September 26

Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. – Jim Rohn

When I was younger, I longed for my path to be smooth, paved, shoveled, mowed… or just somehow made more clear. But over the years, I’ve truly learned growth doesn’t come from ease—it comes from rising to meet the challenging parts of life. Instead of wishing for an easier road, I try to focus on always being the person who can handle the road ahead with strength and resilience.

Life isn’t about avoiding obstacles; it’s about learning how to navigate them, to improve with every step. Each struggle, each difficulty, is an opportunity to grow, to sharpen your skills, and to become a better version of yourself. Don’t waste time waiting for the conditions to be perfect. Invest that energy into becoming stronger, wiser, and more capable.

I no longer ask for the burdens to be lifted. Instead, I ask for the grace to carry them. And in doing so, I’m reminded that it’s through these struggles that God is molding me into someone stronger, someone who can trust Him more deeply. He doesn’t always make the road easier, but He makes me better for the journey.

September 25

"March on, my soul, and be strong!" – Judges 5:21

Your mind is a precious space. Don’t let your thoughts or the weight of your past dictate your present. Be mindful of what you’re allowing to take root in your thoughts. If something is stealing your peace or keeping you from joy, it’s time to clean out the clutter and make room for what truly nourishes your soul—hope, faith, and grace.

Remember, you have the power to choose what stays in your mind and what gets swept out. Don’t let fear, doubt, or regret be the boss of you. Instead, refill that space with truth, love, and the promise of something greater.

March on, my soul, and be strong. Keep moving forward in strength, knowing you’re never alone in the journey.

Dreaming of cake.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Some people dream of cake. Then one day, life hands them the batter, eggs, oil, icing, a pan, and an oven—everything they need is right there in the kitchen, ready to become a delicious cake. But instead of getting started, they get frustrated and walk away.

Let that sink in.

Sometimes, even when everything is laid out right in front of us, it still takes action to turn the dream into reality. You have to measure, mix, bake—and then enjoy the cake! That part is up to you. Only you can take the ingredients and turn them into something wonderful. But remember, the universe has already done its part, providing the tools and ingredients you need.

How often in life do we miss the signs and walk away, never getting the cake? We may never know. But the real question is—how often do we recognize the chance to create our dream “cake” and take action to make it real?

How big things begin.

I am always interested in how big things begin. You know how it is; you're young, you make some decisions... then swish, you're seventy. You've been working your profession for over fifty years and that white-haired lady by your side has eaten over 50,000 meals with you. How do such things begin? - Thornton Wilder, Our Town

How do big things begin? Often times they begin and we don’t even know “it” is beginning. A relationship that turns into a marriage. A whisper that turns into your calling. A cup of coffee that turns into a lifelong friendship. Your kids’ skinned knees from preschool soccer turn into a college scholarship.

Then, swwwisssshhh. Time passes and before you know it life looks really different. It’s easy to look in hindsight and see how these things begin. But what if we paid attention and treated everyone and everything with the possibility that it will turn into a “big thing.” That respect would feel really different, huh?

Giving something my full attention (and intention) at any given moment helps me live through these slivers of life that are just beginning. Step by step, meal by meal, word by word, stitch by stitch, note by note. Big things are beginning all the time, we just have to take notice.

Pull people into your peace.

Don’t let people pull you into their storms. Pull them into your peace. - Kimberly Jones

How easy it is to get entangled in the inevitable, but hopefully infrequent, storminess of friendships or parenting or marriage?

We never forecast this unpleasant predicament, yet sometimes we’re physically or emotionally pulled into it like a tornado yanking cattle from green pastures.

So how then do we untangle ourselves, get in control, and rise above the storm? With a lot of faith and an attitude of peace. It’s contagious and controllable... if you let it be. Like an invisible shield against the storm, internal peace can protect your heart, and offering external peace (whether reciprocated or not) can be a game changer.

We are in control of the energy in any space we occupy - at your kitchen table, in the grocery store checkout line, in the doctor’s waiting room, in line at the DMV, on an airplane, or at a movie theater. Everyday simple places and spaces are most in need of an energy shift, and it can begin with you. Pull people into your peace.

Fill your mind.

Fill your mind with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy. – Philippians 4:8

If I don’t fill my mind up with beauty and truth every single day inevitably the mental mouse trap gets me and – snap! – comparison and envy and negativity take hold.

It’s tempting to wish my mind would be programmed on autopilot to just focus on the good. Instead, I have to intentionally choose that which is lovely and good and praiseworthy. And when I do make the choice to change my mind, I only get more of that in my day. Like follows like.

Here we go.

Let’s be real. My meetings are going to go late tonight, and there is a mysterious line of purple marker on my kitchen table. My SUV probably needs an oil change and I don’t exercise as much as I’d like.

The yard work, groceries, laundry, and millions of regular things that happen in the margins that make life real matter, but aren’t what count.

It’s easy to feel like my list is long and getting longer, and instead of getting traction, it feels like I’m pushing peanut butter through a sieve.

But when I lay down at night and the house is quiet except for the hum of the dishwasher what I really know is this:

Life is full of mundane everyday moments that create the buzz of daily life. But, those moments are really secret code for the greatest, most magical, and most meaningful moments ever. Life happens in the fringes, not in the perfection. 

So I say my prayers and drift asleep usually minutes after my husband who somehow shuts his eyes and is transported to zen-like sleep in less than the time it takes me to finish saying “Our Father, Who Art in Heaven.”

It’s easy to wake up and live the same day again. But as Robin Sharma says, “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”

The only way I’ve found to break the cycle is to just be still for a few minutes. And this is my place to do just that. To focus on some good intake before I go through the day “outputting” a whole bunch for myself, my kids, my husband, my team, my church, and my community. 

For some it’s meditating in the morning, scripture study with a hot cup of coffee, writing in a gratitude journal before bed, or reading from a devotional in the car line at school. Whatever it is, it’s an everyday practice or ritual or habit or routine… just something simple that reprograms your mind to be more grateful, more kind, and more focused on the good. 

So here we go. Take a deep breath and be still. Inhale gratitude. Exhale peace.