Mornings with Jeff & Rebecca

When my boys were little, they used to follow me around with toy lawnmowers while I cut the grass. It was cute then, but it reminds me now that people are watching how we live. I want my example to point them to Jesus.

I once thought a door had closed for good, but God made a way I never saw coming. If your plan feels like it's unraveling right now, don't assume God's plan is unraveling too.

I was ready to “teach someone a lesson” this week, but the Holy Spirit had a lesson for me instead. Proverbs 19:11 reminded me there is wisdom in being slow to anger and strength in overlooking an offense.

Sometimes Jesus gives us an assignment and our first thought is, “How is this going to work?” But He never sends us empty-handed. We have His Word, His power, and His presence for whatever He asks us to do.

I'm realizing I often pray after things go sideways, but Jesus said to “watch and pray” so we won't fall into temptation. Maybe prayer is meant to be more than a reaction. Maybe it's part of how God protects our hearts.

Have you ever tried to push two magnets together the wrong way? That invisible force pushing them apart reminds me so much of what discord can feel like. Sometimes the answer is not a new situation, but letting God flip my attitude.

My cake topper said “Best Dad Ever,” and as nice as it was, I still thought of all the ways I've fallen short. Maybe you know that feeling too. Psalm 22:19 gives us a simple prayer: Lord, You are my strength. Come quickly and help me.

Maybe my job isn't to change the world. Maybe it's to be one part of the world that is already being changed by Jesus.

The world says to hide your weakness and boast about your strengths. But Paul said he would boast in weakness so Christ's power could rest on him. I need that reminder, because God can do things through my weakness that my strength never could.

I see a yield sign almost every day, but this week it made me think about what I'm still trying to control. Jesus is in charge, not me, and I'm asking what I still need to yield to Him.

A lost aircraft was found after more than 70 years at the bottom of the ocean. It had been there all along, even though no one could see it. That made me think about heaven, and the promise that God has prepared something beyond what we can even imagine.

My coffee tumbler didn't get stained all at once. It happened little by little, one cup at a time. That made me think about the things I let settle in my heart too. Jesus brings those things into the light, and He is the One who makes us clean.

“Because you say so” may be one of the hardest prayers to pray when God is asking us to do something that doesn't make sense. But Peter's story reminds me that obedience can lead to something bigger than we can see.

The older I get, the easier it can be to get set in my ways. But Romans 12 reminds me that God is still renewing my mind and reshaping my heart, and I don't want to become rigid about the things He still wants to change in me.

Could you ever be too joyful or show too much kindness? Galatians 5 says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… and there is no law against those things.

What percent chance of rain makes you grab an umbrella? Spiritually, I don't need a forecast to know I need to be prepared. Ephesians 6 reminds me to put on the full armor of God every day.

What would you pray for this week if you only had a limit of four prayers? Thankfully, God doesn't cut us off. Because of Jesus, we can come to Him with every need, every hurt, and every worry.

Sin promises freedom, but Jesus is the only One who can actually give it.

What was missing from Noah's Ark? I had never caught this detail before, but once I saw it, it changed the way I thought about trust.

Have you ever turned on a light looking for one thing and noticed something else you really needed? That happened to me this morning, and it reminded me why Jesus calls Himself the light of the world.

A lot of my prayers start with, “Lord, I need You to…” But what about when God turns that around and says, “I need you to…”?I may not always understand why He is asking, but His plans go farther than what I can see.

The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion, but James 4 says when we submit to God and resist the devil, he is the one who flees. That changes the picture a little bit, doesn't it?

Is living for Jesus boring or exciting? I think a lot depends on whether we're actually in the game or just watching from the sidelines.

I'm quick to pray when something feels urgent, but I'm learning God wants to hear from me in the normal moments too. Prayer is not just for emergencies... It's meant to be part of the rhythm of life.

I don't have to remind my heart to beat. God is sustaining me in ways I don't even think about... and if He can be trusted with every heartbeat, He can be trusted with every worry, too.

If you had to describe God in one word, what would you say? One answer that made me pause recently was "present." There is a kind of refreshing we can only find when we remember God is with us.

When my son asked what I wanted for Father's Day, I realized I didn't really need a gift from him. I'm just grateful for his love. That reminded me of what God wants from us too.

Is there something your dad did for you that you'll never forget? I have a story like that from when I was a teenager, and it still reminds me of the way our Heavenly Father sees us, values us, and knows what we need.

It may feel like we're just scrolling, but what we watch can shape our hearts. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, so I'm asking myself: is what I'm looking at filling me with light or darkness?

I think a lot of us would love to see revival happen, but I don't know how often we think it could start with something God does through us.

You know how chips and salsa just show up at the table before you even order? It got me thinking about grace... something freely given, not earned, and more than enough for everyone.

When you think about the size of the universe, it's easy to feel tiny. But Psalm 8 reminds me that the God who made the moon and stars is still mindful of us.

You know that feeling when you run into an old friend and realize it's been way too long? Sometimes I feel that with Jesus too. The good news is He's always inviting us back.

I'm really good at saying, “Let me handle this.” But I'm learning the better prayer is, “Lord, show me.”

Faith is not just something we say we have. It shows up in how we live, how we respond, and how we treat people when it's not easy. That's the kind of evidence I want growing in my life.

Remember being warned about your "permanent record" in school? The truth is, we all have things we can't erase on our own... but Jesus cancels the record against us and nails it to the cross.

I don't think about the return of Jesus as often as I should. Hebrews 10 reminds me that gathering together as believers helps keep that hope and urgency in front of us. Jesus is coming back... and that changes how we live today.

If change depended only on my willpower, I'd be in trouble. Thankfully, God doesn't just ask us to try harder… He gives us His power to do His will.

Watching whales come up for air reminded me of something I need too. We live in this world, but we need life from above… time with God, away from the noise.

I still remember almost taking the “chicken exit” before my first roller coaster. Funny how fear can do that in life too… especially when we need to be honest, confess, or bring something into the light. But on the other side of that fear, God offers freedom.

Some days you just don't feel it. Psalm 42 reminds me that even when my heart feels heavy, I can still find my hope in the Lord.

Praise comes pretty naturally when life is good. But Paul and Silas praised God from prison, before anything changed. That kind of trust challenges me.