Love That Didn’t Look Away

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Matthew 25:44-45 — Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?” And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”

You’ll never regret being kind, even to a stranger.

Kelly is halfway through her coffee at the little diner when she notices them—two women at the counter, moving in opposite directions. One is paying her bill, ready to leave. The other has just sat down, phone pressed to her ear, but she isn’t really talking. She’s crying and barely holding it together.

She hasn’t ordered any food. She’s just…sitting there.

The older woman pauses on her way out. Kelly could almost see the questions cross her face— Should I say something? Should I not?

But she steps in anyway.

“Do you need a hug?” She says simply.

That’s all it takes. The younger woman breaks, and they hold each other right there in the middle of the diner.

“I don’t know what you’ve got going on,” she says, “but it doesn’t matter. You seem like you need a little encouragement.”

Then she calls the waitress over. “Order her whatever she wants. I’ll pay for it.”

And they sit there together quietly for a moment.

Kelly keeps thinking about what she witnessed. She knows that feeling—knowing you could encourage someone and feeling prompted in your heart to do it. That feeling is so easy to ignore. So easy to second-guess and stay seated.

But what if those moments carry more weight than we realize? What if every act of kindness toward someone hurting is also an act of love toward Jesus Himself? What if noticing people matters more than we think it does?

That morning didn’t look like much.

Just a hug. A meal. A woman who didn’t look away.

And maybe that’s what today can look like for you too. Because simple obedience, offered in love, can change everything for someone in need.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time you felt prompted to encourage or help someone?
  • What usually keeps you from stepping in when you notice someone hurting?
  • How does seeing acts of kindness as service to Jesus change your perspective?
  • Who around you today may simply need to feel seen, loved, or encouraged?
  • What is one simple act of obedience and compassion you can offer someone this week?
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Hope Says Hallelujah Anyhow

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Philippians 4:6-7 — Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace that passes all understanding. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you’ve sung about it—but what does it really mean to you?

Recently, I’ve had to lean into this question in a way I didn’t expect. I suffered a loss that most people can’t feel, see, or fully understand. It was isolating. Frustrating. And the hardest part? Life didn’t stop.

I still had to show up to work. I still had to love my people well at home. But my heart, my body, and my mind—they were tired. And I can’t just take a break every time I feel overwhelmed… so what do I do?

We bring everything to God in prayer instead of carrying it alone. Yes, every worry, every ache, and every unanswered question. We lean into Him.

Not in a polished, put-together way, but in the middle of the mess.

Because true peace isn’t a spa day, vacation, or easy night at home with pizza and your favorite pajamas. Those are good—but they fade. They don’t hold you together when life breaks something deep inside you.

True peace shows up right in the middle of the pain when you choose to trust that you are still being held by God.

It’s choosing to say “hallelujah anyhow” because even here… you believe Him.

I don’t know what you need today. But maybe peace that passes understanding starts there—in the choice to hand it over, again and again, to God and trust that He is closer than you think.

Because peace isn’t found in everything going right. It’s found in knowing God is near, even when everything feels wrong.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What burden have you been carrying that you need to hand over to God again today?
  • Have you ever experienced peace from God even when your circumstances didn’t improve right away?
  • What does “peace that passes understanding” mean to you personally?
  • Where do you usually turn first when you feel overwhelmed?
  • How can prayer become more honest and personal in this season of your life?
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Love in the Little Things

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1 Chronicles 16:34 — Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

You ever have those moments where things aren’t perfect? Like, there are still real needs, but if you pay attention, you catch a glimpse of something that feels like a deep, surprising answer to prayer?

Nothing big had happened. But I was really living in the moment.

It was because we were transitioning Lennox out of his nursery into his new “big boy room.” Lennox was playing with his new toys, completely content. Chris was in there too. I was sitting on one of the soft play pieces with a book in my hand, not even really reading… just watching.

And I remember thinking, I wish I could take a picture.

Because in that moment, nothing else mattered. Just my little family, all in one place, laughing, playing, and just… happy.

Now, was dinner still waiting to be cooked? Yep.

Was Lennox probably going to cry in a few minutes? Also yep.

But in that moment, this was all I cared about. It was beautiful, and something in me just said, Lord, thank You.

Because if I’m honest, I can spend so much time waiting on the big unanswered prayers that I almost miss the small, already answered ones right in front of me.

And when I stop long enough to notice, I realize… His love hasn’t run out. It’s right here.

So maybe today—especially today—there’s a moment like that waiting for you too. Nothing huge. Just a glimpse in a loved one’s eyes or a blessing already within your reach.

Maybe it’s worth slowing down long enough to take a snapshot. Take in the laughter, the peace, the loved ones around you, and give thanks to the Lord because it’s there you can see…

His faithful love really does endure forever.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “small answered prayers” might you be overlooking right now?
  • When was the last time you truly paused and thanked God for an ordinary moment?
  • What keeps you from slowing down enough to notice God’s faithful love in everyday life?
  • How could gratitude reshape your perspective this week?
  • What memory or moment recently reminded you that God’s love is still present and enduring?
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From Complaints to Calling

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Isaiah 43:18-19 — Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

I was so frustrated I was about to scream.

So dramatic. I know.

But I was scrolling my phone, and I could not take it anymore.

I’m talking about how so much “mom content” online is so unnecessarily emotional and sad. Like, “Oh, you’ll miss breaking your ankles on these Legos. So don’t blink. They grow up fast.”

Yes, I know there’s some bittersweetness to that, but it’s like people want me to be sad all the time that my child is growing up.

No way. I refuse. Healthy things are supposed to grow.

But there I was — complaining about it again. Frustrated, again.

I felt the Lord gently pressing on my heart telling me, “Bri, do something about it or quit complaining.”

I didn’t love that…but it did get me thinking. I sat with the Lord for a minute, and I told Him, “You’re right. If you want me to start something that can actually encourage new moms, I will.”

I don’t have it all figured out. But I know this: I don’t want to live stuck in complaining when God is calling me to make a difference.

Maybe it’s time to stop circling your same frustrations too. Replaying those same worn-out thoughts never helps, so instead pay attention to what God is doing. He is always doing something new. Sometimes the new thing God wants to grow starts when we stop dwelling on what frustrates us and start paying attention to where He’s leading us.

Even here, even now… And I’ll miss what God wants to do through me if I stay stuck in complaining.

Maybe you’ve felt that too—frustrated, worn down, catching yourself complaining over things others do that you just don’t agree with.

I know you want to scream, but move into faith. Go from complaining to action because it could be that the very thing you’re tired of seeing is the very place God wants you to make a difference.

So, step in. Speak life. Build something better.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where you’ve become stuck in frustration or complaining?
  • Could God be using that frustration to show you where He wants you to make a difference?
  • What “former things” might you need to stop dwelling on so you can notice the new thing God is doing?
  • How can you move from criticism to encouragement in your everyday life?
  • What is one practical step you can take this week to “build something better?”
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God in the Scary Moments

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Psalm 73:28 — But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

It’s easy to believe God is good when the picture is already beautiful. It’s harder—much harder—to say it when everything feels uncertain and unfinished. But there’s something powerful about choosing to stay close to Him—to make Him your refuge—before you see how it turns out.

I was talking to my friend Emily recently, just thanking God for His faithfulness. She was reminiscing and told me a story of God’s faithfulness when her son was born.

She had tested positive for COVID the day before, so everything felt uncertain and overwhelming.

It was terrifying.

After the baby was delivered, doctors moved in and out of the room, using words like ‘abnormalities’ and ‘we’re not sure yet.’

She remembers lying in a cold hospital bed, gasping for air—shaking and too weak to move. Through tears, all she could say was, “Lord, I trust You. And when You show up like only You can, I will tell everyone about Your goodness!”

Days passed. Then months. Then years.

She and her son are now doing amazing, and I’m getting to hear the story of how God took care of them. She’s posting the cutest pictures of her kids—Asher and his big sister—playing at the park. His big sister is fearless and halfway down the slide. Her little brother is right behind her.

The Lord truly is our refuge—and He cares for us in ways we don’t always see in the moment. He’s so good, and like Emily, I want to keep telling everyone about the wonderful things He does for us.

So today, stay close to Him. He is faithful. Hold on to that, and one day you’ll look up and realize you have more stories of His goodness than you can count.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When life feels uncertain, do you tend to draw closer to God or pull away?
  • What does it look like for you to make God your “refuge” in difficult moments?
  • Can you think of a time when God proved His faithfulness after a season of waiting?
  • Is there a current situation where you need to choose trust before you see the outcome?
  • What is one story of God’s goodness in your life that you can share with someone this week?
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Running to Rescue

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Ephesians 2:8-9 — God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Rescue” by Desperation Band.

I was in high school, sitting in a youth service, trying to look like I had it all together. But inside, it felt like every little mistake disqualified me—like every wrong thought or reaction meant I had let God down again.

Week after week, I carried it.

This pressure to be perfect. To finally get it right.

I remember thinking I’d never be the “perfect Christian.” And the truth is—I wasn’t then, and I’m not now. But somewhere along the way, something shifted.

I began to understand that I don’t have to beg to be in God’s good graces. I don’t have to beat myself up to earn my way back to Him. What I thought was distance from God was really a misunderstanding of His grace.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. He already paid the price—so salvation is a gift I could never earn. And that heaviness? That constant wondering, Did I mess up too much this time? It doesn’t have to steal my confident hope.

Because His grace never runs out—it rescues us again and again.

So now, that’s what I think of when I hear that song on replay.

I don’t know if you’ve experienced that kind of rescue yet, but know that you don’t have to be perfect to get in His presence. You don’t have to beg the Lord to love you, and you don’t have to earn your place at His table.

What Jesus did was more than enough. He paid the price so grace could be given freely, meeting you right where you are.

Receive it. Walk in it. Let it be enough today.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever felt like you had to earn God’s approval? What did that feel like?
  • How does understanding that salvation is a gift—not a reward—change the way you see your relationship with God?
  • Are there areas in your life where you’re still trying to “be good enough” instead of resting in grace?
  • What does it look like for you to actually receive grace, not just understand it?
  • How would your daily life change if you truly believed that what Jesus did was already enough?

Lyrics

You are the source of the life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you

I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else can I go
There’s no other name by
Which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow you

You are the source of life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you (yeah)

I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can I go
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
capture me with grace

I need you Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can I go
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
capture me with grace
I will follow You

This world has nothing for me
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
I will follow You

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Heaven Doesn’t Count Like That

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Galatians 6:9 — So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

You want to know what’ll make you just about crazy?

Eating clean. Working out hard and passing on dessert. Then stepping on the scale and seeing the exact same number blinking back at you.

Ask me how I know.

Oh my goodness, I just about lost it.

I had just finished a four-week program. Nothing extreme, but for me? It was disciplined. I showed up. I did the reps, and I made better choices.

But I didn’t lose a single pound.

I stood there in my bathroom staring down at that scale, feeling the discouragement creep in.

See? It’s not working. Why are you even trying?

But instead of spiraling, I tried something different. I downloaded one of those body-scan apps—you know, the kind where you awkwardly prop your phone up and hope nobody walks in. It lets you know how your proportions are actually doing.

When the results came in, they were better than I thought. Although I didn’t lose any weight, I had lost some inches.

Wow, how often do we do that? Measuring our lives one way but never go back and look a little deeper. We do this with our souls too.

We pray and think, “Nothing’s changing.” We try again and still stumble and think, Welp, back to square one.

But what if Heaven measures differently than we do? What if that is part of your character still forming or your roots stretching a little deeper?

I would have been super discouraged thinking that all my hard work was for nothing, and maybe that’s you. Maybe there’s been something that on the outside, it doesn’t look like anything has happened, and you want to give up.

Don’t.

Scripture reminds us, “Don’t grow tired of doing good. In due season there will be a harvest if you don’t give up.”

It’s so true. The harvest you hoped for isn’t always immediate. Sometimes the soil is doing its work underground, beneath the surface and beyond the numbers. God is doing something in you.

If you stay steady, if you keep sowing, and if you refuse to grow tired of doing what’s right, progress will come. You will see the harvest!

And it will be worth the wait.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in your life do you feel like you’re putting in effort but not seeing results yet?
  • Are you measuring progress by what’s visible, or are you trusting that God may be working beneath the surface?
  • What is one area where you’re tempted to give up—but sense God asking you to stay faithful?
  • How might your perspective change if you believed growth was happening even when you can’t see it?
  • What would it look like today to “not grow tired of doing good” in a specific situation you’re facing?
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Help for Heavy Hearts

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Jonah 2:2 — I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me!

Last year, I had a season where I was really wrestling with some very scary things internally.

I was a new mom with a toddler. Life stayed loud and busy all day, but at night, when the house finally went still, my mind didn’t. One night I couldn’t sleep at all. I stared into the dark while anxiety pressed against my chest. I kept trying to calm myself down, telling myself it would pass, opening my Bible, and playing worship music on my phone.

Nothing helped.

It felt deeper than a restless night—it felt like I was sinking under something I couldn’t escape. The harder I tried to manage it, the more exhausted I became. Sometime after midnight, I finally stopped trying to hold it together and said, “Lord, I can’t take this. I need help.”

And in that moment, I thought about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the cross. The weight pressing in on Him. He didn’t hide His anguish. He brought it straight to the Father.

It made me think, if the Son of God could voice His distress in the dark, then bringing mine to the Father isn’t weakness. It’s admitting a real need.

That night was hard, but I remember later that week, things I had been struggling with did start to resolve. Conversations happened. Clarity came. The pressure quit suffocating me.

And I know without a shadow of a doubt, it was because I cried out to God. It was there that I found the Lord really can be my strength and my shield in the midnight hour. My heart learned to trust Him more deeply, and He helped me.

Not because I found perfect words or because I was strong, but because He is.

And you can do the same.

When the wrestling inside your mind feels like too much and you don’t know what to pray, just cry out to God. Admit every need, and let the Father be your strength.

Just bring Him what’s heavy. He already knows how to carry it.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What does your mind tend to do in the quiet moments—especially at night?
  • Have you ever felt like you were carrying something too heavy to manage on your own?
  • What keeps you from crying out honestly to God in those moments?
  • How does it change your perspective to know that even Jesus expressed anguish to the Father?
  • What would it look like for you to bring your “midnight thoughts” to God this week?
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Living Hope, Every Easter

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1 Peter 1:3 — Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We always looked good on Easter Sunday.

My mom didn’t play about details—fresh relaxer, a new shade of Estée Lauder lipstick, the perfect shoes lined up by the door. My dad and brother weren’t as invested, but my mom and I? We loved it. Easter meant tradition. Family photos. Walking into church polished and pressed.

And if I’m honest, I loved what came after just as much.

Crawfish by the lake that afternoon. The snowball stand down the road. Sticky fingers stained red and purple. Cousins laughing too loud around a wooden table. I knew Easter was about Jesus—but I also knew I couldn’t wait for the after fun.

We pulled into the church parking lot and I remember blinking twice. Cars everywhere. Lined down the road. Parked in the grass. Inside, it was standing room only.

The orchestra sounded bigger than usual. The choir didn’t hold back. And when my pastor walked on stage, there was a weight to it—like he had something he had to say. My friends and I sat together, but instead of passing notes or playing games on the back of the bulletin, we were quiet. Something felt different.

When the salvation invitation came, people moved toward the altar. And not casually. They came to the altar like they needed hope. Some knelt. Some lifted their hands. Some just bowed their heads and cried. I remember looking around thinking, “This isn’t about outfits or pictures. They aren’t worried about lunch. Something real is happening.”

Not just emotion—but lives being changed. People being made new.

Later that day, snowball syrup still sweet on my lips and crawfish shells piling up beside me, I couldn’t shake it. Easter really is about an empty grave. In God’s great mercy, he sent Christ to defeat death and give us real hope. Living hope.

And it wasn’t just for the people at the altar that morning. It was for the anxious mom sitting three rows back. The teenager trying to figure out who she is. The dad who showed up because it’s Easter and that’s what you do.

It was for me, and it was for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love getting dressed up and eating snowballs with my little family, but that’s not why I celebrate Easter. When you realize the resurrection is personal, Easter stops being a tradition—and becomes a turning point.

This Easter, walk in ready. Ready to worship. Ready to respond. Ready to remember that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is still offering living hope today.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What has Easter meant to you in the past—tradition, family, faith, or something else?
  • When have you experienced a moment where faith felt suddenly real or personal?
  • What does “living hope” look like in your life right now?
  • In what areas do you need to experience new life or renewal?
  • How can you come into this Easter “ready”—not just present, but open?
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Lift the Load Together

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Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Some things don’t look heavy until you actually try to lift them.

That became clear one weekend when my husband and I were hanging a whiteboard in our house. Not just any whiteboard—one of those sleek, trendy glass ones that looks innocent until it’s in your hands.

We needed four screws to line up. One in each corner. Chris measured. Then measured again. He used the leveler, the stud finder, and all the right tools.

Every time, three would line up perfectly. And every time, the fourth one was just barely off—half an inch, maybe less, but enough to stop everything. It really look like he was doing everything right. But for a long stretch, he was doing it alone.

I stood nearby. Supervising. Encouraging.

I offered to help, of course, but Chris and I knew we both work very differently. Men’s brains and women’s brains. But after his fourth or fifth attempt, I offered to help again.

This time, we both grabbed it and lifted together. We lined it up together, and suddenly the screws fit. All four of them. Just like that.

We stepped back and laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was a relief. What felt impossible alone became manageable the moment we shared the weight.

Standing there, with the whiteboard finally straight, it hit me how often life works the same way through stress, expectations, grief, and responsibility.

We measure and re-measure, telling ourselves that if we just try harder, everything will line up. But God calls us to carry each other’s burdens, because that is what love looks like in action—the kind of love Jesus modeled for us..

God designed us to need community. It isn’t a bonus feature of faith—it’s part of the design. We need each other. Some loads were never meant for one set of hands. And strength doesn’t come from proving you can handle it all by yourself.

Strength comes from letting someone lift with you. So let yourself ask for help. Let yourself be honest, and don’t miss the chance to step in when someone else is struggling under the weight.

Because when we share the load, things start to line up.

And no one has to carry it alone.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is something in your life right now that feels heavy or difficult to carry on your own?
  • Do you tend to handle struggles by yourself, or do you invite others in? Why?
  • Who in your life might be carrying something heavy that you could help lift?
  • What makes it hard for you to ask for help when you need it?
  • What would it look like this week to both offer help and receive help in a meaningful way?
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