I empower faith-based women like you to recover well after discovering their husband's or significant others struggle with the dark places on the internet. Every Monday you'll receive encouragement and other carefully curated content to help you heal and find the freedom you desire.
Pumpkins, spice… but not all is nice
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Changing leaves. Cooler air with less humidity. Crisper mornings. Some of my favorite colors. Pumpkins, apples, and fragrant spices. I love fall. 🍂 But last evening, while watching reruns of an old favorite show, a commercial for Halloween decorations popped up. And my heart sank. Warning: here comes a little rant… I truly abhor this twist on the fall season. When I see all the spooky decorations and the winking at evil, I grieve how our culture trivializes the very real pain, suffering, and damage caused by those who have malicious intent. Now, don’t get me wrong. My kids enjoyed trick-or-treating and picking out costumes when they were young. But we avoided the grotesque, gory, or scary. We kept it lighthearted and fun. I miss that innocence. Consider Isaiah 5:20 reminds us: What sorrow for those who say And Romans 12:2 calls us to live differently: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Over the last week or so, I’ve felt God challenge my thinking as I’ve meditated on Romans 12:2. Reader, where have you allowed society’s customs to quietly shape your thinking instead of God’s Word? Reflect This fall, I choose to celebrate the beauty of God’s creation by rejecting the darkness of this holiday. When I notice the stunning colors of autumn leaves, I’m using them as a prompt to praise the Creator who gifted us with such beauty. Would you consider doing the same? If you feel overwhelmed this season, I’d love to chat with you. You are not alone. The darkness will not win because Jesus has already defeated it. Click here to schedule that chat. 🙏🏻 May I pray for you? Dear God, You are the Awesome Creator of our beautiful world. Thank you for giving life to Reader, for blessing Reader’s morning with glorious sunrises. God, you said you painted rainbows in the sky to remind us that you will never destroy the world again by a flood. If Reader struggles to see your beauty because of the darkness and pain she’s encountering, break through in her world today, God. Let Reader see your magnificence and astounding grace just for her. Amen |
Kirsten D Samuel LLC
I empower faith-based women like you to recover well after discovering their husband's or significant others struggle with the dark places on the internet. Every Monday you'll receive encouragement and other carefully curated content to help you heal and find the freedom you desire.
Whether you’re celebrating this Christmas week with snow on the ground or palm trees swaying nearby, I’m praying childlike wonder fills your heart and soul in these days ahead. God continues to amaze us. Over the last couple of weeks, he opened doors we never saw coming—again. Isn’t that just like our faithful, loving God? From providing specialized medical care for a family member to securing a permanent home for us, we’ve watched him move past every obstacle. And I’ll be honest—we struggled...
Last night an arctic blast flew through our area. It’s a rather rude reality when you step outside the door today with a reminder that winter arrived early this season. My Christmas decorations, such as they are this year, are finally up. When we moved a couple years ago, friends sent a small tabletop Christmas tree to greet us in our new home. As we set it up this year and fluffed its smooshed branches, I smiled and thanked God for these thoughtful friends. Other decorations bring back...
It’s been a week. Full of schedule changes, cancellations, appointments, and a whole lot of hurry-up-and-wait. I told Dave I feel far behind in almost every area of my life.The balls keep dropping with no end in sight. Everything feels important—thankfully not urgent—but I still struggle to meet each deadline with grace and confidence. And even though I know God is with me, leading and steadying me, the doubts still pile up. Each day, I’ve reminded myself to be grateful because God continues...