Epiphany for the Everyday

Scripture shows us that God knows what it means to come from a dysfunctional family. Join Emily as she shares about the women who led to the birth of Jesus and what that can mean for ur lives as we consider His incredible grace in the midst of our own imperfect moments of life ❤️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

Psalm 51:10-12Create 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 ❤️

If you read through the Gospels, four books written about Jesus in this world, you’ll see a lot of references to fishing. It was an important trade in many of the areas He ventured.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.

Have you ever felt like expressing your doubt was a lot like shouting a 4-letter word in church? 😬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.

Sin can be heavy.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.

Join Emily as we consider the various pit stops made by Jesus and His followers during what we now call Holy Week. Starting with praise of Palm Sunday, the times of reflection on Maundy Thursday, the pain of Good Friday, the silence of Saturday, and the celebration of Easter Sunday. It was a roller coaster of emotions for the followers of Jesus as the victory they had hoped for turned out to look an awful lot like defeat at first. It can continue to be a complication collection of experiences for us now as we navigate a broken world and can sometimes lose sight of His promises in the midst of painful circumstances.Prepare to pick up your palm branches and carry them through this week with hope in the knowledge that He has risen and continues to bring victory for each and every one of us!

Ever spilled coffee?This week I was at an event and spilled coffee on my nice white shirt.The only option was to turn my shirt around and wear it backward for the day, hiding the stains underneath my sweater. A quick fix to a messy problem.That’s life, right? Things get messy. We make poor choices and screw things up in all sorts of ways. We’re humans and it’s kinda always been our thing.If you’ve ever heard of the Israelites, you know that they were rescued from Egypt and after some ups and downs with mountains and deserts, a group of their descendants made it into the Promised Land. They were living it up in the fulfilled promise of God. But, that wasn’t enough for them.About 700 years later, disagreement broke apart this nation. They were worshipping idols and not really worshipping God anymore. So a prophet named Isaiah shows up in Judah to remind them of a few things and give them some advice. He tells them to wash until they are clean and stop doing wrong.Back in the day of the Israelites they would have talked about getting clean a lot because they had washing rituals and sacrificial practices for the cleansing of their sins.But Isaiah goes on to say something that may have been a bit confusing for them. He says that our sins are red but will be made white, like wool.Fast forward about another 700 years and there’s another prophet proclaiming a message from God. John the Baptist shouts in the desert, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”He saw Jesus and identified Him as the Lamb. The precious white Lamb.God has always wanted us to be clean. He wants the marks of sin to be removed. Before Jesus, they had ritual cleaning practices that removed the burden of sin but it ended up just being like turning their shirts around and hiding the stain for a bit. Not fully clean.Then there was Jesus. He shed His own blood as an opportunity for us to be pure and clean in a way that wasn’t possible before.From red to white, just like Isaiah said. That’s our promise. No need to hide the stains anymore.Join Emily as we talk about letting God clean the stains and the importance of protecting that new white shirt ❤️

God can turn any mess into a miracle.He has been doing it since the beginning of creation. And won’t stop now. Even when we still act a little bit like Eve. Seeking comfort and following our desires instead of staying focused on God’s goodness even when we are called to be obedient. Join Emily as she shares her parenting fails and faith lessons she is still trying to learn in this week’s episode.

It’s been 6 years since the world was flipped upside down and we all went into a lockdown phase that lasted way longer than the projected couple weeks. Regardless of your specific feelings about the pandemic and everything it has involved, I think it is fair to say that none of us are the same as we were before it all began.There’s a trend that has been going around where people list all of the significant changes that they’ve experienced in the pandemic years and it had me looking back on my own moments and memories…I graduated from seminary, shed a lot of tears, changed jobs, wrote a book, laughed a lot, adopted two dogs, gained a few pounds, lost some insecurities, salvaged a marriage that almost didn’t make it, did a few puzzles, learned how to worship without a stage, saw God show up in final breaths and first cries, heard His voice in new ways, found my voice in His name, and truly met Jesus in moments I never had been intentional enough to witness before.These years have been chaotic, but they’ve also had a beautiful quietness to them as the world was forced to slow down and hang on. I hope that there are moments too when you can notice the active presence of God in the midst of it all. It’s often in the brokenness and darkness of a world wrecked by sin that we see His light shine more clearly through the cracks 🤍

A lot has changed since MLK Jr shared that he had a dream, thankfully.But unfortunately, there is still judgement based solely on skin tone. There is still hate speech liked and shared. There are still people of power proclaiming that our differences are cause for division rather than a reason to celebrate. When does it end? How does it change? This isn’t political for me. It’s personal.I grew up in a place where I wasn’t introduced to much diversity. I didn’t know what it felt like to be the only person in a room who looked different. I didn’t understand being judged by those differences. And I definitely lacked awareness about the prejudices I held in my own heart.Since then, I have married someone who could not be more different than myself and birthed babies who don’t always share a resemblance with me. I have also intentionally stepped into places where I look different than everyone else in the room. And it has been unbelievably uncomfortable. Stretching me to understand my privilege and my prejudice. And then figuring out how to come to terms with both in a way that doesn’t cause harm to others. And it wasn’t easy. It still isn’t easy. It will probably never be easy. And I’m kind of okay with that because nothing has ever changed because it was the easy thing to do. That example has been seen throughout history. That example was lived out in the life of Jesus.Join Emily as she shares a personal story of prejudice that led to more deeply understanding the justice and mercy we are given by Christ and called to live out empowered by His Spirit.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬Have you ever been consumed by envy? Felt weighed down with jealousy? Wished that things were different just about every day? Join Emily as she shares how learning to be content changed everything. A great reminder for Lent 🤍

Lent starts tomorrow.It’s a season in the church that leads us toward the celebration of Easter.A time when we pause. Intentionally slowing down and removing distractions so that we can more clearly recognize our human nature and consider God’s grace. Life doesn’t stop. Schedules are still busy, dinner still needs cooked, kids still get sick, diapers still need changed, accidents still happen, laundry still needs done, and employers still expect you to show up and do your job.Use these next 40ish days as a pause for your soul. Give up something that consumes your attention or engage with something that leads you toward the only One worthy of your focus. Lent isn’t just about giving up chocolate. It’s about recognizing our need for Jesus. So I simply ask that you pause when you can and prepare to meet Him in these days to come 💛

Anyone else out there identify as a know-it-all every once in awhile? 🙋🏻‍♀️It’s not my favorite thing to admit, but it’s true.And the real truth is that it has led me down paths of destruction on more than one occasion. Luckily God was there to stop me in my tracks, talk some sense into me, and send me on my way with new plans and purpose. If anyone can relate to being a know-it-all caught in misguided plans of destruction, it’s Saul. Later referred to as Paul who would be the author of many books in the Bible, he started out as a murderer who wanted nothing more than to see the followers of Jesus suffer. Quite the before and after story! Join Emily as she walks us through the journey of Saul on the road to Damascus and shows us how encounters with God’s powerful Light can transform any darkness.

Why are you here?God asked Elijah that question as he hid in a cave, desperate to escape the wrath of an angry queen.Elijah was a prophet of the Lord who had just publicly stood in front of a crowd and been witness to an incredible miracle that set God apart from all the other pagan gods. It was an incredible event and he was victorious in the name of the Lord. That sounds like a reason to celebrate!So how did he end up hiding in a cave?Queen Jezebel was mad that he had defeated and murdered the other prophets so she put out a threat on his life.He was scared. So he ran away.He ended up in the wilderness and begged that his life would be over, feeling overwhelmed and defeated.Helped along the way by an angel, but still finding his way into the darkness of a cave.God finds him there and asks, why are you here?Elijah responds that everyone has messed up and he did what was right but is now left alone and in danger.God tells him to get out of the cave and stand on the mountain.There is a strong wind, an earthquake, and a raging fire that blows past the mountain.And then, in just a whisper…Why are you here?Elijah’s response is the same. But this time God tells him to go back through the wilderness and finish His work.God didn’t want him to stay in the cave. He still had plans for Elijah.Elijah was in the cave because of fear and frustration. He lost sight of the God who he had proclaimed and proven as powerful. Have you ever found yourself in a cave?Frustrated with a faith journey that did not lead where you thought it would…Join Emily as she shares how to figure out what it means to have real life faith in the midst of some recent frustrations.

God tells Noah to build a boat. People think he’s crazy, but he builds it and brings on two of every animal. The rain pours for 40 days, a dove shows them the coast is clear, and a rainbow appears in the sky to remind them of God’s promise that he’ll never do it again🌈It’s a great story, but did you know they were on the boat for over a year?! That is a long time to be floating around with a bunch of animals wondering what comes next! I would be pacing the floor and peering out the window of that ark with anxious annoyance. I know that’s how I’d act because I do that now when facing problems that don’t seem to be moving out of the way quickly enough…We still live in a broken world and still experience floods. Could be financial issues, relationship problems, health concerns, mental health struggles, and anything else that has wrecked your world. And just like the flood to the rainbow, sometimes it can take awhile for us to make it from the problem to the promise.Join Emily as she shares some of her own life experience with floods and how she has learned recognize God’s goodness through it all.

Hard you ever had a wardrobe malfunction that was totally embarrassing and maybe even kind of a little bit your own fault?Join Emily as she shares about a life-changing (🤦🏻‍♀️) incident from her elementary school days and how that moment continues to remind her of God’s provision and grace.

This season of Epiphany started last week and takes us all the way up until we start Lent.It is meant to be the time when we consider all the ways God is revealing His presence and character in the world around us. And it is also a time for us to take a look at how we respond when He does show up in our lives. Sometimes we worship like the wise men, but other times we might hide in the bushes like Adam and Eve.They had a revelation of God and they immediately hid. Believing that their mistake had ruined everything.But what we can learn from their beginning is that our stories don’t have to end with us hiding because God will always be the One who seeks. And the really good news? He already knows what you are trying to hide and looks for you anyways. Not to punish. But to pursue with love. We hide when we don’t really understand who He is. So spend some time with Emily this week as we learn together about just how incredible God can be when His light shines into our darkest hiding spots.

Every nativity scene usually has three guys holding gifts. We’re not actually sure how many there were, but we know that they were from out of town and they followed a star. Back in the day, the world was anticipating some sort of Messiah. They all had different ideas of who this guy would be, but they all expected someone to show up and save them from the perils of this world.So when this bright star popped up in the sky, a group of wise and wandering men hit the sand and traveled in the light. Believing that it was leading somewhere important.We’re told that when entering the home and seeing Jesus, they fell down and worshipped Him.In the church world, when we talk about these men and their gifts, we call it Epiphany. It’s the sudden realization of who that baby truly was and all that He meant for the world.Join Emily for a conversation about what it means to have your own epiphany moments. Whether you have been following Jesus for a long time or just starting your journey, join us as we seek the Light!

Welcome to Epiphany for the Everyday! A podcast about discovering God in the midst of ordinary life. Listeners are invited to discover new life in the midst of real life.