Mornings with Jeff & Rebecca

Some mistakes are expensive, and I don't want to keep paying for the same ones over and over. Proverbs 12:1 reminds me that God's instruction is a gift, and I want to be willing to learn from Him.

My first response to being wronged is not always Christlike. But Romans 12 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

If you're in a season you never would have chosen, it may feel like Jesus is far away. But the disciples were never out of His sight in the storm, and neither are you. God can grow faith even in troubled waters.

I wonder what God sees when He "peeks in" on my heart. Am I complaining about blessings? Resisting His instruction? Matthew 6:33 reminds me to seek Him first, even when obedience is not what I had planned.

I thought I had been hacked, and for a minute, I panicked. But it reminded me of something Romans 8 says is always secure: nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

I saw a video of people running after a ferry they were supposed to be on, but it was already too late. It made me think about the people in my life who still need to hear about Jesus. Romans 10 reminds me: how can they hear unless someone tells them?

Romans 12:12 says to be "joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." That middle part is hard for me, but I'm learning that waiting on the Lord is not wasted time.

All the stories being shared about Dolly Parton made me ask myself a simple question: am I leading with love? Galatians 5 reminds me that love is the fruit of the Spirit.

The enemy loves to remind us of who we used to be, but the apostle Paul's story reminds me that our past is not the final word.

When life knocks the wind out of you, it's natural to want answers right away. But Isaiah 41:10 reminds me that God starts with this promise: “I am with you.”

I read a prayer that challenged me: “God, if it's not Your will, let it slip through my grasp, and give me the peace not to worry about it.” That's a brave prayer, but maybe it's exactly the kind of trust I need.

I started making a list of everything that needed fixing, and my anxiety kept growing. Then Psalm 46:10 reminded me: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

When my kids were away from home, I always loved hearing they represented our family well. It made me think about my own life as a child of God. While I'm away from my heavenly home, am I representing my Father by loving others well?

I can try to draw a straight line freehand, but it's always a little off. Life is that way too. Proverbs 3 reminds me I need more than my own understanding... I need the Lord to make my path straight.

When my family moved after fourth grade, I thought I was only losing what I knew. Years later, I realized God used that move to lead me to the friend who would invite me to church. If you're in a season you don't understand, God may still be doing more than you can see.

Pictures of an eclipse are one thing, but experiencing it for yourself is completely different. I think the same is true with Jesus.

That old hand pump at my great-grandmother's house taught me something about prayer... Just because the water didn't come out right away didn't mean the well was dry. 

I tried to prank my son Tyler by cutting his pizza into tiny squares... and he thanked me for it. Not the reaction I expected, but it reminded me how powerful the right response can be.

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.