Our values are like the unseen roots of a tree — they anchor us when storms come and quietly nourish the fruit of our lives. When they are rooted in Christ, every decision, relationship, and act of service grows from a place of love, faith, and integrity. This picture of a heart-shaped tree is a reminder that what is hidden in our foundation will always shape what blooms in our branches. Just as a tree draws life from its roots and spreads its branches wide, so our lives flourish when grounded in the values Christ calls us to live by. These values shape how we love, serve, and walk with integrity each day. They are not simply aspirations but guiding truths that keep us steady in every season. 🌳 Faith — The centre and anchor of life. Faith is the root system that draws deeply from God’s living water. Without it, nothing else holds. With it, every other value finds its strength. 🌱 Love & Integrity — The deep roots that uphold all else. Love compels us to give, while integrity ensures we walk honestly before God and people. These roots create a foundation that can withstand pressure and testing. 🍃 Family — Cherishing meaningful connections. Family, both biological and spiritual, provides the canopy of belonging. It reminds us that relationships are God’s chosen place for nurture, forgiveness, and joy. 🍃 Creativity — Bringing joy, healing, and expression. Creativity is like blossoms on the branches, surprising us with colour and fragrance. It is God’s gift to restore beauty where there was once only brokenness. 🍃 Rest — Valuing balance and replenishment. Rest is the quiet rhythm of the tree, a pause between seasons of growth. It is essential for sustaining health and offering shade to others without becoming depleted ourselves. 🍃 Growth — Pursuing continual learning and transformation. Growth is the stretching of branches towards the light. It represents the willingness to keep reaching higher, trusting that God is shaping us through every stage. 🍃 Freedom — Living authentically in alignment with God’s calling. Freedom is like the open space around the tree, allowing us to stand tall without being confined. It gives us the courage to live honestly and joyfully. 🍃 Courage — Standing boldly for truth and justice. Courage is the strength of the trunk, steady and unyielding. It allows us to face storms, defend the vulnerable, and remain steadfast in conviction. 🍃 Wellness — Stewarding health to serve more fully. Wellness is the healthy circulation of life within the tree — the sap that carries nourishment. It reminds us that caring for body and soul is a holy act of stewardship. 📖 "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water... whose leaf also shall not wither." — Psalm 1:3 (NKJV) When we live from these values, we live as trees planted firmly by the water, providing shade, fruit, and beauty for others. They remind us that who we are in Christ is not defined by striving or achievement but by roots that go deep in Him. From this foundation, we can face storms, embrace seasons, and bear fruit that brings glory to God and healing to those around us.

A reflection from my devotional this morning... Love to me has always come easily when it comes to others. My life is centred on serving, uplifting, and caring for those around me. Loving my neighbour has never felt like a burden; it is joy. The harder task has always been turning that same love inward. There was a time when I hated everything about me — my name, my looks, even the face staring back at me in the mirror. Words I would never dare speak over another person, I hurled mercilessly at myself. I wore the crown of self-loathing, heavy and cruel. In these past five years, God has been unravelling those lies. I still remember Sandra’s word of knowledge — that I am not a waste of time, effort, or money. Those words pierced my heart like light breaking into a darkened room. Since then, I no longer live in the prison of self-hatred. Yet, to say I truly love myself feels like a stretch. Perhaps I am still learning what that really looks like. 📖 "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." — Mark 12:31 (NKJV) I see now that compassion cannot remain one-directional. If I long to be kind, patient, and forgiving with others, then the same compassion must flow toward me. Not because of achievement or worthiness earned, but because I am His beloved, made in His image. So I begin with whispers of kindness: I forgive you. I see you trying. I am proud of you. Maybe love begins there — in speaking to myself the way I would to a weary friend. 🙌A Prayer of Self-Compassion Lord Jesus, teach me to see myself through Your eyes. Help me extend to my own heart the same gentleness I so freely give to others. Heal the places still tender from old wounds, and remind me daily that I am Your beloved. Let the compassion I long to receive rise up within me as a gift of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 💖 If you're reading this and you can relate, may I remind you that you are not a waste of time, energy or money, dear heart. You are worth the love you so freely pour into others.

Love to me is spelt T.I.M.E. first, acts of service next, followed by affirmation and then touch. However, due to trauma of neglect, I had decided very early in life that I wouldn't need any of them, leaving me with a double-bind — the longing for what God designed me to need, and the vow made in the ache of neglect to deny those very needs. 📖 "It is not good that man should be alone." — Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) Even from the very beginning, God declared that relationship is not optional. We are designed for love, affirmation, touch, and presence. When those needs aren’t met, our soul learns to fear them as dangerous.   My core values (time, love, compassion, relationships, faith, service) all breathe the truth that love is meant to be received and given freely. Yet there's the pain of that little girl who decided, “I won’t need anyone,” as a way to survive. It’s almost like she's trying to close the tap on thirst — but the body was still made for water. That inner vow, made to protect my heart, became both shield and prison.   This morning, a simple offer of tea opened a doorway into something much deeper. Tiffany asked if I wanted a cup as I was leaving The Crate, and when she reminded me to ask if she forgot to offer. I found myself saying, “I’m not good at asking,” and with that, a brief conversation ensued about innervows and practised ways of self-protection that need to be put to death at the cross, but they have a tendency to spring back to life.   What a holy moment tucked into something as ordinary as a cup of tea. Isn’t it amazing how God often uses the smallest exchanges to uncover the deepest roots? Tiffany’s simple kindness brushed up against an old wound — the little girl who once vowed, “I won’t ask, I won’t need, I’ll manage on my own.”   Even though I’ve already renounced that vow, my heart is still tenderly unlearning the habit. Those vows run deep because they were woven in survival, and survival habits rarely dissolve overnight. They cling until safety feels stronger than fear.   I realised how hard that still is for me and suddenly I was back with the little girl who had vowed never to need, never to ask, never to risk disappointment. That made me think there may be other unspoken promises your younger self made: “If I don’t ask, I won’t be disappointed.” “If I don’t need, I won’t be a burden.” “If I’m strong enough on my own, I can’t be hurt again.” Each one a layer of self-protection… and each one, now, a layer the Lord longs to tenderly peel away. The habit of silence, of holding back from asking, is like a well-worn path in my soul. Yet healing is happening.   It’s strange how those early inner vows burrow themselves into the soil of our hearts, resisting even the most tender offers of care. Trauma taught me that needing made me vulnerable, so I silenced those needs. Yet God created us for love — for time, affirmation, touch. Denying them only hardens the soil where His love longs to grow.   Healing often comes in layers. First, we renounce the vow. Then, we begin to notice the old habits. And slowly, almost quietly, we practice new responses. Each “yes please” is like loosening the soil around roots that were once bound tight.   📖 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." — Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)   I have grown a lot. Before, I would have declined even if my heart longed for the warmth of a cup in my hands. Now, when offered, I say “yes, please.” It may seem small, but every “yes” is a crack in the old armour, a place where light seeps in. Saying “yes, please” when love is offered has been my first step toward freedom. It is no small thing. Each acceptance loosens the soil around old roots, allowing something new to grow.   Yet today’s conversation opened another layer. I realised the next step is not only receiving what is offered. The next step is scarier still: learning to ask when I need or desire something. Not waiting to be offered, but letting my voice rise with trust, knowing I am worthy of being heard. Tears came as I realised there is still more to heal, more of those childhood vows to untangle. Yet tears are holy — they water the ground where new freedom is being planted.   The Father smiles at my small yeses. He sees not weakness but trust. He welcomes my asking, not as a burden but as beloved intimacy. He is teaching me that to need is not shameful, and to ask is not weakness, but rather the courage to believe love will meet me there. It is faith.   🙌Prayer Lord Jesus, You know the vows I made as a little girl, born out of pain and fear. Thank You that You are unravelling them with gentleness and truth. Teach me to ask without fear, to receive without shame, and to rest in the knowledge that I am worthy of love. Heal every place in me that still resists Your care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.   ✨ Dearest one, if you are struggling in this area, may I remind you that you are not alone and you are not behind. You are on a journey. Each small step into asking, each tear shed, is part of your healing journey and watering new freedom. Each small "yes" is a victory song. God is patient, and His love is undoing what neglect once wrote into your story. You are seen, you are cherished, and you are free to need. You are loved and your needs are safe in God's Hands.

Sometimes people don’t need fixing, advice, or solutions. They simply need someone to draw near with no agenda. To sit quietly without trying to make the pain disappear. To listen without judgement. To care without condition. This is what I’ve come to know as the ministry of presence. It is the love that looks someone in the eye and says, “I see you. You are not alone. I’m here for you.” Jesus Himself modelled this. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb before performing a miracle. He sat at tables with the broken and the misunderstood. His presence carried healing long before His words did. 📖 "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is to stay. Not to speak, not to explain, not to fix, but simply to sit in the ashes with someone until the first glimmer of hope breaks through. This is how we love people back to life — with patience, tenderness, and presence. 🙌Prayer: Lord, help me to carry Your love into the silence of another’s suffering. Teach me to sit with them without rushing to fix, to bring comfort by simply being there, and to trust that Your Spirit moves even in the quiet. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You want to know what really breaks a generational curse?🤔 It’s not in lofty declarations alone, but in the quiet courage to let your children tell you when something you’re doing is hurting them… and to respond without defensiveness or dismissal. For too many of us, silence was the rule of survival. Our pain was minimised, our voices ignored, and our hearts quietly trained to believe that love meant swallowing the ache. When we choose differently, when we allow our children to speak truthfully without fear of being shut down, we change the script. This is the beginning of a new legacy — one marked not by pride or shame, but by humility and listening. Every time we resist the urge to explain away their hurt, every time we kneel low enough to hear the tremble in their words, we are dismantling patterns of hardness and sowing seeds of trust. 📖 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." — Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV) It is not weakness to admit we have caused pain. It is Christlike strength. For the cross itself was God bending low, taking responsibility for what was not His fault, so that reconciliation could flow. If He could humble Himself, surely we can too. 🌿 Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me ears that are tender and a heart that is humble. Teach me to pause before defending myself, and instead make room for my children’s voices. May healing flow through my willingness to listen, and may generational chains be broken as love and understanding take root in my family. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ✨ You are not just raising children — you are writing a new story, one where honesty, compassion, and grace become the inheritance you pass down.

There is a unique grief in discovering that someone you called “friend” was never truly that. It is not only the loss of their presence, but the collapse of the story you told yourself about what you thought you had. You invested loyalty, laughter, and tears. You offered love, patience, and trust. Only to realise, with the slow ache of hindsight, that it was never mutual. The wound cuts deep because it touches our longing for connection — the belief that someone saw us, valued us, and would hold what we gave with equal care. When that turns out to be a mirage, the heart feels betrayed, not only by them but by our own hope. Yet even here, truth is a mercy. For when falsehood is stripped away, what remains is the space for authentic, God-breathed relationships. Scripture gently reminds us: 📖 "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." — Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV) True friendship is marked by reciprocity — not in perfection, but in sincerity. It is shaped by love that honours, patience that endures, and a loyalty that mirrors Christ’s love for us. Though it hurts, losing what was never truly real is not the end of love; it is a doorway to deeper, purer connections aligned with God’s heart. You are not foolish for believing in someone. You are brave for loving fully, even when it wasn’t returned. What breaks you today will one day become the soil from which steadfast friendships will grow. 🙌Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the truest Friend who will never leave nor forsake me. Heal the places where betrayal has left me raw. Guard my heart from bitterness, yet teach me to discern wisely whom I allow close. Surround me with relationships that reflect Your truth, integrity, and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A lot of our explosive emotional reactions aren’t really about the present moment. They are layered responses — echoes from all the times we swallowed our words, silenced our pain, and shrank back when we longed to stand tall. The trigger may be small, but it taps into a river of unexpressed grief, fear, or anger stored deep within. Those moments we couldn’t use our voice, when we didn’t feel safe to say “no,” when our emotions were dismissed as “too much” — they collect in the hidden chambers of the heart. So when something familiar arises today, the dam breaks, not just for this moment but for all the buried ones. Healing begins when we invite Jesus into those locked places of our past. Where we were voiceless, He speaks life. Where we were silenced, He calls us by name. Where we were unseen, He reminds us of His gaze that never looked away. 📖 "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." — Psalm 34:18 (NKJV) Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the One who sees beneath the surface of my reactions. Heal the places where silence once stole my voice. Teach me to respond, not from old wounds, but from the wholeness You are restoring in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. You are not “too much.” You are simply carrying unspoken pain that longs to be released. Little by little, as you surrender the echoes to Christ, your present will no longer be ruled by the weight of your past. You are safe, you are loved, and your voice matters.

There are chapters in my life that feel too dark to retell without trembling. The nights when despair pressed so heavily on my chest that I wondered if I would see another sunrise. The weight of shame, grief, and brokenness pulled me into a pit I thought I’d never escape. Yet here I am — alive, breathing, creating, healing. Not because of my own strength, not because I figured it out, but because God reached into the depths and lifted me up. 📖 "He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." — Psalm 40:2 (NKJV) I cannot share my story without Him. To remove God would be to erase the very reason I survived. His mercy became my oxygen, His love my anchor, His hand my rescue. When I look back, I see not my own willpower but His relentless pursuit. Even in the pit, He was there. Even when I was too weak to pray, His Spirit interceded. Even when I doubted His goodness, His goodness held me fast. 💡 Reflection: What “pits” has God pulled you out of in your own life? 🤔 How has His rescue become part of your testimony? 🤔 Where might He be extending His hand to you today? 🤔 🙌 Prayer: Lord, thank You for lifting me when I could not lift myself. Thank You that no pit is too deep for Your love to reach. Help me never to forget that my life is living proof of Your mercy and grace. May my story point others to You, the only One who saves. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Disapproval. Such a small word, yet for many of us who have walked through complex trauma, it carries the weight of a storm. People sometimes think we are “too sensitive” when we react so strongly, but the truth is far deeper. In childhood, approval, rejection, and disapproval weren’t simply feedback — they were weapons. They were the levers abusers pulled to keep us silent, to manipulate our behaviour, to remind us that we were only as safe as their mood allowed. When love and acceptance were doled out like rations, always conditional, it left scars. I know this too well. My earliest memories are marked not by safety, but by fear. At just two years old, my head was shoved under cold water because I cried for attention. At four, I was hiding in a cupboard while crockery flew across the room during a drunken fight. Disapproval, in those moments, wasn’t correction — it was danger. It was rejection, abandonment, and humiliation wrapped into one. For decades I lived with the reflex to shrink back at the slightest hint of disapproval. My body remembered the threat even when my mind tried to dismiss it. Each raised eyebrow, each sigh, each withheld smile felt like confirmation of the lie I had believed since birth: “I am not good enough to be loved.” Yet Jesus stepped into those broken places. He reminded me of the Father’s voice over His Son before any miracle had been performed: 📖 “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:17 (NKJV) That same voice now whispers over me: “You are My beloved daughter. I delight in you. My approval does not waver with your performance. My love is unshakable.” Healing has not been instant. It has been a long, tender journey of unravelling lies and allowing Holy Spirit to rewrite my story. Slowly I am learning that my worth is not tethered to anyone’s approval, nor is my safety at the mercy of another’s mood. 🌿 Reflection: When was the first time you felt unsafe because of disapproval or rejection? Can you imagine Jesus standing there with you, shielding you from shame and whispering, “You are Mine. You are safe with Me”?🤔 Friend, if disapproval still feels like danger in your body, please know this: you are not “too sensitive.” You are someone who has survived deep wounds, and you are learning a new way to live. You are not controlled by the hands of abusers anymore. You are held by the hands that were pierced for your freedom. 💛 You are seen. You are loved. You are safe in Him.

We were never handed an easy path. No shortcuts, no safety nets, no special favours. Everything we have today was shaped by our own hands, our own hearts, and countless sacrifices made side by side. We’ve stretched every dollar, faced every storm, and chosen—again and again—to hold each other up when it would have been easier to fall apart. What we’ve built together isn’t flawless, but it’s real. It’s strong. And it’s ours. We’re not done yet, my love. There is still more to build, more to dream, more to fight for—always shoulder to shoulder. The road has been longer for us, not because we are behind, but because we’re laying foundations that will endure. Look at how far we’ve already come. I truly believe the best is still ahead of us. Together, with God’s grace, we will continue to write a story that lasts. 📖 "Two are better than one… For if they fall, one will lift up his companion." — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (NKJV) 🙌Prayer Lord, thank You for the gift of covenant love. Thank You for sustaining us through seasons of lack, storms, and uncertainty, and for teaching us to lean on You and on each other. Strengthen our hands for the work still ahead, remind us daily of the beauty of what we are building, and keep our hearts united in love. May our marriage be a living testimony of Your faithfulness.In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The way we think shapes the way we live. A Christ-centred mindset is not about striving harder but about surrendering deeper — allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our thoughts, align our attitudes with God’s truth, and guide our steps in love. These seven anchors of mindset remind us that when our minds are renewed in Christ, our lives can bear lasting fruit for His Kingdom. M — Mastery (of Mind & Spirit) Mastery begins with surrender. We don’t master life through control, but by yielding our thoughts and attitudes to Christ. 📖 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2 (NKJV) I — Invest (in Eternal Treasure) The greatest investment is not in possessions, but in God’s Word, in prayer, and in equipping yourself for Kingdom purpose. 📖 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." — Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) N — Nurture (with Love & Compassion) Nurture your soul in God’s presence and extend that same love to others. To nurture is to water seeds of hope. 📖 "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) D — Dedication (to Service & Calling) Dedication is choosing to stay faithful to the path God has called you to, even when it requires sacrifice. 📖 "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." — Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) S — Self-Discipline (through the Holy Spirit) Discipline is not striving in your own strength, but walking in step with the Holy Spirit, who empowers you to overcome.📖 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." — 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) E — Endurance (through Faith) Endurance is faith stretched over time. It’s the courage to keep trusting God’s promises when the journey feels long. 📖 "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." — Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) T — Thoughtful (Living with Integrity & Generosity) Thoughtfulness is living intentionally — choosing words, actions, and attitudes that reflect Christ’s love and compassion. 📖 "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." — Philippians 2:4 (NKJV) When our hearts are rooted in Christ and our minds renewed by His truth, our steps are ordered in love, service, and faith. Living with a Kingdom mindset allows us to walk in freedom, bear good fruit, and shine His light in a world that desperately needs hope.

“Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Sometimes our hearts forget what Heaven already knows about us. When life presses in and whispers lies of inadequacy, God’s Word speaks louder still: 📖 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) You carry a courage that doesn’t come from yourself but from Christ within you. You are stronger because His power is perfected in your weakness. You are wiser because Holy Spirit leads you into all truth. May this be the balm for your soul today: You are more than you know, because you are His beloved.

For decades, whenever the question of purpose arose, my heart always returned to Isaiah 61:1-4. These verses became the thread that stitched together the fabric of my calling, whispering truth louder than the world’s opinions. Their words painted a vision of binding up the broken-hearted, proclaiming freedom, and rebuilding ancient ruins. It was as though God Himself had written my life’s mission into those lines before I ever drew breath. 📖 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." — Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV) This sense of mission was always echoed in the song "Take My Healing to the Nations" by Bob Fitts. The melody still rises within me like a prayer, carrying the cry of my heart—that what God has poured into me, He would pour out through me. To bring His healing, His love, His beauty, into the lives of the hurting. My core values—faith, love, compassion, service, and creativity—find their roots in this passage and song. They remind me that my purpose is not about recognition or ambition. It is about living as a vessel of His hope and light, carrying the message of restoration that first touched my own life. 💡 Reflection: Where has God etched His purpose into your heart through Scripture, song, or whisper? How might you carry that truth forward today?🤔 🙌Prayer: Lord, thank You for anchoring my purpose in Your Word before the world ever had an opinion. Help me to live Isaiah 61 in my everyday life, bringing Your healing and freedom to those You place before me. May my mission never be swayed by doubt or opposition, but remain steady in Your call. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Life reminds me often of my limits. My breath is numbered, my strength runs out, and my days will one day come to a close. Yet what I offer to God in obedience and love does not die with me. The brushstrokes of my art, the tenderness of my words, the prayers whispered in hidden places — these are gathered by the Eternal One, who breathes His Spirit upon them.

One day, my children will look back and see the truth: their mum was not unbreakable, but she refused to remain broken. No matter how many times life tried to shatter me, I chose to rise, to cling to the hand of Jesus, and to keep walking forward. Not because I was strong in myself, but because His strength held me together when mine gave way. I want them to remember that I never backed down, never gave up, never gave in—because love anchored me. For them, for our family, and most of all for the One who promised: 📖 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) It’s not ambition that drove me, but love. It’s not perfection they will inherit, but a legacy of courage, faith, and resilience. And in those moments when I felt like ashes, God was already shaping a crown of beauty for the generations to come. 💡 Reflection: What legacy of faith, courage, or love do I hope my children (or spiritual children) will one day remember about me? 🙏 Prayer: 9Father, thank You for holding me when I could not hold myself. Help me leave behind not only memories but a living testimony of Your faithfulness. May my children carry the assurance that when life pressed hard, You were our refuge, our strength, and our song. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sometimes people don’t need fixing. They don’t need your advice, your solutions, or even your well-meaning pep talk. They just need to be met where they are — in the rawness of their reality — and to be reminded, without a single demand placed on them, that they matter. They need someone who will sit with them without hurrying their process. Someone who will listen without turning their story into a lesson. Someone who will see beyond their brokenness and recognise the beauty God still sees in them. This is why our weekly encounter groups exist. To be a table where everyone has a seat. To be a room where tears don’t need to be explained. To be a space where masks aren’t required because there’s no performance here — only presence. 📖 "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) When we meet, we don’t come to fix each other. We come to carry one another’s burdens to the One who can truly heal. In His presence, walls come down and hearts begin to breathe again. 🙌Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us to love like You love — with no strings attached and no hidden agenda. Help us to create spaces where people feel safe to be seen, known, and cherished. May our listening ears and open hearts be a reflection of Yours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The flesh clings to what is known. My mind often drifts back to the patterns that once felt safe, even when they were quietly suffocating me. There’s a strange security in the familiar, even if the familiar kept me bound. When God calls me forward, He often invites me into a place that feels uncertain, raw, and unfamiliar. My “new normal” never feels natural at first—it stretches me, exposes my weaknesses, and asks me to trust Him beyond the limits of my comfort. Breaking cycles always leaves a hollow pause. An empty space where the old no longer fits but the new hasn’t fully formed. That space can feel disorienting, but it’s sacred ground. It’s where God begins to plant what is better—things that align not with my old survival instincts, but with my true identity in Him. The flesh resists change because it craves the comfort of predictability. Yet Scripture reminds me that the flesh must be crucified if I’m to truly live in the Spirit. 📖 "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." — Galatians 5:24 (NKJV) This is not a call to grit my teeth and “just try harder.” It’s a call to surrender. To lay down the counterfeit comfort of what’s known and take up the cross of daily discipline—not out of duty, but out of love for the One who set me free. Today, I choose not to drift back into old patterns. I will walk with Him, even when my feet tremble, trusting that every uncomfortable step forward is leading me deeper into His purpose for my life. 💡Reflection: Where am I clinging to something familiar because it feels safe, even though it no longer serves my walk with God? 🤔 How can I invite the Holy Spirit into the “blank spaces” that change creates in my life? 🤔 What practical disciplines will help me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus rather than the comfort of old habits? 🤔 🙌Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender my old patterns at the foot of Your cross. Help me resist the pull of the familiar when You are calling me into something greater. Teach me to embrace the discomfort of transformation, knowing it is the pathway to freedom. Fill the blank spaces with Your presence and align my heart with Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Some days, coming before God feels like stepping into a courtroom — every fault laid bare, every weakness magnified. I’ve often carried that heaviness into prayer, as though His presence was a place where I had to brace for disappointment. Yet the more I walk with Him, the more I realise His heart for me is not a judge’s bench, but a garden.   In a courtroom, I’d be measuring myself against impossible standards. In a garden, I’m invited to grow.   Self-reflection in God’s presence becomes grace when I start with His love, not my failures. Before I even ask a question, I breathe in the truth: 📖 "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." — Psalm 103:8 (NKJV)   From that place of security, I can invite Holy Spirit to walk with me gently, like a dear Friend strolling beside me, pointing out areas in my heart where something tender is starting to grow… or where weeds are crowding the roots. His conviction is never to shame, always to heal.   I’ve learned to ask questions that lift my eyes to His redemptive work: Lord, where are You growing something new in me? 🤔 What lies am I believing that You want to replace with Your truth? 🤔 How can I partner with You in this area? 🤔   When I see myself as clay in the Potter’s hands or a branch being lovingly pruned, I understand that correction is a form of care. He is shaping me into something beautiful and fruitful.   📖 "He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." — Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)   I close my time in gratitude — not because I have all the answers, but because His patience never runs out, and His promise to finish what He started is unshakable.   💡Reflection: When I sit with God, do I expect His face to be stern or smiling?💡 How might my self-reflection change if I truly believed He delights in me, even as He shapes me? 🤔   🙌Prayer: Lord, thank You that Your presence is a safe place, a place where I can bring my whole self — the beauty, the brokenness, and the parts still being mended. Help me to see myself through Your eyes, to welcome Your gentle pruning, and to trust that Your correction is rooted in love. Let my heart be a garden where grace grows stronger than guilt. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sometimes, the Father’s correction feels like rejection. Our human hearts, especially when tender from past wounds, can easily misread His loving redirection as a withdrawal of favour. I have felt it in the quiet ache when relationships shift, in the sting of a ministry door closing, in the stillness after my creativity has been met with silence. Yet the more I sit with Him, the more I see that His correction is never about pushing me away—it’s always about pulling me closer. It’s an invitation to release what is not aligned with His heart so He can restore what is. When a relationship changes, He’s inviting me to anchor my identity in His love rather than another’s affirmation. When a role in ministry ends, He’s redirecting me to serve from rest, not exhaustion. When my creative work is met with quiet, He’s freeing me from the snare of human applause. When He asks me to let go of something good, He’s making space for something better. Correction is not condemnation. It is the gentle hand of a Father who sees the path ahead and loves me too much to let me wander into harm. 📖 "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." — Hebrews 12:5-6 (NKJV) 💡Reflection: Where in my life right now do I feel shut out, unseen, or “moved aside”? 🤔 Could this be a place where God is actually drawing me into deeper trust or realignment? 🤔 What would it look like to see this season as an open door rather than a closed one? 🤔 🙌Prayer: Father, thank You that Your correction is always rooted in love. Forgive me for the times I’ve mistaken Your guiding hand for rejection. Help me to trust that when You close a door, You are not pushing me away but drawing me nearer to Your heart. Teach me to see Your “No” as an invitation to deeper restoration. Heal my perspective so I can walk in joy, even in redirection. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you asked me what the best part of my life is, I wouldn’t need to think twice. It’s my little family. Always. They are my safe place, my joy, my reason to keep going on the hard days. No matter where life takes me or what we go through, they are the part of my story I will treasure forever.   When the shadows once pressed in and suicidal thoughts whispered their lies, my dearest husband and sons became the anchor that kept me from drifting away. They gave me a reason to keep fighting when my own hope felt too thin to hold on to. And when I broke, they stood close enough to hear the cracks, to hold me through the fireball of pain, and to believe with me for the healing I was desperate for.   By God’s grace, I have come a long way since those rock-bottom days, though the journey is still unfolding. Today, my circle is wider — my boys and the precious daughter-in-law who has joined our family make my heart brim with joy. Their laughter fills the rooms that once echoed with silence, and their love reminds me that life can be redeemed.   Yet, above all, I am grateful that Christ has been with me through it all — every tear, every prayer, every small step forward. He is faithful to complete the work He began in me. 📖 "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." — Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)   💡Reflection: Who are the people God has used to anchor you in your storms? 🤔 What moments with them would you like to treasure more intentionally? 🤔 How have you seen Christ’s hand weaving restoration in your family story? 🤔   🙌Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for my family, for the love that keeps me anchored, and for the hope that never runs dry in You. Thank You for walking with me through the darkest valleys and for bringing me into places of light and laughter again. Continue to heal what is still tender, and make my life a testimony of Your unfailing faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.