Fireworks Fade, Freedom Lasts

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1 Timothy 2:5-6 — For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

Not long ago, we celebrated my husband Don’s birthday. And if that wasn’t memorable enough, he was born on the 4th of July at 4:44 in the morning. I know… I couldn’t make that up if I tried.

Some people get a birthday cake and a few candles. My husband gets the entire country setting off fireworks. Talk about raising the expectations.

Every year, as his birthday comes and goes, I’m reminded of something. We spend a lot of time celebrating the things that make us feel free: milestones, accomplishments, opportunities, and new beginnings. There’s nothing wrong with that. Many of those things are gifts from God.

But none of them can give us what our hearts need most.

The freedom we need isn’t freedom from a schedule, a burden, or a difficult season. It’s freedom from the separation that exists between us and God because of sin.

The good news is that God didn’t leave us to figure that out on our own.

First Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”

What a powerful reminder.

Jesus didn’t simply point us toward God. He stepped into the gap that stood between us and Him and paid a price that we could never pay.

In a world full of people searching for answers, searching for purpose, and searching for a way to be enough, Scripture reminds us that there is only one Savior and one way to reconciliation with God. His name is Jesus.

As we move through these final weeks of summer and begin looking ahead to a new season, remember this: your hope is not found in what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve overcome, or what you plan to do next. Your hope is found in the One who gave Himself as a ransom for you.

The greatest gift you’ll ever receive isn’t another year, another opportunity, or another fresh start.

It’s Jesus, and He has already made a way for you to come back to God.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When you think about “freedom,” what usually comes to mind? How does Scripture redefine what true freedom really is?
  • Why is it important to remember that Jesus didn’t just show us the way to God—He became the only way to reconciliation with Him?
  • Are you placing your hope more in your accomplishments, circumstances, or in what Christ has already accomplished for you?
  • How does knowing Jesus paid the price you could never pay change the way you view God’s love and grace?
  • As you step into a new season, what is one way you can intentionally keep your focus on Christ instead of everything competing for your attention?
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Rescued From Life’s Riptide

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Psalm 34:18 — The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

When you’re swimming, lifeguards are there for one reason: they see what you can’t.

If there’s danger, they move fast. If someone’s struggling, they jump in. I’m so thankful that last summer there were lifeguards on the beach when my son got caught in a riptide.

He’s a pretty good swimmer, but he said he couldn’t catch his breath and kept getting pulled under. I’m so thankful an alert lifeguard was there to bring him to safety.

Honestly, that’s such a picture of God.

There are moments in life when you feel like you’re drowning emotionally with stress, heartbreak, loneliness, or regret. Sometimes you don’t even have the strength to ask for help.

But God is a watchful Rescuer.

He sees the panic before anyone else notices. He sees the tears before they fall. And His Word reminds us that He is close to the brokenhearted. He draws near, not after we’ve recovered, but right in the middle of the pain.

He’s close.

Not distant.

Not annoyed.

Not waiting for you to clean yourself up first.

Close.

Jesus isn’t standing far away shouting instructions from the shore. He steps into our mess with us.

When the current is strongest, His presence is often the closest.

So, if life feels deep right now, don’t focus on how far you’re being pulled. Look to the One who walks on water.

The same Savior who rules the waves is still near to the brokenhearted, and He is still rescuing people every day.

Maybe today is a good day to stop fighting the current alone and simply call out to Him.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever experienced a time when God felt especially close during a difficult season?
  • What burden or heartache do you need to bring to Jesus today instead of carrying it alone?
  • Why is it comforting to know that God comes near before your circumstances change?
  • How does the image of Jesus as a Rescuer change the way you view your current struggles?
  • Who in your life may need to experience God’s love and nearness through your encouragement this week?
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Trusting God in the Freefall

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Psalm 91:2 — This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.

Roller coasters are fun… until you’re halfway up that first giant hill wondering why you agreed to this in the first place.

Your stomach drops. Your hands sweat. Suddenly, you realize you’re completely out of control.

Honestly, faith can feel like that too.

There are seasons when life feels steady… and then everything changes. Plans fall apart. Relationships shift. Doors close, and you’re left holding on, wondering what God is doing.

But Psalm 91 reminds us:

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”

That verse hits differently when life stops making sense.

Because trust isn’t really trust when you can see the whole track ahead. If you can explain everything, faith isn’t required.

Sometimes faith means believing God is still good while you’re in the middle of the freefall.

Maybe that’s why Scripture calls Him our refuge and fortress. Not because life never shakes, but because He remains steady when everything else does.

And here’s the thing about roller coasters: while you’re on the ride, the fear feels overwhelming. But when it’s over, you realize the ride didn’t break you.

The same is true with God.

The trial you’re walking through may feel overwhelming today, but the One holding you is stronger than the storm surrounding you.

So, if you’re in the middle of a drop right now, don’t just focus on holding on tighter.

Lift your eyes to the One who has been holding you all along.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “roller coaster” are you facing in your life right now?
  • When life feels out of control, where do you usually look for security?
  • How does knowing God is your refuge and place of safety change the way you face uncertainty?
  • Is there an area where God is asking you to trust Him even though you can’t see what’s ahead?
  • What is one practical way you can place your confidence in God’s faithfulness today instead of your circumstances?
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What Really Grows in the Dirt

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Colossians 2:6-7 — And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Summer gardens are wild to me.

You can always tell which plants are healthy by the roots.

The flowers might look beautiful for a little while, but if the roots are weak, eventually the summer heat exposes it.

My son Jeffrey and his wife Katelyn’s church is going through a series right now called “Rooted,” and I just love that title because, honestly…

It’s something all of us need.

A lot of us spend more time trying to look okay than actually becoming okay.

We want the right image.

The right vibe.

The approval of the people around us.

But God never asked us to build our lives from the surface down.

He invites us to build from the roots up.

That’s why Paul writes, “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.”

Roots aren’t exciting.

You don’t see them.

But they’re what keep a tree standing when the wind starts blowing.

The same is true for us.

When our lives are rooted in Jesus, we find strength that doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

Hard seasons still come.

Anxiety still happens.

Disappointment still hurts.

But rooted people don’t fall apart every time life gets difficult because their foundation goes deeper than their feelings.

Maybe that’s what God wants for you today.

Not just a better-looking life.

A deeper one.

So instead of asking,

“How do I look?”

Maybe ask,

“What am I rooted in?”

Because the strongest faith usually grows underground before anyone else ever sees it.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What are you currently rooting your identity in—Jesus, or something that could easily be shaken?
  • Are you spending more energy looking spiritually healthy or becoming spiritually healthy?
  • What daily habit could help your roots grow deeper in Christ this week?
  • How has God used a difficult season to strengthen your faith rather than weaken it?
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The Moments That Matter Most

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Micah 7:7 — As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

I used to take my boys to the library all the time.

I’m talking sticky fingers, stacks of books we could barely carry… and yes, walking out with a pile of VHS tapes to rent.

That tells you how long ago this was.

With my son Brandon being on the spectrum, those trips weren’t always easy.

Sometimes they were loud.

Sometimes they were overwhelming.

Sometimes I’d leave feeling more exhausted than encouraged.

And in those moments, I’d wonder if I was doing any of it right.

Was I being the kind of mom they needed?

Would these little moments matter in the long run?

Most days, it just felt like I was trying to hold everything together.

Looking back, I realize there were a lot of prayers during those years.

A lot of looking to God for help.

A lot of waiting and trusting Him with things I couldn’t yet see.

Recently, I found myself back at that same library… this time by myself.

I watched a young mom trying to manage the noise, the movement, and the chaos of her little ones.

And suddenly…

I saw me.

It brought back the love.

The exhaustion.

The questions.

The quiet prayers.

Standing there between those bookshelves, I felt God gently remind me of something.

He had been there all along.

Micah writes, “As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.”

That’s exactly what those years looked like.

I didn’t always know what God was doing.

But He heard every prayer.

He saw every ordinary day.

Every library trip.

Every moment that felt unnoticed.

I couldn’t see it then, but now I can.

God was using those ordinary, stretched-thin days to shape my boys…

And He was shaping me, too.

So if you’re in a season that feels messy…

Or exhausting…

Or unseen…

Keep looking to the Lord.

Keep trusting Him.

Keep showing up.

Because the God who hears you is working in ways you can’t yet see.

What feels ordinary to you may be accomplishing something eternal.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What ordinary responsibility or season of life is requiring you to trust God right now?
  • Where is God inviting you to wait confidently instead of demanding immediate results?
  • How can remembering that God hears every prayer encourage you to keep showing up faithfully today?
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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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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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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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Lessons from a Zoomie Dog

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1 Peter 5:7 — Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Well, you probably know by now that I have a Bernedoodle named Porsche.

And let me tell you—she has exactly two speeds: sleeping (because she has absolutely no responsibilities in life) or running through the house like she just drank three energy drinks.

The other night she got the zoomies.

She was racing in circles, sliding across my hardwood floors, and bouncing off the couch like gravity was optional.

I just sat there laughing.

Because Porsche doesn’t have a schedule to manage. She isn’t stressing over bills or replaying yesterday’s conversations. She’s not worried about tomorrow.

She’s simply enjoying the moment.

And somewhere between childhood and adulthood, I think many of us forget how to do that.

Life gets serious.

We get married. Bills show up. Kids arrive…and then one day they move out. Responsibilities pile higher, and before we know it, we’re carrying worries we were never meant to carry.

Watching Porsche race around the house reminded me of something.

She isn’t dragging yesterday behind her or trying to control tomorrow.

She’s free because she isn’t carrying the weight of the world.

God never asked His children to carry that weight either.

Instead, He lovingly invites us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

What a beautiful promise.

Not only does He tell us to give Him our worries—He tells us why.

Because He cares.

He cares about the burden keeping you awake.

He cares about the decision you’re trying to make.

He cares about the thing you’ve been quietly carrying by yourself.

Friend, when you release what was never yours to carry, you make room to rest in the care of the One who never stops carrying you.

So maybe today, take a deep breath.

Give God one worry you’ve been holding onto.

Laugh a little.

Look for His goodness.

And remember…

Joy grows where trust begins.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What worry have you been carrying that God is inviting you to give to Him today?
  • How does knowing that God cares about you personally make it easier to trust Him with your burdens?
  • What is one simple way you can choose joy today instead of dwelling on tomorrow’s worries?

 

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Sweating But Still Smiling

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Psalm 16:11 — You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Okay, it’s officially that time of year in Louisiana where you walk outside and immediately feel like somebody wrapped you in a hot, wet blanket. Like… why is the air sweating?

That’s how it feels.

I saw some people online sharing ways to beat the heat. Cold towels, frozen drinks, staying inside from noon until—I don’t know—September. Honestly, I think some of us are one electric bill away from moving directly into the freezer aisle at Walmart.

I would be.

But you know what I love? No matter how miserable the heat gets, we all still seem to find joy.

Kids running through sprinklers. Snow cones dripping down your arm. Porch conversations after the sun finally goes down a little bit. Somebody grilling even though it’s 104 degrees for absolutely no reason.

And maybe that’s because joy was never waiting for perfect conditions.

Friend, life gets uncomfortable sometimes. Heavy. Exhausting, really. We spend so much time wishing things were easier, cooler, lighter…different.

But I’ve noticed that some of life’s sweetest moments don’t happen when everything is comfortable.

They happen when we become aware that God is right there with us in the middle of it.

It’s almost like the more we stay aware of His presence, the easier it becomes to notice His goodness. Not because life suddenly gets easier, but because His presence changes us. Scripture says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy.”

That’s the kind of joy that isn’t dependent on the weather, your circumstances, or whether everything is going your way.

His presence has a way of filling ordinary moments with something extraordinary.

So if you’re melting today, try not to miss the good thing right in front of you.

Don’t just look for relief.

Look for Him.

You might discover that the joy you’ve been searching for was already closer than you thought.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where have you been waiting for your circumstances to improve before choosing joy?
  • How have you experienced God’s presence bringing peace or joy during a difficult season?
  • What’s one ordinary moment today where you can intentionally slow down and become more aware of God’s presence?
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