• On a personal note

    Do You Still Believe it?

    February 28, 2024

    There are seasons where a believer passes through a valley. There are seasons where prayers become places of simple words. I have sat near some broken places lately, and mourned over so many broken things, holding them in broken fingers. Have you ever been there? I don’t think I could count the times I’ve just whispered, “Father?” and that was the whole of my prayer- just my hand reaching into the air above me. “Do you still believe it?” It was a question I heard, not out loud, but in my heart. It was a sneering question, a bitter question,…

  • On a personal note

    Rest in January

    January 20, 2024

    “Rest, the gentle kind that comes with a still heart before the Shepherd. A sheep that can close tired eyes and just sleep.” Ah, it’s been a minute! I lay in bed today, before the day began, thinking. I thought about my best laid plans for the month of January. I thought about my plans for the year. I thought about life, and pace, and goals, and unmet expectations, and met expectations, too. In the middle of this analysis, I was stopped. It wasn’t a thunderclap from heaven that stalled my run-away-train of thought or even a whisper in my…

  • On a personal note

    A Personal Note

    January 3, 2024

    January has arrived! We’ve entered that time of year where change, passion, and purpose are all around us. In the rush of setting goals and looking with expectation to what 2024 might bring, we can find guidance and take comfort in the unchanging character of God. I hope this year brings beauty and grace for everyone reading this. Happy new year! Taking a look back today at this excerpt from, “How to Find Your Purpose!” Labor of Lilies will be back with new content (for a new year!) next week. In the meantime, I invite you to follow along on…

  • Devotional - On a personal note

    Portion

    December 20, 2023

    When I was thirteen, I began studying the Bible. I’d been steeped in Bible stories since infancy, but at thirteen I participated in a Bible reading challenge that quickly turned into something life changing: I met Jesus in the pages of scripture. As a side note to youth leaders and those who work with kids: God used the youth pastor in my life in a big way- the effects of which are still present in my walk with the Lord! Discipleship for teenagers is so important. As someone who grew immensely from those foundational teachings in youth group, I just…

  • On a personal note

    Remembering with Thanksgiving

    November 17, 2023

    Humans are hardwired with a desire to retrace things that have happened. We want to mull over the past, retrace our steps, and hold onto the precious moments. God made us this way: we’re meant to remember. A way to remember There’s an interesting account in the book of Joshua concerning remembrance. The people of Israel witnessed the Jordan River part. It was a miracle experienced by everyone as they walked across on dry land. Joshua chose twelve men (one from each of the tribes) and had them take a stone from the river bed. The stones would serve as…

  • On a personal note

    On Empty

    November 1, 2023

    Today’s post is personal- something that’s on my heart. I woke up tired, partly because I didn’t get enough sleep and partly because I was empty. Do you know the feeling? It’s the kind of empty that sees the last of your reserves. The kind of empty that is deep and tired. I had coffee and then a little more. I read my Bible and prayed. I jumped into some work. At one point I looked down at my nails and the thought occurred to me that I should take some time to relax and paint them. I brushed it…