Maybe your baby is growing in your belly, or on your hip, or clinging to your leg as you try to navigate the crowd. Maybe your baby has grown silent at the dinner table or spends part of the week with you and part of the week across town. Maybe your baby finds themselves miles across the country at school or building a home of their own. Maybe your baby is having a baby. Or, perhaps, your baby is safely and tenderly held in the arms of our loving Father.

Whatever stage you are in and whatever your loved ones call you – Mom, Mommy, Mother, Momma – you are first and foremost, Daughter of the Most High. This is who you really are; this is your true name.

Your loving heavenly Father sees all you do – all you sacrifice – and is pleased that you do it in love. He gives you strength when you have none left and is quick to answer when you ask for wisdom to face the newest challenge. He walks with you for the entire journey and will not leave your side. He is a good and ever-present Father to you, Mom.

So deeply breathe in his love for you. Take a moment to remind yourself of the truth. His truth. You are loved on this special day and every day. You are doing a holy work in partnership with his Holy Spirit. And with each victory and every challenge, he wants you to remember…

You are adored.

It may not be polite to say it, but in my role, I spend a fair amount of time managing others’ expectations
of me
of my oversight
of my time
of ______

Actually, I would suggest that most of us, regardless of our roles and responsibilities, find this to be necessary. Tell me, do you find yourself in conversations where you lovingly sit down with someone struggling with a concern and, before you know it, that concern has ballooned into a full-blown complaint? Suddenly we might find ourselves moving from a loving posture to a patient one. Then, if we aren’t careful, from a patient posture to a defensive one. Despite our best efforts to listen, hear, acknowledge, understand, and bring mutual understanding, we are often met with, “Yeah, but…”

Sometimes that “Yeah, but…” can mean, “Yeah, but you aren’t doing what I want, and you need to do what I want.”  To which I might be tempted to say, “Yeah, but…” In all seriousness, though, there are times when hearts are locked against unity and that can be a difficult door to open. So I do my best to hear, “Yeah, but…” as, “Yeah, but I need more information.” Fair enough! Let’s talk some more. Let’s use that “Yeah but…” to dive a little deeper and find that burr under the saddle. My heart is to truly find a way for us to understand one another and come to a mutual understanding that we are FOR one another even if we disagree about something, especially among the family of God. Let’s find a way to make sure our expectations are realistic and God-honoring.

The hope of the righteous brings joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 10:28

Expectations can be terra firma or a slippery slope so they deserve our prayerful attention. Expectations can only be steady when we invite the Lord to open our eyes to see how he sees things. Only then can we approach the situation with a posture of partnership with the Holy Spirit to bring to fruition what he is bringing about – not our own agendas. Once our agendas get involved, the firm ground becomes the slippery slope. 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

If you find yourself weary of navigating expectations, please allow me to encourage you today – your work is not in vain. As you seek the Lord’s will and approach difficult conversations with his grace – desiring his will – he will be glorified. As you accept his invitations to partner with him in his work, he will be with you in it. We might not see the fruit of the seeds we are planting, but we can trust that he is the Lord of the harvest. The pruning that he does through the words and actions we prayerfully express is a holy work – in others and in us! We aren’t just managing expectations; we are stepping into messiness with the only answer needed. Jesus. We are carriers of the Holy Spirit for the blessing of those around us. What a gift that in times when people quickly have “Yeah, but…” on their lips – perhaps have lost sight of his best for them and are focused on getting their own way – we get to be the mouthpiece of his loving reminder that draws them back to himself…

You are adored.

Have you ever been in a season of waiting? A time when you’ve prayed and received a word from the Lord but haven’t seen the fruit of His answer yet. That in-between time can feel so long and drawn out. Even the most faithful can find themselves asking if the Lord somehow forgot His promise or question if He could have forgotten us.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:1-8 NIV

Not only has He not forgotten you, but He also hasn’t removed His eyes from you! Our God is the best promise keeper and it is impossible for Him to forget what He has promised you. So why the waiting?

There is something that grows within us when we are waiting for the Lord’s move. Our focus is more intently on Him. Our attention is on the Lord because we want to see His move – as it happens! Our conversations with Him are richer as we talk with Him about our heart’s desire – our prayer. And if we linger with Him long enough, we also find ourselves in a sweeter place of surrender. I don’t know about you, but this determined, equipped, called, strong-headed, Irish girl tends to resist surrender. The warrior part of my nature is more likely to rise up than to lay her shield down. So learning to raise my sword in prayer – learning to kneel in surrender to His will and timing – brings a sweet understanding that He is fully in control of His will, not me. 

But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells
even though you still experience all the limitations of sin —
you yourself experience life on God’s terms.
It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself?
When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life.
With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
Romans 8:10-11 MSG

Holy Saturday is a reminder that even Jesus waited on the Father. Jesus did not raise Himself from the dead. The Father did. Which means Jesus Himself laid His life before the Father and surrendered to the Father’s will and perfect timing. Our hope as Christ-followers is to know that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead will do the same for us. He hasn’t forgotten. He hasn’t changed His mind. He isn’t delaying without purpose. As we tuck our lives into the life of Jesus, our hope increases. As our hope increases, our faith is spurred on. As our faith is spurred on, our joy splashes on those around us. And as our joy is splashed out, others are drawn to the love of Jesus. 

What a beautiful invitation from the Father to wait on Him for His move and His answer! He is inviting us into the participation of His holy and miraculous work! He wants us with Him through this process. Not to do, but to be. To be loved. To be refreshed. To be filled. To know beyond a shadow of a doubt that

You are adored.

When I was in high school, my family and I were in a “long-term camping” situation. We lived on acreage of undeveloped land about one hour south of the nearest town. With no utilities and such a remote location, it was the most rural this city girl had ever experienced.

Since we were so far from town, each day required a one-hour drive to school in the morning and a one-hour drive home every afternoon. On the outskirts of town – on the only road that went where we were going – there was a certain place where it changed from blacktop to gravel. As soon as I heard the tires make the shift to the crunch of the rocks, it was like hearing an announcement that I was now leaving the comforts of town and I could count on one thing: the wave.

From that point on, I could count on a 4-fingered gesture from the top of the steering wheel of each passing car. It didn’t matter if we knew the occupants, or if we even liked one another, EVERYone waved. 

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29

My neighbors. All of them fiercely independent and living in those mountains because they didn’t really want to have folks in their business. My neighbors. Some of whom would fire off a warning shot to encourage us to turn around if they weren’t prepared for our visit. My neighbors. Folks who enjoyed the fresh mountain air and preferred the wildlife over the humankind. My neighbors. People who believed and lived by the mantra that good (barbed-wire and occasional electrified) fences make good neighbors. My neighbors. The ones who would be the first to stop if they saw you sitting on the side of the road in the pouring rain with a flat tire and break out their hydraulic jack to help get a spare on in record time. My neighbors. The people who religiously gave the four-fingered greeting to each one they passed because they were neighbors.

Life marched on and I eventually moved away from that mountain, finished school, married, and changed towns. Then a little over a year ago, I found myself driving back up that mountain quite a bit more than I had in quite some time. To this day, the road changes from blacktop to gravel in the exact same place. On my first return trip, I laughed out loud when the first vehicle I encountered on the gravel road offered the wave and I found myself instinctively waving back at the exact same moment. The muscle memory took over and reminded me that each person on that mountain, whether I knew them or not, was my neighbor.

Over the next several weeks, a few of them would stop by Dad’s land, park on the road, and make the walk down the rutted, gravel driveway while hollering, “Hello! Anyone home?” They didn’t know if it was a good time for a visit or if they could expect a warning shot. Each one would introduce themselves, shake my hand, and tell me how sorry they were for our family’s loss. They knew him as the Mountain Man, Fast Eddie, or Slats and had heard through the neighborhood grapevine of his recent passing. They had stories to tell and just wanted to share a few in his memory. They had shared countless waves, after all.

Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10

The wave. The mountain version of “doing good to all people.” The wave let us know that we were seen. The wave acknowledged our existence on that rural road. The wave said we belonged here together….even if we did have acres of land between us. The wave was a simple way to encourage those we encountered with a small act of kindness. You know, we might be better off incorporating the wave into our daily drives too. We don’t need gravel roads to acknowledge our neighbors before driving into our garages at the end of the day. We don’t need permission to holler, “Hello!” across the street. In fact, we don’t need an invitation to walk across the street and shake a hand. Waving, smiling, shaking hands – doing good to all people – are beautiful ways to simply demonstrate the love of the Lord and remind them…

You are adored.

Throughout the seasons of my life, community has been a high priority to me. With the arrival of two babies within a 14-month timespan, our church’s chapter of MOPS was a lifeline to me. Discovering that I wasn’t alone in this journey of motherhood, nor was I the only one trying to figure it all out as I went, was a relief to this often-overwhelmed mama! Deep friendship often springs from vulnerability. Then, from toddlers clinging to my legs through the adventures of early elementary, I served on the leadership team of Intimacy With Jesus. That group of 6 ladies were precious gifts to my heart as we sought the Lord together and ministered to the women of our church every other week. As my children grew through high school, I found community in our church’s homeschool enrichment classes where seasoned friends encouraged me to follow the Lord’s lead and trust His provision where I lacked teaching skill. I never planned to home-educate through graduation, or on teaching Calculus or Chemistry, but the Lord always provided!

Two things stand out to me about those seasons: they were centered around my church and my kids. Somehow time flew by, and I am now preparing to host a baby shower for my baby’s first child. At the same church she was raised in, and with so many of the same women who surrounded me at different stages of my own motherhood – now poised to cheer her on in hers. 

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I’ve seen this verse proven time and time again. Community, friends, peeps – whatever term you use, they are the ones who help us up when we doubt, struggle, or fall. They are the ones who celebrate the loudest with us because they have taken the time to walk with us and experience just how sweet the victory truly is. It is not lost on me that the Lord has built my community, in large part, among fellow believers. People who know the Lord and are growing in their relationships with Him. People who encourage me to do the same. People who invite my voice into their lives just as I invite theirs into mine. These friendships are heaven-sent and I am grateful that many of us still have connection despite the life changes that happen through the years.

During this season of empty-nesting and long-distance-grandparenting, I want to be more intentional with reaching out to my friends and strangers alike. I want to build on the foundations that have been set in place. I’m asking God to enlarge my heart with more love to pour into those He brings across my path. I’m asking Him to help me see the windows of time that can be opened to coffee, prayer, and conversation. I’m asking Him to help me be more attentive to invitations extended to me – because we all like to be invited! I’m asking Him to help me trust His orchestration of time that allows such divine appointments to unfold without neglecting what He has already entrusted to my care.

Sure, it takes vulnerability to let others see us as we truly are and trust them to help us. But the reward is so sweet! And, certainly, it is an investment of time to spend with others when they need us. But what a privilege to celebrate God’s victory with them when the battle is won! Friends, you have been placed for this communion. You have been positioned for this trust. God has entrusted you with gifts that He intends for you to share with those He brings around you. They need you. And you need them. We have been created for one another and this gift is well worth the investment! As we walk through life encouraging one another toward the beauty that rests on the other side of difficulty our faith is strengthened and our souls are soothed. We begin to see and appreciate the gift of friendship; the value of being there for one another. Each one a precious reminder from our loving Father that…

You are adored.

These past several weeks my husband and I have been spending every non-working moment trying to get to the next step in our remodel project. We’ve hustled after work and over weekends on the what-we-never-thought-would-end-project…..walls. Specifically mudding, sanding, and texturing the sheetrock on the walls we built. All with a driven purpose to be completely done with that segment no later than this past Saturday. Why? One word: abide.

You see, our son and his family, along with our daughter and her mother-in-law, and two more family members will visit us within an eleven-day time span. We are over-the-moon excited to have so many family members with us, but we needed to have space for many of them to stay with us – the space that is currently under construction. Additionally, we wanted to spend time with them so we knew we couldn’t be distracted by construction mode when they arrived. We needed to plan. We needed to prepare. We needed to get it done!

The whole point of our breakneck running was actually to be able to stop. To stop and enjoy the people we love so much. To spend time in their presence. To talk. To eat together. To go on walks together. To abide. Things that are worth the work – worth burning the candle at both ends for a while.

The Old Testament Hebrew word, yashab, encompasses the interpersonal relationships connected to abide. Things like: “habitations, inhabit, make to keep house, and marrying.” While the New Testament word, meno, speaks more to the concept of staying: “dwell, be present, and remain.” Both these root words encompass what Larry and I have been trying to accomplish – literally preparing a place to linger for the purpose of deepening relationships with our loved ones. I was surprised by the level of importance I was aware of these past several weeks. Something in my spirit was recognizing the holiness of the project and I was practically compelled to complete the task.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15: 1-8

During this time, the Lord also spotlighted the parallel in my choice to abide with him. Abiding is so intentional that it has to be planned and prepared for. I can’t accidentally abide with Jesus. Yes, he is always with me. But my choice to abide with him requires me to prepare my heart, to still my busy mind, and to quiet my spirit. It is a choice that requires preparation. Thankfully, not the same kind of preparation that I’ve been doing with our home! But it can feel like a real stretch to slow myself down in such a fast-paced world – choosing to sit still and quiet myself does not come naturally. Yet, I’ve logged enough life with the Lord to know that He is always prepared to abide with me and is simply waiting for me to choose to do the same. He is always ready to receive me. Choosing to still myself before the Master Gardener will result in the tending, dressing, and pruning process that can only come from his loving hands. And the result is that I am refreshed, restored, and my roots are deepened for a richer harvest.

So here I am again. Asking the Lord to open my eyes to the holy work of preparing to abide – with my family and with my Lord. Asking him to give me strength to complete the preparation, and the discipline to quiet the work when my people arrive. Asking him to dwell with us – in conversation, during celebrations, over meals, in the mundane moments – and do what only he can in us. Asking him to help me reflect the message of love that he so faithfully whispers to us all…

You are adored.

As children, we were told to dream big, shoot for the stars, and take hold of the future that is just waiting for us to arrive. So we dreamed about becoming doctors or daddies or authors or NBA stars or mommies or drummers or astronauts or teachers or artists or a million other heroic aspirations.

We boldly told others about what we would do and who we would become – bravely painting the picture for them so they could see it too. Some would smile brightly and encourage us to keep dreaming and practicing and working hard – telling us how much they believed in us. But the smile of others might have been more like a sneer and their words might have been more of discouragement – telling us we weren’t the type or smart enough or talented enough to reach such high stars.

Ouch!

If you were like me, despite my best efforts to shut them out, the voice of the discouraging would often out-shout the voice of the encouraging in my heart. I was tempted to stop dreaming, believing, reaching for those God-given dreams planted deep inside. The temptation was to believe that person saw a lack in me that I was somehow blind to. I was tempted to stop, settle, and perhaps even to agree with the lie of discouragement. And, honestly, I did stop dreaming for several years – falling to the temptation to think the same thing; the same way as the skeptics.

Until a friend encouraged me to become that beautiful dreamer again – to remind myself of what my Father thinks.

Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep.
You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don’t be afraid – you’re not going to be embarrassed.
Don’t hold back – you’re not going to come up short.
You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth,
and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory.
Isaiah 54:2-4

Not only does the Lord speak encouragement to us, he does it with certainty about the outcome! He tells us to dream big. Run hard. Laugh loud – louder than any cynic – because he is confident about the result. If our God is for us, who can be against us?! If he is the planter of dreams and the God of good promises, who are we to doubt the outcome?

Let’s join our voices to his. Let US be the ones who out-shout the voices of the discouraging and cheer one another on toward all that God has planted in our hearts. Confident dreamer…bold visionary, it is time to be adventurous again. Clear the ground, stretch out, and entrust your dreams to the One who planted them in your heart in the first place. He has good plans for you and is confident of the outcome, so you can be too. After all, the God of big dreams and good promises wants you to remember that…

You are adored.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving, then serve;
if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;
if it is giving, then give generously;
if it is to lead, do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8

Have you ever had a day, or perhaps a season, where you wonder if the gift you have been so faithfully offering is really worth offering? Maybe it feels tired or lackluster. Somehow it doesn’t have the same appeal it once did. Perhaps it doesn’t seem to be received by others the way it once was, so you begin to wonder if it is even a gift at all. You begin to doubt the gift, its value, or even its existence AS a gift.

It is in these moments that we must be diligent in our faith that God and his gifts don’t get tired. They don’t wear out or become irrelevant. A person’s response, or lack thereof, does not disqualify the gift we are offering or the fact that it comes from God. After all, we are simply the conduit through which our Father is offering that gift to the one in front of us! It is God’s gift, given to us, to be given away. So how do we maintain our perspective? Romans continues with a solid plan…

Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Romans 12:9-11

There is no hiding behind a mask. Loving must be sincere. Of course, the tricky part is that we, too, are people. Often swayed by circumstances and tripped up by our own shortcomings. So, on a bad day, we might be tempted to love others insincerely. Fake it. Put on a happy face. But the truth of the matter is that the mask we so skillfully place on our hearts is transparent, opaque at best, and our insincerity is glaringly apparent to those around us. We must reject the temptation to take the shortcut and cling to God’s good so that we carry the capacity to be devoted to and honor one another. It is in God’s presence that we tend the fire of zeal and spiritual fervor of serving our Lord with his gifts.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Then, because he is a good Father, he gives us hope to be joyful in – the gift of patience when we are afflicted – and welcomes us into communion with him. Not only does he give us the gifts that he asks us to give away, he also walks with us in the giving of them. He doesn’t leave us empty-handed or alone. He never says, “Good luck! I’ve done all I can so now it is up to you! Hope it all works out…” THANK GOD! No, we serve a loving God who always has our best in mind; who operates out of his extravagant love for our best and his glory. We are loved and pursued by a God who, at every turn and every opportunity, whispers…

You are adored.

We’ve all had intense seasons of bravery. We’ve faced the unknown with our ministries and our families. We’ve adjusted our plans on the fly, many times over. We’ve navigated difficult conversations with family and strangers alike when we’ve offered all we’ve had – Jesus. Yes, we’ve been brave.

But rarely have my brave moments looked like the heroic princess plot that I’ve seen on the big screen. It’s been messy. My knees were bloody and my face was sweaty. I stumbled over my words and caused hurt when I tried to bring healing. I surely didn’t feel like the creative and witty Merida or Rapunzel who find a way to make their way against all odds. I didn’t hear epic music in the background of my life. And it is in times like these, when I feel less-than, that the Lord often reminds me of my name’s meaning. Although it translates as “warrior maiden,” repeated blows to my heart appear to convince the warrior within to hide in the shadows of hesitation.

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

This scripture causes me to wonder if bravery isn’t as much a character trait as it is a decision. The Lord begins with a question to remind of us of his earlier commands to be strong and courageous, and to not be afraid or discouraged – two things to be and two things not to be. As a daughter of the Most High, I must decide to follow our Father’s commands. Then, because he is a loving Father, he follows it immediately with a promise that he will be with us wherever we go. He doesn’t leave us alone; his presence gives us courage and his hand gives us strength we don’t possess on our own.

I don’t have to be brave on my own.

The warrior within me is actually The Warrior within me. It is by his strength that I can do all things (Philippians 4:13). He is the One who shows me the way through. So when I am hesitant, I remind myself of his command-with-a-promise and I decide to put on my armor. I don’t need epic music in the background of my life to spur me on. Instead, my heart hears the words of truth that he sings over me. When I face the unknown and have difficult conversations, I can trust the One who leads me and speaks words of truth. He fights with me. He fights for me. He is with me. He is with you. And no one is fighting for us harder or cheering us on louder than our loving Father. He wants you to know that you are not alone, you are equipped, you are brave, and…

You are adored.

Not long ago, I heard my Pastor talk about some world-class runners he was watching compete. These men were strong, had high endurance, and trained long hours for this competition. He reminded us, though, that regardless of how these athletes had finished the race – no matter how they placed – they all had one thing in common:  after running that hard, they all had to stop and catch their breath.

Have you ever noticed how catching our breath cannot be rushed? Our lungs will unapologetically take the full time necessary to refill with life-giving oxygen. If they don’t, our brain, muscles, our entire body will collapse. While every part of our bodies uses the oxygen, our lungs are the only entry point for that necessary component. It cannot enter and be properly utilized in any other way. Even when we need help breathing, the assist has to go through the lungs.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

What a beautiful promise!

• It begins with the declaration that our strength comes from our loving Father.
• Then acknowledges that everyone gets tired – young and old alike. Weariness is not a place of shame.
• Then we receive instruction to keep our hope in the Lord.
• Followed by such a beautifully described promise; our strength will be renewed by the Lord Himself. 
• And when the Lord renews our strength, we will rise to great heights and be able to do more than we could on our own!

It is critical that we not only pause to catch our breath, but that we go to the One who gives that breath to us. We are created to work hard and rest well. He gives us our work and our breath. One cannot happen without the other. And He delights in blessing both for supernatural effectiveness.

The work He has entrusted to you may feel beyond your capabilities at times. I have great news:  He hasn’t called us to do anything without Him. He has called us to His work, divinely appointed by Him, and with Him. We were never meant to take off and do it on our own!

The same is true for our rest. He is our Creator and intimately knows how we need to rest and when we need to rest. He does not expect us to figure out the details. He simply invites us into His presence to receive from Him. Divinely orchestrated and perfectly administered. Breath. Rest. Refreshing. Renewal. Spirit.

Each day you serve the Lord and His Beloved with grace, tenacity, conviction, and deep love. You work behind the scenes without expectation of the spotlight; doing things that only the Father sees. You know what it means to serve well and you have made that excellence the standard. So let me gently remind you to pause and catch your breath. Take the necessary time to let our Father fill your lungs with His holy breath. Allow His Spirit to refresh and empower you for your next, established steps. And as you quiet yourself in His presence, you will hear His loving reminder…

You are adored.