Sunny&80The Dance Shoes (#jammed daily devo, day 91)
Posted on April 1, 2018
April #jammed: Grace Studies.
Day 91: Always the right fit.
The mailman ditched an over-stuffed white envelope into my mailbox, and onto my 
ballerina’s feet the shoes went …for about two seconds. Too big …again.
“But I ordered a half size bigger than the ones that were too small!” I shared with a mom in the studio waiting room, “I am so confused!”
Trying to find the right shoes for a decent price is very “holy grail-ish.”Guiding my daughters in a competitive sport has been a great lesson in faith. “Am I pushing too hard?” “Are they learning how to honor commitment?” “How do I teach them the importance of hard work without being too hard on them?” …and that’s just the pressure I put on myself.
Parents face many voices that attempt to convince, pressure, size-up, and compare them …and their children. It’s important to let God’s voice drown them all out. He created each of us differently, but lent the same Truth to guide us. In His living Word, we find His guidance, direction, and assurance.
Today’s verses assure us that when we are walking in faith, our heals will not slip. Jesus walks with us, not someone we’re supposed to be or will become. The way to protect ourselves, and our children, from the comparative pressure of competition is to follow the instructions in Ephesians 6:14-15. Stand firm in the Word. He will defend us, and prepare us.
“Fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” ensures us that when we chase after Him, it’s a perfect fit every time …and we feel peace. Not just relief, but the peace that Jesus when to the cross to grace us with.
My job as a mom is to make sure that I prayerfully consider whether the path my daughters’ are on will lead to His feet. Throughout all of the doubt that I’ve dealt with over the years, our dance family has been His evidence that we are on that “right path.” In a sea of pressure and drama, we somehow walked into a family. My girls glide across the stage to the tune of genuine support. Not just of their dance, but for who they are.
I’m still trying to figure out how to order dance shoes for my daughters without ending up with a pile of shoes no one can use, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re on the right path.
Father, Praise You for fitting us perfectly in our shoes …in our lives. Thank You for placing people around us to encourage us for who we truly are …not who they want us or wish us to be. Forgive us for pushing others to be who they are not, and casting judgement on those who simply don’t know any better. Bless us to love those put close to us, and encourage them to stay in their lane as we hold tight to Your hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Shoe-fitting,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Daddy Dolphin (#jammed daily devo, day 36)
Posted on February 5, 2018
February #jammed: Dunked in Grace
Day 36: Grace will carry us when we can’t carry on.
The hours my husband works are long, and his days off are few. It’s a joy to watch him make up for every lost minute with our two daughters on family vacations. Something wired within their hearts already understands that time with him is fleeting and precious.
“Mommy, watch!” my daughter yelled from the water. “It’s Daddy Dolphin!”
I watched as she climbed onto her daddy’s back, and held on tight as they both dove under the water and swam to the other side. Both surfaces with big smiles. A father’s protective guard over his daughter is precious to behold.
Matthew tells the story of God’s reaction to His Son’s baptism in today’s verse. A proud Father, fiercely protective, Creator of all, “well-pleased.” I picture the reaction of the crowd …of John the Baptist …as the sky opened up and God spoke! It might have been too much for some to process!
He would forsake His Son …on the cross …for us. His Son, “whom I love.” God is love. That’s a powerful statement, and magnificent moment stitched in time.
To breath underwater we need Jesus to flow in our hearts. Only then are we washed in forgiveness and bathed in the presence of God. Christ died so we can hold onto Him, knowing our Father can carry us to the other side.
Father, You are so faithful to show us Your love through Your Son’s baptism. Thank you for sacrificing Him for our sake, so that we may hold onto You all the way to heaven. We confess that the immediacy of this world sometimes trumps our souls’ final destination. Forgive us, and bless us with Christ seeking hearts all the day of our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.
What is your favorite memory with your dad? Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Swimming,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Dance Shoes (#jammed daily devo, day 91)
Posted on April 1, 2017
April #jammed: Grace Studies.
Day 91: Always the right fit.
The mailman ditched an over-stuffed white envelope into my mailbox, and onto my ballerina’s feet the shoes went …for about two seconds. Too big …again.
“But I ordered a half size bigger than the ones that were too small!” I shared with a mom in the studio waiting room, “I am so confused!”
Trying to find the right shoes for a decent price is very “holy grail-ish.”Guiding my daughters in a competitive sport has been a great lesson in faith. “Am I pushing too hard?” “Are they learning how to honor commitment?” “How do I teach them the importance of hard work without being too hard on them?” …and that’s just the pressure I put on myself.
Parents face many voices that attempt to convince, pressure, size-up, and compare them …and their children. It’s important to let God’s voice drown them all out. He created each of us differently, but lent the same Truth to guide us. In His living Word, we find His guidance, direction, and assurance.
Today’s verses assure us that when we are walking in faith, our heals will not slip. Jesus walks with us, not someone we’re supposed to be or will become. The way to protect ourselves, and our children, from the comparative pressure of competition is to follow the instructions in Ephesians 6:14-15. Stand firm in the Word. He will defend us, and prepare us.
“Fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” ensures us that when we chase after Him, it’s a perfect fit every time …and we feel peace. Not just relief, but the peace that Jesus when to the cross to grace us with.
My job as a mom is to make sure that I prayerfully consider whether the path my daughters’ are on will lead to His feet. Throughout all of the doubt that I’ve dealt with over the years, our dance family has been His evidence that we are on that “right path.” In a sea of pressure and drama, we somehow walked into a family. My girls glide across the stage to the tune of genuine support. Not just of their dance, but for who they are.
I’m still trying to figure out how to order dance shoes for my daughters without ending up with a pile of shoes no one can use, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re on the right path.
Father, Praise You for fitting us perfectly in our shoes …in our lives. Thank You for placing people around us to encourage us for who we truly are …not who they want us or wish us to be. Forgive us for pushing others to be who they are not, and casting judgement on those who simply don’t know any better. Bless us to love those put close to us, and encourage them to stay in their lane as we hold tight to Your hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Shoe-fitting,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Daddy Dolphin (#jammed daily devo, day 36)
Posted on February 5, 2017
February #jammed: Dunked in Grace
Day 36: Grace will carry us when we can’t carry on.
The hours my husband works are long, and his days off are few. It’s a joy to watch him make up for every lost minute with our two daughters on family vacations. Something wired within their hearts already understands that time with him is fleeting and precious.
“Mommy, watch!” my daughter yelled from the water. “It’s Daddy Dolphin!”
I watched as she climbed onto her daddy’s back, and held on tight as they both dove under the water and swam to the other side. Both surfaces with big smiles. A father’s protective guard over his daughter is precious to behold.
Matthew tells the story of God’s reaction to His Son’s baptism in today’s verse. A proud Father, fiercely protective, Creator of all, “well-pleased.” I picture the reaction of the crowd …of John the Baptist …as the sky opened up and God spoke! It might have been too much for some to process!
He would forsake His Son …on the cross …for us. His Son, “whom I love.” God is love. That’s a powerful statement, and magnificent moment stitched in time.
To breath underwater we need Jesus to flow in our hearts. Only then are we washed in forgiveness and bathed in the presence of God. Christ died so we can hold onto Him, knowing our Father can carry us to the other side.
Father, You are so faithful to show us Your love through Your Son’s baptism. Thank you for sacrificing Him for our sake, so that we may hold onto You all the way to heaven. We confess that the immediacy of this world sometimes trumps our souls’ final destination. Forgive us, and bless us with Christ seeking hearts all the day of our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.
What is your favorite memory with your dad? Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Swimming,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Invisible Fire.
Posted on November 18, 2016
My little girl’s tears streamed onto my cheeks as she hugged me tight. Fearful that in the darkness of night our house would catch on fire, unreasonable emotion gripped her blotchy red face. Her pierced blue eyes searched mine for an answer …for comfort …for reassurance …all of which I was unqualified to promise her.
The anxieties we answer to in this life grab us much like Lauren’s sweet six-year-old heart, that can’t bear the thought of being separated from her teddy bear. Life is fragile. We want to look around and depend on each other to get through things that may never happen. We want to believe that everything is going to be ok, but it’s simply not always going to be. In fact, we’re promised that it will get much worse.
We can help our children cope with fear and anxiety by teaching them to pray these Words of God:
“Do not worry.” Matthew 6:34
“Do not fear.” Isaiah 41:10
Step Back.
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (The Message)
Our duty as parents is not to have all the answers, but to point to the One who does. We can aim to protect our children but we cannot promise them safety. Only God is sovereign to make good on the assured direction of their future.
“Lauren, can I pray for you?”
She nodded ‘yes’ through slowing sobs.
“Lord, you tell us not to fear, and not to worry. But that’s hard. We need Your help. Help Lauren not to worry, and not to be afraid. Let her rest in knowing how much you love her. God we pray that You protect and bless our home. Keep it and us safe. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
My godly duty as her mother is to reassure that she is loved …not just by me, but far 
greater. Her little heart needs to hear that He is good, that she can trust Him, and that He he cares about her fears and worries.
“Jesus explains the futility of such worry for one’s life (Mt 6:25), time (6:27, 34), clothes (6:28), and even what one will eat (6:31). Such a focus is not only a wasted effort on something that one cannot change (cf. Lk 12:25), but it leads to unhealthy anxiety.” Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary
If the thing I want to be able to promise will never harm a hair on her head singes her life, He will get her through. He will love her. He will grow her. He will never leave her side.
Through the calamity of this world, God does not promise Christians a free pass from pain. He gifts us the grace, peace and hope to keep walking through it. We grip Him in fear, look to Him in awe, and trust Him with it all …through it all.
Let Go.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Night after night my little Lo cried at bedtime, afraid our house would catch on fire. Night after night we prayed together, and repeated those truths to her tiny heart and my overwhelmed one. Until one night, her brave blue eyes stared right into mine and with a small, still voice, wondered:
“Mom, can I say a special prayer?” I nodded, misty-eyed.
“Dear God, Please bless us and don’t let our house catch on fire. Keep everyone in our family safe, and my teddy and blankie and all of my toys. We love you God and Jesus, Amen.”
Our great God hears the prayers of tender little hearts, and understands their fears.
Sometimes it takes months, years, decades, lifetimes …before the discipline to turn to God first replaces our knee-jerk reaction to solve humanity’s dysfunctional fears and worries. But I believe that when God’s truth repeated is alive, powerful, and in motion.
My greatest prayer as a mother is that my daughters will know that God loves them perfectly, even when I do not.
“The scope of these verses is to silence the fears, and encourage the faith, of the servants of God in their distresses.“ Matthew Henry Commentary on Isaiah 41:10-20
Prayer becomes powerful conversation. The grace of accepting Jesus’ sacrifice as allows us to experience a power that is not of this world. Discernment of text that is much more that black and white letters on a page. It’s much more than a good story. He is God. He was here. And now His Spirit lives in us.
Invisible fire, indeed.
Happy praying,
Megs
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