Have you ever held back from God because you were afraid of what he would ask of you? I certainly have. I was once convinced a surrendered life would be a boring life – wow, was I wrong! I once believed releasing the desire for my own way would be the end of my desires – again, I was really wrong. It was the beginning of something so much more.

What will you do when God calls on you? Will you hide? Will you play little? Will you dismiss yourself? Will you withhold? Or will you believe in the goodness of God enough to say, “Here I am.”

I believe that’s exactly what is happening today. God is calling on you. He’s calling on you to trust him. He’s calling on you to take the next step. He’s calling on you to go for him. He’s calling on you to change something, surrender something, do something different this year. Will you answer his call and say, “Here I am.”

What would happen if you did? You would get to see and experience the things only God can do. Will it be scary? Maybe. Will you feel inadequate? Probably. Will it be worth it? Absolutely!

In our study of the book of Genesis, we’re reading about the life of Abraham. Remember, he and his wife Sarah had waited their whole lives for a promised baby. Finally, at the age 90, Sarah miraculously becomes pregnant, and Abraham becomes a father to Issac at 99 years old. Abraham had believed God’s promise, and now he was walking in the fulfillment of that promise with his long awaited son.

And then we come to a chapter titled “Abraham’s Faith Tested”. Whew, have you ever been in one of those chapters of your life? This is where the hard stuff happens. This is where things don’t make sense. And this is where you get to see that through it all, God is forever faithful with his providence and power.

Genesis 22 begins with, “Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. ‘Abraham’ God called. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Here I am.'”

With over 100 years of life experience, Abraham knows he can trust God. He knows whatever God calls him to, God is going to provide for him to get through. He knows the promises God has spoken over him are undeniable and irrefutable. He lives in the reality that God does impossible things.

I wonder if maybe we have forgotten that. Have you forgotten the impossible things God has done for you before? Have you skimmed over the promises your Creator has for you? Can you look back and see that God has always been with you and always made a way? The more you know that, the more you can trust him here. And when you fully trust God, you can reply to his every call with, “Here I am.”

What God speaks to Abraham next was unthinkable. Verse 2, “Take your son, your only son – yes, Isaac, whom you love so much – and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Wait God – WHAT?!!!!!!! This is the son I’ve waited my whole life for, the one every promise hinges on, and now you’re asking me to sacrifice him? To give him up? That doesn’t make sense.

Have you ever tried to make sense of the supernatural? Have you ever tried to plan for the impossible? Have you ever tried to calculate the miraculous? Here’s what we do – we flip out, we freak out, and we stress out. When we can’t see it, control it, or fix it, we struggle with it. But God is NOT STRUGGLING.

Please hear this loud and clear. Whatever you are struggling with, God is not. Does he care? More than you can imagine! But is he struggling? Not in the slightest. He already has a plan and he perfectly holds the power to fulfill his plan.

Whatever you’re struggling with right now, I have a simple and powerful prayer of faith for you today. Right now, think about this area of struggle in your life. That person, that relationship, that uncertainty, that hardship, that hurt – and now repeat this prayer: “God, I know you’re not struggling. Thank you for having a plan through this.”

So what does Abraham do when asked to give up his son? Well, we don’t see him flipping out, freaking out, or stressing out. We see him responding in obedience. How? Because he knows by experience that God can be trusted.

Here’s what happens next. Verses 3-8:

“The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ‘Stay here with the donkey,’ Abraham told the servants. ‘The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.’

So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, ‘Father?’

‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied.

‘We have the fire and the wood,’ the boy said, ‘but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’

Verse 8 – ‘God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son.’ Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.”

Remember – what is the title of this chapter? Abraham’s Faith Tested.

Abraham isn’t freaking out. He’s not flipping out. He’s not stressed out. He is 100% confident in God’s ability to perfectly fulfill his plan. And here’s the key – When you know God’s promises, you can trust his plan.

Abraham knows God’s promises over his son and every future generation that will come from his son. And because he knows God’s promise, he can trust God’s plan. With absolute confidence, he says to his servants – You guys stay here, my son and I are going up there to worship, then WE will come right back. Abraham didn’t know how, but he knew because of God’s promise, he and his son were coming back down off that mountain together.

An offering at that time required a sacrificed life and young Isaac is carrying the wood for the fire on his shoulders and says, “Father, where’s the sheep for the burnt offering?” Abraham’s reply – “God will provide!”

That is our answer. It’s my answer for the tests I’m facing and it’s your answer for the tests you’re facing. GOD WILL PROVIDE.

I don’t know how and I don’t know when – but somehow God is going to provide exactly what is needed in every situation and we’re going to come back down from this mountain. It’s going to take a miracle, but I’m guided by a miracle worker. It’s quite impossible, but my God is the god of impossible.

Abraham didn’t know how he was going to sacrifice his son and still walk back down off that mountain with him, but he knew God was going to do something! He didn’t know how his sacrifice would align with the fulfillment of God’s promises over him and his countless descendants through this son, but he trusted him. God, here I am. I’m trusting you. I’m walking up this mountain. I’m taking the wood. I’ll build the fire. I know you will provide. And I know we’ll walk back down off this mountain having experienced your divine and miraculous provision.

I wonder if sometimes we get so caught up in the ‘how’ and ‘when’ that we fail the test. We don’t see God’s miraculous provisions because we aren’t willing to cut the wood. We aren’t willing to climb the hard mountain, so we never know what God really had for us up there. We won’t build the fire, so we never see the miraculous.

Abraham cut the wood. He climbed the mountain. He built the fire. And let me tell you what happened – At the perfect moment, an angel of the Lord calls to Abraham again. Once again, Abraham replies, “Here I am!” Verse 13, “Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yaheweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’).

Abraham hadn’t always been obedient. Remember, he had created messes in his fear. He had failed to believe God, followed his own plan and learned some hard lessons. But now, he’s learned through experience that God’s way is truly best and can be fully trusted. Even when it’s hard. Even when it doesn’t make sense. The Lord will provide.

We’re each on that same journey. The journey of learning to go all-in with God. The journey of learning to fully trust him. The journey of surrender. The journey of obedience. And God is so patient with us on this journey. He gives us chance after chance to get it right. He gives us so many opportunities to fail, then walk in his grace. And with each step, we’re learning to trust him. We’re learning to confidently answer his call, “Here I am!”

What will God do here? I don’t know – but I know he will do something. How will he provide in this? I don’t know – but I know he will never fail.

Maybe this hardship, this struggle, this problem you’re facing is ultimately an invitation to see God’s miraculous provision in a way that will forever change you.

We live in a reality that God does impossible things – be here for it!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

All good will come under attack. In a garden of beautiful potential, there will be weeds. Everything you plant in your garden will be attacked. To assume otherwise would be naive.

You woke up this morning in a garden of beautiful potential. Here, in this year, supernatural things can happen in your life. Things you have been waiting YEARS for have the potential of happening here. Seeds you thought were dead are about to breakthrough the ground. Yes, breakthroughs are here. Growth is here. Proof of all you have been praying for, working for, waiting for, is about to be seen.

And my sister, it’s all under attack!

Why? Because it’s good!

God is doing something sooooo good in you. He’s been moving in your life, working in the details, preparing you for this new year. You’ve felt it. You’ve felt dreams being whispered again, hope being stirred, strength being received. And now … things get noisy!

Your adversary, the devil, he is loud. 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” He roars! He creates noise. What does the noise do? It distracts us. It creates fear.

I wonder who woke up to distractions, problems, and discouragements today, on just the 2nd day of this new year. It’s not starting how you wanted it to start. Why is that happening? Because you are on the cusp of breakthrough. You are daring to believe the promises which God has spoken over your life. You are claiming the power, the love, and the self-discipline God’s spirit has offered you. You’re starting to write goals from God’s word, goals God wants to pour his power into! And if the enemy of your soul can’t rob you of that offering, he will certainly try to distract you from it.

Today, we will look at the perfect little story hidden within the pages of your Bible to give you the exact words to speak and next steps to take when the enemy shows up with his distractions and discouragement.

It’s the story is of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was charged by God to rebuild the destroyed wall of Jerusalem. These walls had been in ruin for over 100 years, and it was time to be rebuilt. For 100 years, people had looked at these torn down walls that had left their city vulnerable to attack, and of course everyone had wished for something to change – but no one had been willing to do anything about it.

I wonder what desperately needs to change around you, but no one has been willing to do anything about it? What if God is charging YOU to be the one who gets to work now? Oh, I believe he is. No more wishing and complaining. No more waiting. It’s time for the work to be done, and God chooses YOU! The good work starts now!

Nehemiah had been doing a good work of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. But remember, all good comes under attack. His enemies did not want him to rebuilt the wall and they tried to discourage him. But Nehemiah would not be discouraged. Say that with me, “I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED!”

Nehemiah 6:1-4, “When word came to our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it, my enemy sent me this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.”

You have good work to do in 2026. Rebuilding of what the enemy has destroyed. Rebuilding of what has been broken. Rebuilding of what you thought could never be. And your enemy, plain and simple, DOES NOT WANT you to do this work. No, he doesn’t want you to grow in your faith. No, he doesn’t want you to be healthy. No, he doesn’t want you to be confident. No, he doesn’t want you to have good relationships. No, he doesn’t want you to have energy and joy. No, he doesn’t want you to be happy or successful.

Heck no, the devil doesn’t want any of that for you. So you better believe he has been scheming to distract you and discourage you. What should your reply be? Just like Nehemiah. “Enemy, I am carrying on a great project and I don’t have time for you. I will not stop this work because of you!”

But the enemy does not give up easily. Nehemiah received the same message 4 times, and scripture says each time he gave them the same answer. That means the voices will try to distract you on Monday, and they will be back again on Tuesday. But that’s not all, they’re coming for you again on Wednesday and Thursday too. But wait, there’s more.

The messages from the enemy came the 5th time. Fears and threats, all to distract and discourage Nehemiah from the good work he was doing. And this is what Nehemiah did, chapter 6: 8-9, “I sent him this reply: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’ They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands.’”

Oh my goodness, isn’t this exactly what the enemy is trying to do to you? With all his noise, he’s trying to make you believe you’re not good enough and you will never finish what you start. He’s discouraging you with circumstances, bad weather, excuses and doubts. But your response must be, “No, devil, that’s not what is going to happen here this year! I don’t believe you.” Now turn to God, focus fully on him, and ask him to strengthen you!

My sister, there is so much goodness in you. God has such great plans for your life and the enemy will try to distract you and discourage you. Day after day, time and time again, you will have to continue on with the work God has given you to do this year and not stop! You will have to choose not to believe the lies of the enemy. You will have to overcome the voices that tell you you can’t. You will have to push through the hard days and the setbacks. And you will have to continually ask God to strengthen you.

And if you do, you get to experience life like you have never know before!

Here’s how the story ends. Chapter 6, verse 16, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”

Oh, the enemy and all of his demons will be afraid because you are doing this work this year with the help of God. They will lose their self-confidence in their power to distract and discourage you. The enemy may be coming into 2026 with a lot of confidence because he has been successful in his schemes against you in the past, but not this time, Devil. Not this time! We know your game, and we know how to defeat you!

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist him. Fight him. Don’t believe him. Don’t be distracted by him. Oh, he’s going to come in and interrupt your goodness. He’s going to be loud and bring chaos. But don’t you dare stop the good work you’re doing. Resist him and he must leave!

When the enemy tries to discourage you, you must respond with determination. When the enemy tries to distract you, you must use discernment.

Discernment – it’s the spiritual ability to see circumstances as God sees them, not as they appear. Nehemiah had discernment. He knew the invitations of his enemies were distractions. He knew the talked about rumors were discouragements to stop his good work. Nehemiah was not fooled, even when it sounded good – he had discernment. Discernment comes in two steps.

1. Read God’s words. You will only recognize God’s voice when you learn what his voice sounds like. You will recognize his voice by reading his words.

2. Ask God for discernment. 1 Corinthians 12:10 tells us discernment is a gift of the Spirit of God. If it’s a gift, you can put it on your wishlist and ask for it! Lord, please give me the gift of discernment. I don’t want to be fooled. I don’t want to believe the enemy. I don’t’ want to give up in discouragement again this time. Help me to see these distractions for what they really are.

Neihmiah rebuilt this wall in just 52 days! These walls had been in ruins for over 100 years and they were set right in just 52 days. The things that have been wrong your entire life could be set right in just 52 days. 52 days of hard work and refusing to be discouraged or distracted. 52 days of seeking discernment.

But remember this, your hard work alone will not get the job done. You need God’s help here. You have to seek God in this. God says in Zechariah 4:6-7, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my SPIRIT! Nothing, not even a mighty mountain can stand it your way; it will become a level plain before you!”

I will not be discouraged. I will not stop my work. I will seek God for strength, and I will continue!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

Does God care about you having fun? Does he care about you doing things you love to do? Does he want you to enjoy life?

Yes – as long as it doesn’t become the entire objective of your life. As long as God still gets first place, fun is one of those things that he gives us as a result. Our Bibles are full of scriptures that tell us of the joy and pleasures in the presence of God. Does that only apply to Heaven after this miserable life? No. Jesus even taught us to pray that God’s kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Joy and pleasures here – how? Well, we can be in God’s presence now, and when we are, we get to enjoy the fullness of life.

Look at creation and you’ll understand God’s nature. He loves beautiful things. He loves mysterious things. He loves quirky and bizarre things. Watch a few episodes of Planet Earth and you will see God’s fun nature on full display. He was having fun creating this world, now he invites you and I in on the fun.

Misery is always an option, but it’s never a good one. The enemy of your soul loves to make you feel like the best stuff in life must come in rebellion to God. Like you can’t have fun and follow Jesus at the same time. Hmmmmm … hang around with me for a day and I think we can prove the devil wrong. We can follow Jesus into some wild, faith-filled spaces we could never reach alone, and we can be the funnest girls there!

Fun is my middle name. It’s actually my job. It’s my calling. I create fun for people and then I invite them to play. And ultimately in the fun, we experience the love of God and the joy of Jesus. I can’t spread the love of God and the joy of Jesus by being miserable and turning everything into a dreaded burden. And my friend, you can’t either.

We are here as the representatives of Jesus. Represent him well! When Jesus walked in a room, people gathered. Heck, they even tore the roof off a house to get in a crowded room with Jesus. He had something radically different and that energy was felt in his presence. Now, we carry that same Spirit of energy. Don’t dampen it. Revive it. Unleash it. People are drawn in by that positive energy and fun vibe and you can then easily point them to Jesus.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Understand that Jesus not only offers a full and abundant life in Heaven, but he offers a full and overflowing life right here and now. The way you live your life is what brings Heaven to Earth. You’re here to represent Jesus – Is he remotely appealing to others when they look at you?

In the final hours of my Daddy’s life, the veil between Heaven and Earth had grown very thin and while laying in that hospital room, he could experience Heaven. Fully aware, he told us what he saw and experienced. My Dad let out deep belly laughs and giggles as he said, “Jesus is so funny! Everyone is so happy here!” I believe that with every ounce of me. And I believe we are called to represent Heaven here on Earth.

So, let’s look at 4 scriptures for our FUN Goals and confidently write a few goals we don’t have to feel guilty over in our fun.

Scripture 1: Psalm 90:12 TPT, “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”

When you realize just how fast this life goes by and how limited your days really are, you recognize the value in each day and you are no longer willing to waste your days. Girls, let’s make these days count.

Have you ever noticed how it feels like time goes so much faster than it used to? And we all feel that way. Why is that? Well, there’s actually a scientific reasoning behind it. When you were a kid it seemed like an eternity from one birthday to the next, right? And now it feels like your birthdays come around so much faster. Here’s why. When you’re 8 years old, you only have 10 years of life experience to compare 1 year to. 1 year represents 1/10 of your entire life. It’s bigger to you. But, when you’re 40, 1 year is only 1/40th of your life, so it seems smaller in comparison, therefore going by faster.

Now, here’s what you need to know – the older you get, the faster time will continue to go. If one year goes this fast at your age already, imagine 20 or 30 more years from now how you’ll blink and there goes another year. And that means your time to do everything you wanted to do with this one life is running out faster than you imagined.

We don’t have to live in fear of running out of time when we live in awareness of the value and brevity of our days.

My absolute favorite movie to watch at the beginning of a new year is “About Time” with Rachel McAdams. Without spoiling the movie, it’s about a family where the men are time travelers and no one else knows about their secret talent. They can travel back and experience the same day over and over again, perfecting it to live it as the wish. And in the process, there’s a valuable lesson taught. If you live it right the first time, once is enough. If you treasure the full value of the day as you have it, you don’t have to go back.

As an older mom now, I would love to go back and experience my kids being little for one more day. I would love to hear their feet running across the floor and experience their little hand in my hand again. If I could get a return ticket to that time, I would just sit in those moments and savor them fully. I didn’t treasure it for what it was when I had it. I was rushing through life, wishing the days would go faster.

But now, I’ve learned to live different. I’ve learned the secret of treating moments as if they were my return ticket to the ordinary days and making them extraordinary with my full presence and intention. I don’t rush through them anymore because I’m fully aware the day will come in the future when I would give anything to have this moment back. Yes, this moment – the one I have today. So while I have it and while I’m here, I’m learning to treasure it like a return ticket to what will never be again.

GOALS:

Scripture 2: Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13, “There is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.”

Here’s the huge key in this – the gift from God cannot become more important than God. The point of life cannot be chasing happiness, eating and drinking. Don’t twist this scripture to fit your desired habits.

God has given us this life to live and he’s surrounded us with beauty and blessings to make it better. These are God’s gifts to us, enjoy them in a way that honors him.

GOALS:

Scripture 3: Jesus said in Matthew 5: 14-15, “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under as basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

God has put a light within you, and that light is supposed to shine the love and joy of Jesus. Honey, is your light shining? There’s something different in you, but is that something different showing through you? Could a stranger recognize the Holy Spirit’s light in you with a brief encounter?

You were not given this light to be hidden. You were given this light to shine. Shine in the way you live your ordinary days. Shine in the way you get giddy over the smallest things. Shine in the way you stand in awe and wonder over God’s creation. Shine in the way you invite others into the joy and make it more about Jesus than it is about you.

GOALS:

Scripture 4: 2 Corinthians 6: 11-13 MSG, “I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’ve been living them in a small way … Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!”

When God created you, he didn’t say, “Gosh, I hope she will settle for a little, okay life.” You were never designed to be a glorified bill payer, repeating the same tasks over and over again, numb to it all. No, when God made you, he said, “She’s a masterpiece – now I want her to live BIG!”

The truth is, most of us are not truly overwhelmed with life like we say we are – the truth is, we are actually underwhelmed with life. Life has become so small, so routine, so predictable and so mind-numbingly boring, that even the smallest problems look really big and overwhelming in our little underwhelming world. The solution isn’t to create a simple, little life with no problems. The solution is to live a BIG Life where your problems aren’t allowed to overwhelm you.

Stop living little, my friend. You were given this one lifetime in which to do everything you will ever do – Are you doing it? What is it you’ve been dreaming of doing – Well, are you ever going to do it? What beautiful thing have you still not seen – Well, when are you going to get around to seeing it?

In my experience, God loves to say YES when our priorities are right and we’re seeking him first. His desire is not for us to live little, shut in lives that just one day finally end so we can go to Heaven. His desire is for us to make the most of this life we’ve been given, make a big deal out of him, and leave a wake of impact all around us!

So, the question is – what are you going to do with this one life you have been given?

GOALS:

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

Home/Money/Career

Does God care about where you live, where you work, how much money you make and how you spend it? Absolutely. Jesus tells us to look at the birds and notice how God takes care of them, then know how much more valuable you are than the birds to God. Jesus tells us God is so intimately involved in the details of your life that he numbers the hairs on your head. NUMBERS. Not only counted, but numbered. Meaning when one hair falls out, he knows precisely which hair it was. And if God has the care and capacity to number your hairs, then I assure you he has the capacity to care about your home, your work and your money.

Also, be aware of this – Satan loves to meddle in these things as well. He schemes in Hell how he can bring chaos and disorder to your home. How he can make you miserable in your work. How he can make you so consumed with the pursuit of money that your priorities become twisted. How he can make you continually unhappy because of what you don’t have and miss the blessing of what you do have.

The spiritual battle is for real over your home, over your money and over your work. God wants to bless you, and Satan wants your blessings to become burdens. And that is why we must seek God for our goals. How do you live in the blessings without them becoming burdens? How do you pursue good things without the pursuit consuming you? How do you get every single thing God has for you without getting what the enemy pushes on you?

Today, we will look at 5 scriptures directly from God’s word for guidance in setting our home/money/career goals for 2026.

Scripture 1: Matthew 25:29, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”

Here’s what God knows – If you won’t take care of the little house, you most certainly won’t take care of the new big house. If you won’t show up on time for your hourly pay job, you won’t show up on time for your higher level promotion. If you don’t spend $100 wisely, you certainly wouldn’t spend a million wisely. We are continually revealing what we will do with more.

Scripture says God has the ability and resources to generously provide everything you need. There’s nothing he can’t do and nothing he can’t give. It’s all under his power. We also know God is not a greedy God, but he is gracious and generous in abundance. He likes to pour to not just fill your cup, but overflow your cup. But, God is not foolish or reckless. In his divine wisdom, he watches to see how you use what you are given before giving you more.

What if our prayer shifted from “Lord, give me more” to “Lord, I want to be faithful with what I already have. Thank you for this, now I want to use it well.”

GOALS:

Scripture 2: Romans 12:13, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”

We aren’t given homes to hide behind our doors and create our safe little spaces. We aren’t given money to keep buying more stuff so we can hoard our treasures. We are entrusted with homes to offer hospitality. We are entrusted with things to give them. Out of greed, cynicism and self-protection, we have closed our doors, closed our hands and closed our hearts. God says, OPEN THEM BACK UP!

Have you ever prayed for God to show you the needs around you, then you suddenly started noticing people you’ve never noticed before? Why are these needs around you? Because God put you in the middle of them to help! Stop falling for your own fear-driven excuses of not having time, not know what to do, and not being good enough to help. God wants to make you EAGER to help in 2026!

GOALS:

Scripture 3: Proverbs 2:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”

I don’t have barns with grain, nor do I have vats with wine, but I do have a business – I do have a family – I do have a bank account. And I know without a doubt those things get filled when I honor God by offering my best. God’s economy works very different. His math doesn’t make sense. The more you give him, the more you somehow end up having.

God doesn’t want your leftovers, he wants your best. You honor him by offering your best. In a very practical sense, this means making everything you have an available offering. Have you ever given away something you really love? Just how good did that feel? Gosh, nothing compares to the feeling of blessing someone else with what you have. And that good feeling isn’t an accident – it’s by God’s great design. You and I are literally designed to feel a level of joy and contentment unlike any other when we are ridiculously generous.

GOALS:

Scripture 4: Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

If what you treasure most is building a business, then business will consume you. The rest of your life may very well fall apart because your heart simply never leaves work. If what you treasure most is building your fortune, then money will turn you into a person you never wanted to be. If what you treasure most is fame, praise, comments, affirmations, likes and shares, you will be consumed with what everyone thinks of you and says about you. The world in your phone will become more valuable that the real world where you live and your heart will be stuck in your phone.

Your heart will always be where your treasures are. This is a priority issue, and 99% of us have a real priority issue. Oh Lord, please help us realign our priorities. God teaches us to seek him FIRST, then everything else will be given to us. God says to love him with your whole heart, soul and mind AND love your neighbor as yourself.

Our priority issues are heart issues. We waste our time, we waste our money, we invest in things that simply don’t matter because our hearts are always set on what we treasure most.

GOALS:

Scripture 5: Colossians 3: 23-24, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Whatever your work is, you don’t have to be miserable in it. No matter how ungrateful your boss or your family might be, remember this – God sees your work and He will reward you! So, do your work for God.

A funny thing happens within us when we do the absolute best work we can – we actually feel our best. Again, not an accident. That’s by God’s divine design. He put within you confirmations of when you’re really doing this thing right! Nothing feels better than doing the work, and doing it right! Cutting the corners and doing just enough to get by is a trick of the enemy that steals your joy and zaps your energy. Start doing your best again at whatever you’re doing, like you’re really doing it for God – because actually you are!

GOALS:

————————————————–

MIND/HAPPINESS

What an area of attack this has been for the enemy. Our mental health is a wreck, our happiness is so surface level and fleeting. This is NOT God’s desire, plan or will for a single one of his girls. It’s time we stop settling for a life overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, worry and fear. Take your peace back. Take your joy back. In the name of Jesus, take back everything the enemy stole.

We are actively participating in the very things that are wrecking our lives and our addictions have put us under a spell to just keep doing it. Statics show cutting and self harm tripled in teenage girls once social media was introduced. Suicide increased by 151% with social media. We’re more connected than ever, yet so totally disconnected. We are now more fragile, more anxious, more depressed, more fearful, and more unproductive than ever in the history of mankind. We are seduced and manipulated into being zombies – and we’re very unhappy zombies at that.

So, what are you going to do about that? What is God telling you to do about that?

Scripture 1: Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

Let GOD transform you by changing the way you think. The world has made you think in a way that doesn’t align with God. You can’t just keep copying the patterns of the world. You can’t keep doing what everyone else is doing. It’s time to be different! God wants us to be different.

God, how do you want to transform me into a new person. What patterns have I gotten into that have warped my thoughts? What has made me negative? What has made me cynical? What has turned me bitter? What has made me harsh? What has me absent, scattered, disconnected, rushed, unproductive? Where has the enemy hijacked my mind and stolen my contentment? Help me to take it back!

GOALS:

Scripture 2: Philippians 4: 6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

I mean basically this scripture says it all and write our goals for us!

GOALS:

Scripture 3: Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Fix your thoughts – wow, maybe it’s your thoughts that are broken and you need to fix them. Hey, I know the healer!!!!

Your thoughts are 100% up to you. And what you think about affects the way you feel. The way you feel affects the way you show up for life. Change your thoughts and you will change your life. God has given that divine power uniquely to us, and only us. And, his word has given us a list of things to think about. Now, take captive your thoughts, don’t let your mind run wild, and MAKE your thoughts them be obedient.

GOALS:

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

RELATIONSHIPS

God cares about our relationships. He loves relationship. Think about this: Even God didn’t do his work alone. He specifically designed the trinity of himself, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to work together. That should tell us how important relationships are to God. In fact it’s why he created YOU. You were designed for relationship. You were never intended to do this life alone.

God could have created Adam and stopped there. He could have enabled Adam to do everything alone. He could have made him a one man show with all the time in the world to do all the work – but he didn’t. God specifically created Eve for Adam, then blessed them with children.

RELATIONSHIPS are God’s design, so YES, he cares about your family, your friends, your circle. And his word has so much to say as a guide to writing goals for those relationships in 2026. From his word, we discover our deepest and most powerful goals.

Remember this, relationship goals are always about how YOU SHOW UP in your relationships, not how anyone else shows up. You cannot control them, so let them. When you let them, you ultimately let you. You let you show up as the wife, the mom, the daughter, the sister, the friend, the coworker, the neighbor God wants you to be. Relationship goals are 100% about how you show up, not about others showing up. Can you trust God enough in 2026 to get it right on his end when you are faithful with yours?

I have 4 scriptures on relationships to share with you. Each of these becomes a guide for your goals.

Scripture 1. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (it’s the wedding scripture), “Love is patient, love is kind …” and it goes on for 4 verses giving us a list of how to specifically live in love. God knew we would struggle with this, so he literally spells it out for us. He says, “My girl, this is what you do and this is what you don’t do.” God actually knows what he’s talking about with relationships, remember he designed them and desired them for himself and you. Trust what he says and apply it to every relationship you have.

Breaking down this familiar scripture point by point, we’re going to look at different translations to apply God’s word to our goals.

Verse 4: “Love is patient, love is kind.” That means you don’t give up, it means be intentionally thoughtful.

“Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.” That means don’t obsess about what you don’t have or what they don’t do, it means don’t force yourself on them, don’t demand to be first like you’re more important.

Verse 5: “Love does not demand it’s own way. It is not irritable and it keeps no record of being wronged.” That means don’t keep score, it means don’t be overly sensitive and easily offended.

Verse 6: “Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.” That means stop finding delight in what is wrong. Stop talking about them.

Verse 7: “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” That means you always look for the best, it means you never take failure for defeat, it means you remain steadfast during difficult times.

Do you see the relationship goals you need here? Yes!!!!! Go back, verse by verse, looking at different translations like the MSG translation, TPT translation, NKJV translation, AMP version. You’ll end up with the most powerful goals from God’s word for HOW YOU SHOW UP in your relationships. It has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with YOU!

GOALS:

Scripture 2: Romans 12:18, “Do all you can to live in peace with everyone.” Does God want you to be at odds, nit picking, bickering and pointing fingers? NO – he wants YOU to do everything YOU CAN to live in peace with everyone. With who? EVERYONE! Yes, including your ex. Including your most difficult coworker. Everyone. It doesn’t matter what they do, it matters what you do. And what you do is everything you can to live in peace. God’s words!

GOAL: Be at peace, keep peace, speak peace. Don’t be difficult.

Scripture 3: Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue can bring death or life.” The words you say are either killing relationships are bringing them to life. What are you saying and how is it affecting others? You’re responsible for that. The words you speak to someone can live with them for the rest of their lives. Your words become a soundtrack in their mind they will play over and over again. You have no idea the power of every word you speak, so speak carefully.

GOAL: Speak positive, life giving words of truth and affirmation. (If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it. Whew, that will change your relationships!)

Scripture 4: Ephesians 4: 2-3, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” This means let go of being right. This means apologize quickly and forgive freely. This means don’t nitpick and nag.

GOALS:

HEALTH GOALS

Psalm 139:14 says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The word fearfully in Hebrew is yare which means an awe of something sacred. Like the first time I went to the Redwood Forest and I stood in awe of the towering trees. Like the way I look at a hot pink sunset. Like the way I stand on a cliff on the Amalfi Coast and gaze with sheer amazement at the Mediterranean sea. Not fearfully as in afraid, but fearfully as in total awe of it’s beauty. THAT’S THE WAY GOD MADE YOU. He made you in awe and he sees you as wonderful and sacred.

The question is, do you? Do you see yourself in awe? Do you consider your body wonderful and sacred? Do you treat it with love and reverence? What if your health goals for 2026 originate from a place of awe over how perfectly your body is created and the wonderful things it can do, and honoring your creator with the care of what he has so wonderfully made.

Not goals of “lose 50 pounds”, “wear a pink bikini and look good”, “have an ab”, or “run a marathon”. No, first come from a place of honoring the beauty of what God has created and caring for it with reverence.

God cares about your health. He cares about what your body is able to do. He cares about how you treat yourself. Now, let him help you take this tangled web of quick fixes and get skinny fast crap with it’s and twisted ideas of beauty, and get back to his idea of health and beauty.

Scripture 1: 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God. You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” The MSG translation says your body is a SACRED PLACE. There are things you simply wouldn’t bring into a sacred place. You wouldn’t bring cigarettes in a sacred place. You wouldn’t bring cheetos and twinkies in a sacred place. What are you putting in the sacred place of your body?

GOALS:

Scripture 2: Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” This means be faithful with the health you have, with the steps you can take, with the things you can change right now – then bigger things will become possible. It’s easy to think you would make healthy choices if you were able to run 20 miles. You would fuel your body as an athlete if you could run like that, but you can’t, so you don’t. You would set aside the time to run for an hour if you could run for an hour, but you can’t so you don’t have the time. But my sister, could you walk for 15 minutes? If you will be faithful with walking now, eventually you might be able to run. And this applies to every area of your health. If you would do the little things now, you could do bigger things next.

GOALS:

Scripture 3: 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” This means God has already given you power. He’s already given you self-disciple. You do have willpower because God has given it to you, now it’s up to you to use it. You do have self-control, now get yourself back in control instead of just doing whatever you feel like.

We cannot be ruled by our feelings. The enemy will trick you into never feeling like what you should do, and always feeling like what you shouldn’t do. Your feelings cannot be trusted, but God didn’t design your body to be ruled by feelings. No, he gives you power greater than that. Power to make yourself do what you know is best. Power to push through and show up even when you don’t feel like showing up. Then, by God’s divine design, you end up feelings SO GOOD when you do!

GOALS:

Scripture 4: Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

What if taking care of your body is more than just a goal to look good and fit in your jeans – what if it were a committed action to honor God. What if you sought him FIRST in your health, asked him what to eat, worked out as an act of worship – WOW, that would be different! And what if that commitment of your actions to God is what would bring you success? His word says it will!

GOALS:

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

Welcome to the final countdown of 2025. Together, we will use these final days to fully seek God for guidance in planning the new year of life in the offering.

What will you do with 2026? How will you live your days? What will you pursue? Who will you become?

Life can just happen to you – or you can answer the call to live up to your potential as God’s masterpiece created in his image. Which will it be for you? It’s a decision only you get to make. You either settle, or you go for it. You either dismiss yourself, or you dare to believe God created you for more. You either belly up to the table God has set for you and dive in, or you refuse your seat and survive on scraps.

Have you ever thought about what it actually means to be created in the image of God? It means that you and I set apart to uniquely reflect the power of our creator unlike any other creation. Within us, we have the potential of doing great things. You know, Jesus actually really meant it when he said, “Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works …” (John 14:12)

Within you and I is the potential to do really great things. So … why don’t we just do them?!!!!! For real – let’s live up to our design and dare to be and do everything Jesus says we can.

What if that’s what the new year is about?

You can’t live that life without seeking God first. Oh you can work and grind and strive and you can experience temporary highs and momentary successes, but they always come crashing down. Did you know people who achieve a big financial goal typically feel a depression after reaching that goal? You know why – they have the money, they are finally successful, they built the business, met the goal, but they still don’t like who they are.

Every goal you will ever have is a temporary high from which you will come crashing down if you’re not becoming who God created you to be. If the inside doesn’t match the outside, the battle will rage.

I’m a HUGE fan of goals. I’ve dedicated the past 16 years of my life to creating a goal setting system that really works. In the process, my life has radically changed. Yes, I’ve met some huge goals along the way. I’ve run the marathons, I’ve built the business, I’ve built the big house – then I sold that house and decided I’m better suited for being homeless and traveling, I’ve seen beautiful things and had awesome adventures. And all along, God has been sweet enough to let me do all those things while patiently waiting for me to discover something so much bigger, deeper and meaningful.

It’s not the goal you set – it’s WHO you become to achieve that goal! The rest is just details my friend – it’s WHO you are becoming on this journey. This is the journey of becoming the image of God. Becoming the reflection of his light. Becoming the bearer of his good news. Becoming the vessel that carries his Spirit and shares his love.

Does God care about the goals of achievement, the goals of success, the goals of personal dreams and desires – ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! As you surrender your life fully to Him, he becomes the author of your desires and they grow like seeds leading you to the live you were always designed to live, producing the fruit that honors him.

God loves goals and here’s how I know. God is a God of vision. He had a vision for his creation, then he spoke it into existence. And when he created you and I, he created us in his own image with the ability to share his vision, speak it, create it and live it!

The enemy of our soul also love goals. Goals that busy us, distract us, divide us and discourage us. Satan is happy to let you be successful and gain everything you’ve ever wanted if it means you lose your soul. Satan is always delighted to distract you with busy work so you never achieve your real life work.

But most of the time we never reach success – we’re down here struggling with disappointment. We’ve lost our confidence, forfeited our power, twisted our identity, and settled for lesser than versions of who we were created to be – and the enemy of our soul is DELIGHTED!

Well it’s about time that nonsense STOPPED! That’s why we’re doing GOALS and we’re doing them with GOD FIRST! Before you begin writing the things you want to achieve and the places you want to go in 2026, we will seek GOD FIRST.

I really do believe Jesus when he says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Everything else comes when you put God first. His kingdom means his way, his timing, his plan – seek that first! Seeking his righteousness means desiring God’s nature of being holy and true becoming your nature. Less of you, MORE OF JESUS. And when you do that, all these other things will be added.

God first, then everything else!

I’ve spent many years chasing everything else first and adding God in as the sprinkles on top. I never understood the true fullness of life God offers until I put him first. Jesus came to give us life, LIFE TO THE FULL – and he means it! Life overflows when God gets that first position.

So, over the next 4 days, I will teach you in very practical terms how to seek God first in your goals. And if you do, everything else shall be added to you. (Jesus’ words, not mine.)

We divide goals into 6 areas of life:

For each of these areas, we will first seek God’s voice and guidance for who he wants us to be and how he wants us to show up. How do you hear God’s voice? How do you receive God’s guidance? Quite simply – READ HIS WORD! Everything we need is right here, if we simply read it, believe it, and start doing it.

Today, we will seek God in the first area, our Spiritual life for 2026. How can we grow in our Spirit and become more like the girl God created us to be?

I have 4 scriptures for you today. Write down each one, study it, then create goals to apply these scriptures to your life. I’ll show you how.

Scripture 1. Psalm 37: 4-5, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

Delight in the Lord. How do you do that? The Hebrew word for delight is Anag. It means to enjoy God so much that your heart is pliable and can be shaped to align with his will, leading to truly fulfilling desires. This is the key to your heart’s desires!!!!! What does that look like as a goal?

Goal: Grow in relationship with God and let him change my heart.

The second part of that scripture says to “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him.” Commit means to literally roll it to God. This verse in TPT translation says, “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly.” What does that look like as a goal?

Goal: Let God direct my life. Release control and trust him.

Scripture 2: Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”

Will you trust God enough to let him into the dark corners of your heart you’ve hidden away? That guilt and shame? That hurt and pain? That anger and bitterness? While you don’t always realize it, it’s been eating away at you. What would happen if you really surrendered every corner of your heart to God and let him clean it out? Oh, I can tell you – You would receive radical healing. Your feelings would change. Your perspective would change. Your words would change.

Goal: Continual clean out of my heart and renewal of my spirit

Scripture 3: Psalm 25: 4-5 TPT, “Direct me through my journey so I can experience your plans for my life. Reveal the life paths that are pleasing to you. Take me by the hand and teach me.”

Goal: Seek God first for my plans. Grow in discernment to know his path.

Scripture 4: John 15:4, Jesus says, “Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

Some translations use the word ‘abide’. Abide in Greek is meno. It means a permanent and active connection with Jesus. It means MOVE IN, not just visit on Sundays. We all want to produce fruit in our lives – outward proof of good things growing from us. But understand your fruit will always come from connection before it comes from effort.

Goal: Seek connection over performance. Stay connected to Jesus.

Begin with goals that flow from God’s word! Let him speak to you first! THEN EVERYTHING ELSE. Will you spend time connecting with God, seeking his voice, reading his word, and writing goals for 2026 from his word? Begin today with these 4 scriptures on your spiritual growth. Tomorrow we will focus on relationships and health! (big ones for the New Year.)

BUT FIRST – GOD!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

GOAL SETTING BROADCAST

The day after Christmas…

I assure you, life is a series of ups and downs. There will be things to look forward to, then those things will pass and there will be a lull. Almost an emptiness. A lost feeling. An uncertainty about where to focus your efforts next.

Have you ever heard of a “Goal Hole”? It’s the hole you find yourself in after reaching a big goal. It’s that unexpected loss of motivation once you’ve arrived to where you were striving to get. It’s the day after Christmas, when suddenly you’re regretting all the Christmas decorations you put up this year. Can I trick you into believing you “GET TO” take them down now?

What about the day after Jesus was born? This miraculous promise Mary had received was now a real life baby laying in a manger. Yeah, now what? If you study the 4 gospel accounts of Jesus, (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) each give different perspectives and details. Mark and John begin with Jesus being baptized as a man at about 30 years old. But Matthew and Luke go back and tell of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. Luke focuses more on the shepherds who came to see baby Jesus, but Matthew focuses more on the wise men that came.

Can I be honest – I always got the two confused. I assumed it was just a difference in terminology thinking maybe shepherd meant the same thing as a wise man. And it’s actually, quite opposite. A shepherd was considered a very low class, often even shady fella. Yet, that is who God sent an angel to in Bethlehem and told them to go find the new born savior of the world lying in a manger. I love how God intentionally chose to send shepherds when the world would have never chosen them.

But Matthew focuses on the other visitors looking for Jesus. They are the wise men, and they are literally very wise. They are scholars who studied the stars. And for these astrologers, they knew something magnificent had happened the night Jesus was born because a new star had appeared in the sky.

Did you know that star is the reason why we put a star on top of our Christmas tree? It’s the reason why pictures of the nativity scene include a star.

These wise men, scholars of the stars, knew from prophesy in the book of Numbers that a star would rise from God’s savior. And now, they’ve seen the star!

Matthew 2:1-2 MSG “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

That last sentence just jumps off the page and grabs my heart this morning, on the day after Christmas. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.

This is what we do today. The day after Christmas, we are on pilgrimage. A mission, a journey, a quest to find and worship Jesus. We were thinking of him yesterday as we celebrated his birth, now today, we look for him!

If you want your 2026 to be radically different, declare it to be the year of your PILGRIMAGE TO FIND AND WORSHIP JESUS!

Where will you find Jesus today? Where will you find evidence of his saving grace in your life? Where will you notice his fingerprints on the unfolding miraculous details that otherwise appear so ordinary? Where will you look and find, this is undoubtedly the work of Jesus in my life! There’s simply no other way to explain this!

This “band of scholars” we read about on their pilgrimage to worship Jesus are commonly referred to as the 3 wise men. They’re in the nativity scene, with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, divinely led to Jesus by a star in the sky.

They found Jesus because they were looking for him. Just as we will find Jesus when we look for him. But, if we’re not looking today, we may overlook his presence in our lives. We may focus on the mess and miss the miracle. We may dwell on the burden of work and miss the blessing of worship.

Let’s go looking for Jesus today! Let’s go on this pilgrimage to find and worship him! Let’s set out on a journey to seek him in every detail as life unfolds. Let’s be on a mission to recognize his fingerprints on all that appears so incredibly ordinary, and realize how truly extraordinary it is.

Girl, you have no idea what Jesus did to make all of this possible for you. You didn’t even see the mountains he had to move to bring you here. You were never even aware of the seas he had to part to make this path for your next step. You were completely clueless of the battles he fought as you slept peacefully just last night.

But if you will dedicate your journey to looking for him, your whole life will change.

WHAT IS A PILGRIMAGE? A pilgrimage is a sacred journey taken for spiritual reasons.

Sis, if you’re looking for a radical life change in 2026, decide this is the year you will go on a pilgrimage to find and worship Jesus! Everyday, make it your mission to look for him. Be on a quest to hunt him down and see what he’s working on in your life! Then, praise him for it.

Every sacred journey needs a theme song, and I have one for you. “Turn It To Praise” by Seph Schlueter:

You

What if your pilgrimage is to recognize everything the enemy meant to destroy you, but God turned it to glory. What if your pilgrimage sought to recognize how God makes beautiful endings to every story, and then you TURN IT TO PRAISE! Whew, wouldn’t that intention change your journey?

Here’s the thing about a pilgrimage, you come back changed! This is a quest that expands your spirit and broadens your experience. This is a journey that changes how you wake up on a Monday! This is a mission that leads to a discovery of great and unsearchable things. That’s what God promises in Jeremiah 33:3 “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” God says, come search with me and I’ll show you unbelievable things and you will never live another day of your life the same.

This is your game changer! This is your turn around. This is your moment of recognizing exactly what’s been missing in your life! You’ve needed a mission! You’ve been craving a quest. You’re ready for your pilgrimage!

Does this mean you have to go to foreign countries and do big extraordinary things?

No.

It means you could look around in your own house, at your own family, and seek to find proof of Jesus’ grace and mercy right under your own roof!

It means you could look at all that has become so ordinary in your life, and begin seeing it as extraordinary again.

Yes, it means you continue to do more things because you GET TO, rather than you HAVE TO.

It means you could search for hidden purpose in the problem, a message in the mess, blessings in the burden, and something sacred in the struggle.

And when you find it, recognize it is Jesus! Yes, the same Jesus we just celebrated in the manger. We find him working in full power in our lives today. And when we find him, remember this is a pilgrimage to worship him! Look for how God turns intended harm to glory, then you turn it to praise.

Recognize all he has made possible in your life. Recognize all he has saved you from, the majority of which you are completely unaware of. Recognize he is radically changing your life as you are on a mission to find and worship him.

Romans 12:1 tells us true and proper worship is offering our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. What exactly does that mean? Read the scripture in the MSG translation, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

This is how we worship. We intentionally take everything we do and do it as an offering to God. This requires an attitude of worship. An awareness of his presence. A focus on his providence in our lives. And no doubt, this is the pilgrimage that radically changes our lives in every way.

Today, the day after we remembered the birth of Jesus, we, like the 3 wise men, set out on our pilgrimage to find and worship Jesus … and we will never be the same!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

The Bible has over 300 specific prophesies about the coming savior of the world. Hundreds, even thousands of years before, details like:

He would come from a virgin birth, he would enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, he would be pierced and crucified, he would be resurrected back to life.

The odds of 1 man fulfilling just EIGHT of the over 300 prophesies is statistically IMPOSSIBLE at 1 in 100 quadrillion. And that’s for only 8 of the prophesies. Jesus perfectly fulfilled each of the over 300 prophesies and details foretold.

Jesus is the Messiah. He is the savior of the world. He is the one angels spoke of. It’s our Jesus, and now we celebrate him! Make it about Jesus!!!!!

Read the Christmas story – Luke 2: 1-20

Vs 19: Notice what Mary did … “But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”

Scripture often uses the word heart to represent the center of our thoughts and emotions. As she saw her miraculous new born baby laying wrapped in a manger, kneeling next to Joseph and now these shepherds who have come revealing what the angel had said about her baby, she kept it in her heart. She’s sitting in the moment, noticing everything, recognizing this is a profound spiritual experience.

She’s seeing how God had worked through everyone and everything to make this happen. She’s noticing the divine alignment of every detail. She’s seeing how they had to travel at such an inconvenient time so she would be in Bethleham to give birth. She’s seeing how there had to be no room in the inn and the only place to lay her newborn baby would be a feeding trough, just as the angel told the shepherds he would be. She’s seeing how Joseph had every right and every reason to leave her when she mysteriously shows up pregnant, but God didn’t let that happen. God had aligned every detail, and now she’s sitting in the middle of those details, thinking about them and keeping them in her heart.

She’s amazed by God. She’s content, fulfilled, humbled, grateful.

And this is who we are called to be this Christmas. We’re called to be the one who notices the divine alignment of every detail in God’s work. Notice it. Sit in your moments and recognize the miracles in those moments. This does not require the presence or participation of another living soul … just you. Intentionally noticing. Noticing the beauty. Noticing the moment. Noticing the miraculous.

These days hold the potential for precious memories, but you miss those precious memories if you rush through them and focus on trying to make things perfect. Stop. Just be here. Be fully here. Notice.

It’s okay if the house gets messy. It’s okay if the kids get wild. It’s okay if everyone is still in their pajamas. It’s okay if dinner is served late. It’s okay if you eat dessert first. It’s okay. You don’t have to control it or fix it, just notice all the good there is to notice.

Notice the sounds. Notice the smells. Notice the flavor. Notice the sights. Notice the moments.

My sister, you’ve been missing entirely too many of your moments. Moments that held the potential for precious memories. Moments that were nothing short of miraculous. Don’t miss these!

Mary kept these things in her heart and thought about them often. It’s time to store up some beautiful things in your heart so you can think about them often.

Notice the beauty in the moment, as is. See the life that is unfolding in front of you, this is life that is passing and you’ll never get back.

My prayer for you today and the coming days as you celebrate the birth of our Jesus, is that you have intentional and on purpose Mary moments. That you remember this. That you slow down. That you pause. That you listen. That you feel it fully. That you store up that moment in your heart so you can think about it often.

Remember this, your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely. Don’t waste your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your life matters beyond measure … and it matters forever. You only get one shot at this thing called life … start noticing it as it happens.

Every time you hear or say Merry Christmas, think about a Mary Christmas. Mary, the noticer. Mary, the one who stored up precious and miraculous moments in her heart so she could think about them often.

We’re called to be the one who notices the divine alignment of every detail in God’s work. Notice it. Sit in your moments and recognize the miracles in those moments.

My friends, my your day be filled with Mary Moments, and may you have a Mary Christmas.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

Sometimes God’s blessings don’t exactly look or feel like blessings. Sometimes they feel like an inconvenience. Sometimes they look like an unwelcome change. Sometimes blessings come in the form of everything you think you want absolutely falling apart.

Mary had her life planned out. This little small town girl was engaged to Joseph, they were going to get married within the next year, they would then have a house of their own and start their little family. She would grow her own little garden, make perfect loaves of sourdough bread, and sew matching clothes for her family. That was the plan. It was a good plan and it was all coming together.

All her good plans were interrupted by a visit from the angel Gabriel. Out of nowhere, Gabriel delivers a message from God and basically says, “So, Mary – you are so favored by God that your plans are going to be wrecked. Before you get married, before you get your own little house and before you grow your garden, you’re going to be miraculously pregnant and have God’s son!” In a time when adultery was punishable by death, this did not feel like a blessing. This was a crisis.

Joseph would know there was no way this baby could be his, so he would surely leave her, then everyone would assume Mary had been unfaithful. Judgement would come. Punishment. Shame. There was no possible scenario Mary could imagine in her head that would make this socially acceptable.

Knowing how this looked and felt to Mary, here was her reply – Luke 1:38, Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

That would be easy to say if an angel has just told you you’re winning the lottery. Okay, LET IT BE! That would be easy to say if an angel had just told you the doors have been divinely opened to your dreams and it’s all going to happen for you. Yes, may it come true! But Mary has just been told her whole world is going to flip upside down. She will have a mysterious pregnancy no one will understand, which will likely mean she will lose her fiance, she will be shamed in public, and maybe even stoned to death. And to this Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

My friends, this is what really trusting God’s plan looks like. This is a picture of faith when it not only doesn’t make sense, but when it scares you to death. God, I trust you so much, I CHOOSE your way even when it’s the hard way.

There’s a song by Ben Fuller and Carrie Underwood called “If It Was Up To Me”. It says:

If it was up to me,

You see, if it was up to me, I would have skipped every hard day I’ve ever had. But I would miss the extra sweetness of the good days. If it was up to me, I would have never gotten sick, I would have never lost a loved one, I would have never experienced pain in my most important relationships. But then these knees would have never hit the floor and I would have never known the power of my prayers. I would have forfeited my testimony, missed my calling, missed my purpose, and missed the lives I’m here to impact.

I’m sure Mary wouldn’t have chosen a mysterious pregnancy that would potentially ruin her relationships and her reputation, but she accepted God’s plan with tremendous faith. God, if you’re saying it, then I trust it. God, if you’re telling me this is a blessing, even when it doesn’t look like it or feel like it, I will receive it as a blessing and walk in it with gratitude.

God, I am your servant. May everything you have said about me come true.

Whew – I’m not so sure I’m there yet on my faith journey, if I’m being honest. I still have my idea of what would be best. I still hold on to what a blessing looks like and when it doesn’t look or feel like a blessing, I tend to fight it. BUT I WANT TO GET THERE! I want to receive every inconvenience, every change of plan, every heartache and disappointment, every hardship and every delay, with grace and faith instead of doubt and complaining. I never want to whine again. I never want to be pitiful again. I sure want to be a whole lot more like Mary. I’m just not there yet.

But do you know how we get better? We see examples of who we want to be and how we want to live. Mary is our example. It’s easy to read this story, knowing what we know now, and think Mary was lucky to be chosen. Oh, but first, Mary’s entire world was flipped upside down and every plan she had stood to be sacrificed – YET she said, “God, I am your servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

Aren’t we all on a journey to that level of trust and faith? God, whatever you have for me in this season of life, I want to honor it and bring you glory. If it was up to me, I would miss how good your plans can be. Thank God I’m not the one in charge of things!

I’m assuming you’re a lot like me, in that you would prefer to just be perfect. Never fail, never mess up, never get it wrong. But then, you would never know God’s grace that accepts you anyway. Then you would be locked in a life of performance forever, believing every good thing in your life depends on you being perfect. You become a slave to performance. But thank God his plan allowed us to fail so we could taste the grace that meets us right where we are. Thank God we fell so we could meet the One who came and picked us up and taught us how to stand.

I would prefer to have absolutely no weaknesses. But then there wouldn’t be space for God’s power to work best in my life. Thank God I’m not the one in charge of things, I would miss the power of God every single day.

That song goes on to say:

God, I am your servant. May everything you have said about me come true. Put me where you want me to be. You know what you’re doing with me.

God knew what he was doing with Mary. His ways were higher. She trusted him.

What Mary didn’t know at the time was God was speaking to her fiance Joseph as well. Matthew tells us what was going on behind the scenes to take care of every detail. Matthew 1: 19-21, “Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'”

So Joseph stayed with Mary when he had every right to leave. She didn’t get stoned. She was loved and cared for. She was right to trust God completely, because indeed, this was a blessing.

It was a blessing before it ever looked like a blessing. It was a blessing before it ever felt like a blessing. It was a blessing when it looked more like a problem and felt more like a crisis. The angel was right – Mary was favored! God’s ways were higher. He knew what he was doing!

And God still knows what he is doing. He can still be trusted in our real lives today. Blessings still sometimes look like problems and feel like crisis. But can you, in faith, say, “God, I am your servant. May everything you have said about me come true. Your ways are higher. You know what you’re doing with me. Put me where you want me to be.”

If it was up to me, I would miss this – thank God it’s not up to me!

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela

Your feelings about a situation do not change God’s power over that situation. God is not limited by feelings. God is not limited by chances or odds. God is not limited by timelines or conditions. If God speaks it, it will happen. Done. Deal.

Your circumstances may not be telling you the truth. There could be sooooo much more happening than what you see. There may be an act of God Almighty happening in places you cannot yet see. You may not feel it yet, but your feelings do not limit the power of God.

Mary was a young teenage girl living in the tiny, forgotten town of Nazareth. Nazareth was nothing. It was miles away from a road and didn’t have a good source of water. No one important had ever come from Nazareth, and no one there had ever done anything great. This town had never been mentioned before.

I come from a small town like that. A small town where everyone knows who you are and what you’re doing. It’s the kind of town where you don’t see examples of anyone ever leaving or doing great things. So, I never dreamed of leaving. The jobs available in my small town were the jobs I imagined having. My mama worked at the only factory in town, so I assumed I would work at that same factory. The thought that God would have something different for me was completely foreign. I was a no one with nothing, and there was absolutely nothing special about me.

That’s what happens in small towns. You only know what you know, and you simply don’t know much. Nazareth was a town of only a few hundred people. Mary growing up in Nazareth meant she was a humble, small town girl, who likely never considered herself to be anyone special. But just because you don’t feel special doesn’t mean God doesn’t consider you special. Just because you never expected God to do something special for you doesn’t mean God isn’t already working in the unseen in special ways for you.

In Luke chapter 1, we’re unexpectedly introduced to Mary, living in her tiny country village. Verse 26-33, “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings favored woman! The Lord is with you!’ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end.'”

Mary was not expecting this. Her life was simple and uneventful. She likely spent her days doing laundry, sweeping dirt floors, helping her mother cook meals, training for her upcoming opportunity to have a house of her own once she married Joseph. She had never been told she was favored before. She had never been singled out and chosen. She had never dared to dream of anything different or bigger for her life.

Yet, here was this angel telling her the most unimaginable things. Telling her she was chosen to be a mother to a future King that would reign forever. But this didn’t make sense to Mary. How could this happen? She was a virgin, awaiting marriage to Joseph.

And what the angel is telling her is, “That’s why I’m here – to tell you that your limited circumstances are not revealing the truth to you, your conditions are not true, and what you feel doesn’t matter.”

You think you’re a nobody from nowhere with a very certain and limited future ahead of you, but God sent me to tell you there’s something happening that you cannot imagine!!!!

Yes, that’s what the angel was telling Mary. And that’s what I’m here to tell you today.

You may feel like a nobody – you may come from nothing – you may have never done anything great in your entire life – but God has so much more for you. You have been chosen for more! There are things happening in the unseen that you have not dared to imagine yet.

Why you? Because of God! God chose you! Ephesians 1:4, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” You see yourself as the girl that never quite seems to get it right – the girl who starts but always stops – the girl who gets in her head and gets stuck – the girl who says she will, but then she won’t – the girl who secretly struggles and feels flawed. BUT GOD SEES SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN YOU! God sees you without fault. Holy. Perfect for his good plans and unlimited power.

God sees the girl he has chosen for his blessings and favor. God sees the girl his power can work perfectly in. Why? Because you have areas of weakness. It’s not your perfection God is looking for – it’s your surrendered weakness. God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

All this time you felt like everything you couldn’t do and everything you could never be was your limitation – but God says that’s the perfect place for his power to work best! Girl, he chooses YOU!

You don’t have to be known by a single other person to be known by God. You don’t have to be considered special in any other way, for God to see there’s something special in you. And you don’t have to see what God is doing for God to be doing something! God’s power is not limited to your sight or your understanding.

What the angel says to Mary is impossible. It’s impossible for a virgin to have a baby. Mary knows that. But Mary also knows something else – Mary knows scripture. Mary knows the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis. (Yes, the story we’ve been studying together – Mary studied that.) She knows God’s words in Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Mary also knows Isaiah 7:14, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” And because she knows God’s word, she knows not only is it possible, but God has chosen her and his word will not fail!

If you know God’s word, my sister, you know God can do impossible things. He can show up in your personal circumstances and turn it all around. He can heal, he can restore, he can open doors, he can tear down walls, he can part seas, he can break chains, he can take down giants, he can move mountains, he can bring about victories. And that’s exactly what he does for ordinary people no one else even knows or sees.

He chose Mary when no one would have chosen her. He chose her as the mother to bare the savior of the world. He did it in impossible ways, foretold thousands of years before. And he found her in a tiny, forgotten village of a couple hundred people.

What you need to know is, God knows exactly where you are! He knows how to get to you. He knows how to show up in your impossible circumstances. He knows exactly how to bless you. Nothing can hide you and nothing can stop him.

Your circumstances may not be telling you the truth. There could be sooooo much more happening than what you see. There may be an act of God Almighty happening in places you cannot yet see. You may not feel it yet, but your feelings do not limit the power of God.

Mary woke up that morning like every other morning, assuming her life would unfold exactly as planned. But there was something so much more happening than what she knew and what she saw. You woke up this morning feeling like your life is quite predictable, maybe even boring and disappointing. But my sister, you don’t see what God is doing! You don’t feel it yet.

Am I saying you’re going to have a miraculous pregnancy? No (unless that’s what you’ve been praying for, and maybe!). What I’m saying is you have no idea of how God wants to use your life. You have no idea of what God wants to do for you. You’re not even aware of the doors God is opening, the impossible situations he is making possible, the future circumstances he is aligning just for you.

Why would he do that? Because he sees you. He knows you. And he CHOOSES YOU!

You’ve always been chosen. You’ve always been set apart. There are blessings and favor here just for you.

You may feel like a nobody – you may come from nothing – you may have never done anything great in your entire life – but God has so much more for you. You have been chosen for more! There are things happening in the unseen that you have not dared to imagine yet.

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela