Joy on the Court Again

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1 John 5:14-15 — And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

I couldn’t stop smiling over the phone when I heard my dad. He sounded happy—really happy. And at the end he said, “Alright, I’ve gotta go. I’m about to play pickleball.”

Like what? Pickleball. My dad is 70 years old.

Now he’s always been in great shape. He’s 6’3, athletic, and you would think he was probably 45. But him going to play pickleball just made me smile even more.

I laughed and asked who he was playing with. He said people his age. And some younger guys too. He sounded excited. It meant so much to me to hear this. It wasn’t just that my dad had found something fun to do. It was that this happiness—had been missing for a while.

My mom passed away seven years ago. And ever since, I’ve carried this prayer for my dad.

Lord, send him friends. Send him joy again. Send him something to look forward to. I just wanted to hear him laugh again like this. And I kept coming back to this confidence when I prayed—that when I ask according to God’s will, God hears me, and He’s already working, even when I can’t see it yet. Now through pickleball, of all things, I’m seeing just how faithful God truly is.

It felt like God gently tapping my heart, saying, I heard you.

So today I’m choosing to notice the ways He has answered my prayers. To thank God for the phone calls, the laughter, the friends, and yes—even for my dad pickle-balling it up.

Take time to notice those pickleball-shaped moments in your own life today. The laughter bouncing like a ball. The friendships that surprise you. The small, fresh joys tucked in the ordinary. That is the echo of God’s faithfulness—and it’s amazing.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there a prayer you’ve been carrying for a long time that you haven’t seen answered yet?
  • How does knowing that God hears you (even when you don’t see immediate results) change the way you pray?
  • Can you identify a “pickleball moment” in your life—something small that now feels like a quiet answer to prayer?
  • What does it look like for you to trust God’s will, even when the answer doesn’t come the way you expected?
  • How can you practice noticing and thanking God for the ways He is already at work around you?
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Prayers That Won’t Let Go

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Romans 12:12 — Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

I know what it’s like to hit rock bottom and feel like nothing—not even prayer—could reach you there.

I’m seventeen years clean from drug addiction, and I don’t say that lightly. I know I didn’t get here on my own. I know someone was praying for me when I couldn’t pray for myself. I know there were people who wore out their carpet, crying out to God, even when I looked like a lost cause.

That’s why Raymond’s story stays with me.

Raymond is a dad. Just a regular father who loved his son and watched his son’s addiction take more than it ever gave. For over a decade, he prayed. Not polished prayers. Real ones. The kind whispered in bedrooms and spoken at kitchen tables late at night. There were relapses. Heartbreak. Long stretches of silence when the phone didn’t ring and hope felt impossible.

But Raymond made some decisions. He never stopped loving his son. He chose to be joyful in hope when there wasn’t much evidence for it, patient in affliction when the pain dragged on, and faithful in prayer when quitting would have been easier.

Years passed. Slowly. Quietly. And then something shifted. His son got sober. Not for a month. Not for a year. Five years. And it didn’t stop there. He began mentoring others walking the same road he once stumbled down.

That’s when Raymond said something I love. “God restoring my son in His timing, not mine.”

When I hear that, something just clicks. God’s timing may feel slow, but it is never careless. It helps me realize the prayers that helped save my life probably sounded a lot like Raymond’s. Faithful. Tired. But full of hope anyway.

It doesn’t rush the process. It anchors you while you wait.

“Prayer doesn’t always change things right away—but it keeps us anchored long enough to see what God is doing.”

If you’re praying for someone and it feels like nothing is happening, you’re not wasting your breath. You’re standing in the gap. You’re loving them in a way that reaches farther than you can see.

Faithful prayer plants seeds that grow on God’s timeline, not ours. So keep praying. Keep loving. Keep hoping. Even when nothing is happening. Even when it hurts.

God hears every prayer—and He is still working, even now.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there someone in your life you’ve been praying for, even when it feels like nothing is changing?
  • What emotions come up when you think about waiting on God’s timing instead of your own?
  • In what ways have you seen prayer sustain you—even if the situation hasn’t changed yet?
  • How does the encouragement in Epistle to the Romans 12:12 challenge or strengthen your perspective on hope, patience, and prayer?
  • What would it look like for you to keep showing up in prayer this week with renewed faith and trust?
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Slow Down to See God

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Psalm 46:10 — Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.

The house wasn’t awake yet when I heard footsteps and stirring from the living room.

Drawers opening. Cabinets closing.

What in the world?

I walked out to find my husband already dressed, frantically flipping cushions and retracing his steps. He had lost his keys. He needed to get to work, and now he was on the phone with his dad, asking him to bring over a spare set.

He was officially out of options.

That’s when I saw them.

Hanging neatly on the hook.

The same hook where we always put them.

I stood there for a moment and grinned. Then I picked them up and held them out.

He paused, looked… and smiled too.

All that effort. All that worrying.

And what he needed had been in plain sight the whole time.

If I’m honest, I’ve lived that out more times than I’d like to admit—and I have a feeling you have too.

I rush. I panic. I search everywhere for peace. I listen to people, podcasts, and sermons, hoping something will finally settle my heart.

But what I need isn’t out there somewhere.

It’s right here.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Not scramble.
Not strive.
Be still.

Stillness isn’t weakness—it’s trust. It’s the quiet confidence that God isn’t withholding what we need.

Life is loud. Mornings are rushed. Decisions feel heavy.

But clarity often comes when we stop long enough to notice what’s already true:

God is still God.

He is present.
He is steady.
He is enough.

So today, take a moment to breathe.

Slow down on purpose. Even if it’s just for a minute.

Because God is not absent in your stress.

And more often than we realize, what we’re searching for… has been right in front of us all along.

Found in Him.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When life feels stressful or overwhelming, what is your first instinct—do you pause, or do you scramble to fix things?
  • Can you think of a recent moment where what you needed was already present, but you overlooked it?
  • What makes it difficult for you to “be still” before God?
  • How does remembering that “God is still God” change the way you approach your current situation?
  • What is one practical way you can create space for stillness in your day today?
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The Hardest Person to Forgive

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Ephesians 1:7 — In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 

Forgiveness.

Is it harder to forgive others… or yourself?

Especially when you’ve done something you can’t seem to justify—something that doesn’t match who you thought you were.

I’ve always seen myself as a good friend. Loyal. The kind of person who shows up with a casserole and stays late to help clean up.

Not a backstabber.

But if I’m honest, there’s a moment in my life that didn’t look like that at all.

It started with a job posting.

It was a great opportunity—good pay, solid position. But I wasn’t even that interested… until a friend told me she wanted it. And suddenly, I did too.

Human nature is tricky like that.

So I applied. And I didn’t tell her.

People do this all the time, I told myself. We’re both qualified. No harm in trying.

But the moment I got the interview call, something shifted.

My stomach dropped.

What kind of friend am I?

Deep down, I knew—I would probably get the job.

So I turned it down.

I told the employer they didn’t need me. They needed her.

And they hired her.

Praise God.

But even after that, the guilt stuck around.

So I went to my friend and told her everything. She was hurt—and rightfully so. But I owned it. I asked for forgiveness.

And over time, she gave it.

The harder part came later.

Forgiving myself.

What I had to come to terms with was this: I had already repented. And because of that, Christ had already extended mercy.

In Him, I already had redemption.

My debt was paid in full. My sin forgiven—not because I earned it, but because His grace is rich.

Not thin. Not hesitant. Not running out.

Rich.

And forgiving myself didn’t mean pretending it never happened.

It meant agreeing with God that it’s already been covered.

I’ll mess up again. I know that now.

But I also know this:

I don’t have to carry my failures longer than God does.

So I’m done rehearsing the guilt.

I’m going to keep showing up—with the casserole.

Maybe there’s something you’re still holding against yourself.

Something you’ve already confessed. Something God has already forgiven.

You don’t have to excuse it. You don’t have to erase it.

But you can set it down.

Because grace has already covered it.

And sometimes, the last person who needs to forgive you…

is you.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is it harder for you to forgive others or yourself? Why?
  • What’s something you may still be holding against yourself that God has already forgiven?
  • What does it mean to you that God’s grace is “rich” and not limited?
  • How can you begin to agree with God instead of your guilt?
  • What would it look like to “set it down” this week?
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Laughing Pride Away

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Psalm 68:3 — But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy.

I have an issue with pride.

Do you?

I’ll admit it. Because Scripture says when we confess our sins, healing begins—so maybe this is a good place to start.

Earlier today, I made a mistake. And someone brought it to my attention.

In moments like that, I can feel it instantly—my insides tighten. My mind starts replaying everything. And there’s that familiar temptation: either beat myself up or get defensive to protect my ego.

This time, I felt it rising…

…but I chose something different.

Instead of shutting down or pushing back, I acknowledged it. I had messed up. And honestly? It was kind of funny.

So I laughed.

And that’s when it hit me:

Pride feeds on pressure.
Joy loosens it.

Laughter and humility can shift the whole atmosphere of a moment that pride wants to control.

Pride makes me focus on how I look.
Joy reminds me who holds me.

So right there—in the middle of getting it wrong—I chose joy.

I chose to be glad in God’s presence instead of stuck in my pride. And something changed.

When God is my source, I don’t have to scramble for approval. I don’t have to defend every misstep. I don’t have to prove I’ve got it all together.

I didn’t walk away from that moment perfect.

But I walked away lighter.

Stronger, even—not because I avoided the mistake, but because I didn’t let pride define it.

Psalm 68 reminds us to rejoice, to be glad, to be filled with joy in God’s presence.

And sometimes that looks like choosing humility… and even learning to laugh at yourself along the way.

So when pride shows up—and it will—don’t let it harden you.

Invite joy in.

Stay humble. Stay open.

Because what you choose to feed is what will grow.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • How do you usually respond when someone points out a mistake you’ve made?
  • Why do you think pride can feel so quick to rise in those moments?
  • What does it look like to “rejoice” even when you’ve gotten something wrong?
  • How can joy help you respond with humility instead of defensiveness?
  • What is one situation this week where you can choose joy over pride?
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Provision in Plain Sight

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John 6:35 — Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The lunch hour rolled around, and my stomach was rumbling.

So I reached into my work bag with full confidence that something—anything—would be in there. I found papers. Lip balm. A charger. Receipts I definitely didn’t need.

But no food.

I dug deeper.

Still nothing.

I was sure I had packed something that morning, and realizing I didn’t was frustrating. Hours passed, and the hunger stayed with me. I kept replaying it in my head. I knew I had checked that bag before leaving the house.

And yet, here I was—hungry, annoyed, and confused about how I missed something so basic.

After work, with no energy left and no real reason to keep looking, I casually glanced into that same bag.

And there it was.

A bag of chips.

Sitting right on top.

I actually laughed out loud.

“Are you kidding me?” I said. “I had what I needed with me the whole time.”

Later that day, God gently used that moment to remind me of something deeper.

The problem wasn’t provision—it was perception.

How often do we search everywhere trying to fill the deeper hunger in our hearts? We dig through achievements, distractions, approval, or control—hoping something will satisfy.

But Jesus offers something better.

He calls Himself the Bread of Life—the One who truly satisfies. The One who meets the deepest hunger and thirst of our souls.

What we’re craving can’t be found by searching harder. It’s found by coming to Him.

Everything we need—His presence, His peace, His strength—has already been given to us in Christ.

Sometimes we’re just too busy searching to notice.

So this week, slow down long enough to see what God has already placed in front of you. The grace you carry. The strength you’ve been given. The quiet ways He is already caring for you.

Because real satisfaction isn’t hiding somewhere out of reach.

It’s found in the One who has been with you all along.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When have you searched for something only to realize it was already right in front of you?
  • What “hungers” do you sometimes try to satisfy with things other than God?
  • What does it mean to you that Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life?
  • Where have you seen God already providing for you in ways you might overlook?
  • How can you intentionally turn to Christ this week when you feel spiritually empty?
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When Worship Found Its Heart

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Romans 12:1-2 — And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

The band didn’t play that morning.

It was the late 1990s and the church was full. Matt Redman stood off to the side of the stage without his guitar. The lights were on, but the sound system was silent.

His pastor, Mike Pilavachi, had made the call.

The church had become increasingly focused on excellence—production, sound, atmosphere. None of those things were wrong. But something underneath it all had started to thin out.

So he stripped it away.

No instruments.
No band.
Just voices.

He told the congregation they needed to remove everything and check where their hearts really were.

So they did.

Week after week, the room stayed bare. There were no crescendos. No polished sound. Just human voices—thin, imperfect, and honest.

And in that quiet space, the words of Scripture felt closer than ever: offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God. That is your true act of worship.

Not the set list.
The heart.

Not the atmosphere.
The offering.

Without the music, the question became unavoidable: What is worship when all the extras disappear?

Only a life offered to God.

During that season, Matt Redman picked up his guitar at home and wrote words that would circle the world:

“When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come…
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus.”

It wasn’t written for charts. It was written from conviction.

Because worship was never meant to be just a moment on Sunday. It’s a life—offered daily to the One who gave it.

That’s what Romans invites us to do: not just sing songs to God, but offer ourselves to Him.

So today, lay down whatever has become performance. Let go of what only looks spiritual. Bring God what’s real.

Because when the music fades, what matters most is not the song that filled the room…

…but the life that found the altar.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When do you find it easiest to focus on the “experience” of worship instead of the heart behind it?
  • What does it mean to you to offer your life as a “living sacrifice” to God?
  • How might your daily choices reflect worship beyond a Sunday service?
  • Is there anything in your life that has become more about appearance than surrender?
  • What is one practical way you can offer yourself to God today?

Lyrics:

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come

Longin’ just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You’re looking into my heart

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

The King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve? Lord

Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus, yeah
It’s all about You

Every song we sing
Every breath we breathe, Jesus
It’s all about You
It’s all about You, Lord

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
Since it’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

Sing to say, it’s all about You
Every melody every heartbeat
Every breath we breathe
It’s all about You

There’s no one
It’s all about You
It’s all about You
It’s all about You
Yeah we know that

You will not share Your glory with another
Oh, You shall not share Your glory with another
Jesus, You will not share Your glory with another
Oh, You shall not share Your glory with another

You will not share Your glory with another, Jesus
Oh, You shall not share Your glory with another
There’s no other

You will not share Your glory with another
Oh, You shall not share Your glory with another
There’s no other

There’s no like you in the Heavens and the Earth

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Letting Growth Happen

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Psalms 130:3-4 — Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

You don’t realize how helpless love can feel until you’re watching someone you care about make their own mistakes.

These days, I’m standing in that space with my kid as he navigates the maze of college decisions. Deadlines. Forms. Emails that don’t get answered.

And I feel that old dad instinct flare up—to jump in, push harder, smooth the road so nothing falls through the cracks.

I want to grab the wheel.

But I don’t.

Because there’s a line—thin and uncomfortable—between guidance and interference. Between protecting someone and preventing them from growing.

If everything is rescued, nothing is learned.

Sometimes love means letting someone feel the heat of the stove—not because you’re cruel, but because you care about who they’re becoming.

And eventually I start to recognize myself in that story.

How often do I wish God would step in sooner? Fix things faster? Remove the hard parts before they cost me anything?

But God doesn’t force obedience, because forced obedience isn’t love.

Instead, He gives us something far more powerful: patience.

I imagine Him watching us the same way—seeing the better road clearly while we circle the same habits. He knows where they lead. He offers a way forward.

And still, He gives us the dignity of choice.

Not because He’s distant.

Because He’s patient.

The psalmist reminds us that if God kept a record of every wrong, none of us would be standing. But instead, He offers forgiveness—grace that doesn’t ignore sin but invites us to grow beyond it.

That kind of mercy changes us. It teaches us to stand in awe of God and to take His grace seriously.

God isn’t passive with us. He’s purposeful.

Just like I believe my son is capable of growth, God believes the same about us.

And maybe the life we keep asking Him to hand us is the one He’s been patiently teaching us to walk into all along.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When have you experienced the tension between helping someone and letting them learn on their own?
  • Why do you think God sometimes allows us to face consequences instead of removing them?
  • How does knowing that God offers forgiveness change the way you view your mistakes?
  • In what ways might God be patiently guiding you toward growth right now?
  • What would it look like to respond to God’s mercy with deeper trust and obedience?
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Choose the Longer Table

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Romans 15:7 — Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

The table is already full when I walk into the kitchen.

Extra food is laid out. Extra plates are stacked nearby. Chairs lean against the wall, ready if needed. And before I even sit down, a quiet gratitude rises in me.

Thank You, God.

But it hasn’t always felt this way.

If I’m honest, there have been seasons when abundance made me anxious instead of grateful. Times when I had more than enough and still felt the urge to guard it. To think, I worked hard for this. What if I need it later?

You might recognize that feeling.

Sometimes the struggle isn’t generosity—it’s control.

Some days I’m openhanded. Other days I’m cautious. The tension is familiar: Do I hold on, or do I let it flow?

And then, almost without warning, I remember something important.

I remember how I was welcomed.

I didn’t earn my seat at God’s table. I didn’t bring enough to justify being there. Grace wasn’t measured out carefully or guarded with conditions.

I was invited simply because that’s who God is.

There were no fences. No fine print. Just a place set for me.

And remembering that changes everything.

Generosity stops feeling like loss and starts looking like imitation—taking the same posture as Jesus. After all, Scripture says, “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.”

That’s the pattern.

I’ve been welcomed, so I welcome.

That doesn’t mean my instincts magically change. Some days I still want to build a fence. To protect what feels scarce. But grace keeps interrupting that impulse, reminding me how freely I was received.

So today, I choose the longer table.

I pull up another chair. I share what I’ve been given.

And that’s the invitation for all of us—to open our lives a little wider and live like the table was always meant to have room for more.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When have you experienced someone welcoming you in a way that made you feel truly valued?
  • Why do you think it can be difficult to share what we have, even when we have enough?
  • How does remembering Christ’s welcome toward you change the way you treat others?
  • What might a “longer table” look like in your life this week?
  • Who could you intentionally welcome today?
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Faith on the Tower

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1 Peter 2:9 — But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 

The wind hits first—sharp and loud—as two men clip themselves onto a radio tower before sunrise.

Cody is new to the job. New to the height. New to being strapped in beside the same person for twelve hours a day. This kind of work demands trust. Even if you don’t like the person next to you, your life depends on them.

Every morning, Cody turns on worship music from his phone and prays out loud. Not to make a point—there’s just nowhere to hide it up here.

His climbing partner makes his feelings clear early on. He doesn’t believe in God. In fact, he says he hates Him.

Cody doesn’t argue.

But he also doesn’t turn the music off.

Days stretch into weeks. The scoffing slowly turns into small talk. Then one morning, the partner asks Cody to pray—but not for him. Just for his daughter.

So Cody prays right there on the tower.

And they go back to work.

Then one night, Cody’s phone rings.

His coworker’s voice sounds different. Heavy. Desperate. He admits he has relapsed in his addiction and doesn’t want to live anymore.

Cody calls his dad, and together they sit with the man for hours. No preaching. No pressure. Just the simple truths of the gospel: you are loved, you have purpose, and God has a plan for your life.

Later, the coworker admits something that surprises Cody.

It wasn’t an argument that made him call.

It was the worship music. It was Cody’s consistency. It was the steady love that felt trustworthy and real.

Scripture reminds us that God has called His people out of darkness and into His wonderful light—not just so we can experience it, but so we can show His goodness to others.

Cody didn’t know how deep the darkness was for his coworker. He simply kept living in the light long enough for someone else to notice it.

And that’s often how God works.

Somewhere near you, someone is watching what faith looks like in real life—in long days, ordinary conversations, and quiet moments when love costs time and attention.

So keep living your faith out loud.

Consistency can soften hearts that arguments never will.

And when the light stays on long enough, it has a way of drawing people home.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who in your life regularly sees how you live out your faith?
  • Why do you think consistency can influence people more than arguments?
  • How does knowing you are “chosen” by God change the way you live around others?
  • What might it look like for you to shine God’s light in an ordinary moment this week?
  • Who might be watching your faith more closely than you realize?
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