SIX WORDS FOR MY POCKET.

Six words stood out to me this morning.

Six words we need to tuck into our pocket—words to pull out when we need them most.

Six simple, not-so-random words:

The mighty hand of the Lord.

(thanks for the picture, Allison)

I’ve read those six words over and over again this week.

And then I started noticing the verbs attached to this Hand—verbs found in just four chapters of Exodus alone (13-16). This Hand (all on my behalf):

brings
leads
guides
lights
fights
hurls
saves
defends
covers
displays
shatters
throws down
unleashes
consumes
overtakes
destroys
works wonders
redeems
delivers
swallows
loves—unfailingly and steadfastly
establishes
plants
rules
heals
provides
protects
gives
creates
proves
shows;                                                                                                                                                          and, creates!                                                                                                                                                                     

What more do I really need in my pocket than these six words?

When I’m in the midst of chaos and confusion…

When fear threatens to consume…

When the enemy—whether tangibly real, or unseen principalities and powers (Ephesians 6)—presses in on my soul...

When disease ravages my body and old age begins to settle in…

What more do I need in the darkest of nights,
in the dead of winter,
in the driest desert,
in the shadowed valley of death,
in the depths of grief and loss…

When life turns out differently than I imagined, or expected it should be…

In these moments, I need to revisit these six words and pull them out of my jeans pocket.

They are more than comfort.
More than cheer.

And while they are worthy of celebration, they are more than whispered worship.

These words are life-breathing-assurances. A FAITHFUL PROMISE!

The God of the Mighty Hand is always with me.

And that Hand still moves on my behalf—
a reflection of His heart toward me.

Because hands do.

Hands act.
Hands move.                                                                                                                                             Hands work.

The Lord’s hands display His divine power—power that grants me everything I need for life and godliness.

His hands are majestic in holiness and strength.

When I step into His throne room, I do not worry.
His Mighty Hand always extends the reigning scepter toward me.
He moves to answer my call.

He answers—
not always according to my agenda,
but always according to His goodness.

His Hand lights my darkness,
holds me in the Day of my Distress,
and wipes away my tears.

His Hand is
MAJESTIC IN HOLINESS,
AWESOME IN GLORY,
WORKING WONDERS.

Six words.

Tuck them in your pocket.

They truly are life-breathing.

THE MIGHTY HAND OF THE LORD!

What If There Were No Quitters Day?

As long as we’re still in January, I’m holding on to the notion that there’s still time to lean into the “fresh start” a New Year brings.

So let me ask you a question (because I have been asked this quite a bit): did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

I tend not to... But every now and then, I’ll make a new commitment—usually when I sense it might help me become a better version of "me" for the glory of God.

But how about you?

Most people make resolutions…and then break them before the month is over. As I was typing this, I looked up a few statistics (thank you, our ever-helpful-friend, AI). Here’s what I learned: roughly 31% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions, most often focusing on health, finances, or personal happiness... yet, only about 9–12% actually keep them for the entire year. Most quit by early February. Apparently, “Quitters Day” is a real thing—and it usually lands around the second Friday of January. Who knew?

Why does this happen?

Honestly, I’m not totally sure. But I’d guess unrealistic expectations and a lack of planning have something to do with it. It’s one thing to feel inspired on January 1; it’s another to stay faithful when motivation wears thin.

I think I may have stumbled upon a helpful insight just this week—so bear with me.

As mentioned, I committed to "praying through the Bible in a year" (you can call that a New Year’s resolution if you’d like.) So, as a part of that, just this past week, I read again the story of Jacob as he fled from his uncle, Laban, after working fourteen long, difficult years for him—those years being the bride-price for Leah and Rachel.

If you remember the story, Laban was not at all pleased that Jacob left without a farewell. He claimed to be offended by the lack of hugs and kisses, but trust me—that wasn’t the real issue. When the two men finally met days later, they made a covenant, a vow of sorts—essentially agreeing to disagree and go their separate ways in peace.

As part of that vow, they set up a large pile of stones as a witness. This “watchtower” stood as a reminder that the Lord Himself was watching over their agreement, even when they were out of one another’s sight. The place was called Mizpah—meaning “watchtower” (Genesis 31:49).

What does that have to do with New Year’s resolutions?

Quite a lot, actually.

Because it has to do with accountability.

Scripture is clear that vows matter. We’re warned not to make promises lightly, because breaking them dishonors the Lord. Jacob and Laban understood the seriousness of commitment, which is why they established a visible reminder of their vow.

Maybe we need something similar.

What if we had our own “Mizpah”—a tangible reminder of a commitment we’ve made? Something we see regularly. Something that quietly calls us back when we’re tempted to quit.

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MIZPAH: a visual reminder that quietly calls us to endurance and steadfastness when we are tempted to give up...

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So let me ask again: have you set any goals for 2026? If so, consider creating your own personal Mizpah. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. For Jacob and Laban, it was a pile of stones. Yours could be anything.

But maybe—just maybe—it will help you endure beyond Quitters Day.

And, you know what they say, it only takes 21 days to form a habit...so, if you can make it that long, who knows?

The Sacred Weariness of Prayer

(Today's Scripture focus is found in Genesis 27-28.)

A reminder about prayer: it is our paramount joy-job—the sacred work in which the Lord graciously invites us to participate with Him. What an honor that the God of the universe chooses to involve us in His purposes through prayer.

And yet, while prayer is simple at its core—a conversation with God—it can also be deeply wearisome.

That tension brings to mind how often Jesus used the word persevere when He spoke about prayer and faith.

(Luke 11: 5-13, "because of his shameless audacity, he will surely get up and give what you need.")

Per means “through, completely, all the way.”
Severe refers to something intensely unpleasant, something that can produce strain, anxiety, or fear.

Shameless audacity!

Put together, perseverance suggests pressing all the way through something difficult without quitting. No wonder the early church fathers and mothers spoke of “praying through” their trials. They understood that faithful prayer often requires endurance. Still, let’s be honest—keeping on in prayer can feel tedious and discouraging.

I’m afraid I often stop short. I give up before I ever see the answer.
How small my faith feels in reality.

As I bring my requests before the Lord—especially for the generations who will follow me—I long for a faith that perseveres. I want to pray with endurance, not resignation. This week, I’ve been freshly reminded just how essential perseverance is when we set our hearts on praying for something specific.

While reflecting on the early life of Jacob, I jotted down a few takeaways.

Jacob. Oh my.

His sins fit his name perfectly—supplanter, deceiver. Add liar and thief to the list, and the picture becomes even clearer. Yet there is so much to learn from his story.

First, Jacob did not pretend to have a faith he didn’t possess. When speaking to his father Isaac, he referred to the Lord as “your God.” What a gift that honesty was to Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob didn’t hide behind their faith or borrow their language to appear righteous. He didn’t act like a believer in one setting and someone else in another. His parents knew exactly where he stood—and therefore exactly how to pray for him.

They also knew how to pray because their own DNA ran through his veins. Much of who Jacob was, they were. Seeing ourselves in our children and grandchildren fuels our prayers. When I recognize my own weaknesses mirrored in those who come after me, it makes me want to pray my “bad” right out of them. Isaac and Rebekah understood perseverance well. Scripture tells us Isaac prayed twenty years—twenty years—for a child. He was willing to pray through.

Second, somewhere around Bethel, the house of God, it becomes clear that Jacob—like those who follow after us—was on a unique, personal journey toward faith. It was slow, often measured in inches rather than miles, and full of mystery and reaping the consequences of his own sins. God still had much refining to do before Jacob could step fully into the covenant promises given to Abraham and Isaac.

Even after encountering God and His angels, Jacob tried to bargain: “If You bless me, then the Lord will be my God.” His heart wasn’t ready yet. It would take many more years—and eventually a wrestling match with God Himself—before true, life-changing faith took root. Thank goodness Jacob’s early life was not the end of his story.

In the meantime, this much is certain: God was with Jacob. His plans were never thwarted. His promises were fulfilled. And by grace, I am part of that lineage of faith.

So yes—there is every reason to persevere in prayer. And won’t it be an ebullient moment when we see, firsthand, how God used those steadfast supplications? How many “Jacobs” might we pray into the Kingdom? I've gotten a late start. 

God of our journey, grant us patience with the journey of those who follow after us, and a heart that will persevere in prayer for those we love to find their way straight to your loving heart. 

Amen.

Our Most Important Work

 

This quote popped up from out of nowhere on social media - 

I am convinced my computer hears what I discuss out loud, but is it now reading hearts, and informing my social media feed, as well?

The last few weeks have been full of longing, and lingering long, with "concerns of the heart."

Some of those are family concerns...

Some are for friends recently diagnosed with serious health issues...

Others weigh heavy on my heart who are experiencing struggles with their children and their marriage...

And, of course, I am deeply burdened by the indecipherable news at home and around the world...

"Longing" adequately describes the state of my soul; a yearning desire, that often comes without words, because words aren't adequate.

Yet, the Scriptures tell me that the Spirit of the Lord is able to interpret my unspoken, heartfelt asks.

I'm so thankful. 

The "significantly important job" of prayer keeps popping up over and again, and as a result, my reflection this week has been consuming. 

I remember reading one of Andrew Murray's books on prayer in which he said:

We must begin to believe that God, through the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the heavenly world and can bring its power here to earth.

I'd say on a scale of 1-10, the important job of prayer is about a 20. 

Yet, I often feel like I fail at stringing words together in prayer. 

I love reading prayers from some of the dear folks from bygone days. 

I often pick up Prayers, Ancient and Modern; Valley of Vision (a book of Puritan prayers); and sometimes, Every Moment Holy. These have a way of speaking prose-like-prayers that resonate within my soul. 

BUT...

Late in 2025, an author I was reading told how he had committed to praying through the Psalms, reading one every day, and praying it back to the Lord. 

I liked that idea. The Word of God says that if we ask according to His will, He will answer us. What is more in accordance with His will, than His Word? 

What is more in accordance with God's will than His Word?

Maybe I'm a little bit of an over-achiever, but two things struck me entering 2026 that I would like to work toward as far as personal spiritual disciplines (hold on, this will soon come together). 

1) I'm committed to bring the longing of my soul to my Lord on a daily basis that He might move heaven and bring it to earth, especially for the next generation of my family; and, to make this my most important work.

2) In keeping with something I do every three years, I am reading the Bible through (chronologically). So, I purchased a Bible with wide margins on the sides, and as I do my daily reading, I write out short prayers for my "next-genners," using these daily readings as my prayer guide. I began "praying the Bible through" on January 1, and am watching my Bible turn into a lovely book of "common prayer."

It's not magic.

My posture is "open hands and an open heart;" my attitude is expectant to see how the Lord might use my feeble attempts at taking His words, stringing them into prayer. 

So far, it has been a delightful practice. 

My thinking with this blog is not "look at me;" but more "wanna join me?"

What might happen if we took the longing of our souls and turned it into the most important job of prayer that might actually move heaven and bring God's power to earth?????

I'd love to see...

O Thou, who are ever the same, grant us so to pass through the coming year with faithful hearts, that we may be able in all things to please Thy loving eyes–Amen.

Mozarabic, A. D. 700

~from Prayers, Ancient and Modern~

A New Year Goal: Fleshing Out the Gospel

Something shifted during the years of the COVID pandemic (primarily between 2020-2022). Between the ire of isolation, the rise of disinformation within the news media, and the arena of social media, a spirit of divisiveness invaded our culture. With it, came a certain sense of freedom to speak our minds. Be it opinions regarding COVID policies, or of politics, ethics, or religion, factions rose like separate kites in prominence, each trailing with intense emotion. Gone were the days of putting into practice the Lord’s admonition through the pen of the Apostle Paul, (if we ever really had):

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 

(Romans 12:16-18, emphasis mine).

Live in harmony.

Live peaceably.

Seek to strive for that which is in the interest of others.

Consider the feelings of other people.

Why risk relationship for the sake of taking up sides?

Cultivate a spirit of amicability, of friendliness. 

Maintain your own opinions without stirring up controversy.

Yet, controversy has gone into the pot of communication-soup in excessive amounts and is stirred over the fire regularly. 

If we’re going to get back on the right track, the obvious question we have to ask is this one: 

What is in my heart that spills out in such hostility and dissension? 

It’s a valid question, since:

…what comes out of the mouth (or keyboard) proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. 

(Matthew 15:18-20a, emphasis mine)

Most often, the answer to that question is anger or irritation over a felt-need. In other words, there’s something we want, so badly, that we war within, and (oops!), out of the mouth it flows. Much of the time it’s a need to be right, to be heard, to be seen and validated. But, whatever our NEED, it over-shadows how someone else might be affected.

Oh, we can attempt to hide behind the vehicle of quoting someone else, defaulting to, “Oh, I didn’t say that - he did (or, she did);” and, yet, someone somewhere feels the sting and their soul is troubled. 

I’m not pointing fingers. I simply can’t. I’m guilty, as well. 

After taking a four-month sabbatical from all things social media over last summer, I recognized just how subtly this shift towards personal opining took place. So much so, I didn’t even recognize it in myself…until I did. 

That’s when an old prayer from St. Francis of Assisi floated across my desk. All through my college years, this poem was tacked on my bulletin board beside my dorm-room-desk. I read it so many times, it became mine. It’s what I long to be, as I strive to live my life in a Christ-like manner. 

If I want to flesh out the gospel (and, I do!) - this prayer expressed my hope, as it did St. Francis back in 1912 (at the prelude of another era of conflict and uproar). 

The prayer begins: “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace…” 

Let it be your reflection today, as it has been mine...and, maybe a New Year's Goal for us all in 2026.

 

Something to Think About

Read this prayer contemplatively.  Perhaps it will gel with your spirit, and become a prayer of your heart, as well.  I can’t think of any other words that would so express a greater need for us as Jesus-followers in this season. Apply it as you might…

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace!

Where there is hatred…let me sow love.

Where there is injury…pardon.

Where there is doubt…faith.

Where there is despair…hope.

Where there is darkness…light.

Where there is sadness…joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek 

To be consoled…as to console.

To be understood…as to understand.

To be loved…as to love.

For it is in giving…that we receive;

It is in pardoning…that we are pardoned;

It is in dying…that we are born to eternal life.

The Sacred Space Between Ending and Beginning Anew

The New Year is on us, and with it comes anticipation, hopefulness, and expectation. 

In the US, it's customary to celebrate the end and the beginning by partying well, which seems to include decadent feasting, counting down the final moments for the ball drop in Times Square, shooting off fireworks and confetti, and, of course, sharing a kiss with one we love.

And, yet, in all the planning, the making merry, the gathering, and the festivities, do we simply gloss over the end, and blindly step into the beginning without truly sitting in that sacred space of the in-between?

Do we whole-heartedly enter the new, integrating what we've learned from the past, and opening our hands to receive what the Lord has in store for the future?

After every international retreat I attend as a speaker, the volunteer team meets to debrief with intentionality in that sacred space of in-between: between ending full days of ministry and jumping in anew back home.

Not only do we want to honor the days we've spent pouring into women who serve the Lord globally, but we want to acknowledge what God has done during our time together, express thanks for the good, let go of some of the hard things we've had to process through, and give voice to all we have learned as we leave. 

There is no question that every single one of us, whether administrators, staff, or volunteers leave changed, and that will affect our going forward.

We want to answer with specifics the question we are so often tagged with on our return, "So, how was the trip?"

We don't want to just answer flippantly, but significantly respond in such a way that our service and God's work is well depicted. 

And, so we meet corporately to identify these things - we discuss the things we are thankful for, list the ways we saw God act, place sticky notes all over the walls with adjectives to describe the full days, as well as list emotions we felt. 

From these little activities, we begin to verbalize what stood out as we bring a very busy, highly emotional, and God-blessed time to a close. 

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Perhaps we could all do with a little more intentionality, and incorporate some type of healthy spiritual rhythm, as we process ending the old year and beginning anew.

Behind us lie moments of joy and sorrow, steadfastness and fatigue - a mixture of good and bad. 

Through it all, there have been lessons learned, character formed, accomplishments achieved, and personal growth. 

Ahead of us is a story still to be written. 

God wants to meet us in the sacred in-between.

So, let's not rush past the past - because He's inviting us to examine it; learn from it; identify what was hard in the midst, releasing it into His care; and to open our hands to receive what He has planned for tomorrow.

Let's honor 2025 and answer, with true reflection, the question, "How was the year?" 

Scripture reminds us that remembering and releasing often go together: 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2). 

Gratitude grounds us, even when things have been HARD!

In that holy place of in-between, I feel like the Lord is inviting us to take some time to show appreciation for what He's given, how He's sustained, and how He showed up—sometimes quietly, sometimes powerfully.

How to? Start with going back over the year to make a list of those things for which we're thankful. 

But, we are also invited to let go. 

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). 

What cannot be fixed, explained, or redone does not have to be carried forward. 

God is not asking us to deny the past—only to stop letting it define us.

As we fix our eyes upon a new year, we must not do so with pressure to perform, but with a trust in God's love for us. 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed… great is Your faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23, emphasis mine). 

New beginnings are not built on our resolve, but on God’s mercy; His zeal that is EVER FOR US! 

How to? Perhaps take some time to write out a prayer of dependence on the Lord for 2026...

We have no clue what the New Year will hold, but in ending well, reflecting, remembering with gratitude, releasing what we can't change, we can mark the transition into the new with a heart of RECEPTION for the remainder of the story God wants to write in 2026. 

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me”(Psalm 138:8).

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So, here are a few questions I've jotted down that might help us through this process:

What words describe 2025 (for example: peace-filled, courage-building, rooted, worrisome)? What word(s) do I want to assimilate into 2026?

What did the past year teach me that I want to continue to build on? How have I changed in the past year? 

What small mercies carried me through when I needed them? Have I properly shown gratitude for those things? 

What am I holding onto from the past year that  I can't change, but need to let go of and place in the Lord's care? 

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Let's enter into the SACRED in-between and find our hearts settled with a brand new God-confidence for 2026.

Happy New Year!