Brighten the Corner Where You Are

Brighten the Corner Where You Are

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When the pandemic hit in early 2020, my small business, like so many others, was turned on its head. All of my live events (my primary revenue stream at the time) were canceled, and my husband was furloughed. I felt in my heart that the traveling road show season of my business was coming to an end, and as much as I loved it and was going to miss that season, I loved being home with my young son more. I prayed and asked God to lead me to whatever was next and to make very clear what I should do about my business. As we focused more and more on online product sales, my inventory started to spill from the bonus room above our garage into our guest room, attic, dining room, and then into the garage itself. I knew in my heart that we had outgrown my home office, and my patient husband was not so subtly wanting his garage spot back.

In that moment, God led me right to what would one day be the future home of my business, a former doctor’s office that had been abandoned and was in desperate need of repair. A fixer upper was putting it lightly, but where most saw a mess, I saw a future masterpiece.

As I talk about in my books (Betty Confetti and Happy Hand Lettering), I am all about turning a mess into a message and mistakes into confetti. I could tell you dozens of stories about the signs I witnessed in that building, even on my first walkthrough. Same college, same name, same house number, and if I wasn’t a believer, I could have easily written them off as coincidence. But instead I knew with all my heart that they were just little nudges of reassurance from the Lord that I was exactly where He wanted me to be. God doesn’t give me a handful of confetti all at once; I seem to collect one piece at a time. Little by little, slow and steady, on His timeline and not mine, it always seems to come together.

My dad is a contractor, so for more than thirteen months, he and I got to work together side by side, hammering and nailing and sawing and building my dreams by hand. This father/daughter duo, aptly named Confetti Construction Company, completely renovated and restored the building, an eighty-year-old town landmark, to its new (and colorful) glory as the home of my company, All She Wrote Notes. I wouldn’t trade this time working with my dad for anything in the world. It’s been one of my life’s greatest joys and a gift that I know came straight from my Father in heaven.

As with many construction jobs, it’s always more work than you think it will be, and we ended up having to completely gut and restore the building from the foundation to the roof. I worked alongside my dad, learning and laughing every week as we made progress. Since so much demo work was required, for a long time it felt like we had to go backwards before we could move forward. But all along, I was reminded that we were building it back on a stronger foundation than it was before — in more ways than one. I constantly prayed for guidance and direction, trusting the Lord to reveal the next step and the next how of His perfect timing. Nobody has ever called me patient a day in my life, and if I had known at the beginning of the process how long it was going to take, I probably would have said no. But I’m so glad I just walked in faith and trusted that it would be ready whenever it was meant to be ready.

Right before we installed the sheetrock, I went around with both of my parents and wrote some of our favorite Scripture passages in the walls. My favorite, at our checkout counter, is from Luke 16:10 — “Whoever is faithful with little will also be faithful with much.” It fills me with joy to know that God’s words are buried here beneath our very foundation and that everyone who gets to visit us here will be surrounded by His presence.

The mural I hand-lettered on the side of my building says, “Brighten the corner where you are.” You may remember that as an old hymn or camp song — all about shining the light of Jesus right where you are. So how can He use you today? You don’t have to build a colorful building or an online following. You can brighten your corner by choosing praise and positivity every single day, right where you are. Ask God to help you shine His light today.

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Are you hopeful for some hope?

There are times in life when it’s easy to be joyful, and there are other times when, well, it’s just hard to see the good in anything. Life circumstances come at us fast, and before we even realize it, we start going through our days with an unseen heaviness that weighs on our souls and minds.

In her new book, 100 Days of Praise and Positivity, Maghon leads you through uplifting devotions, encouraging Bible verses, fun hand-lettering exercises, and more — all to remind you of the One who longs to refresh your spirit and renew your heart and mind.

Order your copy today and enter to WIN one of five copies that we’re giving away! Leave a comment telling us about how you move towards a positive, praise-based mindset and you’ll be entered to win.

Then join Maghon and Becky for a chat all about 100 Days of Praise & Positivity! Tune in tomorrow on our Facebook page at 11am central for their conversation.

Giveaway open to US addresses only and closes on 1/14/21 at 11:59pm central.

 

Listen to today’s article below or on your favorite podcast player!

Where Our Everyday Meets His Glory

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A few weeks ago (Thanksgiving week, to be exact), I wrote a few thoughts on Instagram before heading to bed. I hit publish, sending it to Facebook too, plugged my phone in, and picked up my nightly crossword book. The next morning, I woke to those thoughts being shared thousands and thousands of times, messages pouring in, and comments flying into the threads.

In my fourteen years of online writing, I’ve never had a post take off like that.

Here’s what I said in that post:

Can we normalize things like builder grade oak cabinets? Kids wearing regular clothes that they half chose themselves? Leftover meat slapped on a hamburger bun because it’s Thanksgiving week and they’re not allowed to eat any of the food in the fridge? Fingerprints and dog nose smudges on the sliding door that’s been missing its handle since we moved in five years ago?

I’m team normalize dry shampoo a day too long. Team breath prayers of gratitude and not hour-long “quiet times.” Team paper plates. Team belly up at the island because the dining room table is covered in art projects and school papers and books and crusty Play-doh.

Let’s normalize un-curated anything except a fave Spotify playlist. Normalize crawling in bed at 8:30 to do crosswords for two hours. Normalize well intentioned and barely executed. Normalize four Target pickups in a week because the list keeps growing and something is always forgotten.

Let’s normalize the actual normal. That’s where all the good stuff lives anyway.

This is a pretty standard message for me. To be clear, I’m saying all of the above is normal, and yet it often isn’t normalized (shared, embraced, spoken about, etc.). I’ve never shied away from sharing real life lived and encouraging others to seek the extraordinary in their everyday. But something about this one hit just right, I guess. Maybe it was the mention of builder grade oak, the shade of honey yellow all too rarely showcased on Instagram feeds full of white cabinets. Maybe it was the timing right at the start of the holiday season, when everyone else’s perfection is on display and it’s all too tempting to jump in with our own unrealistic expectations. Maybe it was the “well intentioned and barely executed” line that seemed to resonate deeply with so many.

Whatever it was, it took off. Honestly, I got a little stage fright and didn’t pick up my phone for social media for several days. I made my husband look at the numbers whenever I got curious because I was sure there were going to be mean comments, and truly, despite the nature of an online platform, I don’t enjoy being the center of attention.

Of course not all of the hundreds and hundreds of comments were kind. It’s all too easy online to be unkind, quick to judge, and just plain rude. But the vast majority of comments and reactions were of the “me too” variety. So many others chimed in with their own stories of real-life living, of kids choosing their own clothes, of dry shampoo one day too long and paper plate suppers.

And while these are really small things, they add up to one richly lived life.

It made me think of Jesus, actually, as most things end up doing. It made me think of His real life, lived richly from its humble beginning. It made me think of the time His family left Him behind in the temple and how entirely relatable that story is. (Well, relatable to a point: They found Him teaching in the Temple, and His family didn’t miss Him for three days because they were traveling with so many relatives. They figured He was somewhere in their crew. But still! Pretty darn relatable!) It made me think of the meals Jesus shared with friends and how He got angry and sad and lonely. It reminded me that Jesus was a carpenter or stonemason, working with rough hands and carting around tools and materials and that I wish we knew more about His handcrafting. Did He enjoy His trade? Did He ever make small gift items for friends and family, or was He a big-projects-only kind of builder? What was His favorite meal at the end of the day?

It’s these human aspects of Jesus that my mind grapples with because the deity part of Him, though completely interwoven with His humanity, is overwhelming in its complexity. The human part, though, I can at least form reactions to and questions about.

Fully God. Fully man. The Holy Child we just celebrated at Christmas, mere weeks ago.

And maybe the point is that we can keep all the wonder, the celebration, the questions, and adoration going in our ordinary days, long after the cookies are gone and the tinsel tossed out.

Maybe we relate so deeply to posts like mine above because we do need to normalize feeling big feelings and sharing the everyday, ordinary aspects of our lives. Maybe grappling with the mundane, living life alongside beloved friends and family, going to work, and living for the will of our Father is more relatable than we think.

And what a gift that Jesus did the very same things. What a thoughtful and kind Creator God we have that He would send His Son here for us to know this — even now, thousands of years after His life, death, and resurrection.

As we keep stepping into a new year, let’s also keep telling the stories — stories of our normal, regular stuff. Stories of our extraordinary, holy, and human Jesus. And let’s especially keep telling the stories of where our everyday meets His glory.


Friends, we have BIG NEWS. Beginning today, you can listen to an audio version of each weekday article at (in)courage! Yes! Every weekday you’ll find a player embedded right into the post like the one above, and each daily episode will also be available wherever you stream podcasts. We could not be more excited to kick this off! Each episode is narrated by our editorial manager Grace P. Cho and produced by our friends at DaySpring. We hope you’ll bring us along with you on your morning walks, driving to the grocery store, waiting in the preschool pickup line, alone in your kitchen, or as you wind down for the evening. Wherever you join us, you’re welcome here, and we’re honored to be a part of your day.

Giving Grace Even to Those Who Might Not Deserve It

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This past year, I chose to host a Christmas table at our church holiday brunch. I decorated it with miniature plastic pine trees from home and borrowed battery-operated candles from the table next to mine (probably because the sweet lady saw how sparse my table was looking). It wasn’t fancy or formal, but it was fitting for our church ladies.

I was the host. I grabbed coffees and treats and offered a friendly welcome to all who circled around my centerpiece. A gal sat down beside me whom I’d never met before — Elizabeth. She was new, and I struck up a casual conversation with her. Even though we’d just met, we quickly realized we had many connections. She knew my mom years ago when they worked in the same field together finding homes for international college students.

Gradually, more women found their place at my table, and the introductions began. “What are you doing for the holidays? What are your favorite Christmas movies? How many children do you have?” Then my mom sat down beside Elizabeth. They began chatting and catching up on the years that had gone by. Before I knew it, I heard my mom say to Elizabeth, “You should give an announcement!”

What was my mom up to? 

I saw her leap up and run over to the coordinator of our Christmas event. Elizabeth leaned over and whispered, “Your mom wants me to make an announcement about my business,” she said nervously. As the morning brunch ended, sure enough, the new visitor at our church, Elizabeth, was up on stage giving an announcement about her small business. 

I packed up my fake Christmas trees, returned the borrowed lights, and walked out to my car with my box of stuff and my mom beside me. We reflected on the morning.

“I’ve been praying for ways to give Elizabeth grace for years,” my mom gleefully said. She went on to explain how when they had been in business together, Elizabeth had been unkind to her. She had spoken poorly about my mom, mistreated her, and lacked respect. Since then, like a kid on Christmas morning, she had been eagerly waiting for ways to bless her. 

I left that morning completely undone by my mom’s actions. I am an author. I have grown a community of women whom I write for, encourage, and love — many of whom are right here in this (in)courage community. Essentially, I have built a platform. If there was an author who I knew had spoken poorly about me, disrespected me, or been downright mean, I’m not sure I would pray for ways to give her grace. I’m certain I would not give her my platform to use.

If someone hurts me, I am quick to wish harm upon them. I am tempted to return the pain they caused me by putting them down or lashing out in anger. I don’t pray for them. Praying blessing upon others (especially those who have hurt me) is incredibly hard. Praying for my enemy feels impossible, but it’s what changes my heart from bitterness to grace.

I think my mom was able to love this woman who had hurt her because she had prayed for her. My mom gave Elizabeth her platform to use. She used her connections and gave her a microphone to share about her small business. This is undeserved grace — which, I suppose, is the definition of grace, isn’t it?

Grace is an undeserved gift, but I have a tendency to reserve grace for the “good” people — you know, the people who, for the most part, are kind and easy. I hold back when it actually requires something of me and especially when I need to give it to those who have hurt me, betrayed me, and shamed me. Then it seems more like foolishness.

To give grace to my enemy is backward, but so are the ways of Christ.

Christ says things like, “The last shall be first, love your enemies, pray blessings upon those who have been against you.” We are all undeserving of grace. Yes, even the best of us don’t deserve the loving gift of God. The truth is there is no such thing as “the best of us.” We all fall miserably short.

So as this year unfolds, I want to release my mental list of who deserves grace and who doesn’t because we’re all desperate for it. I am praying for how to give grace to those who have hurt me and to see how I can lift others up. How can I give what I have (my platform, my home, my things) to be a means for grace? How can I love the way God does? We all need the grace of God to scoop us up and give us secure ground to stand on. We all need His grace to give grace to others. 

Why Dare to Try a New Thing? Do It for God

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I’m sitting in my sister-in-law’s dining room, tapping away on my keyboard while admiring a massive poinsettia plant — its red flowers abloom — still adorning her long table.

My husband Dan and I are her house guests, and during the holiday part of our visit, she had apologized several times for not putting out Christmas decorations per usual. So no gigantic tree with lights and ornaments. No garlands along the staircase. No porcelain angels and other pretty holiday knickknacks on every other surface.

Instead, during these challenging times, she’d settled on something new. Thus, the poinsettia instead of a Christmas tree. And the feeling to her? “Liberating.”

I can relate because I also did a new thing in the past year. I added entertainment writing to my writing tool box, surprised to discover that by doing this new thing, I was freed to do it for God.

I didn’t see it that way at first. Instead, I started writing a fictional story — a new path for me — because I heard our gentle Jesus say this: Fear not (John 14:27).

It’s the first step to taking a scary risk — especially when trying something new. So, with God’s help, I tried a new thing during the pandemic summer of 2020, and now I’m a humbled author of a fledgling Christian mystery series.

I took it on, in fact, with absolutely zero expectations. I told my husband, “If nothing comes of this, that’s okay. It’s more important that I tried.”

To be honest, however, I did want something of consequence to come of it. But if it all came to naught, the trying was what mattered. I felt sure of that and still do. Our trying glorifies God. As Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

So, the second step of trying a new thing? Giving ourselves permission.

We get that go-ahead from God Himself. In His wisdom, the Lord made a way for His people “through the sea, a path through the mighty waters” of the Red Sea — a mighty deliverance (Isaiah 43:16).

But then the surprise? Forget those things, He says. As the Lord, through Isaiah, tells them in verses 18-19:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” 

Regarding this warning, the New Living Translation minces no words when it comes to moving forward by not looking back:

“Forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun. Do you not see it?”

It’s one of the most remarkable reminders in all of the Bible. First, forget former things, including victories, triumphs, ups and downs. Then, fan the fire for something new. Don’t know how it’s going to pan out? Dream about it anyway — bravely, to move forward. Then, work on it, if you dare.

The most important reminder, however? Do our new thing for God.

As Isaiah prophesied, our Creator God is “making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland . . . to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself” (Isaiah 43:19-20).

Why?

“That they may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43:21).

Don’t you see it?, the Lord asks us. Can’t you visualize it? Does your vision board depict not what you can do by yourself but what God alone can do?

In the end, trying something new isn’t to promote ourselves to God’s kingdom but to help make God more known. So, if you’re looking for a reason to try something new in 2022, pointing people to God — by doing a new thing that requires His strength and courage — is the best reason to even try.

That’s how I feel working on the next mystery novel. It requires so much from me — a vision and courage that I can’t stir up on my own — that it surely will point people not to me but to the Lord.

Now, what is a new thing that challenges you in that way? What will you try in 2022 that will show off the Lord making a new way in your wilderness, its parched riverbeds overflowing with streams of living water?

Is your new thing good and difficult but wonderful? Do you need God to make it happen? Dive in and try.

Patricia’s historical mystery, All That Is Secret, was selected by Colorado Public Radio as its next “Turn the Page” book club pick for February. Register here to join Patricia for the free virtual book talk on Tuesday, February 8 at 8 p.m. EST.

When You Don’t Get to Finish What You Started

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Breezes from the front porch encircled us as I stood with the family who was buying our farm. I listened to their plans and shared with them about this special place they were moving into. I wanted them to know God had built it, what He had taught me about dwelling with Him, and how I had prayed for them.

And then the moment happened.

The wife commented how she couldn’t wait to host her women’s church group on the big front porch. I should have been excited that God had answered my prayers for our farm to be handed off to kingdom-minded people, but my heart fell.

The buyer was going to do the very things I had hoped to do but never got to see to fruition. God had given me so many ideas for our farm, and that had been one of them. As I returned to packing boxes, I wanted to cry.

I immediately felt like a failure, followed by jealousy and disappointment in myself and, if I’m honest, in God. I was left curious why I had missed the opportunity to complete the vision He’d started with me.

Years before, God had planted the idea of our farm in my heart, and we searched for land for six years before He provided our very own promised land. Then, He gave us the chance to restore an ugly property with Him. We spent years cleaning up the property, building a home, and planting seeds. And we experienced many miracles in the process.

I never anticipated that I wouldn’t get to experience the entirety of the vision He’d revealed to me. It never crossed my mind that I would only be a part of the beginning of that vision and would have to pass the baton on to another to complete it.

Weeks after that front porch conversation, we were moved out, and I was deep cleaning the house. As I scrubbed baseboards and toilets, I chose to pray for the new owners, thank God for the good and hard we had experienced in this place, and finally come clean to Him about the feelings I had.

I told Him it felt unfair for Him to share the vision with me and then for me not to be able to see it to completion.

God was kind to listen while I complained about how He was working His plan. His Spirit was gentle but honest, revealing to me that this wasn’t the first time He’d asked me to pass on the baton in the middle of His vision for my life.

When I co-founded (in)courage with Holley Gerth more than a decade ago, I assumed I’d be in my role for years to come. So I was shocked when just nine months after launching, God asked me to resign and start my own business.

What would happen to the vision and ideas He had given me for (in)courage? I wanted to be part of all God was doing. But over the years, He has brought different women to lead this special place and has always made it clear that nothing is reliant upon me or any other person — only Him.

God is so kind to have a vision for something in our lives and to share it with us. But it’s up to Him what our role is and for how long He wants to work through us on that vision.

It’s very rare for the person that God shares His specific vision with to be the one to see it through to completion. I’m hard pressed to find many stories in the Bible where God’s people were gifted with experiencing both the beginning and the end of God’s plan. Usually each person plays a key role, but only a part.

  • Abraham didn’t see the nations, just the stars.
  • Moses didn’t dwell in the promised land but stood in awe of it.
  • David didn’t build the temple, but he raised the son that would.
  • Isaiah didn’t witness the King of kings’ birth, but he saw His light.
  • Esther didn’t release God’s people from captivity, but she saved their lives.
  • Even Jesus didn’t see the church go to the ends of the earth, but He finished what He was sent for.

Not seeing the completion of God’s vision doesn’t diminish my part but encourages me to have faith in His power to finish what He starts and helps me to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit.

With (in)courage, I knew God had called certain women at specific times to lead in my place. I have the privilege of watching His original vision unfold twelve years later. And now, with our farm, God brought the next woman to fulfill more of the vision He’s designed her for. It’s truly the body of Christ each playing their role in working out what God has planned.

Will you join me in being open to God’s role and timing for you? He may be asking you to join Him in a vision for the first time or to turn your current role over to another and open a new chapter so you both can serve His kingdom. He’s asking each of us to work together for the greater good and for His vision to be completed. Let’s be flexible with our expectations and timelines and trust that His ways are greater.

How Desperation Can Make Room for Miracles

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I had a very bad fourth grade teacher.

I transferred from the elementary school I’d attended my entire little life and moved to a new school in the middle of the school year. This school was an academically advanced school, and in the first week, it was apparent I was completely in over my head.

I hadn’t learned any of the math at my last school that everyone in this class had mastered. Mrs. B proclaimed to the rest of the class, “No, we can’t move on because Kathi hasn’t mastered the basics yet.” It was humiliating to be called out in front of the whole class, and at the same time being told we, as a class of thirty-two students, couldn’t move on to the next math book because I wasn’t “getting it.”

Mrs. B called my mom in for a conference to tell her I should probably not be in her class and should be put in a remedial class or go back to third grade.

I was no star student at my last school, but I had held my own and read about every book in the library. So when Mrs. B used words like “stupid,” my mom wasn’t standing for it. Mom insisted I get standardized testing. Mrs. B wouldn’t send in the request for it, so my normally just-go-along mom made a beeline to the principal to insist I get tested.

The results? I was given ways to get caught up in math. Plus, I was sent to the extra program for “gifted and talented” students. It wasn’t that I couldn’t learn; I just hadn’t been given the opportunity — yet.

Mrs. B. continued to resent my presence in her class. And my mom continued to fight for me on every front so I would not be labeled (by myself or others) because of one bad teacher.

When it was time for my little brother to be placed in the same class, my mom was having none of that. She grabbed her sleeping bag and camped out in a long line at the new elementary school to make sure my brother would get a slot. The sleeping bag ploy worked. The same year I graduated from elementary school, my brother transferred, and our family never had to deal with Mrs. B ever again.

Oh, the things we will do when we are desperate.

Those actions — taking her case to the principal, insisting on getting me tested, and camping out overnight in front of an elementary school — remind me that sometimes we need to take extreme action to get extreme results.

My mom’s actions told me I was worth fighting for — that my little child heart and mind were worth protecting from someone who was probably going through her own stuff but wasn’t emotionally trustworthy with the soul of a child.

My mom reminds me of my favorite woman in the Bible — the bleeding woman.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
Luke 8:42-44 (NIV)

Why is she my favorite? Because she took desperate actions and advocated for her own life.

Other parts of the gospel say the woman with the issue of blood had spent all her money on doctors and healers.

She had been bleeding for years.

She had been sick for years.

She was out of time.

She was out of money.

She was out of energy.

And this desperate woman needed a miracle.

So she did what would have been unthinkable (especially in her time) and literally pushed people out of the way to be able to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.

There are times when we try everything we know to do. We try the polite way. We try the socially acceptable way. And then, like my mom and the bleeding woman, there are times when we need to do the not socially acceptable thing, to push other things out of the way.

And, like the bleeding woman, often it’s time to run straight to Jesus.

When it comes to advocating for my own health, for the well-being of the people I love, I need to be less concerned with the temporary, perceived comfort of others and be more focused on the heart of Christ in all things.

Sometimes, when all our other options are taken away, we have to be that woman who clings to Jesus, in front of everyone else, beyond all reason.

Desperate looks different for all of us. For some of us, it means taking your case to the principal or camping out in front of a school overnight. For others, it’s putting aside what society thinks is the right way to do things and pushing others out of the way and going straight to the hem of Jesus.

Have you found yourself in a desperate situation recently? What sort of opposition do you need to push out of the way to get to Jesus?

Need to push away overwhelm? An Abundant Place is a daily retreat for women who can’t get away.

That Time the Gospel Showed Up in a Dressing Room

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It was right there, with fluorescent lights shining and half a dozen tops hanging on the rack, that I froze in a department store dressing room. Over the Christmas music playing through the speakers, I could hear two voices in the room to my left. A niece and an aunt? A daughter and her mother? A teenager and her grandmother? I’ll never know, but I hope I never forget what the older woman firmly — and yet kindly — said.

“Now, remember, this is a gift. All you have to do is receive it.”

Tears prick my eyes even now, writing such a simple sentence. It’s more than the generosity of the words or the thoughtful reminder. It’s the gospel, right there in a dressing room.

Perhaps God said the same to us, to all of humanity, as heaven touched earth and the glory of God was covered with skin, a baby placed in a manger as angels sang in the skies above.

Can you picture the baby in the manger gripping Mary’s fingers, toddling around the house, growing up and playing games with the children next door, learning the family trade under Joseph’s watchful eye?

Can you picture the man who calmed the threatening storm, the One who bent low in the dirt to love the outcast, the friend that little children wanted to spend time with, the man who danced at weddings and wept when His friend passed away?

Can you picture Him there in the Garden of Gethsemane, choosing to stay instead of flee, even though He knew with all certainty what was to come? Can you see Him forgiving the deep betrayal of a dear friend, forgiving the ones who tortured Him, forgiving me and forgiving you?

A gift, a gift, a gift . . .

All of it, every day and every breath, a gift.

We’re in between Christmas and Easter now, and it won’t be long before we turn our attention to the reminder of Lent, the hope of spring, and the joy of celebrating a stone that was rolled away as death died once and for all.

But here, as a new year begins to unfold and every newsfeed fills with words about goals and resolutions and to-do lists, I’m sticking with the truth of a simple sentence that has the gospel written all over it.

Now, remember, this is a gift. All you have to do is receive it.

There is no accomplishment to strive for, no resume to build, no rung to reach for that could bring you even one centimeter closer to Him. Emmanuel is right here, with us forevermore, and nothing you do or don’t do this year could make Him love you even one iota more than He already does.

It’s a startling truth in today’s culture, and yet the most abundant gift: God’s love for you isn’t dependent on you (Ephesians 2:8-9). It isn’t tied to your progress or accomplishments, your bank account or the number of likes on your last Instagram post.⁣ You don’t have to be better, clean yourself up, check all the boxes, or have the right answers.

The things you do matter. Your words matter, your work matters, the way you treat those around you (and those on the other side of the screen, too) matters. But if it all disappears in an instant, if you make a mistake today or really mess up tomorrow, God’s love for you will not change, and His grace isn’t going anywhere.

You would not be a disappointment. You would not be called Less Than or labeled Not Good Enough.⁣ You would be named Beloved, Chosen, Wanted, Daughter.

There’s nothing wrong with setting a goal or making a resolution for the new year! Just don’t forget that the greatest of all gifts is already marked “paid in full.”

The One who made you and named you declared you to be worth it all before you had done anything at all.

The gift is yours for the accepting. It already has your name on it.

As a wise woman once said in a brightly lit dressing room, all of you have to do is receive it.

For more hope-filled encouragement, free lock screens for your phone, and book recommendations from Kaitlyn, follow her on Instagram!

What’s Your Word for the Coming Year?

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I wonder if we’d be so gung-ho about New Year’s resolutions if January didn’t come so quickly after December.

The holiday season, with all its fun and festivities and fa-la-las, also gives us obligations, stress, and bullet lists (or credit card bills) a mile long. And after pushing ourselves to exhaustion or gorging ourselves on red and green candies (No, YOU ate an entire bag of peanut M&Ms in one day!), the idea of a new day, month, year is more than a breath of fresh air. It’s a gulp of oxygen as we feel ourselves drowning in year-end excess and (often unmet) expectations.

But before we start a list of all the many, many ways we’re going to be better, do more, work harder or smarter — or both! — this year, let’s take a time out. Let’s breathe in deep our clean calendars and pretty paper journals, and let’s boil all our best intentions and goals and ambitions down a little.

I don’t know about you, but I know that this time of year, as we put 2021 behind us and look forward to whatever may come in 2022, I’m tempted to forget everything I’ve learned in the past twelve months (and every year before). My knees feel weak at the thought of a few more bullet points, and I get a little breathless as I organize all my hopes and dreams and plans into the most perfect outline or spreadsheet you’ve ever seen.

Yeah, it’s true. I totally get a crush on New Year’s resolutions, the bad boy of all goal-setting strategies, the one I swear off every year because he’ll just end up hurting me. That one. Yes, I fall for his charm (The possibilities! The potential!) every time.

And that’s why I come back to DaySpring’s Word of the Year.

DaySpring’s Word of the Year encourages us to forget resolutions and instead, focus on just ONE word. The idea is that we focus on this one word every day, all year long — one word that sums up who we want to be or how we want to live. DaySpring’s Word of the Year is what snaps me out of my dreamy resolution fog and grounds me — not just in January but every month of the year.

Whether I’m brainstorming writing topics and business ideas, pinning recipes to try and crafts to make, or identifying all the ways I need to do more, work harder, and be better, I easily lose my mind first in the more!-more!-more! approach to making my lists and then moving towards the overwhelmed, I-can’t-possibly-do-any-of-this, I’m-going-to-hide-under-the-covers reaction to my lists in the face of reality.

Focusing on just one word for the year keeps me centered, and it leaves me a whole lot more successful and satisfied with life. Especially because when I force myself to funnel my hopes and goals for an entire year into a single word or phrase, I also force myself to focus on what truly matters and what will make an eternal difference in my life and the lives of those I care about.

See? Way more satisfying than pretending like this is the year I’m going to start flossing every day.

This article was written by Mary Carver, (in)courage writer.

We’re excited to share with you a fun, EASY way to kick off your new year — the Word of The Year quiz from DaySpring! The seven simple questions will lead you to one word that will remind you of God’s truth all year long and inspire you to live your faith every day.

Click here to take the short 7-question quiz and find your word — nothing overwhelming about that! Once you have your word, download the graphic that goes with your word and share it on social media. Be sure to tag @incourage so we can cheer you on!

Then come back here and share your word in the comments, along with what it means to you. As an added bonus, we’re giving one lucky commenter* a $100 shopping spree to DaySpring.com!

Whether you’re reluctant to begin or you’re chomping at the bit to enter the new year, we’re here to cheer you on in the good things God has for you in 2022.

Let’s lean into truth together. What’s your word?

 

*Giveaway open to US addresses only until 1/7/2022. Winner will be selected at random and notified via email.

The Goodness of Our Creative Callings

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I sat on my back patio, journal and pen in hand, with no words to write. As the wind whispered through my hair, I grasped for inspiration, wishing an image, a thought, a phrase would arise. But nothing came. I stared out into nature, extending out my backyard, and felt stuck. I wanted so badly to write beauty on pages, and yet all I felt was empty and dry.

Everything I had been writing of late was for a project. Each idea was turned into an article with a timestamp. Over time, I realized this sort of production approach to one of my natural talents had sucked the creativity right out of me. Somewhere in the shuffle of deadlines and the pursuit of a side income, I had lost the experience of writing for the pure joy of it. There had been a time when I could get lost in another world of thoughts, when I could write something down and not share it with the world. I would write things in my journal just for myself, and like Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire, I’d feel God’s pleasure through my craft. Oftentimes, my days would feel brighter and more invigorated as a result. I want to get back to that.

In bearing God’s image, humans share God’s creative impulse. When God made the world, He put His creativity on display, breathing to life a colorful diversity in all things. Every rare and unique plant, creature, and human is a testament to God, our Creator and King, who delights in us simply for who we are and the ways we reflect His image in the world. Moreover, after each day of creation in Genesis 1, we read that God surveyed all that He created and declared, “It is good.” God created for the purpose of beauty, goodness, and truth, and we can too. In our skills and abilities and talents, God has planted the seeds for us to co-create good and beautiful things as a form of worship to God and for His glory. 

In fact, part of how we love our neighbor is through our creative calling. I love how the theologian Frederick Buechner writes, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” In other words, breathing life into our creations shouldn’t be a selfish pursuit. Rather, cultivating them is how God uses us as His hands and feet in a dark and hurting world. Through our giftings and skills, we not only imagine a better and more beautiful world, a vision of the Garden temple in Genesis that God created, but we also use our knowledge and abilities to bring that vision to reality. Through our crafted creations, whether they be in word, object, or aesthetic, we have the ability to further God’s goodness in the world. This is how we create for both our own joy and the joy of the world.

However, in our fast-paced world, it’s hard to create the good and the beautiful if everything we do is contracted and commodified. When everything we create has metrics attached, when there is something to be gained through it — whether fame, platform, or income — we miss out on our original purpose as co-creators with God Himself. That’s not to say we shouldn’t use our skills to put food on the table and have a roof over our head, but when the art of creating is reduced to mere financial transactions, our creative spark will slowly fizzle and wane. 

In this new year, what if we chose to carve out more space to lean into our God-given gifts and talents and passions? What if we chose to delight in the process of creating in every paint stroke, music note, planted seed, and well-crafted sentence? Can we chase after divine beauty in the meals we prepare for our families and friends, in the ideas we share, and the relationships we build? 

This year let’s return back to our first creative loves. Let’s unwrap that long hidden gem and allow our sleeping hearts to beat again with excitement and thrill. May we awaken to curiosity and delight, wonder and imagination, and join God in the cultivation of goodness, beauty, and truth. 

New Year’s Resolutions or Not, His Mercies Are New

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We all know what the main topic of conversation is this time of year. How many times have you heard it? The calendar flips over to a new year and that seems to mean there needs to be a start to the “new you.” Everyone has been thinking, planning, and waiting until January to be better, start fresh, and try harder.

Typically, you have people finding they need to cut things out — bad habits, television, junk food, social media. Some people want to add things in — more reading, more working out, more family time, more gratitude. People want to look better, feel better, and be more successful.

Social media posts and friends and family are all asking the same questions: What are your resolutions for this year? What are you going to change? What are you going to make better? What are you going to stop doing? What are you going to work harder on?

So I have found myself thinking — or maybe overthinking — about my own plans, goals, resolutions for the new year. Should I be adding in good things? Should I be cutting out bad things? I need more of the good and could always use less of the bad. I see plenty of room for improvement and my track record for resolutions is less than consistent. The list for a new me just gets longer and longer. I see the self-induced stress and disappointment adding up already. Who can keep all of this up? It’s overwhelming! No wonder people aren’t talking about how resolutions are going a month or two into the year.

Do you ever just want to avoid this topic of conversation? All this added pressure just because the calendar shows January? When you hear questions about new year’s resolutions for the hundredth time, do you feel like answering, “I don’t have any!”? Nothing, none, zilch, zero. No resolution, no new big thing, no new me.

No more pressure is needed right now.

Resolutions and goals have their rightful place, but right now, you might just need to get through this season, to get through the week, to hang on another day. You are working hard trying to get through each day all the while being the best God made you to be.

If that is the season you are in, you are not alone. If you feel like this whole resolution thing is just a big fail for you, you are not alone. Not everyone is feeling the big, lofty goals. Not everyone is into the splashy “in” resolutions of the year. Do not feel guilty for not jumping on board with all the excitement this time around. And if this is where you’re at today, I have the best news for you: Don’t worry. Have hope. You and I can take this day by day!

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:21-24 (ESV)

This is what the Lord does for us — new mercies every morning!

Each and every day, we can have the abundant mercy, love, and faithfulness of God. His mercies will never come to an end. They will not run out. They do not expire. And thankfully, they aren’t based on how good we are doing. After each misstep, flub, mistake and fail, there He is with mercy and love and grace. We don’t have to quit; we can try again tomorrow. And again the next day. And again the day after that if we need.

We can count on His mercy to get us through the day’s troubles. And if we barely make it through a day, if it leaves us discouraged and broken, we have hope that He will meet us tomorrow with an outpouring of love, compassion, and faithfulness.

God just keeps showing up. He forgives us over and over, loving us no matter our behavior, with never-ending mercies.

God is our portion. He is our fresh start. He is the hope we cling to.

Resting in Truth as a New Year Begins

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Even though we wish we could see all that is to come this year, let’s open our hands and trust God with the unknown and the new. His goodness, love, and faithfulness continue to be true for us.

May you feel peace knowing that you are a new creation in Christ, that He will renew your heart and offer new mercies every day. May you resist the pressure and temptation to fill up a blank calendar with lofty resolutions and appointments that will stretch you thin. May you remember that you are more than any goal met, any resolution kept, any to-do list checked. You are loved just as you are, and may you find rest in that truth.

A prayer for 2022:

Lord, there is so much ahead of us that we can’t foresee, so much we wish we could control but can’t. We hold all the questions, desires, and longings out to You. We want to trust You, but we acknowledge that we need help with that sometimes. Help us remember who we are, through the lens and truth of who You are. Thank You that we can be anchored in faith when we are tethered to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Happy New Year, friends!

Tomorrow Is Full of New Mercies

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Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)

You made it. Because of God’s great love, you were not consumed. Today is the last day of the year, and tomorrow brings with it a new year, a fresh start, and God’s faithfulness to see us through it all.

No matter what you’ve faced this year, tomorrow is full of new mercies. Because of God’s grace and forgiveness, we are offered a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). When we accept the gift of a new year and a new life in Christ, God promises to give us a heart that is once again soft and a spirit that is open to His guiding.

As we close out this year, reflecting on all that has happened in the past 365 days, all the ways we’ve grown and struggled and loved and learned, let’s remember that a new day is coming. God will give us a new heart — as well as a new year.

Happy last day of 2021, friends. May your heart feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to welcome 2022.

I Want to See Jesus in the Church Like I Saw Him at the Hospital

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I have often heard that a church should look more like a hospital, and that’s the out-of-left-field thought I had at a most unusual moment. It popped into my mind when a nurse inserted the IV needle into my wrist.

I was in the hospital for surgery on my, ahem, pre-menopausal lady parts. (Everything is fine. I am recovered. I am at peace.) But moments before the IV was inserted, I was not at peace. I was in panic.

I had a full-on meltdown that would rival a three-year-old’s flopped-down fit in a Target aisle. Forty-nine-year-old me. In a hospital gown. With my long-suffering husband whispering gentle reassurance to me. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t the procedure, biopsies, or anesthesia that sent me into a tailspin.

I was terrified of the needle. (Turns out, there’s a name for this very real fear: trypanophobia.)

Then something happened. The nurse — her name was Teresa — looked me in the eyes and said simply and calmly, “Have faith.”

Her words weren’t delivered in a way that would make you feel like you’d been preached at, or scolded, or that your fears were being marginalized. It was reassurance that was paradoxically gentle and firm. I knew in that moment that faith was possible.

I breathed deeply, and it became clear to me that the hospital was doing for me what the big-c Church is called to do for all people: to be like Jesus — the same Jesus, who, like Teresa, reminded His followers to have faith.

That day, I saw Jesus in the hospital from the moment I stepped inside.

I saw Jesus in the man who held the elevator open.

I saw Jesus in the receptionist who showed me to my room and asked about our holiday plans.

I saw Jesus in the patience of my husband, who held my trembling hand.

I saw Jesus in the nurse who pressed a lavender essential-oil patch onto my gown to calm me.

I saw Jesus in the anesthesiologist who explained how things would go in the operating room.

And, of course, I saw Jesus in Teresa.

All of this happened beneath a wooden cross nailed to the wall in front of me. Yes, a cross in a hospital. Perhaps you’re aware that the church played a major role in developing what we know today as the hospital. The same is true of the specific hospital where I was cared for, Avera, founded by orders of religious women. There is much to be said of the rich faith traditions undergirding our modern hospital system. It makes sense, given that the early church championed care of the sick.

And, of course, healing was a tenet of Christ’s ministry on earth. He was not only a spiritual healer but a physical one too. Like me, a woman who had been experiencing her own lady-part problems went in search of healing. She knew that if she could simply touch His cloak, she would be healed.

Jesus turned to her with words of compassion. “Take heart, daughter. Your faith has healed you” (Matthew 9:21-22).

As I think about the year ahead, the kind of Church I need — the kind of Church I want to be — is the kind where I am reminded that Jesus holds my suffering in nail-scarred hands.

I want to see Jesus in the rooms of 2022, and I want to be Jesus in the room. I want to bring whatever I can to a hurting world — whether that’s through the opening of a door, asking a kind question, offering a bit of lavender or a hand to hold. I want to bring my presence to those who are hurting.

Candidly, I also need the Church in this way. I too am sometimes saddled with pain and panic. I want to be able to show up in the new year as I am – broken, hurting, panicked, anxious – and find safe places to share my wounds without having them maligned or minimized. I need kind Teresas nearby to gently remind me to “have faith,” who will stay close even when I’m a bawling mess.

And may it all play out under the cross.

Yes, I need a church that’s like a hospital. It’s said that the word hospital originates from the Latin word hospes, meaning guest or stranger. It’s the same root for the word hospitality. The word patient comes from patior, which means to suffer. That means that, by definition, a hospital is a kind place where guests who are suffering can show up and be cared for.

May the Church — and all of us in it — become more and more a place like that.

Dear Lord, I pray for the woman who suffers today. I pray for the woman whose pain has been maligned, misunderstood, or minimized. May You give her safe passage toward people who believe her and guide her in faith. May You give her the courage to reach out and touch Your garment. And Father, we also pray for the Church in 2022. May it be a place that’s more like a hospital, where suffering guests can show up and be cared for. In Jesus’ healing name, Amen.

Bed Bugs, Hip Problems, and How God Shows Up in Surprising Ways

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We arrived in New York for our daughter’s much anticipated twelve-year-old trip with mom and dad, exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep in a gorgeous hotel. We had big plans to explore the city, but the first thing our daughter wanted to do in the morning was to swim in the rooftop pool. We sauntered up with swimsuits and towels on right after breakfast.

Upon finding lounge chairs, my husband’s phone rang. and his eyes got big.

“This is the manager. I’m so sorry to say this, but we believe your room has bed bugs. We are going to ask you to come to a new, upgraded room immediately. Take only what you have on, and you will follow us to a new room. All your clothes and bags from your old room will go through a special cleaning process, then sent back to your room tomorrow. We are so sorry for the inconvenience!” 

My husband must have noticed my face. All my expectations came crashing down. We had waited so long for this trip, and now it was ruined. I teared up. We have no shoes, no clothes; we can’t go out in the chilly night air like this! And gross — bed bugs?! How did this happen! 

“We are sending the concierge out to shop for new clothes for tomorrow and tennis shoes. And pajamas. And anything else you need.” So we sat around in our half wet suits and waited. I tried to have a good attitude, but it didn’t work. I was just so disappointed. Finally, the clothes arrived, and we were able to go out to dinner. I prayed a pitiful prayer that God would somehow redeem this trip. 

But the following day, I woke up, and one of my eyes was matted shut. You’ve got to be kidding me. This is a comedy of errors! It was swollen and itchy, and I had to call an eye doctor to get a prescription in a city I didn’t know. But we had new outfits and shoes and decided to take to the streets. Nothing is going to stop us from having the trip of our lives — not even my jellyfish-looking eyeball! So we did all the fun things one does in New York City, clocking in 20,000 steps! 

Throughout the day, I kept asking my husband if his hips were hurting because he usually complains or walks with a limp with that much walking. “I can’t believe this, but I feel fine! I think it’s these shoes. I would have never bought them, but they’re actually incredible. My hip isn’t hurting at all.”

We both gasped and smiled. For years we’ve known he’s been inching towards surgery but have been putting it off. We’ve tried everything and never thought to switch his shoes. He hasn’t taken those tennis shoes off since, and his hip pain has dramatically decreased!

Our disastrous-but-redeemed trip reminds me of this year — these past couple of years — when expectations of how everything should have gone came crumbling down. Even though we’re past Christmas, I can’t help but think about Mary and how jarring it must have felt when the angel appeared to her suddenly.

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
Luke 1:28-29 (ESV)

I can just hear Mary saying, “Um, what kind of greeting is this?!” But God has a different way, a strange way, of showing up. He offers His provisions and care in such a surprising manner, we could easily miss the blessing it might contain. 

We look back now on that trip and see God’s surprising provision. He met needs we weren’t even looking to have met. We had big plans, but He had an even bigger plan to heal my husband’s hip — with an incident of bed bugs. (Yes, it’s funny!)

As we enter into this season of reflection and look forward to the future, we can probably conjure up all the ways we want our lives to go differently. But our vision might be clouded, perhaps matted shut with unmet expectations and bitterness. We might not be able to see the ways God has actually been providing for us all along. But this is what I’ve found to the be antidote to see clearly again: We must believe in His goodness towards us. When we look back and find the ways He’s been faithful to us, it helps us look forward to the future feeling less fearful and more hopeful.

I wonder how He will show up for us this next year as we look around and say, Where is God in this surprising turn in my life? Ah, our Emmanuel. God is with us — in the past, right now, and in the future. And His presence is our promise and our hope.

Remembering God’s Faithfulness This Year

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I will make known the Lord’s faithful love
and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
because of all the Lord has done for us—
even the many good things
he has done for the house of Israel,
which he did for them based on his compassion
and the abundance of his faithful love.
He said, “They are indeed my people,
children who will not be disloyal,”
and he became their Savior.
In all their suffering, he suffered,
and the angel of his presence saved them.
He redeemed them
because of his love and compassion;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of the past.
Isaiah 63:7-9 (CSB)

We are nearly at the end of this year, friends — can you believe it? As we settle our hearts after the celebrations and chaos of the holidays, let’s pause and remember God’s faithfulness to us this year. We would love to hear from you:

What prayers have been answered? 

At what moments did you see or hear God clearly? 

Who in your life has shown you more of God?

When things were hard, how did you feel God’s nearness?

God loves us more than we can imagine. We are His people, His children. God is and has been steady, unshaken, present, and compassionate in the midst of all that this year has brought. Breathe in God’s grace for you. It is enough.

It’s Never Too Late to Find Joy

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I had always wanted to go to the desert and see the wildflowers bloom. I read in an article that once a year wildflowers bloom in the desert. I planned to take our family down to Palm Springs from the San Francisco Bay area for the first time, but when I called to book a jeep tour, the company told me that no one knows exactly when flowers bloom in the desert. “We only know they bloom some time between March and May,” they said.

I learned that depending on the conditions of the land, rainfall, and weather, the timing varies every year. Still, I booked the trip, praying that God would allow us to see the wildflowers.

As my family and I zoomed out into the desert later in the spring, there was nothing but dirt, rocks, plentiful Joshua trees, and shrubs dotting the landscape as our jeep drove across the desert plains. I felt pretty disappointed.

“I thought we were going to see wildflowers?” my boys asked.

“Yeah, I guess not,” I shouted above the squeaky jeep ride.

However, thirty minutes later, and to my surprise, our guide stopped by the roadside and walked us over to some plants. “Wildflowers bloom here because they tell us something important is up ahead,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes underneath his sun hat.

He pointed up ahead to a cluster of palm trees in the distance. An oasis was up ahead. Streams in the desert were running underneath the ground we stood on, and the wildflowers plants were drawing water from deep within the desert.

I didn’t know flowers could blossom like that in the desert because nothing along the way told me that something beautiful would emerge from dry wilderness. Yet underneath the barren desert floor where I could not see, life-giving water was flowing.

Are you standing in a wilderness of your own and joy looks out of reach, as you end the year? Do you feel stressed, surrounded by the questions and problems surrounding you? Are you losing hope that beauty will show up along the way?

No matter how dry or barren your life feels now, it’s never too late to choose joy. God’s love and peace is an oasis we can run to, return to, and get refilled by no matter how things appear.

As I stood there in the middle of the oasis of palm trees, marveling at the pool of water flowing out of the ground, I felt an overwhelming peace. My heart was refreshed with joy as I began recalling Scriptures that flowed out life-giving truth:

Nothing is impossible with God.
Luke 1:37 (ESV)

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
Isaiah 35:1-2 (HCSB)

God’s Word empowers us and gives us hope. No matter what wilderness or desert of stress we may find ourselves in, we can always return to the oasis of God’s presence and choose joy again.

What are the stresses you’re experiencing? Tell God about it. Come vulnerably and honestly before Him and share your struggles, perhaps your lack of hope, and your tender hope to believe that joy might be possible again.

Friends, as we step into the new year in a couple of days, don’t give up looking for joy. Encourage yourself to believe God has prepared a place for you to blossom with joy in this world. Take your time. There is no rush or expiration date to finding joy. There is room for you to grow and learn what helps you to experience joy in a personal way. Take just one next step to bloom right where you are planted.

Whatever that might look like for you, seek it out in faith, knowing that when we seek it, we will find it. An oasis of joy waiting for you up ahead. It’s never too late to choose joy because you are God’s beloved daughter.

For more ways to find joy, follow Bonnie on Instagram @thebonniegray, sign up for her Breathe Newsletter (click here), and listen to this wellness podcast BREATHE: The Stress Less Podcast.