Welcome to my official launch for Rest in the Trench! Yes, I have been posting for 21 days. But now, I am ready to really begin making my dream a reality.
Please continue reading below, or read My Special Invitation for you, to decide if you want to hang around here for a while.
Today might be the beginning, but this website actually began in my heart a year and a half ago. I received the opportunity to speak at a local homeschool moms’ retreat. Scrolling through the list of retreat speakers, I was surprised to see my picture in their midst. (Yes, even though I had sent the picture.)
The thought that rolled through my mind was, “What in the world am I doing on this list? I’m just a regular mom in the trench of daily life.” But God’s quiet answer was, “Yes, that’s exactly the message I want you to share: Rest in the trench.”
So that’s why I am here. That simple response has blossomed into idea after idea of how we can rest in the midst of crazy, daily life. In the midst of our trench. I am here in the trench with you. The encouragement I have to share with you is for myself first. I have glimpsed the rest God has for us, and it is good!
A little bit about 21 days…
If you have read Day 1 of my 21 Days of Prayer series, you know that series was not my plan. It was a rather impulsive decision, which is not my style, but I am so glad I jumped in. This series was kind of my tithe of surrender for this website. I honestly rarely knew what I would write about until I started writing.
But oh, God was faithful! He never failed to give me words for each day’s post. I was certainly encouraged to draw closer to God’s heart through that series. If you joined me for it, I hope you drew closer to Him too. If you are just now joining me, I will have it available soon as a 21 Day Challenge available through daily e-mail delivery.
A little bit of what to expect…
Specific Focus
My focus is going to take a bit of a turn now toward moms. My heart is for moms struggling to live with joy and rest in their hearts as they serve their families. If you are not a mom, I invite you to stay anyway. God’s Word is true for every one of us, and His rest is for all. However, my stories and specific tips will focus on moms, simply because that is the life I know.
Posting Frequency
During these first couple of weeks, I will post nearly every day. I want to provide an overview of what you can expect to read here. Then you can decide if it is worth your valuable time to come back. Please do not take time from your family unless what you read blesses you and, as a result, your family also.
But I do have a family to serve myself, so I will not keep that daily pace for long. Expect a couple of posts each week after this initial season.
Launch Team
I need your help to make this online ministry a success. So I invite you to please join me in launching this website. More details will be available soon on how to join my launch team.
Technical Details
This is a learning experience for me, but the pieces are coming together. Soon, you will be able to subscribe for e-mail updates. Images might be quirky at times. There’s no telling what I might mess up along the way. So I thank you in advance for your grace as I learn something new.
A little bit of encouragement for today…
I never want you to leave Rest in the Trench without experiencing a gentle breeze of rest. The purpose of telling my story is to encourage you to draw just a bit closer to Jesus today.
As I woke yesterday morning, a simple phrase from Scripture was rolling through my mind.
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14 (NASB)
This is the reassurance God gave Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. But He has the same message for us today as we lead our families. I hear two simple truths about rest in this verse:
1) Rest is a gift.
Rest is not something we earn or produce. Chasing rest will be futile. In order to walk in rest, we must receive the gift of rest.
2) This gift comes from God’s presence.
I often think that God’s greatest promise to His people is the promise of His presence. The good news is that He is omni-present, present everywhere at once. For us to walk in His presence, we just need two things: First, a relationship with Jesus. Second, an ever-growing awareness that He is with us.
My prayer for you today is that you grow in awareness of God’s presence and receive the rest that He wants to give you today.
(If you have enjoyed this new beginning, please come back tomorrow. I will have a few questions you can ask yourself to foster rest in your heart.)
Leave a Reply