Daily Devotionals

Welcome to 2025 – Wow, it still feels surreal that we’re halfway through this decade, doesn’t it? 2020 doesn’t feel that long ago and I have a feeling 2030 will be here before we know it! But for now, let us focus on what is right in front of us, the year 2025! Perhaps you have some New Year’s resolutions you’re focused on? Health. Career. Financial. Relational. Mental. Personal. Although plans are often necessary for success in any area of...

Good Morning! I just want to start by saying how thankful I am that you’re here and a part of this community. I’d like to share something with you this morning. This week hasn’t gone as planned. Some challenges came up, and Josh and I have been reaching for His perfect peace to cover us. In the midst of it, a little something showed up on my nightstand — a page from “Breath as Prayer”, which pairs scripture-centered prayers with...

Saturday morning I had some alone time, so I sat down with my coffee, a blanket, and my bible to spend time with Jesus. (It had been a long week and emotionally I was running on empty. So my hubby took our kiddos and disappeared for an hour. God bless him!) Not two minutes in, before I could even open the Word, I was struck by the sunlight streaming into the windows and bouncing off my coffee table. It was...

HAPPY NEW YEARto our special RC Cares community! Welcome to 2025! It’s time to leave 2024 and step into what God has for each of us this new year. We’d love to cover you in prayer today. Please read this and imagine yourself letting go of the past year… it’s ok. Let it go. If you try and carry everything, your arms and mind will be too cluttered to embrace what God has for you next. Open your arms. Let’s...

Change I like the familiar in my life and I’m comfortable with my routines. Safe is another way of putting it. But with a whole new year ahead of us, it’s natural to think about change. Can our world get more chaotic? What’s next? Can I handle illness or financial setbacks or broken relationships? What then? Can I do anything to make 2025 better, safer or more secure than 2024 for me and my family? Some changes ahead will make...

Dear Jesus, It’s that time of year again when we’re thinking and singing a lot about you. But there are some things I’m wondering about. See, nothing was written about you between your birth and when you were 12 and you scared Mary and Joseph into thinking they had lost the Messiah! We do know you were a helpless baby when you were born. And you had to grow through all those messy, clumsy baby and toddler stages. But did...

Wow, just like that — it’s over! The preparation, decorating, cookie-baking, shopping, gift-giving, anticipation… all over in what feels like a blink of an eye! In the past, I have suffered from a crash of the Christmas high with a few days of the winter blues. If that’s you right now, you’re not alone … I’ve been there! But a few years ago, I started something new that seems to have relieved most of my post-Christmas sadness — I take...

You know what I’m not especially good at? Asking for help. I like to do things on my own. In my own strength. Without assistance. Solo. For some reason, my default mindset says that if I can do it without help, I am strong. Therefore, I find myself carrying loads I was never meant to carry alone. Like on Saturday, when I made a grocery run and carried all ten bags into the house by myself… and all my boys...

I blew it again! Once more it’s that traditional time of year when we set ourselves up for failure. At least I do. Like the year my New Year’s resolutions included losing 10 pounds and getting in shape. So I gained 15 pounds and gave up my Olympic dream of women’s gymnastics.* Just kidding. I gained 20! So what is it with resolutions? Why do we make them year after year? And what’s the magic in breaking out a new...

Merry Christmas to all of our friends on our Rachels Closet Cares page! Thanks for being here, sharing in community, and passing along encouragement that is found in Christ. We have a simple message for you today~ Pause… Take heart… Amidst the chaos, carve out a quiet moment with the Lord… breathe in His LOVE for you. Connect with Him. He was born for YOU! Allow Him to be re-born in your heart today. Christmas reminds us that in the...

This year, as I read the Christmas story in Luke 2 to my little boys, the character that stood out to me was the innkeeper. You know, the guy in Bethlehem who told Mary and Joseph he had no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7 explains: “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took...

Ahhh, there’s nothing like a fresh snow fall to que the jingle bells, am I right? With Christmas just around the corner, I can’t help but be excited for this beautiful dusting of snow we just got here in central Minnesota! I took a walk to soak it in yesterday and stood amazed at what our God can do! The beauty in nature is so simple yet truly marvelous Between the bright lights and shiny presents, it’s easy for our...

One of my favorite prophecies about Jesus was written 700 years before his birth. It contains some of the most wonderful names and promises about who Jesus would be for us. Every single one of them has come true!Isaiah 9:6-7 proclaims:“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.His government and its peace will never...

Between the full calendars and the to-do lists, the holiday season can leave us running ragged.If we’re not careful, the hours turn into days and before we know it, Christmas will have come and gone. I’ve noticed that when I’m in a hurry, things seem to slip by me without much notice. Intentionality can go out the window and I can find myself going through the motions on autopilot.I don’t know about you but that’s not the way I want to...

Ashley Lind <ashley.ann.lind@gmail.com> 2:06 PM (3 minutes ago) to me Good Morning!!!I recently came across an analogy that has really helped me. It was in a book we have at the store about cancer, but I’ve used it for other challenges, and it has been such a helpful perspective. I hope this is encouraging to you this morning.The analogy is this: it’s like a teenager’s messy room. You know the mess is there—it’s part of the house, and it might need attention. But...

“More like Mary, less like Eve…”Each Christmas season as I set up my nativity, I choose one of the “figurines” in the manger scene and try and spend the season contemplating and praying from their unique perspective. It keeps the Advent season fresh and meaningful every year.  It also helps me examine my own life and learn to ditch useless attitudes and grow in new ways by being challenged by what the biblical characters reveal to us in the gospel...

My schedule feels crazy.It’s basically nonstop from now until New Years.In fact, I’m a bit overwhelmed at the amount that I have to do in the next few weeks. Can anyone relate?I love Christmas but it’s definitely extra!!!Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I find it so easy to get distracted from what really matters and drown in my to-do list! Before I know it, Christmas doesn’t even feel like it’s about celebrating Jesus’ birth or the God...

For Thanksgiving, I received a Christmas devotional from a sweet family member. It is called, “Be of Good Cheer” by Susan Hill.I’ve had different Advents and devotionals in the past but this year I added a new stipulation to my readings. I would either take time to slow down and read the message with full focus or I wouldn’t read it at all.Some of you may not agree with this method but my Type A personality can often get caught...

Good morning!I can’t take credit for this picture—I saved it to my phone awhile ago and don’t even know where it came from. But every time I see it, I’m reminded of the invitation Jesus gives us:“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”Every worry. Every frustration. Every disappointment, struggle, fear, insecurity, regret, unmet expectation, or lingering doubt. Every single thing that feels too heavy to carry.Jesus doesn’t just offer to help—He...

Every year, some of my sister-in-laws, nieces, daughter, and special friends gather for annual Christmas cookie baking.On Sunday, there were 9 of us baking up a storm! Literally, “You could eat off my floors” was an understatement- it didn’t take long for the counters, tables, and floors to be littered with  ingredients:sprinkles, flour, sugar, splats of egg, cream cheese, butter, and enough powered sugar to write your initials in!I am always amazed by how all of the separate ingredients come...

Sweet Friend,This is a reminder that you are valuable.YOU.Messy, imperfect, you.Not just the photo-shopped, perfect make-up, have-it-all-together you.The you that doesn’t make the highlight reel.The you that makes a lot of mistakes.The you that was really hurt by someone, or was rejected by someone.The you that feels unworthy.The God of the Universe loves every part of you! There is nothing you can do, or have done, or has happened to you, that changes your value in the eyes of your...

All I want for Christmas …So last week we focused on giving thanks to God for all his blessings… as we should every day of our lives.Ah but we forget. Just like the Israelites. I remember wondering what on earth was wrong with those people. God performed miracle after miracle for them — plagues to convince Pharaoh to release them from slavery, parting the Red Sea, providing food like clockwork every day for years in their wandering, etc. — but...

Good Morning, Ladies – I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving and happy shopping to those Black Friday friends in the group! (If you haven’t heard… Rachel’s has a pretty awesome sale going on today too so make sure you check it out!) Anyways, yesterday as we were driving home from gathering with family, the song “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns came on the radio. I believe I have shared about this song before but for those who don’t...

Ever felt stuck in your prayer life because of your locked up emotions or circumstances?I recently attended a gathering with women where I learned more about the power and practice of ADORATION to God. Since then, I have been intentionally practicing this type of prayer and have noticed how much it helps me with my everyday human “problems” and feelings.Adoration is simply a type of prayer that involves praising God for WHO He is… a way to recognize and worship...

It’s been a week.One of those weeks I am glad is over and done.Honestly, it felt like if it could go wrong…it did.Have you ever had a week like that?To top it off, I fell down the stairs and now I am covered in bruises and get to wear this fancy brace on my wrist.F.U.N.I was having a bit of a pity party yesterday morning when I read this verse:Psalm 103:1-5“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my...

Just breatheSo what was your first word? Mama? Dada? According to a sermon I clicked on the other day while internet surfing, it was neither of those.Your very first word was God’s name — Yahweh.In Hebrew tradition,Yahweh is the most holy name for God. A little research revealed that Jewish sages associated the covenant name of God — Yahweh — with breath and when pronounced, the name itself is the sound of breathing.I hadn’t exactly thought of this before, but...

Yesterday my daughter and I went on a fun little shopping trip!We needed a couple of things to complete our Christmas home decor and decided to make a day out of it On the way home, I could tell my daughter was pooped out from all the fun! As a seven-year-old, she rarely naps anymore but I encouraged her just to relax on our forty-five-minute drive home.I explained that sometimes it’s important to just sit quietly with God and our thoughts....

Good Morning!Over the weekend, Josh was outside tending a big fire from the brush we had cleaned up after all the storms. The fire burned just outside one of our daughters’ windows. She has a fear of fires, so you can imagine how her mind ran wild. She called Josh with a million questions: What if the fire spreads? What if the house catches on fire? Are we safe?Josh patiently reassured her over and over, answering her questions and assuring...

I slipped away on a little vacay with a couple girlfriends. This break has been very special.  Visiting the ocean always sparks a refreshed perspective of My Heavenly Father.I love how the ocean makes me feel small…in such a good way.As I stand in front of such a magnificent, beautiful, and powerful body of water, I consider what I know to be true:1. My God CREATED the heavens, the earth, the stars, the oceans… “He has no equal” (Isaiah 40)And...

My family got to spend last weekend in San Fransisco visiting our oldest daughter, Alivia. She is currently living and training there to become a professional ballerina. While we were traveling we got to see her perform, eat delicious food, and hike through Muir Woods.If you have never seen it, Muir Woods is an incredible sight. The famous Redwood trees stand several hundred feet tall and they grow on the side of a mountain. They are majestic! The whole forest...

Let’s talk turkeyWay back in my growing-up-in-Braham days, Dad raised turkeys, which makes me his last turkey still standing. So I am credentialed; I have lived among the flock; I earned my feathers. I am qualified to judge other turkeys.Admittedly, this devotional likely results from a NyQuil OD, but still, let me tell you about one amazing turkey I met after moving back to this area. His name was Thanks, and he lived out his last years with friends of...

Earlier this week, I was listening to a Christian conversation about marriage.Radio host Jim Daly from Focus on the Family interviewed a husband and wife who were sharing their raw and vulnerable story.They spoke about going through different challenging times in their marriage and how their viewpoints varied. It was very relatable as many marital trails are.Then they got to the good part – The part where God really stepped in!Both the husband, Dave, and the wife, Anne, got to...

Good morning, Ladies!I’m currently reading Waking Up to the Goodness of God by a dear friend, Susie Larson. There’s a question she was once asked, and it hasn’t left my mind since. So I want to ask you this morning: “If tomorrow you possessed only what you thanked God for today, what would you have?” As Susie said, “It’s a piercing question. An important one.” And I wholeheartedly agree!The truth is, if the enemy can’t tempt us, he often tries...

Good morning friends!I found myself in the book of Micah this morning. In my reading, I came across a more familiar passage that stopped me in my tracks (again)! It’s so simply stated, and yet, profound.  And it’s worth putting on repeat. Some call it the “Micah Mandate”... We don’t need to wonder about how God wants us to live!“He has shown you what is good. And what does the LORD require from you?  To act justly, to love mercy,...

This weekend, I was power cleaning the house and found my 7-year-old son’s special notebook amidst a giant pile of his toys.In my rush to get everything put back in its place, I almost missed the sweet messages of his bright pink post-it notes.However, as I was stuffing it in a drawer, I paused to read his musings and I am SO GLAD I did.As you can see in the picture I posted, his little heart has been contemplating some...

Good morning!Normally, Mary Ann kicks off the week by writing to our group on Mondays, but she is feeling under the weather. Let’s all pray she is feeling better soon!Mondays are a great day to launch a fresh mindset to anchor our week. I thought we could spend a little time on mindset today.We will all fight internal thought battles of some kind this week. Perhaps you are fighting one right at this moment.It’s important to identify and name the thought...

Something about the month of November is hitting me differently this year.In the past, it’s as if I sprinted out of October and landed right into December. Sure, November has Thanksgiving but as a Black Friday traditionalist, that holiday has always put more emphasis on Christmas than Thanksgiving in my extended family.There’s also that little thing called, daylight savings time, which has never been my favorite. The decrease of sunlight and day time hours has even left me feeling kind of depressed...

GOOD MORNING Yesterday, I had the gift of a few hours alone with my youngest daughter, Cora. As we drove to pick up my oldest, she said, “Mommy, today was the best day ever! I loved spending the day with you!”  Her sweet words touched me deeply, especially because we didn’t do anything extravagant. We were simply together—cuddling, talking, and just enjoying each other’s company without distractions.As I thought about her sweet comment, it made me reflect on my relationship with Jesus....

We learned in the middle of the night that the majority of Americans are celebrating a victory this morning! And as always, there remain those who are disappointed by the election results.It’s a great time to remind ourselves as Christians that the political narrative isn’t driving our behavior…the BIBLICAL NARRATIVE is. According to Paul, as he spoke to the church at Colossae in Colossians, 3:13- and the church of Ephesus in Ephesians 4:2- We are to “bear with one another in...

Today is Election Day.Oh buddy!No matter what happens today, or who takes the vote, here’s your reminder that God is still on the throne.He reigns Supreme over all of creation.He is Sovereign.He is GOOD and he is in control.Psalm 89:6-14 proclaims:“For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD? What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD?The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.O LORD God...

Voting .… Then what?Phew! It’s almost over.Or is it just beginning?And by “it” I mean all the anger, lying, bitterness, blame gaming, cheating, accusations, violence, distrust … and if I had a thesaurus handy I’d list more of what we’ve been immersed in for years.Are you as tired of politics as I am? Oh yes, I do have some very strong beliefs and I’m a bit of a political animal. Even so, I’m weary of it all and frankly unsure...

Tis the season As Minnesotians, we know the snow is coming, yet it still seems to invoke some strong reactions, doesn’t it?We have people cranking Christmas tunes while others are googling rental properties in Florida – vsWhich are you??Yesterday, our puppy Leroy had his first ever run in with winter weather!At first, he was very timid. He stood nervously at the open door, taking it all in slowly.But once he took his first leap, he was sold! There was no hiding his...

Good morning!! You’re probably wondering why I’m sharing a picture of some china. Well last weekend, my family and I stopped by an estate sale. The yard and garage were filled with tools and equipment. But I wanted to see what was inside:) So the estate sale lady graciously allowed us a sneak peek inside before it opened to the public.As we walked in, we were a little taken back. The couple who lived here, well into their 80s, had just...

Good morning!!I recently read a story by author Bill Frye that really got me thinking. He reflected on a time when he was an 11 year old boy.  He was given the task to remove a stump from the family’s front yard. He dug, and hacked, and pried and sweated and struggled to remove the stubborn stump. Hour after hour he labored and toiled on it. He used shovels, axes, saws, pry bars and all of his might, but the...

I sent this to a warrior friend who has been battling for a long time. May it encourage this amazing group of ladies too:This weekend I was weary- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I had a huge week and it took everything I had, so by the weekend I was an empty vessel.In my quiet time, I spent many hours researching the story of Elijah the prophet…mostly because I had seen a meme that said: “Remember that time Elijah wanted to...

Boo!Every year, October 31 presents a great debate for me. Is Halloween an innocent, fun holiday for kids (and those of us who still love to play dress-up)? Or is it satan’s holiday that has grown darker year by year as a celebration of evil and an enticement for the vulnerable? I don’t know where you stand, but this is the current state of my quandary.Doesn’t it seem like whenever we give satan an inch, he takes 666 miles?On the...

Good Morning, Ladies and Happy Friday!This week, our family has been preparing for an annual Fall gathering we host at our house. Family and friends come for food, yard games, and a hayride and as any party, there is always prep work that needs to be done Yesterday I had planned to have a full, productive day of checking off all the things. But as it happens, I woke up feeling under the weather This little cutie (pictured ) not only took care...

Good morning!I wanted to share something that has made a huge difference for me this week, it’s called breath prayers. It might sound too simple, and at first I wasn’t sure how much it would help, but it’s been so helpful in easing my anxiety. You combine a short prayer with your breathing, which helps calm your thoughts and refocus on God’s promises.Here’s the breath prayer that’s been helping me:Inhale: ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’Exhale: ‘I have all that I...