Devotionals, Faith & Encouragement Archives

When Discouragement Talks You Into a Bad Plan

a single worn dirt path curving through a quiet field at early morning light, leading toward a distant horizon where the sun is just beginning to rise. On the path, subtle footprints trail off into the light. The mood is hopeful but honest, not overly bright or triumphant, more like the moment right before dawn breaks. Muted golds, soft blues, and warm neutrals. No people, no faces, no readable text or words

When the diagnosis was hard and the season was already heavy, I did what David did. I said it in my heart instead of asking God. Here is what that cost him, and what it is costing me.

Comfort and Approval as Idols I Never Saw Coming Until Now

I sat in church hoping someone else was listening to the sermon. I never imagined the message was for me, until a crockpot roast and my husband’s quiet observation proved otherwise.

When Serving God Looks Right But Feels Empty

Praise team leading worship in a church gym in the late 1990s, mic stands and cords on the gym floor

A personal look at Mark 11 and the fig tree Jesus cursed, and what happens when serving God stops flowing from real worship.

What My Grandson’s Dinosaurs Taught Me About Patience

Grandmother listening patiently while grandson explains dinosaur facts

My grandson can talk dinosaurs for five minutes straight, and half the time I only catch every third word. God used that frustration to show me the real difference between patience and convenience.

Are You in the Ark? A Devotional from Genesis 7

Genesis 7 tells the story of Noah’s ark, but it’s also a picture of God’s rescue. This devotional asks the deeper question. Are you in the ark?

The Joy I Hear When God Sings Over Me

The author standing in a field with arms raised, looking toward Heaven. Music notes from the clouds rain down over her.

A friend’s joy while singing an old hymn led me to Zephaniah 3:17, the verse where God exults over His people with loud singing. If a quartet’s harmony can move me to tears, what does God’s own song sound like?

Why Should God Let You Into Heaven?

Picture standing before God as He asks one question. Why should I let you into my heaven? Here is the only answer that has ever worked.

The Fishing Trip That Healed My Father

Watercolor print of a fly fisherman in waders standing in a shaded stream, netting a trout, with sunlight breaking through the overhanging tree canopy. The print shows visible age wear and a softened color palette consistent with a vintage outdoor calendar print, hung in the family since 1957.

A faded print from 1957, a father’s exhaustion, and an impossible prayer answered in ten unhurried minutes. This is the story of how God showed up exactly when my father needed Him most.

When the Ground Shifts: Building Your Life on What Cannot Fall

The phone rang on an ordinary afternoon and by the time my husband hung up, the ground had shifted. We thought we were standing on solid ground. Turns out we had been standing on sand dressed up to look like stone. This is the story of what we found underneath.

Taking Every Thought Captive: What a Dead Phone Taught Me About Guarding My Mind

My phone died on vacation and I spent three days in an accidental screen detox. What I did not expect was how much God had to say in the silence it created.