enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

Thorough Cleaning

My department was moving to a new floor. We were told our new spaces had been cleaned already by the previous occupants. We hoped that was the case. From a distance they looked clean. However, as we walked into the cubicles and took a closer look, we were disappointed. The desks and cabinets were filthy. It took lot of cleanser and elbow grease to get the spaces clean enough for us to feel comfortable moving in. I was tempted to complain because I hate dirt and filth. But the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “The desks and cabinets are like your heart.” That took me by surprise. What kind of ... Read the Post

Mine

I took my precious guitar into the music shop to get looked at. It had taken a face plant at church a few weeks ago while I was singing. All the guitar technician could say was, "It's bad, Monica, real bad." I felt my heart twinge as never before. Looks like what I thought was just a tumble was actually a "devastating blow." Then I thought about life. Sometimes we think we have just taken a slight tumble only to look back and realize that we actually experienced a devastating blow, cracking our foundation. But God’s Word says that nothing we do can separate us from His love. No matter ... Read the Post

Strength to Kneel

Okay, so I admit I am a bit out of shape. There I said it. Strength is definitely an area I could use some improvement in...but...one thing I have discovered working-out cannot prepare me for nor get me used to is kneeling. You see, recently I have been participating for the first time ever as a Group Leader in Bible Study Fellowship. In our various leadership meetings, we do something I honestly have not done in far too long. We kneel and pray. Often the floor we are kneeling on is basically concrete covered in a nice shiny thin layer of linoleum. (I now bring a pillow to kneel on, as ... Read the Post

New Beginnings

When you find yourself beginning a new chapter in your life, you feel both anxious and excited. It is hard to start over or begin it again. We challenge ourselves and doubt everything along the way. I am beginning multiple new chapters in my life, so my anxiety, doubt, and excitement are even higher. Being a woman, a mother, and a wife, of course, makes all of this an even bigger deal. My mind can’t help to wonder, why do I have to start over and begin again? Is this the plan, and if so why I did I not get it right the first time? My first new beginning was finding myself as a new ... Read the Post

Freedom to Play

I love to watch children as they play. There is such a freedom to express who they really are. We took our God-niece (4-year old) to Macdonald’s Playland for supper and, of course, ate with all the other brave moms, dads, grandparents, and sitters in the community. Miss Annabelle (AB) was certainly more interested in playing than eating but was only looking at the tubes and slides. I realized the problem when I remembered that she had commented in the car that someone had told her not to be afraid of the red slide. I asked the mom sitting next to us if I could introduce AB to her ... Read the Post

Be Noble

Back in college I attended an early morning women’s Bible study. Once a week, I would roll out of bed and look forward to coffee, community, and encouragement through God’s word. There was one morning, however, that I was faced with a daunting task. We were split up into pairs and asked to translate Proverbs 31, making it more applicable to our modern day lives. Upon reading it over with my partner, I was instantly overwhelmed. Boy, was there a lot to The Wife of Noble Character. She was more precious than rubies, virtuous and capable, praised publicly for her deeds. Me, be like her? ... Read the Post