Unburden Your Heart Today

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“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55:22

I walked through the front door and immediately regretted it.

Our house wasn’t just messy—no, it was chaos. There were baby items everywhere. My normal “clutter” was nothing compared to this, and I was not sure how to handle it.

I took a deep breath and retreated to my bedroom. I should have known better. Half of the room was filled with newborn gear; the other half was a mess of my own making. And my closet? I was almost afraid to open it.

But I did anyway.

Clothes were packed so tightly I could barely move a hanger. Shoes stacked on top of shoes. Things I had not worn in years, just sitting there, taking up space. I stood there, frozen, staring at the mess. Why had I let it get like this again?

And then, I had a thought. Do I even need all of this?

So, I started with my closet. I reached for a dress I had forgotten about, a sweater that never quite fit, and some shoes that were two sizes too small. One by one, I started a “donate” pile.

Then another thought came. Why am I holding on to so much?

And I was not just talking about clothes.

How much have I been carrying that no longer fits where God is taking me? Worries I do not need, expectations that only weigh me down, or frustrations that serve no purpose other than keeping me stuck.

Jesus did not want me to live overwhelmed. He was inviting me to release the things that do not belong—so why was I still clinging to them?

While I worked, I prayed through those thoughts. As the mess faded, so did the heaviness I did not even realize I was carrying.

I do not know what you are carrying today, but I know this—if it is weighing you down, it is not from Him. It is okay to let go. In fact, it may be the only way forward.

What could God do in your life if you made space for Him today?

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Fearless Faith Starts Today

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“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

I love a good personality test. Meyers-Briggs, strengths assessments—I will take them all. So, when I took a spiritual gifts test, I was excited to see what it revealed.

And then I saw it. “Lowest score: Giving.”

I actually blinked a few times, convinced I had read it wrong. That couldn’t be right. I was a giver! But as I sat with it, a quiet question surfaced:

“Are you really?”

I give my time. I give my skills. I give my encouragement. But money? That is where I hesitate.

I had all the right excuses. “I’ll give more when I have more.” “I’m being responsible.” “God knows my heart.” But the truth is? I was afraid. I was scared to let go and to not have enough at the end of the day.

Then I thought back to my time in college. I had barely anything to my name, yet somehow, God always provided. I never went hungry, and my needs were met in ways I couldn’t have planned or imagined. So why, years later, was I still acting like I had to hold onto everything so tightly?

Maybe you get it. Maybe it is not money for you—maybe it’s time, love, effort. Maybe you tell yourself you will give when you have more, when it is easier, or when life settles down.

But here’s what I’m learning: generosity is not about having more. It is about trusting that God is already enough.

So, I will ask you the same question: Where is fear holding you back from trusting Him today?

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Stay Sharp, Embrace Growth

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“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

The knife glided cleanly through the onion. Slice. Chop. Repeat. At least something in this house was working the way it should.

I, on the other hand, felt anything but sharp.

Lately, my mind felt sluggish and foggy. Simple conversations took more effort. Work felt harder. Even at church, where I usually felt confident, I found myself struggling. I did not feel as clever or creative as I normally am. I knew it was just part of this postpartum season, but it was frustrating all the same.

My husband Chris walked in the kitchen and asked how I was feeling. So I began to share.

Though I was not speaking well about myself or my current situation, he did not dismiss my feelings. In fact, instead he leaned across the counter and reminded me of what the Word of God says. He continued by making sure I knew how important I am to him and to the Lord.

“Look, I know how you are feeling,” he said gently. “But, Bri, your faith and your words have to match! You are still working to where you want to be.”

Something about his words cut straight through the noise in my head. It was a simple statement loaded with so much truth. I wanted to argue, to explain why I felt justified in my discouragement. But deep down, I knew he was right.

Later, as I picked up the knife again, I thought about what it takes to keep a blade like this sharp. It does not happen by accident. It has to be sharpened, honed, and pressed against something that refines it.

I closed my eyes for a moment. “Thank You, Lord, for a husband who sharpens me every time instead of letting me stay stuck.”

Being sharpened is not always comfortable. It takes truth, challenge, and people willing to say the hard things in love. It is easy to resist sharpening because it requires friction. But dullness is not what we were made for. The people who love us enough to challenge us—those are the ones who help us become who God intends us to be.

Do not push them away. Embrace it, and let God give you the edge to be exactly who He has called you to be.

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God’s Mercy in my Mess

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“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5

Those early postpartum days felt like a blur. My baby Lennox was everything I had dreamed of, but somewhere between sleepless nights and diaper changes my house became, well, a nightmare.

Laundry draped over chairs, dishes filled on the edge of the sink, and the floor? Let’s just say I was not winning any cleaning awards. I hated how my house looked—and how I felt living in it. Truth be told, I could not keep up. I did not have the energy, and that only made me feel worse.

One afternoon, a message lit up my phone: “Hey,” my friend wrote, “we know how overwhelming those early baby days can be. We’d like to gift you a professional house cleaning.”

I stared at my phone, mortified. Let strangers into this mess? But before I could decline, another text followed.

“It’s okay,” she assured me. “This is what friends are for.”

When the cleaning team arrived, I felt like hiding. For three hours, they scrubbed, dusted, and tackled every corner. My husband and I apologized repeatedly, but they just smiled. “This is what we do,” they said. “We’re happy to help.”

This whole experience reminded me of God. How many times had I tried to hide my life’s mess from Him, thinking I needed to fix it first? Yet, every time, He steps into the chaos and does what I cannot.

God is the friend who steps into our chaos and says, “Let Me take care of this.” He doesn’t ask us to fix it first. He doesn’t wait until we are presentable. He meets us right in the middle of our mess and lovingly makes us whole again. It is not because we deserve it. It is because He is rich in mercy.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by your life’s mess today, know this: you do not have to face it alone. God’s love can transform anything. So, let Him in. Let Him show you what grace can do.

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Waiting with Faith

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“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

Hebrews 6:10

I had always imagined my life unfolding in a certain way—falling in love, getting married, and becoming a mom. But in my early twenties, none of that was happening. Friends were catching bouquets and posting baby pictures, while I was still buried in textbooks and finishing my degree.

I remember asking the Lord for help in my frustration. He placed it on my heart to serve others in the very areas I was longing for. He encouraged me to start celebrating others even when they were getting what I wanted. I did not love the answer at first, but I knew He was right.

So, I started showing up. I went to baby showers, helped throw engagement parties, and celebrated all the beautiful things happening in other’s lives.

I even remember a Valentine’s Day where two dear friends wanted to surprise their fiancés and needed help pulling off the perfect romantic evening. I volunteered to make their vision a reality.

For hours, I set the table, fluffed pillows, and added every thoughtful touch I could think of. At the end of the night, as I packed up the decorations, I prayed one more time: “Lord, next year, I would love to be loved by someone in the same way.”

That night, God reminded me: faith is not always about getting what we want when we want it. It is about trusting His heart, even when the wait feels endless.

But I have got to brag on God a little bit. Just a year later, there I was, not planning the perfect night, but living it. I found myself sitting at a candle lit dinner across from Chris, the man I had prayed for, who would soon become my husband.

This is what I want you to take away: Faith, at its core, works through love.

So, this Valentine’s Day, can I encourage you? It can be hard to celebrate others when things aren’t happening the way we hoped. But sometimes, delay is simply space for you to grow in love—and that will always prepare you for something even better down the road.

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A Lesson from a Lost Dog

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For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14

I had been sitting in my car, scrolling through my phone for meal ideas, when I realized I was not alone. I heard the crunching of grass nearby and looked up to see a pair of brown eyes locked on me.

It was a beautiful pit bull who looked clean, well loved, and well fed. This was clearly someone’s pet. My husband Chris and I had no idea whose dog it was, so I decided to ask around.

Knocking on doors, I met neighbors I had only waved at before. One spoke through a Ring camera, another peeked from behind their curtain, and one chatted warmly while their dog barked in the background.

At the last house, Veronica opened the door in her pajamas, her eyes widening as I explained. “That’s my dog!” she said, laughing. We exchanged a few warm words and even phone numbers before I headed back home.

As I walked back to my house, I could not help but think about how easy it is to live in the same neighborhood and not really know each other. We’re all busy, caught in our own routines, but this dog reminded me of something far more important—it reminded me of what it really means to love your neighbor.

Jesus did not teach us to love only when it is convenient or easy. True love, the kind He calls us to, often looks like slowing down when we would rather rush by. You never know who you may meet and how you could be encouraged with just a conversation. Where can you be a light today? Who might need your kindness, your care, or just your presence?

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Overcoming Fear’s Shadows

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“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the yard as my mom sprinted to safety, her heart pounding. She was just a child, convinced someone was right behind her.

Her older brother had planted the idea in her mind, telling her that every time she stepped outside, a stranger was waiting to catch her. It was only much later that she discovered the “person” chasing her was nothing more than her own shadow.

That story has stayed with me, and I reflect on it often whenever fear begins to creep into my life. It paints such a vivid picture of how fear works.

It is easy to feel trapped in those moments, but I have learned something about shadows—they only have power when we let them. When my mom finally stopped running, she realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Similarly, when I have chosen to turn toward the light in my life, I have found peace waiting for me.

Maybe you have been running too, trying to escape something that feels overwhelming. What if you stopped, just for a moment, to see what is really behind you? You might find that the fear holding you back is just a shadow, powerless in the presence of God’s light.

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Preparing for Miracles

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“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

It is hard to believe he is finally here. As I rock baby Dunn in my arms, I cannot help but think back to the chaos of those days before he arrived.

Weekends working on his nursery were filled with paint-splattered clothes, late night Johnny’s pizza, and endless stacks of diapers waiting to be organized. Our house was a mess, but our hearts were full.

Years before, when we faced the painful reality of infertility, my husband and I could have let fear stop us. But deep in our hearts, we knew God had a different plan. So we prayed. We did not stop there—we acted as though God’s answer was already on the way.

We began filling drawers with wipes and baby clothes long before there was any sign our prayers would be answered. To anyone else, it might have looked ridiculous, but to us those small steps were a way of saying, “We believe.”

I will not pretend any of it was easy. But the moment his tiny hand wrapped around my finger, I knew every late night and tear-filled prayer was worth it. I see now how those small acts of preparation strengthened me. They gave me something tangible to lean on when uncertainty felt overwhelming.

If the Lord has placed a dream on your heart, go ahead and begin preparing for it. One day, you will look back and realize every step of faith you take, even if it feels hard or impossible, has a purpose.

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