God built into Israel’s calendar about thirty days of feasts per year. Add the weekly Sabbaths, and the total celebration time comes to around eighty days of feasting and rest annually. God is serious about celebration! When God mandated celebration among His people in the Old Testament, He used three Hebrew words: hâlal, châgag and shâbath. At the dedication of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall in Nehemiah 12 (ESV), these three essentials of celebration are included. Celebration Keeps God Central Nehemiah’s celebration plans included instruments and singers filling the air with triumphant praise. The people sang and offered sacrifices to God with…
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” — Epistle to the Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) Sweet friend, motherhood can feel like a race we never signed up to run. There are meals to cook, laundry to fold, emails to answer, practices to attend, and a calendar that seems to fill itself. We live in a culture of hurry—and if we’re not careful, hurry becomes the rhythm of our hearts. When we rush through our days, we often miss the sacred invitations hidden inside them. The little voice that says, “Mom, watch this.” The quiet nudge of the Holy Spirit calling us to pause. The opportunity to choose connection over completion. Sometimes the people we love most begin to feel like interruptions instead of our ministry. But what if the very moments we’re tempted to rush past are the holy ground God has prepared for us? Present parenting isn’t about perfection. It’s about posture. It’s choosing to be unhurried, relaxed, and attentive—trusting that God will help us steward both our time and our hearts. Five ways to practice being present 1. Come Away and Be…
“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” – Edwin Markham As women of faith—mothers, mentors, grandmothers, and spiritual sisters—we carry a beautiful responsibility: shaping the hearts of the next generation. One of the greatest gifts we can offer the young women in our lives is guidance in making wise, God-honoring decisions. Whether you are parenting a teen daughter, discipling a college student, or investing in a young woman at church, here are four devotional anchors to help her make wise decisions. Wisely Obey God’s Word “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night…” — Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) When young women ask, “What should I do?” gently redirect them to a deeper question: “Who is God shaping me to become?” God is far more concerned with her character than her calendar. A heart rooted in Scripture develops steady discernment. When she meditates on God’s Word, it becomes her compass, her guardrails, and her source of courage. As women, we model this first. Let her see you turning to Scripture before reacting. Let her witness your obedience. A life saturated in the Word aligns thoughts, attitudes, and decisions with the heart of…
Maybe next year will be different, I thought as one difficult season came to a close. Maybe next year I wouldn’t have to fight so hard or struggle so much. Maybe next year I wouldn’t be so sick and could spend more time with my family. Maybe next year I would meet the man God has for me instead of listening to the lies that I would always be alone. Maybe next year I would finally have victory over depression instead of feeling defeated. Maybe next year the financial strain would ease. Maybe next year I wouldn’t have to say…
Last month, while shopping, I saw a shirt I just had to have. It read, “Motherhood is my ministry.” So often, as mothers, we can feel overlooked and unimportant in the church because we are not always able to help in visible ways. But when we begin to view motherhood as our ministry, we realize we are preparing our children for the great things God will do in their lives. Eleven years ago, I became the mother of twin girls. Before they were born, I was very active in various church ministries. I had the freedom to serve because I did not yet have little ones depending on me. When I became a mother and chose to be a stay-at-home mom, everything changed. I watched many women in my church serve faithfully, and I often felt I should be doing more. I wanted to help and be a blessing, yet I felt motherhood was preventing me from serving God’s kingdom. I looked at my sisters in the Lord who were able to participate in church activities and felt useless. I prayed, “God, what can I possibly do for You? What can I do for Your kingdom when I am so…
The story of Job is an interesting one. It is a story in which God allowed Job to be tested, and despite the voices around him telling him to turn against God to save himself, he refused. Job had great faith. Whatever he endured, he trusted that God would either bless him through it or allow it for a purpose. Job placed himself completely in God’s hands. The verses that stand out to me are these: Job 1:7–10 (KJV)— “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” When the enemy spoke to…