Have you ever felt like this woman? Did you feel like you were falling apart? Have you been haunted by your past? Did you do something you cannot forget or forgive yourself for? Have you been hurt by others? Or maybe you are going through this now.

Whether from your own mistakes or the pain caused by others, it can feel like a prison that keeps you from moving forward. Over time, you may believe you’re too broken to heal—and those lies can become your identity. The enemy wants us to feel isolated, unable to be used for God’s purpose, and in bondage to our past. But the truth is that freedom is possible.

I have personally experienced this. Through surrendering to the Lord I have been able to heal, experience freedom that only comes through Christ, and live the abundant life He created me for. In my journey I have discovered that God can use all things in our past for His good when we surrender them to Him. Was it easy? No. But the Lord helped me every step of the way.

If you have experienced any of this, you are exactly who I wrote my upcoming book for. I was in bondage to my past for longer than I would like to admit. When we surrender our pain to God and allow Him into the places we’ve kept hidden, He brings healing and restoration. It won’t be easy, but we are never alone. If you would like this kind of healing in your life, know your true identity, and live out your purpose, then keep an eye out for future updates on when my book will be released. There will also be a companion Bible Study for those who want to dig deeper. This will be great to use in a group setting or individually.

Maybe this book isn’t something you need, but you know someone who is struggling. Pray with her and for others who need healing.

God has a plan for each of us, and He can use everything we go through for His glory, if we let Him. He wants to pick up every piece and put us back together, making us stronger. Do you believe that?

Hi friends. By now, you may have noticed that you have not been receiving a devotion every week for the past couple of months, as you have in the past. I want to apologize. I have come to the realization that while sometimes I feel I have to be to get everything done, I am not superwoman.

This past year, I finally stepped out in obedience and began writing a book the Lord convicted me to write years ago. In the fall, the Moms in the Moms Life Group I lead at my church were the focus group for the book and companion Bible Study. The past few months have been especially busy as I edited according to their observations and critiques. Two weeks ago, I submitted the book to the editor, and I am currently putting the finishing touches on the companion Bible study so it can be sent to the editor as well.

I would covet your prayers during the next few months. There are many details to attend to, from cover designs to edits and formatting. Please pray for the women, the Lord would have read it. For now, I am publishing through Amazon so that, God willing, the book will be complete in time for a women’s conference I am speaking at in May. I will also be publishing through IngramSpark so that it can be distributed to bookstores. Please pray for all the details that are involved in this. It is all overwhelming, but with God’s help, I know it will all work out. For over a year, I have also taken classes through Proverbs 31 Compel Pro Writers Training to equip me to write and publish a book. Be on the look out for more details.

Going forward, my goal is to send out one to two devotions a month until things settle down and I can resume weekly posts. In the meantime, I am trying to balance family, ministry, and writing, and glorify God while doing it. Remember, God has given us our family as our first ministry. I know this is something I sometimes struggle with. Thank you for being on this journey with me. May God bless you in the season He has you in.

Right now, I know many families that are struggling. They are under attack from the enemy, who is threatened by families who love and serve the Lord. Satan does not want healthy marriages or children who follow God and tell their friends about all that Jesus has done for them. My family is not immune, and even if your family is on the mountain high and everything is going well right now, you are not immune to Satan’s attacks either.

This morning, in my time with the Lord in Romans 8, He gave me some encouragement, which I hope encourages you as well. In verses 17-18, Paul counts the cost of suffering with Christ so that we may be glorified with Him. Paul then boldly states that the suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. Persevere friends. It is worth it! Paul was imprisoned for being a Christian. He also suffered beatings and stoning and still said it was all worth serving the Lord, because He knew the prize at the end: eternal life in the presence of God.

In verses 26-28, Paul reminds us that when we are overwhelmed and weary and don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. God knows what we need and what our children need when we don’t have the words in our exasperation and weariness. He loves our children more than we do.

He continues to instruct us that for those of us who love God, He will work all things together for our good according to His purpose. That last part is key. It is not for our purpose and will, but God’s. I don’t know what you are going through today, but keep trusting in Him! He is faithful. He will give you the strength to overcome what you are going through when you turn to Him and ask. God can turn our brokenness and our children’s into something beautiful. I know it is hard, but keep praying and be patient. Don’t give up, you are not alone in this fight, friend.

I am in a battle. Some days it is more than I can handle, and I feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, or just screaming. Maybe you are in the same battle. There is a full-out war forged by the enemy to take our children from us. Satan does not want our children following the Lord. If they have made a profession of faith early in life, he will use his cunning tactics to ruin their testimony so they cannot point their friends to the Lord.

 The fight drains me of everything I have. Day in and day out, trying to pour into someone who doesn’t want to hear what I have to say or even spend time with me. I feel I am losing the battle, and that is what the enemy wants. If I am honest, most days I want to wave the white flag, pull the covers over my head, and stay in bed. When I feel overwhelmed, and nothing I am doing seems to help, I turn to fill my cup with things that may comfort me temporarily but eventually cause more harm. More often than I should, I give in to hedonism, watching TV, doom-scrolling, or over-busying myself so I don’t have to think. I find my cup is overflowing, and what is pouring out is anxiety and depression. Now I am right where the enemy wants me. How can I help others when I am in this dark place, too?

When we fill our cups with things that are temporal, it is inevitable that we will burn out and become depressed or anxious. We need to empty our cups and allow God to be the one to fill them. How do we do this? First, we must put on the armor of God, as we see in Ephesians 6:10-18. If we are not reading the Bible and praying, our faith will become weak, and we will be unable to protect ourselves from the enemy’s attacks on our family and us.  We need to turn to God when we are struggling, not to our phones, TV’s, or even our friends. God tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “Cast all our anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” We are not alone; God wants to help us. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” When we allow God to fill our cups rather than the world, anxiety and depression are replaced with joy, peace, and abundant hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t know about you, but I choose joy, peace, and hope any day over depression and anxiety. Sometimes I know taking the steps to follow through is difficult. You may need a trusted friend to be your accountability partner. The task to raise our children to love the Lord in a world that wants to steal them is daunting, but with God’s help, we can do it. We cannot give up or give in. Just like a soldier in battle, we must stand firm, prepared for the attacks to come. Because they will. Our children are worth every sacrifice to protect them from the enemy. Get behind me, Satan, you cannot have my children!

Is there something you need to give up to be a more effective and present parent? Do you need to make more time for prayer or to read your Bible?

Have you ever felt like no one cares? Have you felt invisible, unwanted, or unloved? These are feelings I had for a good portion of my life.

As a little girl, I loved having my hair played with. It was long, thick, and blond. Touch was one of my love languages. My Grandmother would babysit me while my parents worked and would get my hair ready for school. She would braid it, put it in buns, and do other hairstyles, and did it lovingly and gently. I always wondered what magic she had in her hands, because when my mother tried to do my hair, it felt like torture. The pulling and yanking and oh the crying, on my part, not hers. On the other hand, my grandmother had already raised two daughters; she not only brushed with love but also with experience.

At recess, on the playground, girls would line up to braid my hair. Some may think that weird, but I loved it. It was attention. It was the only time this shy, insecure girl felt truly seen. In class and other times, I faded into the background as if invisible, but because I had something they liked, I was now no longer invisible, but visible, even if it was for just a short while.

As a little girl, I did not quite grasp that I was never truly alone. I did not understand that I had the complete attention and love of my heavenly Father. When I was neglected or ignored, I just had to turn to Him. He was always there.

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

As I grew older and learned more about God, I still struggled but in different ways. Sometimes I felt God had abandoned me as I was again faced with the feelings of being invisible, unwanted, and unloved. But that was never the case.

Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will never leave you, or forsake you.”

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Loneliness is a lie; the truth is that God doesn’t leave us; it is we who become distant from Him. Instead of turning to God, I allowed myself to wallow in my pain and give victory to Satan in my life. Whatever you are struggling with today, whether it is loneliness or something else, God is there. He is waiting with open arms for you. When you turn to Him, He will strengthen you, comfort you, help you, and come near to you. Remember this important truth: You are never alone; the Holy Spirit, which is God’s Spirit, dwells inside every believer (John 14:16-17).

What do you need to surrender to God and trust with today?

Each Christmas, many are full of joy and busy celebrating with friends and family, but for some, this is not a joyful time. Instead, it is a painful reminder of what they don’t have and who is missing. Some of us are just going through the motions or have given up completely.

Grief can be a strange thing. One minute, everything is fine as you are going through life, and the next minute, you feel like you are being hit by a Mack truck with all the feelings of missing the person you love. You struggle to retain your composure and move on like a ‘normal’ person, whatever that is.

When my step-dad passed away, every milestone my children made, the grief would return. He was the fun grandfather who loved hanging out with his grandchildren, as he caused mischief that had us moms a little cross. All I could think of was how much my children were missing out on with his absence. Then, when my grandson died, it was the opposite. I was missing out on his milestones. I missed holding him and spoiling him. As I was driving down the road, it could hit me and take my breath away.

During the Christmas season, all this pain can come back as we think about the memories we are missing out on, and how we would love just one more embrace, one more heart-to-heart, even one more scolding from them.

Jesus can empathize with our mourning; He was fully God and fully man. In Luke 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus weeps as he sees the effect that Lazarus’ death has on his sisters, Martha and Mary. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus understands what we are going through and wants to be our comforter. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (NIV)

God comforts us in our time of need as we turn to Him. When we are stubborn and think we can do it on our own, we are missing out on that comfort that brings along with it peace to our weary souls. And don’t miss that last part. When we have been comforted by God, we are then able to comfort others who are struggling, because we understand what they are going through. Don’t keep it to yourself.  Knowing that my stepfather and grandson are with the Lord, and that I will see them again, brings me great comfort. As the Lord comforted me, I, in turn, have tried to comfort others, understanding some of the pain they are experiencing.

This Christmas, as those overwhelming pangs of grief return, surrender them to the great comforter. Then, pray and ask God who else needs to be comforted this season. Sometimes the greatest gift of healing comes when we comfort others.

How has God comforted you? Share how in the comments to encourage others.

Have you ever had a horrible, no good, bad day? You know the kind of day when you wake up, you know you should just stay in bed, but your schedule reminds you that it is not an option. As you go through your to-do list, you forgot to buy what your child needed for their school project today, and you are already running late. On the way to the store, you get a flat tire, so not only are your children late for school, but you are late for work as well. At the store, you run into a sweet woman who asks you how you are, and you share that it’s been a terrible day. Her response is, “Count your blessings.” And you have to bite your tongue—that kind of day.  

Paul reminds us, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you.”

Paul definitely experienced difficult circumstances; he was beaten, stoned, and imprisoned for sharing the gospel. He experienced all of this, yet he could still rejoice and give thanks. Thankfulness is a perspective we have the honor of choosing despite our current circumstances. We can’t always do this without help. Paul also tells us how we can get that help, through praying without ceasing. Whether we are driving, doing housework, or having quiet time with the Lord, we can pray anytime and anywhere. God will help us change our attitude as we submit our situations to Him. He uses all the trials we go through for His good and purpose when we do.

Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food in your cabinets? There is always something to be thankful for; we need to stop and see how blessed we truly are.

What are you thankful for today? How do you need to change your perspective?