“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out ofRead more
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in him” Psalms 34:8. TASTE – and see that the Lord is good. The words of this scripture are purposeful. As a kid, I often heard my mom say, “Watch your mouth!”. She would hear me speak some sortRead more
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” When I read this verse, I imagine to live it, must feel like sitting beachside listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves rolling in. It’s amazing how ocean waves effortlessly draw us into peacefulRead more
I woke up that morning, and suddenly the thing I had been fighting for all those months before – just wasn’t important. My usual, “Thank you, God for the day you have given,” before my feet hit the ground prayer, just wasn’t there. My heart was heavy, and my mind distracted. Life at this pointRead more
New – I like new things. We all like new things. They’re fresh. “Out with the old in with the new,” right? If you’re like me, the moment Christmas happened you were mentally packing up your décor, putting your new things to use and getting your home in order attempting to make a fresh lookRead more
We all want to be a person with purpose. Many of us were taught in school to push through the common, and obtain the uncommon. Common means; everyday, familiar, ordinary, ubiquitous, usual. Uncommon means; extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, exceptional, unusual, unique. Weighting these terms in my mind– hands down, Uncommon wins every time. Who wouldn’t want toRead more
My husband and I recently experienced one of those scary parts of parenting. Our daughter was playing at a party with some friends, as she did, she fell and her fall resulted in a head injury that caused her to be unresponsive for a few seconds. Although the seconds of unresponsiveness were probably more likeRead more
My name is Jessica. I remember for a grade school class assignment asking my parents how they chose it. Their response? “Because we liked it.” Nothing heroic, or poetic about it – nothing other than, “We like the way it sounds.” I remember walking away from that conversation a bit let down (sorry Mom andRead more
We walk some sketchy paths – and sometimes as we’re walking them, we begin to think they’re a new concept, never experienced by anyone – ever. Simple truth – that’s wrong thinking. The Israelites walked a sketchy path too. Theirs was a wilderness. Sometimes ours feels a whole lot like a wilderness too. There wasRead more
Matthew 7:7-11, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” The Message version says it likeRead more