By Paula Williamson guest writer Have you ever been caught with your hand in the cookie jar? You knew it shouldn’t be there—you were told no, but you did it anyway. Busted! That is how the woman caught in adultery must have felt when the religious leaders brought her before Jesus. In her day, her sin was punishable by stoning. Imagine the shame she must have felt—the guilt, the fear, the humiliation of standing before a crowd ready to condemn her. Then Jesus did something completely unexpected. He said to her accusers,  “He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” One by one, the accusers walked away. The woman was left standing before Jesus. He asked her a question: “Where are your accusers?” She lifted her head and saw that no one remained. Jesus said to her,  “Neither do I condemn you.” What undeserved relief she must have felt. What unexpected compassion. Jesus did not give her what she deserved—He gave her something she never expected: mercy, compassion, and a second chance. It Is Written ISAIAH 61: 7 Instead of your [former] shame you will have a double portion ; And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore, in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited]; Everlasting joy will be theirs.   What a Gift Forgiveness. Second chances. More grace than we deserve. Humiliation removed. Everlasting joy. Who can promise such amazing gifts? Jesus. Jesus in us—Jesus working through us. Such a mystery. Such extravagance. Such hope. Such unconditional love. Prayer Lord, You know everything I have done—every failure and every mistake. You know the motives behind them. I am guilty and deserving of punishment. I willingly take responsibility. Yet I ask for what I do not deserve—forgiveness. I lay my guilt and shame at the foot of the cross and receive what Jesus has done for me. Take off my sin-stained robe and replace it with Your righteousness. I receive Your everlasting joy. Takeaway I have a new name— Forgiven.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could simply put on the oil of joy like perfume? Unfortunately, joy does not work that way. For reasons beyond our understanding, God did not design joy to be applied so easily. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus  endured the cross for the joy set before Him . He ran the race, overcame every obstacle, and despised the shame—yet His eyes were fixed on something greater. The prize was bringing as many of us as possible with Him. We were—and still are—that joy.   It Is Written HEBREWS 12: 1-2 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,   2  looking only at Jesus, the ] originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Eyes on Him There is a place where joy can always be found: by looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Peter experienced this joy when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water. That was a bold decision! But the moment he shifted his gaze from Jesus to the waves around him, his faith dissolved into fear and he began to sink. It was only when he turned his focus back to Jesus that he was saved.   Takeaway I will experience joy again by keeping my eyes on Jesus.

By Paula Williamson guest writer The best surgeons can repair physical damage to the human heart. The best counselors can offer wisdom and coping strategies to help us navigate the pain of a broken heart. But there is a promise found in Scripture that no one else can claim. The Messiah—Jesus—came to  bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted , to comfort those who mourn, to bring beauty from ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. I can personally testify that these words are true.   It is written: ISAIAH 61: 1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joyinstead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.     How About You? Have you found anyone or anything else that can truly make such promises—and provide lasting healing? If so, I would be interested to hear about it. Our world is full of broken hearts and heartbreaking events, and many people are searching for something that can truly restore what has been shattered. Prayer Lord Jesus, this is a bold promise—one that I desperately need. Here it is, Lord: all the memories, all the pain, all the words and pictures, all the betrayal—things no one should ever have to see, feel, or hear. I lift it all up to You like a vulnerable child and place it in Your hands, feelings and all. Would You show me where You were in all of these broken places? Would You reveal any lies I may have believed as truth because of them? Thank You for the promise in Scripture that You came to bind up the wounds of my broken heart. You bore my sorrows, and by Your stripes I am healed. Thank You, Lord. I receive Your healing. Takeaway Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.

God specializes in the impossible—ninety-year-old women giving birth, lions’ mouths shut, water from a rock, streams in the desert, a donkey talking, blind eyes seeing, deaf ears hearing, the lame walking, demons fleeing, axe heads floating—to name a few. Impossible is where He does His best work. It Is Written Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing is ever impossible, and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” All Things Possible More times than I can count, I have stood in impossible places—where the facts seemed final, the diagnosis was clear. Places where hope felt out of reach. But God. Two words that change everything. Time after time, when I saw no way out, God made a way. It was not always in my timing. It was not always in the way I expected. Sometimes it required waiting. Sometimes it required surrender. Sometimes it required trust when I could not see an inch ahead. But God came through, and even when the outcome looked different than I had prayed, He was still faithful. He was still working. He was still God. Prayer Lord, the world—and even doctors—often offer little hope in the face of impossible situations, but You are not limited by statistics, timelines, resources, or human understanding. All throughout Scripture, You did the impossible. You still do. I place my impossible situation before You. I cannot fix it, and no one else can. I surrender it into Your hands and ask You to move in a way that only You can. Strengthen my faith while I wait. Help me trust You before I see the breakthrough. Takeaway Impossible is not the end of the story.It is often the beginning of a “but God” moment. Nothing is impossible with God.

By Paula Williamson guest writer I have personally been a single mom, lying awake at night wondering how I was going to pay the bills, put food on the table, cover taxes, doctor visits, counseling, utilities, and everything else that kept piling up. The numbers did not add up. The needs felt endless. And yet, when I look back over my life, what stands out most is not the fear—it is the faithfulness of God in my most desperate days. It Is Written Psalm 50:10–13, 15 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all it contains are Mine. Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.” How? The provision always came in ways I did not expect. I kept trusting God and believing He would provide—even when I could not see how. Sometimes it came from a gift I made for someone that others suddenly wanted, too. Sometimes it came as an unexpected refund or a surprising job opportunity. Sometimes it came through a friend who felt prompted by the Lord to help. It rarely came early. It rarely came the way I imagined. But it always came. Prayer Lord, You own everything. The whole world is Yours. You feed the sparrows—the most common of birds—and I know my family is precious to You. When I am in trouble, I can call on You, and You hear me. If irresponsible choices have brought me here, forgive me and teach me to be a wise steward of what You entrust to me. Help me trust You before I see the answer. I wait and watch expectantly for Your provision. I thank You in advance for what You will do. Takeaway God is not limited by what is in my bank account. He is Jehovah Jireh—my Provider, and He has never failed me yet.

Paula Williamson guest writer Have you ever looked at your life and realized you never intended to be where you are? Maybe it’s a failed marriage, an abusive relationship, an addiction, unmet expectations, a foolish decision, or the death of a loved one. Maybe you see a pattern of poor choices—or perhaps you’re living with the consequences of someone else’s. Scripture never promises we will be exempt from trouble. It does promise that He will walk with us through it. But after all that has happened, will we ever be happy again? It Is Written Psalm 40:1–3 “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear [with great reverence] and will trust confidently in the Lord.” His Plans Are Good Right now, may feel like the pit. The miry clay. The place where your footing is unsure and your song is gone. But you are not in the final chapter of your life. A lot can happen in just a few pages. Every meaningful story has unexpected twists and turns. The difference for us is this: we know the Author, and the Author is good. We may not know what the next page holds, but we know who holds the pen. We can trust Him. We can praise Him in the waiting. And sometimes, praise comes before the new song. Prayer Lord, I feel like I am in a horrible pit of miry clay. I believe You can lift me out and set my feet upon a rock. I believe You can steady my steps. I believe You can give me a new song. Help me trust You while I wait. Help me choose hope before I feel happiness. I place my future in Your hands. Takeaway Happiness is not the absence of hardship. It is the decision to trust the Author while the story is still being written.

By Paula Williamson guest writer What I Do Matters Have you ever heard the story about the man who got up every morning, collected the starfish that had washed up on the shore, and threw them back into the water? Someone asked him why he thought he was making any difference because there were so many. He picked one up, threw it back into the water, and said, “It made a difference to that one.” I have heard countless stories in my life where the smallest things we do matter. Like a woman who told God she was going to commit suicide unless someone turned a cartwheel to show her, He was real. The woman whom God told to turn the cartwheel struggled and doubted it was really God telling her to do such a silly thing on a busy road. She stopped her car and did a cartwheel and wondered– now what. A car stopped. A woman in tears got out. The cartwheel had been the answer to a desperate prayer. You can bet your life on the fact that what you do—and don’t do—matters, not only to yourself and others, but to God. It is written: LUKE 1:26-29 God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  27  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  30  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  33  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Everything Matters When an angel appeared to the virgin Mary, she had every reason to doubt. In that moment, she chose to believe that what she did mattered. Her decision is still impacting the entire world today. Prayer Lord, help me to realize that what I do—or don’t do—matters today. Even if it matters to a starfish, every life I meet and everything I do matters. Help me keep my ears and heart open to what I can do for You today. Takeaway I matter—and everyone matters.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Sometimes my prayer is a four-letter word. Help. My guess is we have all been there—and we will be again. Life is hard some days. Work is hard some days. Interacting with people is hard some days. Living in my own head is hard some days. There are days when “help” is all I can utter The good news is—help is available. It Is Written Psalm 34:6–7 “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience], and He rescues [each of] them.” He Answers Looking back over my life, I see many faces and many memories. But what stands out most is the faithfulness of God—His provision and His light in my darkest moments. In seasons when I had no eloquent prayer, no polished words, no strength left—He still heard me. He always hears my cry for help, and He will hear yours too. Prayer Lord, we cry out to You—help. Help for ourselves and those we love. Help for Your world. Help for our leaders, our military, our schools, and our churches. Help for those who can barely whisper the word. We cry out to You. You send Your angels to minister, protect, and rescue. Thank You that our cries reach Your ears—even when they feel small, weak, or desperate. Takeaway You don’t need perfect words. You just need to cry out. He hears.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Have you ever pulled up to a drive-through window, reached for your card to pay, and discovered the person in front of you had already paid for your meal? It’s such a surprising and wonderful feeling. It was your order, your food, your need—your debt. Yet someone stepped in and paid it for you. That is what Jesus did for us. He paid a debt that was ours in a way we did not deserve. It is a mystery so deep and so wide that my mind cannot fully comprehend it. Yet, with childlike faith, I receive it. It is written: PSALM 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my wickedness; I said, ‘I will confess all my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”Selah. Do I Deserve It? No. Do I receive it? Humbly. Do I wish I could go back and do some things differently? Absolutely. Can I? No. So how do I move forward from shame, guilt, unforgiveness, and the crushing weight of regret? There is a way. Accept responsibility for your part. Make amends where you can. Ask for forgiveness. Forgive yourself. Receive what Jesus has already paid for—and let yesterday go. You cannot rewrite the past, but you can walk free today. Prayer Lord, I am grabbing hold of this scripture today. The world can offer me no other hope. I know of no other way to make things right. This scripture says, “When I call upon You and confess my sins, You forgive me.” I have failed miserably. I admit it. I do not deserve to be forgiven, but I receive forgiveness like a little child standing on what You have done for me.  Humbly I thank You for paying my debt and setting me free. Takeaway My debt was paid—and I am forgiven.

By Paula Williamson guest writer We can all look over our lives and count the tragedies, traumas, failures, disappointments, and unmet expectations. At times, they resemble a cemetery with endless markers. But I challenge you—look at the spaces in between. Notice the places where the grass grows green and wildflowers rise after a long, cold winter. For the child of God, there is promise. He redeems. He restores. He rebuilds. He can turn our mess into a message and our history into His Story. It is written PSALM 31:19 How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You, which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! Prayer Here I am, Lord… here are my messes—my history, my traumas, tragedies, hurts, disappointments, mistakes, faults, and failures. I ask forgiveness for the part I played in them. I forgive those who harmed me and those I love. I trust You for justice, fairness, forgiveness, and redemption. I release my yesterdays to You and step into today forgiven. You are not like imperfect earthly authority. You are perfect and trustworthy. You have stored up goodness for those who reverently fear and trust in You. Would You turn my mess into a message and my history into His Story? I place it all in Your hands. Takeaway He turns messes into messages. He turns history into His Story. He redeems.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Maybe your parents did not plan to get pregnant when they did, but Scripture says children are a blessing from the Lord. They are not a mistake to Him. He was there when you were knit together in your mother’s womb. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. He saw when you came into being, and there is a book in heaven containing your story. It is written: PSALM 139:13–16 For You formed my innermost parts;You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret, and intricately and skillfully formed, as if embroidered with many colors, in the depths of the earth.Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were appointed for me, when as yet there was not one of them. You Were Planned You were planned, and your days were appointed before you were born. You have purpose—you are not a mistake. Prayer Lord God, Your Word says You were intimately involved in forming me, knitting me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You that I was planned. Thank You that I am not a mistake. Thank You that Your plans for me are good. Takeaway I am unique and here for a purpose.

By Paula Williamson guest writer The world seems so dark these days. The news is full of fear-fueling information. Social media is loaded with division and slander. Where’s the light?   It is written: PSALM 139: 11 -12 If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, And the night will be the only light around me,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You and conceals nothing from You, But the night shines as bright as the day; Darkness and light are alike to You .   Prayer In You, there is no darkness. When I feel like the world around me is too dark, or that I am walking in the dark, I can run to You, where light is. You are the Light!   Takeaway Jesus is the Light of the world!