Instead of a promise to achieve our goals, it emphasizes the inner strength we find in Christ in times of trial and hardship, as well as in times of contentment and peace. We always need to rely on Christ for our strength.

There was a period in my life when I was mentally and physically spent. My husband and I were raising two sons, one of whom has autism. I was also working at a job that required twelve hours of standing without a break and often without a meal. It was extremely stressful, and I wasn’t exactly young. I had long commutes, and my schedule was haphazard at best. However, it was necessary. Still, there were times I thought I would never make it. But God.

But the heart has other feelings. Hearts break, hearts weep, and hearts cry out for help. Hearts cling to the warm, fuzzy feelings of love, but they also hold on to profound loss, sadness, fear, and doubt. If we’re expecting our lives to look like the perfect Hallmark movie, the odds of that happening aren’t always in our favor.   

In the past few months, I feel the Lord has compelled me to use my writing and speaking in new ways. I have been speaking out about our country’s lack of commitment to biblical justice, as I understand it through prayer and contemplation. I’ve been using my gifts to serve God more boldly.

Most people think it is a great month of new beginnings, new goals, and new possibilities. For me, January has been a month of fasting, self-evaluation, and regrets. The regrets from the past year come crowding in. They whisper in my ear, “You are a failure. You are not good enough. God doesn’t love you. If he did, then you would have this or that. You will never. . .”

Suddenly, uncontrollable tears streamed down my face as pent-up emotions surfaced. I reached for a tissue while tears flowed, and relief flooded me. God uncovered the dreadful memory of a critique where someone’s harsh criticism plunged me into deep despair. After forgiving her, I thought everything was well, but it didn’t erase the words stuck in my head.

We love the idea of God fighting for us. We pray and ask Him to step in and change our circumstances—the cancer diagnosis, the lawsuit, the struggling marriage, the wandering child. And often, He moves in powerful ways. But God’s faithfulness does not always look like immediate rescue or visible victory. Sometimes His work is quieter, deeper, and more mysterious than we expect. Scripture shows us that while God is always present and always good.

Here’s what I’m slowly learning. Letting go doesn’t mean I don’t care. Resting doesn’t mean I’m lazy. Being still doesn’t mean I’m failing. It means I trust that God loves my family even more than I do. It means I believe he’s working behind the scenes, even when I can’t see it. It means I choose to believe I don’t have to fight every battle on my own. That kind of stillness takes courage, especially when you’re used to doing it all.

When I hear the word unstoppable, I usually think of progress. Forward motion. Checking boxes and getting things done. I think of effort, determination, and pushing through no matter how tired I feel. But God has been teaching me that unstoppable does not always look like constant movement. Sometimes it looks like letting go and trusting him to take the lead.

We often face situations that seem insurmountable, with no way out or resolution. It may even feel like we’re going under for the last time. We may think our fate is sealed and that we have no hope. Common sense, logic, reason, and rational thought tell us to give up and accept our fate. Just toughen up and take it like a man. That’s the exact opposite of what we should do. 

For years, I walked a respected and stable road—serving faithfully as a school principal, working in administration, pouring into students, families, and staff. It was meaningful work. Important work. But it wasn’t the final chapter God was writing for me. 

I’m certainly not suggesting that this adorable little paintbrush can wash away our sins — but if you look closely, there is an analogy to be found. Isn’t this how God restores our hearts to align with His? Picture Jesus standing before you, looking at your life. With His paintbrush in hand, He paints over your sins. But, not only does the paint cover your sins — His supernatural paint erases them for good.

When we fixate on past failures, hurts, or even successes, our attention shifts away from Jesus—the Author and Perfector of our faith—and onto ourselves. That kind of self-focus is actually rooted in pride. And pride is something God takes seriously because it’s a form of idolatry. We quietly remove God from the throne of our hearts and place ourselves there instead. That’s exactly what Satan attempted to do. He failed—and now he works hard to get us to repeat the same mist

Every year, we rush into December with lists, plans, oven timers, decorations, and an unspoken pressure to make everything just right. In the flurry, we can forget why we’re celebrating and Who this celebration is truly for. For many of us, the season turns into a cycle of overeating, overspending, overdoing, and then oversleeping in a sugar coma—especially for those of us who know better but can’t resist the candy dish. Next year, half the gifts will be forgotten, the decora

When I look back at the seasons of my life marked by pain and struggle, I can see God’s hand gently at work, making me new. I may not have experienced instant healing, but I’ve experienced transformation.

About halfway through Mom’s time at the care center, her sister fell and broke her hip while taking a walk in her Dallas, Texas, neighborhood. My aunt never had any children, and my uncle was deceased, so I volunteered to be her family support. While I lived with my family in Arizona and my mom was just about twelve miles from me, it was clear that many flights to Dallas were in my future.

There are days when I still feel the weight of my own shortcomings pressing heavily on my heart. It’s in those moments that Psalm 51:10 speaks directly to my soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” David’s cry becomes my own prayer. I know I cannot cleanse myself from the stains of sin, nor can I manufacture a right spirit...

Every year, I’m amazed at how quickly the world wakes up. One morning I walk outside, and the bulbs that looked lifeless just weeks before are suddenly vibrant. Leaves unfurl. Tiny buds appear. Color pushes its way into the world almost overnight. Standing there in the flower bed, I can’t help but marvel at how something dormant can become something beautiful.

Family Reunions and All the Feels Isaiah 58:12 (KJV) – “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt…”

The distractions of the world are very tempting. But the world belongs to the evil one. He is the deceiver. The endless lure of desires, money, power, fame, and physical pleasures pulls us away. However, when we accept Christ, believing that He led a perfect life, died on the cross as payment for our sins, and then rose again three days later, we’re transformed. Christ changes our lives and our attitude. Our mind and our heart are then changed.