Spark the Change, Sister

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Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

It was day one of the Live Original Conference. The covered plaza outside the Monroe civic center buzzed with the sound of women gathering, all coming to experience Jesus.

Knowing it would be a long day, I jumped into the concessions line to grab a drink. A few feet away, I spotted my friend Jade, and we started catching up.

The line moved slowly, but the conference was about to begin. When we finally reached the counter, the cashier told Jade they did not take Apple Pay. Her face fell. To get her drink, she would have to leave the line, find her debit card, and likely miss part of the opening event.

So I said, pulling out my card, “Don’t worry about it.”

She tried to say she would pay me back, but something inside nudged me to just help her—no strings attached.

I shook my head. “No, really. It’s on me.”

The next day, I found myself circling the merch booth, eyeing a hat I liked. I picked it up five times, then set it down again. Then I ran into Jade—already wearing that same hat.

I told her how much I liked it, and she smiled. “Do you want one?” she asked. Apparently, someone had gifted hers, and she wanted to do the same for me.

As I held that hat, I thought back to the concession line. It felt like a full circle moment.

No one planned it. No one kept score. But somehow, the kindness I gave away found its way back. That is the power of generosity—it does not stay in one place. It travels. It multiplies.

And it is never wasted. Sometimes the smallest spark can light up a whole community. God can use one act of generosity to cause a domino effect that shows back up when you least expect it.

This is the best part. You do not have to plan it. Someone just has to start it.

So why not you?

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When Plans Fall Apart

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Proverbs 16:9 — “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Have you ever planned something so perfectly, only to have it fall apart when you least expect it? Unfortunately, last summer, this happened to my family.

David and I took a trip to Houston with my parents and six-month-old daughter for a church conference. Weeks before, I meticulously searched listings to find the perfect Airbnb for our stay. I looked at everything: prices, number of rooms, amenities. After comparing each home, I knew I had found the one.

The reviews were great, and the pictures looked so cute on the listing. I booked the place, and a few weeks later, we were on our way.

But when we opened the door, my stomach dropped. The smell hit me first. There was a thick, smoky haze that didn’t belong anywhere near a baby. The light overhead eerily flicked on and off, and I knew immediately this was not the safe, welcoming space we needed.

Disappointment washed over me. All my planning—wasted. I stood there, trying to breathe through the letdown, when my dad stepped in with a solution. Within an hour, he had us checked into a hotel that smelled like fresh towels and hand soap.

That night, as I watched our daughter sleep in her travel crib, I thought about how life doesn’t always follow my script. I can plan and plan, but sometimes things fall apart anyway. And yet, God shows up in the middle of it all—like a dad with a phone and a calm voice—pointing us toward a better place.

So, the next time life takes an unexpected turn, pause for a moment, look around, and trust that even the detour has purpose. Even if the destination is not the place you picked, trust Him. He will lead you to where you need to be.

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Giving From What You’ve Received

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Hebrews 13:16 – “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Rhonda poured coffee into her favorite mug. The radio hummed softly in the background, like a friend who knew too much but didn’t judge.

For twenty years, Christian radio had been there. Even in the mornings when the dishes were piled high, and when her children squabbled over cereal bowls. Even during her divorce, when everything she’d relied on felt like it was made of paper and could tear at any moment.

She had to pause her monthly giving back then. It hurt more than she expected. Not because the money was gone, but because that act of giving had been a rhythm that told her she was still a person who could extend kindness into the world.

But she never turned the station off. The songs still poured over her, spilling over laundry piles and homework papers. They reminded her of promises she had almost forgotten existed—things like God’s nearness, God’s faithfulness, and God’s care.

Years later, life had shifted in ways that were subtle and miraculous all at once. Bills balanced themselves more easily. Mornings felt lighter. Her heart no longer clenched at the sound of the phone ringing.

She could give again, and more than she ever had before. And as she clicked “submit” on her monthly donation, she realized it wasn’t about the money at all. It was about gratitude. It was about honoring the lifeline that had held her steady when she felt untethered.

The songs hadn’t just played. They had whispered that she could endure. That peace was possible. That even when life felt like it might unravel, God used her radio to help carry her all along.

And maybe that’s the thing: when something has carried you through the hard parts, it’s worth passing it on. Whether it’s a song, a word of encouragement, or a small act of generosity, there’s power in saying, “I remember how this felt, and I want someone else to know they can make it too.”

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From Frozen to Fearless

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Deuteronomy 31:6 — “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.”

In elementary school, we held elections where students in the upper grades could run for class positions—president, treasurer, and the like. I was painfully shy, but for some reason, I wanted to be part of it.

I do not remember where the courage came from. I just remember wanting to try. I made a “Vote for Sarah” shirt. I wrote a speech. I practiced it until it felt natural. There was a spark in me—something new. A sense that I had something to say.

When my name was called, I walked to the front of the room and stood at the podium. I looked out at my classmates, took a deep breath, and froze.

My mind went blank. A few jumbled words came out as I turned red with embarrassment.

I felt like I had let myself down in front of everyone.

I carried that moment with me for years. I did not raise my hand in class. I avoided being called on. I assumed I was not meant to speak in front of people.

Then, years later, I sensed God asking me to share my story—the one where I met Jesus. With everything in me, I wanted to make Jesus more famous by sharing how he had saved me, but all I could think about was what might happen if I froze again.

But God kept gently reminding me that His Spirit is not limited by my strengths and weaknesses. If He was calling me, He would give me what I needed.

So, I said yes.

The nerves were still there. but something greater settled in. As I spoke, the fear shrank. Not because I had gotten stronger, but because I was no longer speaking alone.

Afterwards people came and told me how much they related to my story. I stood there, stunned by what God had done through me. Shy Sarah. This was never about how confident I was. It was about what God could do when I chose to be obedient.

So, if you are standing in front of something that makes you afraid but you know God is asking you to do it—say yes anyway. You never know how many people are waiting on the other side of your obedience.

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Friendship That Brews Hope

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Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.”

I was already halfway to the coffee shop before I realized how heavy my chest felt. It was the kind of heaviness that builds slowly and steadily over time.

But today I had a lifeline. I had a standing coffee date with a friend who knew me—the real me. We always meet in the same spot, bring our kids, and talk for hours.

I parked, lifted Reese from the back seat, and turned to see my friend walking up with her baby in a carrier and a warm smile instantly softening something in me.

We ordered our lattes—mine, honey vanilla over ice—and by some small miracle, our couch was free. The babies wriggled across our laps and played on the rug below.

Between sips of coffee and the comfort of low music playing louder than our voices, I let it all pour out. I told her about the discouragement, the pressure, and my insecurities. And she just listened, really listened.

She didn’t try to fix it, but instead she opened up about her own battles and hard-won victories. She reminded me who God is and what His word said about my circumstances.

Then she asked if she could pray for me.

Tears came quicker than I expected, but I nodded. Of course. Yes. Please. And as she prayed, something loosened inside me. Peace settled in like cool water sinking deep into dry ground.

I stayed quiet for a moment after she prayed, just letting it settle.

Nothing outside had changed, but something inside had. My shoulders softened. The ache in my chest gave way to peace I had not felt in weeks. God was near, and I knew it.

That day, I remembered what I had forgotten: God never intended for us to walk through life alone. He gives us people who carry us to Him when we are too weary to crawl.

So, find those people. When you do, hold onto them because sometimes, the most powerful thing God gives us is not an answer. It’s a friend who prays.

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Peace Starts With Perspective

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Psalms 107:1 — “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!”

The AC gave out in the middle of a Louisiana summer afternoon, which is just about the worst timing possible. I was in our bedroom, stuffing pajamas into a suitcase and trying not to lose my cool, emotionally and physically.

We were packing up to stay at my husband’s parents’ house for a few days. While our house was basically a sauna, theirs at least had working air.

I was grumbling under my breath as I packed. This was not just about busted AC. I was tired of things not going smoothly and the endless to-do lists that never shrunk. I was frustrated from feeling stuck in places I thought I would have outgrown by now.

It was like the broken AC had cracked open a door I had been trying to hold shut.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, suitcase half-zipped, and started praying. It was not the sweet kind of prayers. No, it was an honest, messy pouring out of everything I was carrying. I told God how tired I was, how heavy it all felt.

In the quiet that followed, I felt Him meet me there, not with shame but with clarity. He helped me notice what I had missed in my storm of frustration: my complaining was not changing anything, but it was changing me.

I realized my peace was slipping through my fingers, and in its place, distress was robbing me of joy. In that moment I remembered: my family was safe, we were loved, and we had extended family willing to opening their home to us. Oh, the heat was real, but so was the goodness I had been missing in my spiral.

I could keep circling that same drain of frustration, or I could climb out (slowly, but intentionally) by choosing gratitude.

So, I took a breath, counted ten, and started counting the good. Not out loud, just in my heart. And I could feel it already—something in me softening.

Friends, gratitude may not fix your circumstance, but it reshapes the soul. It steadies you, lifts you head, and clears the fog. So, if you are feeling stuck in what is not right, maybe what you need is not a change in situation, but a change in perspective.

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Living Unapologetically Free

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John 8:36 — “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

“Free indeed.”

That’s what Jesus promised me, and for a long time, I didn’t believe it.

Counseling gave me some tools to navigate the mess inside, sort through years of self-doubt, and even breathe a little deeper. But sitting quietly before the Lord one morning—Bible open, heart laid bare—I felt something shift.

This wasn’t just healing. This was freedom, and it came when God whispered truth into a part of my heart I always kept covered up.

I can still see that day in my mind. I was just a kid, all bright eyes with laughter bubbling up with every breath. My heart was open to the world. I thought that was a good thing.

Then someone I respected—someone whose opinion mattered—made a joke: “No one takes you seriously.”

It was a throwaway comment, but it hurt. I laughed about it to soften the blow, but the seed took root. From then on, a quiet voice tagged along wherever I went. It whispered to me in job interviews, on ministry teams, every time I was called to lead.

“No one takes you seriously. You’re silly. Immature. Forgettable.”

But that morning—just me and Jesus—I finally listened to someone who actually knew me, and His words spoke louder than the lie.

God’s voice didn’t shame me. It called me: “Capable. Wise. Joyful. Delightful. Chosen. Mine.”

Sure, I had some growing up to do. Who doesn’t? But I’m done apologizing for being the person God made me to be. That is exactly the woman He wants to use. I don’t have to hide or wear a mask. I can be smart and still crack a joke. I can lead boldy and laugh.

Because Jesus didn’t just save me. He set me free.

If you’re living under someone else’s label, ask God who He says you are. Because the truth? It’s His words that matter, and His words set us free to be exactly who He made us to be—no masks, no shame. Just freedom.

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The Gift of Being Different

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Deuteronomy 14:2 — “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.”

Growing up, I always knew I was different.

From family to classmates at school, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I just didn’t fit in. It felt like everyone else had some critical ingredient I was missing. Kids my age raised their hands, answered questions, laughed out loud like they belonged there.

For the longest time, I thought something was wrong with me. I was timid, more introverted, and often wondered if anyone even noticed me. That feeling of invisibility started to shape how I saw myself. I developed low self-esteem and bent over backward trying to please people.

But one day, one of those classmates invited me to go to church with her. I didn’t have a good reason to say no, so I went, nervous and unsure. That’s where I first heard about Jesus—how He came for people like me. The misfits, the quiet ones, and the ones who don’t know where they belong.

He came for me, and He loved me enough to give His life for me.

That felt like sunlight cracking through a storm cloud. For the first time, I felt truly seen and known.

But I wish I could say the insecurities vanished overnight. They didn’t. I carried them into high school, college, and early adulthood.

Then one Sunday, a pastor said something that caught me off guard. He said, “You are different.” My heart sank, but he went on: “God made you that way—on purpose, for a purpose.”

I sat up straighter. For the first time, I thought: maybe I wasn’t defective after all. Maybe I was designed by a loving God who had a plan for my life—and maybe my differences were actually gifts.

Later, I found it in Scripture—Deuteronomy 14:2. God sets us apart, chooses us, and calls us His special treasure. That’s not just poetic. That’s personal.

That’s when I started to see it and embrace it. I was handpicked by God, different, and made with a purpose only I could fulfill.

And maybe you need that reminder, too. Maybe you’ve spent too long thinking your differences disqualify you. But the truth is: God doesn’t make mistakes. He made you different on purpose, for a purpose—so you could bring something only you can bring to His family.

Don’t let the world’s lies define you. Let Jesus reintroduce you to the you He made—a masterpiece, a treasure. The real, set-apart you.

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Finding Light After the Longest Night

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Psalm 30:5b – “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Summertime always takes me back to childhood camping trips with my family.

Every Friday, we eagerly packed up for our weekend adventure. Before we upgraded to a travel trailer, our family of five would squeeze into a large tent, excited for nights under the stars.

I vividly remember one trip when a storm came in the middle of the night. As a young girl, I was terrified. Rain pelted the tent as thunder cracked like a whip, echoing through the forest. The thin canvas walls felt utterly useless against the raw power of the winds.

Certain we would not survive, I woke my mom. Her voice, steady and calm, cut through the chaos. She assured me she would not let anything happen to my siblings or me. We were safe.

Her words soothed my anxious mind enough to let me drift back to sleep. I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the trees and to peace knowing we made it.

Life’s tempests can feel no less daunting as an adult. Disappointments crash into our world and heartaches pound us like a hurricane. We feel exposed, defenseless. In those moments of crippling fear, it is easy to forget we are not alone.

But just as I wholeheartedly trusted my mom in the storm, we can trust God to cover us and keep us safe. His strength steadies us when our own fails.

Here is the unexpected truth: the fiercest storms only last a night. Just like that childhood tent, our faith may feel flimsy, but when we hold on, we find unseen strength and peace.

The storms may be inevitable, but they do not have to define us. Because God is with us, we can weather them. So hold on to this truth – our hope, like the sunrise, is always just a morning away.

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Do Not Give Up Yet

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Romans 12:12 — Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

She texted me out of the blue.

“Can you pray for me?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “of course,” and then I called her.

The conversation was short. Her voice was guarded, but something in it cracked just enough for light to sneak through. We prayed. She thanked me, and we hung up.

And when I sat back in the silence, I felt it. Something had shifted. Just a little. God was doing something.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

That night, I slipped down to my knees for what must have been the hundredth time. I prayed again: for her healing, for her heart, for the wreckage in her past to stop defining her future. I asked God to help her trust Him again.

Because what good would it do if I gave up now?

When I see her again, I have to blink hard to fight back tears. A lump forms fast in my throat, but I still check in on her like I always do. Gently.

This relationship used to be easy. Sweet, even. But that feels like a lifetime ago. And there they are again, those invisible walls she’s learned to stack like bricks, one cold, polite answer at a time. I pray silently.

God, will You make this better again? Please.

That night, with my heart aching, I almost gave into disappointment. I scrolled my phone, trying to outrun my feelings, but there it was again, that familiar nudge in my spirit to pray. It was the kind that won’t let me stay comfortable.

So, I dropped to my knees again. I wept, and God met me there. Again.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He reminded me of that brave text last night, that prayer call, and that softening in her voice. He’s not done with her.

And suddenly, that was enough.

So, friends, what I am learning is don’t stop praying. Let your knees hit the floor a thousand times if they need to. Keep trusting that beyond what your eyes can see, God is moving mountains in the hearts of those you love.

Because hope isn’t just a feeling. It’s a decision that sounds like this.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

 

Lyrics:

What’s your impossible
Your “I need a miracle”
What’s got you barely hanging by a single thread
What looks so hopeless now
What weighs down your heart with doubt
You beg for a breakthrough but no sign of breakthrough yet

When you’ve cried and you’ve cried til your tears run dry
The answer won’t come and you don’t know why
And you wonder if you can bow your head even one more time

Don’t stop praying
Don’t stop calling on Jesus name
Keep on pounding on heaven’s door
Let your knees wear out the floor
Don’t stop believing
‘Cause mountains move with just a little faith
And your Father’s heard every single word you’re saying
So, don’t stop praying

He’s close to the brokenhearted
Saves those who are crushed in spirit
The Alpha and Omega knows how your story ends

When you’ve cried and you’ve cried til your tears run dry
The answer won’t come and you don’t know why
And you wonder if you can bow your head even one more time
Oh, do it one more time

And don’t stop praying
Don’t stop calling on Jesus name
Keep on pounding on heaven’s door
Let your knees wear out the floor
Don’t stop believing
‘Cause mountains move with just a little faith
And your Father’s heard every single word you’re saying
So, don’t stop praying

(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
Oh
(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
Oh, don’t stop praying
(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
Oh (Oh)

Don’t stop praying for the prodigal
Don’t stop praying for the miracle
Hallelujah, hallelujah and amen

Don’t stop praying that addictions end
Don’t stop praying for deliverance
Hallelujah, hallelujah and amen

Oh, don’t stop praying for the sickness healed
Don’t stop praying for His power revealed
Hallelujah, hallelujah and amen

No, don’t stop praying for the kingdom come
Don’t stop praying that his will be done
Hallelujah, hallelujah and amen

Don’t stop praying
Don’t stop calling on Jesus name
Keep on pounding on heaven’s door
Let your knees wear out the floor
Don’t stop believing
‘Cause mountains move with just a little faith
And your Father’s heard every single word you’re saying
So, don’t stop praying

(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
Oh, don’t stop praying
(Don’t stop don’t stop praying)
Don’t you give up now (Oh)
No, don’t stop praying

Music by Matthew West performing “Don’t Stop Praying”
(C) 2024 Provident Label Group LLC, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
#MatthewWest #ChristianMusic #DontStopPraying

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