Daily Devotionals

Good morning!I hope this post fills you with a sense of possibility and hope. I want to share a story about our daughter, Cora, who recently had a breakthrough with her new horse.Cora has been riding for four years, starting with a little pony. For the longest time, she was afraid to try jump. We always encouraged her, saying she could just walk over the jump until she felt ready.Fast forward to this year, Cora is riding a 15-hand horse...

Recently, my hubby and I attended a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) night of Champions at our son’s college.This is an outreach ministry that includes equipping student athletes to become disciples of Jesus and lead others this way as well.One of the highlights of the night was when they passed out bracelets at the banquet tables and had the student athletes at each table explain how this tool is used to simply share their faith on and off campus. Wear...

Did you see the beautiful northern lights last weekend?I did! I was so excited because I had never seen them before.It was breathtaking!I couldn’t help but think of this passage:Psalm 19:1-4 declares:“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the...

Last Monday we wrapped up our Spring Bible Study, “Good Boundaries and Goodbyes” by Lysa Terkeurst. I deeply enjoyed this study and can’t wait to start our Summer one – stay tuned for that announcement very soon! Throughout Lysa’s study, she mentioned a particular concept that really struck me. Lysa says that we endure many deaths in life that never receive a proper funeral. Deaths like divorce, loved ones moving away, or relationships that shift and change making them no longer...

Lately I’ve been wrestling with questions about what I believe is a gift from God. I’m asking how did this come about? And why? Little words – how and why – but they open up big questions about God and how he works. Still really, how much can we know of the how and why of Almighty God?How ….How does God work in our lives? In mysterious ways, we’re told, his wonders to perform. God wants the best for us...

This picture makes my heart sing! I snapped it yesterday afternoon and it sums up summer life at our house perfectly Many of you are aware that my husband and I have struggled with infertility. In fact, we struggled for four years before our daughter was born and have continued to ever since. My husband's brother, on the other hand, has five kids who happen to live right next door. I’m not going to lie, my heart was pretty heavy as...

Good morning, Ladies!This week, the word that’s been on my mind is “trust.” I’ve been tested, particularly in a family situation where fear, worry, and negativity took over.Despite my struggles, my patient husband stood by me, encouraging me to lean on him and trust him to carry the burden.He asked me a question that really hit me-Why do I trust him in so many areas of life but fail when things get really tough? It’s a bit embarrassing to share...

Well, this is it! We’ve finally made it to the week of our half marathon. I have a couple more short runs to fit in this week and then Saturday is the big day!I’ll be joining my husband, my son, and his girlfriend on this multi-mile adventure. What the smoke ever possessed me to sign up for this?? I seem to have forgotten!In all seriousness though, I have been reflecting on the hours and miles of training over the past months. It...

Every morning my husband and I do Bible reading together and then we pray. We read a Psalm, a Proverb and a chapter in the New Testament. For the last couple weeks, we have been reading in the book of Revelation.One thing that has really struck me about the book, which is a portrait of the final battle between good and evil and of God’s ultimate victory over the evil one, is that in every account of him being seated...

What obstacles have we built that keep us from doing things God wants us to do?I’m not necessarily talking about forsaking everything loved and familiar, packing up and shipping off to deepest, darkest ___________ (fill in the blank with your scariest missionary destination). No, I’m talking about what God might have on the docket for us right here, right now. Today, even.Some possibilities?•       Oh, how about setting aside a quiet time and diving deep into God’s Word?•   ...

Something happened this week that exposed a bad habit of mine. Don’t you love it when that happens? You are just walking along, minding your perfectly perfect business when the Holy Spirit swoops in and knocks you right on your sinful butt!What I was recently convicted of is the habit of overlooking people. Now, in my defense, I’m a very polite person. My husband even makes fun of me for being overly cheery when engaging with cashiers, clerks, or other...

Good morning!A couple of days ago, our girls switched up their horses. Both of the girls' horses have completely different styles and purposes. So, we wanted to encourage our 12-year-old to learn on a new style of horse.Initially, things went well. She had her controlled and was just working on slow work. However, after about 10 minutes, the horse wanted to go faster, and my daughter started feeling a bit anxious. She didn’t want to go beyond a trot because...

Time.Having a couple kids in the peak of their track seasons right now reminds me how much every second matters!We have one running in college and one running through the spring season of her senior year of high school. (A Tom Cat and a Lion)There seems to be a daily chatter around our house and on our family group text about how much “time” matters…“Our relay team beat the school record by 1.2 seconds!”“I missed my PR by less than...

For over a week, I have been in a battle with some robins. It’s a territory war. They want to build a nest above my garage and I say no. But those crazy robins won’t listen.At least 8 times a day, they build a nest and I take it down.Over and over.And over.Those birds can build a full nest in 10 minutes flat. I’ve tried to talk nicely to them but I’m getting fed up! My hubby said we should concede...

Made to FlyWe break a coffee cup, we throw it away because now it’s worthless. But what happens with broken people? Do we – does God – give up on any good coming out of a broken person?Well, of course not. For one thing, brokenness has been a universal human condition ever since Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden Honeycrisp. What are some of the lines from that Danny Gokey song? “We’re all broken people …. We’ve got stuff we...

Our Wednesday night children's ministry at church, BLAST (Building Lives Around Sound Truth) is wrapping up for the school year. This past week, I got a sneak peek of the kids practicing for the closing ceremony performance. My heart swells even now, thinking about it... Remind me to pack A LOT of Kleenex because this mama is going to need them “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”– Matthew 18:20As I walked in...

Good morning!I wanted to share a precious picture I took last Sunday—it's of my 8 year old daughter with her "church buddy," (Cora came up with that title) Beck Beck, whom many of you know. I’m sharing this because it affirmed to me the incredible way God works in our lives!  These two share such a special bond. Cora always runs to hug Beck Beck at church, they always sit side by side, and they exchange phone calls and homemade gifts...

We are going to talk about the shield of faith today.In the New Testament, Paul uses the imagery of something that would have been familiar to the people in Ephesus. The armor of a Roman soldier!The city of Ephesus was part of the Roman Empire. When encouraging the believers in this area, Paul illustrated the importance of putting on “divine armor” to take a stand in this world.I’m here this morning to reacquaint you with one particular item mentioned in...

I am officially exhausted.It feels like I have been running a marathon, when in reality it’s just been life:Working on the remodel.Taking care of the kids.Doing ministry.Cooking, cleaning and laundry.Making meals.Paying bills.It has been so much. Last Sunday, I hit the wall. Have you ever done that? I don’t mean literally! I’m talking about when you get so tired that the thought of trying to get another thing done makes you want to cry.That was me. Crying. A lot.So when...

How do we live?“Oh, she’s so heavenly minded that she’s no earthly good!”Variations of that old criticism have been rattling around in my old brain lately. I mean, what’s so wrong with being heavenly minded? Is there a right way to be heavenly minded and still do some earthly good?Let’s start with our pop quiz question for today:Who, in all of human history, was the most heavenly minded person who did the most earthly good?Times up! Put your pencils down.The...

A friend and I were recently chatting about decisions. They can feel so daunting, can’t they? “Should I do this or that? What if I do that and this happens? What if I don’t do this, and that happens?” Round and round our minds go, only spiraling us further and further from landing on a confident answer. As I prayerfully considered this topic on my evening walk, I came to a fork in the road with nothing but this road sign...

Good Morning, Everyone!!On my way home last night, I heard Katy Nichole's song "Hold On" in a completely new light.This Christian artist was navigating a very challenging season and felt the Lord whisper, "Hold on."Those lyrics really hit me last night for some reason.So, if you're facing a tough season, I'm here this morning to echo those words to you: Hold on!“Smoke cloudsAll aroundCouldn't see Your faceDarkness consumed meStuck in the bitternessBut I know there's a lightThat's waiting up aheadSo...

My husband and I completed our annual tree planting this past weekend.We were able to get another 200 trees in the ground…and we weren’t too sad about the long gentle rain that fell yesterday and last night!We have grown to love this project each spring. I’m always astonished by the baby bare root trees- they have a remarkable root system- and we are so careful about getting them into the ground and protecting those precious roots.We all know that there are...

Sometimes, living out what the Bible tells us to do isn’t easy.My son, Zeke, is learning this lesson at school! The picture today is of him, my favorite 9-year-old. There are a couple kids in his class that have been making recess not very fun for him. They make fun of him, leave him out, and try to make him feel bad.It’s a bummer.When I pick him up after school, he shares what happened and we often hug it out and...

From weeping to rejoicingHad a good cry lately?Hurts, frustration, grief, illness, pain, and all the way down the list to burnt cookies, piles of laundry, crying kids and bad hair days can trigger floods. Are you with me here? Face it, Sisters, we can be emotional messes. But when it comes to crying, we are certainly not alone.Consider that when Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept. (John 11:35) Consider all the pain and sorrow Jesus felt on the cross...

For those of you involved in our Monday night Bible Study, I hope you have been enjoying this week's homework as much as I have! We are currently going through “Good Boundaries and Goodbyes” by Lisa Terkeurst and per Lisa’s teaching, I have been digging into Genesis about the fall of man. Revisiting this account in history, Lisa ties together that Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, really was the first broken...

Good morning, Ladies!My daughter and I have been reading a book called "Sleep Psalms" at night. I highly recommend it; it’s so comforting!A couple of nights ago, we read something that really stuck with both of us:“As you wind down the day, imagine God between you and your opposition, your struggle, or your difficult circumstances. See him as your shield!" I have reread this a thousand times!Isn’t that so comforting?!! We literally drew a picture of our struggle, with God in the...

Headlines. We see them everywhere! Headlines are important. The GOSPEL is the bible’s attention getting headliner. It means “Good News.“But as we know from headline news, context is everything! If we ignore the context and the backstory, we will certainly not be riveted by the headline!What makes the gospel the “Good News” is actually knowing the bad news. All of us- every single one- have sinned and fallen short! We don’t deserve (or earn our way to) heaven. WE are the...

For the last couple of weeks, I have found myself whispering this psalm during the day.I recite it when I feel overwhelmed by all of the changes and big things happening in my family.It always helps me to feel better, and for that I am grateful.Psalm 61:1-4:“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2042014969515685?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0NULKw Come what may …. Good morning, Tribe! This is a bit of a departure, but a friend of mine recently shared this amazing TikTok video on Facebook, and I just had to pass it on to you. Dementia is a cruel reality for many people and their loved ones. For many of us, watching this woman in late-stage dementia is painful. Described as “the long good-bye,” dementia empties a person of memories and cognition bit by bit until families...

My walk at 6:30 am versus my walk at 6:30 pm… my oh my, how much had changed in just twelve hours.Most days, my mornings look pretty much the same. I  stumble out of bed to make my way to use the bathroom and brush my teeth. By the time I arrive back into my room, I’m awake enough to make my bed and throw on some warmer clothes. I grab my water bottle that is perfectly chilled in the...

Good morning, Ladies!  ️This morning, I'd like to reflect on the importance of trust, a word that was tested during our time in Texas.During a barrel race, an unexpected storm threatened our plans. Initially, the decision to cancel due to the storm seemed crazy to us, given our experience riding in rain back in Minnesota.However, as they say, everything is bigger in Texas, this includes storms!As we began to pack up, the storm really hit. Tornado warnings blared on the radio,...

Does your garage need a good spring cleaning?Mine does!Why do we bother with purging and mucking out our garage every year?Clutter has a way of piling up on us. So much so that there’s no room to receive what we REALLY need to store. That box of left over paint cans and brushes from a mid-winter project-Cushions for the patio furniture-The snowblower and sleds and shovels-Fly fishing gear and XC skiis-Pooper scoopers and rakes and extra supplies for the pool-Hoses and...

I don’t know about you, but lately whenever I see an article or story involving politics, it  gives me instant anxiety.The candidates.The scandals.The lack of moral compass.The mud slinging.My mind spins with questions:Who should I vote for?Is anyone running who has integrity and character?What is going to happen to the USA?It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of anxious thoughts. Can you relate?Yesterday, I read this Psalm and it was like soothing balm to my very anxious heart:Psalm...

All things newEarly on that Sunday morning the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. But the stone had been rolled away from the entrance! And the tomb was empty! And then two men – oh my goodness – angels! – suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They asked:“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”I have to tell you a back story. I’m...

Three – Two – One – GO! The hunt was on and our seven-year-old was looking for every egg she could find! She searched in every area of the church, high and low, long and hard. By the end, our sweet girl had a basket full of eggs to show for her efforts in the great 2024 Easter egg hunt A couple of days later, our morning devotional, Roar Like A Lion by Levi Lusko presented a beautiful opportunity to connect...

Good morning!I I hope everyone is recovering from this unexpected spring snowstorm. I know I need some time to adjust; I'm definitely not a fan of winter weather.I received a message from someone very important and special to me that I'd like to share with you this morning.It came last week during a particularly challenging time when I felt weak, incapable and hopeless.However, this wisdom has stayed with me all week and brought me much needed encouragement!Here’s what she said:“A thought...

One of my group exercise instructors at the Y is always reminding us about how important a strong core is.“Engage your core,” she says on repeat throughout each class.She’s talking about being mindful of the muscles that support the center from which all movements originate.A healthy core helps us with balance, stabilization, and strength to enable movement, posture, injury prevention. It is especially important to “tuck your tail and zip up your abs” when we are weak or in pain.Everything...

Have you heard the saying, “Be kind. Everyone is facing a hard battle?”The older I get, the more I realize how true it is.Everyone has a battle. And our kindness towards them matters. No one should have to battle alone.So, let me ask you, Sweet friend: “what trial are you facing today?”Are you weary?Are you discouraged?Are you waiting on a miracle?Are you overwhelmed?Are you anxious?Is work too stressful?Is money too tight?Is that relationship too broken?Is your child too far away?Whatever...

Why a donkey?“As he (Jesus) came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. ‘Go into that village over there,’ he told them. ‘As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”The crowds lining the way into Jerusalem were calling, “Blessings...

I know, I know… these morning temps might have you questioning it but Spring really is here!Tuesday was officially the Spring equinox which means there were equal parts of day to night.  From the time of the Spring equinox until the time of the Fall equinox, we have the most daylight, which I think we can all agree is a fantastic mood booster! So don’t worry about this weather, it won’t last much longer.On Tuesday, while we were celebrating Spring’s arrival,...

Good Morning, Everyone!I recently set this photo our trainer captured, as my screensaver. It’s my favoriteLast week, my family and I had the incredible opportunity to spend nine days barrel racing in Texas. It was an entirely new experience for us and turned out to be one of the best experiences we've ever had! On the day we left to come home, emotions ran high, and tears were shed by all of us. The girls, especially as it was their...

My daughter snapped this pic of my hubby and I while we were goofing around on the beach. Ever since our high school sweetheart era, and the years beyond throughout our marriage, the piggyback ride has been a preferred mode of transportation for me. As a kid, I remember my dad hiking me up on his back- and sometimes up onto his shoulders. I felt so protected, so safe, so close, and so loved.I can recall and be extraordinarily grateful for...

To have a grandma is to have a great treasure.It’s a treasure I would not trade for anything.This past week, my sweet Grandma went to be with Jesus.While my heart cannot even imagine a world without her in it, I am so thankful she is in glory.As I reflect on all of the years I got to love and be loved by her, this is what she modeled for me:1. Family first2. Live simply but generously.3. Traditions matter.4. Gentleness and...

He Holds Our TomorrowsAnother week, another passing of a friend from high school. With age, this comes as no real shock, usually a somber nod of the head and some reminiscing. But last week it also led to a discussion with friends about what happens after a Believer has died.There, I said it. Died. We’ve come up with lots of ways to say it differently – passed away, departed, deceased, at rest, no longer with us, etc. – maybe to...

Later today, I am sitting down with someone I love to have a very hard and heavy conversation. All week long, my stomach has been in knots, my heart racing with anxiety, and my list of what to say and how to sayit continues to be revised. In my hands, this situation is the pits. All I want to do is cancel the meeting and run to hide someplace far, far, away.But in God's hands, the situation is lifted high!Because...

Recently, my daughter and I shared a special sunrise together as we talked about her future.She is a senior in highschool this year and is having some anxiety about her plans for next fall.I was able to share my life verse with Paige and I’d like to share it with you this morning too. It’s been one I’ve clung to for years.“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,Lean not on your own understanding,But in all your ways acknowledge Himand...

I like to plan.Like, a lot.I have a planner that holds my schedule and the schedule of my entire family. Every January, I pick out the prettiest one I can find and use it every single day.When I wake up in the morning, I like to plan the day with my husband.When we go on vacation, I like to plan the activities. This spring break, we are staying home, so I am marking out each day carefully to balance fun...

March MadnessAh, the never-famous Braham High School marching band, circa 19never-you-mind. I remember the hours of hoofing it around town (yes, on BOTH streets), and the hours it took to get us to march in straight lines and in lockstep. Then there was that football halftime show when the rest of the band pivoted left and I, for no apparent reason, went right. Good times.Some things are challenging.Like how to live godly lives in this fractured world that seems determined...

Stuck in the Mud?The other night when my brother-in-law left our house, he thought it would be a good idea to use the turnaround in our yard… it was not a good idea. Our yard is WET and it didn’t take him long to realize that he was stuck in the mud with his big truck, leaving quite the mess. Being the good guy that he is, he insisted on coming back in the daylight to even out the ruts...