Poured Out

This Holy Week, I’ve been reflecting on who Jesus is and what he did for all of us… ALL of us, do you believe that?? He didn’t die for only a group of people, he died for all. Our Palm Sunday message at my church, was talking about who Jesus was. Got me thinking, do we in the American Church really know him? So, I’m asking, who do you say Jesus is? Not who your favorite preacher says he is, not who your grandma says he is, and definitely not who some influencer says he is… but you. Even non followers of Jesus have an opinion on him. Let’s hear it. Even if all Easter means to you is eggs and bunny’s, humor me today and ask yourself - Jesus, who is he? Do you think he is tied to a political party, do you think he only blesses those who measure up, do you think he’s waiting for you to fail, do you think he’s all love and just wants you to be happy, do you think he’s all condemnation and wants your life to be no fun at all, maybe you want to know him, but think he will never accept you. Personally, I don’t remember a time that I didn’t know the name of Jesus, but knowing the name of Jesus and knowing him, are very different things. I began reading his words at four years old. I sang of his love and how one day I’d fly away, but the people around me painted a picture of a King who cared if girls wore jeans or how my hair was styled. I struggled (who am I kidding I still struggle ) with perfection because I thought that’s what he wanted. What do you think he wants from you? He came to save you from death, that’s what he wants, you free. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10. That is all he has on his agenda, to seek YOU and save YOU. Are you happy? Are you content with the way your life is? Do you feel like something is missing. He is waiting. He is everything you are looking for. As I type this, I’m sitting in the Ryman auditorium in Nashville and the opening band at a country show I’m at just gave thanks to Jesus for saving them. That is why he came as a baby, that is why he hung on a cross and took that beating. To save YOU!! You, who drink too much, you who is selfish, you who can’t hold your tongue, you with doubt. That’s the good news…but there’s more…you not only get saved from death, you get freedom from all those things that hold you captive. So I ask again, who do you think Jesus is? “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

If you have followed my page for a while, you may remember the post of the rest area scripture notecard. Well, the person who writes and leaves them was at it again. This time we were headed into Johnson City and stopped at the rest area and there in the stall was once again a ziplock bag, with brightly colored notecards, each with a different scripture. I took the one in front and just smiled to myself. Wishing I could see the girl who leaves them. “ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self control and self control with steadfastness and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his formal sins.” 2 Peter 1:5-9 Wow, that is a lot to digest. Those that know me know I don’t give things up for lent, however, I am always striving to spend more time in the presence of my savior and taking 40 days to sit in the sacrifice that is Easter, can only bring me closer to him. So, in this season of prayer, fasting, and self denial, what can you add to your life to become more like him? That’s the point right? To be Christlike everyday, not just during a season. Prayer, don’t wait until a calendar tells you to do it but if it’s been awhile, or maybe you haven’t taken it seriously enough, take these days of Lent to do so. Use this season to start a new rhythm. I’m here to chat if you need a starting point. Having a consistent prayer life adds peace to my life. Maybe peace is what you need to add this Lent season. Fasting is something that God asks us to do and something that when added to your prayer life is life changing. When you fast, you are trusting God for provision not yourself. You are trusting him to feed that hunger. Fasting can add so much to your spiritual life. Maybe you need a big prayer answered, maybe you have never heard from God, maybe you just want to be closer to him. Open yourself up to fasting this Lent season. When I stop depending on myself and fully only depend on him, the weight I carry is lifted. Trusting God adds security to my life. Whatever you need to add to be freed up to enjoy this life God gave you, I think you’ll find it through fasting. In Matthew 16 Jesus tells his disciples to “Take up your cross and follow me”. Take up your cross, there will be a burdens, there will be sacrifice, following him comes at a cost. Self denial, everyday, always. He didn’t say self denial for a season, he tells us in Luke 9, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily…For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” Ya’ll that’s it…..ME, ME, ME, that’s the world we live it. However, the ME mentality brings more disruption to our life than anything else. It is kinda like he was watching out for us by telling us to deny ourself. The times where I felt like the walls were caving in on my life, well, usually it was because I was trying to be in charge and letting Jesus take the wheel keeps me from crashing. Self denial is also trusting that what he has for me is better than what I have for myself and accepting that he may say no to “our” plans. I say this song lyric all the time by Chris Renzema, “ if I knew the plans, maybe I wouldn’t go”. I can for sure say, I would be living a different life if I saw what God had for me two years ago. If he asked my thoughts or input, oh how I would be missing out one of the sweetest blessings ever given. Self denial is a decision to make daily. This is giving ourselves as a holy sacrifice and living holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12). This is what sets you apart, this is worship, this is what we were made do it and it leads us to a fulfilling life. Most miss it because they think the fulfilling life is achieved by all they do when it’s achieved by what he has already done. Self denial is nothing compared to what he did for us. Don’t look at self denial as giving up something (the world) look at it as gaining a Shepard (Jesus). Following him gives us everything we need. As the weather changes, and flowers bloom, let’s approach spring as a renewal. Renew your intimacy with your creator, not by giving things up but by adding his presence to your life. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” James 4:8

I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Johnson City, TN. It’s snowy outside and I have been waiting since 5:30 for this coffee shop to open. Their coffee is my favorite, it’s nothing special, the furniture is old and it’s named after cats, but sitting here is peaceful and the world melts away while I’m inside here. I’m trying to read Exodus this morning but my mind is wandering. Why Moses? What was so special about him? God saved his life, protected him and even revealed himself to him. Here’s the thing though… God saved your life, he protects you and he will reveal himself to you if you allow him too. So was Moses more special than you? Nope. God has a purpose for you. He has plans laid out for your life. God may not send a burning bush but he is trying to get your attention. Are you listening? You may be asking what your purpose is. You may be feeling like you’re wandering in a wilderness because you aren’t hearing the directions. He is speaking but you’re too clouded by the lies of the enemy that you can’t hear him. Don’t let the enemy’s voice drown out what God is saying. What’s keeping you from stepping into the life God has for you? Are you scared? Do you feel unworthy? Are you too busy? Maybe you’re like Peter. Excited to jump out and walk towards the savior but once you make the leap your focus shifts. You question if it was really him directing you, you get all in your head. Friend, this week, clear your mind by only filling it with the word. On a podcast recently I heard Rich Wilkerson say “ God has already given direction but you’re waiting for permission.” I sat in that for awhile. I believe we hear God’s direction but don’t believe it, so we sit waiting for more, that’s doubt. Don’t doubt what you feel the lord is leading you to. Silence the lies the enemy has clouded your mind with by the truth of your savior. I’ve been guilty of waiting for a burning bush moment but truth is, not everything the Lord wants to say to you comes on some grand display. He shows up in the little quiet moments but we miss him because we’re waiting for the sea to part and don’t realize he’s there holding the water back. What’s God placed on your heart? Where do you need to take that step of faith? Don’t wait! He’s waiting. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

Life is moving at warp speed and I never posted my word for 2026. How is it February 1st? Hope everyone is staying warm. In Georgia we are snowed in for the second weekend in a row. I’m missing my church and my small group ladies. Here is a post I started a month ago. I hope this year you see your harvest, but if not, he is still good in the waiting. Lots of love!

Happy 2026!! A year of so many question marks but the question marks just mean our faith will grow. 2025 was one of those years I could have sat in forever, so I’d be lying if I said I’m excited for 2026. Uncertain may be what I’m feeling. I am not fearful, but there are questions and prayers and so many blank pages that I wonder if I will have the words for. My word for 2025 was growth and growth played out all over the last year. Growth in our family as we added a granddaughter and a son (in law, but I don’t like that word). Growth in our spiritual walk. We saw God answer prayers. Sometimes with a not yet and sometimes with a yes and an exclamation point added (so we didn’t miss it). Sometimes growth comes because of pain and we even had that at the end of 2025. Growth isn’t something that happens overnight and sometimes we have no idea that it is happening until we look back. Growth sure isn’t easy and growing pains is a real thing, BUT, he will always finish what he starts. Not sure about you, but I am glad he doesn’t leave us where he found us. He equips us (and that means going through things that grow us up) to plant and cultivate so the harvest can be plentiful. The parable in Mark 4 about the seed growing is a great reminder. “ 26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” The harvest, what we all should be working towards, yet a lot of times we want the harvest without the work. We want instant reward. I think sometimes we are waiting for the harvest and the seeds haven’t even been planted yet. I have said to God before, “you could just snap your finger and make it so.” Yes, he could have, but what would I have missed in the cultivating. Sometimes, it’s me he needs to grow and sometimes, he may be working on others. I may plant and someone else may get the harvest… and that is ok. Patience is the key and most of us are lacking in that area. But that’s the thing right? From planting to harvest, it’s a process and doesn’t happen over night. Are we willing to wait?? What if your harvest takes 40 years of wandering? I believe the harvest is richer when it comes after a long winter. The good news is that even in the waiting, God will sustain you. In Deuteronomy 29:5 he said “ I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.” WOW! I love that. What a reminder. I chose the word Harvest for my 2026 word. Not about the abundance a harvest may bring but a reminder that during the planting and the cultivating, I lack nothing. If the page turning to February already makes you feel behind, or maybe you had all these goals or resolutions and realizing a month in to 2026 you are already burnt out… remind yourself that you have a great Shepard who never leaves his sheep. While you’re waiting for the harvest spend time with him, listen to him, let him take care of you. It’s ok to feel behind if the Shepard is ahead leading you.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2
He makes me lie down in green pastures,�he leads me beside quiet waters,
3
he refreshes my soul.�He guides me along the right paths� for his name’s sake.
4
Even though I walk� through the darkest valley,[a]�I will fear no evil,� for you are with me;�your rod and your staff,� they comfort me.
5
You prepare a table before me� in the presence of my enemies.�You anoint my head with oil;� my cup overflows.
6
Surely your goodness and love will follow me� all the days of my life,�and I will dwell in the house of the Lord� forever.

The post below I wrote one year ago… I’m going to let you in on a secret, the person who said those things about me hasn’t stopped saying them and the hurt was brought up all over again just recently. The verbal attacks were worse this time and it had me rethinking every interaction, every conversation. It once again brought up deep hurt and oh how it would have been easy to forget who I was. But God… he once again sent reminders in ways that only he can. It still hurts, this time they attacked my family at the core of who we are, our faith. The enemy will use it all to keep you in your offense because he knows what happens when you can’t forgive. I’m learning the forgiveness part, it’s hard, but necessary. I’m currently in a book by Lysa Terkeurst called Forgiving what you can’t forget and I love when she wrote “Forgiveness isn’t always about doing something for a human relationship but rather about being obedient to what God has instructed us to do.” No matter what has been said about you, done to you, spoke over you, as a follower of Jesus, none of that matters. The accuser has no place at your table. It has already been settled. You are fully adopted, fully loved, fully forgiven. ( Ephesians) What has been done for you, you must offer to those who wronged you. Praying that for us all today.

Recently someone said some unkind things about me. Things that couldn’t be further from the truth about who I am… but in truth, the way she viewed me was in part because of a label she herself gave me many years ago. There is so much truth in the fact that the words others speak over us affect the way we see ourselves and the way we either try to live up to those labels or even how we may try hard to overcome them. Labels are strongholds, labels are the way the enemy attacks you and keeps you from the kingdom work God has for you. If you’re like me and have struggled with labels others placed on you, have you thought about what God says about you? I read in scripture than I am chosen, that I am forgiven, I am saved, I am a child of God. So, why did I (do I because it’s still a struggle in present day) allow words by others to impact me, why do you? Our need of acceptance. See, the label placed on me those years ago was because I was wearing tights and a dress in the middle of the woods. Not your typical attire I know, but my 19 year old self felt more comfortable in dress clothes than tennis shoes. Still to this day, I am more me in a dress and I still only own one pair of tennis shoes. I say all that to say it shouldn’t matter. If me wearing dress clothes in the middle of the woods make you uncomfortable or think things about me without asking me questions, then that is on you. It took me a long time, a lot of soul searching to get to a place where I learned that I only needed to belong in one place and that was at the table with my savior. Want to know something cool about his table, all are invited. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing heels or Nikes. You are welcome. When I truly understood that, I really started to become the person he created me to be. If you’re putting to much emphasis on other peoples labels of you, ask God to give you freedom from that. Whatever others have spoken, either negative or positive can cause you to forget who God says you are. Want to do an exercise? Get a piece of a paper and write, I am…then write what you say your identity is. Then take a 2nd piece of paper and write, God says I am…and write what scripture says that God calls you. Take the 1st one, pray through those labels then burn it or rip it up. Take the one that reminds you what God says about you and put somewhere where you can see it daily. Pray that God allows you to fully see yourself in him. You have your father’s DNA. You are his and he is yours. Walk like the calling he has placed on your life is more important than anything anyone else has ever spoken over you. I’ve had many labels is my almost 48 years. From trailer park trash to debutante and lots in between. God has healed me from the scars of those labels but every once in awhile the enemy shows up to try to confuse me with those labels again. When I heard someone said something about me that attacked the very core of who I am, it hurt and brought up old scars. But God…. He quickly reminded me who I am and it’s not someone who cares what the world thinks. I’m not going to lie, I was all in my head. I wanted to tell that person all the the secret things that prove her comment wrong but ya’ll, the enemy doesn’t need our explanation. It will fall on deaf ears anyway. Sometimes, imitating Christ, is being silent. To heal from the labels others have placed on you, you must forgive them. Forgiving them helps you heal from the hurt. God used three strangers in a matter of thirty minutes to remind me how he sees me. In those few moments, all the lies of others were silenced, my father reminded me I’m his masterpiece and nothing others say over me will change that. You are God’s creation, created in his image. No lie, let me repeat that, NO LIE spoke over you will change who you are in his eyes. If you’re struggling today with what others have said over you, you can find freedom. Talk to the one who knitted you together, he knows those hidden places and wants you to see yourself the way he sees you. He left the 99 for you, he came running to welcome you home, he rejoiced when you were found, he loves you… don’t let others make you forget that. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalms 139:14

Dear Father, today I lift those up to you who are struggling with words that others spoke over them. I pray they are freed from the chains of labels. I pray they know what it means to forgive but also what it means to be forgiven. I pray they understand the depth of your love for them. I pray that they take on the full armor of God so that they fight back with your truth when the enemy’s lies start. Thank you for welcoming us home when we stray. We give you thanks for all you have done. You are a good father.

It’s the last day of the year.. wow.. we made it. After 2024, we deemed 2025, the year of the Olives. What a year it was, even our team won the Super Bowl (Go Birds). The last few days of this year though, whew, it has been insane. Literally insanity. You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it. But.. God is good at being God. In the mist of the crazy, my daughter got new letters after her name after crushing her test (LSW), and I got to snuggle the sweetest baby, which reminds me of God’s goodness daily. Even when our heart is broken, God is there to heal it. As we begin 2026, God has big things in store (some I know about and others I can’t wait to know) but over the last few days, I realized that as much as God wants to do God things, the devil wants to do devil things. The Good News is, he may want to kill, steal, and destroy but God is stronger, you are stronger (with the same power inside of you that raised Jesus from the grave) and we know how it all ends. It doesn’t make the insanity that comes from him easy, or lighthearted. It’s awful, it swallows up families, creates chaos, takes out those who don’t have their eyes on God. Make a choice now to not be a casualty of his lies. Burn whatever ships need to be burned today. Go into 2026 with clear eyes who only see HIM. I’m going to share my “Burn the Ships” post from last year. Today, I’m cleaning out things I don’t want to take into the New Year and it’s a lot harder than the music you will read about in the post below. If I can let it go, so can you.

The title of this post is “Burn the Ships”, do you know that song from for King and Country? Years ago, it became a song that made us smile. Our favorite NFL team used this song on their Superbowl run and they just happened to win it all that year. Lately this song resurfaced for my husband and I and became a motto of sorts. Really, it was a saying we used to help us gain perceptive and peace in an upside down season of life. Plus, you have to laugh because it was fire that started that season of life and why not use something we couldn’t control to change some things we can. I think there is a lot of goodness in this song. Sometimes, God needs us to put the past down, to surrender it to him and let it go. It could be your past self, it could be past hurt and rejection, it could be dreams you need to let go of, it could be things you enjoyed doing before you enjoyed him. To really walk into the life he wants for us, we have to leave behind anything that keeps our focus off him. And once we cut the ties, leave them cut. The song starts by asking how did we get here, sometimes our choices lead us down a road that’s not good for us, any choice that puts distance between us and our father. You have to really know me to know that I don’t get angry and I don’t have tolerance for angry people. If on occasion I do get angry, more then likely you won’t notice. Well, when we were thrust into chaos I became angry. Angry because at no fault of our own our world was upside down. Angry because the person at fault never apologized and in the mist of it called me an angry woman. My anger was justified I was told but I knew it was wrong. I wrote about it, I prayed about but it lingered. It lingered because I allowed it. It was one of those things I had to just let go of. Easier said than done right? It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen and there were times I wanted to grab it back, oh so many times l, but if you want to live as Jesus lived, you can’t be angry. Yes, Jesus had an angry moment, but let’s be honest… when we get angry, we aren’t like Jesus but more like Peter. My anger was a choice and it was keeping me in a place that wasn’t good for me. The chorus of the song leads us right to where we need to be, in the presence of God. “Send a flare into the night, say a prayer, turn the tide, dry your eyes, say goodbye.” When you call out to God you may feel like it is an SOS moment. Have you ever thought about that scene in Titanic where they are shooting up flares but the band is playing. I’m not sure if things happened that way, but think about the last time you sent a flare up to God, were you still worshipping? That’s how I play it in my mind. I’m at the end (I have to say here that Lamentations 3 shows us that the worst is never the worst) sending up my SOS with one hand while the other is lifted praising, even if, no matter what. Dry your eyes, because you are held by Yahweh, the true God. I wish I could say I was always that way, but I’d be lying. It was something I had to learn down on my knees with hours and hours of prayers. This is why your circle matters, I needed the right people walking with me, reminding me, to praise anyway. There is also such a great reminder in the last word, goodbye. Once you give it to God, that’s it, leave it with him. The song goes on to tell us to step into a new day. Sometimes stepping into the new day is starting fresh, new, and why wouldn’t you want to? You are a new creation in Christ and should live a life that brings glory to him. It may be be changing what music you listen to, what books you read, what you occupy your time with and taking that first step is hard but also freeing. God convicted me about the music I listen to and ya’ll when I obeyed, you know what he did, replaced those bands with literally the Christian versions. Not only that, one of my favorite worship musicians remade one of my favorite secular songs, that I no longer listen to because of the musician who sang it. He really is so kind. What we allow into our minds and souls matter. That shame you can’t seem to shake, those lies you let the enemy tell you, the pills you think you need, maybe that’s all tied to things you can’t let go of. I’m the last person to give you a list of things I think you should throw out, but what I do know, is I want it all, everything God has for me. I want to live this life in gratitude to him and I realized there were things I needed to clean up. Yours may be different than mine and that’s ok. God has different plans for each of us and like the song says, I just want you to breathe again. Play this song, close you eyes, can’t you see it, can’t you feel it, it’s a new day, let-it-all-go. Peace awaits. “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 35:14

Lord, I pray for those who are bogged down by stuff, material things and emotional things. I pray they seek you for guidance. I pray you speak to them. I pray they are willing to walk into a new day with you as their savior. I pray those who battle anger can hand it to you and learn that anger is straight from the evil one. It leads to no where good. Lord, show up and show out. We praise you no matter what.

It really is so simple. He loves you with a love that you can never fully understand. It’s almost midnight and I’m still awake with a few presents left to wrap. The house is quiet, the kinda quiet that brings reflection. He really does love with a love that is overwhelming, that wrecks me everytime I really think about it. This year.. wow.. it was something! I wrote one year ago that 2025 was going to rock me and rock me it did. Change was around every corner, our family grew by 2, life moved at warp speed and yet…I’m still standing. Stronger than ever. When you get to a point where his love is all you got to hold on to, you start to figure out what it means when he says he’ll leave the 99 for you. Friend, if the only thing you ever take out of my babbling, is that he loves you, then that is enough. He - really - loves- you. Yes, you , with all your mess, all your brokeness, all your trauma. He looks at you and says “you’re the reason I came as a baby, you’re the reason I hung on a cross ,I love you.” You’re scared to let him love you, you’ve been let down before, I get it, but HE IS DIFFERENT!! Tonight, right before Christmas Day, let him in, let him love you. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Do you know how mich he loves you? He really will chase you down and fight for you. Write the lyrics of this song upon your heart, let his love in! His love will change you.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

I watched many give their lives to Christ tonight, maybe you need to do that right now. Tell him you believe in him and that you want forgiven and that you want whatever he has for you. He is waiting and will keep knocking until you let him in. It really is that simple.

The other day I read a post that said “ Rest is holy”. It made me pause for a minute. I started thinking about what I know of rest and what I know of God. Rest, a simple enough commandment but one I can imagine is hard for most people to practice. “Keep the sabbath holy”. What comes to mind when you hear that. When I learned and memorized the Ten Commandments as a child, I thought it just meant to go to church on Sunday. That’s how it was explained to me. I never heard about rest, I never heard about carving out a day for things we should regard as holy. The original Hebrew word Shabbat, means to cease. When I think about cease, I see a big red sign, STOP. But… that stop sign doesn’t mean to be lazy, to use that as your excuse to lay around on the couch all day, no, it’s so much more than that. It is meant to free you up to spend time with your Heavenly Father. True sabbath is rest and worship. When God looked at his creation and said it was good, he rested. On the days we rest, we should tell him “It’s good” too. Gratitude and rest, kinda like PB&J, they just go together. You cannot have rest without gratitude. When you sit in gratitude, things are just different. Your heart, your mind, your soul… at rest. To be thankful to your creator even if…releases all the worries, all the doubts. During a season of my life where gratitude was hard, birdwatching believe it or not, brought me to a place of gratitude. Everytime I would see the birds on the feeder, I was reminder of the verse “ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” That verse would calm me and bring me to a place of rest. I had gratitude because I knew I was more valuable to God than those birds, he would feed me too. I know you may be in a place where both gratitude and rest seem impossible. If that’s you, I’d love to talk to you. I’ve been there and I’m walking with others right now who have to dig deep but I want to share a text from a friend who just found out she has to begin chemo, “So I’m doing everything that I know to do, that I’ve been taught to stay close to God.” I was blown away. She got the worse news and yet she knows the key to get through it. I wish you all knew my friend. She is a fresh air person. The room is different when she is in it. I’ve struggled this week, knowing she is sick. Honestly, that added to other heaviness in my circle, has me worn down. I’d like to just cry and tell God I don’t like what he is up to. If you follow my advent posts, you have noticed, I’m behind and haven’t posted everyday… I AM TIRED! God is so good though, he refreshes me just enough to deal with that next text, that next phone call and he blesses me when the sweetest time at the end of everyday. I get to rock the most angelic face to bed every night. In those moments, gratitude, and I can exhale. Where do you need to find gratitude at? Maybe you’re thinking, gratitude, you have no idea what I face everyday. I don’t, but HE does. Start there, just talk to him. If you don’t know how, that’s ok, he isn’t big on those big fancy conversations, he just wants you, the you he created, to say hey dad… help me. Believe me, like the song says, none of us have anything fit for a King. So, good thing, his kingdom is an upside down one. He will give you the rest you search for. Just as Matthew 11 tells us, “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Just go to him, you don’t have to search for rest, it’s right there. Sabbath is not a day, it is a life. A life where you can be rested, where you can have joy, where you meet God. Sabbath is a gift. John Mark Comer says it this way “ The Sabbath is how we fill our souls back up with life” Don’t you need your soul filled back up?? Start by telling him thank you… yes, for all of it. The dark days, the bright days, grief and joy can exist together. He is in everyone of them. No better day then Christmas Eve, to start a new journey filled with gratitude and rest. I’ll start: God, I’m thankful that my tiredness is from serving others. I’m thankful for each person you bring into my life. They make me better and you have a plan for everyone I interact with.

Your turn.