Rest in Order to Be Restored and Ready for What’s to Come

Rest in Order to Be Restored and Ready for What’s to Come

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For the long Labor Day weekend, our family headed to the beach where we had been invited by friends to join them. I was grateful and wanted to be excited about spending a few days away at the beach, but reaching for rest required effort I was too tired to put forth. With project deadlines looming, a to-do list growing, and a demanding daily life, I resolved that while my family played along the ocean, I would sit on the sand and work.

But my body rejected my resolution. When we arrived at the beach house, I physically felt as though I was bearing the weight of a massive boulder on my head, neck, shoulders, and chest. The thought of finishing a book chapter or editing a blog post or even reading an email seemed to deplete what little of me that remained. I was too exhausted to push past the fatigue. My body gave me no choice. I had to press pause, be present in rest, and trust that everything under my charge — including my children — would be cared for. I scraped the depths of my reservoir to muster some gratitude and reminded myself:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down . . . (Psalms 23:2 KJV)

He made me stop. He made me retreat. He made me sit in a beach chair and stare at the ocean.

And I complied. The warm weather welcomed me. The ocean tides danced back and forth as if to say, “Hi, sister! We are so glad you decided to join us!” The sound of the waves crashing and splashing was hypnotic, like a distraction designed to soothe a busy mind. The wind whooshed and swished around my ears with loud whispers of glorious affirmations:

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I don’t have to fear the fear spewed at me through social media. Because God is with me, I am comforted.

My life-giving reservoir is so full that it overflows into the lives of those around me, especially my family.

Because I am flanked by goodness and mercy, I don’t have to be anxious about anything, not even my children’s well-being.

As I sat soaking in the harmony of the ocean, sun, and wind, restoration had her way with me. The weight seemed to dissipate. I was revived by the sun’s rays. As I immersed myself in the salt water, fresh cuts and wounds from piercing arrows washed away. While wading among the waves, I fully extended my hands to surrender mind, body, and spirit to restoration’s plan. I felt resurrected, alive again. I exhaled a smile of relief.

Meanwhile, the teenage daughters of our two families had spent a few hours together away from us parents. When we met them back at the beach house, I was met with wide-eyed faces, anxious to tell me about something that had occurred. My daughter proceeded to tell me that they had been walking along the road when a black pickup truck full of teenage White boys revved the engine at them, chased them, and yelled out the N-word! Frightened, our daughters ran and hid among the tall grass.

I was in shock. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even make a sound or form a facial expression. I was simultaneously frozen with grief as my soul seemed to implode and collapse in on itself. The weight that my body had just released at the beach reaffixed itself to my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I went to a corner, sat in a rocking chair, and literally rocked myself. I was trying to make sense of it all. I had just experienced relief from what felt like crushing weight only to have it flung like a boomerang back to me. I had always hoped that my children would only ever read about this type of overt interpersonal racist bigotry but never experience it.

In the days that followed, I was left wondering if I had not surrendered to restoration, would my daughter’s experience have crushed me? If I had not listened to my body’s request for rest, not allowed restoration to have her way, and had refused nature’s invitation to play, I might have been broken by the incident. And in my brokenness, I might have acted impulsively — I wanted to find that black truck and retaliate, pack up immediately and get my family out of that town, or set something on fire! Instead, I reflected on His promise to always keep and be with my children.

I am grateful that He made me lie down, even when I was being defiant and tried to delay rest. I know that rest is essential to our design. But prior to this incident, I’d only thought of rest as a break from our weekly rhythms or a pause in our efforts to build a better something. But in rest, we not only recover from what was, restoration fortifies us for what is to come. He makes us lie down so that when life knocks us down, we can get back up.

How Will We Use Our Words? To Heal or To Destroy?

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I still remember where we were standing. My bare feet were sticking slightly to her linoleum floor as we talked in the doorway of her family’s kitchen. There’s only one part of that conversation that I still hear clearly in my memory now. She told me that someone described me as “boring Tasha.”

That day, I shrugged the comment off because I didn’t know how else to respond. It was a little comment. My good friend didn’t have mean intentions in telling me what was said, but those words stuck. The description of “boring” knocked on the door of my heart, and I let it move in and unpack its bags.

The words that we let fall from our mouths have power. James describes the tongue like the rudder of a ship or a wild animal that must be tamed in James 3:3-6:

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Those simple words shared by my friend directed the way I viewed myself from behind the scenes of my life for years after that seemingly insignificant moment.

That was over twenty years ago.

It’s taken Jesus’ relentless pursuit of my heart — days that turned into years of reading my Bible and living in community with others who spoke truth and grace to me — to believe what’s actually true about who I am. What’s actually true couldn’t be further from the word “boring.” You and I are masterpieces, created by the God who made the galaxies and the beautiful cluster of stormy, sea-blue irises that bloom outside my window every spring.

What if the words you casually said today stuck with someone for the next twenty years or more, wrapping around them like a set of caged bars and hindering how they move forward in the world from this day on? Or what if the words you intentionally spoke today stuck with someone and set them free to move into the places God purposed for them to be with courage, confidence, and conviction?

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV)

Some of us need to put into practice taking words and thoughts captive before we speak them or keep them.

Some of us need to learn to speak up and say the words God meant for us to speak: words of truth that affirm the Imago Dei in every one of us. Not speaking up when we should is just as dangerous as speaking when we shouldn’t. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Our world continues to bear the weight and impact of a global pandemic along with all the pain and injustice of systemic racism. We are all facing loss, uncertainty, and exhaustion. In light of that, let’s be people who remember that our words wield great power. God meant for each of us to speak words of truth, sandwiched between grace and love. In a time of great need, our words have the power to soothe thirsty souls and heal the fractured bones of our land.

How Cooking Is Holy Ground to Experience God

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A rollicking Bollywood number bounced jauntily between the aisles. I navigated around the giant jute bags filled with basmati and idli rice, breathing in that quintessential Indian market aroma: spice, sweetness, and earth, wound in a ribbon of incense.

The owner, Vibha, a petite, long-haired lady, with high cheekbones and deep dimples, scanned her khol-rimmed eyes over the shelves, looking for anything out of place. She’d transformed the store from a quiet mart with flickering fluorescent lights into a radiant, bustling market, complete with a kitchen from which emerged the crispiest samosas and a jackfruit curry I still can’t forget. Vibha has been my staunch supporter, talking me through Indian cooking techniques when I was stumped and even providing spices when I cooked for my cookbook release party. I walked over and gave her a hug.

I peeked over her shoulder, taking in the hubbub of the kitchen.

“Wait a minute, Aunty,” I said (In Indian culture, every elder is referred to as “aunty” or “uncle” whether or not you share a bloodline). “None of the people cooking your food are Indian!”

“Yes!” Vibha beamed proudly. “I’ve taught them everything — how to make chutney, dosas, everything! I even taught them to pray before they cook!”

The last part stopped me in my tracks. “You do what before you cook?”

Vibha looked at me as if I’d lost my head. “Ya, of course! I always pray before I cook. Don’t you?”

Thanks to Vibha, I’ve never looked at cooking the same way again.

I began to pray before I cooked. What once felt like a chore was now an exquisite unwinding. That first slice of an onion began to feel like slipping into a warm bath, every muscle relaxing, every breath deepening. My senses were on fire: the specific sizzle of a steak when it’s ready to be flipped, the aroma of spices blooming in hot oil, the almost blinding neon of freshly chopped herbs. Prayer painted my cooking in technicolor.

I was ravenous now, looking for more of the sacred in the kitchen. Flipping through a book on Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, I learned that not only is food our medicine but also its preparation. Chopping vegetables is a moving meditation, soothing our minds and bodies. God tucked medicine even into the mundane. No shade on pre-chopped vegetables, but consider what we’re missing when we don’t do it ourselves. We save ourselves time, but are we cheating ourselves out of healing?

A terrible condition has now become the norm in our kitchens: Dinner must be made in thirty minutes and consumed in even less time. At the same time, we feel stressed, anxious, and disconnected from our loved ones and from God. I remember watching my grandmother cook at our farm in Mangalore, India. It took hours — soaking the lentils, building the fire, toasting the spices, grinding the masala (spice paste) on the ragado (giant grinding stone). It was so ding dang slow. And yet, so much opportunity to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

I may not have my grandmother’s cooking schedule, but I do have time to pray. Prayer necessitates stopping, breathing, stepping out of the hurry of the day. Consecrating my cooking time puts me in a state of gratitude, counting my blessings instead of my woes. It refocuses my heart and melts my anxieties.

Perhaps my greatest motivation to seek the sacred in the kitchen is this: Jesus cooked! Our Lord, in His resurrected body, made His disciples breakfast. Heaven came down, stoked the coals, scaled the fish, and used all His senses, His humanity, to nourish His friends’ stomachs and hearts.

We see in this small act, the core of the Sacred Heart — creation and generosity. Jesus created a meal and shared with His friends. God created the world, and He shared it with us.

Thus, cooking is an invitation to join God in the joy of creation. We’re made in His image, after all. So the thrill of peeling away the hairy skin of a celeriac to reveal its ivory flesh, the happy scent of a freshly cut lemon — He programmed those moments of delight into every creation. This is His delight too, and perhaps it sheds light on God’s delight in creating us.

What a privilege it is to cook, dear hearts! What a magical portal to touch the untouchable, the sacred!

It’s such a kindness, and it’s just like God to say, Nothing you do is beyond My touch. Invite Me into the process, and just as Moses removed his sandals before the burning bush, you’ll realize that you’ve been standing on holy ground the whole time. Perhaps that’s what Paul meant when he wrote the verse that I keep in my kitchen:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

The simple act of praying showed me that I’d been missing out on the blessings God tucked into the act of preparing food. And if there is holiness in the kitchen, I’d wager there’s probably holiness in the laundry room or in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Inviting Jesus into my kitchen has convinced me of this truth: A taste of heaven is in every earthly bite. 

Behind The Simple Difference

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Friends, we’ve got something super special for you today. Our friend, team member, and author Becky Keife sat down with Anna E. Rendell for a conversation all about her new book, The Simple Difference: How Every Small Kindness Makes a Big Impact, and we recorded it for you! Take a watch and learn more about this oh-so-timely new book from Becky. We know you’ll be blessed by it.

Becky’s new book, The Simple Difference: How Every Small Kindness Makes a Big Impact, will help you see more of the people in front of you, more of God’s lavish love for you, and more of His power within you. Becky reminds us that even small acts can make a difference. Together our simple, consistent, intentional acts of kindness can create waves of change.

The Simple Difference is available wherever books are sold. We’re so excited for this book to be in your hands!

Want to start reading now? Get a FREE sample chapter!

The Shift That Occurs When We Choose Not to Be Offended

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He sat in the treatment room with a blank stare like he didn’t want to be there. I asked him question after question, but he barely gave me a response and refused to make eye contact. It was time for balance testing, but he didn’t want to try — “I am not doing that!” I wonder if he was able to sense my frustration, because after a while he said, “Don’t be offended — it’s not you!”

As he sat slouched staring at the wall, I responded gently but firmly, “I am not offended. I have been a physical therapist for over eleven years. You are not the first person that wasn’t happy to see me, and I don’t take that personally. I can’t imagine what it is like for you to live with your diagnosis, but I want to help you. And these tests show me where you need help.”

In that moment, something shifted within him. His whole demeanor changed. For the remainder of our session, he participated and even made jokes. He attended his therapy appointments every week, and we had great conversations.

All it took was that moment when I made the choice not to be offended. His attitude toward me that first day was offensive, and I was truly getting frustrated. I could have easily given him poor care, labeling him as a non-compliant or unmotivated patient, but in that moment I chose to see the person in front of me rather than what I felt or assumed about him. Here was a man that was just ten years older than me whose life had drastically changed because of a diagnosis. My forty-five minute interaction with him was just part of his story, not his whole story, so I chose to listen and understand rather than be offended.

In today’s world, many of us can be so easily offended and quick to label other people, causing us to distance ourselves from them. It is an epidemic that is killing authentic community among us today. Often the enemy will keep us offended, even with small things, so that we miss out on having genuine love for each other.

In Mark 6, we see Jesus in His hometown teaching at the local synagogue. Many were amazed at His wisdom. But there were some that saw Him as “Mary’s son, a carpenter,” and these folks were offended by Jesus. His own people labeled Him and missed out on seeing that the Messiah was in front of them. Mark goes on to tell us that Jesus could not do any miracles there except to heal a few sick people. Jesus was not limited nor did He lack power. Rather He chose not to work miracles because they chose to be offended. They missed out.

Offense is birthed out of pride and breeds hatred. When we choose to be offended, we close the door to relationships and block the healing we could receive.

There will be plenty of opportunities for offense where our pain will cause us to burn a bridge and put up a wall. Relationships carry the risk of offending us because conflict is inevitable. But when we choose not to be offended, we get the opportunity to be Jesus for those around us. As Christians, we are called to be agents of reconciliation which means we are people marked by grace and love. This is hard to do because people are hard to love. This is why the Bible has to instruct us on how we ought to engage with each other because our natural inclination will be to choose self-preservation. We must be people who choose not to be offended. And the only way we can do that is by remembering the grace and love Jesus demonstrated on the cross.

He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
1 Peter 2:23-24 (NLT)

People will hurt us, offense will come, but we are called to “live for what is right.” Jesus modeled how to do that for us, and His Holy Spirit empowers us to practice rebellious empathy and mercy just like Him.

Season 2, Episode 10: What Do You Mean IF I Can?

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“I believe. Help me in my unbelief.” Have you ever heard this phrase from Scripture? Anna and Joy felt this one hard this week, along with the time Jesus said, “What do you mean if I can?”. They talk about Mary (Jesus’ mother) getting the news of a lifetime, what we can learn about obedience from her, and what it means to give God our willing yes. Anna shares a story from a difficult part of her life and what God did with her willing yes to share that story with others. Listen below or wherever you stream podcasts!

Bringing another story to us today is (in)courage contributor Robin Dance, who reads from Week Two of the Courageous Influence Bible Study.

Also, in each episode of this season (today included), you will hear from very special guests Kathi Lipp, Becky Keife, and Grace P. Cho (author of Courageous Influence)!These three friends spent a few days together as they went through the study, and, lucky us, they recorded their conversations so we can all listen in. Find all the Bible Study Mondays posts here and discover for yourself what God says about influence. (Spoiler alert: you have it! Yes, you!)

Listen to today’s episode below! And be sure to get your copy of the Courageous Influence Bible Study from DaySpring.com.

The Hope of God’s Steadfast Goodness

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This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough,
for your word brings me hope.
Psalm 130:5 (TPT)

With the state of the world, it’s hard to wrap our minds around the goodness of God and suffering around the globe. The next level is trying to understand God’s goodness in relation to our own hardships or those of our loved ones.

Context is key, and perspective is everything.

My life has been no walk in the park. I was born into hard circumstances. I was born into all manner of dysfunction and sinful living. I was neglected and abused. Trauma was my existence.

But God.

He came in as the rescuer that He is and rescued me. He didn’t rescue me from my circumstances as much as He rescued me within them. He saved my heart and soul and mind from the enemy. He saved me from myself. Where I am today is only because of His grace and mercy.

A friend recently told me that I had every reason to run from God, but I chose to run toward Him and let Him use my life for His glory. I cried tears of awe and gratitude. It was His goodness that drew me in when I was in college. It was His goodness that held me in hard times over the last two decades. It is His goodness that reminds me that He will continue to be faithful in the days ahead.

If I’m not vigilant, the noise and brokenness of this world can distract me from God’s character. My focus can easily become fixed on everything that’s wrong instead of the God that is right.

But there are a million and one ways that God displays His goodness. Psalm 130 highlights a few of them:

Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins,
who would ever have their prayers answered?
But your forgiving love is what makes you so
wonderful.
No wonder you are loved and worshiped!
Psalm 130:3-4 (TPT)

The very nature of God is holy and righteous, and He literally cannot be in the presence of sin. Then there’s us — fallen humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, it separated us from God’s presence, but it never separated us from His love. The amazing thing about God is that He had a contingency plan. He had Jesus. Before He laid the foundations of the world, He knew we would go astray. And He made a way for us to be restored back to relationship with Him.

He bows down low to hear our prayers. And He always answers, although it may not be in our timing or the answer we wanted. He extends mercy to sinners and those that are working out their salvation. He forgives and He forgets.

This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough,
for your word brings me hope.
Psalm 130:5 (TPT)

His faithfulness is just that — faithful. He is the God who doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Word is flawless and speaks life to weary souls. It brings hope and breakthrough about the future. His kindness leads us to repentance, and His gentleness invites us to come boldly before His throne of grace. He would and did pay the highest price for our redemption.

When times get tough for me or for my community, I want to plant my feet firmly on the truth of God’s Word and what I have experienced of Him.

I have experienced nothing short of God’s unconditional love, extravagant grace, and unrelenting goodness. His goodness is real and steadfast. It’s for me. It’s for you. It’s for the world.

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. I can trust You because You never change. Thank You for that gift! Help me run to You instead of away from You when things get tough. Amen.

Praying for the Harvest Season

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If you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he’ll take charge of sending the rain at the right time, both autumn and spring rains, so that you’ll be able to harvest your grain, your grapes, your olives. He’ll make sure there’s plenty of grass for your animals. You’ll have plenty to eat.
Deuteronomy 11:13-15 (MSG)

Throughout the brief period that my husband and I lived on the plains of North Dakota, we visited many churches as ambassadors of the Bible camp we worked for. We met so many wonderful people, drank a lot of great coffee in church fellowship halls, and saw God’s glory across the wide expanse of North Dakota sky.

During one particular church visit that autumn, we were sitting in a wooden pew toward the front of the sanctuary. It had been a lovely service that included several favorite hymns, a robust “greeting of your neighbor,” and was now concluding with the prayers. As the pastor led us, he prayed a few sentences about one topic (our church liturgy calls this a prayer petition) and the congregation responded to each with, “Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.” None of this liturgy was new to me. However, my ears perked up when he began a petition focused on the harvest.

He prayed for the right amount of rain — that neither flooding nor drought would damage the local fields. He prayed for daylight to last longer so the farmers could accomplish as much work as possible during the swift daytime hours. He prayed for a healthy harvest, a fruitful return on years of hard work and backbreaking labor.

Praying for the harvest was new to me, as I’d been born and raised in the suburbs. As I peeked around at those praying around me, it gripped my heart to see their faces upturned and clenched, their hands tightly folded, and their heads nodding in agreement with the petition.

The whole prayer experience only lasted about three minutes and occurred more than ten years ago now, yet I’ve never forgotten it. Each year when harvest season arrives, I pray for farmers — for the sun to shine, the rain to fall appropriately, the labor of their hands to be prosperous, and for a rich reward for all their work.

We may not all be farmers, but we can certainly pray for an abundant, beautiful harvest in our own lives. Isn’t that what we hope for — in our mothering, family, marriages and friendships? Proof of the hard work we’ve done, the care and attention we’ve lavished, and the focus and determination it took along the way?

Every farmer knows the result isn’t entirely up to them. They can love and care for their fields, and still, the crops can be wiped out by a flood, drought, insect infestation, or other act of nature. Every mother knows this too — that she can pour her whole heart into raising her kids and they still may not turn out the way she had hoped. Nature takes its course and we can simply nurture the results.

Whatever the harvest may yield, God promises to care for us and for those we love. To provide all that we truly need. And to send the rain at the right time.

Lord, help me trust the harvest. You hold it in Your hands, and they are more than capable of producing a fruitful crop. Bless the farmers in this season of stress and labor. Amen.

Ponder:

  1. Do you trust God to provide all that you truly need? Why or why not?
  2. What are you harvesting in your life, in your marriage, in your work, and/or in your children?

Extra Shot:

Carve out the stem section of a mini-pumpkin (you can use a large drill bit or a carving knife.). Insert an electric taper candle in the hole, and voilà! You have a beautiful and non-flammable harvest time decoration. I like to use several different pumpkins and gourds, placing them in the center of my dining room table and using both taper and tealight-sized electric candles.

This is one of twenty-five autumn devotions found in Anna E. Rendell’s book, Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul: 25 Devotions for Autumn. As one who finds glory and beauty especially during autumn days, Anna’s book includes twenty-five days worth of inspiration sure to help you embrace and soak up the season too. Each day brings you Scripture, devotions, prayer, reflection questions to ponder throughout your day, and an “extra shot” — inspiring quotes, recipes, and fun autumn ideas — like espresso for your soul! You’ll also find lined pages for your own autumn reflections, nine of Anna’s favorite autumn recipes, and and a bonus devotion for the start of Advent.

Also, brand new this year — listen to Seven Days of Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul, as read by Anna! Stream each episode and give yourself a moment as Anna reads seven full excerpts from the book.

It’s Anna’s prayer that the pause found on the pages of this book would provide you a moment of peace. A break in the hustle. A chance to savor this fleeting and favored season. . . and we’re giving away FIVE copies! To enter, just leave a comment telling us what you love about autumn or how you’ve experienced a harvest season.

Then, join Anna and Becky Keife tomorrow, September 22, at 11:00am central for a conversation about autumn, God’s goodness, and Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul.

Giveaway open to US addresses only and will close on September 24, 2021 at 11:59pm central.

When Difficult Change Makes You Scared to Be Happy Again

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Sometime ago, a couple of big changes clobbered into me, knocking me clean over. When the first change was thrown at me, I thought resolution would never come. But it did, and at that time, I celebrated like it was my job with champagne, hugs, and high-fives.

That celebration brought gloriously good feelings that lasted one whole month, and then the second thing knocked into me in such a way it made the first hit feel like a simple poke in the ribs. Believe me when I say the second change was an ordeal with a capital O.

That second change dragged on and on and on. And while I went about taking care of my family and home by stirring the pasta sauce and buying the birthday gifts and doing the next thing that needed to be done on a particular day, I didn’t have the same joy I had before. I felt guarded and suspicious and so, so tired. No, I felt haggard. Even after positive resolution finally came (thank you, God!), my heart couldn’t shake that worn-out feeling. Grateful? Oh yes, infinitely so. But joyful? Not so much.

So I carried this heavy feeling that wasn’t depression yet wasn’t my normal self, and eventually I mentioned it to my life (and business) coach. I told her how confusing this period was because much of my circumstances had returned to normal-ish. “Why can’t I snap out of it,” I asked? And while I had family and friends who gave me safe, helpful places to process all the events, it was she who helped me name the message I’d somehow internalized inside:

If I become happy, something bad will happen again.

If I become happy, a difficult change that’s worse than the others will do me in.

Now, in my head I know I don’t have the power to control what happens beyond my own actions. Yet this lie-imposing-as-truth message pushed into the soil of my heart, and it grew and grew, watered by fear and a false sense of control.

At that moment, I realized I stood at a fork in the road: Was I going to believe that any change threatened to knock me outside of God’s protection and care, that He gets a kick out of pulling the rug out from under me? Or would I be able to rest in what I’d said to be true — that God is always for me and all that He allows into my life is for my benefit because He loves me?

I prayed and prayed, and one day the Lord gave me this message in my heart:

I move from abundance, not scarcity. Look at all the ways I’ve been faithful in the past, and know I’ll be faithful in the present and future.

I knew He wanted me to know that whatever changes come, He would not dole out crumbs to me. He doesn’t dole out crumbs to any of us. His Son Jesus is proof that He moves behind the scenes to set us up for the abundant life — even when what stands in plain sight seems anything but.

When I wrote my first book on the subject of change in 2014, I knew I’d already lived through a lot of transition. As a longtime military wife, change was the name of the game. And when my husband, David, retired from active duty, he and I continued to meet change in entirely new ways. We both lost our dads within six weeks of each other. Our relationship with our kids evolved as they grew up and out of the house. We’ve met health struggles and marital strains. We’ve watched loved ones fight uphill battles that might as well have mowed down our own hearts with our John Deere tractor.

And this says nothing of 2020, the year I tapped out most of When Change Finds You, when the pandemic became the undercurrent jostling so much change, tiny and tremendous.

A while ago, I drove to Denver to record the audiobook for When Change Finds You. And after reading that thing from top to bottom, I cried for two reasons. First, I cried because I believed in my bones that this book delivers what it promises — that God delivers good things through change. And second, I cried because I sensed real joy in my heart.

Difficult change that I didn’t want or ask for still affects me today. But I can see how the change of the past has grown good things, and I can know that present and future change will grow good things, too.

When we come to a fork in the road that asks us whether or not we will trust God to use our difficult change for good, may we know God is believable and His promises in the present are proven by His faithfulness in the past.

God moves from abundance, not scarcity. He will use this change for good because His presence — and His love — are here to stay.

May you and I persevere as we see how our hard change is written into a good life story along the way.

If you are looking for a companion as you travel your road of change, preorder my next book, When Change Finds You: 31 Assurances to Settle Your Heart When Life Stirs You Up.

What a Water Lily Plant Taught Me About Hope

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When we moved into our home, we were super excited to see the garden had a small garden pond. We soon learned it had seen better days because it was leaking. But since we enjoyed it so much, we decided to replace the old one with a new, bigger one so we could have fish. For years, we loved watching our two small fish grow. We named them, fed them, and made places for them to swim through and hide in from the hawks when needed.

Then came an unfortunate day.

We had a lightning storm, and the next day, we saw the fountain wasn’t running. My husband went out to find that we had lost more than the power the night before; we also lost our fish.

You don’t realize how much you could miss a couple of fish, but they had become part of our garden and a big part of our daily routine. After they were gone, we sort of neglected that part of the garden. We didn’t go out to that area daily, and the fountain and power stayed broken. We intended to clean it out and leave it empty until we found new fish, but this, that, and the other thing happened and we never got to it. One season turned into two, and while we worked on other areas of the garden, we didn’t work on the pond area. Also, the closest store that sold fish no longer carried them, so the pond stayed untended to, filled from rainfall, the water dark from algae and seasons of leaves falling in.

Then, one day, we saw something out on the water — something bright green. Below that dark water, through all this time, remained a water lily plant, and what we were witnessing was its lily pads! Remarkably, with no care and through algae, winters, and frozen pond seasons, this water lily survived. Soon after, up came a bloom! Stunningly beautiful pink and blush petals with a bright yellow center, the flower stood so tall and proud in the midst of that murky, neglected water.

This bloom was a true reminder to me of how powerful beauty is. It stopped me in my tracks and pulled me right in. All the busy thoughts and worries of the day just disappeared. Its striking beauty cut through all of it. It was  me and this thing of beauty — an intimate message from God, a light in the darkness that reminded me that God is near.

In beauty, I see God. In beauty, I see hope.

Through it, God tells me it’s all okay. He is right here showing me how He can turn anything into something beautiful, how He can come through any dark, murky hurt. He won’t leave me alone in the dark, and there is always hope. I’m reminded that there is so much more than my burdens and hurts, than the unknowns and struggles. Those things won’t last — because of Christ. And because of Him, there is beauty.

When we are in midst of the messes of life, when we just wish the pain would go away, it feels impossible to see even a glimmer of purpose or hope. But it’s there. Look for it. Focus on the hope that beauty can grow from the murkiest of places, like the water lily. God is purposeful. If your season feels useless, know it is anything but useless to Him. He can use the murkiest of times in our lives to create immense light and great beauty.

And to be sure His first message wasn’t missed, another bright, beautiful bloom of hope blossomed from our neglected, murky pond! So, take heart. There is purpose. Beauty is here. God is near. He gives “bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit” (Isaiah 61:3 MSG).

Is Jesus’ Sweetness on My Menu?

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I’m in my kitchen looking through old cookbooks for a recipe for Church Social Frappé. If you remember, the frothy concoction was made with fruit sherbet and lemon-lime soda pop.

Hardly anybody back then was counting calories or sugar content. It just tasted good. Served up at church socials from a fancy bowl with a pretty ladle, it was splashed into Styrofoam cups, at the least, or fancy glasses, at the most, and most everybody enjoyed it. I hadn’t thought of the treat, however, in years.

But when I was asked to come up with a recipe for an online book club kit for my new historical mystery novel, I scoured my late mother’s cookbooks and came across all manner of “historical” delights — tuna macaroni casseroles, broccoli cheddar cheese quiches, stuffed party molds made jiggly and jumpy with neon orange Jello.

I’m not making fun. I happily ate those dishes. But for my online book club? I wanted something sophisticated, effortless, breezy, cool.

Simple enough, but it seemed like a hurdle too high to clear. And I knew why. What if people judged it? Judged me? Took one look at my mama’s Jello mold recipe and laughed?

Enter Jesus.

I let out a grateful breath.

He provides answers, miracles, and in fact, He even cooks them. Remember that scene in John 21 where His poor disciples fished all night but caught nothing? Obeying Him, they threw their nets on the other side of their boat, catching a haul so big they could hardly bring it it in. Realizing it’s Jesus who created the miracle, they come ashore to the wonder of this:

They saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread . . . [Then] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
John 21:9,15 (NIV)

The kindest of invitations, it was made to a denying Peter — and the other disciples who had abandoned Jesus — but it’s also made to us: Come and eat. 

I pay close attention. This is a reset, a lesson I need to learn.

First, Jesus Himself made a simple meal of fish and bread. Our Lord and Savior, yes, is doing the kitchen work. As one who comes from people who did kitchen work (my late grandmother worked as a “domestic” and my mother did maid work to pay for college), I’m compelled, seeing our Jesus in the same, humble role.

Paul pointed it out, too, that Jesus, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant . . . he humbled himself” (Philippians 2:6-8).

He didn’t worry about finding the “perfect” recipe. Nor did He bend over backwards to be the “perfect” host.

Such worries can take over when we gather — in a book club or anywhere else — both for the hostess and the guests. But more than the book or food or reason for getting together, Jesus invites us first to love. At His beachside breakfast, love was the main topic — and also His deepest question. Do you love me? (John 21:15-17). If we do, feed My sheep.

So, make the tuna or quiche or Jello, but offer it with love. 

Reading that, I put my cookbooks aside, take my evening shower, and slip on fresh pajamas and go to bed. Then, in the middle of the night, I awake from a deep sleep, sit up, and whisper a crazy word — frappé. Not because it’s perfect; it’s not. Not because it’s cool, definitely not. But because it stirs in me memories of a time and place — my little childhood church — where loving ladies in long, white gloves and fancy dresses sewn up on Singer sewing machines served up the frosty treat. It was sweet and pretty, and that made it good.

In fact, it was never fancy. But neither was the fish and bread that Jesus served.

The love was in Who served it — and for whom it was served. So, for your book club or small group, make the Church Social Frappé or get takeout. Jesus invites us to be brave enough to feed His sheep — not with fancy but with faith. Then our humble menus are always sweetened with His love.

Patricia’s online book club kit features her mother’s recipe for Church Social Frappé, to be served with mixed nuts, sugar cookies, and candy mints. Her mystery novel, All That Is Secret, was named a Parade Magazine “Mysteries We Love” pick for Fall 2021. Pre-order it here!

Don’t Forget What God Has Done

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I stand at the kitchen sink performing my nightly ritual. The water is scalding, but I barely flinch each time I rinse another dish under the steamy stream. Maybe because my hands are used to the burn. Or maybe because I’m focused on a different kind of pain.

I draw in a deep breath, slow and long, willing my lungs to fill with enough air to usher in relief. I find none. My heart pounds faster than it should. My chest tightens. It feels like coffee jitters in the life-pumping part of me — only I haven’t had caffeine since the morning. The beat of my own heart feels like life draining out of me. My mind races with a traffic jam of thoughts — speeding yet stuck. The irony is not funny.

I’m writhing, wilting, screaming inside. I’m pounding on the jail of body and mind. I’m trapped. Yet on the outside, I look fine. I load another blue plastic kid bowl into the dishwasher, scrub harder at crusted bits in the corner of a glass pan.

Breathe deep. Fight the ache. Push forward. Crave normal. No relief.

After months of enduring this can’t-catch-my-breath agony, I finally admit that I have a serious issue with anxiety.

I looked fine. I wanted to be fine. But I wasn’t. Not by a long shot.

Several years have since passed. Sometimes the muscle memory of those fruitless deep breaths sneaks up on me. Unless I intentionally recall those tight-chest, racing-mind days, I almost forget that I was once stuck in the anxiety pit. I forget how I cried to God who lifted me out of it.

When “healed” becomes your new normal, it’s easy to forget the Healer.

My hunch is that this is what happened to the men with serious skin diseases who called out to Jesus for mercy. As they went to show themselves to the priests, the lesions of their leprosy vanished. Painful blisters were replaced with smooth skin. Deformed hands and feet were repaired to full function. The disease that had ravaged their bodies and ostracized them from society — for who knows how many years — was miraculously gone! What mercy! Praise God!

But only one did.

But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him.
Luke 17:15-16 (CSB)

Where were the other nine, Jesus wanted to know? Could they have forgotten the answer to their plea so quickly? Taken the miracle for granted already?

As readers, it’s easy to sit in judgment over these nine, seemingly ungrateful, men. The Messiah altered the course of their entire lives, yet they didn’t have the decency to come back and acknowledge the wonder or utter a thank you!

What if, for a moment, we step down from the judge’s seat and into the healed men’s shoes? Consider their joy. Consider their total awe. How utterly astounded they must have been. Surely they must have wondered if their eyes deceived them. The man who healed them said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” so without hesitation, they went!

Can you picture it? After being disabled and only able to hobble for years, they could now walk without pain — or better yet, run! Oh, how those men must have dashed and danced into the presence of the priests appointed to bear witness to their miraculous healing. Or perhaps they first collapsed on the dusty road, weeping with relief.

The exact responses of the nine are unknown. What we do know is that one man came back. What provoked his change of course? First, Scripture says he saw that he was healed. He recognized God’s work in his life. Next, he returned. The man didn’t continue on his way — even to the very task Jesus told him to do; he came back to give God glory and profess his thanks.

What a beautiful sight that must have been: the healed worshiping the Healer. Then to hear Jesus offer another lifeline of encouragement and freedom: “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you” (Luke 17:19).

I wonder if the nine men who didn’t return ever regretted it. Weeks, months, or years later, as they labored at a job they never thought they’d perform, as they caressed the cheek of a wife they never thought they’d marry or see again, as they entered the synagogue to worship instead of being banished to the outskirts of town, did they ever pause to remember the agony from which they were delivered? Did they ever long to go back and thank their Deliverer?

I pull my hands from tonight’s hot suds, take a deep breath, and exhale my deepest thanks.

Thank You, Jesus, for hearing my cry. Thank You for answering my plea for freedom from anxiety. You are powerful and good! All glory is Yours! Forgive me for forgetting or taking Your mercy for granted. You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.

Unlike the ten lepers, God did not choose to exercise instantaneous healing in my life. Instead, He led me to pursue help through counseling to explore the roots and triggers of my anxiety. It was a long road of hard work. But Jesus went with me.

Shadows of anxiety still creep in, but I am grateful to have crossed that darkest valley.

Healing looks different for each individual. God is not limited by a particular means or timetable. The source of our cries for mercy can be equally varied. Maybe you’ve asked God for physical or mental healing. Or maybe you’ve begged Him for a miracle of relational restoration, financial repair, or spiritual renewal.

Wherever you are on the journey, pause today to recognize how God has worked already. Identify the prayers He’s answered. Then turn from your regular to-dos and return to Him. Pour out your praise and thanks.

This story appears in the (in)courage Devotional Bible. It’s one of more than 300 devotions in this beautiful resource. For more biblical encouragement from Becky, check out her Bible Study, Courageous Kindness.

The One Item Colossians Says to Wear

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So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Colossians 3:12-14 (MSG)

At the first hint of a chill in the air, I’m pulling on socks, cute leather boots, jeans and a sweater. It’s my basic autumn uniform — I suit up in it most days.

I have this one pair of boots — fabulous leather booties with a low heel that look amazing with my favorite jeans. At 8 a.m., I have high hopes for those boots. I keep thinking this will be the day they won’t kill my feet and require swapping them out for flats by 11 a.m.

And each day, I’m so wrong.

It’s disappointing how I can’t wear those boots more than a few hours before my feet call it quits. But while I love a cute pair of shoes, I also love not being in pain, so back into the closet they go by 11 in the morning. Sometimes it’s hard to choose another pair, even though I know the boots are not the best for me. They’re just so cute!

Often more difficult than that morning choice is choosing to pull on the one item Colossians says to be sure to wear: Regardless of what else you put on, wear love (Colossians 3:14 MSG).

It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Wearing love? That’s the good, hard, refining, beautiful, difficult, and wearying work of mothering. It’s easier to choose love when the kids are tiny and adorable, when timeouts and suckers fix most problems. But often, there’s nothing easy about choosing to love. Choosing to live out love in our actions, thoughts, and words can be a difficult garment to wear. During the fourteenth round of hide-and-seek. When you’ve asked them seven times to put their shoes on. When it’s just past midnight and they walk in the door late for curfew. When they tell you that they have a Greek-to-English alphabet poster due . . . tomorrow. When the principal calls — again. When you’re just not connecting with your teen. When your grown kids are raising their own kids but not the way you’d do it.

When we pull on love, we can wear it loud and proud. When we pull on love, we can fully know that it won’t let us down by 11:00 am like those darn boots. When we pull on love, we can trust God’s promises. When we pull on love, we’ll be clothed in the richest garment possible.

Maybe today, I’ll wear the slightly-less-cute-but-much-comfier boots. As I pull them up and head downstairs to greet the chaos of the morning, I’ll remember what I’ve chosen to wear first. When I pull on love, choosing to let it guide my steps more faithfully than my cutest boots, the path I take will lead me straight to all the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience I need for the day.

Lord, help me choose to wear love today — even when it’s uncomfortable or difficult. Guide and lead me to your path, covering all that I say and do in love. Remind me throughout the day of the holy clothing I chose to put on first, and that those garments will never rip, tear or wrinkle. And help me keep them on past 11 a.m. Amen.

What gets in your way of wearing love? On the days it doesn’t fit quite right, how can you continue to seek compassion, kindness, humility, and quiet strength?

p.s. Do you have a pair of tall boots that fold over while in your closet? Here’s a pro tip: take a foam pool noodle leftover from summer swimming and cut it in half. Stick half of the pool noodle in each boot, zip ’em up, and your boots will stand straight and tall in your closet!

Excerpt from Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul: 25 Devotions for Autumn by Anna E. Rendell.

Season Two of the (in)courage Podcast!

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Welcome to Season Two of the (in)courage Podcast! This season, friends and (in)courage team members, Anna E. Rendell and Joy Groblebe, are working through what it means to have  influence — and it might not look like what you’re thinking.

In today’s episode, among other things, Anna and Joy talk about the best cinnamon rolls they ever had (spoiler alert: they were from Bennigans!) and how Jesus makes the difference between influence and influencing. Listen below or wherever you stream podcasts! Sharing a story with us today is (in)courage contributor Dawn Camp, who reads her story from Week One of the Courageous Influence Bible Study.

Also, in each episode of this season, you will hear from very special guests Kathi Lipp, Becky Keife, and Grace P. Cho (author of Courageous Influence)!These three friends spent a few days together as they went through the study, and, lucky us, they recorded their conversations so we can all listen in. Find all the Bible Study Mondays posts here and discover for yourself what God says about influence (another spoiler alert: you have it! Yes, you!)

Listen to today’s episode below! And be sure to get your copy of the Courageous Influence Bible Study from DaySpring.

Let Go of Good for God’s Best

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I watch as they hammer a for sale sign in my front yard. I have nervous, prayerful energy that I don’t know quite what to do with. Our house and ten acres goes on the market tomorrow. This special place we’ve called home is where God taught me what the promised land means and how to dwell with Him. So I’ve been hesitant to follow Jesus to the next place. 

But over the last three weeks, we’ve had multiple confirmations that we’re supposed to sell our home, buy some land, and build. God has flung every door open and made it shockingly easy. We’ve cleaned out years of life, redecorated, and staged everything for buyers. It all happened so fast, with miracles along the way, so as much as it’s been amazing, it’s also been exhausting.

Yet what God is doing in my life seems so insignificant considering the headlines of each day and the heartache of our neighbors around the world. I’ve been hesitant to follow Jesus to the next place on this adventure He continues to lead us on, and I was even more apprehensive to discuss it here. 

But I think the real struggle I’ve been battling — and I’m sure you have at some point too — is this: What do we do when God asks us to trust Him and leave the good we are content with for His best? 

Six years ago, when God led us to this place we’ve called home, it was clear. I know God works in seasons, both in nature and our lives, but I’ve wondered if I’m mistakenly leaving what God gave me for all the wrong reasons. Yet I’ve been reminded of Abram leaving good pasture lands for God’s best that was unknown, of Moses leaving his job as a shepherd to lead God’s children to freedom, and even of Jesus ascending to heaven and leaving His disciples so they could be even more empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

We are not to assume that what we have now is as good as it gets. God promises us He will do more than we can imagine (Ephesians 3:16-21). Where we are isn’t the only beauty He has created. There will be more and even greater things than what we have experienced so far from His gracious hand. Even during the most difficult of days, His promise of heaven is proof of the greatness that is to come because He will be dwelling with us. 

One of the things God taught me in this home is that the promised land He talks to us about so much throughout Scripture was about more than the land; it was about dwelling with God where He leads and believing He can be trusted to fulfill His promises for each of us.

And so, as I pray about who God will bring to buy our home, I’m reminded that I’m not rooted in my location but in Jesus. I will not get attached to a place but to the One who made it and owns it. I am merely a caretaker with the honor of stewarding all that passes through my hands — whether a home, a job, a role, or even my relationships.

God doesn’t just promise beauty for ashes, but also the beauty of Himself and His leading we think might be too good to imagine. No matter the circumstances, you and I can be rooted in His love. He dwells with us even in the flames, and He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine because His power is at work within us.

God knows today and our next thousand tomorrows. Let’s trust Him and know He is answering our prayers. Following Jesus on this journey of faith is never boring but always an adventure. Let go of good to allow God to work out His best plans for your life.

Where God is asking you to go will be beautiful because He will be there.

Lord, give us more of You. Make our journey only explainable because of the Holy Spirit. Make us like Abraham and Sarah willing to go where you lead when we don’t know where that is. Make us like Moses to know the place we live isn’t as important as being with Jesus on the journey. Give us courage like Joshua to leave behind what we know to take on what You give us. Reveal Your will to us and give us Your vision so we can live as You have planned long ago. Make us crave dwelling with You more than knowing the plan. Confirm in us that Your best is better than good enough. Amen.

Experience Hope and Encouragement Like Never Before

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My nine-year-old loves to play the game Two Truths and a Lie. He ranges from, “I can turn invisible” to “I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch,” so it’s not always a stretch to figure out which is truth and which is a lie. However, we always have fun inventing the lie and racking our brains for the truths.

Maybe you too have had to dig deep for truth, for reminders of who you really are. Often the lies are louder in our ears and hearts and can be easily confused for truth:

I’m alone. Unwanted. Forgotten. Unforgiven.

Sometimes we need a friend to point out the lies and help us embrace the truth. The brand new DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible is one such friend. In addition to the full NLT text, it includes twelve indisputable truths of who we are as God’s children. And this, friends, is how we combat the lies.

When you feel lost in the mundane, God says you have a purpose.

When fear creeps in, God says you are held.

When you wonder if anyone notices, God says you are important.

When you feel isolated, God says you are not alone.

Friends, today we want to give you a reminder of who you are with two devotions by Jennifer Gerelds from the Hope & Encouragement Bible. Read on for two truths (no lies here!) about who you are in Christ.

You are forgiven.

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink — even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk — it’s all free!
Isaiah 55:1 (NLT)

You’re finally rounding the last stretch of sidewalk before you reach home, your daily exercise nearly complete. Accelerated heart rate, beads of sweat, and panting breath all confirm that you got a good workout. But you’re parched. Before you head for the shower, you grab a glass from the kitchen and fill it with clean, cool water. As you drink, you instantly feel life and energy returning to your fatigued body. Always hits the spot, you think. 

Did you know that more than half of your body is made up of water? It’s no wonder you need it, even crave it, throughout your day. But God tells us our souls are no different. He explains the idea in the Bible. Jesus meets a woman at the well where she has gone to draw water. He strikes up a conversation that went like this, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring inside them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:13-14). Jesus explains to her that the water he gives is “living water” (John 4:10); it’s not of this world. It comes from God’s own Spirit, filling every child of God. 

When God floods our lives with his forgiveness and grace, our thirst for redemption is filled forever. And the invitation to drink from his refreshing and replenishing store of love and hope repeats daily. Have a satisfying drink of water today. As it fills you, let your heart also be filled with the truth of God’s everlasting power, forgiveness, and love. 

Lord, thank you for refreshing my soul with your love and hope. Fill my heart with the truth of your everlasting power, forgiveness, and love every day of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

 

You are held.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1 (NLT)

You can remember the moments like they were just yesterday — those chilling childhood memories when the terror of a night’s dream or a clapping crash of a thunderstorm outside your window woke and worried you. Crouching low under the covers simply wouldn’t cut it. Fear moved you out of your bedroom in search of a safer, more substantial place of shelter. Slipping silently between your parents even as they slept, your pounding heart quieted. Your panic stilled as your breathing fell in sync with theirs. Nestled next to them, you felt safe, surrounded by such powerful love. 

As you grew up, though, so did your knowledge of the world. You learned: earthly parents — and people in general — aren’t fail-proof. Real-life problems don’t always disappear with the dawn. Fearful unknowns like insufficient finances, broken relationships, and failing health can leave you feeling like you did as a child, powerless to calm the mounting pressures all around you. Only this time, our problems are greater than any parent can solve . . . except our heavenly Father. 

Child of God, you don’t need to stay stuck in your fears, afraid of what is to come, wondering who can help. Leave the isolation of self-reliance and turn to God Almighty. He is a shield and source of comfort like no other. Not only is he right beside us, he is above us, below us, before us, and behind us! 

God, help me to sleep, wake, and walk in total confidence as I rest in your constant care. 

Both devotions were written by Jennifer Gerelds as printed in the DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible. 

You are forgiven. You are held. These are just two of the twelve truths expanded upon inside the DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible, which amplifies twelve indisputable truths about who you are in Christ. These truths will equip you to recognize and embrace your treasured place in God’s heart.

This beautiful new Bible also includes 52 full-page devotions from bestselling DaySpring books, and 250+ reflective inspirations. Armed with this knowledge and extra inspiration, you will be able to face any challenge, step into your toughest callings, and live the adventure God has for you.

When you pre-order the Hope & Encouragement Bible, you’ll receive a 100 Days of Hope & Encouragement Devotional Journal for FREE! Yeah! That’s two ways your heart can be encouraged by the truth of who you are.

Get a FREE sampler from the Hope & Encouragement Bible and start reading today! We know that embracing the truth of who God says you are will lead you to experience hope and encouragement like never before. May the truth of who you are in Christ be louder in your heart than any lie whispered.