Today, lets talk about something all the ladies want to talk about. Eyelashes. Yes, those big beautiful lashes we all want.

Fake eyelashes are my one guilty pleasure. I straight up love me some big long lashes. They’re all the rage. Hey for a few hundred bucks you can go get you some lash extensions applied that will last a few weeks – or you can be like me and spend a whopping 3 bucks on the Salon Perfect or KISS brand at the local WalMart and practice becoming a master at gluing them on.

I’ve had 15 years of practice so I nearly have an unfair advantage. You see, I started wearing fake lashes when no one else knew they still existed in stores, probably still hanging there from the 60’s when American women were last obsessed with lashes.

Hang with me – I’m going somewhere here folks.

It was like my 2nd day of wearing lashes and a beautiful young girl in my office looked me in the eyes and said “wow … are those YOUR lashes?”

Obvious answer – no. However my answer was – yes. Shamefully I said yes. Then our conversation turned into “what brand of mascara do you use and can I come over sometime so you can show me how to do that?”I avoided her from that day on. No joke.

Why did I do that? I had literally just faced a spiritual battle. I knew the truth was better, but I just wanted for a moment to take credit for something that wasn’t mine. I straight up lied. No beating around the bush about it. I claimed those lashes to be homegrown when they were as fake as the $3 bill that bought them.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
Every ounce of goodness in our lives is from the storehouse of Heaven, given to us as a gift by our loving Creator. The question is, are we giving him the credit he deserves?


Life is always going to give us an opportunity to take credit for things we have no business taking credit for. The applause and the compliments are almost addicting. The spotlight feels good. We all crave to be recognized. But are we keeping the glory for ourselves, or are we turning the spotlight right back to God where it belongs?

What have you been taking credit for with your puffed up ego, that had really NOTHING to do with you, and everything to do with a loving, merciful, generous, relentless God who chased you down and blessed you?

Answer … everything. Like literally everything! It wasn’t you, Sis, it was God!


The average person in the world earns $2 per day. TWO DOLLARS. It’s amazing to me how quickly we can blow $2 and the average person had to put in a hard days labor (I’m talking labor like you and I have never experienced before) for the same $2 we loosely spend on a chapstick we’ll lose tomorrow.

So here we are with our money and our luxuries and our 1st world problems and we think it’s all because we’re good people. It’s because we are deserving somehow? It’s because we earned it. Give me the spotlight and let me show you how good I am and how deserving I am of all this goodness.


Pshhhhhhh – girl listen to me. None of the glory goes to us. Just as those weren’t my lashes and it was all a result of a $3 box of pixy wings affixed perfectly to my eyelids, all the goodness in our life is simply a result of God’s grace and mercy. Every good and perfect gift is from above, NOT FROM YOU.


Every success in our lives is all a result of God. I mean sure you worked – you put in some good effort. But don’t forget it was God that gave you the ability and the opportunity that TRULY made it happen. The credit goes to him. Make your life a stage which gives God the spotlight. 


Where are my people that like to shoot it straight? Don’t beat around the bush, don’t give me fluff, just tell it like it is? Well I hope you’re listening this morning, because today’s devotional is for you. We’re reading in Matthew 22 and Jesus is being trapped with a trick question by people who wanted to make things more difficult. The truth is “difficult” serves some people. Some people make a living by making simple things really difficult. And some people make their lives miserable by making everything more difficult than it really needs to be. So an expert in religious law (enter my own gagging motion here) lays out his snarky question to Jesus “Teacher, tell us, which is the most important commandment in the law?”

And Jesus’ reply in verse 37 & 38 – “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Well that’s not what they wanted to hear. And the truth is, that’s hard for us to hear today. Honestly it would be a whole lot easier to have a list of specifics like “wake up at 5 am – make your bed – and keep your toilets sparkling clean at all times.” But this whole “love God with your everything and love others as much as you love your own self” – oh dang, that’s hard.

But Jesus’ reply is still true today, here’s the line up for this Monday. If you want to do this day right, LOVE GOD AND LOVE PEOPLE.

This is the most important thing. Love God and love people.

And here’s where we’ve potentially gone wrong. We’ve covered up the 2 most important things with all the details and routines. We’re just going through the motions and we’ve lost our heart to love. Maybe you’re even listening to this right now more out of obligation than out of an act of love for God. Are you seeking to check that “devotional” box on your daily checklist, or are you here to draw close to your creator and love him more?

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of our routines and habits and make everything seem like an obligation – ALL WHILE WE ARE LOSING THE HEART OF IT.God doesn’t need your devotional time. He wants your heart your soul and your mind. ALL OF IT. He wants all of it, all of you. Why? Because he ultimately wants what’s best for you and he knows YOU NEED HIM. Why do you need him? Because you were created to need him. You can never get this thing called life right without him. Maybe you’ve been trying to do this without him … and you wonder why it’s not working. It never will. The relationship you’ve been trying to fix won’t work without him. The business you’ve been trying to start, grow or save won’t work without him. The goal won’t work without him. The dream, the hope, the change won’t work without him. Exhaust yourself trying, but you’ll see it’s true.

Revelations 2:4 saysYet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Remember when you were once hungry for God? When you would sit down and get lost in your Bible? When you would pour out your heart in prayer? Have you forgotten how you used to love Him? How you used to worship? Remember back when you weren’t so DISTRACTED. Ahhhh, yes, that’s a big word. Distracted. Are you so distracted that you’re unable to love the way you used to?

Now let’s talk about our love for others. Do you remember a time when you used to do things for people from a loving genuine heart?

If you know me, you know I love a good adventure. I have a unique skill set of turning most anything into an adventure. If you and I are going to spend time together, what I most want is to have an adventure together. I want to do something for the first time. I want to see something new. I want to experience something worth talking about. I want to take it to the edge, think maybe we’re dying, but totally live to tell about it. I want you and I to create a good story together.

You should know, if you ever go hiking with me, we’re going to have a grand time, and we will likely get lost. I’ve embraced this unique skill set of mine and labeled it as a perpetual adventure. Always lost. Always looking. Always in awe.

One summer, a friend and I hiked Pigeon Creek Trail along the shores of Lake Norfork in Arkansas. Now, just because I mention this specific trail does not mean I’m recommending it. If I were leaving a review of this trail I would say 2 thumbs down, zero stars. However, it did deliver my wish of “take us to the edge, think maybe we’re dying, but totally live to tell about it.”

Less than a mile into our mighty adventure hike we came to an intersection. One trail turned into 3 trails with markings that made absolutely no sense. And when I say no sense, I mean like there’s a single tree with 2 arrows and they’re pointing at each other. My trusty hiking partner with a built in compass, makes the wise decision to always stay right. Every intersection, we stay right. Easy enough.

Well … something went wrong. Really, really wrong. And hours and hours later we realize we are lost. Like for real lost. Like holy crap this is how people die kinda lost. Like I feel like we’re in a bad movie kinda lost. Like it’s time to whip out our phones and call for help kinda lost. But wait … we have no service. WE ARE LOST.

Ya’ll, we were 10 MILES lost. It was scorcher of a summer day in humid Arkansas, we were hot, we were out of water and our GPS showed us walking in circles. With every new split in the trail and totally uncertain choice, we both realized just how lost we were.

Without any other viable options of finding our way out, as the sun began to set, I got desperate and started praying out loud … “Lord, we have loved this adventure. It has been grand. But you see, we’re kinda lost. We don’t know where we are, BUT YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE.” The words were still coming out of my mouth when the view through the thick trees to our left revealed the sweet sweet sight of pavement!

All this time, we were wandering around in circles on the windy paths, whipping out our cell phones trying to be smart and download maps, read our GPS, discover where North was, all the while God knew exactly where we were and HE COULD MAKE OUR PATHS STRAIGHT.

Isaiah 41:10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God sure was with us – and he is with you. Are you wandering around lost? Are you at your wits end, not knowing what else to do? Have you tried it all and nothing has worked? There is no reason to fear. He’s got you. He will strengthen you and he will help you. BUT HAVE YOU ASKED HIM – or are you still trying everything you know to figure this out on your own? How many more miles are you going to wander around in your woods while things only get worse?

I once read that prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse. But the right key does not give admittance unless you use it. YOU HAVE THE KEY – THE KEY IS PRAYER.

Here’s my wish for you … Today, may you be led by what is IN you instead of what is around you. Around you are all sorts of distractions and drama. The invitation to mediocre living is everywhere. But you don’t have to go through life downbeat, down cast and down in the dumps. DOWN isn’t the direction you should be looking or heading. Here’s how I know … because of what is IN you.

As a follower of Christ and daughter of the King, the very Spirit of God is IN you.

Romans 8: 9 says “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.A few sentences later in verse 15 it says “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.”

God’s spirit is in you. Do you get that? His spirit is IN you. The mountain moving, sea parting, chain breaking, prison wall shaking, master of the winds and waves, creator of the Universe, IS IN YOU.

The enemy wants to beat you down and remind you of your failures and shortcomings all so you forget who is in you. He trips you up with an obsession over your weight, your money, your job, your house, your image … all so that you fail to recognize what is most important and what is truly powerful. God’s spirit lives within you.

If you’re obsessing over the size of your butt and the pooch of your belly, then you forget about the power inside of you. You’re so busy hating what you see in the mirror, you fail to see what Jesus died to give you on the inside. If you’re focused on your problems, you miss that you already have access to the power to overcome them all. If you’re wallowing in dark, negative thoughts, your feelings have followed into that pit of despair, and you feel stuck. But all this time, the Spirit of God has given you the power to get on up out of that! Don’t sacrifice your power.

I know I certainly have sacrificed my power at times and failed to recognize the most powerful thing in the entire universe living right inside of me. Every single time that sacrificed power came as a result of a focus on my problems instead of my power. When I play pitiful, the last thing I feel is powerful.

How about you? Have you been focused on your problems? Have you been playing pitiful? Well honey, I learned a long time ago you can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can’t be both.

At 19 I had a massive stroke. My newlywed husband lied to my family, telling them it wasn’t anything serious and I was perfectly fine, all to keep them away while I was in the hospital. At the time, I simply couldn’t understand why my mama and daddy weren’t by my bed. But, my wise young husband knew pity would kill me. Pity would paralyze me. Pity would keep me in that bed, never learning how to walk or talk again. Alone, he pushed me and never gave me the option of being pitiful. Today, I am whole because I was offer the power of God and absolutely zero pity.

Why would we ever choose pitiful? Oh dang girl, pity NEVER looks good on you. But power coming from the spirit of the Almighty living within … yassss girl, that is so perfect on you!

Because of his spirit living in you, you should no longer settle for defeat. You should no longer wake up expecting nothing great. You should no longer be okay with mediocre. You can’t settle for a little life when Jesus came to give you a great big, beautiful, overflowing and full life! You can’t sit here in pity over all that is wrong. Not when the spirit of the almighty is in you. Oh heck to the no!

This is why you should be excited.

So, something has got you all stirred up. You’re not sure what to do, you’re searching for the right answer, you’re stressed on the timeline and you’re feeling the pressure. How can you calm down in the midst of chaos? How can you be certain in the middle of uncertainty?

Psalm 139:23 says “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

If God were to search your heart this morning and examine your anxious thoughts, what would he find? Hmmmm, did you know he already has? Every moment of every day, God has been listening to your anxious thoughts. Your random worries – your stressed schedule – your stretched finances – your overwhelming choices – your distracted mind – your strained relationships. Yes, God knows about all your anxious thoughts, he has heard every one and he has an answer for you today.

Our answer comes to us in Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. This scripture was written by Paul. Paul knew a thing or two about stress. After all, he wrote 4 chapters of the bible while in prison being unjustly persecuted. Oh yes, Paul knew stress. He knew how to turn a mess into a message. He knew how to use all his pain to lead him to his purpose.

And here’s what he says: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.

Don’t worry about anything, pray about everything. Calm down darling. Well that’s easy to say when things are going peachy, but what about when your stresses are real and your anxious thoughts are off the charts? Remember, Paul wrote this IN PRISON where he was beaten, neglected and mocked. Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Could this be applicable to you today?

Let’s read both verses again and we will see a 3 step pattern here. If you have your bible open to Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7, there are 4 words I would like you to underline in the New Living Translation.

“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.”

4 words – Tell, Thank, Then Peace

It’s a pattern. Tell, thank, then peace.

We want peace. We want the storms in our life to be quieted. We want smooth sailing. We want to have money left at the end of the month. We want our relationships to be fixed. We want our bodies to be healed. We want peace, but look at the order, you can’t miss it. Tell, Thank, Then Peace.

You must tell God what you need. Now does he already know what you need before you speak it? Of course he does – but this isn’t about God knowing what you need, this is about you knowing you need God. You are required to show up. You are required to work. But you are not required to be in control of it all. Tell God about your messes and stresses. Tell him what worries and overwhelms you. Tell him. Release it to him and tell him you’re counting on him to show up.

Second, thank him for all he has done. Has God ever saved you from disaster before? Ahhhh, more times than you know. Has God ever provided in supernatural ways? Remember when you found that $10 bill in your coat pocket just when you didn’t have any gas money? Remember when you dug for change and you found it?

Could the struggles in your life be the result of a priority issue? When we elevate certain things and people to a level of importance above God, we subject them to removal from our lives.

Did you know the 10 plagues on Egypt were a direct response to 10 different gods and goddesses the Egyptians worshiped? They suffered the plague of flies, the plague of lice, plague of frogs, plague of locusts, plague of sores and boils, of water turning to blood, of all their cattle and livestock dying, of losing their firstborn, the plague of hail and the plague of darkness and each were a direct result of gods and goddesses they worshiped. Good things came under attack because their priorities were wrong. Their lives royally sucked because their focus wasn’t on God.

I wonder how many good things we will lose as a result of a priority issue. I wonder how long God has been trying to get your attention and your trust as you cling to all the things that are falling apart instead of the one who holds the whole world in his hand? God knows we often won’t fall to our knees without first being knocked there.

Lord, convict us of anything or anyone we have put in your place. Convict us of priorities that are out of alignment. Help us to get this right without the trouble. But if it requires trouble, then give us the strength and courage to make those changes.

As we read in Exodus chapters 7 through 12 about the plagues on Egypt and their struggles through boils and frogs and flies, we see each time God would give them an opportunity to turn to him. Each time God would wait for them to change. We see there would sometimes be moments of surrender and moments of seeking God first, but then they would go right back to their old ways.

Aren’t we the same? We get sick and we’re all up in the business of being healthy. Oh God, if you’ll heal me I’ll eat healthy. I’ll get up and exercise. I’ll do it right this time God if you’ll give me another chance.

We make big commitments and promises in exchange for another chance to have our health. And how long does that last? We’re 3 days in and the aches and pains have subsided and we’re already bargaining with a bag of chips and a stack of oreos. Don’t you know God must be shaking his head here. “God, save me! If you do, I’ll change.” He does his part and we quickly fall back.

What are your sores and boils? What are you plagued with at this moment, perhaps as a result of placing other things in front of God? Where have your priorities been out of line and created a mess in your life? What will you do about it today?

God will stop at nothing to get our attention. If it takes frogs, then he will bring the frogs. If it takes darkness, then darkness it is. Not because he doesn’t love you, but because he loves you relentlessly. His relentless love will stop at nothing to reach you. He will work through chaos and calamity, disaster and diagnosis, setbacks and sidetracks, hurt and heartbreak, delays and detours to get to your heart.

He wants you. He wants the best for you. Don’t you know he has the absolute best in his hand for you? His plans and his ways are so far above yours you can’t even fathom what he has available for you. And you have to trust that what he has is better than what you have. When will we get to a place in our lives when we say with confidence, “God if it isn’t from you, then I don’t want it anyway!”

When will we fully trust that if God closes the door, it’s to get us to keep moving forward?

God knew the Egyptians would never turn to him without the plagues,

Ahhh, the struggle is real. Morning time can be tough. When that alarm rings and you know you have to get up… The day is starting and you’re already behind…

The general consensus among Americans is, most of us hate mornings. If we could skip the wee hours of the morning, we would. If we could sleep away a few more hours of the day, we would. If we could delay our start, we would. In fact, you were calculating the amount of sleep you would get last night when you went to bed and you had already determined it wouldn’t be enough … am I right?

The first hour of your day impacts all the hours to follow. For many of us, we’re losing before our feet even hit the floor. Why? Because we’re laying in bed not ready to receive the new day. We’re dreading the morning and we’re wasting this most precious time. And we’re forfeiting our strength without even knowing it!

Maybe you think I’m just saying this because I’m a morning person. Yes, I generally wake up farting rainbows, but do you know why? Because I grew up in a home where I was taught the rising sun is to be celebrated, not dreaded. Because as an adult I discovered something was waiting for me the moment I woke up. And something is waiting for you the moment you wake up too. And this something is more valuable than anything else you could ever receive. Unfortunately many are missing it.

What is it?

Mercy.

Lamentations 3: 22-23 says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God’s mercy is new every morning. What is his mercy? His loving goodness, kindness and compassion. And when do you receive it new? Every morning.

This is worth waking up for my friends! The creator of the entire universe wanted to pour out his best on YOU this morning, regardless of how you did yesterday. Did you wake up excited to receive it? Did you wake up in anticipation of this goodness, kindness and compassion?

All good things come under attack. It’s the way of the world. You plant a beautiful garden and here come the weeds. Every morning you are offered the best of the best in the form of God’s mercy and as a result of this goodness coming your way, there’s a full on attack. The weeds come growing up around his love and kindness being offered as your alarm rings, ready to choke out every ounce of compassion you’re about to receive.

If the enemy can keep you in bed, he wins. If he can delay your feet hitting the ground, he has more time to grow his nasty weeds. And while you snooze and dread the beginning of your day, here’s what happens … God’s mercies are being traded for the enemy’s condemnation.

God offers you love and grace and compassion. He offers you energy and passion and purpose. But when you don’t wake up to receive it, you start trading all his goodness for the condemnation of the enemy. You feel defeated before you even get up. You dread the day. You are disappointed that once again you’re running behind, your morning has been ruined, and clearly there’s something seriously wrong with you because you just can’t seem to get up in the morning. That’s what condemnation sounds like. You’re broken. Everyone else can do this, but you can’t. You’re a disappointment. You’re wasting your life. This is condemnation and it only makes you feel worse, right. And that’s NOT from God.

Romans 8:1 says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” As a follower of Jesus,

How many times have we said, “If I only knew what God’s will was, I would do it!” We search and we wait for God’s will, promising we will be obedient if God will clearly tell us what his will is. What if I told you I know exactly what God’s will is for you today? What if I could direct you to a scripture that makes it so clear you can’t possibly miss it? Are you ready for this?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Did you get it? THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances.

Those three things are God’s will for you today, tomorrow and always. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “God’s will”, think of God’s sovereign plan for your life. God’s will is his ultimate desire for you. Most of us spend our entire lives wandering around, dabbling here and there, wondering what God’s will is. And what we find is this truth … God is so much more concerned with HOW you live than WHAT you do.

What if this entire time you’ve been praying about WHAT to do and God is saying ‘girl, it’s not what you do, it’s HOW you do it.” It’s not where you live, you can live anywhere. It’s how you live. It’s not where you work. God can bless you anywhere you work, it’s how you work. We get so caught up in the details of what … have we missed the importance of how? How are you living? How did you wake up this morning?

God is so so so good to us. He knows we are hardheaded. He knows we are distracted, always focusing on the wrong thing. And so he breaks it down for us. He gives us 3 simple ‘how to’s’ for us to follow today.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.

JOYFULWill you be joyful today? Quite simply, will you choose to be happy? Yes, I said choose because happiness is always a choice. Just as you choose what clothes to put on today, you can choose to be joyful. Imagine in your closet hangs 3 shirts. One is your joyful shirt. One is your worried shirt. And another is your grouchy shirt. Which one will you choose to put on?

Why would we ever intentionally put on our grouchy shirt and choose to go through our day agitated, irritated, disgrunteled and generally grouchy butt about life? While you put on that grouchy shirt, you mite as well go ahead and reach behind you and pull your panties up in a big ol’ wad and walk sideways too!

You tell me, “but Pamela I have so much to be worried about … today is a day I really need to wear my worried shirt.” Hmmmm … I wonder, does that really help anything? Has worrying about a single thing ever made it better? That track record sucks!

Scripture tells me that God’s will for you is to ALWAYS be joyful. I’m pretty sure always includes TODAY.

NEVER STOP PRAYINGSo, you’re dealing with some less than perfect circumstances? Gotcha. Me too. And God’s will has that covered. His second instruction is to never stop praying. John 7:38 says that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ shall have living waters flowing through him. So imagine water flowing through your heart, mind, body and soul. Now imagine that living water flowing through you touching every burden, every worry and every depressing, hopeless thought you may have and allow that water to sweep them away. This is FLOWING WATER. It is MOVING. It is not stagnant. So imagine releasing your death grip on those burdens and worries and negative thoughts and watch them drift away in the flowing water of Jesus. Release them. It is God’s will for you.

Today’s devotional is for the women who have been hurt. Those who woke up disappointed today. Those who feel overwhelmed. Those who are beginning to believe it’s too late and they’re loosing hope. For you, the one who is disheartened by the journey right now with not a lot left to give.

In Isaiah 61:3 God reminds you He will give a crown of beauty for ashes.

What are your ashes? Ashes are the evidence of a fire that destroyed. The remains of a dream that went up in flames. The remnants of a woman who is burned out. These are ashes.

We all have them. We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all messed up. We’ve all been scorched by the fires of life … but we don’t have to live as women who are just a pile of rubble after the destruction.

No, God promises beauty for ashes.

What does this mean? This means you can take your heaping pile of all you’ve ever given up on in life, all that seems too far gone and hopeless, all that appears to be ruined and EXCHANGE IT FOR BEAUTY. Something magnificent for something malfunctioning. Something beneficial for something broken. Something desirable for something destitute. Something worthy for something worthless.

Beauty for ashes.

A beautiful life for a burned out life. What a deal.

That’s like trading in your 20 year old junker Honda that barely runs for a brand spanking new Range Rover with after effects. If you heard that deal advertised on TV wouldn’t you drop everything you were doing and get yourself to the car dealership? Oh you bet you would. Trade out your old used up car for a beautiful new one.

And listen to me here, God is offering something worth so much more than a car. Imagine the adds, TODAY ONLY YOU CAN TRADE IN YOUR OLD DISAPPOINTMENTS AND FAILURES FOR A BRAND NEW EXCITING PURPOSE FILLED LIFE.

Wouldn’t you find a way to get yourself wherever you needed to be to redeem that offer? Will you today?

The offer is available to you right now. Beauty for ashes.

God does not leave your heartbreak unredeemed! He doesn’t leave your failure unforgiven. He doesn’t leave you! You, he’s coming back for you! You’re not being left behind. He’s coming back to take whatever you have left and create something beautiful, worthy, meaningful, and life changing with it.

Whatever your ashes are, God is offering you beauty in exchange today. But that means you have to GIVE UP the ashes. You have to give up being a victim. You can’t hold on to your ashes and carry them around for everyone to see. You have to make the EXCHANGE. Beauty for ashes. Turn over your heartache. Turn over your failure. Turn over your disappointment. Turn over your hurt. Release it. It no longer belongs to you. And you know what’s really powerful about this. When the pain no longer belongs to you, YOU NO LONGER BELONG TO THE PAIN. And with your release of the ashes, God gives you beauty.

He gives you purpose. He gives you a passion. He sets your feet on a path to use every ounce of struggle for good in this world.

Beauty for ashes. What a deal. Girl, you gotta get in on this. Make that exchange today. God, here’s my pile of ashes. I give them to you and I thank you for giving me beauty in exchange.

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This storm you’re in right now … this mess, this stress, this uncertainty, this hardship … it’s causing you to see something. What are you seeing here?

Are you seeing all that is wrong? Are you seeing how unfair this is? Are you seeing the threats?

If you are, I bet you’re sinking, huh? You’re stressed. You’re confused. You’re overwhelmed. You’re scared.

But, my sister, if you look for something else, you will certainly find something else, and that something else will radically change how you go through this storm, as well as how you come out of it.

For the disciples, every storm they faced brought an encounter with Jesus. And the same is true for you and I. Our storms bring us to Jesus. I have to believe it’s why life is full of storms … God wants our lives full of Jesus.

And here’s what we must remember: In the middle of the storm, Jesus is doing amazing, miraculous, glorious things. If all you ever want is to get out of the storms of your life, you may just be missing what Jesus is doing in the middle of the storms. Right here, right now, today, in the face of all that is wrong, there is so much more that is so right. Jesus is working here. All you have to do is look for him.

One of my best friends is at home with her 50 year old husband who is on Hospice, likely living his final days of this life. They’re not fearful. They’re not overwhelmed. They’re not miserable. The storms are raging, but they have found peace, joy and immeasurable blessings going through it. Why? Their focus is on Jesus and all he is doing. It’s a choice each moment, and that choice has them walking in the miraculous provisions of Jesus.

For Peter, the storm brought an opportunity to step into the miraculous. It was an invitation to do the impossible. To walk on water. Yes, to stand on the waves that threatened. To rise above the storm and see that Jesus was always more powerful than the circumstances, and with him, he could be too.

Matthew 14: 24-33 “The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,”Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

What was Jesus doing in the middle of the storm? He was walking on the waves. What’s he doing in the middle of your storm right now? No doubt, walking on the waves. The waves are the very thing that threaten you. It’s the lost job, the diagnosis, the failing marriage, the wayward child, the bad news. These are your waves. And Jesus walks on top of them.

What does he invite you to do? Walk on top of them too.

Not to be overwhelmed by them. Not to drown in the problems. Not to be consumed by dread,