Please don’t have anxiety about the two words mentioned in the photo. Hang with me.

As we wrap up the year, I’ve been pondering a lot of areas of my life.
▶️ Marital Health.
▶️ Family Health.
▶️ Relational Health.
▶️ Professional Health.
▶️ Spiritual Health.
▶️ Physical Health.
▶️ Emotional Health.

In each of these areas, I have some reasons to celebrate and evidence of growth. In each of these areas, too, I have some growing to do.

Insert the recurrent theme of STRETCH MARKS.

I am very aware of what causes stretch marks as I have personal experience with them. To seem more “official,” though, I visited the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic websites to investigate the medical jargon as to why we get them. Essentially, we develop stretch marks on our bodies when there is rapid GROWTH or rapid SHRINKING of our skin.

As we wrap up 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ and prepare to head into 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣, it’s easy to get wrapped up in determining New Years’ Resolutions or goals for the year ahead. The Lord gave me my “word” (actually 2 words) for 2024 in the summer and has been preparing me since then. My two words are BIGGER THINGS.

What that means to me is….
Stretch Marks are coming.

There are some things I want to grow in my life. There are also things I want to shrink. Either way – I hope things look differently on 12/31/24 than they did on 01/01/24. Just a few examples….

Marital – I want to have more intentional and uninterrupted time with Kyle (growth) and less impatience over silly things (shrinking).

Family – I want to be present for my kids in this season of life in ways that are meaningful to them (growth) and less being tired because I’ve invested my best elsewhere (shrinking).

Relational – I want to find more intentional ways to celebrate my friends for who they are to me (growth) and work to reduce social anxiety/isolation (shrinking). Yes, that’s a reality for me.

Spiritually – I want to write and publish my first book, rooted in Scripture, to help people grow in their walk with Jesus and relationships with each other (growth), and I want to maintain the discipline of prayer long after 21 days of prayer to reduce being so reactive in prayer (shrinking).

All of these things…..the growth and the shrinking…..should be evident as they happen and change me. Lord, may Your fruit be evident in my life more and more….and may my fleshiness become less and less. (John 3:30)

Where do you need to grow?
Ask Him to show you.
Find accountability to make it reality.

Where do you need to shrink?
Ask Him to show you.
Find accountability to make it reality.

Stretching….
Shrinking…..
Both necessities.

Believing for “bigger things” in 2024. We are #BetterTogether.

A few years after we bought our house, I decided there were two tree-like plants in our landscaping that I wanted to replace. My friend and co-worker, Elizabeth Tiley, and I placed an order from a crepe myrtle farm that included six four-foot tall “healthy crepe myrtle trees with well-established root systems.” She was getting three and I was getting three. When the box arrived at school, there was only one box. We thought the other five would be coming soon….until we opened the box. All six “trees” were there… because they were basically six little branches, not four foot tall trees.

They had to be planted in pots first and tied to some supports to hold them upright as they grew. Eventually, they grew taller and the trunk got stronger, so they became strong enough to go plant in the ground. Year after year, they grew taller and thicker and produced leaves, but no flowers. For a crepe myrtle tree, the flower represents the “fruit.”

After being established, the trees took several years to bear fruit. In the process of waiting for those flowers to come, I often thought that I got some HOOPTIE (yes, hooptie!) crepe myrtle trees or that they were going to give us nothing but leaves. It took a bit for the root system to be established enough to produce the flowers (fruit).

I use that long illustration because when something new has been planted in us (for the first time or after something else has been removed – like those first tree things in my yard), we often forget that the newly planted thing has to be nurtured, watered, and supported as it grows stronger IN YOU first. Strong roots will always produce fruits.

As we continue to let the Lord work in us, remove some things that need to go and plant some new things that need to grow…be patient with Him, with yourself and with others…abide in Him. Stay put in Him. The fruit is coming. He’s strengthening you to be able to offer that fruit to “feed” others.

Give Him access to remove what needs to go….and plant/nurture what needs to stay.

John 15

This 18-wheeler was parked at a local fast food restaurant yesterday while the driver grabbed some lunch.

As I put my car in park to grab a few tacos with my friends, the truck and its contents could not be overlooked.

On that trailer sat multiple cars that had stories to tell…..miles driven…..sights seen….plans revamped……parts replaced…..people reunited….songs blared…..and then, the crushing.

Merriam-Webster defines CRUSHING as “to squeeze or force by pressure so as to alter or destroy structure.”

Chances are, you’ve had moments or seasons when you felt like one of those cars. Miles driven and experiences had…..but then came the crushing.
➡️ The diagnosis wasn’t what you expected or hoped for.
➡️ The job was going so great until they let you know it was over.
➡️ The words “I do” were so real and strong….until later they became “I don’t.”
➡️ The dream of having a baby grew dimmer and dimmer with each negative test result.
➡️ There were so many plans for the future until that person was taken far too soon.

You can add your own statements to the arrows, too. There are lots of situations in our lives that absolutely make us feel as if we are being crushed – just like those once vibrant cars on the back of that truck.

One of the first words in Merriam’s definition is “squeeze.” If I hand you a big, juicy orange, your intention is not to go into the kitchen and “crush” it. Instead, “squeezing” the orange will bring out of it what could never be known had it just sat peacefully on the counter…..not actually being used to produce what it was created to produce. That could only come from the “squeezing.”

Squeezing or crushing…..I guarantee you that there are things inside of you that will never come to fruition without them. I have certainly walked through a long season of crushing and have seen friends do the same – and we are not the same! No one wants to sign up for them, for sure, but we sure are thankful for that glass of orange juice with breakfast! 🍊

I think of Daniel being thrown in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). He was simply living to honor God and there were people determined to take him out! Squeezing? Yep. Crushing? Absolutely. But through the process, he encountered the Lord in a powerful, real, and perspective-shifting way. Daniel saw the Lord when he was IN the fire….and that helped him know the Lord better when he was on the other side of that fire.

He wasn’t alone.

Neither are you.

Look for Him “in the fire”…..in the “crushing.” Don’t miss His presence….and don’t miss what He is squeezing out of you in the process.

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

I absolutely love this time of year. Sure, the change of weather is nice….but I really love football season. I really enjoy watching games that spotlight teams from across the country….whether I know anything about them or not. 

Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa as the football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, we (Alabama fans) have gotten pretty spoiled. We are VERY used to winning. Better yet….we are VERY used to dominating. 

This year, we find ourselves in a debacle because that domination has not made itself known on a consistent basis. Take, for example, today’s game against Arkansas. The team started out “sleepy.” They came alive and became dominant for a sliver of time. Then the “sleepy” team returned. I wasn’t on the field playing…..I was in my living room watching. Maybe yelling at the tv a time or two. Or three. I know what potential these guys have. I’ve seen it at times! I know what strong coaches they have. I’ve seen the impact of their coaching for years! Tonight, though, we are frustrated with the win because of the inconsistency.

Maybe you clicked to read this because you, too, few that way about this game or this team or another game/team you watched today. But the real reason I am writing tonight is because that team on the field represents me at times, too. 

I know who the Lord calls me to be.

Sometimes, I’m inconsistent.

I know He calls me to consider others better than myself.

Sometimes, I’m inconsistent.

I know the right thing to do – and I choose the complete opposite.

Sometimes, I’m inconsistent.

I know He calls me to forgive people who wrong me – but holding on to unforgiveness “feels”right.

Sometimes, I’m inconsistent. 

I know He tells me to bear fruit that represents Him – no matter where I am.

Sometimes, I’m inconsistent. 

These 18-22 year old guys are busting their tails every day to prepare to give their best on game day. They know what they need to do and they know what they need to NOT do. They come into the game with the mindset that they’ll give their best, play their best, make all the right decisions, and respond in the right way. But, sometimes……they are inconsistent. 

Thank God for another chance….another day….to get back in the game…..and to keep pressing on to continue to grow more an more like Him every day. 

I have counted myself out at times due to my inconsistencies.

Others have probably counted me out because of my inconsistencies. 

Heaven knows I have unfairly counted some people out because of their inconsistencies.

Thank goodness He has never thrown in the towel on any of us when we’ve missed the mark of what we could – and should – be.

Let’s help each other stay in the game! Let’s cheer one another on as we run this race. We need Jesus – and we need each other! #BetterTogether

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

About five years ago, I first led a women’s small group called “Mesaage in the Messages.” We would gather and watch sermons (messages) from various pastors and Bible teachers, then do a deep dive into what we learned from it. (Awesome group, btw.) Seemed like such a unique thing as we pulled videos from

YouTube and “feasted” on the Word together. 

This summer, Holy Spirit spoke to me and this is how it went down….

A friend I used to work and worship with had a second job. At night, he drove a sweeper truck around parking lots to clean them up while they weren’t being used. He told me that there was rarely a time that he drove through a buffet restaurant lot when there wasn’t vomit to clean up. (You’re welcome! So glad you stopped by! 🤣!) Why? Because people ate so much so quickly that it never had time to digest. 

They ate so much so quickly that they never got any nutritional value from the food they ate. 

We always hear about cows “chewing the cud.” They chew. They swallow. They regurgitate. They chew again. They swallow again. And they continue the process until they can best digest their “food” and benefit from all it has to offer. (One site I read said these cows had better milk production.) 

There is definitely something I needed to learn from this. Spiritually, I have a lot of sources of input. (This not a bad thing, btw) sermon at church. Podcasts. Apps with more sermons. Devotionals. And while I’m taking in good “food,” how much am I chewing….and swallowing…..and bringing back up….and chewing….and swallowing….until it’s digested? Sometimes, I find myself busy and “eating” all of the time….but often missing the digestion part. The digestion is where the nutritional value comes….thus producing fruit from what is planted inside of me!!! 

Psalm 1:2 says this…..”but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

Merriam Webster defines MEDITATE as “to focus one’s thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over.” Sounds a lot like chewing the cud. 

Holy Spirit, help us slow down, chew, swallow and revisit Your Word until we digest it….benefit from it….and live out what’s in us. ‭‭