God’s Given You the Creativity You Need

The Creativity in Ecclesiastes

I am currently reading through the book of Ecclesiastes in my morning time routine. Ecclesiastes is quite possibly my favorite book in the Bible; it rates right up there with some of my favorites like I Peter, Psalms, and a few others. As an author and creative, Ecclesiastes resonates with me on that artistic and inspirational level and the creative side of me.

There are a few verses in chapter eleven that I love that are both an inspiration and a challenge to me. The first one is verse 4.

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never plant.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT

Time to Go Forward

When you step out to do whatever it is God has for you, it takes faith. It’s the kind of faith that never really goes away. You have to keep stepping out in faith. You keep taking the next step and the next. If you worry about the what-if’s, you won’t get anywhere. There’s a time to plan and prepare and pray; and then the time comes when you have to simply go do. It may not be perfect, but it’s time to move.

There’s a saying that says, “If you wait for all green lights, you’ll never get anywhere in life.” There comes a point and time where you have to just go.

The Mystery of God’s Activity

A few verses later, the author of Ecclesiastes writes these words:

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
Ecclesiastes 11:5,6 NLT

I love the comparison the author gives here. There is so much mystery to a baby being born that we can’t possibly understand the intricacies of it. So it is the same way with God. We can’t possibly know and understand all that he is doing and where and how he is working.

Doing our Creative Part

Then my favorite part comes in verse six. Since we can’t possibly know how God is working, we have to work hard to do our creative part. We must work hard and diversify our work because we don’t know where God is going to bless. Start different ministries, tap into different sources, use your creative ability to create different products, meet more people, and use the abilities God has given you to do the work he’s called you to. We do all this, not knowing which part he is going to bless, or which part will be fruitful.

That’s okay. That’s not our part to know. It’s our part to simply be creative and do the work he’s called us to do to the best of our ability. Then, we watch as God blesses. And if God works in your life in the way he’s worked in mine, it’s never where you think the blessing will come from.

Use Your Creativity

Wherever you’re at today, whatever God has called you to do…don’t give up. It may seem like it’s not worth it. The days are long; the work is hard, and there doesn’t seem to be any reward. Let me encourage you with this: You don’t know where God’s working. You can’t possibly know what God is doing, but you can trust. Simply choose to keep at it; keep using the abilities he’s given you and the creativity he’s gifted you with. You can work hard in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, because you don’t know what or where God is going to bless. But he will bless, and you can trust in that.

For More Encouragement

A great book on this topic is Called to Create by Jordan Rayner. I loved this read. It’s free if you have KindleUnlimited!

God is Working on Your Behalf Today

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There’s something about knowing that somebody is working on your behalf. Whether that’s somebody that does a job for you, runs an errand for you, helps you with a project…whatever it is. There’s something that fills us with comfort when we realize we’re not alone in whatever it is we’re trying to accomplish.

Jonah’s Big Crisis

I was reading in the book of Jonah the other day as I make my way through the end of the Old Testament. There’s a small verse in chapter one that snags my attention every time I read it.

Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah…
Jonah 1:17

What I love about this verse is that it shows that God is always working on our behalf, even when we don’t realize it. Jonah gets himself into a mess and hits his big crisis moment. At this very moment in time, he was sinking to the bottom of the depths of the ocean. Talk about a crisis!

His Dire Circumstances

He later has these words to say about his experience.

I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
Jonah 2:5

These are some pretty dire conditions that Jonah finds himself in. His crisis comes on hard and fast. At this point, we’re not even sure if he’s had a chance to pray yet. He’s been thrown overboard into the choppy waves in the midst of a terrible storm and is currently sinking to the bottom of the ocean. How long do you have when you’re sinking to the bottom of the ocean? Not long, I’d say. We get the idea he’s already out of oxygen, waiting for his demise.

God Knows Our Future

If God had waited even a few moments longer, we wouldn’t have the story of Jonah. If God would have waited for Jonah to reach out to him, I don’t know that the fish would have gotten to him in time. Instead, God began working before Jonah started praying. From the way the verse is worded, we get the idea that God arranged for the fish to get Jonah long before Jonah ever needed the fish.

That’s the amazing thing about having God on our side. He sees the future and knows what we need before we do, before we’ve even had a chance to pray about it. He works on our behalf before we know the words to pray.

There’s incredible encouragement in that thought, in knowing God is working on your behalf today.

God’s Working on Your Future Today

God was already working. He knew what was in Jonah’s future and was already actively bringing about the pieces of his life to work out His plan in Jonah’s life.

God is doing the same for you and me today. He already knows what’s in our future. Nothing that happens in our lives takes him by surprise. He is already acting on behalf for you for your future, for things that haven’t even happened yet.

If you can trust him with your future, you can trust him with today. So be encouraged today and know that God is working on your behalf today both with what you can see and what you can’t!

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, When You Can’t See God Working in Your Life.

If you’re looking for a devotional to encourage you and remind you that God’s not done working on you, check out God’s Plan, My Purpose. It’s currently on sale on Amazon for $5.70!

Change Your Morning, Change Your Life

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My Morning Time Routine

If there was one thing that has been my anchor over the years, it would be morning time routine. Through all the ups and downs of life, it has been my relationship with God that has helped me to weather the storms. The best way I have found to grow my relationship with God is through my morning time routine.

I really believe that if you learn to change your morning and create a morning time routine of praying, reading your Bible, and journaling, you can change your life. Matt and I are so passionate about it, we write books, journals, and devotionals for Manney Resources. We want to help others find the same hope and encouragement we get from spending time with God each day.

Getting Up Ahead of the Chaos

Mornings are hard. Complicated. Frustrating, Rushed. Frantic. I get it. That’s how our mornings used to be to, until we discovered that if we got up early enough to beat the chaos and spent some quiet time with God ahead of the craziness, it could and has changed our lives.

So every morning, long before the sun begins to rise for the day, you will find Matt and I at our dining room table with a candle lit, a cup of coffee (hot for him, iced for me), and our morning time baskets. Even on the darkest mornings, when I’m tired or discouraged, or feel like giving up, I know that if I can just get to the table and do my morning time routine, my spirit will change and so will my attitude.

30-to-THRIVE

Our morning time routine is so simple, yet it works every single day. Here’s what we do and now what we teach—we call it 30-to-THRIVE.

Spend ten minutes reading your Bible or a devotional.
Write in your journal for ten minutes. This includes writing down your prayer requests and anything you learned from your Bible reading or devotional for the day.
Read a book for ten minutes. I like to choose a Christian inspirational book that will further enhance my morning time experience.

That’s it. In just thirty minutes, you can find the hope and comfort you need and the strength to face your day. Will every day be something amazing, something that inspires you and lifts you up? Probably not. It’s like eating. Every meal you eat won’t be this amazing life-changing experience. In fact, you probably don’t remember what you had for dinner a week ago on Monday night. But that meal got you from where you were then until the next day and made it possible for you to get to today.

Start Today

That’s how your morning time routine is. It will help you to get through to the next day, and that’s what this blog is all about. Faithfully stepping one day at a time. I believe the best way you can do that is through a a morning time routine.

If you don’t have one, start one today. Start small. I have an easy course you can take for free with more details to help you get started, if you’re interested. Click the image below if you’re interested in that course.

Choose to just begin and meet with God every morning and watch how that changes the course of your day.

More Encouragement

If you’d like a free morning time guide, check out Manney Resources where you can get one for free to help you get started today.

4 Reasons Why Getting Up Early Transforms Your Day

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Early Bird or Night Owl?

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Did you know that most people are neither? Most of us fall somewhere in between. I find that fascinating. There are some people who really enjoy getting up early, and there are some people that love staying up late. But most people are right down the middle—we like to sleep in a little, and we like to go to bed at a normal time.

I didn’t used to be a morning person. I got up early for years in junior high, high school, and then college. So when I got married, I hated having to get up early. But over the years, I have transitioned into a major morning person. That doesn’t mean I like getting out of bed every morning, but it means that I enjoy waking up before the sun comes up and having my morning routine before the rest of the house comes to life.

If I had to point to one thing that helps me to get more done each day, it would be getting up early. That has made the difference in increasing my productivity these past several years. I get soooo much more accomplished when I get up early.

4 Reasons Why Getting Up Early Transforms Your Day:

1. You get a jumpstart on your day. There is something about getting up early that makes me feel so good about jumping into my day.

2. There’s a peace and quiet that you can only experience if you get out of bed before everybody else. For me, the best time to do my morning time routine is in the quiet morning hours when it’s just Matt and I, a candle, and coffee.

3. You accomplish more. There’s something about getting up early that sets you up for success the rest of the day. I always accomplish more in my day when I get up at a good time, compared to the days I sleep in.

4. Early morning hours are like bonus points in your day. Somehow, whatever you accomplish just accumulates into more for the day.

Start Somewhere

If you want to be a morning person but struggle with it, start by getting up just five minutes earlier each day. That’s all you have to do to start. Eventually, add another five minutes and then another. Before you know it, you will be a morning person!

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out Hal Elrod’s book, The Morning Miracle.

What’s Your Cross to Bear?

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I am convinced that each of us has a cross to bear in this life. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Jesus told the people of his day that if they didn’t pick up their cross and follow him, they couldn’t be one of his disciples.

And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27

What’s Our Cross?

It’s sometimes hard to know what he was talking about. It’s kind of confusing. How do we know what cross it is we’re supposed to bear? This thought is so familiar to us as Christians, and yet I’ve never really fully grasped what Jesus meant.

But the longer I’ve been a Christian and the longer I live this life, I have come to believe that each of us is given a cross to bear. Our crosses all look different, but I believe that God gives each of us something difficult in this life that we have to choose to pick up and carry every single day.

Something Different for Each of Us

For my daughter Macey, it’s type 1 diabetes. There is no cure, and she will have that disease for the rest of her life. For my mom, it’s a lifelong debilitating disease. For my husband and I, it’s been financial burden and the weight of a small church. My friend’s cross is being single for so many years and wanting so desperately to be married. For another friend of mine, it’s being stuck in a bad marriage. Another friend of mine faces debilitating mental health. I could go on and on.

For each of us, it’s something different. But it’s our “thorn in the flesh,” just like Paul had. It’s something God gives us to keep us humble and keep us trusting in him.

Jesus taught us that we have to pick up our cross every day to be a follower of him. How does that work? Why would he say that? Does he not love us?

The Answer to Why?

On the contrary, God knows if he gives us something that’s “our cross to bear” in this life, it will drive us to our knees every single day. We will have to depend on him. There’s no chance of making it through this life without him.

There are so many questions we don’t have answers to this side of Heaven. Kay Warren says we should write those questions down and save them for Heaven one day. Your cross to bear—loss, a bad marriage, divorce, singleness, infertility, poverty, health problems, a wayward child, a blended family, being wronged…is one of those questions to ask God one day. I don’t have the answers.

Encouragement from the Psalms

I think of the verses that the Psalmist writes in Psalm 77.

When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.

And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
Psalm 77: 2, 11

From Hopelessness to Hopeful

You can feel the hopelessness, the sense that God doesn’t care, that he’s turned against us. But thankfully he doesn’t stop there.

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
Psalm 77:12

What was the answer to his desperation? To remember the things God has done in the past. That’s the same answer for us today. How do you pick up your cross every single day? How do you deal with whatever it is God has given you as your cross in this life? You remember what he did for you in the past. You focus on the fact that God got you through yesterday, and he will get you through today.

So you choose each day to pick up whatever it is God has given you to deal with in this life, and you choose to carry it, while following Jesus. And just maybe, lead some others to Jesus along the way.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post, Handling Trials, or check out my book, The Hidden Pain.

Looking Past What is to What Could Be

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One of my most favorite things is to watch those before and after pictures of homes on HGTV. There’s something so satisfactory about watching an old house transform into something beautiful, trendy, and fresh. It always makes me look around my house and imagine what could be.

Before and After

We love to see the after; but for most of us, it’s hard to see the after when you’re looking at the before…unless you have a gift like Joanna Gaines. I do not have that gift, and I am perfectly okay with that.

God is in the business of creating before and after pictures, but he does it through our lives. He has the amazing ability not to see us as we are now, but for what we can become.

Jesus’ Conversation with Peter

At the last supper, Jesus tells Peter that he’s going to betray him. Peter can’t even begin to imagine any circumstance in which he would deny Jesus. In the midst of this conversation, Jesus tells him something that is so key to understanding how Jesus works.

Jesus says to Peter, “After you have repented and turned again to me, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus could see past Peter’s failure to the man Peter would become, in spite of his failure.

God has always had the ability to look past what is, to see what could be. He started the world that way. He took what was and turned it into what could be, an amazing creation. All throughout the Bible, God sees people for what they could become.

How God Sees People

Zacchaeus. Jesus tells him, “I’m coming to your house today.” He said that before Zacchaeus even changed his heart.
Gideon. The angel calls him “mighty man of valor” even while Gideon is hiding.
Mary. Gabriel calls her “favored” before she chose to go through with the pregnancy.
David. God saw him as the great king of Israel while he was still a lowly shepherd boy.
Esther. God saw a queen in a young Jewish girl.
Samuel. God saw a mighty prophet in a small boy left at the temple.
A little boy. Jesus saw a little boy who would feed over 5,000 with a simple lunch.
Jesus saw some lowly fishermen as the men who would turn the world upside down for Christ.

Seeing Us for What Could Be

God has never been content to leave us where we are. No, he sees what could be, who we could become. So he pushes in on us and chisels and works on us, chiseling off the rough edges. He sends trials into our lives that change us and mold us and grow us into who he knows we can become.

He does all this so that one day, we can become the “after” picture. In heaven one day, we will look back at the “before” picture and not even recognize ourselves, and we’ll see that he was busy crafting and changing us and molding us into who he wanted us to become.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post, There’s Beauty in the Unmaking. A great book to read is Love Does by Bob Goff.

The Simple Tool I Use to Get More Done this Fall

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It’s September 1st! Happy Fall! I love September. I love getting back on track with schedules and structure, working on projects, hitting writing goals, and of course all the fun that comes with fall—hayrides, apple picking, pumpkin spice everything, the leaves changing, walking on trails, doing fall crafts with the kids, and more.

The Busyness of Fall

Every year when we hit September, we enter our busiest season of the year. I think most of us do. Our school schedule is full, our family days are packed, and our church and growth group schedules are overflowing. Then there’s all the work goals Matt and I have—book deadlines, writing projects, and more. If we’re not careful, it gets overwhelming really fast. I have to really protect my time and make every minute of every day count.

The easiest way I do this is so simple, you’ll probably laugh. But it’s the system that works for me time and time again! Here it is: I write down my to-do list for the day with a little empty circle next to it. When I finish that task, I check off the circle. It sounds so simple, but honestly, it helps me stay on track every day because otherwise my mind whirls and twirls with all that I need to be doing. Without a to-do list for the day, I can spin my wheels the entire day and work hard but not actually get anything accomplished for the day.

I’ve used a lot of planners over the years, and I love them. I have one that I’m using right now for the calendar. Honestly, though, what has worked even better for me is a clean sheet of notebook paper every single day, either loose-leaf or in a notebook. There’s something about a clean sheet of paper that represents a new, fresh day with endless possibilities.

My Favorite Tool

One of my most favorite thing in the world is spiral notebooks. I use them for everything!! I use them for meal planning, homeschool assignments, budget work, meetings at church, planning dates with Matt, book project deadlines and tasks, and so much more. I have found that they are absolutely invaluable. The other great thing about them is that they are cheap! I always buy a huge stack in the summer when they’re on sale for school. I just went to Staples yesterday, where they are currently $.35 and bought thirty of them (because that was the limit.)

Simple Hacks

I have found over the years that sometimes the simplest ideas have the most profound impact on our lives in the area of getting things accomplished. So that’s my hack for getting more accomplished this fall. Grab a spiral notebook and write down a to-do list every single day.

What are your hacks for meal planning, chores, getting more accomplished, keeping the house clean, etc? I’d love to know!

For More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post, 3 Things I Do Every Night before Bed.

When the Winds of Change Begin to Blow

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Most of the time, we plod along in our journey of faith. We take step after step, following God’s leading in our lives. Most days, we know exactly what to expect. Each day is about choosing to do what God has for us that day.

And then, there comes those times when everything starts to shake up. I call it the “winds of change.” The ground beneath you isn’t quite as steady as it used to be. You start noticing things, small things at first. But those small things start adding up until you realize that something is happening. It takes a while to put it together, but then you realize that the Holy Spirit is working and moving, and things are starting to change.

Change is Both Exciting and Fearful

These times don’t happen a lot in life, but when they do, it’s both exciting and fearful at the same time. It’s exciting because you don’t know what God is doing, but it’s also fearful because you don’t know what God is doing.

It’s these seasons of life that make being a Christian exciting. It reminds you that you aren’t living your own life. No, God is directing and guiding you in every aspect of your life. He is working and moving, and you and I are simply instruments to be used however he sees fit.

Some people get worried when change comes, but I get excited. Why? Because it means God is still working in my life; he is still actively involved in my life. It’s way more scary to not have God do anything in your life for decades.

God is at Work

When you feel the winds of change begin to blow, you’d better hold on. God is at work; he’s starting to move. Don’t be afraid; instead, be excited. Do what you can to be ready. Because when God decides to move, there isn’t anything that will stand in his way.

Matt has a saying for times when God is working.

When God opens a door, you can drive a Mac truck through it!

So if you’re feeling God moving, if the ground beneath your feet is beginning to shift, don’t fear it. Lean into it. Get excited and ready to see what God is going to do in your life!

For More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Knowing When to Wait and When to Move Forward. A great book to read is Matt’s book, Momentum.

How to Know if God is Answering my Prayer

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How do you know when God answers your prayer? How do you know if it’s a yes or no from him?

Praying Specifically

Matt and I were talking with one of our friends and church members recently. She is going through a lot and needs a lot of prayer right now. We were praying with her about what to do about her living situation. I encouraged her to pray specifically, so she would know which direction God wanted her to go.

The next day, God answered her prayer so directly, it was impossible to miss. She told me with big eyes that she knew exactly what to do for her next step because God answered her prayer so directly.

That’s the thing about specific prayers—that they get specific results.

Seeing How God is Leading and Guiding

Sometimes, I think the reason we don’t get our prayers answered is that we don’t pray in a way to know if God has answered that prayer. We say things like, “I’m just praying about it,” or “I’m just praying for God’s will.” How do you know if the answer comes? How do you know God’s will?

I always encourage people to pray in a specific direction. Tell God, “I feel that you are leading me in this direction. I’m going to continue to go that direction. If you don’t want me to, then please close the door.”

When you prayer in a certain direction or specifically, then it’s easy to see how God is guiding and leading.

The Two Blind Men

God is a fan of specific prayers. Look at the two blind men who called out to Jesus in Matthew 20. Jesus stops and listens to their cries. Then he asks them a question: “What do you want me to do for you?” They respond, “We want to see.”

The directness of our prayer may not be for God’s benefit, but it’s definitely for ours. It helps direct us and guide us so we can be certain as to how God is leading in our lives. Have you ever had a prayer that you prayed so specifically that when God answered, you just knew this was the next right thing? It’s a good feeling, a really good feeling.

The next time you have a big decision to make or something you need God’s direction for, pray in a specific direction so you can know exactly which way God is leading you. It makes all the difference in knowing if God answered the prayer or not, and it takes away the confusion of knowing how God is directing you.

For More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post: Specific Prayers Get Specific Results, or check out Mark Batterson’s book, The Circle Maker.

When You’re Exhausted

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Exhausted. It’s a mom during a 2 AM feeding for her crying newborn. Weary. The guy working third shift to make ends meet. Tired. The college student pulling an “all-nighter” to complete a paper for a class at 7 AM. Worn out. The family that’s trying to help their loved one overcome addiction. Burned-out. The boss who can’t meet payroll. Drained. The couple who wonders if they should end their marriage.

**Today’s blog post is an excerpt from our 30-day Devotional You Are Not Alone.

Fatigue

Fatigue can make us fearful, doubtful, and depressed. It’s one thing to be physically tired. It’s another thing to be so weary at the soul level that you lie awake at night staring at the ceiling. You’re so exhausted you can’t sleep. That’s tiring.

What can you do when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Take a glimpse into David’s life.

David was exhausted from being in conflict with people.
Psalm 57:6

David was weary from an all-night sob fest.
Psalm 6:6

David was worn out from waiting.
Psalm 119:81

David was tired of the toxic people around him.
Psalm 120:6

David was broken from a weary soul.
Psalm 63:1

David was tired of God’s heavy hand on him.
Psalm 39:10

Sometimes it feels like God is actively working against us. It’s in these times, we seek God’s rest.

What’s God’s answer for you when you’re exhausted? More work? Trying harder to do better?

Rest for the Weary

God’s answer is rest. He gives rest for your mind, your body, and your soul. How can we practically activate this rest?

1. Set a stopping time for your work. Your body will give you the stopping point and give out on you otherwise. God gives rest for your body. “My body rests in safety.” (Psalm 16:9)

2. Look for the natural rhythms God gives you. Don’t be a martyr. No one wins awards for making things harder on themselves. Instead, work toward peaceful healthy places and spaces in life. Who are healthy encouraging people you can be around? Where are safe places? What drains you? What fills you up? God leads you to peaceful and healthy places naturally. Look for them in your life. Don’t fight against them. “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” (Psalm 23:2)

Flip the Script

If you can worry, you can worship. Whatever narrative you’re telling yourself must change if you want rest.

Replace: “I’ve got to try harder” with “God is working for my best when I’m at rest.”

“God gives rest to his loved ones.”
Psalm 127:2

Replace: “People in my life are dangerous and can’t be trusted” with “God is my safe space and place.

”I“… live in the shelter of the Most High … find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:1

Replace: “Nothing ever works out for me” with “God is ever and always good to me.”

“…the Lord has been good to me.” (Psalm 116:7)

What kind of rest do you need from God today?

Taking It Further

Today’s Bible Reading: Psalm 127

What does God say about rest? (verse 2)

One of the reasons you may find yourself so exhausted is that you may be doing more of drains you than what fills you up. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions.

What drains you?

What fills you up?

Which are you doing more of—what drains you or what fills you up?

If you picked what drains you, then there needs to be a change. Write down some ways you can get more of what fills you up into your weekly schedule.

For More Encouragement

If you enjoyed this devotional, be sure to check out You Are Not Alone as well as our other devotionals.

You can also check out my post, Have You Ever Tried a Sabbath Day?