A quiet place for weekly devotionals, honest stories, and Scripture-rooted encouragement for trusting God in everyday life.
Loving Your Spouse
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4 Communication is fundamental to any relationship. Not only communicating, but listening to the other person. Really listening. Not half listening while also paying attention to your phone. Not listening just to let them vent, then forgetting all of it and moving on. Real communication is when two people come to an understanding that things need to and must change. One voices a need. The...
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Punch Me
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! Psalm 126:5 Not literally. Thanks. Because I get it alot. Often. A punching bag. I seem to garner the offense of the children. Regularly, maybe because I'm safe? I'll never reject them? While I'm happy to be their safe person, I detest conflict. I hate being their punching bag. I'd rather see marshmallows and rainbows. Why, God, are mothers treated so? Why, when we try our hardest to build little respectful humans do our children respond with anger? It's...
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Weeping
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. John 11:33 Jesus was fully human and knew sorrow. He wept with us. He was filled with compassion. Sorrow moved Him deeply. Just like you and me. Our weeping friends or loved ones move us deeply. Sometimes we are the ones weeping and others are moved to compassion for us. Weeping signals sorrow. That something is deeply broken. Wrong. Needs to be fixed. That's when...
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Jesus
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 125:1-2 Jesus is our everything. Our absolute everything. Life will disappoint. People, situations, even ourselves. All will disappoint. Instead, of anything else, just give me Jesus. He is all that we need. All we will ever need. He will cover you with Himself. When you are sad, He will cover you with His complete comfort....
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Words
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 Wow, that's a contrast. Literally, death can come through your words. Your words can eat through a person's soul, confirming lies they might already believe. Words can crush a person, crumpling them down to the floor. They can create a rift, that without repair, grows over time. Words can belittle. Shame. Or curse. All of these bring death. Maybe not immediate physical death, but emotional or spiritual damage, which becomes death if not removed. But - the Bible...
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Pride
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5 If we are all completely honest, pride is our number one problem. For most of us. Almost all of us. We are disappointed when others don't see our needs. Pride. We are wishing others would go along with what we want. Pride. We compare ourselves to others, wishing we had what they had. Pride. We erupt in anger when our spouse doesn't please us. Pride. We hesitate to notice our need to apologize as it's always the...
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God's Power
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11 As our thoughts are focused on Jesus this Easter weekend, let's think a moment on God's power. God created all things. God (Jesus) lived on earth as a human. Folks, He never sinned. Even when hungry, He never snapped. Even when tired, He still blessed others. Even knowing how He was...
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Fraud
In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. Deliver me, O Lord from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. Psalm 120:1-2 I am a fraud. Flawed. Not perfect. You? If you're honest, you'll agree. Yes about me, but I'm referring to you. None of us are perfect. We all demand. We...
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The Robe
Great is Your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to Your rules. Psalm 119:156 Ever read The Robe? It was written in 1942 by Lloyd Douglas and has become an enduring classic for millions over the years. Sharing the story of a young Roman soldier, you are drawn into the story as this soldier crucifies Jesus. He literally commands the soldiers who nail our Jesus on the cross. While Jesus is dying, this Roman soldier wins Jesus' robe while gambling. The story winds through the the days after Jesus...
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Wide Open
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27 Jesus is forever our always. Forever, Jesus is our always. Always and forever, is Jesus to you. To me. To us. He is and always will be there for you. Always. For all things. Every little thing. There is no place we can hide from His love. There is no place away from His presence. We simply cannot run away from Him. He is always here, waiting for you. In good times and bad. When...
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Good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 God is still good. He is. He is still good. Even though.... Fill in the blank with whatever your even though is. Even though your family breaks apart,...
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Slow Slide
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today", that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13 Satan rarely enters with a bang. He rarely announces his presence, coming through our choices instead. It's usually one choice. That leads you to another. And another. And another. And before you know it, you don't recognize the path anymore...
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