Living The Redeemed Life™

August 29, 2026August 29, 2026

As Summer Reveals Fall: The Season Of Transition

A Familiar Process

As Summer begins to exhale and Fall quietly approaches, many of us find ourselves standing in a familiar but sacred space – the “in‑between”. The “in-between” has subtle changes. For example, the sunlight will start to change, our routines will shift, and our hearts begin to prepare for what’s next in the end-of-year activities. The changing seasons remind us that God is always moving and always shaping. There are miracles in transition. It also invites us into His existence and a deeper trust.

Remembering God’s Faithfulness in Summer

Before stepping into the new, take the time to pause long enough to honor what God has done in the months behind you.

Maybe He restored something in you that had grown weary. Maybe God opened your eyes to a beauty you had overlooked. Maybe He simply gave you the breath and strength for your daily grace. Lamentations 3:21-23 NKJV says:

“This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”

Transitions introduce opportunities to do things differently. Summer may not have been perfect, but God was still present. God’s presence is always enough.

Stepping Into Fall With Renewed Purpose

Fall is a season of gathering – gathering clarity, gathering courage, and gathering the pieces of the vision God is shaping within you. It’s a time when God often calls us to refocus and re‑align as we look to finish the year well. Psalm 90:12 NKJV says –

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

As rhythms shift, let this be a season where you:

Reestablish spiritual practices that anchor your soul
Reconnect with the assignments God has placed in your hands
Release what no longer serves your growth
Lean into fresh beginnings without fear

Redeeming living involves faith in change. God doesn’t rush you into the next season — He leads you.

A Word of Encouragement for Your Heart

If you feel uncertain, stretched, or even a little unprepared for what’s ahead, hear this gently:

You don’t have to enter Fall perfectly, just faithfully.

Proverbs 3:6 says –

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

God is not asking you to have everything figured out. He is asking you to walk with Him.

A Blessing for the Season Ahead

May God give you clarity where questions linger. May He strengthen you where you feel weak. May He breathe fresh joy into ordinary days. May He surround you with a peace that steadies your spirit.

And may this Fall be a season where you see His faithfulness in new and unexpected ways.

“For He who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23

Summer may be ending, but God is beginning something beautiful.

August 3, 2025August 3, 2025

There Is Freedom In Christ

As the United States just surpassed its most recent Independence Day and looks ahead to honor the 250^th anniversary of its freedom from the rule of Great Britain in 1776, it is also a time to acknowledge the sacrifices that had to be made to achieve this liberty. Blood was shed, and courage was demonstrated to make this bold move to another continent and an unknown territory. This is something the United States acknowledges every July 4^th, and lives through constant challenges and threats to its freedom and democracy daily. It is something to not only cherish but to protect as well.

A Sacrifice That Allows Freedom

Biblically, the journey to walking in faith as a Christian has similar merits. Sacrifices were made in the death of Jesus on the Cross and His ultimate resurrection. It is a bold move for every Christian to make the first step to accept Jesus as their Savior and to walk in this “newness of life” (Romans 6:4) that is afforded by the decision. It, too, is a freedom that we must acknowledge and protect daily because of the privilege and cost associated with the salvation it brings. For those who answered the urging of the Holy Spirit, it is a decision that opened the door to true liberty that can’t be taken away.

Salvation is the unshackling of the soul, where grace breaks every chain and love restores every name. It’s the moment exile ends and belonging begins—a freedom not just from bondage, but into purpose, into peace, into the eternal embrace of mercy. The freedom experienced as a Christian is fully dependent upon the authority and power of a Savior who desires to guide your every footstep so you can have true independence…true freedom.

Choose True Freedom Today

Today, choose Jesus Christ. In doing this, you will choose a freedom that is not an escape, like the early founders of America built upon, but an arrival to a destination that was created out of love, just for you. There is freedom in Christ, so let’s celebrate the liberties that were intended for your life.

November 23, 2018

The Ups and Downs of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day signals the beginning of the frenzy of the holiday season. For some, it is a reminder of the wonderful birth of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. And for others, it is the beginning of the shopping season (and discounts) leading up to Christmas. For many, it is both! It is during this time, I am reminded of the many things I have to be thankful for. There are the obvious things like my family and my health. As I age though, these things are taking on new meanings and shapes but I am still thankful. Most days, just to be able to wake up and embrace the newness of the day is something I cherish.

The Value of My Alabaster Box

I actually started writing this blog before Thanksgiving but the emotion of the week took over. This year, I have to admit, I am struggling. I wasn’t struggling to be thankful, no, God has blessed and kept me. For some reason this year I am reminded of that delicate balance of how blessings can also have that distinction of being fulfilling and painstaking at the same time. See, for me (and many others) the Thanksgiving season is a stark reminder of those things that have passed on in life. It is a reminder of the now empty chair that used to be occupied by a loved one.

Tough Times…At Times

This is now the third Thanksgiving where all of the family’s parents (mine and my in-laws) are absent. Though we have grown accustomed to this new existence it is still a void that we busily ignore while cooking and hustling through the festivities. The week of Thanksgiving is especially hard for me because it is also the week my mother’s health took a turn for the worse and she never recovered. My mother loved the fellowship of Thanksgiving; the grocery shopping, the cooking, the crowded kitchen, she loved it! It was her lack of wanting to participate in the planning three years ago that signaled something was very wrong. She went into hospice care right after that holiday and went on to Glory shortly afterward.

I recognize this holiday season can be tough for so many of us. Though gratitude is at the core of our hearts, some of our memories have a tinge of pain connected due to loss, grief, and change. I think about the song by CeCe Winans where she sings about people not knowing the pain behind the oil in her alabaster box. I cry when I hear that song because I truly can empathize.

Hope Still Lies Ahead

It is also during these times when I also realize there is nothing in this world that God is not aware of or understands. It is during these times I cry out to Him because I trust He knows what is in my heart. When I feel the void of my mothers presence, like when I am looking for her oyster dressing recipe, He says “I know My child, I hear your tears.” It is during this time He also reminds me that she is fine with Him and it is alright to feel sad because He knows the love we had for each other. God knew what He was doing when He allowed her to have me and the feelings of grief when she passed away. He knows about the bond of mother and daughter. He knows about the grief and the emptiness we feel when family, friends, and sometimes even things, are no longer with us. God created everything and He understands. We are not alone.

Turn to God’s Word

It is during times like this I believe we have to turn to His voice in the Bible to get the strength to get through. If the holiday season is a bit tough for you – the following are points to remember to help you along:

Rejoice in all things, pray continually and be forever grateful. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
For everything, there is a season so trouble doesn’t last forever. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
God promised He will give us the strength to get through the things we face. God didn’t say life would be easy but He did say He would never leave us. (Isaiah 41:10, 1 Peter 5:10)
God can take the most heartwrenching situations and use them for good. (Romans 8:28)
God says our sacrifice of Thanksgiving is what He desires and when we call on Him, He is the one who will deliver us. (Psalm 50:13-15)

My friends, for those memories, your grief, that unwanted life change and that need that seems to be continually unfilled – God says to bring it all to Him. He understands and can carry you through. Give it to Him, with thanksgiving.

#LivingTheRedeemedLife

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018

Warning – Single Lane Ahead!

Single Lane Ahead – Now?!

Change and discipline never seem to come at the right times in life. I feel the same when I am riding along, headed to work or home and suddenly approach a “Single Lane Ahead” sign that indicates I’m getting ready to have my commute impacted. This sign is meant to be both a warning and guide. It lets us know what is coming ahead while at the same time giving us guidance so we don’t drive off the road because we’ve suddenly found ourselves on the shoulder. It is an especially important warning if there is no shoulder to drive on or, far worse, to keep us from driving in a lane with oncoming traffic! It is not meant to harm but to help and give us information to protect our safety.

This sign reminds me of many of the principles of the Bible but in a positive way. The Bible is sometimes seen as a book of ”don’ts” and many believe the Christian life is one of restriction and blandness. On the contrary, it is meant to guide us, so we can live with a sense of awareness of what could be ahead. Biblical awareness actually gives us freedom – because we know what the boundaries are. When we know the boundaries, we don’t have to worry about the consequences of going out of bounds – like driving on that shoulder or down an embankment. We can focus on living life. When we live without boundaries, though it may be fun for a moment, we risk running out of roadway and having an accident. I think about those construction zones where we are warned of the upcoming lanes narrowing to one – if we kept driving in the affected lanes we could drive right into a catastrophe which could harm us or even worse, take our lives. Living life is no different.

Abundant Living is Free Living

In John 10:10, Jesus reminds us that He came to not only give us life but one that is abundant. It is abundant – with boundaries. It is abundant with seasons of great highways (I live in the Washington, DC area so I envision the Capital beltway) but there are times God has to put single lanes ahead of us so we can focus. ‘Single Lanes’ also provide discipline as He prepares us for blessing and purpose. They can also protect us if life begins to get unruly and needs repairs (like that construction zone). You determine which way God is guiding you by praying, listening to the Holy Spirit and studying the Bible.

The next time you see one of those ‘Single Lane Ahead’ signs, heed the warning and ask God if He is trying to tell you something.

#LivingTheRedeemedLife