Jesus put it a different way: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

We can talk about what is important to us, but our money will show the truth. Because what we care about, our money follows after. Regardless of the state of your bank account, this one thing re…

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Incrementally, I’m entering a new stage of life. The nest is beginning to empty...

This past June, our middle child graduated from high school. She did the research, pursued her dreams of running cross country for a D1 school, and secured a spot on the team. We are so proud of her hard work to not only get the dream spot she wanted, but also to get into Honors College to work toward her science degree. All of which means she is moving out.

Though we already have a child in college, our firstborn chose to go to college closer to home and commute. So, this past year, we got a taste of college life without having to say goodbye.

But this year it’s different. This year, we made a packing list, did all-the-things to make sure finances are in order, packed up the blue moving bags, cherished every “last” moment, and took the 2.5-hour trip to move our daughter into her dorm.

Now, a piece of my heart lives a couple of hours away, and I am learning a new level of prayer and trusting. I am excited to see the young woman she will become, but I’m also anxious about what the world is going to throw at her. I tried my best to be intentional with the moments leading up to move-out day and worked hard to be the supportive, steady mom when the day arrived. I put together 5 Intentional Practices for the Season of Launching that summarizes what I have done to help myself with this transition. It’s a free download that you can get by clicking below.

Maybe you have toddlers and those college years feel so far away. And maybe all of this is in the rear view mirror, and you’ve got words of wisdom for me (hit reply - I’d love to hear them!)

But for those of you in a similar boat as me: whether you have a young adult working and living at home, graduating and moving out, or one who still doesn’t know what they want but just wants to leap out of the nest regardless, we can practice these 5 intentional moments as mamas stepping into this new phase of life.

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A Moment of Prayer

Our prayer this week comes from Isaiah 41:10.

When we need to remember our children belong to God and they can never run to a place where His love cannot reach them.

Father,

God, thank You for the gift of raising this child.
Help me loosen my grip and strengthen my trust.
Remind me that You love them even more than I do—and You are not sending them out alone.
Uphold them with Your righteous right hand, and uphold me too.

A Moment of Intention

Letting go is sacred. And just like all the seasons before this one, God goes before both you and your child—with grace for the letting go and hope for what’s ahead. As moms, we often carry the weight of “what ifs” and “will they be okay?” But here’s what settles the soul:

God loves your child more than you do.

He sees every step they’ll take and every mistake they’ll make.
And He—not you—is their ultimate provider, protector, and guide.

Your love shaped them. But His love sustains them.

^{Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12)}

And later, in chapter 3, verses 9 and 14–17, Peter encourage…

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We often buy into the lie that we are only worth what we produce.

Without even realizing it, you live this out in your day-to-day existence.

You create, you produce, you make more. You share it with the world and then wait with expectation, hoping for acknowledgment, desiring someone to tell you they like what you do. Because if someone likes your work, then you matter.

Then you project that same thought process onto your relationship with God, telling yourself that everything you do will make you better in His sight.

You keep striving, doing more, producing more - believing it will fulfill you and define your worth.

But instead of fulfillment, you are exhausted. Instead of worthy, you continue to feel like you fall short.

You’ve taken the lie that you are only worth what you produce and have made it your mantra. And it has left you tired and weary.

How do you fight back? What is the cure for the endless-effort life?

Do the opposite.

Whenever you feel the need rising up in you to have to prove your worth, or the voice in your head starts telling you that if you aren’t moving ahead, then you’re falling behind - then fight the urge and do the opposite.

Do nothing. Rest. Set your work on the shelf. Do something that no one else can acknowledge, see, or know. Take a nap. Journal. Go for a walk. Bake muffins and then sit on your porch and eat one warm.

Hebrews 4:9+10 (ESV) is a beautiful invitation to cease from the endless-effort life:

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

A Moment of Prayer

Our prayer this week comes from Hebrews 4:9-10.

When we need to remember that we do not need to work to prove ourselves in God’s eyes.

Father,

It can be so hard to buy into the lie that in order to be worth something, I need to produce something. This world tells me I am only as good as the last good thing I did. But Your Kingdom tells me I can rest because I’m already seen, loved, and worthy. Give me a heart for Your ways - where I can delight in the work You’ve called me to and rest in Your love, knowing my best efforts will always be good enough for You.

A Moment of Intention

When you seek Christ as your Savior, then you can cease from the endless effort of life. You have nothing to prove and no worth to claim. Christ has sacrificed His life for yours, and in Him, you have your purpose and your worth.

Any work you do and anything you create are just embellishments. They aren’t needed, but they are welcome. They are beautiful works that can point back to Jesus. Isn’t it amazing that God didn’t need any of us, but He calls us into His work anyway?!

You are invited into this Sabbath rest, not just on Sundays, but every day. You are invited to rest from striving in life and instead rest and trust in God to give you your worth and fulfillment.

What part of your endless-effort life can you set aside for a life of Sabbath rest?

Before you go…

If resting feels harder than striving, you’re not alone. We’ve been taught to believe our value comes from what we accomplish, but God has always measured us by something entirely different.

In my book, I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together, I explore what it means to step away from the endless pressure to earn our worth and instead embrace the life God designed from the very beginning—a life marked by communion with Him, purposeful work, and deep, soul-giving rest. If you’re longing to trade exhaustion for peace, I think you’ll find hope there.

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In my head, my first thought was, No, I’d rather not go out in ninety-five-degree heat and toss a Frisbee at targets for two hours. It was a day that I had a chance to work on my to-do list. Between getting caught up on laundry, working on my book, cleaning the house, and finishing a room-painting project, it really di…

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The other day, I found myself standing in my kitchen waiting for water to boil.

The house was unusually quiet. One child was reading. Another was taking an online college summer class exam. The third was out on a run. Dinner prep was mostly done, and for a few brief minutes, there was nothing left for me to do except wait.

It’s funny how uncomfortable those moments can feel. Not because we’re busy—but because we’re so accustomed to filling every empty space, that we sometimes feel lost when we’re left with nothing to do but wait.

Times like waiting in the pickup line, standing in the checkout lane, arriving early for an appointment, or even sitting in the car before heading inside.

How often do those moments immediately become opportunities to reach for our phones? To scroll, listen, consume, or distract ourselves?

We’ve become incredibly skilled at filling every quiet space. Yet in doing so, we may be crowding out something our souls desperately need.

Stillness, reflection, and the awareness of God’s presence.

God speaks in whispers, not in shouts. And if we are constantly filling our lives with noise, consumption, and drivel, we leave little room for the quiet, the fullness, the satisfaction of Him.

God is present in far more moments than we realize. But if every pause is filled with distractions from consumption, we may miss the invitation waiting there.

Perhaps those small moments of waiting aren’t interruptions to our day.

Perhaps they’re invitations to breathe, notice, listen, and remember that we’re not carrying life on our own.

An Intentional Prayer

Father, Thank You for being present in both the busy moments and the quiet ones. Forgive me for the ways I rush to fill every empty space instead of turning to You. Help me recognize the small invitations throughout my day to pause and become aware of Your presence. Teach me to be comfortable with stillness and attentive to Your gentle leading. Quiet my mind, steady my heart, and help me hear Your whisper above the noise. Amen.

An Intentional Moment

This week, pay attention to the moments when you’re waiting. Before reaching for your phone, try something different.

• Take five slow breaths.

• Pray.

• Look around and notice God’s goodness.

• Sit in silence for a few minutes (maybe even set a timer for 5 minutes!).

I’m not promising a grand fanfare the first time you do it. Those first 5 minutes will either feel like torture because you feel like you should be doing something, or a struggle not to fall asleep because you finally sat still.

But I believe that if you start to build space for quiet and stillness, you will notice a positive change. Eventually, that peace and fullness you receive from sitting in the presence of your Creator will be carried with you through the day.

As His word promises: You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. (Isaiah 26:3)

Let’s be more intentional with our thoughts, not allowing them to be overtaken by what we consume, but instead aligned with Who we follow after. Perhaps we’ll find less need for that consumption and find fulfillment in the only Place it can truly be found.

And perhaps over time you’ll discover something beautiful: peace often grows in the spaces we stop trying to fill.

Before you go.

When we fill our lives with what the world tells us will bring peace, we are only putting Band-Aids on our overwhelm. In my newest book, I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed, I dig deeper into practical and spiritual ways that we can address and experience God’s peace like He originally designed it for us all those years ago in Eden.

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It’s good that we keep an eternal focus. This world isn’t our home, and we’re only here for a short time. But God’s not expecting us to just hold…

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My latest book was released two months ago. Since then, here are a few of the thoughts that have crept into my mind:

“No one is going to read this.”

“I’m not good enough to be an author.”

“Did I hear God right?”

“What if it’s a complete failure?”

“What if I never write another book?”

“Moody is probably disappointed in me.”

“She (another author) is doing it so much better.”

“Everyone is doing it so much better.”

What do all of those things have in common? Every single one of them involves me looking at myself and my performance, and depending on myself for the success of it all. Deep down, I know that all of those concerns are unfounded, but they keep popping up regardless.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who contends with these negative thoughts, an inner critic, or self-doubt. What do we do with the defeatist attitude that keeps taking over our minds? Scripture tells us to take them captive, but how do we do that?

We sometimes think that taking our thoughts captive means completely squashing them and eradicating them from our minds. We strong-arm them into submission until they no longer exist. And then, when they show up again, we think we’re a failure because they don’t ever disappear for good.

But is that what captive really means? In 2 Corinthians 10:5, captive means to take with a spear, conquer in war, or bring into bondage.

To put it in a more relevant (and maybe a bit silly) perspective, imagine you have a pet hamster. It gets out of its cage and starts wreaking havoc in your living room: chewing on pillows, shredding book pages, leaving its mess in the middle of the floor. Our negative thoughts are like that hamster. If we let them loose without addressing them, they make a disaster in our minds; eating away at our peace, shredding our confidence in Christ, and leaving their mess of lies in the middle of our floor.

To stop the mess, we need to capture the hamster and put it back in the cage where it belongs. We don’t destroy it or toss it out of our house. Instead, we name it for what it is and put it in its proper place. We can do the same with our negative thoughts. When a thought crosses our mind, we label it as a lie and mentally file it away with the rest of the lies. It doesn’t mean the thought won't come again, but each time we call it out for what it is and put it where it belongs, we are training our brain to listen to the false messages less and less.

An Intentional Prayer

Father, thank You for being the Creator of lovely, honorable, right, and excellent things. And, because I am created by You, I am one of those things, too. Forgive me when I start focusing on all the failings and falsehoods and start to believe them as truth. Help me keep my eyes focused on You and my mind dwelling on what is true.

An Intentional Moment

Some methods that I use to capture my thoughts:

1. Write them down, and then write the truth beside them. Seeing the lies in black and white can help us see how ridiculous and weak they truly are and how powerful the truth of our God is.

2. Speak them out loud to a trusted friend - words kept in the dark can’t have power over us.

3. If I’m in a spot where the negative thought keeps berating me. For example, if I’m standing at the sink, doing the dishes, and ruminating on a destructive thought. Then, I physically remove myself from the kitchen. I go outside and talk with God, tell Him what’s eating at me, and ask Him to intervene. Physically moving from the place where you were struggling with a thought can help your mind and body feel like you are walking away from a bully and toward a safer place.

What is the negative thought that keeps coming into your mind that needs to be taken captive? What is the truth that you can speak to counteract it? Visualize capturing that negative thought, filing it away, and locking the key.

God is always present, ready, and willing to save you from those destructive thoughts. Think through the thoughts that you are holding on to. How are they affecting your relationships, your health, and your daily living? Take time to root these out. Healthy thoughts do not just happen—we have to be intentional.

Before you go.

When we fill our lives with what the world tells us will bring peace, we are only putting Band-Aids on our overwhelm. In my newest book, I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed, I dig deeper into practical and spiritual ways that we can address and experience God’s peace like He originally designed it for us all those years ago in Eden.

GET THE BOOK

Along with that, shopping online is easier than ever. You can hop onto Amazon…

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Why are we so obsessed with arriving? Why are our thoughts so often consumed with arriving at the next step in a career, the next stage with our kids, the next tier financially, or the completion of a dream?

Because arriving was built into our DNA.

Hebrews 13:14 (ESV) says, “We have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come.” Even since getting kicked out of Eden, our souls have longed to arrive. But instead of taking that longing and turning it towards the desires of heaven, we pour it into temporary pursuits.

My husband and I love road trips. One particular trip we planned would require multiple days in the car to reach our destination across the country. We reviewed routes that would take us through destinations we hadn’t yet visited and looked forward to exploring new roads. Once in the car and on our way, we had each destination in mind. Often we’d drive 8-10 hours a day, so finally arriving at our planned stop felt amazing…if we stayed focused on the current place. Being at our current destination and having spent half a day getting there, the best plan would be to stop, explore, and enjoy what the area has to offer. However, we often found ourselves exhausted, just looking for a good meal, and planning out what the next day of driving had in store for us. We were so focused on getting to the next step that we couldn’t fully enjoy the one we were currently in.

Maybe that’s you right now. Consumed with the next step, consumed with arriving at that one place where you know you will finally be happy. But, unfortunately, you will never arrive, and you will never be fully satisfied.

At least on this earth.

We feel discontent when our pursuit is misdirected toward earthly things instead of a heavenly focus.

It’s not wrong to have that drive - God placed it in us - to drive us back to Him. When our pursuits are also focused on bringing God glory and learning more about Him in the process, then the obsession with arriving takes on a new perspective. We can view our journey in life as Abraham did, as discussed in Hebrews 11:10: “He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Go ahead and set goals and plan your dreams, but see them through the lens of your temporary home, knowing that none of these things will truly bring you fulfillment. And that’s OK. When you start to see things through that lens, the need to hustle is removed. You have permission to move at a pace that is set by God, not by the world’s.

An Intentional Prayer

Our prayer this week comes from Hebrews 13:14.

When we need to remember the destination that we are truly moving towards.

Father,

Thank you for the hope of eternity with You. When my eyes are fixed on that promise, I have the strength to face the hard days. Forgive me for when I lose the vision of that eternal city and instead focus on temporal, earthly pursuits that do not glorify You. I want the faith of Abraham, that while he lived in tents and this temporary life, he trusted that You, the architect, were building him a lasting foundation in eternity. Give me courage to press on here for as long as you give me breath, and to keep looking forward to finally arriving in that city with You.

An Intentional Moment

Today, take a step back and evaluate what things in your life you have become focused on arriving at - are they aligned with God’s call on your life?

Do they bring you closer to Him and give Him glory as you live it out? Are you placing all of your hopes of contentment on whatever this next arrival is?

Take these things to God and ask Him to give you a passion to pursue the things He has laid on your heart, not resting it all in the hopes of arriving at anything on this earth, but instead, getting closer to the destination where the builder and designer is God Himself.

Before you go…

Have you ever noticed how every milestone eventually gives way to another one? That's because your heart was never designed to find lasting fulfillment in this world. In I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together, I explore how returning to God's original design frees us from the pressure to chase what can never satisfy and instead helps us find the peace that comes from walking closely with Him. If this reflection resonated with you, I think you'll find encouragement in its pages.

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Money itself is not the problem. Money is a tool that can be used for good.

The love of …

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In the winter, we heat our home with a woodstove. I love the warm, radiant heat and the coziness of settling in by the fire on a cold winter morning. But before I can ever enjoy those cozy moments, our family has to put in the work of rounding up the fuel. Often our summers consist of cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood.

Recently, I was helping my husband with the log splitting portion. The log-splitter itself is a 4-foot-long metal bar with a sharp metal wedge on one end and a flat plunger on the other. You place the log between the two, and when the lever is pulled, the plunger moves the log towards the wedge. The plunger exerts over 2,500 pounds per square inch of pressure, splitting the massive log in two.

The logs are too heavy for me to lift, so I get the task of controlling the lever and getting a front row seat to the cleaving of the wood. Often, the logs split without difficulty, as if a knife were through butter. Others, however, cause the plunger to stop despite the constant force applied to it. Eventually, the wood splits, but not without difficulty.

What made that part of the wood more difficult to split? Why was that portion of the log stronger?

Burls, also known as knots, are an indication that a tree was once under stress. Many factors could have caused a tree to form a burl. Sometimes burls grow in response to a limb rubbing against the bark. Insects or a physical injury, such as lightning, can be the culprit. Even environmental stressors to the tree can be to blame — extreme temperatures, or lack of food, water, or sunlight.

Whatever the cause, it is clear that difficult experiences for the tree make it grow stronger in certain spots. Often, these burls show up on the outside bark of the tree as large, bumpy scars. They aren’t necessarily pretty to look at, from the outside.

However, woodworkers highly value these burls. In fact, a few people have stopped by our house to ask if they could harvest the burls from our woodpile. These knots, formed from hardship, make the tree stronger and inwardly more beautiful and valuable.

As I operated the lever, I thought about the correlation between those strong spots in the wood and our own lives. Those parts of us that are scarred and battle-worn, but also stronger because of the difficulty. We may see that part of us as bumpy, ugly, and scarred. But our God sees the beauty among the healed wounds.

Isaiah 40:28-29 says: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (ESV)

The Israelites were facing some hard times of persecution and exile. After Isaiah prophesied of the coming hardships, he encouraged the people with the words of Isaiah 40. The Lord’s people were weary, but Isaiah reminded them of their Creator, Who never grows tired or weary. And, if His people would look to Him in the middle of their difficulties, He would give them the strength and power they needed.

A Moment of Prayer

Our prayer this week comes from Isaiah 40:28-29.

Do hard circumstances in your life cause you to forget God’s power and provision? Are you tired of having to constantly find your own strength to fight the battles?

Father, I know You are the everlasting God and the Creator of everything. I know You hold the power to resurrect Jesus from the dead and You have the power to see me through any circumstance. Thank you for being a good Father that never grows weary. I’m grateful to serve a God whose understanding is more than I can fathom. Because a God that I can understand is a god too small for my needs. I want to seek You for my strength and trust You to provide in the middle of the hard things. I know that in my weakness, You show up with Your strength. Please do this in my life so that You can receive all the glory.

A Moment of Intention

You can go through life trying to avoid the hard things because hard things make you uncomfortable. But those are the circumstances that bring growth and what can draw you closer to the One who is the Source of all strength and comfort. Just as God reminded Paul in 2 Corinthians, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” He speaks the same to you today. When hard circumstances wear you down, when you are like the tree, facing extreme stressors, then you have the opportunity to allow God’s strength to be shown through you. You may be weak, but through Him you are strong. His strength is perfected in your weakness.

Trees grow knots and burls to show the places where difficulties made them stronger. May your scars be a way for you to point back to your Savior, to be able to say, “Here was where I was weak, but God was strong.” Just as the knots in the trees grow into strong remembrances of strength through difficulty, may your life reflect God’s glory and be a beautiful reminder of His faithfulness through hard times.

Before You Go...

If this reflection reminded you that God often does His deepest work in the hardest seasons, I think you’ll love I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together. Throughout the book, I explore how returning to God’s original design helps us find peace in the middle of life’s pressures—not by becoming stronger ourselves, but by learning to rely on the One whose strength never fails. If you’re ready to trade striving for abiding, I’d love for you to read it.

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As you think through your budget, be sure to pu…

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Last week, my husband and I led a group of high school students on a mission trip into the Appalachian Mountains. We had an excellent group of chaperones to help us, but I kept having the thought creep up that it was up to me to hold this whole trip together: the travel, the daily schedule, the supervision, the safety - all of it.

Last week was good practice for living out the concepts of my latest book. Because, although I felt like it was my job to hold it all together, it was ultimately up to God.

I knew I needed to weave in the Eden practices to remain connected to the Father and to show up like I needed to for the kids and mission. So, to keep my heart focused on what mattered, here is what I did:

1. Communion with God: I got up about an hour before everyone to read and pray. There was a wide front porch with rocking chairs on the mission house’s front side, which was perfect for it. A bonus – I got to watch the sunrise light up the mountains!

2. Purpose: I looked for ways to encourage others and be the helper behind the scenes. This was one way I could be fruitful and multiply.

3. Boundaries: I took a 15-minute break in the middle of the day to quiet my body and mind. This helped me reset and reconnect with the Father, too.

4. Outdoors: I relished in God’s creation, taking as many pictures of flowers, mushrooms, trees, and mountains as possible.

5. Belonging: I dug into conversations and cultivated relationships.

6. Goodness: When I started feeling frustrated, I looked for God’s goodness that was still present. Training my brain to move towards gratitude rather than complaint helped me shift my perspective.

7. Rest: I downloaded a book (Theo of Golden! Highly recommend!) so I could read for a few minutes before bed. And then I took Benadryl so I could actually sleep through the night (sleeping in bunks is no joke!).

A Moment of Prayer

Father, when I'm faced with big tasks ahead, it's so easy to want to take the reins and believe it's up to me to control the provision and the outcome. But I know you are the Ultimate Provider and the Source of my peace. Give me the courage to hand over to You what is Yours to handle, and give me the grace to tackle the things You have placed in my hands to steward. I want to honor you in what I do, think, and say. Amen.

A Moment of Intention

Could you relate to my overwhelming feelings of needing to hold the whole mission trip together on my own? Maybe it’s not a mission trip for you. Maybe it’s a work project, something at home, or a relationship that needs work. Do you find yourself fretting about being the one who provides and produces positive outcomes?

The great news is that those parts are never up to you! We have a good, good Father who wants to be your Provider, and He has good plans for the outcome.

I encourage you to try the seven attributes of Eden this week: Communion with God, Purpose, Rest, Outdoors, Boundaries, Belonging, and Goodness.

Need more guidance on what that looks like? Check out my book on Amazon.

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We may say we want to save for the rainy day, but when that ad pops up in our feed, we give in to the pull to “take a quick look” and soon find ourselves the owner of a pair of boots we didn’t know we “needed” until we saw them.

We may say we’re fr…

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For a time, after recovering from COVID, I had lost my sense of taste.

Thankfully, it came back after a few weeks. But the one thing that took longer for my taste buds to register was salt. I found myself using the salt shaker on everything just so I could get a hint of the food that I was eating.

This continued for about nine months until one day, after my usual heavy-handedness with the salt shaker, I found that my taste had returned. And the food I’d just salted, which yesterday would have been just right for tasting, was today WAY too salty. The salt wasn’t different, but I was.

There are many references to salt in scripture. One specifically is Colossians 4:6. Just prior to that verse, Paul was encouraging the believers at Colossi in their behavior toward each other in their homes and also toward those who are “outsiders,” or people who are not Christ followers.

He follows up the encouragement with, “Let your speech be gracious and seasoned with salt…”

Salt has many uses: preservation and flavor enhancement are two we most likely think of first.

When the Bible was written, salt was also used to seal agreements because it symbolized the strength and permanence of the agreement. Salt was a valuable commodity because it was used to preserve food before refrigeration.

Paul could be pointing to all of these factors when encouraging the believers to carry out speech seasoned with salt: preserve relationships, enhance the flavor of conversation, and communicate your integrity with the words you speak.

When it comes to seasoning, I couldn’t help but think about my experience with losing my taste and its return. At one point, the amount of salt I used was enough to enhance flavor, but later it changed, and I needed a different amount.

In our speech with others, are we conscious of the seasoning to accommodate who we are speaking to? Are we mindful of how we speak appropriately to different individuals with their own peculiar needs with whom we come in contact?

If a friend is grieving the loss of a family member, we wouldn’t have the same conversation with them as we would with someone who just landed their dream job. If someone is walking a dark road of depression we don’t give them a cheery pep talk, we come alongside them and offer our presence and a few well-seasoned words.

Our conversations need to always be seasoned with the Spirit; the delivery of the salt just needs to look different depending on the individual’s needs.

I’m an introvert, and the thought of trying to come up with a conversation gives me hives. But I love the simplicity that is given in this one verse - season your conversation with salt, and you’ll know how to answer each person. We may not always get the words right - but if we are seeking the Spirit to sprinkle the right amount of salt through our words, we can be the love of Christ to those around us.

A Moment of Prayer

Our prayer this week comes from Colossians 4:6.

Are we intentional with the words we speak with others? Are we seeking God first before we have conversations with unbelievers or difficult discussions with a friend?

Father, As Your child, I am your representative to the world. When I claim You as my Father, I know that I need to be Your example of love, mercy, and grace to others. Give me Your Spirit’s wisdom to know when to speak and that, when I do, it is seasoned in a way that draws others closer to You with a desire to know You more.

A Moment of Intention

The next time you are set to meet up with a friend, an acquaintance, or even for a business meeting, take a few minutes to pray. Whether it’s in your car in the coffee shop parking lot, at your work desk, or pausing to pray before the visitor shows up at your house. Even if you’re looking forward to a casual meeting with friends, bring it to the Lord. Ask Him to give you the right words to speak at the right time so that your conversation will be seasoned in a way that preserves relationships, enhances the flavor of conversation, and communicates your integrity with the words you speak.

Before you go…

Speaking with grace begins long before the conversation itself—it starts with a heart that is anchored in God's presence. In I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together, you'll discover seven life-giving truths from Eden that help us exchange striving for peace and learn to live the way God intended. If that sounds like something your soul needs, I'd love for you to grab a copy.

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Self-sufficiency chokes out faith. When we think we can do…

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At a recent book signing, I had someone ask me, “How long have you carried this dream? When did you first want to write a book?”

Those questions immediately made me mentally roll back the clock. Images of 3rd-grade me lying on my bedroom floor, putting words on paper. Sitting at the kitchen table, making my own bindings and covers for books I had written. Working in the school library as a 6th-grader, dreaming about what it would be like to see a book I had written on the shelf.

As I told them all this, they smiled and said, “Congratulations to 3rd Grade Nichole.” And then they asked, “When did that dream stop living inside you, and you decided to do something about it?”

Not until I was 35.

I had been blogging for close to a decade. My audience mostly consisted of my mother-in-law, mom, and a few church friends. Writing and publishing books wasn’t on my radar as something that could be a reality, just a childhood dream. But then someone left a comment on one of my blog posts, saying they appreciated the way I wrote and that I really should write a book.

A seed was planted. It sat dormant for a couple of years, but I slowly started pursuing ways to lead me toward publishing. It was a long, slow trek, and I didn’t know if publishing would ever happen. But, I believe the slow road makes the accomplishment even sweeter because work, waiting, and growth happened in that 8-year span.

And now, my book, published by Moody Publishers, has officially been out in the world for one month.

You may think this is leading me to tell you to follow your dreams and pursue them. But that’s not what this is all about. Instead, I want you to focus on the two people who asked meaningful questions and dropped encouragement when it wasn’t expected.

Proverbs 25:11 says, “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.”

When was the last time you handed someone a golden apple? Maybe it was advice, but maybe it was asking meaningful questions and listening with intention. Or giving encouragement to someone who is quietly and faithfully working on what they’ve been called to do.

The world is full of criticism, bad news, and naysayers. We can choose to be the kind voice of encouragement that shines a light in the darkness. This isn’t about glossing over hard things; it’s about measuring the words we speak, looking for opportunities to encourage, and regarding others’ interests over our own.

We have the opportunity to be Christ’s Light in how we live, and one way is to have a silver basket full of golden apples to hand out.

A Moment of Prayer

from Proverbs 25:11

Father, give me a heart that sees those who need to be reminded of Your Truth and encouraged to walk in the way You have called them to. I want to be a voice that reflects Your kindness and compassion. I want to ask questions that lead to deeper relationships. Help me to step outside of my own mind and world and embrace others, offering them apples of gold in a silver basket.

A Moment of Intention

Has someone recently accomplished something they have been working towards for a long time? What kind of meaningful questions can you ask them to help them reflect?

Do you see someone who has been quietly and faithfully working at what they have been called to do? How can you help them feel seen and encourage them to keep going?

Do you have someone in your life (co-worker, sibling, neighbor) who has interests completely different than yours? In what ways can you invite a closer relationship with that person by showing curiosity and setting aside your own interests to learn more about theirs?

Before you go.

Trying to control people and outcomes leads to overwhelm because we believe their success depends on us. In my newest book, I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed, I dig deeper into practical and spiritual ways that we can release the people - and outcomes of those relationships - to God. And then experience God’s peace like He originally designed it for us all those years ago in Eden.

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For over a year, I have offered a weekly prayer and verse to my paid subscribers on Substack. For $5 a month, each week they are delivered via email an audio of a verse and a prayer, led in the format of Lectio Divina.

The verse, prayer, and meditation are no more than 5 minutes, but this portion of time helps us slow down in the midst of our busy lives and refocus our priorities on Christ. You can listen right from your favorite podcast app, while folding laundry, sipping coffee, or sitting quietly in your car before heading into the grocery store.

These episodes are short on purpose. I know your days are full. But I also know how much one verse and one prayer can shift our focus from what’s loud and demanding to what’s eternal and unchanging.

I’m sharing a free episode with you today so you can listen in and see if it’s something you’d like to receive each week. Scroll to the end to find the episode.

My hope is that this weekly pause will become a gentle rhythm in your life—a moment where you inhale truth and exhale prayer. A moment where you remember you’re not doing any of this alone. That God is present, active, and able—right in the middle of your ordinary week.

If you love it and want to receive a new verse and prayer in your inbox (or podcast feed) each Monday, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button below.

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Thank you for being here. It’s an honor to serve you in this small, intentional way.

A Small Moment of Prayer

Father, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day schedule and forget that this list if for such a short time. I want a heart of wisdom, but I know it only comes when my heart and mind are focused on You. Help me to be intentional with the time that I have been given so that this life You've given me can be lived for Your glory.

A Small Moment of Intention

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