Hebrews 12:1

Also recognizing that Mother’s Day can be a complicated one, filled with a variety of emotions and experiences. Please take a moment with this prayer and consider the women you may encounter in need of a little extra grace this year….

We pray for the woman who is lost in diapers and bottles, not sure who she is without them.

We pray for the woman who held a baby in her womb but never in her arms.

We pray for the woman working toward her dreams and dropping her kids off at daycare.

We pray for the woman wondering if a child will ever be a possibility.

We pray for the woman who is loving her child through addiction.

We pray for the woman who is battling addiction herself.

We pray for the woman who doesn’t have her own children but loves the kids in her life with a joyful intensity.

We pray for the woman who shares time with her kids and misses out on moments and experiences.

We pray for the woman raising her children alone.

We pray for the woman who never knew what it was like to have a loving mom.

We pray for the woman who has raised her children and sent them off into the world.

We pray for the women who are struggling and snuggling today. We pray for the women who are filled with sorrow and those who are overflowing with joy. We pray for the women who birthed babies and those who have experienced loss. We pray for the women in our lives who have stories we don’t know and pain we may not understand. We pray for the women we have loved and lost. We pray for the motherless and the childless. We pray for the new mom and the empty nest. We pray for all the women who have taught and loved the children around them.

We pray for happiness, health, and wholeness for all women on this special day where we honor the joy-filled struggle of motherhood.

Amen

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence;

And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ❤️

The guys who fished back then would have been kind of rough and rugged. They mostly fished at night, staying out and hoping to bring back full nets in the morning. They made a good living, but had to know what they were doing. They worked hard to put food on their tables and take care of their families. Their lives revolved around fishing.

Jesus actually called some of these fishermen as His first followers, telling them to leave their boats behind because He was going to make them fishers of men.

But why would they walk away from their livelihood to follow a guy around the countryside? All they knew was fishing. Which is exactly why Jesus referenced fishing in the calling placed on their lives.

Jesus was telling them that everything they put into fishing, He wanted them to bring that into living life with Him.

All of their grit and determination, bring it.

All of their real and raw energy, bring it.

All of their expertise and knowledge, bring it.

All of their desire to care for others, bring it.

Jesus didn’t want followers who had simply been created and curated in a crispy clean church. He wanted real people to bring their real lives and follow Him.

That means that we mess up sometimes.

But guess what?

God will keep calling you. Over and over again if needed.

Peter shows us how to walk (and swim) this out better than anyone.

Never perfect, but always willing to pursue the One who is.

Join Emily as we check out his story and learn how to forgive our imperfect selves and run toward renewal.

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Join Emily this week as we explore the story of a disciple known for his doubt and the deep connection it led to when he was willing to tell God exactly what he needed to believe in that moment.

It’s easy to feel burdened and weighed down by poor choices and mistakes.

But the good news of His resurrection is that Jesus carried it all to the cross so we could lose that weight and then joins us in relationship so we can walk alongside Him and keep the weight off.

Instead of wearing our sin around like a weighted vest, we are actually meant to put His yoke on us. Allowing His strength to carry the weight and getting stronger with each step in connection to Him.

Join Emily and be encouraged to leave some weight behind this Easter season.