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.

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

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.

God used this experience to encourage me to continue learning more about my chosen profession. This prompted me to return to school to learn more. My program of study turned out to be an exhilarating, exhausting two years, but worth every moment.

God’s word comforts our souls and offers peace that quiets the chatter that distracts from what is true. We are commanded not to yield to the world but to instead submit to the word. Romans 12:2 infers that this must be a continual process if we are to overcome our trials and discern God’s perfect will.

As cocky as I was, on the exact day I turned 18 ½, I underwent a kidney transplant that would not only save my life, but in many ways, dictate how I lived it. I was a scared, confused kid who had, nine months earlier, been forced to grow up instantly and way too fast. October 6th is the 42nd anniversary of the second-greatest event in my life: that surgery. The first was when the Lord saved my soul on October 2nd, 1973.

Just like Dorothy, we sometimes want to (metaphorically) go home. Perhaps we want to turn back the clock, have one more visit with a loved one who has passed, or simply have a do-over of yesterday. However, the answer is found in the word surrender. 

In the midst of this bittersweet season, we are tackling home projects with newfound purpose. Walls are getting fresh coats of paint. Old posters are coming down. Spaces once dedicated to childhood pursuits are being repurposed, reimagined, and given tender attention.

For me, depression often feels like being trapped in a dark tunnel, with no clear way out. I’ve struggled with the idea that this dark season will never end, that it will always be a part of who I am. But this verse speaks to the hope that God is working during the struggle, even when it feels impossible to see. He’s making a way where there seems to be no way. He’s doing a new thing, whether I see it or not.

Focus is motivating. Powerful. It makes transformation possible.