The Lettered Lullaby

The world, and even those closest to us, can cause each of us to doubt who and whose we are. But, God's Word is clear. 💗

I was hopeful that this new year would be a fresh start. A clean slate. The dying of old habits and the fostering of new ones. I just kept telling myself that the sickness would be left behind in 2022, my bad habit of waking up late and running out the door would be replaced with the morning routine I had in place months ago, and that the merry go round of negative self talk and feelings of failure would be even less this year. It’s a new year!

In my cushioned chair at church this past Wednesday, which I haven’t been able to attend due to all the sickness the last couple of months, a thought came to mind.

New year. Same enemy.

Satan knows my areas of weakness that I do my best to hold together. He knows exactly where and how to attack so that failure feels inevitable.

It may be a new year, friend, but it’s the same enemy.

It may be a new year, but God is still faithful. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Just as God has seen us through seasons in our past, He has promised to be our ever present hope and strength this new year, next year, and forever.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Anyone else feel like they are tip toeing into the new year?

A baby is still struggling with reflux.
A child is still suffering with sickness.
A teenager is still struggling with self doubt.
A young adult is still trying to find his way.
A wife is still struggling with overwhelming anxiety.
A husband is still working through his past.
A parent is still battling disease.
A friend is grieving loss.

A new year doesn’t always mean new circumstances. But, thankfully, despite a new year, God is always faithful. God is always near. And, He is always our refuge and strength.

💛

Anyone else sitting in struggle, needing prayers, and wanting to ask for prayer, but realizing you haven’t spent near the amount of time with the Lord yourself?

We want the Lord to calm the anxiety in our heart, but are we going to him continuously? I am guilty of wanting others to help me pray, but not praying enough on my own behalf. I am quick to pray for others and not spend time praying for myself or over my circumstances.

Why is it so hard for me to believe that God hears my prayers for myself just as He hears the prayers I pray over others?

This is your reminder that you are worth praying for.

I’m sure that some of the reasoning for this is that I feel the Lord has more things to worry about than my circumstances. Until those circumstances threaten to swallow me whole.

Pray intentionally for yourself.
Reach out to others for prayers.
Seek direct connection with the Father, He is always willing to listen.

Time after time, my worries over take me. As my husband tells me frequently, I get stuck on my worries and I cannot think about anything else. I become paralyzed in a merry go round of what ifs, making plans, researching new ideas, and not wanting to physically move my body.

If only I could remember in those moments how big my God is compared to how small I feel to my problems. If only I could breathe in His breath and exhale His peace over my worry. If only I would realize that it’s not about how big my worry feels or how small I feel, it’s how big my God is.

I have to remind myself over and over that God will work all things out for good.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of my favorite verses + images of God’s faithful presence in our difficulties.

If you’ve been around her the last few days, you know this week has been hard. There has been 2 amazing people who have finished the work God had planned for them this side of Heaven, pain, sorrow, grief, and realizations.

I’m emotionally tired. One minute I am crying, the next I am rejoicing.

It is hard, but this morning I made the effort to sit down with my coffee and journal my feelings. Lay them all down. Prayer journaling has allowed me to surrender all the thoughts, all the emotions, and all the hard to the Lord. My heart pours out when my pen hits the paper.

Friend, I don’t know what you are feeling today. I don’t know what you are carrying, but I want to invite you to lay it all down. Lay it all down at His feet. When you pick it back up, as we do from time to time, lay it all down again.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Speak the name of Jesus, pray out loud, pray through written words in your journal, pray with your spouse, reach out to a trusted friend, get in the Word of God — lay it all down.

❤️❤️❤️

Hey anxious mama,
You're worried about worrying.
You're worried about what your
worries say about your belief in God.
Here's the truth for you: God is
using your anxiety to bring you
closer to Him. Your anxiety doesn't
keep you from Him, if anything, it
brings you two closer together.

Caption via

This is so true! 👏🏼❤️

If we play worship music in the home, then our children will listen to it.
If we initiate Bible reading, then our children get to hear the Word.
If we intentionally remind our children about the nature of God throughout the day, then our children learn what He is like.
If we take them to church, then they are surrounded by like minded families and friends.
If someone is sick, and we encourage them to pray over them, then they get to learn how to pray.
It starts with us, Mama. Let’s put Jesus on display in our homes.

For 5 practice ways to make Jesus known in your home, read article in our online magazine link in bio

Thank God for the freedom we celebrate today. 🇺🇸❤️

In the place of freedom, the KJV uses the word liberty.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bo***ge, true freedom].”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Today we celebrate the gift of true freedom through Christ and the gift of freedom from those who lived, led, and died for our political freedom.

🙌🏼❤️

Maybe you need this reminder today.

There is no distance that the love of Jesus cannot reach us.

Even in our brokenness, His love is there.

Even in our mistakes, His love is there.

Even in our hiding, His love is there.

We are not worthy on our own. Our worth comes from the One who paid it all. The One who thought of us in His hardest moments.

Some days, I hit the ground running. Other days, (honestly, most days) I hit the ground defeated. The lies and overwhelm meet me when my eyes open.

We have to make a decision what we are believing today. Are we believing the lies or are we living in the truth?

It’s a daily, moment by moment, process. It’s a journey, not a sprint. Don’t give up, friend. The enemy wants you to stay defeated, but God is standing ready to defeat the enemy’s schemes in our life today.

Just as a sheep is prone to wander, so am I.
Just as a sheep is prone to getting lost, so am I.
Just as a sheep needs constant protection and care, so do I.

We are like sheep, but we are much more than just sheep to the Father. We are His image bearers.

““I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10:14-15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Happy Father’s Day! 💗💙
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“For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18:19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

❤️

♥️

❤️❤️❤️

Many times I just think of all the things I need, and it all feels so hard to put into words. Those moments are hard, heavy, and defeating. But, friend, you don’t have to have the words. You must have the willingness. The willingness to call on the name of the Lord.

Your prayer may be wordy, lacking any words besides “Help me!”, or lacking all the words. God knows your need before you ever speak it.You are enough -> with God.
You are able -> with God.
You are never alone -> with God
Read this encouraging article by . Link in bio.

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.””
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬


Inspiration for the “promises I make to myself” is from my coach, ❤️

Thank you to each and every hero today and every day. Happy Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

Proverbs 3:5-6 is a verse that many of us are familiar with, but will easily just read over.

Yes, we are to trust Him.
Yes, we are to acknowledge Him.
Yes, we cannot trust in ourselves.

But, I want to challenge us to dig deeper. Friend, we are to trust in Him, because we can trust in Him. He is worthy of our complete dependence in every detail, big or small. We can seek Him in all circumstances, because, in all our ways, God is there. There is evidence of His goodness all around us. He will direct our steps, so that all things come together for good.

I started conversations this week with, “Let’s add another one to the list shall we.” Letting out a little laugh, but really feeling the weight of one more thing.

Nothing life threatening, but lots of sickness one after the other. One of us gets well for another to fall sick again and freak accidents. We are exhausted, but as a friend, Elene at Christian Mompreneurs, encouraged me this week, we are going to keep going. To every situation there is a season.

This is a season of weight that’s completely out of my control, but it’s a season for a purpose.

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The days that feel heavy…
The days that feel riddled with failure…
The days that feel defeating…
The days that feel worthless…

Keep going.

The days feels daunting, but this too shall pass. The enemy wants us to feel defeated, less than, and forgotten, but we can trust that at every turn, God is there. He is wading in the hard with us. He is keeping us afloat.

Keep going.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term, “When it rains, it pours.” Well, it’s pouring over here.

At every turn, it’s something else. Something else to add to our plate. Something else to worry about. Something else to navigate.

But, as I sit in this moment, God is gently reminding me of His presence.

At every turn, God is there.

Yes, it feels like we cannot catch a break right now, but God is still here. He has never left us. In all the unknown and hard moments, I can rest in His presence knowing that He is near to me and I to Him.

I don’t know what is waiting for us at the next turn, but I know God is there.

“For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:14, 17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I praise God that He chose me to be your mother and for you to be my children. 💗💙
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“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭127:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are days I wake up with an overwhelming weight in my chest for no reason.

Worshipping through hymns or newer songs in the moment helps me reconnect and refocus on God. Inviting Him into my chaotic moments + reminding the enemy where my help comes from.

This morning this hymnal came to my heart. I can clearly transplant myself to my childhood church. Red carpet, cushioned pews, back row view, stain glassed windows, and my mother singing this song.

🎶 Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name. 🎶

Amen 🙌🏼🔥

Stressful situations are inevitably going to come. No matter how much I avoid them. For some of us, they may come more frequently than others.

“Go with confidence everything will be good.”

This is the text my mom sent me after I vented my worries, but accepted that this stressful situation is necessary. The introvert in me would love to isolate away, but some things we must do. I started searching for a scripture to meditate on in this moment and for when the stressful situation came.

My fears of being judged, feeling out of control, and inadequate are loud in my mind, but God’s Word brings me comfort.

“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:5-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this stressful moment, I want to be confident in the work God can do through me. I don’t want to cling to all the ways that I am inadequate, but all the ways I can be the hands and feet of Jesus to my husband, my children, and those around me. My human strength will fail, but God’s strength gives me hope and confidence because He is with me wherever I go.

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lean into the goodness of His presence today, friend. He knows what today will hold, and He is there to lead us, equip us, and help us.

I have always been incredibly hard on myself, and I have never left room for error. I remember my first years as a nurse I heard the phrase often, “it’s a learning opportunity.” I would just smile and cringe inside. And I was sure to make a mental note of my failure.

When I became a mom I left no room for “learning opportunities.” I was a failure. Day after day, I would cripple under the weight of my mistakes and areas where I just didn’t measure up.

I’m finally learning to see mistakes and failures as a “learning opportunity.” An opportunity to try again and be (almost) content with imperfection. It’s a process, but God is molding me.

“This High Priest of ours (Jesus the Son of God) understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:15-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today has not been a typical Monday for us, but we are praising the name of the Lord. He knew what this Monday had in store.

As I sat reading my Bible much later than I normally would be, my daughter came to sit next to me. And she started singing.. I couldn’t help but smile. Not just because of how sweet a moment it was, but how God used her to pour that song out to me.

“What a mighty God we serve.
What a mighty God we serve.
Angels bow before Him.
Heaven and earth adore Him.
What a mighty God we serve.” 🎶❤️

I couldn’t help but sing right along with her. Truly praising “what a mighty God we serve.”

In the moments of fear.
In the moments of joy.
In the moments of unknown.
In the moments of praise.
In the moments of mundane.

May we not just sing this children’s church song, but truly take a moment to let the words sink down deep and flood our soul.

“What a mighty God we serve.”

I’ve been there. Honestly, I am there. Running out the door at the last minute only to be 15 minutes late to where you need to be.

Always feeling like you are rushing from one thing to the next some days.

Other days feeling like you finally have a handle on your day. That you are making progress that you can see.

But friend, I want to remind you. Both of those days — surviving or succeeding — you are doing your best. You absolutely cannot ask anymore of yourself than you are able to give.

All the “what if”, “if only”, or “if I would have just” comments can be silenced.

“Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.”

You know those moments that knock the breath out of you? And, you literally don’t know what to say, how to react, or what to do next?

Me too, friend. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Whatever it is, it didn’t surprise God. He knew about it far before it happened. He knew that you would be second guessing, dissecting the details, running it over in your mind again and again, and questioning if it really even happened?! I mean, at least the way you remember it. 😅

Maybe.. it wasn’t so bad? Yep, maybe it was worse. I don’t know, but God does. And He is present right here, right now with you.

Whether it’s a moment in your marriage, your parenting, your work, your schedule, or, just simply, your day — God is there. He has been preparing us, friend.

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, but I am also super stressed by it all.

All the places to be, people to see, managing all the expectations, and all the gifts to wrap (and put together 😬).

I long for slow nights with only the light of the Christmas tree, talking to our kids about the birth of our Savior + arranging the nativity scene, holiday movies on repeat, car rides to see Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music, making a mess with my kids while we cut snowflakes + bake. I long for the moments to soak up the true meaning of Christmas + enjoy my family.

The busy moments will come and go, but I want to cherish the time I have with my family celebrating the reason for the season — Jesus! ❤️🎄

It’s okay to love all things Christmas and not love all the hustle and bustle. You are not alone, friend. I’m right there with you, and I am praying for His peace to flood over us as we cherish this time leading up to and after Christmas.

How are you doing, friend?

A guest pastor brought this message to us this past Sunday. He spent time talking about many people in the Bible who faced hardships, as well as Jesus.

But in the face of each and every hardship — God is still God.

This is not to make light of our circumstances, but a reminder and comfort that in the midst of our storm — God is still God and He is always good.

This verse keeps coming up for me. To the point I know God is gently nudging this verse to my attention.

Maybe it’s a verse you need today also, friend. 💛

Is it enough? Is this the right decision? Am I doing too much? Am I overdoing it? Frankly, am I just worrying too much about this?

What is God telling you through this verse? ✨

What a beautiful truth we can cling to. ❤️✨

💛

Please and thank you 💕

Yes 👏🔥

💗💗💗

Praise the Lord for He day after day carries the weight of our heavy load.

Praise the Lord for He yearns to lighten the weight we bear daily.

Praise the Lord for His efforts are available to us day after day.

Day after day past trials weigh heavier, new trials arise, and future trials threaten our ability to stand. But, this verse is a promise that no matter the trial — past, present, or future, the Lord will carry the weight for us. He will help us for He is a faithful, advocating on our behalf, good Father.

Lord, teach us to accept Your help, allow Your help, and welcome Your help. ❤️