Pause Before You Post

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Psalm 94:19 — When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is close the laptop.

You can feel it when it’s time. You’re halfway through typing a response on social media when you notice your jaw a little too tight and your head is hurting.

It’s easy to get that way. Online you see this group fighting against that group. Everyone is an expert. Everybody wants to be heard, and before long, you feel the urge to jump in, take a side, and say something too.

But sometimes I see it all unfolding and think, Lord… this is not the way.

Because when I’m overwhelmed, overstimulated, or frustrated, I don’t always say the best things. I speak too quickly. I react, and that doesn’t bring life.

So, I’ve learned, as unnatural as it feels, to just close my device and go spend time with real people. At home, in a coffee shop…it doesn’t matter. I’ve realized that a real conversation is better than a comment section.

Sometimes I’ll do that. Other times, I’ll open my Bible. Better yet, I’ll do both.

There is simply something about sitting with Jesus that brings peace. His word says, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

When your soul is shouting, wisdom sometimes sounds like stepping back instead of speaking up. It looks more like leaning in than lashing out.

If you’ve been overwhelmed lately, maybe it’s worth taking a day off the internet. Sit with someone you love. Say good things. Laugh at something simple and do something that’s actually good for your soul.

Because in the end, the noise online may not stop, but you can still choose which voices get to shape you.

And sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is close the laptop, open your Bible, and let the voice of Jesus be the loudest one in the room.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What kinds of situations tend to leave your heart feeling crowded with worry or frustration?
  • How can you tell when it’s time to step away from the noise and spend time with God?
  • What role does Scripture play in bringing peace to your mind and heart?
  • Are there voices competing for your attention that may be drowning out God’s voice?
  • What is one practical way you can make space this week for Jesus to be “the loudest voice in the room”?
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Joy At The Door

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Habakkuk 3:18 — I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

There’s nothing like when “Dada” comes home.

Most evenings, it’s just me and Lennox. The toys are scattered, dinner plates sit half-finished, and you can feel it… He’s getting tired of me. Not in a harsh way, just in a toddler kind of way.

My husband Chris works another evening job, and I’m grateful for it. I really am, but when that door unlocks at the end of the day and Lennox sees Chris, everything changes. His eyes light up. He shouts for joy, and just like that, he’s gone.

There’s no hesitation and no dragging his feet. His whole body is basically saying, “See ya Mom, I’m going to my dad.”

It’s not because anyone told him to, but because something deep inside my son knows— Dada’s arms are where I belong.

I believe we were made for that kind of response. It is God-given.

Somewhere along the way, though, we learn to hesitate. We get distracted. We carry disappointments, responsibilities, and burdens that weigh us down. Sometimes life doesn’t feel joyful at all.

And yet, the invitation hasn’t changed.

Habakkuk wrote those words during a season when everything around him seemed uncertain. Yet he made a choice: “I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.”

Not because life was easy, but because God was still good.

God is our Father, and He is near. What would it look like to turn towards Him with that same instinctive joy? To rejoice in the God of your salvation and to drop whatever you’re holding to let love—not obligation, fear, or routine—be the thing that moves you?

And maybe faith, at its core, isn’t as complicated as we’ve made it. Maybe it looks a lot like that small pair of feet hitting the floor, heart wide open, running toward the Father who just walked in the room.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What tends to distract you from experiencing joy in God’s presence?
  • When was the last time you felt excited to spend time with God?
  • How does Lennox’s instinctive response to his father challenge your view of faith?
  • Are there circumstances in your life right now that make rejoicing difficult?
  • What would it look like today to turn toward God with trust, delight, and expectancy?
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From Compassion to Checkmate

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1 John 4:11 — Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

It started with a chessboard and an almost-missed moment.

I have a really good friend named Martina—she lives in Shreveport—and one day she went out to coffee at her favorite spot. There was a guy there who was sitting outside playing chess by himself, and he looked up and said, “Hey, do you want to play?”

She thought, “Not really.”

But then something inside her nudged her heart, and she said, “You know what? Yes!”

She sat down, and they moved the pieces back and forth. Little by little, he started opening up. You could hear the disappointment in his voice. As they played, he started opening up. He told her he’d drifted away from Jesus after his great-grandmother passed away. Somewhere in his grief, he’d stopped believing altogether.

And listen, grief is grief. It doesn’t matter how old someone is or how long you’ve had them. Loss hurts. But what struck Martina was that this woman had lived to be 112 years old. What had been an extraordinary gift somehow felt, in his pain, like something had been taken from him.

But Martina didn’t argue. She didn’t preach. She just stayed and listened. She played another round, and by the time they said check mate, she already made the decision to come back.

Every week, she would make it her mission to play another round of chess with him. She knew his grief tried to rewrite the story about who God is, but she became determined to introduce him to God’s real love that tells a different story.

And not just her. She began pulling in a few friends and sending them to go and play chess too. To be community for this man.

And when Martina told me that story, I thought, “This is what love looks like.”

Love doesn’t always show up with the right words, but it always shows up.

Love shows up because we’ve already been loved first. As Christians, we’ve experienced the greatest love of all through Jesus.

So maybe it looks smaller than you expected. Maybe it’s coffee. Maybe it’s a park bench. Maybe it’s you and a couple friends deciding to keep showing up for someone who’s silently drifting.

And somewhere between the first move and the next, a person who thought God had abandoned him might begin to see that God was pursuing him all along.

All because someone pulled up a chair.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who in your life may need someone to simply show up and listen?
  • When has someone else’s kindness helped you see God’s love more clearly?
  • Are you waiting for the perfect words when God may simply be asking you to be present?
  • What “chessboard” opportunity might God be putting in front of you right now?
  • How can you intentionally reflect the love you’ve received from Christ this week?
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Proof that’s Still Standing

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John 10:10 – The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

I love that God keeps us safe…though sometimes not in the way I expect.

Last year, we went through a series at my church on Wednesday nights called “Deep Dive to Revive.” We slowly walked verse by verse through John, and it was so good, like, really sitting in the Word instead of rushing past it.

One night, we were reading about Lazarus. It’s a story I’ve heard and read…oh, probably a hundred times. But this time, something caught me off guard.

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they tried to kill him again.

What in the world? Leave this man alone. He’s already been dead once.

Then our pastor asked, “Why do you think they tried to kill Lazarus?”

It sat there for a minute, and then it clicked. If Lazarus is walking around alive, then so is the proof. Proof that death doesn’t get the final word. Proof that what God restores is real. And if you can silence the evidence, maybe you can make people question the miracle.

Because hasn’t life at times felt like that for you too? You finally step into something beautiful—an answered prayer, a restored relationship, or a healing you’ve begged God for—and then something happens that makes it feel like it might not last after all.

And your first instinct is to look inward: Did I mess this up? Did I do something wrong?

But that’s not how God works. He brings life—full, abundant, unmistakable life. And the enemy can’t erase God’s work. If he can shake your confidence, though, he can steal your hope.

That’s not new. It’s the same old story.

And yet, God’s goodness isn’t temporary or fading, even when everything around you feels uncertain. So, when those familiar feelings of doubt and fear show up again, I encourage you, don’t panic. You’ve seen this before.

Instead of shrinking back, let yourself remember all the ways God has already brought life where there wasn’t any. Remind yourself long enough to trust that what God brings to life, He will not abandon.

Because while the enemy still wants to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus is still giving life—and life more abundantly.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever experienced a time when God answered a prayer or restored something you thought was lost?
  • After God moved in your life, did doubt or fear ever make you question whether it would last?
  • Why do you think Lazarus became such powerful evidence of God’s power after Jesus raised him from the dead?
  • What are some ways the enemy tries to steal your confidence in what God has already done?
  • When you face uncertainty, do you tend to focus more on your circumstances or on God’s faithfulness?
  • What “proof” of God’s goodness and provision can you look back on today?
  • Is there an area of your life where you need to stop asking, “Did I mess this up?” and start trusting God’s work?
  • How can remembering past victories help strengthen your faith in your current season?
  • What does Jesus’ promise of “life more abundantly” mean to you personally?
  • This week, what is one specific way you can remind yourself that what God brings to life, He will not abandon?
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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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