May your day unfold in lovely ways that delight your soul, brighten your face, and remind you how deeply you are loved.

May your day unfold in lovely ways that delight your soul, brighten your face, and remind you how deeply you are loved.


I came across this verse this morning. The gentle and sweet way it landed on my heart, bringing a pinprick of hot tears to my eyes, reminded me that Jesus knows what is going on and how it ends.
For many of us there are seasons, however long or brief, where we simply do not know what to do. These 13 words were a soothing and compassionate balm to my soul – healing, hope, and rest. He’s got this. There is nothing I can do and nothing that I have to do.
He will sort it, He will heal it, He will protect us from it, and He will get us through it.
Keep your eyes on Him, my friend, just that. Nothing more is needed. We can rest.
You are so loved. Peace be with you.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
I love this picture of my son fishing on the North Fork Stanislaus river on one of our many camping trips. It was running full speed with spring runoff – fast, cold, dangerous, yet beautiful in the incredible power of the water rushing to its destination.
This picture reminds me of this verse in Isaiah. Rushing powerful waters are no match for the One who created them, gave them their boundaries, and commands their course. How much more will He tuck us into the boundaries He sets up around us, the angels He commands to watch us, and the gentle compassion as He leads us along our life path. We are safe with Him. All is well.

Peace has many different faces and invades every situation. It can be quiet and unobserved, waiting to be noticed. It happens in the wee hours of the morning while rocking a tired, cranky baby, praying for rest and calm until suddenly you feel it— peace. It was there waiting, gently and softly. Rest. Peace. All is well; you are safe and secure. Sheltered.
Peace is there on an ordinary day when things are flowing smoothly, life is pleasant, and people are kind.
Peace is there in the absence of storms, just as real, alive, and powerful as it is during grueling trials that seem endless. Peace is there when the Doctor takes a deep breath and says, “I’m so sorry. You have breast cancer.” Peace keeps you from losing yourself to terror when desperation blasts in and you feel like you are drowning and have no control. Peace is there in the middle of the “what-ifs,” saying, “Yes! What if you are healed? What if you are well taken care of and never alone in this? What if you are held in arms that are bigger than all your fears, sheltered amid all this hurt and chaos? What if? What if…”
Peace reminds you that it was there before this storm hit, and it will be there forever after. Peace lifts your face and asks you to fasten your gaze steadily into the eyes of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It is Jesus; peace is Jesus. Such calm, such safety, such rest.
My searching and desire for peace lead directly to Jesus. I won’t find it inside myself. That will fall short every time. I have tried being self-reliant and strong enough. The One who created me, when I was but a thought in His mind, wants me to feel peace, to know He is working out all things for good, according to that beautiful, unique plan that is my life. Your life. The time He took to carefully place us right where we are, surrounded by the people and circumstances that He brought into being, shows that He knows what He is doing. We win because He is victorious over death and sin. It is ok to not know what to do if you know the One who does. It is ok not to have it figured out. He already did that.
Can we walk out not knowing? We do it every day, don’t we? We wake up and go. However, the going is easier when we understand that He has us in His hands and that nothing comes toward us that He has not first filtered through hands of love, a mind of infinite wisdom, and a heart that loves us fiercely, intensely, and intimately. This is a wild love. It is not tame or controllable. Yet, in this fierce and protective love, we find the greatest of peace. Jesus.


I started a Bible study by Beth Moore called Walking with God. It is so good -eye opening, refreshing, and an invitation to go deeper.
This quote from her study stood out and has been popping up in my mind often.
Curiosity. I love this word. The image I see is like a treasure hunt of seeking, excitement, discovery, wanting real answers, and not being afraid to ask God to reveal hidden things and meanings in scripture that I don’t understand. He isn’t afraid of our questions and uncertainty. I believe He loves to walk with us, speak to us, give us His wisdom, discernment, and plain old joy that lightens our hearts and draws us close to Him. He is love.
What does curiosity look like to you?

There is comfort and so much hope in this verse. Before the Earth existed, God was there. He is with you as you read this verse, and He is already in your tomorrow. His eyes are on you.
You are not lost in a crowd of millions and your voice doesn’t get drowned out by someone louder or histrionic.
You are seen and deeply treasured. Maybe sit with that for just a minute? Let it soak into your spirit. Peace be with you.


This reminder is hope-filled and refreshing! It is ok to have big questions for God!
Doubts, difficulty trusting God and His plans, and struggling in areas of understanding Him doesn’t equal a lack of faith or sin. God can handle it. He understands us.
Like Kaitlyn states, it’s not only ok, but God expects our questions and loves us through them.
If you have questions, doubts, or fears just talk to Him. He’s the best listener.
You can follow Kaitlyn and check out her book, A Dream Fulfilled Life: A Memoir in Essays on Amazon.

I have just started reading this devotional by a fellow author and am liking it immensely!
I wonder how often we find ourselves in this trap of making our relationship with Jesus a to-do list?
*Read the Bible for a certain amount of time in the morning only – check.
*Pray for 30 minutes following a script of what to say, when, and how – check
*Listen to worship music ONLY in the car – check
and our lists go on…
I love the author’s reminder that Jesus doesn’t expect checklists, routines, or disciplines that take away from us just BEING with Him. Isn’t His presence far better and more deeply healing than our disciplines, routines, and lists? He knows us, sees our hearts, and delights when we choose just to be with Him.
It’s ok to take a hike, enjoy the silence of creation, and find Him right there with us. It’s ok to sip our coffee and allow Him to sift and sort our thoughts, fears, and schedules.
Maybe this week, we can just be with Jesus without lists, schedules, and expectations, and see what He has to say to us and how He heals us. You are deeply loved. Peace be with you.
You can find Melissa Reeve’s book on Amazon!
Follow her on FB – https://www.facebook.com/melissareeve.author
The wool threads display the richest colors as they flow across the loom, some vibrant and brilliant, which immediately draw the eye and capture attention, while other shades and hues are subdued, calming, and deep, visible only to those who truly see. The Master Weaver has been at His work forever, and He will not stop until it is completed. His breath creates and calls into existence that which was not into what is. His thoughts and His songs, His glance, and His robes are all part of the Divine dance that weave and blend to make a way where there wasn’t one. Supernatural, unstoppable, beautiful.
We each have a unique tapestry. No tapestry is the same, yet our individual threads intersect, overlap, advance, and retreat as the tapestry is woven, and the Creator’s plans come into being. What He sends forth will not return void. It will accomplish the exact and perfect purpose for which it was sent. Perfection. Mysterious. Holy.
I imagine an open space that is peaceful and joyful, where the Master does His creating. It is a place filled with pure, flowing water, incense, and beauty. It is called Holy Ground. This sacred spot is where the weaving happens. It is precious and well-guarded. There is joy, tender love, hurt, and tears. Laughter and grief intermingle and twine about each other in a dance that is gorgeous, fierce, completely untamed, terrifying, and yet carefully orchestrated. Who can contain and control what Heaven has spoken and breathed into life?
The individual tapestries stand alone, yet they do not. Each one is carefully and precisely ordered to intersect, surprise, and flow into the others. Each tapestry is necessary for the others to come to fruition. Certain tapestries will be woven together for a lifetime, others for a few moments, years, days, or seasons. Some may barely skim the borders of another, yet there is a Divine purpose for the skimming and the overlapping, the touching, and intersecting.
The Creator knows, and that is enough. He sees it for how it is, how it was, and He will see it long after we are called home. Perhaps we will see His master plan with unveiled eyes, once blurred from striving to understand, force, or remove these divine intersections. What is woven together can’t be undone by the tapestry. Struggling is futile and distracts from the beauty unfolding minute by minute in front of us. No, we can’t foresee, tame, and reverse that which was breathed by Holy breath into existence. This is where hope and faith must come into play.
There are lessons that must be learned, hurts healed, and other tapestries that need the colors, hues, and patterns the Weaver chose to color your life tapestry. These will not always blend in perfect harmony. This mixture will, at times, appear chaotic and unsafe, as if they should not have been allowed to brush against each other. The Master Craftsman knows how it all unfolds because He saw it from the beginning. Alpha and Omega.
What appears as chaos, pain, and discord at the moment is part of the dance. He knows the steps because He created them. We can’t pretend to understand the whys and purposes behind His plan, but one day I hope we will. When the final thread in our tapestry is woven, and the Weaver shepherds us into the place called Holy Ground, we will see how it all blends into something lovely, ordered, and precise, and we will stand in awe of it; smiling through tears of understanding as the height, breadth, and depth of His perfect love covers us. We will watch in fascination as the remaining tapestries are sung and danced over, breathed upon, and woven together until He leans back from His loom, declares it is finished, and brings His masterpieces home to be forever displayed in the Most Holy Place, for all of eternity.