BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

God is in covenant with you. He has spoken a promise over your life, one he will not break. He is in agreement with how he will care for you, how he will bless you, and the future he has waiting for you. The crazy thing is, you may not be in agreement with him – you may be fighting him. You may not even believe him. But that does not change God’s covenant with you. We really don’t talk about covenants much today. Now, we sign contracts for our agreements. And we often break our contracts and cancel our agreements. Yeah, I thought I wanted to stay here for a full year, but now I don’t, so I’m breaking this lease. I thought I wanted to be married to you for the rest of my life, but nahhhh, I’m not feeling it now, let’s get divorced. Contracts are now something we scroll through to simply get to the bottom of the page, click agree, and submit a digital signature. They don’t even mean anything to us anymore. But a covenant – a covenant was sealed with blood. A covenant is irreversible and forever. And God has a covenant concerning YOU. He made that covenant with Abram, and it was a promise for all his descendants. 4,000 years later, you and I are his descendants. We are among the counted stars God promised him so long ago. My sister, YOU ARE INCLUDED. You were included then and you are included now. A blood covenant was a seal of a promise, and while the scene of a covenant would look quite gruesome to us today, in the day of Abram, it was quite familiar. Animals would be killed, and their carcasses would be split in half. The two halves would then be laid out on the ground with a narrow path between them. So, essentially, you would have the left side of cow on one side of the path, and the right side of the cow on the other side. The same with a goat. Each animal split in half, divided with a narrow path between them. Then, the parties going into agreement with one another would walk that path together, often holding hands. They would recite the terms of their agreement together as they passed through the slain and divided animals. Each would make a commitment that if they broke the promise to the other, they themselves would be torn apart like these sacrificed animals. Blood would be on them and their families if they broke their promise. A covenant was never made with the thought of breaking it in the future if something changed. A covenant was never a decision made in the moment like a midnight wedding in front of Elvis in Las Vegas. A covenant wasn’t a “let’s give this a whirl and see if we like it” kind of thing. A covenant was an all-in commitment with agreed upon non-negotiable terms. If you and I walked hand and hand through a path of split animal carcasses, making a covenant to go into business together – You and I were in business together forever. No loop holes, no expiration, no addendums. Done deal. Hmmmm, imagine if weddings today looked like true covenants. Animal carcass is a very different color choice than most are going for these days. And that level of commitment is hard to find too, huh? So, remember how God makes a promise to Abram that his descendants will be as many as there are stars in the sky, and while Abram and his wife are now old and can’t have children, he dared to BELIEVE GOD, and because of his faith he was counted as righteous. That was an awesome moment of faith. Wow. Then, God makes another promise to Abram. (And that’s really how God works. If you can believe him for one promise, then he’ll make more promises to you. If you trust God with one thing, he will trust you with more.) So God sees that Abram will trust him with something as impossible as children at this point in his life, so God starts making more promises. Genesis 15:7, “Then the Lord told him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur to give you this land as your poss...

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2025

Do you have something you’re believing God for, but you’re still battling for it to make sense in your mind? Some days it’s easy to believe what could be, and other days you wake up to current reality so hard that you can barely get out of bed. What do you do on those days? On the days when what you believe God CAN do and what is happening right now seem to be a world apart. On days when the gap between what you’re believing for and what you’re going through is a massive divide. What do you do on those days? You get real with God. Yes, just be honest. God wants to fill that gap, so don’t hide it from him in shame, invite him into it! Lord, I believe you can do anything, but right now nothing seems to be happening, so come fill this gap. I hear you, Lord – but I don’t see you, Lord. I need more help from you here. That’s the kind of relationship God is calling you into. A real one where you’re honest and you hold nothing back from him. There was once a father who’s son suffered from convulsions and seizures. The father brought his son to Jesus for healing and says, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” Can’t you hear the desperation in the father’s plea. Have mercy. Please, if you can help us, I’m begging for your help. And Jesus says this in reply, “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’ Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:24, “The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!'” There it is. That’s what you do on those days. On the days when you’re believe what could be, but your reality nearly cripples you. On the days when you believe what God CAN do but it’s a world apart from what is happening right now. On the days when there’s a massive divide between what you’re believing for and what you’re going through. On those days, you cry out to Jesus with all your belief and all your doubt, all your knowing and all your questioning, all your surrender and all your desire to still control it – “Jesus, I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” What? You think God would be disappointed if you admitted you struggle with part of you not believing he can get it right? You think God would be hurt by your questioning? Girl, God knows exactly how you really feel. He knows precisely how you’re struggling to fit his promises and your reality in the same box. He knows about that gap between what you’re believing for and what you’re going through, and all he wants is for you to stop hiding it from him and invite him into it. Lord, here’s the gap I’m struggling with – the things I don’t understand – the things I can’t see even being possible at this point – and I’m inviting you into this gap where my unbelief resides. Here’s my unbelief, help me to overcome it. I believe you, God, but I’m still struggling. You don’t have to hide in shame over your unbelief, you have to ask God to help you in it. You don’t have to be ashamed of the desires of your heart that are a far cry from current reality, you just have to invite God into the gap between the two. The father cries out to Jesus in honesty, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” And do you know what happens next? Jesus commands the spirit to come out of the boy, takes the him by the hand and helped him stand. As the father was struggling with holding both his belief and unbelief, Jesus healed his son. Jesus doesn’t need your belief to be perfect and without wavering. What he’s asking of you is to acknowledge the part of you that still struggles to believe and just invite him into it. Help me here, Jesus, where I still don’t get it. I believe you can get it right,

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2025

What do God’s rewards look like? They look like impossible things being made possible. They look like things you could have never even dreamed up in your own mind. God’s rewards are bigger, better and sweeter than what you even asked for. They are exceedingly great. And God rewards the ones who have messed things up. He rewards the ones who have failed along the way. The ones who thought their plans were better than God’s instructions, so they did their own thing their own way. God doesn’t cancel his rewards for the less than perfect, he leads them right to his rewards with grace and mercy. He covers us, forgives us, guides us, teaches us, and redeems us. Again and again, he rewards us in ways we could never be good enough to earn. Yesterday as I was wrapping Christmas gifts for my family, I realized God’s rewards in my life. Is my life perfect – no. There are some messy uncertainties, hurts and unhealed wounds. There are some struggling relationships and painful distances. Each of those gifts will be shipped in boxes today because no one is coming home … and I’m okay with that. We will be alone for Christmas, but fully aware of God’s exceedingly great rewards. I don’t get to share everything with you here because some things are private. But sometimes things need to be shared so God’s glory is made known. In the past year, we’ve walked a path with both of our daughters that seemed hopeless. Just this last Christmas, not only did they not come home but they wouldn’t even call. I didn’t tell you that. Every morning I was charged with the task of showing up here with a new devotional to share in pure delight as our family was broken. God has taught me how to walk through hard times and still be filled with joy. He’s taught me how to walk through the dark valley while talking about beautiful promised mountaintops. And let me tell you, HE’S NEVER FAILED ME ONCE. Last year at this time, one daughter’s marriage had fallen apart and she was walking away from her husband and her 2 year old son. That’s the truth. It didn’t look like it could EVER be okay again. The other daughter was going her own way in darkness, leaving a trail of disaster behind her and blaming us for most of it. She was caught in a world of chaos, bouncing from couch to couch and struggling to buy food. But God did not fail us. He didn’t walk away and leave us to try and fix it. In fact, we had nothing to do with fixing it. We prayed – God worked. We’re still praying – and he’s still working. But let me tell you how radically different our family looks this year. In one year, the daughter who was leaving her husband and 2 year old son is with her little family, they’re in Church and they’re seeking God. She sent me 2 texts this week. 1 text was of the 3 of them in matching Christmas pajamas all piled up on the couch together. That’s a miracle! Their divorce is cancelled! The 2nd text was telling me how they caught their little boy talking to himself and then realized he was praying. He was saying, “Thank you for Poppy and Franny.” (I’m Franny!). She told me they’ve been praying together as a family, and he’s started repeating them. Y’all that’s an exceedingly great reward! I didn’t do that – GOD DID THAT! My other daughter now has a baby girl of her own, and she’s the most perfect thing you’ve ever seen. Their life is not easy, but they have their little family together and they’re trying to give their baby girl the best they can. Yesterday she sent me a video of my smiling grandbaby as she absolutely lights up over her mama’s voice. It’s a miracle. I didn’t even know this was possible 1 year ago! And here I am, wrapping presents to ship to the homes of my children which Go...

Transcribed - Published: 10 December 2025

Whatever problem you are facing right now, whatever the threat may be on your future, know this – GOD WILL PROTECT YOU. He will come through for you. God will meet your needs and you will be taken care of. You likely don’t feel worthy of that because maybe you’re not 100% innocent in the problem you’re facing. Oh come on, can we be real for a minute? This might not be all your fault, but you weren’t perfect and you have some level of responsibility here. You put your trust in the wrong people. You allowed your priorities to get out of line. You willfully overlooked the red flags because you just wanted it so bad. You stopped showing up as your best self. Maybe you don’t deserve this problem, but you’re part of it now. BUT GOD WILL STILL PROTECT YOU IN THIS. God will still come through for you. God will still meet your needs here and you will still be taken care of, even when you’ve been a little (or a lot) wrong too. Yesterday we read about Abram creating unnecessary problems on his journey because he didn’t trust God to be enough. But God didn’t cancel his promises over Abram because of it. God was still there. God was still working. God’s good plans for Abram still stood, even through the problems he had part in creating. Now, after Abram’s self-created problem, God speaks to Abram in a vision. Genesis 15:1, “Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.'” Did you know God has a reward for you? A reward you don’t deserve, so you can’t earn it. A reward of sacred gifts and favor, goodness and mercy. A reward of Heaven’s open storehouse. A reward of breakthroughs and blessings in miraculous proportions. And it has nothing to do with what you do, it has to do with what has been done for you. This is about God. God WANTS to reward you, and his reward will not be stopped. God blesses because he is good – not because you are good. How can God do that? Won’t his blessings be wasted if he gives to us even when we aren’t deserving? Oh honey, you’re viewing this from a limited perspective. God is unlimited. Nothing is wasted in his hands. Here’s what he knows – his blessings will always draw you back to him. When God shows up and does a miracle in your life, you can never forget it. When God gives you what you could never be good enough to deserve, you are forever grateful to him. Something happened in Abram when he saw God’s faithfulness even after his self-created mess caused by his lack of trust – he never had to doubt God again. When you know God is faithful, you become more faithful to him. Has God shown himself faithful to you? Doesn’t that make you want to be faithful to him? Has God proven you can trust him with those little things and those big things alike? Doesn’t that make you want to trust him fully with EVERY thing? God had told Abram to go to a land he would show him, and he had specifically told him NOT to take any of his father’s family with him. But, Abram took his nephew Lot. It made sense to him to bring along help. It made sense to him to have strong arms for the long and uncertain journey. Abram had trusted what made sense to him more than he trusted what God had told him. And this created problems. Abram’s nephew Lot (the one God told him to leave at home) was captured in war by enemy armies, so Abram had to go rescue him. Once Lot was rescued, a King wanted to reward Abram with great riches. These were things Abram didn’t need for his journey, but it must have been tempting. I mean for real, girl, if someone is offering you a designer purse and those famous red bottom shoes by Christian Louboutin, you want it, right? You don’t need it, but wow, it would be nice.

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2025

How good do you have to be to live in the promises of God? Where’s the cut off line for that? Do you wonder if you could ever be good enough for God to really love you? Do you fight to get yourself in that good positioning, then struggle to stay there? And when you’re not there, when you know you’re falling short, do you fear God’s promises over your life being withdrawn? Well, listen closely sister, this one is for you – God’s promises depend on GOD, not on you. God alone is good enough. God alone fulfills his promises. Jesus has made you forever good enough and you don’t have the power to undo that. God’s promises for you are true whether you believe them or not. His promises are at work all around you in every detail, even when you fail to remember them. You can’t cancel God’s promises, but you can create unnecessary problems when you forget them. In our study of Genesis, we started with Adam and Eve, then 9 generations later we have Noah. 9 generations after Noah, we have Abraham. Abraham’s birth name was Abram, so don’t be confused when you read scripture and you see both names being used. In Genesis 12, Abram received a mission and a promise from God. First the mission in verse 1, “Leave your native country, your relatives, your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” Now, the promise in verse 2 & 3, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Imagine knowing with absolute certainty that God is blessing your mission. Imagine knowing you will most definitely succeed. Imagine knowing God himself has promised to take care of you and clear out anyone that might come against you. That was the promise Abram received. But Abram was not perfect. He was chosen, but not perfect. He was blessed but still flawed. He didn’t always get it right. God specifically tells Abram not to take any of his father’s family on this journey, but he takes his nephew Lot. Why would he do that? Maybe he thought he would need help for the journey. You see, sometimes we think we need help and we start grabbing people to take with us, forgetting that God alone is all the help we need. This nephew of Abram’s causes him many troubles on the journey, and that’s what happens when we don’t trust God enough to follow him completely. Does God remove his blessing when we fail him? No. But we create unnecessary problems for ourselves. What unnecessary problems are you living in right now because you didn’t trust God to be enough? What stress here is self-created? What overwhelm was formed with your own choices, not God’s hand? Do you see it? Yeah, you did that. You can’t go back and undo it, but you know what you can do – You can learn the lesson and move forward. God’s blessings are still on you and you can trust him fully. One thing I’m learning about God is how incredibly patient he is with us. Wow, I’ve been so slow to learn the lessons. It’s taken me YEARS of unnecessary problems to see God is all I ever needed. It’s my lack of trust in him that creates my worry. It’s my lack of full obedience to him that builds my overwhelm. And yet, he blesses me. Still he guides me. Still his good plans for me stand. He is patient with me. He was patient with Abram. And oh honey, he is patient with YOU! Abram’s journey of faith with God takes him to Egypt where he faced the power of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. And this is where fear struck Abram. He knew his wife Sarai was beautiful and she would be noticed by the Egyptians. And he feared the Egyptians would be jealous of him and ...

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2025

Your identity is a definition of who you are to you. It’s how you see yourself. It’s the value you place on your own life. Identity. The world wants to twist your identity so you never see yourself for the truth of who God says you are. God does not see you as a failure because he never saw you as a performer. (Hmmmm, let that soak in for a second.) God is neither impressed by your performance or distraught over your missteps. He is sovereign. He is mighty. He is great all alone, just by himself, and he simply invites YOU into HIS goodness. Let me tell you who you are, my sister, so you start seeing yourself a little differently. You are a funnel. You are a vessel through which God pours his blessings. A funnel’s purpose is to allow a flow from a larger thing to a smaller thing. If I’m pouring grease from a big skillet into a little bottle, I need a funnel. You are the funnel. God pours out his blessings, but he uses a funnel for his flow. His people are his funnel. And the funnel is constantly being filled, even as it gives, because the source never runs out. When you are the funnel receiving from God, you can fill a million different bottles while never running empty yourself. But the moment you stop the flow through you and try to keep it all for yourself, you create a mess. Yip, you know that. Now think about this. As the funnel, the moment you start trying to give solely from yourself, you run dry. The moment you start trying to create the blessings on your own, you fail. The funnel does nothing but allow the flow through them from the source. The funnel can’t get puffed up with pride, thinking they’re great and every little bottle receiving from them should be grateful. No, what the receiving bottle does with what has flowed through the funnel is of no concern. The funnel is to allow the flow, not measure the response. You’re the funnel. And funnel, it’s really not about you. Just let God’s blessings flow through you. Here’s a statement for your identity. It’s one I’ve clung to for the past 16 years. I’m blessed by the blessor to be a blessing. God is a blessor. All blessings come from him. Ephesians 3:1 reminds us that it is God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Every good thing you have came through the hands of God. It’s all his and he poured it out on you – and I bet he used a funnel to get it to you! He used someone to bless you. Someone spoke into your life. Someone gave you a chance. Someone opened the door for you. Someone made space for you. Someone showed you love. They were your funnel! They were blessed by God to be a blessing to you. And once you’ve received a blessing from God, you become the funnel. Now, you let the blessings flow through you onto the next person who needs the goodness of God. The divine giver never stops giving as long as the funnel keeps the flow open. We’ve been studying Genesis and we saw how the whole earth had been infected by Satan and his demons and become evil – all but 1. That one was Noah, and Noah was different. So God started over with just Noah and his family on the ark. Now, 10 generations after Noah comes Abraham. Abraham is know as the “father of faith”. We first learn how to be faithful through the life of Abraham. Abraham was an ordinary man who had the identity of a funnel. He knew everything he was given and everything he could do was for the purposes of God to flow through him to others. Let me tell you, it takes FAITH to receive a blessing from God and not hold on to it. It takes faith to allow the best stuff to just go right through you. God tells Abraham in Genesis 12:2, “I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” Blessed by the blessor to be a blessing. God is saying – Abraham,

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2025

There is a divine design over your life. The divine designer behind it is God. He wanted you, so he designed you. He used generations before you to perfectly align to bring the world YOU. Now, here you are in your lifetime. My friend, what are you doing with this one opportunity at life? It’s so wild to think about how incredibly short our lifetime really is in relation to creation. We are truly here but a moment, then our life is over and the world continues on without our existence here. But while we are here, our existence is for a purpose. We’re not here by chance, we’re here by CHOICE, and that choice was God’s. You continue to be here by choice. Every day of your life is a choice for God to continue to sustain you with his breath. His desire is that you not waste what you have been given. Live this one life you have been given in a way that it matters. Think about this – someone’s future flows from you. Someone’s life depends on your life. You’re being used to impact eternity. It’s easy to dismiss ourselves as too ordinary for that kind of impact, but I assure you, God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. Isn’t it true for you? You’re here today because of someone else. God used someone in the past for your today. Someone grew you in their womb. Someone fed you when you couldn’t feed yourself. Someone may have spoken a word that forever changed you. Someone may have shown you Jesus for the first time and changed your eternity. Weren’t they ordinary people? Your mom was quite ordinary, maybe even quite flawed. That teacher was quite ordinary. Maybe it was even an ordinary stranger, but what they did made a difference in your life. Now, you get to do that for someone else. You get to be that mom, or that teacher, or that friend, or that stranger. Do something that matters! Noah and his wife had 3 sons and their wives on the ark. After the flood, they were the only humans alive. And from them, God would repopulate the Earth. Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth. And from one of them came … YOU. Without one of them, we don’t have you. Your exact DNA required either Shem, Ham or Japheth – the sons of Noah. And remember this, Noah was just an ordinary man but he lived DIFFERENT. He wasn’t said to be the best looking, the strongest or the smartest, he was just said to be different and God liked what he saw in Noah. And THAT is who you come from! You come from someone who was willing to be different. Someone who was radically obedient to God. Someone God used to change everything. That is your lineage! That’s where you come from. One life led to your life, by design. When Noah and his family left the ark, God did something very specific. Genesis 9:1, “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.'” Guess what – that involved YOU. God knew you would come from 1 of Noah’s 3 sons. Your life would depend on them. And their life was blessed by God personally. My sister, you flow from blessings. You were designed by fruitfulness. Countless miraculous things have had to happen over all these generations just to ensure your life is here today. And here you are, not understanding the full impact of your lifetime. You’re failing to understand that someone’s future flows from you. Someone’s life now depends on your life. God wants to use YOU to impact eternity. I remember the very first person I ever heard pray for me. He was an ordinary man named Bill. He was the father of my middle school best friend Sarah. While at Sarah’s house, she and I got into one of those 13 year old girl arguments. Who knows what we were upset about – but looking back I’m sure I was at fault – I was far wilder and brattier than she was.

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2025

As good as you are, or as flawed as you are, you are 100% dependent on God’s faithfulness. Without his faithfulness, you don’t wake up today. Without his faithfulness, the sun doesn’t come up. Without his faithfulness, things are never made right. You are surrounded by constant proof of God’s faithfulness and your every breath depends on it. HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU. God has made promises over you. He is in covenant with you, and God does not break his covenants. You may fail, but he does not. You may doubt, but God is always 100% certain. He’s certain he loves you, he’s certain he chooses you, he’s certain he wants to bless you. Imagine that for a moment – the creator of the entire universe WANTS TO BLESS YOU. He wants to make something happen just for you. With one word from him, it can happen. Doors can open, circumstances can change, the impossible can suddenly be made possible. He never stops wanting to bless you. After Noah comes out of the ark with his family and the animals, they start life over again in a world that has been renewed by the flood. And God creates a sign in the sky of his promise over all life on Earth. What was the sign of God’s promise? What was the signature of his covenant? IT’S THE RAINBOW. Genesis 9: 11-16: God says to Noah, “Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will flood waters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. (That means me and you because we are part of the generations to come from Noah! We are the recipients of this covenant with God). I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again with the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Did you know, a rainbow is actually not the arch shape we see? It’s actually a full circle – we only see half of the circle. Okay, why hasn’t someone ever told me that before? I was flying over a tropical island one time and looked out of my airplane window to see the full circle of a rainbow over the entire island and I flipped out a little thinking Jesus was surely coming back in that moment. It’s a full circle. Complete. Whole. God’s promise is full circle. It isn’t just a half promise, it’s a complete promise. Remember that when you see a rainbow. Why are we anything less that absolutely impressed by the miracle of a rainbow? Why do we look at those perfect colors circling our sky and dismiss it as the result of something ordinary happening. GOD MADE THAT HAPPEN. It didn’t have to happen just because that’s what light does through the rain, no it happens because God designed it to happen. He sends us signs of his promises. But, notice God says here, “I will remember my covenant with you and all living creatures.” Then he says “When I, God, see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember.” God remembers you and he remembers his promises. He is 100% faithful. He will follow through. Sometimes we’re blessed with this magnificent reminder in the sky. And if it’s anything less than magnificent for you, you’ve allowed life to numb you. Be the one who stops everything to stand in awe of God. Be the one who makes a BIG DEAL out of the wonders of God. Girl, be IMPRESSED BY GOD! Be blown away by his power and majesty. Be amazed by his works. That rainbow in the sky didn’t just happen because of some scientific truth,

Transcribed - Published: 3 December 2025

God is your remedy. He knows how to solve your problem. He knows precisely when your problem will end. He has a plan, his plan is good, and he will perfectly fulfill that good plan. My sister, God has not forgotten about you. He hasn’t overlooked you. He hasn’t dismissed you. He hasn’t turned a deaf ear or a blind eye toward you. You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. You are remembered. Genesis 8:1, “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat.” God remembered Noah. God even remembered the animals. They had been in the ark while it rained nonstop. They had been floating while absolutely everything else was wiped out in the flood. Imagine being on the boat you’ve been building for 120 years and watching every living creature outside of that boat not survive. Wouldn’t you be glad you were crazy enough to build the boat?!!! Imagine watching the trees be covered with water, the hills be covered with water, and eventually every single mountain peek on earth being covered with water. That’s where Noah was. For 150 days, exactly 5 months, Noah had been on that floating boat with his family and all those animals. It must have been a long 150 days. It must have felt like forever. He must have asked if they would ever make it out. Would this flood ever come to an end. And exactly at that point is when we’re told BUT GOD REMEMBERED NOAH. God had not forgotten about him. He hadn’t left him floating in a problem without a rescue plan. There was always a plan. Right now, you may feel like you’re floating in a problem without a rescue plan. Oh, but God has a plan. That plan is good, and that good plan will be perfectly fulfilled. This will not continue forever. An end to your problem is already in the works. After 150 days of floating with no land in sight, the ark came to rest on the mountain of Ararat (ehh-rr-at). The Bible is actually very specific about it’s location, and let me tell you what has recently happened. The ark is believed to have been found – and guess where. On top of the mountain of Ararat (ehh-rr-at)! It is a dormant volcano, sitting at 17,000 feet tall, making it still the highest point in Turkey. There are new findings released just this year that scientists believe to have found petrified wood in the shape of a boat, measuring exactly 450 feet long and 75 feet wide, on the top of Mount Ararat. Nothing grows at this elevation. Those peaks are covered in snow. And yet, here is this wood and the remains of tar. How absolutely amazing is that? For Noah, the rain stopped after 40 days, but the floating didn’t stop for 5 months. Now, after 5 long months, they sat lodged on top of the tallest peak in Turkey, still surrounded by water – and they waited. Waiting isn’t easy, but sometimes God has us wait. Why? Because he’s doing something. There’s a purpose in the wait. Sometimes he’s doing something to prepare the path for you, and sometimes he’s doing something to prepare you for the path. But he’s always doing something in the wait. My friend, you can trust the wait. Psalm 27:14, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” David wrote that in one of the hardest seasons of his life. He was hiding from King Saul who had turned on him and was hunting him down to kill him. David was on the run, hiding in caves, and living in the wilderness. He was without a home, without shelter, without help. And he is somehow writing, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” Notice how his writing is repeated. He’s telling himself. Wait patiently, David. You have to be brave here. You have to be courageous. YES, wait patiently for the Lord.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2025

God is asking you to follow him in a way that will require your faith. You’re not going to understand it. You’re not going to be in control of it. Can your mind make peace with the unknown? Can your hands remain open in full surrender? And girl, will your feet move forward to destination UNCERTAIN. Faith would not be required if you had a complete plan with confidence in the next 37 steps. Faith would be unnecessary if your future were certain and the steps there were clear. But that is NOT the life you were created for. That is not the future you’re being called to. Faith will be required here, my friend. Why? Because Hebrews 11:6 says, “It is impossible to please God without faith.” So, these uncertainties you face and the struggles with control you feel are your path to pleasing God. This is your path to faith. You are called to a place where you can’t see everything, you don’t understand it all, and it’s beyond your control … all for the purpose of growing your faith. Look around, you are in the faith growing field. The uncertainties and struggles are God’s divine recipe for your faith to grow. You can’t do this on your own. You don’t have all the answers. You can’t see how it’s going to work. But you have a God who is calling your next step. Will you take it in faith? Next steps are quite practical. The next step is always right in front of you. It’s quite literally doing what you can, where you are, with what you have … and (this is big) … not allowing what you can’t do, what you don’t know and what you don’t have, to keep you stuck. Our last devotional together was episode #2006, “Will You Be Different”. Studying the story of Noah, we see how Noah was different and God was pleased. Humans had become evil in thought and action, but Noah was faithful to God. Noah had a close relationship with God and sought to walk closely with him. God tasks Noah with a job so big that it would take him 120 years to complete – build the ark. This ark would house the only living breathing things through the flood which God would use to start over again. And this is what God says to Noah in Genesis 6: 17-19, “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat – you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal – a male and female – into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood.” Imagine receiving this kind of impossible mission. God, how do you expect me to do this? But, Noah lets God continue. He doesn’t interrupt him with his questions. He doesn’t insert his own emotions. He listens. And here’s what God says next – verse 20, “Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.” God gives Noah a task he can do – he can build a boat. Right where he is, with what he has, he can start building. But, what Noah couldn’t possibly do is gather a male and female of every single air breathing animal. How would he ever do that? They didn’t even have tractors and trailers back then. There were no semi trucks to make a route to gather up these animals. This was beyond anything Noah could do. But God didn’t expect him to do the impossible. What God expected was for Noah to get busy doing what he could do in building, and trust God to do the impossible work. Girls, I can’t stop thinking about that. Who else has been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something, but you’ve talked yourself out of it because step 5 is so far out of reach that it overwhelms you. So,

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2025

God has a purpose for you, and it will require you to be different. To be different, you must do something different. Different than what you’ve always done. Different than what everyone else does. Different than what is easy for you. If you’re willing to be different in the new year of life coming to you, then God wants to use you for greater purposes than you can imagine. But if not – if you’re not willing to be different, then you simply miss it. You miss what could be. You miss what you could do. You miss the potential of things you haven’t even dared to imagine yet. Genesis chapter 6 tells us of a world gone wrong and one man who was different. That one man was Noah. The world had gone wrong because Satan and his demons had contaminated the earth, literally. I never understood this until I really stated digging in and studying, but verse 2 says, “The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” What exactly does that mean? The sons of God are heavenly beings. They’re angels. But scripture also tells us that angels do not marry, so what angels are marrying the human daughters? Answer: The fallen angels. When Satan rose up in jealous competition against God, he was banished from heaven and thrown down to Earth. The Book of Revelation says 1/3 of the angels fell from glory with him. Those fallen angels are what we refer to as demons. So, what has happened on earth here in Genesis, is Satan’s demons have married the women and they’ve infected the human population. Of course this was Satan’s plan. He wanted absolutely NOTHING good left here. If he had fallen from Heaven, he wanted to ensure no one else could be there either. As the women had the children of demons, the world got worse. Genesis 6:5, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.” God’s heart is broken over the condition of his people. Evil was everywhere. So, God decided he had to destroy everything. BUT, one man was different. God saw that one man and knew because he was different, something different could happen for the future. When we are different, we create different. When we are different, something different can flow from us. God is looking for different. God saw something different in Noah. Verse 8 from the MSG translations, “But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.” Noah stood out because he wasn’t willing to do what everyone else was doing. Noah wasn’t infected by the wickedness around him. He hadn’t settled for what had become normal. Verse 9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Was Noah perfect? No. The only perfect one to ever walk the earth was Jesus. Noah wasn’t perfect, but he was righteous and considered blameless. He sought to do what was right. His heart was pure. He sought God first and fully. How did Noah do that when the world had become so wicked all around him? He walked in close fellowship with God. He had a relationship with God. He made space for God. He talked to God. He listened to God. And that is our very clear and simple answer for today. How do we navigate our way through a very fallen world full of things that have gone wrong? Answer: We have a relationship with God. We talk to him and we listen for him. Once again, we’re back to MAKING SPACE FOR GOD. One week ago today we talked about the final 40 days of 2025. We declared we would make space for God in these final 40. How are you doing with that? Is God getting space, or has life naturally crowded him out again?

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2025

Every morning when we wake up, we get to choose our attitude. Any attitude we wish is available for the taking. We can put it on and wear it the entire day, and just like the right pair of shoes can change the outfit, the right attitude can change your experience. Most days we wake up unaware of this choice. We wait and see how others are acting, how our hair looks, and what the weather is. Good day, good attitude. Bad day, bad attitude. Average day, average attitude. We allow our experience to dictate and determine our perspective. But within us is the power to change our entire experience, regardless of circumstances. Within you is your choice of attitude, and your choice changes everything you experience. Today we have the extreme gift of waking up to a day when the preferred attitude is predetermined. It’s Thanksgiving, and what do we do on Thanksgiving besides eat a feast … we give thanks. Yes, we knew to wake up with an attitude of gratitude today. The calendar tells us today is the day to wake up to thanksgiving. What would your life look like if you continually gave thanks? I mean in the presence of real life, less than perfect scenarios, would things begin to look and feel different if they were covered in the gravy of gratitude? Yes, the gravy of gratitude – let it cover everything! Gravy on that turkey, gravy on those potatoes, gravy to soak your bread in. Yum. Where do you get that gravy? If you’re not a true cook, you may not know where gravy comes from. Honey, you don’t buy that gravy, you make that gravy from what you already have. You use the leftover grease or broth to make gravy. The gravy of gratitude is made from what you already have. You can’t buy gratitude. You may think once you have what you really want then you’ll be grateful, but I assure you, that’s not the way it works. You’ll always want more or something else. Gratitude comes from what you already have. Melody Beattie said “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” I don’t know who you might be missing around the table this year, but I’m truly sorry. I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I’m sorry for the division. I’m sorry for the dysfunction. I’m sorry for the distance. For whatever has caused the empty seats around your table, I’m so sorry. I’m missing important people too. No kids. No family. No friends. It’s just my husband and I. But God has given me so much bacon in my life already that I have all this leftover bacon grease from what he has given me before, that I can make the gravy of gratitude today. I have everything I need to be grateful, and now everything I have will be better because of that gratitude. Today, may you see what is here over what isn’t. Unlock the fullness of life today with your thanksgiving. We truly have so much to be grateful for. Let me throw my favorite absolutely overwhelming statistics at you, like I do every year on Thanksgiving: If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world. (Is that you? Do you have food in your refrigerator? Do you have clothes on your back? Do you have a roof over your head and a place to sleep? You are wildly rich, my sister!) If you have any amount of money in the bank, in your purse, or even some spare change hidden in your couch cushions, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealth. (Is that you too? You may not have a lot, but you have a little. You are ridiculously blessed, my friend!) That’s me. I qualify for both of these categories.

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

Adam and Eve were God’s first creation in which he said it was “VERY GOOD”. He made them in his own image and placed them in the middle of paradise to live closely with him. We know they failed, but God covered them in grace with the first sacrifice and clothing made in animal skins. Then he blessed them. You see my friends, our shame is covered by grace and we are wrapped in blessings. God doesn’t keep going over the wrong that has happened, he moves forward in blessings and the good plans he has for our future. Adam and Eve were first blessed with two sons. Cain and Abel. The first babies ever born. The first siblings. And do you know how that turned out? I’m not sure why we feel so disappointed when we experience family struggles for ourselves – the very first family had complete dysfunction. God never promised us perfection in our families, in fact, his word gives us example after example of problems and struggles in families God has chosen and blessed. Mama, you can quit feeling sorry for yourself now – you’re not the only one who is dealing with chaos. Cain was the oldest son and he became a keeper of the land. Abel was the youngest son and he became a keeper of sheep. Yes, they had jobs. Why? Because work is good for us! We are designed to need daily purpose. We are also designed to serve God with our best. Genesis 4:3, “When it was time for harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. (Notice, what did Cain give God? SOME of his crops. Circle ‘some’.) Verse 4, “Abel also brought a gift – the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. (What did Abel give God? The BEST portions. Circle ‘best’.) So, Cain gave some of his harvest, but Abel gave the best of his harvest, and God knew the difference. He knew the heart, he knew the intent. So, here’s what happened – Verse 5-6, “The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. ‘Why are you so angry?’ the Lord asked Cain. ‘Why do you look so dejected?’ The world sees comparison and jealousy for the first time. And God gives a warning. Verse 7, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Woah – that is a powerful warning and it still stands today. The moment you stop doing what is right, then sin tries to come in and control you. The Passion Translation says it like this, “If you refuse to do what is right, sin, the predator, is crouching in wait outside the door of your heart. It desires to have you, yet you must be its master.” Here’s the lesson – Offering less than your best leaves an open door to the enemy. And where does the enemy attack? Your heart! You know when you’re not giving your best. You know when you’re just checking a box. You know when you’re just punching the clock. You know when you’re going through the motions, and showing up because you have to. AND SO DOES GOD. God didn’t accept Cain’s offering for one reason, and one reason only – it wasn’t his best. God wants our best and he’s not fooled. But why does God want our best? Does he really need anything from us? Everything is his, and if God wants something he can either take it or he can create more in one word. He most certainly doesn’t need our best, so why does he only accept our best? Here’s why – Because God knows our best is what’s best for us. God knows the moment we start holding back and checking out, we are in danger. When we get lazy, we leave the door to our heart cracked open.

Transcribed - Published: 26 November 2025

Do you carry any shame? Is there shame for what you have done? Shame for your past? Shame for your failures? Shame is a feeling of worthlessness. Shame is a disgrace you assign to yourself. It’s a fear of the worst of you being exposed, and that fear makes you hide. But don’t you realize there’s absolutely NOTHING you can hide from God. He sees it all and knows it all. You don’t sneak behind God and get away with things. He’s fully aware of that secret. One of my best friends has a coffee mug that’s a picture of Jesus peeking over a pair of sunglasses he’s wearing and it says, “I saw that.” My friend, Jesus saw that. More than anything he wants to say about it, he wants to DO something about it. Jesus wants to cover your shame. In Genesis when Adam and Eve are disobedient and ate the fruit they were told not to eat, their very first feeling was of shame. Shame caused them to hide. But do you know what God did in response to their shame? Chapter 3, verse 21 says, “The Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” I’ve never noticed that before. God himself made the first real clothes to cover their shame. God doesn’t desire his sons and daughters to walk around in shame. Shame separates us from him and all he ever wanted was a close relationship with us. This is exactly why the enemy works so hard to cover you in shame. Shame separates us from God. We naturally hide in our feelings of worthlessness and self-assigned disgrace. The devil wants to poke at those unhealed wounds within to make that shame ooze from you. It’s all an attempt to keep you from God. But know this – Jesus saw it and he did something about it! God made the first clothes to cover the first shame in preparation for the coming covering for ALL shame. Notice what God used for the clothes. He used the skin from animals. Those animals had to die, they were sacrificed. Adam and Eve had originally made coverings from fig leaves in the garden to try and cover their shame, but that wasn’t good enough. God sacrificed animals and used their skins to cover them. That sacrifice was required. Shame is only covered by sacrifice. And there’s nothing we could ever sacrifice enough to make us righteous. We can’t change ourselves to be good enough. You could spend every day for the rest of your life trying to perform and earn your righteousness, but you would still fall short. A sacrifice beyond you is required. A sacrifice made by God. God made a covering for shame of Adam and Eve – and God has made a covering for your shame. That covering is the blood of Jesus. His sacrificed life is what makes you forever good enough. Yes, Jesus saw what you did and in response, he did something about it. He died for you. Now girl, you have absolutely zero right to be walking around in that shame. That’s already been bought. It’s already been covered. The high price was paid for you to feel love instead of worthlessness. A huge sacrifice was made for you to be covered in grace where there was once disgrace. That grace will radically change your life. RECEIVE IT! But then, don’t waste it. Don’t waste the grace offered to you. Don’t keep replaying the story. Don’t allow the enemy to poke at those wounds – no girl, bring those wounds to Jesus and let him completely heal you. Grace isn’t a bandaid to just get you through. Grace heals you perfectly. Grace takes your absolute worst and turns it into a testimony. My friend, you have a testimony of how God can meet you in your pit of shame, save you and change you – now what are you doing with that testimony? Are you telling it? Are you using it to help others? Is God getting any good out of the grace he has offered you? Or are you wasting that grace?

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2025

I once thought living in full surrender to God would mean my life would become boring. I thought all my fun would end. So, for years I held back. I offered parts of me, while my hands were clinched tightly on my greatest desires. I just knew if I offered it all to God, he would take the best parts away and leave me with a life I didn’t love. Wow – was I wrong. This life lived in wild abandon and total trust in God is the greatest adventure I’ve ever been on. My hands are wide open and I’ve let go of everything, and somehow my life is absolutely overflowing. Those desires I was so afraid to surrender have been changed into even greater things and made realities. Why didn’t anyone tell me how good this would be? Instead, I lived so many years of my life fearful of what God might take away from me and suspicious of what he was withholding from me. Does God hold back the good stuff when we trust him? Can the best stuff only be found on your own, apart from a life of surrender? Do you have to make things happen for yourself? Do you have to look out for #1? Do you have to question God? Let’s be very clear – living like that will cause you to fall. You will fall for the tricks of the enemy of your soul when you begin to think God is keeping something from you. You will fall right into the traps of Satan when you try to get what you want in your own ways. When what you want takes first place and God is put in second, the door is open for absolute destruction in your life. My friends, that’s precisely what happened to Eve in the garden. She was tricked into believing God was withholding the best stuff from her. She thought there was something better for her that God had been hiding. And that’s exactly how it happens. A seed of doubt is planted, questioning if God is holding out on you, so you’re willing to go around him to get what you think you want. What is sin? It’s what God says you shouldn’t do, right? Actually, no. This isn’t about what you should and shouldn’t do. Sin is so much more about what falls short of God’s best for you. Sin isn’t just the forbidden things you’re not supposed to do, sin is what will harm you. Sin is the very thing God is trying to protect you from. Not because he’s withholding the good stuff from you and labeling it as sin. Actually, quite the opposite. God is protecting us from the things he knows would harm us the most. The things that cause shame, guilt and regret. The things that separate us from him. The things that confuse us, bind us, create addictions and separation. But do you know what Satan says? Satan says it’s only called sin to keep you from experiencing more in life. It’s not that bad. It won’t hurt you. You’ll just get to see what you’ve been missing. We live in a fallen world where Satan and his demons roam around like a roaring lion, trying to kill, steal and destroy everything that is good. You are good. Your life is good. The purpose for which you were created is good. The plans God has for your future are good. And it’s all under absolute attack. Everything good has a bullseye for evil. To fight this battle, it is crucial for you to know how the enemy attacks. How does he trick us? What does he say? Here it is – Satan quite simply TWISTS God’s words in a way that makes you feel like something is missing. He twists what isn’t good for you into looking like something that would make you happy. And he tricks you into doing things that will make you hide in shame. You see, once you know Satan’s game, you can quickly see his nasty moves. In a nutshell, the devil tries to make you think sin is not bad and God is not good. Sin is considered sin because God says it’s not good for you. Sin will hurt you.

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2025

Forty. As of tomorrow, November 22nd, we have 40 days left in this year. Just how fast has this year gone by? Wasn’t it just Summer a few weeks ago, and now here we are with only 40 days left in the entire year? 2026 is a brand new year of life on it’s way to us. It’s filled with promise and potential and if you will be consistently available to God, he will fulfill you in ways you never imagined possible. But … we’re not there yet, my friends. It is not time to begin focusing on a new year, it’s time to finish this one right! 40 days separate us from this new year of life, and those 40 days matter significantly. God wants to prepare you, equip you and mold you in the next 40 days. Forty. 40 is a critical number in the Bible. 40 often represented new life, growth and transformation. God worked in the 40 to prepare a way for the future. God changed people in the 40. The preparation for a breakthrough of change happened in the 40. My friends, that’s exciting!!!!! This 40 belongs to God and he’s preparing you for a new year of life in the next 40 days. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days by the devil. After that temptation, Jesus began his ministry on Earth and changed eternity. It rained for 40 days, flooding the entire earth. All life outside of Noah’s ark was eliminated. Then the waters receded and life began again from only that which had been saved. The giant Goliath taunted God’s people for 40 days. Then, the little shepherd boy David slays the giant with his slingshot and a rock and wins them victory and freedom. How many days were between Jesus’ crucifixion and his return to Heaven? 40! Forty. Then, completion, then renewal, then victory. In the next 40 days before 2026 comes, God wants to do a work in YOU! Will you partner with him in the transformational process that brings victory? Will you let him have his time and space in your life for the next 40 days? What have your past 40 days been like? Do you even really remember them? 40 days ago it was October 12th – what do you have to show for those days? Were they significant? Did you grow and get better, or did those days just pass with little to show for them? Don’t let the next 40 be like your last 40. It’s time to go deeper. It’s time for full heart surrender. It’s time to wake up with intention and live on purpose. On the other side of this 40 is that new life, that growth, that transformation only God has seen. God wants to do a work in you! Will you submit to the process? In the early days of Christianity, before someone could be baptized as a Christian, they were to wait 40 days. For 40 days they would simplify their life down to the basics and focus fully on living for Jesus. After 40 days, if they still wanted to commit their lives to Jesus, then they would be baptized. What if the next 40 days was an intentional simplifying of our lives with a focus on Jesus to prepare us for 2026? What if we took these final 40 days of this year and allowed God the space to work in us so we step into the new year changed. What if this is your renewal and re-commitment to Jesus. 40 days of focusing on Jesus. That sounds special doesn’t it … and basically impossible in your busy life. Especially the next 40 days of holidays, travels, gatherings and functions. It’s the busiest time of the year, certainly not the time you can slow down to focus on Jesus. That would be a huge struggle for the next 40 days, wouldn’t it? And do you know what God says about that – Okay, struggle it out! Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” That doesn’t mean you have to work to earn salvation,

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2025

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. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively.” Romans 2:4, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sins? 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Isaiah 50:4 MSG, “God has given me a well-taught tongue, so I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.” Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Isiah 6:8-9, “Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’ And he said, ‘Yes, go …'” BE CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

Have you ever wondered why God would create a tree and place it in the middle of paradise, but not allow Adam and Eve to eat from it? Why would God make it possible to mess up? Wouldn’t it have been better if the option to sin were never even there? God, why put the tree there if it would cause so many problems? I’ve often wondered this. Why mess up paradise with the ability to sin? What was the point? Well, it was CHOICE. Free will is only free when there is an opportunity to do as much bad as there is good. Free will must include a choice. God desired for his greatest creation to choose him from their own free will, so he designed an opportunity to listen and obey him, or not. Unfortunately for us, Adam and Eve chose to not listen. But, the truth is, we would have all done the same. If you’ve ever made a wrong choice in your entire life, if you’ve ever messed up, then you would have eaten the apple too, my friend. But do you realize there are actually two trees in the middle of the garden where Adam and Eve were? There wasn’t just the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, but there was another tree, the tree of life. The tree of life offered eternal life to live forever. The fruit of this tree was not off limits, it was fully available. But the other tree which held the knowledge of good and evil was the one and only limitation given to them. One thing, Adam, don’t eat from that tree. And Adam, tell Eve too. Tell her not to eat from that tree, it will change everything. But, they fail. The temptation to do what they were told not to do is too great and they eat that fruit. Suddenly, their eyes are opened and shame comes into the world for the first time. The other tree stood untouched, the tree that offered life forever. Instead they chose to eat from the tree that brought guilt, shame and regret. It was the first sin. Sin is choosing what we think we want in life over what truly gives life. And guess what … we’re still doing it today. We’re still choosing the wrong tree. We’re still choosing the things that aren’t good for us. We’re still making messes. We’re still leaving the offering of true and abundant life just hanging on the branch. The first mistake was not filling up on the good stuff. They could have been so full eating from the tree of life that there was no room for the forbidden fruit from the other tree. The second mistake was eating the fruit they were told not to eat. The third mistake was hiding in shame. Genesis 3:8, “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.” Shame was never part of God’s plan. Hiding from him was not the design of his masterpiece. But that’s what sin did. And that’s what sin still does. When we do what we know is wrong, we hide. My grandson is 3. When he gets quiet, we know there’s a problem. He’s either eating play-dough, drawing on a wall, or sneaking candy. He hides when he’s doing something wrong. Here we are, grown women, essentially hiding while we eat play-dough. Sneaking around hoping no one finds out. Pulling away from God because of the guilt we feel within. But imagine if Adam and Eve wouldn’t have hidden. Imagine if they would have ran straight to God after that first bite and said, “Oh no, we messed up! Help us!” Imagine if we did that! Wouldn’t everything change? The first mistake was not filling up on the tree of life. The emptiness created space for what wasn’t good for them. The second mistake was choosing to do what they knew was wrong. The third mistake was hiding in shame. Now, their fourth mistake was casting blame. Genesis 3: 9-13, “The the Lord God called to the man,

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2025

As a woman, you are specially designed and created to be a servant. Before you stone me, understand that being a servant is not a lowly position. According to Jesus, the greatest is called to be the servant. By divine order, to be great, you must be a humble helper. If you cannot be a humble helper, you will never be great. You will never live in your fullest potential if you are not willing to be a servant. Jesus said in Matthew 23:11-12, “The greatest among you must be a servant. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” My friend, there’s absolutely no wiggle room in this. There’s no gray area. If you’re going to get better and live a great life, you MUST humble yourself as a servant. Every time you assume the position of being better than someone else and above helping them, you have missed your calling. Here’s the question – do you trust God? Do you trust his design? Do you trust he knows what you don’t know and has a better plan? YES? Then trust your positioning as a woman. You are the helper by God’s divine design. Not because you’re lesser than, but because you’re chosen as God’s girl. After God created the first man, he saw it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Genesis 2, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Then the Lord God made a woman from his rib, and he brought her to the man. GIRLS, WE ARE THE JUST RIGHT HELPERS. Think about that. It’s you. You are specifically designed to be just right. To fit perfectly in partnership with one who needs your help. It’s part of your design. This isn’t something to hate. This isn’t something to fight. This isn’t something to resent. This is something that makes you great. Again, according to Jesus, the greatest among you must be a servant. It is an honor to be the helper. It’s fulfilling to be the helper. The helper is who you were created to be in your greatest and fullest potential. Think about when Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist and knelt down to serve his disciples by washing their feet. Serving didn’t make him beneath them. It didn’t make him weak. It made him great. His humility showed a life-changing love. AND SO DOES OURS. Now again, if you’re pulling away and ready to fight, come back to trusting God. If God designed it, can you trust it? If God aligns it, can you walk in it? God designed the woman to be the JUST RIGHT HELPER for man. I’m blessed to have a wonderful husband. He’s easy to help, quite honestly. And he’s easy to help because he’s good to lead. If he were not a good leader, serving him would be extremely difficult. I must believe this is why the enemy attacks our men with such aggressive intent – if the man isn’t worthy of being followed, then the woman cannot follow and serve. If the woman cannot serve as the just right helper, then she is left unfulfilled by design. If you don’t have a good man to help, what should you do? PRAY FOR HIM. My sister, he’s under attack. He’s hurting. He’s been confused. The way you can be the ‘just right helper’ to a man who is not leading well, is to pray relentlessly for him. You can’t change him, you can’t fix him, but God can! Do you believe that? If you have been given a good man who is worthy of following, then HELP HIM. It is your role. Again, not because you are less than him, but because Jesus has called the greatest to serve and he showed us how. When we fight against this and rise up in with our feisty selves, refusing to be the chosen, called and equipped helper, then we quite simply miss the fullness of our design. We’re actually fighting against the very thing that is missing withi...

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2025

Today, my retreat girls will go with me to the largest natural gathering place for manatee in the world. The cold of winter is beginning to set in, so the manatee have traveled for hundreds of miles to come to their winter home in the warm springs waters of Blue Springs State Park and Crystal River. We will kayak with these massive, marvelous creatures in the wild. We will swim with them. And every single one of us will be in awe of their beautiful and perfect design. GOD DID THAT! In fact, God did that on day 5 of creation. Genesis 1:20, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with fish and other life’ … So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water.” God created that manatee, uniquely designed it just as he desired, and you know what he said about it – he said it was GOOD! But really, have you see the shape of a manatee. They’re like a big ol’ baked potato with a round tail. And yet we will all be in awe of them. After God designed the manatee, do you know what he did the next day? Something even better. Something he said was not only good, but it was REALLY GOOD! Imagine this scene – The Father God, the son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all come together for a brainstorming session. They’re gathered to do their most creative and impressive work. Together, they will create YOU. They imagined you, designed you, then formed you. Just as they wanted for the purposes of your life. That’s precisely what happened. The Holy Trinity designing you! Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let US make human beings in our image, to be like us.'” You have always been seen. You have always been wanted. You have always been enough. Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” Let’s make this personal. When I pause insert your own name into this scripture. God breathed the breath of life into _________, and she became a living person. The purpose of life is to live it. Not just survive it, or endure it. Not sleep it away or wish it away. But live it. In order to LIVE this life you have been given and fulfill your purpose, you must be ALIVE. This breath of life God has breathed into you comes with a single expectation. That you would open your eyes, experience life fully and be ALIVE with life. Our scripture today says you came ALIVE – a living person. Not a miserable person. Not a tired person. Not a worried person. Not a stressed out person. But a LIVING person. Will you be a LIVING person? There is no time to waste. We can’t afford to wait until next month to wake up and start living. We can’t sleep away today. James 4:14 puts the brevity of life into perspective with “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” BUT YOU’RE HERE TODAY. You have a chance to live today. What a gift you and I have been given. And remember, with all great things comes great responsibility. Not everyone received the gift of life today, but you did, and you have a responsibility to live it. Today, let’s fulfill our purpose. Let’s do with this day exactly what we’re supposed to do. Let’s LIVE it! The dictionary uses 3 words to define ALIVE: Alert, Active and Animated. We will use that as our gauge and intentionally go to work. Today, we will be ALIVE by being ALERT. Wherever we are, we will actually BE THERE. Repeat to yourself, “right here, right now”. Hey, you will never get this back. Every moment today is a once in a lifetime moment, don’t miss it. Taste your food. Hear the sounds of life. Open your eyes and see life unfolding all around you. You are surrounded by unspeakable beauty. There is beauty before you, beauty behind you.

Transcribed - Published: 14 November 2025

Our God is a God of details. He has literally thought of EVERYTHING. There’s not a single thing he has overlooked. There’s nothing that he hasn’t accounted for. He has a plan and a purpose for all things. To see his attention to detail, look at his creation. This week, we’re studying Genesis 1, the account of creation. We see his glory in the details of this world he imagined, designed, formed and filled. How did God think of making snow falling from the clouds? That didn’t just happen because of an accidental atmospheric condition – no, that happened because God designed it. How did he think of lightening flashing from the sky? What made him create the colors of the Northern Lights or leaves on trees that turn to brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow before letting go? He thought of it all and spoke it into existence. Details – God is not only in them all, he is all up in them. He’s not only over all the details, he’s all over them. Nothing just happens because of coincidence. God knew how brilliant the skies would be. He knew how a stunning sunset would make his creation pause. Someone sent me a video of a sunset savoring dog. This golden retriever would go outside every evening at just the right time, then sit and watch the sunset with intention. This dog’s eyes were fixated on the setting sun as he sat in apparent awe and contentment. Then, after the setting of the sun, the dog would go back inside. And he did it every evening. My sisters – why aren’t we doing that? Why aren’t we enamored by the display of God’s power? My friend Kimberly gets completely giddy when she sees a fall leaving floating through the air. She breaks out in full song and dance, watching that single leave float it’s way down to the ground. She receives that little detail as if it were a special display of God’s love just for her. Now, why don’t we do that? Pick a detail of nature that could be God’s signature sign of love for you. For me, it’s a hot pink sunrise or sunset. I know God is thinking of me with that, because I’m thinking of him. My friend Nicole finds rocks in the shape of hearts, that’s God’s signature for her. I’m pretty convinced that God created mangoes just for me because he knew how much I would love them. What’s your thing? A little detail of creation that will be your and God’s special thing? And when you witness that special thing, will you give God praise for it? One time, as Jesus was riding through a crowd on a donkey, his followers began shouting praises. They declared his glory with their voices, giving him honor. When the Pharisees in the crowd heard the people, they said to Jesus, “Rebuke your followers.” Essentially, tell them to be quiet. Jesus replied in Luke 19:40, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” Someone or something is going to praise God for the details of his work. Will it be you, or will you let the rocks cry out in your place? God is putting his marvelous works on powerful display all around you, but you’ve been so busy that you’ve failed to even notice. One of my favorite songs right now is called “This Won’t Take My Praise” by Blanca and Taylor Hill. It talks about being down, being attacked, being surrounded as the weapons of Hell form against you, but declaring: This won’t take my praise I won’t let a rock cry out for me And this won’t take my joy Jesus, I’ll lift your name up louder than the noise This won’t take my praise What hardship or struggle has been taking your praise? Instead of joy, you have worry. God wants his praise back. Sometimes it’s not the hardships of life that take our praise,

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

If God says it, it happens. If he speaks it, it’s done. No further preparation is required. Impossible becomes possible. What has never been before will JUST BE. The creation of the entire universe is revealed in 6 days. Genesis chapter 1 says on day 1, there was light. Day 2, space. Day 3, land with trees and plants. Day 4, sun, moon and stars. Day 5, fish and birds. Day 6, animals and human beings. Now my friends, THAT is a work week! You think you get a lot done in a week, you’ve got nothing on God. How did he do it? He spoke it into existence. Every single thing was spoken into existence by the word of God. Some think these are 6 literal days – Some say each day represents an entire age of time – but what does it matter? God did it and you now see the proof of it today. We can be divided over the details of it, or we can stand in awe of the wonder of it. Science says the earth is billions of years old. Some Christians say you must ignore all science and follow the timeline of genealogy back to Adam and Eve, which is about 6,000 years. That’s a box, my friend. God doesn’t fit in our boxes. Don’t get hung up on details of division, instead, get swept away in the wonder of his creation. The creation of the world declares the glory of God. His mighty power is on display in creation. His glory is being declared all around you. Open your eyes and see it. His mighty power is on display in the sun that is shining, the snow that is falling, the trees, the waves, the mountains, your dog and cat, YOU! How absolutely marvelous. Look at what God did with what was formerly empty, deep darkness. As the Spirit of God was hovering over the deep dark waters, he speaks words of tremendous power. Genesis 1:3, Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. The original Hebrew writing of this is even more powerful. It says “Light be: light was.” No further explanation. No delay. No struggle. Just BE, and it BECAME. What was this light? We quickly assume it’s the sun, but we would be wrong. The sun, moon and stars were not formed until day 4. This is day 1 and there is light that separates the day from the night. The former darkness was now lit up. This is the first thing God did in creation, and it’s the first thing he does when working in our lives. He brings light. The light is the presence of God. He’s there. God is the light. Revelation 22:5 tells of the future time when there will be no more sun and the light will go back to it’s original source. It says, “There will be no night there – no need for lamps or sun – for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.” The Spirit of God is hovering over the darkness and he brings the light of himself. Before anything else, he brings light to the situation. Where is there darkness of confusion, chaos, anxiety, depression or dysfunction in your life? Our impulse is to hide it. But my sister, hiding the darkness only perpetuates the problem. The light of God must shine on that. Bring that into the presence of God. Lord, bring your light to this dark situation. Your light is the beginning of change. Your light is the beginning of something new. Your light is where it all starts. What have you been trying to hide? What has created guilt and shame in you and caused you to pull away and self-isolate. Let me tell you what self-isolation really is – it’s self-sabotage. It’s you sitting in dark corners where more of the same darkness festers. Bring it to the light. I remember when one of my children was a young teen and they went through a really hard time. What they went through was unfair. What they went through turned their whole world upside down. And what they went through made them want to hide in shame. So they did. And we as parents,

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2025

Genesis means origin. It’s the source, the beginning, where every single thing got its start. I’ve always loved the book of Genesis, for one simple reason … it was the book of the Bible I was able to flip right too. I always felt so proud of myself when a preacher would say, “Turn to the book of Genesis”, and boom, I would be the first one there. Genesis is not only the beginning of our Bible, it’s the beginning of everything. It is our origin. And really, it’s pretty wild that we get to read about God’s amazing and miraculous acts to create everything we see today. No human was alive to see these acts. We only have this account today because God revealed it later to the author to record for us. Moses wrote the book of Genesis, but he likely used much earlier writings to gather his information. Perhaps writings from the first human, Adam. And perhaps Adam received directly from God the account of creation there in the Garden of Eden. The words of God were written so that we could read them today. To understand the Bible, you must first understand one thing – You won’t understand everything. There are some things that won’t make sense. Some things that we have absolutely no proof of. Some things that seem totally impossible. Faith will be required on your journey through the Bible. I’ve found one thing that has greatly helped me in my studies – I believe 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” As you commit to either begin studying your Bible, or continue your studies, remember ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD. Every word of our Bible is inspired by God and it’s useful to us. Lean into it with faith instead of pulling away in doubt. There will be things you don’t understand, don’t get hung up on them. There will be things you don’t agree with, but keep reading. There will be things that even seem contradictory to science or common sense – In those cases you must make a choice. Either believe that God is beyond our understanding, or struggle to make an infinite God fit in our limited little box. There’s a whole lot of the Bible I don’t understand – heck, there’s a whole lot of the very first chapter of Genesis I don’t understand, and I simply don’t have to. But there’s so much that can help me see the truth and help me realize what may be wrong in my life. Together, we’re going to dive all-in on the book of Genesis. Today is day 1. I’m sure God will take us on several detours along the way and we’ll be all over scripture, so it will never be boring or dull. Remember, it’s me – I don’t do boring! This isn’t your typical devotional. In every day of our study, let’s keep coming back to ask 2 things: 1. What truth am I learning? 2. How does this show me what may be wrong in my life? Now, let’s get started. Genesis 1:1-2 (go ahead and dare to flip there now in your Bible with confidence – you can find it!), “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” God’s holy word literally begins with an opening sentence that challenges our human minds. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” We will never understand a power that could do that. We will never know precisely when or how. It’s beyond our human capacity to even assign that thought a proper place in our inventory of historical events. Do you know how big the heavens and the earth are? This means EVERYTHING. Every distant galaxy, every unknown planet,

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” God is the source of our hope. Hope means you have something to look forward to, something to cling to, something you’re counting on. You may not know how and you may not know when, but you know something good is going to happen in the future. That is hope. Hope that it’s all going to work out. Hope that you’re going to make it through. Hope that every promise will be fulfilled. Hope that the plans for your life are good. Your goals and good works are not the source of that hope. Your perfect plan and perfect follow through isn’t the source of that hope. What’s the source? GOD. I pray that GOD, THE SOURCE OF HOPE. Repeat after me, THE SOURCE. We’re currently dealing with termites in the darling little turquoise beach cottage we’re staying in. In literally one week we noticed the baseboard trim in 2 areas begin to crumble. This is a new house. Thinking it was some sort of water damage, my husband touched the affected areas of the wood and it caved in then termites began crawling out. Ummmmm yuck. Did you know that termites can completely chew through a 2×4 in 2 weeks? Did you know active termites can destroy your house from the inside out while your floors are clean and the candles are lit? The professionals came out to the house to look for one thing. THE SOURCE. Where were the termites coming from. If they could find the source, they could save the house. Less than 2 feet from the deck is a tall palm tree. In the top of that tall palm, they found the source. There was the termite nest and there sat the queen. Now, mission on to hide bait in the wall for the worker termites eating the house so they take it all back and poison the source. If the source is wiped out, the destruction ends. God is our SOURCE OF HOPE. All hope flows from him. If our connection with God is poisoned, all hope ends. How do we become connected with this source of hope? YOU TRUST HIM! “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace BECAUSE YOU TRUST IN HIM.” Repeat after me: Because you trust him. Your trust in God opens the flow of hope. Hope feels like joy and peace. Hope feels like happiness and burdens lifted. Hope feels like assurance for the future. Hope feels like a deep knowing you’re going to be okay. All of this flows from your TRUST IN HIM. My friend, if you don’t trust in the source, then you are disconnected from your hope. If you don’t trust God, then the whole world looks really scary. If you don’t trust in God, governments have the power to ruin you. If you don’t trust in God, that sickness could be the end. If you don’t trust in God, everything can come crashing down at any minute. I’m an adrenaline junkie. I love every adventure that takes my breath away. I’ll climb that. I’ll jump off that. I’ll ride that with my hands in the air the entire time. And I can do it because I trust I’m connected to something. There’s a bungee. There’s a parachute. There’s a rope. There’s a seat belt. I’m trusting there’s something securing me. And as I trust whatever I’m secured to, I can have extreme joy and complete peace as I’m flying or falling or hanging upside down. If I didn’t trust it, instead of joy there would be complete panic. Instead of peace there would be anxiety. When we are filled with panic and anxiety, could it be because we’re not trusting the source? Is there a disconnect with our source? When the connection with our source is severed, the flow of joy and peace is halted. My sister, that is NOT God’s desire for you.

Transcribed - Published: 7 November 2025

Do you ever feel like you get a spiritual spanking? Well, God’s word does say, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” God doesn’t want his girls to be self-indulged, spoiled brats. So he uses his rod to protect and discipline us. A shepherd carried 2 tools, a rod and a staff. The rod was a wooden club used to ward off any predators seeking to harm his sheep. The rod was also used to correct a sheep that refused to listen. Why? Because the sheep would no doubt get himself in trouble if he didn’t stay close to the shepherd. The shepherd’s staff was a long stick with a curved end, used to guide and gently move the flock. So, when David says in Psalm 23, “Your rod and staff protect and comfort me”, he’s referring to the ways God shepherds us. Not because he hates us, but because he loves us. Because he knows the way to get to where we need to go. Because we are but clueless sheep and he is the great shepherd. The past few devotionals have felt like the rod of discipline, but they’ve been so much more the rod of protection. God is warding off the threats to our hearts. He’s beating down the dangled temptations of the enemy. Oh what beautiful work he has been doing for us as we stay close to him. We’re not being punished, we’re being protected. This morning, I asked God is there was a little more of a “staff” type teaching than a “rod”. Can we balance out the week with something sweet, something encouraging, something to cuddle up to along the journey. Girls, I’m telling you, God hears every prayer and he responds directly. Our God is absolutely so cool. The way he works is no doubt grand and mysterious, and also sometimes quirky and comical. Let me tell you how he answered me today. As you know, we’ve been studying the book of Romans. This morning, I sat down to that most highlighted and filled chapter in my Bible, seeking one last teaching to wrap up our study, but again hoping it would be a comforting staff instead of a rod for another spiritual spanking. And there I saw a scripture highlighted in my favorite color of pink, jumping off the page. As I read the scripture it came alive and I immediately saw the map to each point. See, that’s how it happens for me. God shows me how his word comes alive and flows to other scriptures and practical teachings. I see it. You know how in those crime documentaries police have a bulletin board with photos and clues and they start putting the pieces together. They put a push pins in each piece of the puzzle, then they connect them with red yarn, so it all links together visually. Well, yeah, that’s how devotionals happen for me! I read a scripture and it starts linking with personal stories, songs, movies, other scriptures. I can see the push pins and follow the red yarn. Then, all I have to do is sit down and start writing furiously as God’s Spirit guides me in putting in all together. 1 hour later, I’m recording live to share the findings with you in the day’s devotional. So today after asking God for a sweet, refreshing devotional, I open the book of Romans and see it there in pink highlighter, just waiting, and as I read the scripture, all the pieces start connecting perfectly. There’s red yarn everywhere, tying together the perfect devotional. So, I start writing. Writing what you’re hearing right now. And I get to this point to whip out that scripture God showed me so I can quote it word for word … and it’s gone. Like literally gone. I flip all through the book of Romans searching for those 2 verses highlighted in pink that got me so excited just minutes before, and I can’t find them. I’m on a timeline, God. We go live with our work together in 1 hour, now where did that scripture go? Finally, in desperation,

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.” The Greek word translated into persecute was dioko which actually means to aggressively chase. Is anyone after you right now? They’re chasing after you for your money, for your position, for your reputation. Heck, maybe you don’t even know why they’re chasing after you. Maybe you’re in a lawsuit right now. Maybe you’re being attacked or talked about. How do you handle that? Well, according to God’s word, you do the opposite of what you want to do. What you want to do is talk about them. You want to tell everyone your side of the story. You want to be vindicated. You want the world to turn against them and stand behind you. But Paul says here, “Don’t curse them.” Paul’s not talking about putting a hex on someone, he’s talking about your ill wishes for them. The way you talk about them. Don’t curse them with your words. Don’t spew negativity about them. Stop trying to rally the troops so everyone else is against them. No, no, no – isn’t that what they have done to you? Paul also says later in Romans 12, verse 17, “Never repay evil with more evil.” It’s wrong of them to talk about you, and it would be wrong of you to talk about them. Don’t do it. Just stop it. It’s crazy how hard it is to control that, though isn’t it? There are certain stories of how incredibly wrong people have been to me that are almost fun to tell. It makes the other person look so totally absurd and it makes me feel good after what they tried to do to me. No, no, no, Pamela – God is not impressed. Stop it! I’m acting no better than them when I’m retelling the story to make them look bad. Instead, here’s what we’re supposed to do: Pray that God will bless them. Woah, now that’s over the top! That’s a radical shift. Could you even do that? For the sake of helping us all relate, let’s give this person a name. The person who is wrong, the person who is aggressively chasing you, trying to take something from you, the person who is talking about you and attacking you, the person making your life hard, let’s say their name is “Fool.” The bible often uses the term ‘Fool’ to refer to someone who is being ridiculous, so that’s the name we will give them today. They are your ‘Fool’. Imagine for a moment instead of retelling the stories of how wrong Fool has been, how mean Fool has been, how Fool makes you feel so angry and so hurt, that instead, you start praying that God would bless and help Fool. If you’re dealing with a real ‘Fool’ in your life, you may have felt your whole body just pull back in resistance. The more you felt that, the more attached you are to that negative feeling of fighting against ‘Fool’, and really the more hold they have over your life. YOU DON’T WANT THAT! God doesn’t want that. You need this! So, right now, let’s just start. Again, I’m going to insert the name ‘Fool’, but you know who your persecutor is. You know who is making your life hard. You know who is talking about you. You know who makes you feel this way. Right now, let’s pray for them. Lord, in obedience to your word, we want to stop the cycle of hurt and evil. We no longer want to be part of the continual talk and attacks. God, we don’t want to fight back. Father, bless my ‘Fool’. Bless the one who has hurt me. Bless the one who talks about me. Bless the one who has been ugly to me. Bless the one who has been unfair. Pull them in to you, cover them with your grace, heal what is hurting in them, restore them to your beautiful design and set their feet on your intended path. Today,

Transcribed - Published: 5 November 2025

Following God is not a list of laws and rules that must be obeyed in order to be deemed worthy of salvation. We would never be worthy if that were the case. God knew that. Jesus came to fulfill all those laws and rules for us. He met the requirements on our behalf. His blood forever covers us, making us forever good enough. Now, we live in freedom because of Jesus. Our burdens are now light. We are not subject to laws so extreme that we can’t fulfill them. We are not under restrictions and rules that prevent us from living lives of joy. Actually, quite the opposite. Our guilt and shame has been lifted. We are invited to enjoy the fullness of all God has created, covered in a undeserved blanket of grace and forgiveness. It all sounds too good to be true. But it is true – if you accept it. Freedom in Jesus is yours. But humans struggle with freedom. We struggle with grace. We make things messy, then we drag others into our mess. Without extreme rules, we begin making our own rules. Rules that overlook the heart and just begin checking boxes. All while God isn’t concerned with the boxes, he only wants your heart. If your heart is right, then he is pleased, regardless of the box. But dang we like our boxes of right and wrong, don’t we? And we create enemies out of those not in our same boxes. We judge and condemn anyone who’s box looks different than ours. But really, the question is – where did the box even come from? Did God give you that box? Is your box now creating harm in the life of someone who’s looking for Jesus, but all they can see are your boxes they don’t fit in? Are we tearing about God’s work over laws and rules Jesus has already fulfilled for us? I have a family member who is so smart that it hinders his faith. He is distraught that most churches meet on Sundays and that’s not the appointed Sabbath day according to God. So, he wants nothing to do with Church because it’s the wrong day of the week. I met a young man who believes all Christians hate him because he’s gay. And if the followers of Jesus are against him, then wouldn’t Jesus be against him too? So, he has never met the saving power of Jesus because he feels he wouldn’t be loved. He doesn’t know God is for him because no one representing God has ever been for him. (He happens to be the young man on the airplane I gave my Bible to last year. It was the most valuable gift I could give him to show him love.) The 28 year old guy with a long pony tail who does the best pedicures on the island struggles to believe there is a God because bad things have happened in his life. He’s hurting and questioning and running, all while making some bad decisions. What would Jesus do in these situations? Wouldn’t Jesus say, “Hey, if you want to hang out with me on Saturday, that’s really cool too! The day of the week doesn’t matter to me, they’re all mine.” Wouldn’t Jesus say, “I know everything about you. I knew you before you were even knit together in your mother’s womb. I loved you then and I love you now. My good plans for you haven’t been cancelled. I can work in your life.” Wouldn’t Jesus say, “I know you’re hurting and I’m hurting with you. Let me sit with you.” Wouldn’t Jesus say, “There’s nothing you could ever do that would separate you from my love?” And whatever Jesus would do, he’s asking us to do it too. Jesus sat at tables others would be ashamed to be see at. He hung out with the unpopular. He pursued the unlovable, the untouchable, the undesirable. He tore down every wall and every excuse and made the path for the broken and the hurting to come to him. The leper who Jesus touched hadn’t been touched by a single living soul for years. He was an unclean, forbidden outcast.

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2025

God demands that we both love and hate. We’re actually not supposed to be all love all the time. There are things to love and things to hate. The problem becomes when we confuse the two. And honestly, it’s really easy to get them confused. It’s easy to start hating what we’re supposed to love and start loving what we’re supposed to hate. Romans 12:9, “Don’t PRETEND to love others. REALLY LOVE them. HATE what is WRONG. Hold TIGHTLY to what is RIGHT.” Jesus says there’s one way we will be known as his disciples, OUR LOVE. When we follow Jesus, we begin to love like him. Who did Jesus love? Everyone. So who are we supposed to love? Everyone. That’s hard, isn’t it? Is there someone in your neighborhood, your office, or your family, that’s really hard to love? Everything about them absolutely rubs you the wrong way. Yeah, God doesn’t want you to keep pretending like you love them, as you so easily do with your shallow hellos and fake caring. God says you are to REALLY LOVE THEM. That difficult person is someone Jesus died for. They’re someone God designed with great intention and put them on Earth for a purpose. They’re someone who has gone through real things, struggling with real feelings, and desperately need real love. And YOU ARE CALLED TO LOVE THEM. But why? Because your love reflects Jesus. Not your judgment. Not your correction. Not your avoidance. Not your gossip. Just your love. Does it mean you could get hurt? Yip. Does it mean you could get rejected? Yes. Does it mean your efforts could be a waste? Yes. Just like Jesus’ love got him hurt, made him hang there in rejection, and with all he gave it was a waste to some – but he did it anyway. And now he calls his girls to do the same. LOVE THEM. Get over how you feel about it and lead with love. Stop building your walls out of self-protection and be vulnerable with your love. The truth is, we give love with strings of expectation. We expect our love to be received, appreciated and reciprocated. And when it’s not, we stop really loving and we start to ‘pretend’ love. We keep the peace, but we replay the battle. We smile to their face, but we talk behind their back. We text all the sweet emojis, but those emojis are the opposite of our true emotions. Fake. Fake. Fake. In fact, scripture tells us we could do all sorts of great and impressive acts, but if we don’t have love behind it, it’s absolutely worthless. God is not impressed by your fake love. Lord, help me to REALLY LOVE. Forgive me for hiding behind fake. Could God help you love that person that you find so hard to love? Absolutely. And here’s how – he could help you see that person through his eyes. God loves them because he knows the potential he placed within them. God loves them because he knit them together with purpose and he knows that purpose is still possible. There’s goodness within that person because God’s fingerprints are all over them. He formed them. If you love the Creator, you can love his creation. But that doesn’t mean you have to love the wrong they do. In fact, Romans 12:9 says, “HATE WHAT IS WRONG.” But here’s what it doesn’t say – It doesn’t say ‘hate the person who is wrong.’ Nowhere are we told to hate the person. We are to LOVE the person because they are God’s creation and Jesus died for them. We want God’s best for them. We want them to heal. We want them to be restored. We want them to live well. We love the person, while we hate what is wrong. Separate the two. I can hate the addiction while I still love the person. God does. I can hate the ugly actions and hurtful words while I still love the person. God does. I can hate the division and confusion while I still love the person.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

God was on a mission to love and save someone. His chosen people were the Israelites, the Jewish people. But, the Jews turned on Jesus and didn’t accept the love and salvation offered by God. So, here’s what happened – Jesus made room for US! God’s love would not be stopped. His offer of salvation would not go unclaimed. So, God sent Paul to reach the Gentiles. The Gentiles were people who worshiped many gods. They had a god for practically everything. They were not the original chosen ones from the lineage of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. But space was made for them in the family of God and they were grated in. That’s who we are! We are not the originals – we are the grafted in girls, the ones who could have been left out, but saved by grace and given a place in the family! Paul teaches this miraculous process of being grafted in by using the example of an olive tree in Romans 11. Olive trees represented peace with God and fruitfulness returning to the earth. Remember after God flooded the earth and wiped out everyone outside of the ark, the rain finally stopped and Noah sent a dove out to fly over the waters in search for dry land. One day the dove brought back an olive leaf in it’s beak, signifying the waters were receding and the land was coming back to life again. It was time to begin again. There were two kinds of olive trees. The pure, cultivated olive tree – and the wild olive tree. The cultivated olive tree grows slow, but produces great quality olives. The wild olive tree grows fast, but produces poor quality olives. The olive farmer learned to cut off the old branches from the good quality tree and graft in the lively branches of the wild tree. This grafting wouldn’t change the cultivated olive tree itself, but it would change the grafted branches and therefore change their fruit. The life from the original tree would begin flowing through the wild branches and produce fast growing, quality olives. This is a picture of what God does for us and through us. We were not part of the original tree, but we’ve been grafted in. Space has been made for us. His love would not be stopped, so he searched us out, called us to him, and removed us from the life we once lived and now lets his life flow through us. How absolutely miraculous! As a result, our life produces radically different fruit. We are changed because of the life source we are attached to. My sister, we get to share in what we don’t deserve. God makes us part of something so much better. As a wild olive tree, there’s nothing we could have ever done to be good enough. We could have never self-produced anything of good enough quality. We couldn’t have worked our way in. But God so graciously removed us from what we had been growing in, and grafted us into him. We’re now growing in God’s family tree. His life flows through us and we are forever changed. Every promise ever made to the original tree of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, now belongs to us because we have been grafted in! God’s favor and blessings are now ours. But, there’s a warning. When the chosen ones stopped trusting God, they were cut off from the tree. And the same thing can happen to us. Romans 11:22, “But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.” When we stop trusting in God, we are cut off from peace. Have you noticed how upset, worried and overwhelmed you become when you stop trusting God and start trying to control everything on your own? Yip, that’s what it feels like to be cut off. There’s no peace. When we stop trusting in God, we are cut off from his guidance. God wants to guide you, but he will not force the foot that will not lift in faith. So, you become stuck and confused and feel like you don’t know what to do next. That’s what it feels like to be cut off.

Transcribed - Published: 31 October 2025

There’s one thing that helps me when going through a problem. One thing that gives me permission to still find joy on the journey when the journey is darn hard. This one thing is knowing down deep within that there’s a purpose. There’s a purpose in my problem. There’s a purpose in my pain. There’s a promise being fulfilled and a purpose being developed. We can take a lot … as long as we know it’s not all for nothing. As long as we know somehow or another it’s going to be used for something good. As long as we know this long hard road is leading somewhere worth the journey. Time and time again in the hardest parts of my life, there has been a single scripture I’ve repeated. When someone comes to me struggling to live a good life today because of a nightmare childhood, there is a single scripture I share. When someone comes to me in the middle of a crisis that doesn’t make sense, there is one scripture. Today, in the middle of a season that doesn’t make sense, I come back to that scripture. Today, perhaps as you feel stranded in a desolate land of disappointment and defeat, I share that scripture. Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” There is a purpose for everything you’ve gone through. How God is going to use it all may still be unknown to you, but you can trust nothing will be wasted. What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you? God wants to use it. What painful thing has happened to you this year? God wants to use it. Your problem is positioning you. My family has gone through some hard times in the past 7 years. We have survived every storm. Every day, God has given not only strength to keep going, but he has given joy for the journey and peace in the process. I’ve not been miserable one single day. Never. And I see how God is using our story to help other families. Do I believe it was ever God’s DESIRE for my daughter to become suicidal, to struggle and leave our family, for us all to go through so much pain? Absolutely not. I do not believe God designed or desired that. But it happened. And when bad things happen and we invite God into the process, God goes to work using it for good. I bet your family has a story as well. A story of struggle. A story of storms and mountains. Are you still clinging to that heartache? Are you replaying the story over and over again in your head of how unfair and painful it was? Or have you surrendered it to God and let him work? Can God use it? Oh you bet he can! You likely know the story of Joseph in the Bible. He was the favored son of Jacob. Out of 12 boys, Joseph was like the golden child. Now favoritism never sets a family up for unity does it? This was a recipe for disaster from the beginning. Joseph was highly favored by his Daddy and his 11 brothers were highly jealous of him. They were so jealous of him they threw him in a pit and left him to die. That wasn’t good. Of course this was intended for harm, but God saw it all and said “I’m going to use this for good.” Joseph had to be set apart because God wanted to use him to save the lives of his entire family in the future. He was being positioned. Positioned by a problem. Then Joseph goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. And again it was all used as part of God’s plan for good to him and his family. Nothing Joseph went through was wasted. There was a bigger purpose in everything. And my sister, the same is true for you. You are being positioned for God’s favor. You are being placed in alignment with your purpose. Could your problem be positioning you for alignment with a greater purpose? Funny, I always thought favor and purpose would feel a whole lot different.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

Today I return to my warm and sunny Florida Keys after traveling for the past week, but I’m returning with something extra. Something so special and so extremely valuable. Let me tell you about the gift I was given while traveling. Yesterday, I met a man named Steve. Steve was a successful business man for 35 years and while on a mission trip to Venezuela, God saved his life from a deadly snake and then spoke to him in a voice he could not ignore. The voice of the Lord told him he would feed the hungry and house the orphans. He had never done either. That was 25 years ago, and he now runs an organization called SERV International which produces millions of meals for starving people, rescues abandoned children out of the bush in Africa, and has changed the trajectory of an entire village through the power of Jesus. Their work is truly inspiring. Steve is just an ordinary man who gets overly excited when telling the stories about each of the children he loves so much in his orphanage, and choked up when telling the stories of God’s invitation to work with him and watch the impossible unfold. In Steve’s office, there’s a shelf where a small, handmade, straw broom sits. It fit in with all the other unique pieces from Africa, but this was special. Steve then told me the story of the broom: At a church service in this desperate and destitute African village, they created an altar for the offerings of the people. A widowed woman came forward and laid this small, handmade, straw broom on the altar. It was literally all she had. Let that set in for a moment. She was so moved by the Word of God and the hope offered by Jesus, she gave her broom when it was the only thing she had to give. I crumbled hearing this story. Oh how selfish and self-serving I am. I have so much and offer so little while patting myself on the back for being a good person. I’m immediately reminded of the woman Jesus witnessed making an offering in the temple. Mark 12: 41-44, “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” What happens when you give to God? I’m going to tell you what happens and it’s very literal. YOU OPEN THE STOREHOUSES OF HEAVEN. Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is KIND to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” I believe that for one reason and one reason only – it’s God’s word. I don’t believe it because some fancy preacher on TV has told me I’ll be blessed if I send money. I don’t believe it because I’m playing a game to see how much I can get out of the deal. I believe it because it’s God’s word and God’s word DOES NOT FAIL. God sees everything we do and he knows our heart. He knows when we’re being kind for show and when we’re being kind because of love. He knows the intent behind everything we do and give, and when we’re truly doing it for the Lord, he personally rewards us. All God ever wants is our heart to be fully aligned with his, and when our heart gets in the right place, our hands naturally open and you just can’t keep them closed. I promise you this, God doesn’t need your money. He owns absolutely everything in this world. If he needed your money, he could take it away from you in an instant and use it as he wished. God doesn’t even need your works. He has an army of Angels who could do the work better than you. But he does desire your heart,

Transcribed - Published: 29 October 2025

Do you ever wonder how you could really be used by God? Ordinary you. Could God use you? Could he work through you? Let’s be clear – God does not need you. He really doesn’t. He has the power to do anything he wishes completely on his own. However, God still chooses to use you in his divine and life changing work if you’re available to him. You GET to be part of God’s work. You get to work in the family business with Jesus, making eternal impact on real lives. But HOW? Today, I get to share a story with you of how one life radically changed because of the simple acts of a follower of Jesus. Several years ago, a beautiful woman named Addie was struggling. Addie had been in an arranged marriage with a loveless man. Her only introduction to God was through the family’s Muslim beliefs. One day, while in a gas station, Addie heard a radio station being played. On that station, a scripture was shared. Jeremiah 29:11. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” And when Addie heard this scripture for the first time, she began to question if God might have good plans for her too. Was there a future beyond what she knew? Could there be hope for her. She turned and found there in the gas station a book by Joyce Meyer. She bought that book and began reading. For the first time, Addie learned about the saving grace of Jesus and it changed her entire life. Now, her beautiful daughter who loves Jesus comes on my retreats! All of this because she was in a gas station that played a Christian radio station. FOREVER CHANGED FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS! Now, what’s wild is the owner and manager of that gas station have no idea of the difference they made. They may think their choice to play Christian music is totally unnoticed and pointless. But one day in Heaven, they will learn of Adie who met Jesus and it all started with their choice to honor God in their gas station. How could God use you? Oh honey, he could put you in the right place at the right time, simply playing the right music! You could put on your tshirt that says “Jesus Loves You” and feel a little awkward wearing it in the grocery store, but someone could see it and dare to believe it’s true for them for the first time ever. You could put a scripture on the bumper of your car and never know who might desperately need to read it just when you pass. Here’s what we often miss – Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Faith in Jesus is the only thing that saves us, but how will we come to faith if someone doesn’t TELL us about Jesus first? Our job is not to convince anyone, our job is to be a vessel that shares the Good News of Jesus. How? Turn on music about Jesus at work. Wear jewelry or clothes that point to Jesus. Hang a canvas print of scripture on your wall. You simply never know who might see it at just the right time and come to faith. Faith begins by hearing about Jesus. Anyone else’s faith is not your responsibility, but God wants to use you in spreading the word about Jesus. Just share it, play it, wear it, say it, write it, print it, hang it, display it, show it. The rest is not up to you, so don’t make it about you. I wear a necklace that has the numbers 29:11. It represents Jeremiah 29:11, which is again the scripture that beautiful woman in the gas station first heard. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” I wear it as a personal reminder to myself of God’s good plans, but I also hope someone might ask me what it means – then I have an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with them. It really is that simple.

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2025

God has a plan beyond the reality you see today. He has a purpose specifically for you that reaches beyond the circumstances of this season. Beyond this pain, beyond this struggle, beyond this uncertainty, God has goodness for you. The enemy plays in the darkness of your uncertainties. Uncertainties that ask how much longer will I have to wait … how much more can I take … why is this happening to me … how will this ever be okay again? But remember my friends, we can boldly step into the unknown with our all-knowing God. You don’t have to be certain of timing. You don’t have to be certain of details. You may never know how and when until one day you’re standing in a new reality where you see with your own eyes this new, purpose-filled season of your life. Make friends with the uncertainty on the way there. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 “And I am CERTAIN that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns,” and you can now claim it as your personal truth. In a world filled with uncertainties, be certain of this … GOD’S NOT DONE HERE. God sees you and he is working all things together for good. His eye is on you. He has heard your prayers. He is moved by your petitions. AND HE IS WORKING. Let all the uncertainties remain uncertain because the greatest of all things is absolutely CERTAIN: GOD IS AT WORK. When everything is unfolding as you planned, it’s actually hard to see God at work. It’s easy to assume these good times are the harvest of all those good seeds you’ve been planting. We’re quick to even say, I deserve this. My hard work, my persistence, my will-power earned me this. UNTIL IT ALL STOPS WORKING. THEN WHAT? Have you ever been there? When what worked before stops working. When you’re humbled to realize the absolute truth that without God’s mighty hand in it all, girl, you’re not getting anywhere. If it worked before, if it was good, it was always because of God. You never did it on your own. And this is where our roll is slowed so we can once again see God at work in everything. Yes, he works in the hardship. He works in the delay. He works in the no just as much as he works in the yes. And he is all up in your current circumstances working to bring you to to a destiny better than you could have ever worked out on your own. This past weekend at our BIG Life Retreat in Tennessee, we had a hiking adventure day planned. Split up into 4 cars, we would drive through the Smoky Mountain National Park which is in full blown fall color, park at the trailead of Grotto Falls and hike together to the waterfall. That was the plan … until it all fell apart. I was in the lead car with 4 other girls and because of traffic, we ended up about 15 minutes ahead of the other cars. As we drove through the National Park on a one way road, we quickly realized it was absolutely packed and there were no parking places anywhere. Like AT ALL. Not for one car, let alone all 4 of our cars carrying the 23 of us. So, our only choice became to keep driving through the park and skip our planned hike to the waterfall. I sent out a text to everyone letting them know we would meet at the end and make other plans for our hike and picnic. BUT … no one had cell service. So now we’re all split up. My car finally finds a parking spot toward the end of the road, several miles from our original destination, and we stopped, thinking we would see our other cars coming through to regroup. But hours passed, and we still don’t see the rest of our group. So, here’s my car with just 5 of us at a totally random place in this massive National Park, walking down by the river, and a woman and her family see our retreat shirts. She asked if BIG Life was there right now.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

A girl who is going to do big things cannot let small things get to her. A girl who is ready to live the BIG life she was created for, ready to step fully into her potential, ready to live in divine partnership with the Almighty, that girl cannot be shaken by little things. She cannot let an off day become an off month. A girl who is rising up to a higher level of living can’t fall victim to petty nonsense and disruptions that simply won’t matter 5 years from now. Is that girl you? Are you the one ready to rise up, level up, elevate, and become more? Yes, yes you are. You are THAT girl. That’s you. A girl God started something in. A girl primed for good works. A girl who has been prepared for what is next. A girl filled with the power of God who cannot be shaken by these little things. There was a day when you couldn’t function without your coffee. There was a day when a kid with a bad attitude would stir up your bad attitude. There was a day when sharing the road with a bad driver would bring out the nasty Nascar in you. There was a day when a stressful day at work would follow you home and create a tense night where your whole family is just trying to stay out of your way. You’re like that half blind little 15 year old dog biting at everything within 10 feet. Oh, there was a day … but God’s been doing something new in you! Oh yes he has! He has been working on you from the inside out. He’s been shifting your perspective. He’s been building you up, stronger, more grounded, and aware of your priorities in life. Convicting you of what’s not right and where you can get better. Now you know better, so you can do better. One of my very best friends will tell you there was a day when she was a little witchy with a B, if you know what I mean. She was difficult and negative, quick to point out all that was wrong and shoot you down fast. It’s just who she was, she would say. BUT THAT’S NOT WHO SHE WAS CREATED TO BE. God didn’t create a single one of us to be a difficult butthole. He didn’t say, “this one … well, this one will be difficult, this one will be unbearable in the mornings, this one will be a grouchy bear in the afternoon, and this one will be a complete jerk all the time.” No one is a jerk by design. But we can become a jerk by default. No one is a nag from birth. But we can become a nag out of habit. My friend changed. She’s not who she used to be, she’s more like who she was created to be. Whew, and I love that girl! How did that change happen? God helped her see a different way. We see a different way when we’re no longer surrounded by people doing the same thing as us. God places us in an environment with people who aren’t settling for just “good enough”. We see, through their example, there is a different way. A way to be positive. A way to be happier. A way to get better. And you’ll know it when you see it because something deep within you says “gosh, I want to be more like that.” You know what that is … that’s who God created you to be speaking up! That’s what’s really inside of you, beyond the bad habits and default pattern, this is who you really are. That’s the Christ-like character in others calling out the Christ-like character in you. This is calling out greatness. Colossians 3:10 says “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” If you want to know your Creator, you can hang around his creation. We are his creation. We have been given the responsibility of showing off our Creator in the way we live our lives. How well are you showing the heart of your Creator? How well are you displaying his love and his power in your life?

Transcribed - Published: 24 October 2025

Romans 12:2, “Let God transform you into a new person.” The original Greek word for transform is metamorphoo. This is where we get the word metamorphosis. And this is the image of what God can and will do in your life. A complete metamorphosis – you won’t look anything like you used to look. You won’t move the way you used to move. You won’t think the way you used to think. Your old limits will no longer hold you back. Just as a butterfly is no longer the caterpillar it used to be. It no longer crawls on the ground, it flies through the air. It’s radically changed. Transformed. Metamorphosis. God’s work of transformation! We are surrounded by earthly reminders of heavenly transformational powers at work. What we have just accepted as normal shouts the miraculous truths of our creator and his desire to transform things. How many of us at this moment are wearing a diamond? Have you ever given thought to who created that diamond? That was God’s creation. He made that. And do you know how he made that diamond you wear today? A really long, hard process. Most natural diamonds are between 1 and 3 billion years old, formed deep within the earth, 100 miles below surface. Minerals under extreme pressures and extreme heat became the jewels which we treasure today, eventually brought to the surface in volcanic eruptions. (And that’s the jewel chosen to represent the bond of marriage – You didn’t realize that when you said yes, did you? Extreme difficulty, pressure and hardship – that’s a diamond.) Diamonds are valued because of what they had to go through. And what they went through now represents luxury and love. That was a long hard process of difficult change and none of it was by accident. God designed that. John 1:3 says “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ” This was God in action, and it began long, long, long ago. Think about this – God knew the exact diamond you wear today would be YOURS when he began forming it over a billion years ago. WOAH. Now remember, we’re dealing with a God who could have turned corn into diamonds. He could have had them grow out of your ears if he wished. But I believe our mighty God and his ways are revealed in creation. This is how he works. He is the God of change. He is the God of the impossible. The God of transformation and metamorphosis. He takes something from deep within and through a process he forms and changes it into something precious. Isn’t that what God has been doing with you? You may not like the process, but you’re in the middle of it. The pressure and the heat in your life are serving a tremendous purpose, a purpose to change that which seems unwanted and unimportant and turn it into something of tremendous value. Again, Romans 12:2, “Let God transform you into a new person.” Have you ever thought of your value and worth? You, individually, how much are you worth? Scripture says in Isaiah 43:4 that we are precious in his eyes, we are honored and God loves us. The same God who made every single diamond made you and said you are more precious. The most expensive jewel to ever be sold at auction was a 60 carat flawless pink diamond which sold for $83.2 million. Then there’s the most precious diamond which is part of the British Crown Jewels. This 105 carat diamond is considered literally priceless and some say it’s value is 3.5 times the wealth of the whole world. And then there’s you. YOU, you are more precious and valuable than even this diamond. Than all the diamonds in the world combined. You know what you’re worth? You’re worth the price of a son. And for those listening who have a child of your own, you know that’s a price you’re simply not willing to pay for anything. Your child.

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

Have you ever known anyone who lives securely in a passed down family business? They didn’t create the business, but they’ve been given the business and trusted to continue the work. Maybe they stepped into success only because of a birthright. They didn’t earn it, but it was passed down to them. It’s easy to kind of envy those people. Have you ever known anyone who has no wealth of their own, but they live with assurance of the inheritance they are in line to receive. They’re not worried about retirement. They’re not stressed about saving. There are boatloads of money coming with their name on it. I recently met a man who lives on a catamaran in the yacht club here in the Florida Keys. He doesn’t work. He doesn’t have to. He told me his step-dad is a billionaire with no children of his own. All of that is coming to him. Hmmmm, must be nice, huh? My sister, do you realize that truly is US!!!!! We’ve been invited into the family business and we stand to receive an unimaginable inheritance. Not because of anything we have done, but only because of who our Father is. We have no reason for worry over tomorrow. Galatians 4:5-7, “God sent Jesus to buy freedom for us so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Now you are GOD’S OWN CHILD. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” I’m that girl! I have been chosen and adopted as a daughter, and now I’m an heir to all that is His. Woah. That’s my future. That’s YOUR FUTURE. And it’s absolutely REAL. That’s what is ahead for you. I know it’s easy to wonder and worry about the future, but there it is – you are an heir to all that is God’s. What is God’s? Eternal paradise! A future where every single thing has been worked together for good forever. A future of perfection unlike anything we have ever tasted before. And this today – this trouble we have – this is just the path on the journey to get there. The journey is short – the destination is forever, and when we get there – oh, it will be so worth it! We’re on our way. Today we are one day closer to that inheritance promised to us. My friends, that’s something to get ridiculously excited about. I know how much fun I have at our BIG Life Retreats. Being with other girls who love Jesus and embrace adventure is just the best. To me, it’s a little taste of our future inheritance. I often imagine what Heaven will be like when we’re there together. Me and you – a never ending retreat of perfection in paradise. Better than Bali. Better than Hawaii. Better than the Amalfi Coast. A perpetual, never ending, mind-blowing paradise of perfection. And because of Jesus, I’m promised this. And if you’ve accepted Jesus too, then you will be there too. And we’re one day closer to it! We’re already on our journey there! Isn’t it such an exciting day to pack your suitcase and know you’re leaving for vacation? You’re ON YOUR WAY. The trip has begun. You haven’t arrived yet, but you have on your vacation clothes, you’re pulling that suitcase, you have your tickets, and you’re boarding the plane to get there. And that’s us … we’re already on our way to our inherited promise of eternal paradise. I’m ridiculously excited about that. It’s literally happening. I’m almost there. You’re almost there. We’re going, girl! We often use the letters RIP when someone dies. Rest In Peace. But I think it’s so much better than that. My RIP is the never ending eternal RETREAT IN PARADISE. Oh girl, I hope you have your retreat ticket too! You don’t want to miss it.   Now – what about that family business? I have 3 children.

Transcribed - Published: 22 October 2025

God made an investment in you. He intentionally invested potential within you and gives you time in this life, and he expects a return on that investment. Is he getting it? What are you doing with what he has given you? How are you using what’s inside of you? The truth is, we often short God on all he did for us. We belittle the enormous gift within us and dismiss all we could do and all we could be. Why is that? Why don’t we honor the gift? I believe it’s because ultimately we’re scared. We fear failure. We fear judgment. We fear looking foolish. We fear screwing this thing up with the wrong choice and the wrong direction. So here we are walking around as these prized masterpieces of God, carrying around a world of potential, living less than, little lives, while questioning our value and discounting our worth, missing the gift of time we’re in. AND GOD ISN’T GETTING A RETURN ON HIS INVESTMENT. Jesus tells a story in the bible about this exact thing. The story of the talents, or parable of the three servants. I will read from The Message translation so it we understand it on today’s terms. Matthew 25: 14-30 MSG: Jesus is describing the Kingdom of God and he says, “It’s like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money. After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.’ ‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’” Understand, girls, our master has given us something. What has he given you? An investment of time, talent and treasures. What are you doing with them? I ask because, sister, IT MATTERS. It matters what you do with what you have been given. The master will be returning and he will specifically ask you what you have done with what he invested in you. He wants to trust you as his partner. But can he? If God gives you 84 years of life, he will expect you to do a whole lot of living in that 84 years. What will you have to show for it? What do you have to show for the years you’ve been given so far? How much living have you done? It’s easy to assume we will do more living in our later years and save up the anticipated returns for retirement. Ahhhhhh, don’t be so arrogant to assume you will be given that time. I have a group of listeners who live in an assisted living facility in Missouri. A few years ago I went and visited them.

Transcribed - Published: 21 October 2025

Yesterday, I stood in church and I sang the words, “Oh God, the battle belongs to you.” As those words passed my lips, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Do you really believe that?” Sometimes we can sing songs or even quote scripture, and we don’t even realize what we’re saying. Do you really believe this battle belongs to God? Is he fighting here? Is he promising victory? What battle are you currently facing? What is your real life situation of stress, uncertainty and threat? Think about that relationship right now. Think about that circumstance. Think about that worry you’ve been carrying around and fear of what may happen next. Is there a sickness? Is there a problem with someone you love? Is there a divide that seems to only be getting bigger? Is there a hurt? An injustice? Is it your marriage? Is it your child? Is it your family? Is it you? Is it your home? Is it your job? Is it your future? Is it your health? Where’s your battle? Is that really God’s battle? Is God in this? Can his power be at work here? Could he change it all around? Could he do the impossible? David was the one who first spoke those words, “This is the Lord’s battle.” Do you know when he spoke it? When he was staring up at a skilled giant enemy warrior named Goliath. Goliath was in full armor, holding a sword and a spear, ready to crush little shepherd boy David who stood there in his shepherd clothes, holding nothing but a slingshot and 5 smooth stones from the river. David responded to the threats of the giant with absolute confidence – not in himself – but in his God. 1 Samuel 17:47, “This is the Lord’s battle!” You see David never declared this battle as his own, this battle belonged to God. And when the battle belongs to God, first it’s not about you and what you can do, and second it’s already won. David knew something – he knew the stories of God’s power. He knew the battles God had won before with the most impossible odds, and he knew when he sought the Lord for his battle plan, the ultimate victory would be claimed. Now back to your battle. The situation that threatens or worries you. The thing that has been causing pain in your life. Does this battle belong to God? What I’m asking is, will you let God be in charge of this and trust his plan? Or will you opt for your own ways of worry and stew in the questions, the hurt and the anger? Girl, you can make yourself absolutely sick over this – or you can let God have this battle. What’s your choice? I bet right now you have something going on in your life or in your family that is worthy of a full blown breakdown. Something that frustrates you, stresses you, or hurts you. Something you so want to change, but you are powerless to change it. May I remind you once again that you are not Jesus. You cannot save them – you cannot fix them – you cannot change them. That’s God’s job. It’s his battle. Does that mean we sit back and do nothing? Oh absolutely not. David did not see the giant fall by doing nothing. David let the battle be God’s battle and he let God give him the battle plan. All he had to do was walk it out in faith because it was already guaranteed to work. Wow – how about that? God has a battle plan and your only job is to walk it out in faith. If you will, it’s already guaranteed to work. Now, here’s what that does NOT guaranteed. It doesn’t guarantee it will always be easy, and it doesn’t guarantee it will always make sense. In your Bible there are hundreds of stories of battles. None of those battles were easy. Sacrifices had to be made, training had to be given, and long journeys had to be taken. Battles meant some losses. And in these stories of battles within our Bible, we find battle plans.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

Our God is a healer, redeemer and restorer. His desire is to guide you to living the best life he imagined for you from the very beginning. His answer to your request for healing and restoration is YES. Do you believe that? Yes, he will heal you. Yes, he will restore that which is so broken right now. Yes, he will redeem that which seems too far gone and beyond hope. Yes he will, and yes he is. Right now, at this very moment, he is healing and saving. He is doing a work you cannot fathom and you do not yet know. Just as you can’t see God, but you believe he is real, you cannot see what he is doing on your behalf here, but you can believe it to be true. Jeremiah 17:14 says “Oh Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!” As a response 13 chapters later in Jeremiah 30:17 we hear from God when he says ” ‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.” It’s not a question of WILL HE. Will he provide? Will he guide? Will he make a way? Will he heal? Will he save? Will he restore? ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HE WILL. What you do not know is how or when. Jesus is unlimited, so stop limiting his power in your life to do things when and how you believe they should be done. This year I’ve seen some of his miraculous works in my life, and they totally were NOT how imagined they would be, nor were they when I thought they would be best. But Jesus is not limited to my human concepts of restoration, or my timeline apparently. While it all seemed to be growing worse, Jesus has been behind the scenes doing things I can not see, in ways I can not imagine. Now I’m understanding my role was never to know and understand, my role has always been to trust and hold tight to his promises. Jesus is a healer. But how he will heal may be different than you imagine. Will you have enough faith to take your Jesus out of the box and let him work in your life? Of course we know Jesus healed by touch. When he laid his hands on someone, his healing power would be transferred. We also see that Jesus healed by speaking. With one word, sickness would be gone. He told the crippled man to get up and walk, and with his word, he did. He still has that power in your life. He can speak one word over you, and your entire world can change. But maybe you’re frustrated because you’ve never felt the touch of Jesus or heard him speak over you. Me either – but I know this – I know without a doubt he has healed me more than once and worked in miraculous ways on my family’s behalf. How did he do it? In ways we may often miss. In ways that don’t look miraculous at all. In your bible are examples of different ways Jesus healed and they’re all unique and bizarre in their own way. He spit in the mud and used that mud to give sight to a blind man. He put his fingers in a deaf man’s ears to make him hear again. He told 10 lepers to walk down the path to go see the priests and as they went they were healed on their way. He told another man to take a bath in the dirtiest of waters to receive his healing. (And this isn’t even ALL of Jesus’ ways to heal, it’s just the beginning. John wrote in John 21:25, “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the world could not contain the books that would be written.” Jesus is unlimited on the ways he can work. He can do ANYTHING. And here’s the thing about the method of healings we read in our Bible, none of these had any magic healing power. It wasn’t the mud that healed the man. It wasn’t the path. It wasn’t the water in the pool. So, what was it? Don’t miss this because it’s important: It was a step of obedience in accordance to faith.

Transcribed - Published: 17 October 2025

Are there thoughts you repeatedly think, and you want to change those thoughts because you know they’re not good? Are there things you often do, and quite honestly you don’t want to keep doing them? You really do want to change. You want to get better. But you don’t know how to change those thoughts. You don’t know how to change the patterns of your old habits. You don’t know how to change you. Do you have a behavior within you that you don’t like, but you find yourself acting that way by default? You don’t like being overly competitive and jealous, but you still struggle with certain people being better than you, or their life being better than yours. You don’t like that judgmental and critical side of you, but that side just takes over sometimes. You don’t want to be the nag, the complainer, or the yeller, but there she goes again. It’s you – you’re doing it, and you just can’t seem to stop. At the root of this is your heart. My friend, this is a heart issue. Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” What is your heart? The Bible isn’t talking about the organ that pumps blood throughout your body. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘lev’ was translated into heart. In the New Testament, the Greek word ‘kardia’ was translated into heart. Both lev and kardia have a much deeper meaning than our word ‘heart’ today. They mean the center of your soul. It’s your core deep within you. Your lev, your kardia, encompasses your emotions, your will, your mind and your spirit. It’s who you are within. So, Proverbs is telling us instead of focusing on the external of our flat belly, our smooth skin, our dyed hair and our plumply injected lips, we are to focus on the core within us, because that is what determines the course of your life. Who you are, what you do, and where you are going is flowing from deep inside of you. Fixing up the outside isn’t going to change you – this is a heart issue. But honestly, thinking your problems are because of a heart issue is a little scary, isn’t it? You act like that because your heart is off. You think like that because your heart is out of alignment. You do those things because there is a problem in your heart. And nothing is going to change permanently in your life until your heart changes. But how do you change your heart? The heart wants what the heart wants, right? And if your heart has gotten twisted or hurt somewhere along the way, how do you untwist that? How do you heal that? How does that old hardened heart of stone become a soft, tender heart of flesh again? Answer: GOD DOES THAT! What do you do? You seek God, surrender your heart, and ask him to do a work in your heart! Girl, you gotta let him in! The Lord himself says in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Here’s the truly amazing thing – God isn’t just offering to fix up your old heart. He’s not offering a bandaid or even a bypass. He’s offering a NEW HEART! A transplant! God wants to take out that old hardened heart of yours that’s made you jealous and competitive – that old stony heart of yours that’s made you judgmental and critical – that old stubborn heart that makes you want to yell and argue – and he wants to give you a new heart. This new heart from God is tender and responsive. This new heart is soft. And remember, your heart is what determines the course of your life. So if God is willing to give you a new heart, then he’s offering you a new course for your life. A new direction. A new way. A radically different experience.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

Romans 12:1, “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” What does it look like to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God. LIVING – it’s how you live. LIVING – it’s continual. God is not interested in this one big thing you do one time, or this great thing you do on special occasions – he’s asking for you to recognize all he has done for you and respond with your entire life. What has God done for you? Really – think about that. Only when you know what God has really done for you, can you then respond correctly. First, God has given you life. He is literally the only reason you’re here today. He created you in your mother’s womb, knit you together according to his design and breathed life into you. But it wasn’t a one time event – he continually breathes life into you. The very air you’re breathing right now, that’s the breath of God giving you life. If he stops, you stop. He gives you life, moment by moment, breath by breath. God has given you blessings you don’t deserve. Goodness you never even asked for. Favor you weren’t qualified for. And promises your human mind still can’t comprehend. Everything you have is because of him. Every good and perfect gift is directly from him. Every flower you’ve ever been given – that was him. Every beautiful sunny day – him. Every summer rain shower – him. Every sweet night of rest – him. Every moment of peace – yip, him again. Everything that ever worked for you, everything that ever came together, everything that ever fell into place – it was all him. What has God done for you? Oh my sister, he has done everything. And then he made the impossible happen for you – he gave Jesus for you. There was such a gap between you and the laws of God that you would forever fall short of his glory, so God gave Jesus as the sacrifice for your forgiveness. His blood covers you. Throughout the old testament we read of the requirement of sacrifices to cover sin. Animals had to be slaughtered, blood had to be offered, atonement had to be bought. But Jesus’ blood covers us once and for all, making us forever good enough. God did that for you. A monumental day in my life was the day someone stood on my porch and asked my first name. I said, “Pamela.” They then said, “John 3:16 – For God so loved Pamela, that he gave his one and only son so that she wouldn’t perish, but she would have eternal life.” He did that for me. And if I would have been the only person in the world, he would have given Jesus just for me. And that’s your truth too. Jesus was for you. God did that all for you. When you know God has given you literal life, he’s given you every good thing you will ever experience in your life, and he’s saved your life and promised you an eternity in a perfect paradise with him … well, my sister, that should change the way you live this life. This awareness makes you want to offer your whole life as a living sacrifice. Living – the way you live. Living – a continual act, not a one time thing. What would your life as a living sacrifice look like? To put this into very practical terms we can understand and begin using immediately, let’s look at Romans 12:1 in the MSG translation: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: 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 simply living your ordinary life with the ...

Transcribed - Published: 15 October 2025

Romans 11:33, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” I will never understand God, but I can forever be in awe and wonder of him. His thoughts are above my thoughts and his ways are higher than my ways. His plan is always better than my plan and his path to get there is always best. I’ve decided to live my life in surrender to it, even when I don’t understand it. I choose to set my mind to anticipate absolute greatness to unfold. Why? Because my God is GREAT! In Hebrew the original text was the bathos, meaning the DEPTH of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge. Not just great, but deep. When it’s deep, it means there’s more than you can see and more than you can touch. When the ocean is bathos, it is deep, you can’t reach the bottom and the treasures beneath are unknown. And the things of God are so deep we will never get to the bottom of them. God is literally at the bottom of everything. Dig a little and you’ll find God. Keep digging and you’ll find more and more of God. He is the foundation and the source. All that is is only because of Him. The little he has revealed to us is only a hint of all there really is. Romans 11:36, “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” Think about that for a moment. Everything comes from God, it exists by his power, and it is intended for his glory. That includes YOU. Here’s your life’s absolute truth. You come from God, you exist by his power, and you are intended for his glory. If you feel like you’ve lost who you are and what your purpose is in this life, well whoop there it is! You, my dear friend, you come from God. He personally dreamed of you, designed you and formed you because he wanted you. You are alive today, breathing today, existing only by his power. His power literally lives in you and flows through you. And the intentions for your life are to bring him glory. That’s right, you’re supposed to make it about him, not make it about you. He’s the one you point to. He’s the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. If there’s anything good in you, it’s God in you! GLORY TO GOD! So, Paul reminds us of 3 things of God’s that are so deep that they’re immeasurable: God’s riches, God’s wisdom and God’s knowledge. God is rich. No, for real, he is, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. God’s not ashamed of his riches. Deuteronomy 11:14, “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God.” It’s ALL God’s. Every bit of it belongs to him. We squabble and fight and get protective over what we believe to be ours, but honey just because your name is on the title doesn’t make it all yours – that was God’s first! A few years ago I was riding my little turquoise bicycle along Highway 1 in the Florida Keys, and I came upon a beautiful private beach resort set behind a large security gate and trees. Lining the drive were statues of Buddha. Buddha is not God. Buddha is an idol some use to replace our God who owns everything. That’s not Buddha’s beach, that’s God’s beach. As I rode by, God so clearly stirred my spirit and said, “That is my land, would you better glorify me with it?” Now I know that sounds crazy because first, that resort isn’t for sale, and even if it were, the truth is I can’t afford to buy a trailer house on those 6 acres of beachfront property, let alone a resort with a grand lodge and 6 bungalows. But each time I pass it, I hear God say, “That’s mine, I want to be glorified better there.” Largo Resort – God wants it back. It’s his. Jesus, not Buddha.

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2025

Today, the sun came up. It met the horizon and it rose above it. That has happened every single day of our lives, so somewhere along the way we stopped being impressed by it. But the fact still remains, every morning the sun races at us from the east at over 1,000 miles per hour as we spin. Here we are walking around as if the world is sitting still, and we’re totally not! May we always look at the sun rise and remember who did that for us. God once had a conversation with Job, reminding him that he alone is God, he knows what he’s doing and his power is unmatched. God said to Job: Job 38: 12-14 “Have YOU ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? Have YOU made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness? As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors.” Have you … have YOU ever done that? Ahhhh, no … you haven’t ever been in charge of the sunrise? You can’t do that my sister? No, that’s what God does! God causes the sun to rise. He causes the Earth to spin. He brings the sunshine and the rain. And you can trust he knows exactly what he is doing. Job chapters 38 and 39 include a detailed list of some things God knows and controls. He determines the boundaries of the seas, the storehouses of snow, the path of lightening, and the sending of the rain. He directs the movement of the stars, provides food for the birds, watches as the wild animals give birth, and gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind. And my friend, he sees YOU. He knows everything concerning you. He made the sun to rise and shine on you today. Shouldn’t that provide a sense of comfort and peace knowing the One who is charge of all this knows you and cares for you? This evening, the sun will finish it’s dance across the sky and it will gracefully set to the west. Some will gather to watch the show, but most won’t. Most will be totally unaware of the magic happening in the sky and be busy with their evening routine. But, it will happen. God will faithfully bring the day to an end once again and the sun will be no more. Today, the sun will rise and set regardless of what you do, because God is in charge of that. However, what you choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to you. What will you do with the light of today? How will you use this time God has given you? And really, isn’t that the greatest gift we have here in this life? We have time. Limited time. Precious time. How foolish of us to take our time for grated or waste it. The rising sun on this day gives you more time. Time to live. God has gone to great measure to give you light today. He commanded this morning on your behalf. He caused the dawn to rise in the east with you in mind. He made the daylight spread to your exact positioning and brought your night to an end so you could see. Brilliant colors were painted for your eyes. What is your response? Where I am in Florida, we will have exactly 11 hours and 38 minutes of daylight today. That is time given to us as a gift today with an expectation to use it. USE THE GIFT. The gift of his light. For some of us, the night has been long and hard. We’ve been going through a season of darkness where life has been challenging and the struggle has been real. The odds seem stacked against us as life kinda falls apart. Well I may not know how long this darkness has been for you or what your struggle has been, but I know this for sure, God is here offering his light for YOU today. John 12:46 Jesus said “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” DO NOT REMAIN IN THE DARK. That’s a choice.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

Yesterday was a nostalgic kind of day for me. 15 years ago yesterday we hosted our very first gathering and called it a retreat. It was the most unimpressive, duct taped together event you’ve ever seen, in the basement of Joplin, MO city hall. Looking back it’s almost embarrassing … But it was the beginning. I spent yesterday going through photos of every retreat since then. For the first time, I made a list and numbered them. Would you believe we’ve hosted exactly 100 retreats? Some of those retreats have been the best days of my life … and some of those early retreats you couldn’t pay me to go back and do again. What a ride it has been and what a story we now have to tell. It’s not always a story I would have chosen, but it’s a story God has orchestrated to build what we get to do today. Just this year at our retreats, we’ve baptized 39 precious souls in total commitments to Jesus … all while having an absurd amount of fun in the most beautiful places in the world. When God’s word says in Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – well it’s absolutely true. God can do so much more than we could ever dream up on our own. It’s bigger than you imagined and greater than you think, but you have to partner with him in the story and decide to trust him enough to join him on the ride. All glory goes to God, only he can do it – but how totally awesome that he invites us to be part of the story! God gives us a story to tell. A story of how he saved our life, turned it all around, and made the impossible happen on the daily. He’s writing a story with your life and it’s all unfolding day by day. Think about the things that make for a great story. It’s never the comfortable, easy, guaranteed stuff. It’s the ups and downs, the twists and turns, the suspense and climax that make for a great story. And our God is the greatest writer of all. I wonder what he’s writing for you? A few years ago on my husband’s birthday, I surprised him with a ride in a WW2 bi-plane. I requested the “loop-d-loop tricks ride” over the coast for the full experience. He went on the first ride and returned so dizzy he could barely walk. Then it was my turn. I’ve never experienced anything so thrilling. It made sky diving seem like a total bore. It’s an open cockpit with 2 tiny seats and you truly feel like you’re flying. At one point we’re high up in the sky and suddenly it gets very quiet. The engine goes dead. Like motor OFF. Y’all we’re flying in an 80 year old airplane controlled by 2 foot pedals and one hand lever and the engine cuts. Boom, we go into a spinning nose dive. It’s like the wildest roller coaster ride you’ve ever been on … without a track. Then the engine starts trying to crank. It puts a time or two, then fires up and suddenly we make a 180 and start climbing straight up. My son was in town so it was the ultimate experience to share with him and his wife. After we’re all on the ground safely, my husband strikes up a conversation with the pilot. He says “wow, so how long have you had this airplane.” The pilot smiles and says, “One week! How in the world did you all find me?” I said, “Well I saw you flying over the beach a few days ago and I wondered if maybe you offered rides so I googled you.” He said, “Well, you saw me on my first flight.” I swallow … hard. Y’all if I would have known this was a new experience for the pilot, I wouldn’t have strapped myself into that plane and squealed with delight as he let it fall in a nose dive from the sky. Nor would I have encourage 3 other members of my fam...

Transcribed - Published: 10 October 2025

There are many names of Jesus, but there is only one name we call him that saves our soul. Do you know that name? He’s not just our friend, he’s not just the lamb, he’s not just our teacher, he’s not just the Prince of Peace or the Bread of Life. He’s our LORD. When Jesus is our Lord, then everything changes. Paul writes in Romans 10:9, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s that simple and that specific. Jesus must be your Lord. If you don’t let Jesus be your Lord, then God will let you be your lord. And let me tell you, you make a terrible lord over your own life. Do you know why? Because you don’t know best. You don’t see everything. You simply cannot guide and direct your life down the best path because you were never equipped to do that on your own. You were designed to need God. Without him, you simply cannot live a good, fulfilling and purposeful life. What does it look like to make Jesus the Lord of your life? In Biblical times, calling someone Lord signified a recognition of their power, of their authority, of their high status as master or ruler. ‘Lord’ meant, you are over me and I am under you. Think of the word ‘landlord’ which we use today. This is someone who owns the house that we’re temporarily renting from them. It’s theirs, not ours. We follow their rules, or we’re out. We agree to their terms, not the other way around. They are the land-lord and they have authority over their land. Now, declaring Jesus is Lord is recognizing him as the supreme authority and highest position. He is above absolutely everything. He alone holds all power because everything belongs to him. If Jesus is your Lord, then you are under his authority and you’ve pledged your allegiance to him. He is the one you seek to honor. He is your master and you are his servant. Easy enough – right? But have you really given him that place? Is he really the one you seek above all else? Is he really your master? Does he really get the best of you, or does he get your leftovers? Does he take first place, or does he take back burner? Is he your first choice, or is he your last resort? If he is the Lord of your life, then everything you do comes from a place of serving him, honoring him, and seeking him. Do I have any recovering people pleasers listening today? You’ve spent the majority of your life trying to make everyone happy. You so desperately want them to like you that you will sacrifice everything else along the way. It’s hard to let Jesus be Lord if you’re so busy trying to make everyone else happy. In fact, Paul, the same man who wrote the book of Romans, tells us in Galatians 1:10, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” You cannot always please people and God at the same time. Pleasing people cannot be your goal. Having everyone like you cannot be your objective. So who will be your priority? Really, who will get your time today? Who will get your attention today? Who will you serve first? Do you have time set aside for God? Time to study his word and talk to him? Oh I hope so, because my sister, that is the only way you will truly grow. Let’s say during your time with God, someone walks into the room and asks for your help. What do you do? Who do you please? Ahhhhh, man, that’s tough, isn’t it? You know what I wish so badly I would have taught my children when they were little? I wish I would have taught them when Mama is on her knees that you can either join her or leave her alone, but you’re not going to pull her away. I wish I would have taught them that Mama’s time to read her Bible is more important t...

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2025

How bothered are you right now? How upset, torn up, worried and overwhelmed do life’s circumstances have you? And why is it we feel almost obligated to appear miserable when we’re going through these hard things? Like it’s wrong to be okay when things aren’t okay. We can’t be happy when the reality isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, so we put on our hardships like the fit of the day and wear it around. But let me tell you something, the Spirit of God living within you equips you to be UNBOTHERED. You don’t have to wake up feeling all sorts of ways. Your thoughts don’t have to be plagued with replays of that hurt and offense. You don’t have to be continually burdened by the things that have hurt you. Everything doesn’t have to bother you … you can be in the middle of the storm and be filled with peace, settled in complete assurance, and held steady by the hand that never changes. That’s unbothered. Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” It’s easy to read that and think, “Ahhh, that’s a nice verse in our Bible”. Or maybe you even repost that because someone might need to hear it. But what about YOU – are you receiving that as God intended? God is speaking to you. He knows exactly what you’re going through. He knows the hurt. He knows the threat. He knows your worried thoughts and your unsettled heart. Now, he’s showing up personally for you this morning and says, “My girl, don’t be afraid of this, I am right here with you. Don’t be discouraged over this, I am your God.” When he reminds you he is your God, he reminds you nothing else is more powerful than him. Nothing can stop him, nothing can block him, nothing can cancel him. He is your God, and he is God over everything concerning you. He is God over your problem. He is God over your family. Nothing is above him and nothing is out of his reach. He is God in this. And the God who holds supreme power and authority in this has a promise for you. Here’s his promise: “I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you up with my hand of victory.” Do you believe that? Will you receive that? Isaiah 41:10 is for you. Will you let that get down into your troubled heart as the truth? Will you let that calm the raging thoughts in your mind that have done nothing but replay the hurt and stir the offense? Will you let those worried thoughts be calmed by the hush of God that says, “Peace, be still now.” Unbothered. It’s a chosen state of peace, even when there’s plenty of things to be bothered over. Unbothered. It’s precisely what Jesus felt in the storm on a boat. Do you remember the story? Mark 4: 35-40: “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.’ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.” Okay, stop right there. Have you ever been on a boat where the waves are bigger than the boat? Have you ever been that tossed by the storm? Have you ever watched a boat be filled with water? Imagine that terror for a moment. Now, imagine it’s at night and you don’t have flashlights. The oil lamps aren’t helping you here. You have no 300 horse power Suzuki to get you out of this. You’re in this storm at the worst possible time. Wouldn’t you be afraid? Wouldn’t you be bothered? Verse 38, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.” Y’all, this is Jesus completely unbothered.

Transcribed - Published: 8 October 2025

There’s an undeserved grace in the offering for you today. Even though you don’t deserve it, God wants to bless you. That’s what grace is, and there’s an overflowing of grace, but you have to choose to get in it. Imagine you’re on a hike and there’s a waterfall. You can choose to get in that waterfall or go around it. The same is true with the flow of God’s grace. It’s there, but you have a choice of what to do with it. Will you get in it and let all those blessings you don’t deserve rush over you, or will you avoid it so you never get wet? GRACE. For all the times you couldn’t earn it, you aren’t good enough for it, you’re totally undeserving, but God offers you his blessing anyway. Yesterday I had the honor of going to my very first Cowboy Church. Have you heard of it? It’s a gathering of country people who show up to barns and stockyards in their jeans and boots, play guitars and sing old hymnals, then a man who looks like he jumped straight off a horse shares the word of God in the simplest and most powerful way. People bring their dogs to church. Families sit with all of their children with them. There’s a slight scent of cow from the day before. There’s no show, no production, and absolutely zero barriers to coming to Jesus exactly as you are. One man stepped forward and he said the word GRACE. Then he paused. And he continued. He said: For the thief hanging on the cross beside Jesus, he was offered GRACE when he didn’t have time to change his life before dying. Grace offered him paradise with Jesus that day. For the woman at the well who had been married 5 times, she was offered GRACE by Jesus and all her shame was erased. For the rich corrupt tax collector named Zacchaeus, he was offered GRACE which changed his heart when Jesus came to his house. For Rahab the prostitute, she was offered GRACE that saved her and her family BEFORE she changed her profession. For Peter who failed Jesus on the last night and denied knowing Jesus, he was offered GRACE to overcome what he couldn’t undo. Is there something you can’t undo? There’s GRACE for that. Is there something you said that you can’t take back? There’s GRACE for that. Is there a mistake you so wish you could rewind time on and do it different – but you can’t. There’s GRACE for that. Is there a conversation or a situation you’ve replayed in your mind a thousand times and it has you so twisted inside that you can’t sleep and you can’t find peace? There’s GRACE for that. Did you get it wrong, say it wrong, do it wrong? There’s GRACE for that. Grace is that waterfall on the hike. You either get in it or you don’t. Be refreshed by it or avoid it. The choice is yours. God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Can you really believe that? Can you believe that your perfection isn’t needed here. You understanding everything and being in control isn’t needed here. All you need is God’s grace, and his grace actually works best in your weakness. Anywhere you feel you are failing is the perfect place for the power of God’s grace. If you’ve listened to me for very long, you know I’m really human and I tend to mess up. I mispronounce words, my tongue gets twisted, I ugly cry on occasion, the lawn crew shows up and turns on the leaf blower right beside me, a blaring siren flies by. We’re raw, real and unedited. So, when I mess up, you get to hear it. I record live early each morning, so my eyes aren’t always sharp when I’m staring at the tiny print in my Bible and the numbers are often unclear. The numbers on my scripture reference sometimes get a little twisted.

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2025

Is there something in your life that has fallen apart and appears hopeless today? Something seemingly broken beyond repair only serving as a painful reminder of dreams left unfulfilled? Maybe that broken thing in your life is you. You feel broken. You have fallen apart. You’re nothing like you used to be, having lost who you are somewhere along the way. And maybe you even asked God if it’s remotely possible for things to still change in your life … well, he’s answering you directly and personally right here today. I know without a doubt he gave me a very specific message to share with someone who is seeking. GOD IS A HEALER, REDEEMER and RESTORER. He had a vision for who you could become when he knit you together in your mother’s womb. He had dreams for you and planted them within you as desires to guide you to the life only you can live. But life happened and things got tough, now who you are today isn’t quite who you imagined becoming. You may have given up on you, but God certainly hasn’t. He’s given you this space and time to heal you, redeem you and restore you. His desire is not for you to continue with this brokenness and unresolved issue. His desire is to bring you back to who he created you to be. Jesus is a restorer. Within God’s word, we’re invited into specific stories of restoration in the lives of broken people. My favorite is the story of Mary Magdelene. Mary Magdelene was the woman plagued by 7 demons. She was broken and believed to be beyond hope. What we know about those plagued by demons is they were outcasts in their torment. But none of that stopped Jesus. Luke 8:1-2, “Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the kingdom of God. he took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.” Jesus changed everything for Mary. In him, she was RESTORED. She was brought back to her original state of wholeness and purpose. Everything that had happened to her, everything she had been through and everything she had done wrong was gone when she encountered Jesus. From that day forward, she traveled with Jesus and his disciples. She had an active role in his life here on earth. She was there when he healed people. She was there when he taught. She was there when he was crucified. She was there when the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. Mark 16: 9, “After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.” She then went to the disciples and told them about the risen Jesus. By God’s great design, the woman who is listed as the most demon plagued human in the entire Bible is the woman chosen to first see Jesus. Mary Magdelene is mentioned more times in the Bible than most of the disciples, and is by far the most talked about woman in scripture. This is who God chose to use. A woman he could restore. God always knew who she could be walking with Jesus. So, tell me again, why wouldn’t he choose you? God has never lost sight of who you can be walking with Jesus. Your brokenness, your struggles, your weaknesses, your past, and your questions of today do not diminish God’s potential work in your life. He knows exactly who you can become and what you can do with your life, and he still hasn’t given up on getting you there. Come be restored by the Almighty now. Come let him heal you and redeem you and guide you in returning to the good plans he has for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Those plans have NOT been cancelled. This hasn’t been ruined. Jesus hasn’t thrown his hands up and walke...

Transcribed - Published: 3 October 2025

Enjoy today’s unscripted devotional with these scriptures: Philippians 3:14, “Do everything without complaining and arguing.” MSG, “Be a breath of fresh air.” AMP, “Do everything without questioning the providence of God.” Numbers 11: 1, “Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed.” Verse 23, “Has my arm lost its power?” Psalm 34:3, “Magnify the Lord with me.” Luke 1:46, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 2025

On the island of Marathon in the Florida Keys, there’s a young man in his mid 20’s who gives the best pedicures. He’s friendly and always wants to talk … like a lot. I know all about his struggles with alcohol in the past and his boredom with a life of sobriety. I know he grew up in a ghetto in Southern California and he’s struggled with relationships. Each time I sit with him, I feel the Spirit within me stir. What he’s searching for is Jesus. What he needs is Jesus. But he told me believing in God is hard for him because if there is a God, God took his grandma. His grandma was the one really good thing he had in his life. He shared that she was loved by everyone and never hurt anyone. Then she got cancer and died. Now, my young friend who talks a lot while painting my toenails, questions if there’s a God at all. Why would God do that to someone who is good. I think deep down, it’s a question we’ve all struggled with. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where’s God in life’s hardships? I can’t pretend to have the perfect answers here. I felt very inadequate in answering him. Somehow my reply of, “Life is so much more than what we see here, my friend.” felt sorely lacking and empty. Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” This is a promise. A promise for specific people. A promise for anyone who loves God and are called by him for his purposes. To understand who these people are, we must begin with the end of that sentence first. To be called by God for his purpose means you are being personally requested. God has called some by name, specifically and intentionally. The purpose of his calling is to bring them into a relationship with him. Is that you? How do you know? Scripture actually explains to us that God chooses who he wants, and who he doesn’t choose for a relationship with him, he hardens their hearts so they refuse to listen to him. My human mind can’t understand that, and it doesn’t have to. I’m not God and I can’t assume to know better than he does or demand explanations for divine matters for my human understanding. God owes us no explanations. But, if God calls us into the purpose of a relationship with him, then the door is opened for us to love him. Scripture is clear when you love God, you will want to obey him. Now, let’s do a little self check here – do you want to do better for God? Do you desire a relationship with him? Do you love him even while you don’t understand him? Yes! Understand that’s because God first chose you for relationship. He called your heart to him for the purpose of relationship! He loved you first! That is you! So, this promise is for you. The promise is, God will cause everything to work together for your good. Who will do it? GOD WILL DO IT! You can’t always make it work together. You can’t always fix it. You can’t always pick up the pieces and make them fit again. But God can. That’s his promise. A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. This is a promise from the maker of Heaven and Earth. This is a promise from the one who holds the whole world in the palm of his hand. This is a promise from the one who has literally numbered the hairs on your head and knows every detail about you. This is a promise from the one who has complete authority and undeniable ability to do the impossible. If the one who can make the impossible possible has made a promise to you, then every impossible you’re facing for is suddenly 100% possible. God has called you into a relationship with him, now he himself will be involved in every detail to make all things work together for something good.

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2025