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It’s Advent season. As Believers in Jesus, we reflect on Jesus’ first coming as a baby through the Virgin Mary at Christmas. And at the same time we wait in anticipation for His second coming when He returns to make all things right.

I imagine we all are intimately acquainted with waiting. Not just in lines. Not just for our packages to arrive. Not just for the traffic to move.

But waiting for potentially life-altering test results.

Waiting on a spouse to get help with an addiction.

Waiting on relief from chronic pain.

Waiting on a child to mature in an area (or two or three or a hundred).

Waiting on a job offer.

I was reading James 5:7-8, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

We are living “between the rains.” Jesus came as a baby. We wait for His return as King. Early rains. Late rains.

In whatever circumstance you find yourself waiting, you’re in the “in between” time. The unknown. It all hasn’t shaken out yet. You don’t know for certain how this situation ends. It can be unnerving. It’s tempting to just want control. It’s a time we may want to shrink back in fear or lash out in frustration.

“Be patient” and “strengthen your heart” stood out to me.

I wondered—how do I strengthen my heart?

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”

Psalm 112:7-8 “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid.”

Psalm 119:32 “I will run the way of your commandments when you enlarge (growth/strengthen) my heart!”

2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

Hebrews 13:9 “…for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace…”

It seems to me that heart-strengthening comes directly from waiting and trusting and replacing your fear with courage by choosing trust in God IN BETWEEN the rains. When you don’t know what’s going on. When you don’t have answers. When you’re unsure how God is working. You choose trust in the waiting, and in that very process that is sometimes so painful and hard, your heart is being strengthened. Your faith is growing! Waiting doesn’t have to be a waste of time, a twiddling of fingers or huffing and puffing with impatience and angst.

It’s an invitation to trust God. It’s an invitation to strengthen your heart in God’s good ways.

Be like the farmer who doesn’t quit sowing because circumstances aren’t perfect. They have a serious job that requires diligence and faithfulness to the task. And they must have a trust in God to do His part with weather, which is totally out of the farmer’s control.

What’s totally out of your control in that waiting circumstance you’re in? Trust that God will always do His part. Always.

The Lord is at hand.

May it be so!

Excuse the vagueness, but not long ago someone said to me about something going on, “I’m sure you’re worried sick….”

It stopped me in my tracks because I wasn’t worried at all in that moment. Not to say worry never tries to creep in to the situation, but overall worry wasn’t a defining emotion. Worry hadn’t been a part of the equation for quite a while, so I started thinking about why that might be.

Then, imagine the bells going off in my heart and mind when I started repetitively reading Philippians this month.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I had been praying intentionally and increasingly about this potentially worrisome situation. And just as these verses explain—if you’ve prayed and asked with thanksgiving, and fully let God know your request, trusting Him to handle it all in His time and in His way, then you’re going to have His peace. It won’t make sense to anyone—not even you—but you’ll have peace that guards your heart and your mind from all the scary thoughts and what ifs.

I started thinking about the many things I’ve worried about over the years—like if we could afford three kids’ braces or if we could manage three kids in college (tuition and the funding of three mostly grown people can add up quickly). I worried if Josh would die and I’d be a widow with three little kids (I’m telling you—worry can make you go to all the dark places). I worried about if I’d ever have friends here in Charlotte. In our earlier years of marriage I often worried if Josh would ever have a job he enjoyed and felt made for. So much time wasted on worry. It only steals! But God gives.

So today—Thanksgiving Day 2025–I want to say I’m mostly thankful that I’ve been able to pray with a thankful heart even in the midst of a situation with unknown outcomes. And I’m beyond grateful for the God of peace who gives the peace of God when otherwise I’d be worried sick.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My friend and I were “enjoying” the elliptical this morning after our HIIT class. We needed some catch-up time and seeing how I can’t breathe, much less speak, during the HIIT class and all the treadmills were taken by folks avoiding 40 degree temps since winter (and even snow last night!) arrived a bit early, we opted for some elliptical action.

In our chatting we both realized that we have entertained decorating for Christmas earlier than ever before this year! It seems like so many people already have their trees up; I hold no judgement about that. It just seems to be so many more people than usual! But my friend and I both have husbands that have held us off from following through. Mainly because Josh gets the tree out of the carport and it’s heavy.

I simply pondered one evening, “Do you think we should go ahead and get the tree up so when the kids come home over Thanksgiving they’ll be like, ‘Oh the holidays!’”? And Josh said in his matter-of-fact way, “No. They can come home at Thanksgiving and be like, ‘Oh it’s Thanksgiving.’ And then they can come home at Christmas and see the tree and be like, ‘Oh it’s Christmas.’”

And that was that. And he’s right. I’m usually ready for it all to be put away after a couple of weeks. The house just seems cluttered after some time has passed—so to ensure we still have the tree up on Christmas Day, he’s probably right to make us wait.

Ruby even told me most people think we’re such Grinches when she answers the question, “When do you take your tree down?” with “Christmas night if my mom has her way. The day after if we’re lucky.”

So yeah, I love Jesus and I love celebrating His birth. But all the stuff can get to me.

And I wonder why we don’t give Thanksgiving the respect it deserves? I know I, for one, need to focus way more on gratitude everyday, and even more so on a holiday set aside for just that.

HOWEVER, I ordered a small nativity that came in the mail today. It’s so cute and there’s no need to put it away with Christmas stuff when it’s just a matter of a couple of weeks til it’s all coming out. So I present you with my tiny corner of Christmas-a-little-early.

Here’s to hoping Josh doesn’t notice. Ha! What’s he gonna say, “Put the reason for the season away”?!?!? I don’t think so.

Hope you’re gearing up for a wonderful Thanksgiving! There is so much to be grateful for.