This Little Life of Love

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Psalm 39:4 — Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.

There are some moments that remind you just how fragile life really is.

The news of Kyle Busch’s passing at just 41 years old stopped a lot of us in our tracks.

For more than two decades, people watched him race hard, compete fiercely, and live life at full speed. But now, what so many people are talking about isn’t just the trophies or the wins.

It’s the family he leaves behind.

His wife.

His two kids.

The people who loved him beyond the racetrack.

Stories like this have a way of slowing all of us down.

Because we spend so much of life rushing… chasing success, stressing over things that won’t matter a year from now, and assuming we’ll always have more time.

But King David prayed a different kind of prayer. He said, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.”

Not because he wanted to live in fear, but because he wanted to live wisely.

What if we remembered that our days are a gift?

Would we spend them differently?

Life is measured in moments, not milestones.

None of us knows how many laps we have left.

The clock keeps ticking, so love can’t keep waiting.

That’s why today matters, friend.

The people around you matter.

The words you speak matter.

So maybe today, text somebody back.

Forgive someone.

Pray with your kids.

Tell the people you love that you love them while you still can.

Don’t spend your life counting your days and miss the life God has given you.

Instead, make your days count by the way you love.

Because at the end of life, people rarely remember how busy you were.

They remember how you loved.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • If you remembered today that your days are a gift from God, what would you do differently?
  • Is there someone you need to forgive, encourage, or simply tell, “I love you,” while you still have the opportunity?
  • How can you make today count in a way that reflects God’s love instead of simply staying busy?
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Why Does Quiet Feel So Loud?

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Lamentations 3:25-26 — The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

Waiting quietly isn’t something our culture is very good at.

If I’m honest…

Neither am I.

Why does silence feel so uncomfortable?

There’s something about stillness that creates tension. We’d rather fill the space than sit in it.

When I’m bored…

I scroll.

When I’m sitting in the doctor’s office…

I scroll.

At restaurants, instead of talking, we’re often looking at our phones.

And if I’m honest about my prayer life, sometimes it’s the same way.

It’s more like a monologue than a conversation.

Pastor Robert Madu said it this way:

“Whatever fills your attention will shape your affection. If noise is forming us, silence must reform us.”

That one stopped me.

It made me wonder how often distractions keep me from noticing God’s presence.

Lamentations reminds us that “the Lord is good to those who depend on Him… it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”

Waiting with God isn’t wasted time.

The quiet isn’t empty.

Often, the moments I want to rush through are the very moments God uses to deepen my trust in Him.

Stillness has a way of uncovering what constant noise keeps hidden.

It helps us notice God’s presence.

Recognize His guidance.

And remember He’s already at work—even when nothing feels like it’s happening.

So before you reach for your phone…

Before you turn on the noise…

Before you move on to the next thing…

Pause.

Sit with Jesus.

Search for Him.

Because His invitation has already been given.

The question is simply…

Will we slow down enough to answer it?

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What tends to fill the quiet moments of your day instead of time with God?
  • How might God be inviting you to wait quietly and depend on Him in this season?
  • What is one intentional moment of stillness you can create today to seek God’s presence?
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Your Best Days Are Ahead

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Acts 2:17 — “In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.”

Acts 2:17 – “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.”

You hear people say all the time, “Your best days are ahead of you.”

But honestly, once you’ve hit 60, that can feel a little hard to believe.

Your knees crack louder than a bowl of Rice Krispies, and you can somehow injure yourself just by sleeping wrong.

Sometimes we start believing our usefulness has an expiration date, like God only uses the young, energetic, polished people with good backs and wrinkle-free foreheads.

But the Bible tells a completely different story.

Moses was 80 when God called him to lead His people out of Egypt.

Abraham and Sarah were well into their later years when God fulfilled His promise to them.

At 85, Caleb boldly declared, “Give me my mountain.”

And when Peter describes the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts, he doesn’t just talk about young people having visions.

He says old men will dream dreams.

I love that.

God doesn’t put an expiration date on purpose.

His Spirit is poured out on every generation.

Maybe your best days don’t look like your younger days.

Maybe today you have more wisdom.

More compassion.

More patience.

And a testimony that only years of walking with Jesus could produce.

If you’re still breathing, God is still working.

The years behind you aren’t proof that God is finished.

They’re evidence of His faithfulness and preparation.

So don’t keep the wisdom, encouragement, or experience He’s given you to yourself.

Someone needs the hope you’ve found.

Because no matter your age, God still has a purpose for your life.

And with His Spirit at work in you, He’s not finished writing your story.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever believed the lie that your age limits how God can use you?
  • What wisdom or testimony has God given you that could encourage someone else?
  • How is God inviting you to keep dreaming and serving Him in this season of life?
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What Love Really Looks Like

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Psalm 68:5 — Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

I’m a total daddy’s girl.

And my dad is 82 now.

He’s not perfect…

But he was always there.

When I was little, that looked like getting to go to work with him sometimes. He was a route salesman, so I’d ride along, help stock shelves, and feel like I had an important job right beside him.

Then there was the summer he picked up a side job running the Skee-Ball game at a carnival.

If it wasn’t busy, I got to play for free.

To me, that was everything.

My dad didn’t make a lot of money.

Sometimes that was hard.

But I never questioned whether he’d show up.

Even after I had my own boys, he’d come over after work one night every week. No matter how tired he was, he’d get down on the floor and play with them before we all sat down for dinner.

Looking back, I realize he was building something far more valuable than a paycheck.

He was building memories.

He was building trust.

He was building love.

Now we live in different states, and I miss those evenings more than I can explain.

Because what stays with me isn’t what my dad gave me.

It’s that he gave me himself.

I think a lot of us spend years focusing on what our parents weren’t.

But often, what shapes us most is simply who showed up.

People rarely remember perfection.

They remember presence.

That’s why I love how Psalm 68 describes God.

He is “Father to the fatherless.”

In other words, God’s heart naturally moves toward those who feel forgotten, abandoned, or alone.

The best earthly fathers point us toward our heavenly Father.

And when earthly fathers fall short—or were never there at all—God never does.

He keeps showing up.

Perfectly.

Faithfully.

Lovingly.

So today, thank God for the people who have faithfully shown up in your life.

And if you’re still grieving the absence of someone who never did…

Remember this:

You have never been forgotten by your heavenly Father.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who has faithfully “shown up” in your life and reflected God’s love to you?
  • How does knowing God is the Father to the fatherless bring comfort to places where you’ve experienced loss or disappointment?
  • How can you reflect God’s faithful presence by simply showing up for someone else this week?
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Stop Waiting, Start Stepping

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James 2:26 — Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

You know, sometimes I sit around waiting on my breakthrough like it’s going to knock on the door carrying a casserole dish.

But here’s the truth: real change often begins when I trust God enough to take the next step instead of waiting for everything to feel certain.

You see that pattern all throughout Scripture.

God parted the Red Sea, but Moses stretched out his hand.

Jesus called Peter out of the boat, but Peter had to step onto the water.

Time and again, faith responded with obedience.

Because faith was never meant to sit still.

And honestly, that’s where I get stuck sometimes.

I pray.

I believe.

I ask God to move.

But then I wait for certainty before I move.

James reminds us that living faith isn’t just something we believe in our hearts. It’s something that shows up in the way we live.

Faith comes alive when it obeys.

Our responsibility is simply to take the next faithful step and trust God with the results.

So today, don’t just wait.

Pray like it depends on God.

Then take the next step He has placed in front of you.

Send that text.

Make the phone call.

Offer forgiveness.

Sign up to serve.

Encourage a friend.

Whatever God is asking of you, trust Him enough to obey.

Because living faith doesn’t stay seated.

It gets up and walks.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there a step of obedience you’ve been delaying while waiting for certainty?
  • How can your actions this week demonstrate that your faith in Christ is alive?
  • What is one practical way you can trust God enough to take the next faithful step today?
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The Gospel Still Changes Everything

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Joel 2:13 — Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

Have you ever noticed how quickly the best news in your life can turn ordinary?

The promotion. The wedding day. The birth of a child. At first, it changes everything. Then, over time, it becomes part of the wallpaper.

I think that’s what can happen with the Gospel. It’s easy to wake up carrying burdens and forget that Jesus already carried them. We forget that the story of Jesus isn’t just about getting into heaven someday. It’s about being brought from death to life today.

That’s why I love the song “Running Back To You” by Seph Schlueter. At its heart, it’s a modern retelling of the Prodigal Son story. You know the one.

A son wanders away. A father watches and waits for his son to come home. And when the son finally turns around, he discovers something shocking: the father is still glad to see him.

He’s not tolerant.

Not reluctant.

Glad. 

The son had rehearsed his apology, but the father prepared a celebration. The son came home ashamed, but the father met him with love.

That sounds a lot like how God is described by the prophet Joel. He is the God who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and overflowing with faithful love. That’s the Father the prodigal ran toward. And that’s the Father we can run to today.

And maybe that’s what makes repentance so beautiful. It’s not crawling back to a disappointed Father. It’s running back to love.

The Gospel is the best news ever. It announces that Jesus has already done what we never could. What sin separated, Jesus restored. What death claimed, Jesus conquered.

It only becomes ordinary when we forget what it rescued us from.

So today, remember. Remember the chains He broke. Remember the life He gave. Remember the Father who still watches the road for His children to come home.

And if you’ve wandered, even a little, you can still turn around.

You’ll find Him exactly where He’s always been. Waiting with arms wide open.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you allowed the good news of the Gospel to become familiar instead of life-changing? What helps you remember what Jesus has done for you?
  • Is there an area of your life where God is inviting you to return to Him today?
  • How does knowing that God is merciful, compassionate, and full of unfailing love change the way you think about repentance?

L Y R I C S

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

I was an orphan
Defined by mistakes
Thought I was forsaken
That You gave up the chase
I went to the reaches
To try and ease the ache
Turned my back on the One
Who kept calling my name
You kept calling

Didn’t matter where I was at
You just kept calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to You

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Now I have been rescued
My soul is remade
But even the ransomed
Can fall on their face
When I’m drowning in questions
When I’ve lost the path
Your love is the answer
You’re calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

It doesn’t matter all the times where I’ve been in over my head
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again
I’m never been so lost where Your love could not fill my emptiness
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you
Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) Oh-oh-oh-oh
I’m running back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You

Songwriters: Seph Schlueter and Jacob Sooter

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Trusting God Behind the Scenes

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Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Do you ever have those days?

The ones where you know God is a way maker.

You know He’s good.

You know He loves you.

But…

It just doesn’t feel like He’s making a way.

You’ve been praying.

You’ve been trusting.

You’ve been trying to faithfully follow Him.

And yet, nothing seems to be changing.

Maybe today is one of those days.

If it is, I want you to remember something.

It’s okay.

You’re not the first person to wonder where God is in the middle of a hard season.

I’ve had those moments too.

The ones where I want to look up and ask, “God, where are You? Why am I struggling?”

But here’s what I’m learning.

Sometimes God’s greatest work is happening where I can’t yet see it.

Even when it feels like nothing is changing, God is still working.

Hebrews reminds us to “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.”

Notice, our hope isn’t rooted in what we can see.

It’s rooted in the God who always keeps His word.

Our feelings may waver.

Our circumstances may change.

But God’s faithfulness never does.

So if your prayers feel like they’re hitting the ceiling today…

Keep holding on.

And if all you have is faith the size of a mustard seed, that’s enough to take one more step toward Jesus.

Don’t let what you see determine what you believe.

Let God’s faithfulness have the final word.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What promise of God do you need to hold tightly to in this season?
  • Are your circumstances shaping your hope more than God’s character is?
  • What would it look like to take one more step of faith today, even if you can’t yet see the outcome?
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Faith for the Next Step

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Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Sometimes life feels like you’re walking without a map.

Recently, I went on my church’s women’s retreat at this huge camp I’d actually been to a couple of times before.

But when it got dark…

Oh boy.

I had a map, but I couldn’t see two feet in front of me. Before long, I realized I was completely lost.

Life can feel like that sometimes.

You thought you’d be further along by now.

You thought things would make more sense.

You think, “I’ve been here before. Why don’t I know what to do?”

Instead, you’re figuring it out one step at a time.

And honestly, that can be frustrating.

Until you remember something.

God rarely shows us the entire path.

Psalm 119 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

Notice it doesn’t say a stadium spotlight.

It says a lamp.

A lamp gives enough light for the next step.

That’s how God often leads us.

Through His Word, He doesn’t always reveal every turn in the road or answer every question about tomorrow.

Instead, He faithfully gives us enough light to obey Him today.

So if life feels confusing right now, don’t stop walking.

Open God’s Word.

Take the next faithful step.

Then trust Him with the one after that.

Because even when you can’t see the whole path, you can trust the God who already does.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where you’re waiting for God to show you the whole plan instead of taking the next faithful step?
  • How has God’s Word provided light and direction for you in the past?
  • What is one next step of obedience God may be asking you to take today?
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Road Rage Meets Mercy

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Isaiah 55:6-7 — Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

I have a confession.

True story. I was driving the other day, and somebody nearly ran me off the road. It scared me to death, and then I did something a Christian probably shouldn’t do…

I’m not even going to tell you what it was.

But I know in that moment God was thinking, “Girl, what are you doing?”

I immediately said, “Lord, please forgive me.”

Instead of getting upset, I should have been praying for that driver. There’s probably a reason they were flying down the road like that.

And honestly, I needed to pray for myself too.

Because why is it so easy to lose my patience behind the wheel?

(Especially with an 88.7 The Cross bumper sticker on the back of my car!)

But here’s what I love about God.

He’s never surprised by my humanity.

He isn’t shocked when I fail, and He isn’t waiting for me to clean myself up before I come back to Him.

The moment I turned to Him, He was already ready to meet me with mercy.

Not pushing me away…

Pulling me closer.

That’s exactly what Isaiah reminds us.

God invites us to seek Him, to turn away from the things that pull us from Him, and to return because He forgives generously.

The fastest way forward has never been pretending we didn’t fail.

It’s repentance.

It’s turning around and running back to the Father who never grows tired of showing mercy.

God loves us exactly where we are.

But He loves us too much to leave us there.

So if you’ve had one of those moments today, don’t run from Him.

Turn toward Him.

He’s ready to forgive.

Ready to help you grow.

And ready to keep shaping you into the person He created you to be.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where God is inviting you to turn back to Him instead of hiding from Him?
  • How does knowing that God forgives generously change the way you respond after you’ve sinned?
  • What is one practical step of repentance you can take today as you seek the Lord with your whole heart?
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The Power of Going All In

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Joshua 24:15 — If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

When I was growing up, summertime had one speed: wide open.

My friends and I rode our bikes, chased lightning bugs, drank from the water hose, and then barreled back into the house like we owned the place. Five minutes later, we’d head right back outside.

And I can still hear my mom when she’d finally reach her limit.

“Either in or out! You’re letting all the cool air out!”

I know you can relate.

Back then, she was talking about the electric bill.

But looking back, I think she was teaching me something bigger.

Life requires commitment.

Because a lot of us still live standing in the doorway.

One foot in.

One foot out.

Partly committed.

Partly surrendered.

We want God, but we also want our own way. We want His peace without fully trusting Him. His leadership without giving Him control.

But eventually, every heart has to decide where it’s going to live.

Joshua stood before the people of Israel and gave them that very choice: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Then he declared, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

God still gives us that same dignity today.

He doesn’t force His way into our lives.

He invites us.

And every day, through the choices we make, we’re answering the question of who we’re going to follow and what kind of life we’re going to build.

The decisions that shape your future are usually the ones you make today.

So if you’ve been standing in the doorway spiritually, maybe today is the day to step fully in.

Not someday.

Today.

Choose whom you will serve.

And as for me?

I’m all in.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where you’ve been “standing in the doorway” instead of fully surrendering to God?
  • What does Joshua’s challenge to “choose this day whom you will serve” mean for your life today—not someday?
  • What is one practical step you can take this week to live more fully committed to following Christ?
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