She also gives me a quick lesson in matriarchs from the US and what we can learn from their willingness to go first.

Y’all are gonna love Brittany, and you will want to go follow along with her journey of America Everyday!

I asked her 4 questions for this short conversation, but she drops gems of wisdom as she talks about releasing a promise to a new generation and how to combat people pleasing. She also has some thoughts about Abraham and Sarah, and she hopes to ask Sarah what it was really like to used as a pawn by her husband.

You guys will love this conversation because everyone who meet my mom walks away feeling as though they were truly seen and loved.

Enjoy! And maybe you should sit down with a Matriarch in your own life this week and ask a couple of your own questions.

Get your copy of Matriarchs today here!

And I’m still thinking about feeling like a “Messy-arch” 24 hours later. I don’t know about you, but I often feel like a mess. I create plans and envision beautiful moments unfolding in my life, but some days — I wake up late. I trip over the shoes I left at the edge of my bed and no longer have time to wash my VERY dirty hair. I forgot it was my friend’s birthday, I double booked a meeting, and I find a half gallon of milk that rolled under my seat yesterday because the smell in my car is unlike anything I know how to describe (and yes, this was an actual moment in my life).

Can you relate?

The good news is that God wants us to know He’s not looking for perfect Matriarchs. The actual matriarchs in Genesis were messy. They doubted, schemed, lamented, controlled, threw tantrums, and cried. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah were all Messy-archs and still, God worked with them and through them.

This gives me so much hope! And it makes me realize that when Scripture says His mercies are new each morning, that He means it.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

So, what if we allow His mercies to wash afresh over us this day? What if we hand Him our mess and ask Him to remind our hearts that we are called to partner with Him (even in the small ways) to impact our world?

Here are simple words — my prayer for us — as we go into this weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Paige

P.S. If you’re looking for a Bible study this fall, I’d love to tell you more about some messy women in the book of Genesis who we still talk about today! Matriarchs is a deeper look at Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah and what it means to say a bold yes to God.

And, I wrote Matriarchs so you can read it with friends or your church group. Be sure to check out the accompanying videos that go with each section as we read through the book! Check these out on YouTube today!

I thought it would be fun to sit down with women who are saying a bold yes to Jesus and talk about ideas from my recent book Matriarchs. The Genesis mothers have so much to teach us about partnering with God to birth things into the world, and my friend Stephanie is learning about the stage of “leaning into pain” as she launches her own gym.

This is a quick convo as I try to keep them under 15 minutes, but it’s packed with beautiful wisdom and a reminder that saying yes to Jesus can be scary but it is also so very good!

If you’d like to learn more about the Genesis mothers of our faith, grab a copy of my new book today!

Hi Friends!

It’s here! 🤍

Matriarchs is officially born into the world.

And honestly, I’ve been staring at this screen for a while trying to figure out what to type.

Because this book is about the process of partnering with God to birth promises, ideas, dreams, and movements into the earth—and today, I get to do just that.

With Him.

God has been so faithful. So good. So kind to allow me to take steps toward dreams He placed in my heart when I was just a little girl. And isn’t it just like God to weave my dream into a book that I get to place into the hands of women who are carrying dreams of their own?

So today feels like a celebration.

A Thanksgiving feast.

A deep breath.

A moment to look back and say, “God, look what You’ve done.”

But even more than celebrating what has been birthed, I’m celebrating what I believe is still on the horizon.

I desperately want women to experience God for themselves on the journey of saying YES to Him—to discover that He still partners with women, still speaks to women, still entrusts women with things that are meant to make an impact.

We’re going to study the lives of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah—women who said yes to God in the middle of complicated, messy, beautiful stories.

God partnered with women then.

And He’s still doing it today.

So today, I’m inviting you to join me.

Go grab a copy of Matriarchs (or 10 😉) and put it in the hands of the women in your life who have a dream in their heart and a holy sense that it’s meant to make an impact.

Here’s to the dreams we’ve carried, the promises we’re still waiting on, and all the beautiful things God is birthing through women who dare to say YES. 🤍

It’s here. And I’m so grateful.

I went earlier today and found two copies at our local Barnes & Noble.

You can go look at your retailer, or you can also order it at Amazon!

And for those of you who received an early copy, would you consider going and giving it a 5-star review? It would mean so much if you did that at GoodReads and Amazon!

It’s Saturday! I get to sleep in…so why am I waking up at 6:45am?

It’s also the last Saturday of the summer and Selah plays her first volleyball game of this new school year today…where did summer go?

My book enters the world in less than 3 days (yikes! and yippee!) - do people know or should I shout it from the internet rooftops again?

I then heard my dog rustling around and decided I might as well go ahead and get up. I want to savor this final Saturday of the summer, but I also want to shout one last time that Matriarchs is officially entering the world on August 11th.

Now here’s the thing: I’m mostly wanting to shout about this book baby because I’m not sure if you know this or not, but bringing a book into the world is a rather long process. In fact, with my newest book, Matriarchs (which comes out next Tuesday, August 11th), it’s been incubating for over two years.

And it’s a process that involved a lot of people. People who go unseen but who were vital to every step. I often have people ask me about the writing process, so I thought I’d share a quick timeline and people who were involved:

• I began talking about the idea for this book in April 2024 with my amazing editor, Jennifer Dukes Lee & my agent, Joy Eggerichs Reed.

• I then studied and talked about the ideas I was gleaning from Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel & Leah A LOT to my husband, Josh.

• In July 2024, I finished the proposal with Joy, and we sent it off to my acquisitions editor for consideration. Side note: it was originally titled Desert Mothers

• Discussions were had and a contract was signed in October 2024 with the amazing people at Bethany House Publishers

• We agreed to a timeline where I’d have 9 months to write this book, so I got after it!

• I wrote, and wrote, and wrote some more. I found a rhythm in the last 4 months of writing on Thursdays and Fridays if I wasn’t preaching that coming weekend. It was too difficult for me to write a little every day with my job at the church, so I set aside 3-4 days each month to go away and write with full focus. I would go to Ruidoso, NM, where we have a family home and it was such a sweet time.

  

  It was so sweet that I want someone else to experience the beauty of this place, so I’m doing a drawing for one person to get a 2-night stay there sometime this next year. To enter, you just need to pre-order the book and then go fill out this entry form! I’m drawing a winner on Monday.

• During my nine months of writing, I asked 3 friends who were in 3 different stages of life if they would reach each chapter and give me honest feedback. And y’all, they did! Can I tell you what a gift it was to hear back in real time as I wrote from women I trust about what words resonated and where there were gaps? Dawn Brown, Tara Bearden, and Jordyn Moore - I still can’t believe that you gave me so much of your time and wisdom. THANK YOU!

• Back to my timeline: I finished the manuscript and turned it in June 2025! I remember I had a goal to send it off before we went on a family vacation. I literally hit send the day before we left, so the trip felt like taking a deep breath after months of work.

• And then we started to edit the book. The editing process went from August 2025-March 2026 and I had the privilege of working with Jennifer and then Sharon Hodge. Both were so very kind and also so very honest. They made this book better and it was a joy to work with them.

And in those months of editing there was also discussion around the cover design (isn’t it pretty?)

• I also had the opportunity to record Bible Study teachings that go along with the book. I worked with my friend Andrew Havens of Poiema Production Company to film 6 short video teachings. I’m so happy with how they came out, and I hope women will use them in group settings or just personally to bring more of these teachings to life. You can find access to these videos on my website or on my YouTube Channel

• And then there was the recording of the audiobook, where I worked with a brilliant audio engineer named Aaron Wolpin. FYI - you can pre-order an audiobook now too! It will release on the 11th also.

  

• A favorite part of this entire process was getting to teach Matriarchs as a Bible study to the women of my church - Church on the Rock. We met on the Wednesday evenings of July, and the ladies fully dove in. I was reminded all over again that this is WHY I wanted to write books in the first place. Teaching time is limited, but to see someone have a light bulb go off when it comes to understanding Scripture and how it applies to their life, and then to know they can go home and continue to read about my own light bulb moments so that the Word of God would transform all of us, is just the best!

  

• And now we are in the “marketing phase,” which is without a doubt the most uncomfortable. This looks like asking people to buy the book, recording podcasts & YouTube shows, asking friends to share the word, etc.

Whew! That’s been the journey, and on Tuesday, the book becomes available for the world. I get to trust the Lord to put it into the hands that need its words most.

For those of you who have been on this journey with me — cheering and praying and offering wisdom with every step — thank you. I mean it. If Matriarchs taught me anything, it’s that we are one part of His big story, and we are intricately connected to one another. I’m walking into this week with an overflowing heart, grateful to be connected with people who really love God and want His name known.

And usually, I answer by sharing a list - the thought that feels like God has to

• line up with His Word

• resonate in your Spirit

• bring peace even if it doesn’t make complete sense

• and keep you in alignment with truth and integrity.

In other words…let’s first make sure that it’s something God would actually say. And then, I also try to describe that when I hear God speak, the thought or “knowing” carries a weight to it that I just can’t shake. His words stretch me and yet they also feel like an invitation to hope and put my full dependency on Him.

But one more thing that I don’t always mention but is often true in my relationship with God - when He speaks, He often repeats His invitation in a myriad of ways. It's like buying a new car. Before you own it, you hardly notice it. But once it's yours, you see it everywhere. That’s how it is for me when God speaks.

My heart beats faster when the idea first lands in my spirit. Then, as I go about my life, I begin noticing Him repeating that invitation everywhere I look.

For example, a couple weeks ago when I was having my time with Jesus over a cup of coffee, I felt like He asked me what I wanted from my new book, Matriarchs. I journaled that morning like any good Christian woman would. I wrote that I wanted it to bring Him glory and that it would land in the hands of women who need it most. All of that is true, but when I stopped there, writing the polite and proper answer, I felt an unsettling in my Spirit as if Jesus was looking at me with one eyebrow lifted. “And…” He seemed to say, waiting for me to go on.

But I didn’t go on. I shut my journal and went about my day.

Because if I’m honest, I’d rather assume than ask. It’s safer.

The next day while on a walk, I felt the idea come back into my mind. “What do you want Matriarchs to do?” And I just wasn’t sure how to answer.

Last week I attended a church conference at Church of the Highlands in Alabama, and while it was an excellent conference and I had fun traveling with team members, I will also confess that I went in tired and feeling a little like a know-it-all. I still took notes, but I’ve been to a lot of church conferences in my 20+ years of ministry. And so as much as I was willing to learn, I was also a little resistant and found myself learning with a filter over my heart, if that make sense.

That is until one session when Chris Hodges said, “Your ceiling is not His power but your willingness to ask.”

It was a simple quote, but it smashed through that filter with another invitation as well as a correction that God wants me to be willing to ask. My ask is a demonstration of my dependency on Him. It’s humility in action rather than the pride I assumed it to be.

And then this week, back from Alabama I was doing my normal Bible reading when I came across a Scripture I studied a few years ago. It’s the story of Caleb’s daughter, Acsah, found in Joshua 15:18-19. She marries a great warrior and urges her new husband to ask her father for a field. Scripture records that she follows up that request with another of her own. She goes herself to her father and says, “Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water too.”

And as I read, I saw the invitation again - there is something beautiful about a daughter knowing her purpose and asking her father for one more thing. Especially when that thing we ask for is brimming with life!

Joshua 15:19 ends by saying, “So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.” It’s a tiny portion of Scripture and yet it’s captured the attention of my heart all week. I’m still looking for the specific words to answer God’s question about what I want Him to do with Matriarchs, but my heart knows that to refuse to ask would be a false humility if not disobedience at this point. So I’m whispering prayers that God would pour out His living water over the sales and words of this book. That it would be more than another land to conquer or task completed, but that it would overflow with His refreshing water.

What about you? When’s the last time you asked the Lord for fresh springs to water the land He’s already blessed you with? I’m praying that as sons and daughters that we get a little more intentional in the asks we make of our Father and King.

And now I have an ask for you

Matriarchs enters the world on August 11th, and I believe it holds fresh water for your weary heart. If you are ready to say yes to God, Matriarchs was written for you!

It helps me greatly if you pre-order your copy of Matriarchs before it releases on August 11th! If you know you’re going to go through this book with a group, I’d love to zoom in on your first or final session together. All you need to do is order 5+ books and send me your info - hello@paigeallen.net

And here is some great news too! Right now, Baker Book House has a preorder sale for 40% off! Go order one or five of my books now and hear me over the internet say a HUGE thank you!

Pre-Order from Baker Books

But then I would hear someone else say mean things about hearing their own voice, and I was appalled! I relish hearing the voices of those I love. My mom saying hello as she answers the phone, my dad when I open the door to his office and the way he still calls me “Paigey.” What I would give to hear my Mema, even though her voice shook toward the end of her life. And don’t get me started on the voices of my kids - I capture their voices ad nauseum on my phone.

So what’s a girl to do when she knows she’s called to use her voice but the sound of it feels like nails on a chalkboard? Well, for years my plan was to ignore it. I refused to watch back sermon clips, I asked others to preview podcast episodes, and then I’d secretly watch YouTube videos about how to change one’s tone in hopes that I could get it an octave lower and lose my Texas twang.

Until one day something changed.

I had just finished preaching my heart out at our church when I was approached by two college-aged looking girls. They quietly got my attention and then whispered that they were interns at another church in town, but had snuck over to hear with their own ears an actual woman preaching on a Sunday morning! They began to open up about their secret desire to preach and asked about discerning God’s call, as well as navigating a church culture that diminished the voices of women.

We had the sweetest time in the back of our sanctuary, and as they turned to leave, one of them said, “And your voice…it was so refreshing to hear an actual female voice preach with conviction.”

I watched them walk away to return to a place where their voices would be silenced, when I heard the Holy Spirit very clearly say: you’ve been given a gift here. Your voice is unleashed and opportunity abounds, but you spend more time criticizing it than refining it. You need to change that.

So, for the last few years, I’ve chosen to embrace my voice - even when it gets high-pitched and when I revert to my Southern drawl.

My voice is a gift from God. And so is yours!

What if we used them for His glory? What if we chose to believe that He delights in working through us just the way He created us? What if we embraced the feminine parts of our makeup and realized our daughters are watching us?

I’ve been quiet on here for the last month because I spent one week recording the audiobook for Matriarchs (it comes out August 11th) and another week recording the Bible study videos that will accompany it. It’s been a lot of hours listening to the sound of my voice, but as I’ve spoken I’ve been praying for the voices of other women who will listen to my words and begin to embrace the sound of their own voice.

Jesus, thank You for the gift of speech. Thank You for the gift of hearing too. Would You forgive us for the way we take these gifts for granted, and would you begin to refine our voices for the glory of your name? May we be women (and men) who attune our ears to Your voice and may we begin to sound more like You. May You specifically bless those who read these words with open doors this week to use their voice in a way that will surprise them and bless others.

Want to hear more about Matriarchs: What the Women of Genesis Teach Us About Our Part in God’s Story - Check out my new webpage!

And if you are local (hey Lubbock friends!) - you get first glimpse into my new book as I’ll be teaching the content of Matriarchs at our Summer Bible Study - go sign up and join us on Wednesday nights in July!

And on the days when time feels so slow that you feel stuck — waiting on something that seems completely out of reach — it’s only natural to start questioning. We question our decisions. We question others. And we question God.

But the good news is that God really is at work while we wait. Scripture declares this truth from Genesis to Revelation. He hovers over the earth with His creative identity even while it appears to be without form or purpose. And God shows up behind the scenes as people toil, ache, and wait.

So what is He doing while we wait?

Well, seems to look different in every story, but the themes are consistent. God builds character, roots, and beliefs within us as we wait. He shifts priorities, perspectives, and people as the clock continues to tick. Some of this building and shifting is painful, but necessary for purposes He sees beyond our understand.

As I’ve studied scripture, I also see that there usually comes a moment when God speaks in to His people in the middle of the wait. His words can feel frustrating because He rarely explains why they are waiting or answers every how question brimming in their minds. Instead, He tends to remind His people of who He is and who they are. We want answers, and instead He reminds us of identity.

He may be trying to do that in your own life today.

So this is me, inviting you to pause and listen. Who does God say He is? Who is He in this moment of your wait? Listen to His words, and then cling to those truths and trust that your wait is not a waste. He is at work and He can be trusted.

In fact, I’ll never forget the day after we had our first little girl, Selah. The nurse was discharging us, and Josh asked her, “So we just go now? There’s nothing else you need to tell us?!”

We looked at one another, mystified.

Although we’d bought all the things and “prepared” as best we knew how, were they really going to allow us to walk out of the hospital with this beautiful little baby girl? It felt both thrilling and like perhaps the hospital was making a big mistake.

Well, 16 years later, I need to confess that some days I still feel this way. I’m swiveling my head from side to side, wondering if someone has the answers to what exactly I need to do as a mom. And while I still haven’t found the perfect owner’s manual, I have been taking notes over the last 16 years.

So in honor of Mother’s Day coming up this week, I thought I’d share the 10 best pieces of mothering advice I’ve received from others—or happened to trip into myself along the way.

I’d love it if you’d share your favorite piece of mothering advice in the comments.

10 Pieces of Mothering Advice I’m Grateful For

1. I wasn’t called by God to make my girls happy. I was called to point them to Jesus. (This was advice I received from Lisa Reimer on a podcast episode, and I still think about this today).

2. Your prayers have the power to change atmospheres and remove negative influences from the lives of your children. Which means…I need to pray more than complain. I need to pray more than talking to my friends and I need to pray more than I worry.

3. Ask for forgiveness from your kids when you mess up. It’s important to model humility for them. (My mom did this and it was a game changer for me).

4. Make space for your kids to open up. That may look like staying up past your bedtime, taking long car drives, or going on walks. The big conversations rarely happen when it’s most convenient for you, but be ready to dive in when your child needs to talk.

5. Decide now that every season of motherhood will be wonderful—because it will be. Too many people miss the beauty of the season they’re in because they’re dreading what others say is ahead, or they’re already grieving the sweetness of the season they’re currently living. There is beauty in toddlers and teenagers. Go find it. (This wisdom was from my mom early on in my motherhood journey).

6. Listen. Ask the Lord to help you respond rather than react. Then listen some more.

7. Invite your kids into ministry and life with you. People thought we were crazy to take our girls on trips to Africa, Central America, and Europe when they were tiny. But when we felt like God said go, we said yes. In hindsight, we got to expose our children to what the Lord was doing around the globe. I don’t regret it at all.

   

8. Give them responsibility. My girls learned to do their laundry at the age of ten, and they make their own lunches every morning. I know this isn’t for every mom, but it’s been so good for our family and for this working mom too!

9. Let your kids fail. It will hurt your heart, but it will teach them about grace and resilience.

10. Love usually looks like time. Find something you love with each child and do it often. On a recent drive, I asked Selah when she feels closest to me, and she said it’s when we both sit in our sunroom and read.

I’d love to know what piece of advice has most impacted you in your journey as a mom! Please share one in the comments.

One More Thing!

What if you could grab coffee with me and a few other authors? We’d meet over Zoom, just an intimate ten of us, with our beverage of choice and our genuine selves? We’d talk long of God and how He walks us through the struggle, and you’d get a chance to ask me that question you’re dying to know. If this sounds soul-fulfilling for you, enter HERE for your chance at one of five spots in the live Zoom conversation.

Also! I almost forgot to mention that if your name is drawn, you will get one of our handpicked soul-tending resources too.

And when I say she loves Coke, I mean she loves it.

If you offer her a cookie or a Coke, she’ll choose the Coke.

A donut or a Coke? Coke.

An entire cake a Coke? Still Coke.

You get the idea.

Last weekend, our family went out to dinner, and as soon as we sat down, the first question out of Haven’s mouth was, “Mom, can I order a Coke?”

Now, despite her deep devotion to this sugary drink, we have to limit it—sugar, caffeine, all the things. And I happened to know she’d already had one earlier that day.

So I said, “No, honey. We’re going to have water tonight.”

A couple of minutes later, she tried again.

“What about a Sprite? You know… Sprite is clear.”

I laughed a little. “No, Haven. We’re having water.”

I assumed that was the end of it. We moved on, talking about something else—until she tapped her menu and said, “Hey Mom, look at this. This actually looks kind of healthy. It’s a special lemonade. Can I get that?”

At this point, I was done negotiating.

“No.”

And then she looked at me with complete sincerity and said,

“Dad always says we should ask, because the worst we can get is a no. So I’m just doing what Dad told me to do. I’m asking for a Coke.”

Across the table, my husband grinned and then chimed in, “She’s right. I did tell her that.”

I smiled (and maybe rolled by eyes at my husband) and said, “And I’m still saying no.”

But I haven’t stopped thinking about that moment.

I was preaching out of Hebrews 4 last Sunday when I came up on the well known Scripture, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT).

I couldn’t help but think of my Coke conversation with Haven.

What would our lives look like if we approached God the way Haven approached me?

Persistent. Hopeful. Completely unashamed to ask.

That word “boldly” means free and fearless confidence or cheerful courage.

When was the last time you approached God like that?

Not cautiously. Not with rehearsed words or quiet hesitation. But boldly—right up to Him—honest about what you want, what you need, and what you don’t understand.

And why is this not our norm? I think, somewhere along the way, many of us learned to hold back. Maybe it was how we were raised. Maybe it’s disappointment we’ve carried. Maybe it’s the subtle belief that we shouldn’t ask for too much. And without realizing it, that posture seeps into our relationship with God.

He says, “Come boldly,” but we linger at a distance. He invites us close, but we hedge our prayers.

My friend, can I tell you something?

God is not distant or disinterested. He is relational. He wants us with Him. He welcomes the questions, the desires, even the repeated asks.

Yes, sometimes the answer will be no. Sometimes it will be wait. But every time we come to Him, we receive something better than the answer we were hoping for:

We receive Him.

His presence. His nearness. His attention.

And that is what we need most.

I dare you this week, to act a little more like Haven. To say to yourself, “my dad says, I should always ask.”

Come boldly. Lean in.

Trust that a no isn’t the end of the story, because like a good Coke, His presence really is better than other options out there.

Waiting.

I know waiting well. At this point, it feels like a close companion, and I’m equally acquainted with its friends: frustration, resignation, and the subtle allure of numbing ourselves just enough to speed through the ache of the unknown.

In my own life, this temptation towards zoning out has become a major red flag in my life. I love an occasional Netflix binge or flying through an amazing novel that takes me to a far away land, but I’ve had a few seasons where one show turned into six and one novel turned into five. And each time I’ve woken up from the fog, I realized I was not actually resting — I was running from the wait, numbing the very place where God was inviting me to discover more of Him and of what He was forming in me.

But this time around, I’m watching women choose something different. They are embracing the wait. Tears sit a little closer to the surface. Honesty is more readily offered. Joy peeks out from the shadows as they refuse to slip into autopilot while they wait.

Recently, I’ve witnessed a few beautiful antidotes to one more episode or one more click on Amazon. Maybe one of these is what you need in your own season of waiting:

1. Today I went to a party that a friend who is battling cancer threw to celebrate the women who have walked alongside of her in this journey. She literally said, “I’m making the choice to live - to celebrate life.” And as I sat there I thought - gratitude and celebration just may be the ultimate rebellion to waits that involve fear.

2. I also talked plants with a group of friends the past week. I marveled at their knowledge and the joy that comes into their lives when they choose to cultivate something beautiful within their homes.

3. Another friend who is waiting for a miracle in the life of her husband, decided to start a new business. It’s a risk and yet it is bringing her joy! She is contending for his life while choosing to still live her own.

4. And then there are my girls. One has thrown herself into feeding people - specifically cookies. She bakes and bakes and bakes some more, and then she relishes watching as friends and family swoon over her creations.

None of these women are ignoring reality. They are not pretending the pain is smaller than it is. They are simply refusing to let waiting have the final word over how they live. They are choosing to say yes to His invitations even as they await answers to other questions.

And watching them is both beautiful and inspirational.

Maybe this is the invitation that we need to embrace the wait. To bake the cookies. To grow the plants. To throw the party. To start the business. To celebrate what is still beautiful and give thanks for His presence in the midst of the wait.

Easter weekend speaks to this beautiful truth. In Jesus, death becomes life, and in His upside down Kingdom, weary women show up at what they assume are tombs only to be greeted by the One who calls them by name. Isn’t He amazing?!

This tomb greeting occurs in John 20:11-18. Mary Magdalene shows up at the tomb expecting death but encounters an empty tomb followed by a commissioning to go spread the message of life to Jesus’ followers! The entire encounter is breathtaking, and as I reread this moment between Jesus and an unlikely woman, I find myself struck with the question: Is there anything I need to lay in a tomb so that He can resurrect it with His power and life?

I was listening to a podcast last week where Rabbi Jason Sobel said that the Hebrew word for tomb and womb were the same word. This got my attention, so I dug into it more. It turns out that linguistically, tomb and womb are not the same word, but in the rabbinic way of thinking, the tomb and womb are in essence the same place. Both are dark and yet both hold life. Life emerges from the womb into the earth, and the tomb is the hidden chamber from which God brings forth renewed life in Him!

It’s hard to allow things to die. It’s painful to watch that dream or relationship cease to exist, and it can make us weary with grief when we ponder God’s invitation to lay down a business idea, ministry or prodigal child. And yet, on this Easter weekend, may we all begin to see the tombs in our lives through the lens of the One who refused to be held by the grip of death.

If He says lay it down, we can trust Him with what comes next.
Because God turns tombs into wombs.

I couldn’t put my finger on it so I drug myself out of bed, got a cup of coffee and sat down in my morning chair hoping I’d find some solace in my Bible reading. God was inviting me to another day, and although it didn’t hold anything “big,” it still felt overwhelming. Can anyone else relate to this?

I happened to be in Deuteronomy as part of my reading plan so I didn’t have a ton of expectancy that I was going to be inspired as I sat in my chair, but God had other plans, and I was stopped in my tracks with these simple words.

“Yet that is what the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.” Deuteronomy 4:34

God is obviously talking to the children of Israel here, and Moses goes on to write about a few of the things that God did for them “right before their very eyes.”

• He let them hear His voice from heaven. (He’s allowed me to hear His voice too, I thought to myself).

• He showed them great things so they would know His power is real. (Yep, He’s done that for me too).

• And He personally brought them out of Egypt. (It wasn’t Egypt, but He has rescued me from some pits along my journey).

As I read, I felt an invitation to make my own list to sort of wake up my soul to the truth that anxiety does not get to dictate my day, and can I just testify that it worked! The more I remembered what God has done for me, the more I was able to change my feelings about the day ahead.

It stirred me up so much that I posted on the socials asking others to share about something God did for them. And y’all…the responses were beautiful!

Comment after comment, people shared of the faithfulness of God. He provided babies to the barren. He walked alongside those in the dark. He came close to the grieving, and He didn’t just do it in the past. For many people, they commented about what God is doing today. In their very moment, He was doing for them something that would become a future testimony.

All throughout Scripture, the Bible mentions the power of remembering. The Lord instructs people to recount stories of His greatness and to tell future generations of all He has done. This not just a sweet little idea. It’s not simply reminiscing on the good old days…no. It is a strategy from heaven.

Remembering has power because remembrance connects the hard of today with God’s yesterday provision. And this may stretch our brains a little, but I really believe that because God is not limited by time, yesterday provision also has a sense of today’s provision when we choose to remember. It’s so real that when today initially feels like anxiety, the Lord can plant a secure hope in our hearts that He will do it again.

What has the Lord done for you right before your eyes? Have you recounted that story lately? Have you told your children? Have you mentioned it to your co-worker or the new friend? If not, give it a try. Let someone know that God showed up for you yesterday and watch how it impacts your today.

The kind no one wants to get.

It started with a shaky, “Mom…everyone is okay” followed by my beating heart and her tears. She gave me the replay of events that happened just minutes before, and it quickly became clear to me that although everyone would be okay, my girl’s heart and mind would need some space to process and heal.

My gut instinct proved to be true as I walked into their gym a couple hours later and watched her walk towards where I sat. Others had heard about the excitement earlier in the day and were giving her pats on the back and asking about her friend. She walked so calmly and smiled graciously, and then she sat down next to me. Turning her head, we caught eyes and immediately the tears came to the surface. It was one of those moments when she telepathically let me know she did not want to shed any more tears, and yet here she was finally seeing her mother after a hard morning, and in the safety of my presence the emotions had no choice but to flow.

This morning, it was my turn.

I slowed my pace, turned on worship, opened my Bible and read Psalm 57.

“My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.” vs. 3

Such a simple promise, and yet sitting in the safety of my Good Father’s presence, I found the tears falling as I embraced my place as His daughter and thanked Him for the way He so lovingly carried us through the week.

And maybe this is what I love most about embracing my identity as a daughter. Daughters always have a safe place to run from the storm. When the world is hard and brave faces feel like a lie, we can shed the smiles and trade them for sobs when we remember He is in the room. Daughters can be honest. Daughters can be vulnerable. Daughters can rest. And daughters can even reset when they find refuge in Him.

As I continued reading Psalm 57, I was struck by the words of David, “Wake up, my heart!” One moment he laments the trials and finds refuge in his Father, and the next he speaks to his own heart, reminding his soul that today is a new day – God goes with him, and therefore he can wake up and trust.

And so I gave it a try - “Wake up, my heart! Today is a new day. And as His daughter, I can be honest and hopeful too.”

Can anyone else relate to this?

And for years I treated my relationship with the Lord like my Full Focus Planner. “Tell me what to do God!” And if He didn’t speak up right away, I’d look around the room and find someone who seemed like their life was “together” and I’d create my own “assignment from God” that mirrored another person.

• I’ve read through the Bible.

• I’ve traveled to far lands on mission trips.

• I’ve hosted baby showers.

• I’ve mentored young women.

• I’ve run marathons.

• I’ve read books (so many books).

• I’ve gone to seminary.

• I’ve attended conferences.

• I’ve marched for causes.

And as I would accomplish each task I’d look up above and wonder if God was proud of me. Did you see? Did you notice how well I accomplished my assignment? Does this make you proud? Does this make me your favorite?

This performance cycle went on and on for years, until one day, I found myself crying in my shower because I was so very tired. I couldn’t pinpoint what was making me so sad, I just knew I was tired, and the prospect of another assignment was more than I could fathom.

And it was in that place of exhaustion and performance fatigue that I heard a reminder from my heavenly Father that I’m His daughter first. Before the assignment, I’m a daughter. Before the need of a new day, I’m a daughter. Before the applause I receive for a job well done, I am a daughter. He calls me daughter and He invites me to live like one.

I thought about my own daughters and how they live in our home. They take up space (their stuff has a way of settling in every single room). They scavenge in the pantry and refrigerator whenever hunger arrives. They rest freely, cry openly, laugh with abandon, and share honestly because when they are home they know there is no one to impress and no need to perform. They live like daughters.

And while I don’t have this down perfectly, I’ve been on a quest for quite some time now to live like a daughter too. I still have assignments. I still go to conferences, travel the world, read my Bible, and host the occasional baby shower, but I allow the assignments to follow my identity rather than define my identity. It means my yes has become a bit more guarded and my leadership a lot less “look at me,” and while I still get tired from time to time, the tiredness tends to impact my body rather than my soul.

I’ve learned that when we live like daughters we can learn to lead like mothers, and mothers leave a legacy.

Want to go deeper with me?

I’ll be writing here once a week—simple reflections on how to live as a daughter and lead like a mother.

For today, here’s the question I want to leave with you:
Are you chasing assignments, or have you first let daughterhood take root in your heart?