Lord, You are my Shepherd. You are my Keeper, my Defender, my Guardian—my Protector. When I am living under the umbrella of Your care, when I am following You, there is nothing that I lack. There is nothing that I lack. When the world pulls me in so many directions, I look to You. I … Continue reading Walking with the Shepherd: A Journey through Psalm 23
I sit and watch as beautiful pastel colors seep and blend into the canvas of the dark morning sky, like watercolors spilling onto a blank piece of paper, and I think about the blank canvas of this new day. And I wonder what the Master Artist envisions for me today. For my children, for the … Continue reading The Blank Canvas of a New Day
There's something majestic & beautiful about the trees standing bare, stripped of all their glory. They teach us about seasons...
"BUT, I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously." Psalm 13:5-6 Why do these verses of praise start with a "but"? Before the Psalmist gets to the praise, some wrestling was going on. I get that. I … Continue reading The Wrestling Before the Praise
The verse "Be still and know that I am God" encourages us to release our worries, anxieties, and control, and to embrace stillness in God's presence. By experiencing and recognizing Him, leaning into His plan, and trusting His character, we find peace, healing, joy, protection, and rest. This trust allows our minds to rest freely in Him.
When I say that I'm a Christ-follower... Don't shy away Because you think that I think I'm Good Better Holier. Don't clam up, because you think you can't share your brokenness. I'm broken. Don't be silent about your messiness. I'm messy. Don't pretend to be perfect, together. I'm not. I'm imperfect. I'm never together. If I look like I've got it all together... Just talk to me for a few minutes. I might say that I'm doing ok today... I also might melt down and turn into a puddle.... Continue Reading...
On the hard hills, it's a struggle to look up...in life and in running. I find myself not wanting to actually look at the hill...all I can manage to do is look down and see is one foot moving in front of the other. The hills are hard. Exhausting. Sometimes you want to sit...or quit...or turn around and go the other direction because it's easier. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. **Breathe.**
Sometimes...we're on this life-path...it's all safe and paved and predictable. Comfortable. All of a sudden, life halts our perfectly paved and planned-out journey and takes us for an unexpected turn down a rocky, rough, difficult, unpredictable path. We look at the path that we've been on...we look at the destination that we were headed for...and … Continue reading Unknown Paths
O Lord, You have searched me and known me!Psalm 139:1 Do you remember the excitement of new love?! Do you remember how it felt in the discovery stage of one another...when you began to realize that this new person in your life might possibly be "the one" that you've been waiting for and praying for? … Continue reading Search and Know…Reflections From Psalm 139:1
Nicole Dotson 