 We assume that because it’s tough God isn’t in it. Because this time is dark and painful, it must be Satan. It’s a consequence. A burden. A pain.
But the Bible calls Jesus a man of sorrows. Well aquatinted with grief and pain and rejection. (Isaiah 53:3) Over 2,000 years ago he was unjustly put on trial for crimes he didn’t do. Undeservingly beaten for a law he never broke. And unashamedly hung on a cross for sins he hadn’t committed. The result of living in a broken world is that bad things happen. The good news of the cross, tomb and resurrection day, is this:
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I’m writing this on a rainy day from my back porch. Water is streaming off the gutters while little pools are forming in the garden soil around flower buds. This day seems like a reprieve from the spring spark, those early weeks of the new season where we all become as busy as bees sprung from their hives to flit around outside to do yard work, clean up our homes, and find restaurants to eat at with picnic tables.
The spring weather in the Carolinas flip flops. We experience almost summer-like weather. Then, bam! In will come a cool breeze, drop in the temperature, and a ton of rain. After living in the Carolinas most of my life, I’m prepared for this seasonal swing. The winter coats don’t go up in the attic until May. Rain boots stay by the front door for our entire family so the kids aren’t tempted to ruin their shoes in a mud puddle. A ball cap stays ready on my dresser when the humidity suddenly threatens to grow my hair into a frizz ball. Even if you don’t live in a climate that experiences weekly weather surprises in the spring, we have all experienced shocking change. Besides death (and taxes, ha!), change is one of the only things that are inevitable in life. It’s not these continual shifts in seasons that tend to rock us. What’s hard is when we aren’t prepared for them. When a huge life problem, financial hardship, or a soul wrenching senario slams into our lives like an unexpected April shower, it’s miserable. We are caught in a spring rain without a coat. About six months ago and seemingly out of nowhere, anxiety attacks and insomnia began to wreak havoc on my life. I was shocked and scared. I didn’t know what to do or how to find reprieve from the storm. Through that experience, here are a few ways I learned that we can always spiritually stay prepared for whatever life may throw at us… 
A few weekends ago, I scattered seeds in the planter boxes in my backyard. I’m a rudimentary gardener at best but I do put whatever skill that I have to work in a small garden our family has out back. Daily, the kids and I have checked the dirt for any signs that the seeds have sprung to life and this week they finally have! Tiny bright green leaves are promisingly breaking through the soil and opening toward the sun, budding into zinnias, herbs, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and tomato plants.
It’s so exciting to watch a garden grow but it also requires a ton of time and continuous effort. Yet, I plant and harvest again and again, year after year, because I don’t think God has used anything to teach me more about life. With my hands in the loam, He reveals to me His principals, character, and technique for allowing His creation to thrive. So, as we dive into April, I felt like this was the opportune time for us to talk about three of these lessons God has taught me on my knees before Him tending to a plant… 
The most searched for a Bible verse online last year was Philippians 4:6. This verse starts with, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
Now, it comes as no surprise to me that this was the most searched for verse when you consider that last year was an election year, and that on top of all the other fun things that were going on in the world and in our individual lives, anxieties were high. And this year, already, based on what I'm experiencing, on what I'm hearing from family and friends, it's already another anxiety filled year for many people. Philippians 4:6 continues with, “But in everything by prayer and supplication, make your request before the Lord.” Now, both prayers and supplications are responses of our acts of worship. This scripture is literally inviting us to redirect a pivot, trying to teach us to respond to our anxieties and our fears, not by… 
Join us as we hear an on-the-go devotional today from therapist, business owner and pastor’s wife, Kemi Huntley.
In a world that often measures our worth by accomplishments, appearance, or approval from others, it’s easy to forget the truth: You are already deeply loved and valued by God. Let’s take the next few moments with Kemi to unpack our identity. Here’s what she has to say… 
I'm about to say a bad word... (takes a deep breath). Ok, here it goes.
Intimacy.... As the calendar brings the month of February and Valentine's Day back around to us once again, I'm stuck thinking about the word intimacy. Why do so many of us struggle with this word? Why is it hard for us to draw close to others, our spouse and to God? I think we learned to date God… 
Let’s sit down with my husband, entrepreneur and former professional athlete, Gage, and ask him the hard questions about starting something new. Like…
How do we find the bravery to take the first step? What’s our strategy? How do we identify godly counsel and surround ourselves with the right people to help us get where we need to go? How do we fail forward? 
“You’re stronger than you think.”
I was mid roll on the ab roller when my burn boot camp instructor sat down next to me. “Come on,” she cheered. She extended out her hand to a length that would push me a said, “roll it out to here each time.” Guess what? I met the goal she set for me. And then she said… “You’re stronger than you think.” I just thought you might need to hear that today too. You ARE stronger than you think. For some, getting out of bed today even seemed like an unreachable goal. But hey, you did it. For others, you ARE able to achieve that work goal, start that hard conversation, or ask God do accomplish the impossible on your behalf. Transparently…  You’re FREE ebook is at the end of this blog!
We’ve all heard the phrase “New year, New Me” about one thousand times. But here’s the deal, we don’t really need a new “us.” Why? Because we start things and don’t finish them. We make New Year’s resolutions and forget what they are by February. When the pressure is on us to fix us, we’re fail every time, right? What we’ve been doing isn’t working! That’s why we don’t need a “new me,” we need a new strategy. Here’s what I’ve been doing each new year and I’m tossing this plan in the trash. I’ve been adding things onto my life thinking these new additions will make my life more fulfilling, that I’ll even experience greater growth in my walk with Christ. More healthy food and exercise… More quiet time with God… Achieve more goals… Make more money… More date nights with my husband… Be more intentional with my kids… Gosh, just thinking of “more” makes my chest start to tighten. Is it doing that to you too? Because I know I need “more” of these things but life already feels full to the brim. If I throw on “more” I’m going to explode. I can’t handle more. I need less. And that is exactly how do we do more of what we know God is calling us into next year…. 
King Solomon is famously quoted for saying “there’s nothing new under the sun” in Ecclesiastes 1:9. And he’s right, isn’t he? History does always seem to repeat itself, every thing builds upon something preexisting, and even the most creative ideas are birthed out of a previous thought or teaching.
If there’s nothing new, why should we walk into a new year any differently? Can we expect 2025 to hold anything original? Will God actually do something fresh for us? |
