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Bathe it in Prayer

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Colossians 4:2 – “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

The moonlight shimmered on the lake, and the silence around Inspiration Point felt sacred. The summer had been busy, filled with the laughter of campers and the rhythm of camp activities. Yet, tonight was different. Sitting on the wooden bench, I stared at the stars, wrestling with a quiet stirring in my heart.

For weeks, something had been pulling me to this moment. After a long prayer, the realization came like a soft whisper: it was time to transfer schools.

Now let me tell you, I did not jump up and shout hallelujah. I sat there stunned. That school held everything familiar—my friends, my rhythm, my memories. But I knew in my bones that God was speaking to me.

Little did I know, the decision had been bathed in prayer for two years by my mother who quietly interceded for me. God had orchestrated this moment perfectly, weaving together years of prayer and a night of surrender under the stars.

Now, that clarity did not make the road easy. Saying goodbye stung, but it was the voice of the Lord. He meant business and I was resolute. I knew I had not been living for the Lord, and this was from His sweet throne of grace. That peace never left me.

Looking back, the change led to growth beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I went from being the party girl to praise and worship leader and missionary.

So here is what I have learned, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart: when it is time to leap, leap big. But first, bathe your decision in prayer. Soak it, steep it, let it sit with God long enough that your heart knows what your head might not.

The peace that follows? That is your green light, and when it comes, do not just tiptoe forward. Run. Trust the One who goes before you.

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God’s Peace Runs Deep

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John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Some heartaches do not heal with time. Some settle in like fog—thick, disorienting, and slow to lift.

Horatio Spafford knew that kind of grief.

He and his wife had built a full life in Chicago. He was a respected attorney. They were raising four daughters in a home filled with purpose, joy, and love. Church friends became extended family. Laughter came easy, and life was steady.

Until it was not.

The Great Chicago Fire tore through the city and burned up most of his investments. The financial blow was deep, but survivable. Horatio believed God would carry them through. So, when the chance came for a trip to Europe—some time to breathe, to rest—he sent his wife and girls ahead while he wrapped up business.

Then came the telegram from his wife with just two words: “Saved. Alone.”

Their ship had gone down. His daughters were gone.

When Horatio boarded a vessel to meet his wife, the captain called him to the deck as they passed over the waters where his daughters had drowned. Somehow, in that dark space, Horatio felt a deep peace.

He returned to his cabin and began to write.

When peace, like a river, attended my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

That hymn was not written by a man who had moved on. It came from a man who had met God in the storm. Maybe your storm is not loud or visible. Maybe it looks like keeping your head up at work while your heart quietly breaks, or it looks like showing up for others while wondering who sees you.

Dear one, you do not have to explain your grief for it to be real.

You only need to know this: God is not shaken by your storm. He stays steady. So, if your soul feels unsteady today, you can still say it.

Even here. Even now.

It is well.

LYRICS

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Words: Ho­ra­tio G. Spaf­ford, 1873.
Tune: Ville du Havre, Phil­ip P. Bliss

MODERN VERSION OF IT IS WELL

(C) 2015 Jesus Culture Music

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Help Is Already on the Way

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Psalms 40:2 – “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

The morning seemed like any other—peaceful, calm, and routine. But then, out of nowhere, chaos struck.

Two workers at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania found themselves in a situation no one could have expected. They were waist-deep in a vat of thick, swirling chocolate. At first, it probably didn’t feel real—just a slip, a mistake, something that could be laughed off. But as they tried to move, the chocolate turned from an innocent, sweet substance into a trap, pulling them deeper with every attempt to free themselves.

Fear set in quickly. They tried to reach the edges, to find something solid to hold onto, but the chocolate was relentless, a sticky, suffocating mass that seemed to mock their every move. Desperation crept in. What if they didn’t make it out?

Help came, but it wasn’t easy. Firefighters couldn’t just grab them and pull them to safety. No, they had to cut through the vat, rip apart what was supposed to be a safe space, to get to them. It wasn’t neat. It wasn’t smooth. But it was effective.

In the end, the men were safe. No harm done. But the moment lingered—how quickly life can change from a mundane task to a life-threatening one. How often, when we feel stuck, we don’t know where to turn.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been in a similar place—overwhelmed, exhausted, desperate for a way out, but finding none. When life wraps around us like that, we panic. We try to fix things on our own, and the more we struggle, the worse it seems.

But here’s the truth: help is on the way, even when it feels like the situation is hopeless. Just like those workers had no way out on their own, but help came through a difficult, noisy rescue, God’s help is sure—even when we can’t see it yet. His promises are firm. His love is constant. When we reach out to Him, He answers.

So, if you’re stuck, if you’re feeling trapped, know this: you are not alone. Don’t give up, and don’t fight alone. Reach out to the Jesus. He promises to pull you from the muck and place your feet on solid ground.

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When Life Feels Unfair

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Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Now listen—I was not sitting around in sackcloth and ashes waiting on Prince Charming to ride up in a pickup truck. I was thirty-nine and career bound. I had a good life. I paid my bills, planned vacations, and had great friends.

But for as long as I could remember my mom always dreamed about my wedding day. I know she meant well, and she was praying for grandkids. But I was not ready for my Big Fat Greek Wedding quite yet.

Fast forward six years, and there I was, in lace and lipstick, about to experience my own happily-ever-after. But my heart was broken. No. Livid.

I knew Mom was supposed to live to be 120 or at least until Jesus would come back down in the clouds. So how was it possible that cancer could take her from this world before my wedding day? She never smoked, did aerobics faithfully, and only ever ate health food.

So, before I could say my country nuptials, I walked down by the pond, sat on the dock, and just stared at the water. I tried to remember what her voice sounded like. I tried to picture her smile.

But all I could do was whisper, “You were supposed to be here.”

The wind didn’t answer, and the skies didn’t part, but deep down, I knew I was not alone. I sensed the nearness of God—not fixing it, not explaining it—but sitting right there beside me.

Family, I would never have written the story this way, but I am learning that God can be trusted with pages that feel torn and unfinished.

There is a whole lot in this life that won’t ever feel fair, but I believe with everything in me that God still knows what He is doing. One day, we will see it all made right, but until then, He is able to redeem even our deepest pain in ways we never expected.

 He sees what we’ve lost. He holds what we cannot. If all you can do today is breathe and believe He’s still good, start there. There is healing, even now, and He is not through yet.

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The Danger We Didn’t See

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Psalm 138:7 – Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.

“You’re kidding me,” I said out loud, holding my phone closer like I had read it wrong.

But no. It was true.

A woman overseas had been living out in the country, minding her own business. One day she stumbled across this heavy piece of metal in her yard. She figured it would make a good tool, so she started using it. For everything. I mean, she was fixing fences, breaking up ice, pounding in nails—all with what she thought was a trusty hammer.

Then two decades later some construction workers came through, saw her using it, and just about had a fit.

“Ma’am,” they told her, “you’re holding a live grenade!”

Let me say that again.  She had a live grenade. In her hand. For two decades.

And it never exploded.

And I thought: “Lord, how many times have You kept me from something I didn’t even know could destroy me?”

Because let’s be honest. We carry our own version of that grenade. We carry things that feel comfortable and familiar like patterns, bad relationships, or ideas. And we swing it around, not knowing it could take us down.

But somehow, we made it through.

That is not luck. That is the hand of a God who sees danger even when we don’t.

We thank God for the miracles we can see, but what about the ones we will never know happened? The words we did not say. The calls we did not answer. The accident we did not get in.

Family, I don’t know what you are carrying today, but I know this: you are not walking through this world unprotected. Not for one second.

So, take comfort. The One who sees it all is already handling what you never saw coming. He loves you that much.

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Still On Mission

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2 Timothy 4:5 “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

I don’t know how else to put it—my mother could talk to a fence post and get it saved before sundown.

Now I mean that with every ounce of admiration. She had this way of making you feel like you mattered, like you weren’t just someone she passed in the aisle at Dollar General. And she did not need a big crowd to share what was in her heart. As long as there was breath in her lungs, she was going to make sure you knew about Jesus.

Then, one day, the doctors used words none of us ever wanted to hear: breast cancer.

I braced myself. I thought, well, maybe she will take this time to rest. But if anything, she got louder. Not in volume, but in purpose. That hospital bed turned into her mission field. The IV pole might as well have been a microphone.

Every nurse, every doctor, and even the folks checking her vitals at 2 a.m.— they all heard the same sweet gospel. Jesus loves you.

Now, some folks smiled politely and scooted right out the door, but a few lingered, asked questions, and let their guards down. There she was, weak in body but strong in spirit, doing what she was made to do.

That is what sticks with me now. She didn’t waste her pain. She handed it to God like a basket of loaves and fish and said, “Do something with this, Lord.” And He did.

So, I need to tell you this, dear ones: just because life looks messy does not mean it’s meaningless. Just because you are hurting does not mean you are useless. Your struggle might be the very soil where someone else’s faith takes root.

Stay open. Keep sowing. Because even in a hospital gown, hooked up to machines, my mom showed me that Jesus still shines.

And family, He can shine through you too.

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Love Always Finds a Way

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1 John 4:16 – So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

My mom hated flying.

She would grip the armrest during takeoff and talk too loudly over the roar of the engine. She prayed from the moment the plane took off until the wheels were safely turning into the gate.

At the time, I lived across the U.S. from her, and she came to see me often. I can still see her walking down the hallway of my home, suitcase wheels bumping behind her. Her perfume arriving a few seconds before she did. She would give me a big hug and ask what we were doing for supper.

That was the thing about her. She never made a big deal out of it. For years, she just came to see me. Now, her visits live in my memory like golden light. They were acts of love wrapped in plane tickets, missed sleep, and nerves she never let keep her away.

She came anyway.

That simple truth is what undoes me. The fact that she loved me enough to push past her fear.

And that is what helps me begin to understand God’s love.

Because He comes, too. Even when we are messy. Even when we don’t appreciate it. He still shows up. It is not because it is easy, but because we are His kids.

Maybe today is a good day to look at your life and ask: where is God showing up, even when I am not looking for Him?

His love is steady. Relentless. Brave. I don’t ever want to miss that again.

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When You Think You Can’t, God Says You Can

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Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

When we adopted Knox, we thought we knew what we were getting into. The paperwork said he had cochlear implants, spoke a little English, and was fluent in Chinese. But the minute we met him, we realized real quick—that was simply not true.

And suddenly, we weren’t just new parents. We were new parents with no idea how to communicate with our son.

I won’t lie to you. It was overwhelming. If we had known upfront how much we would be stretched, I don’t know if we would have had the courage to say yes. That is just the honest truth.

But here’s the thing—God knew. And He had a plan far greater than ours.

Now, years later, Knox is the most incredible kid. He is bright, funny, and kind. And while we still have plenty to figure out, I know now that he was always meant to be ours.

Looking back, I see it so clearly—God knew we could handle more than we thought. And I think that’s true for you, too. Right now, you may feel overwhelmed by what’s in front of you.

You may be looking at something and thinking, “There’s no way I can do this.” But friend, God has already gone ahead of you. He sees the full picture, and He knows exactly what you are capable of even when you don’t.

And one day, you will look back and see—it was never impossible. It was just bigger than you.

And bigger than you is where God does His best work.

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How Grace Changes Everything

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Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

John Newton couldn’t outrun the weight of his past. At just eleven, he left school and stepped into a world of cruelty, selling human lives into slavery—decisions that would one day haunt him like a ghost he could not shake.

But one night, everything changed. A storm of unimaginable fury descended upon his ship. As monstrous waves threatened to sink the vessel, fear gripped his heart.

Desperate, he reached for a book—a Christian one filled with words about mercy, conviction, and a God who could redeem even the worst of men. As he read by flickering lantern light, something broke loose inside of him. If grace was real, maybe, just maybe, it could reach even him.

He survived the storm, but the man who stepped onto dry land was not the same one who had set sail.

Years later, as a pastor, Newton longed to help others grasp the mercy that had changed him. He saw that people needed more than rehearsed prayers and ancient psalms. They needed songs they could feel in their bones—songs that told the truth about being lost and found.

So, he began writing.

“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.”

Maybe you have believed the lie that your past defines you. That you have gone too far, done too much, or strayed too deeply into the mess of life to ever be redeemed. But if John Newton’s story tells us anything, it is that grace is real. It reaches into the darkest places. It finds the lost. And it is still as amazing today as it was then.

 

Lyrics:
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

[2x]
My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Will be forever mine.
You are forever mine.

Music video by Chris Tomlin performing Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).

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God Is Always Cheering For You

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“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”

Psalms 139:1-3

I was a Bali Ha’i girl. 

Not the lead. Not even a sidekick. Just a nameless background character in my high school’s production of South Pacific, swaying in unison with a dozen other girls who had also been too nervous to audition. 

It was opening night, and my parents were sitting proudly in the audience. 

“Where’s Lauren? I don’t see her,” my dad whispered, scanning the stage. 

Mom gasped. “You think she got sick?” 

Y’all. They thought I was home with the flu. Meanwhile, I was fifteen feet away, swaying my heart out, grinning at the spotlight, and being completely, spectacularly unnoticed by the people who raised me. 

After the curtain dropped, they rushed backstage to look for me. 

“Lauren? Lauren?”  

I turned around, makeup smeared and hair half-unpinned. They gasped. 

“Oh! There you are! We thought you had the flu!” 

I blinked. “You—what?” 

“We couldn’t find you! But we cheered anyway.” 

And cheer they did. Night after night, through every show, they clapped like I was the star. It didn’t matter that I never had a single line. 

Because that’s what love does. It shows up, over and over, even when you think no one sees you. And if human parents can love like that, imagine how much more God does. 

He never loses sight of you. He never mistakes you for someone else. He’s right there, front row, cheering louder than anyone else in the room. 

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