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Today is Ash Wednesday – it marks the first day of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter that we as Christ-followers celebrate. Lent is a season where Christians choose to not be passive, but to be passionate about seeking God, remembering His sacrifice, celebrating and worshiping Him for His grace, and looking below the surface level to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus, our Savior.

As I’ve been meditating on that truth this week, I keep thinking back to when Ken and I were raising our children. We weren’t seeking perfection from them, even though they at times would tell me it felt like I was. (Ughh, parenting fail!) It was our responsibility, though, to raise them to be honest and do the right thing when faced with a challenge. There were lots of bumps raising our children along the way, but Ken and I always helped them learn and grow and always offered grace! That is what being a parent is all about.

God is transcendent, and our great source of eternal stability. Where are you placing your hope? It’s time to build your house on the true rock.

We live in a culture where we can find and demand any information or answer within seconds. And so I automatically assume I can figure out God. Ain’t that crazy? But the sovereignty of God is a mystery in such a way that I cannot solve Him; rather, I need to surrender to Him.

Our God is merciful. The punishment we might owe is paid by the blood of His son. Are you ready to receive His mercy?

Family, God is patient with us because He loves us. He is the God of yet - not operating on our timing but always working behind the scenes. Today, may you remember that the God of the Promise is making all things beautiful in His timing.

Admitting failure, faults, flaws… admitting the bad news about ourselves is never easy. Unless there's a better good news that offers a grace, a mercy, a forgiveness that not only removes that nagging sense of guilt, but also creates a deep, genuine sense of "loving who I am!"

The idea of God’s foreknowledge is almost incomprehensible. The thought that God lives outside of space and time, already knowing everything before it ever takes place, is mind-blowing. Candidly, I struggle with wrapping my head around it.

I remember the first time I heard that God was a jealous God. It kind of reminded me of Mr. Scrooge from a Christmas Carol. But Jesus steps into the scene as the Good Shepherd and shows us that God is in a passionate (zealous) pursuit of me and you. His jealousy is a comfort to us because it’s a reminder that He will stop at nothing to make sure you’re in the safest place possible: His presence.

I am struck by the response, “See how He loved him!” The love of Jesus looks like wet, salty tears staining His face. It looks like Him welcoming and laughing with children when everyone else pushed them away. It looks like outstretched arms on an old wooden cross as He exchanged His life for yours and mine. And it looks like a stone rolled away revealing an empty grave - resurrection life. For you and me.