how special every second of “mundane and rock ary” really is. And I love cabdles!! Thanks f or this reminder ☺

  7. The year 2020 was a hard year with the pandemic, losing my job and looking for a job w/o success probably due to my age. I will light a candle to bring light and hope for something better. Thank you for the candle story.

  8. My word for 2021 is nurture. I want to nurture and care for the things that God has given me right now at this moment. I’m quickly learning that nurturing is linked to having gratitude and appreciation for everything. That even in the muck that 2020 provided, God provided more! Little everyday ordinary things in abundance!

  9. Wonderful devotion. My sister and I are both “purging” our homes..And even before we read this devotion, started to realize that saving stuff for a “special day” doesn’t really work! God provides SPECIAL moments many times in a week and we just need to realize the many blessings we have in an ordinary day..My husband and I are NOW using our wedding china every day.!!.Thanks for making our WEEK!!

  10. Thank you for this, I had lit a candle just before reading it. I so appreciate your restraint in saying anything regarding political leanings, allowing all to be blessed and encouraged.♥

  11. I burn candles with abandon, but recently caught myself in this “reserved” mindset with my wedding and engagement rings. I rarely wore my diamond, thinking my daily chores would just be too much for it until one day I asked myself, “I’m 58 years old… What am I saving this ring for??”
    The time to enjoy God’s good gifts is NOW!

  12. Kaitlyn,

    I love scented candles. I try to keep some in the bathroom & light them often. The light it gives off is just enough to shower with & I frequently use that time & place as my prayer closet. It is quiet with just me & God. We tend to think “good” stuff needs to be saved for that special occasion. God gives us “nice” items & He expects us to use them not hoard them for a special day. Each day is special in its own way. We need to be celebrating life more. Go ahead light candles, use the fine china, wear the diamond.

    Blessings 🙂

  13. I watched your instagram this evening before I got to my email to click on this devotion. You worried a lot about nothing 🙂 It is a lovely, timely devotion that we all need to look at the ordinary with a new lense. As I have also been purging the house, and getting back into it during these winter months of staying home, I have rounded up those candles to light so that I know where they are!! And trying to remember to light them when I am near and sitting down.

    Now every time I light one I will think of you and this devotion, thank you for this.

    • I knew there was a possibility someone might assume light/dark is referring to politics or parties, particularly if they saw something on social media but didn’t read the full post. And there’s always the chance that talking about something else (literally anything else) could receive pushback for *not* talking about or be seen as skirting around current topics… I’m grateful that the comments here were kind (that is sadly not always the case) and social media was, mostly, the same! Here’s to appreciating the ordinary things on all the days.

  14. Hi Kaitlyn, this devotional would be wonderful to share with our congregation as a video and audio recording. It would be read by someone (who is recorded), then shared on our church’s Facebook account and on our Sermon by Phone line. May we have permission to do that, including giving you and Incourage citations?

    Thanks and Blessings,
    Claire Phillips
    1st United Methodist Church
    Deming, NM

  15. Kaitlyn,
    To echo Michele, ‘The time to enjoy Gods good gifts is now!’ Yes, we eat off of our wedding china every night to remind me that He is the God of good gifts. As a young child I grew up very poor, yet protected in the Fathers love for me. Jeremiah echoes this as well in 32:40-41. ‘I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them….I will rejoice in doing them good’ Oh, how glad I am that what makes the heart of Almighty God happy includes doing good for you and me!
    Thank you a million times for this lovely reminder Kaitlyn.

  16. I often light a candle as I begin my quiet time in the morning, as a reminder that the Light of the world is with me to guide me as I study, pray, and then progress through my day. In the winter months we light candles and fairy lights most evenings to add a bit of cheer against the darkness. Life is too short to save candles for only special occasions!

  17. Kaitlyn this is SO powerful for me. I know my comment is late but I had to at least try to let you know how much this impacted me. I have put this into practice in my life for the past few years to help me get through the holidays. After losing my Mom a little over three years ago, I really struggled during the holidays. I felt the darkness in a very heavy way and I knew I had to fight it and I did these very same things you describe. Lighting candles with scents that brought me comfort, leaving soft white lights on my mantle to bring more warmth to the room, doing little things around my home to add little bursts of beauty that, yes maybe only I appreciate but that’s the point, to get the focus off of myself and see the beauty around me. I’ve never really been able to explain this concept to others the way you have here. I am sharing this with my small group tonight. Thank you! Be blessed dear Friend.

    Christine

    • Every time someone leaves a comment on one of our new posts, we receive an email as the author. So while it may be “late” on the site, it’s right on time in my inbox. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write, to share here with me, and to share with your small group as well. That’s such an encouragement.

  18. My spiritual director has asked me what keeps me from receiving Jesus’ love, as a way to discern what I should focus on for Lent and it occurred to me that most of the time the biggest hurdle is that I don’t take time to savour His love and what He has done for me. I think I might try to grab a cup of tea (or other beverage) and sit on my patio even for 5 minutes and just remember His love and try to receive it. Much like lighting a candle, I think that slowing down slightly and being aware can be really helpful for me, and really hard at times! Thanks for the encouragement!