The Road Untraveled

My friend Jackie is the coiner of all my favorite phrases. She has a way of taking what’s in my heart and whittling it down to its trustest form and renaming it. Her latest installment? Courageous Obedience. It is the desire to step out and DO. That’s it, simply do whatever God says to do, no questions, no fear, no asking “God, are you sure?” It’s the act of doing what God says to do, the moment…

You know how you clean your house top to bottom, carefully and methodically searching every nook and cranny for dust and dirt? You dust, you scrub, you spray copious amounts of disinfectants, Pledge, toilet, and bathroom cleaners. You vacuum and sweep every inch until your home looks and smells pristine. But the minute you put the vacuum away and sit to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you see it,…

Lately, the state of the world and America have been heavy on my heart, for lack of a better description, what I am seeing grieves my heart. It scares me to think about where we are heading, especially as I watch people I respect and some I love fall into the trap of the world and its traditions. If we, who are called to be salt and light, look like the world, what hope is there? This question…

Recently, while listening to K-LOVE, I heard Annie F. Downs say, “God has not forgotten the recipe for manna.” Those words stuck with me. I have been mulling them over for a few weeks now. I have been thinking about how God caused food to fall from heaven to feed the people He loved, and how He provided exactly what each person needed for that day and only that day, so they wouldn’t be…

For the last fourteen days, I have lived like Peter on the water with Jesus, only his eyes were not on Jesus, but on the circumstances he was in, the waves rushing, the ocean that he was most certainly (in his mind) not meant to be walking on, the boat that he was NOT in bouncing back and forth. Like Peter, I have been sinking in my sadness, fear, worry, uncertainty, and yes, anxiety. However, at…

Part of my devotions took me to the book of Kings, 2 Kings to be more precise. Currently, I am in chapter 15. What I have been noticing about the kings who “did right in the sight of the Lord” is that they did right, but did not lead the people of God to do the same. In verse 34 of chapter 15, we meet Jotham, the son of Uzziah. He was twenty-five when he began his reign. Picking it up in verse…

This week has been difficult on many levels, some of it my doing, and some things I have no control over. This is why I find it interesting and so very God, that on Sunday my pastor was in the book of Job. Job did nothing to incur the trials he faced, the loss, devastation, saddness and sickness. What I find very beautiful about Job is that he did not have the hindsight that we have been given in…

Yesterday was a hard day for me, emotionally, to the point that I did not post on day 9. In 2024, my mom died suddenly, and even though it’s been almost two full years since her passing, the pain still feels like it happened yesterday. Yesterday was not a traumatic day by any means. Nothing that should have thrown me into the depths of pain and loss that I experienced; it was, from all accounts,…

Today, part of my devotions took me to Deuteronomy chapter 8. The entire chapter is a call to the children of Israel to remember the Lord their God. Not because they’re prone to forgetfulness (although history proves they are), nor because God was going on a trip to a faraway land and wouldn’t be around (our Father is forever beside us). No, it was a memorial, an understanding of why those forty…

Today I feel, well, blah. That honestly is the only way to describe my current condition. I am awake, walking, and moving, but I feel off. Not sick, just blah. Ever felt like that? There is nothing wrong; you have a roof over your head, food to eat, and most importantly, God is still on the throne. However, you just don’t feel like yourself, don’t feel like talking, smiling, or even like (dare I…

I have had an annoying and debilitating crick in my neck for the past three days. It’s not a life-altering issue for most people, even though it is inconvenient and irritating. A crick can happen from sleeping poorly, overuse, and even bad posture. All very normal, natural, and dare I say mundane reasons. However, for me, a crick in the neck can be a sign of stenosis (a narrowing of the veins) or…

It never fails to amaze me how God speaks directly to my heart and meets me exactly where I need to be met. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it does, every single time. He sees my fears, my questions, and my uncertainties. I think the awe comes when I realize this: the God who spoke the world into existence and made it with such intricate detail and creativity that trees can communicate with each…

GOD NEVER PROMISED ROSE PETALS God never promised rose petals at our feet or a perfect life. What He promises is to be with us in the fires and floods of life (Isaiah 43:2). He also promises that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). Life happens; and will seek to choke out the promises God has made to us, but He also promises that if we seek Him with our entire heart, we will find Him…