“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4

When my first child was placed in my arms he wrapped his little fingers around my heart and never let go.

As I watched this little man grow, I delighted in his sweet way of wrapping his chubby little arms around my neck, the way he looked at life, his sorrow over the “broken moon”.

God gives us a promise in Psalm 37:4 but there’s also a condition to the promise. Do you see it? In order to get our heart’s desires, we must delight in our God.

Unreserved. Outrageous. Audacious. Delight.

Delight in the way He knows us best and loves us most, the way He cares for us in our brokenness, the way He reveals Himself to us, the way He satisfies our deepest longings.

And the more we delight in Him the more our desires become His desires. We want what He wants. We can’t get enough of Him. Our hearts are satisfied.

But when we neglect keeping company with God, all sorts of overwhelming desires clamor for our attention. Each calling out in their own way, claiming to feed our need for identity, worth, and importance. Each promising satisfaction but never seeming to satisfy.

Why do we choose the temporal over the eternal? Why do we delight more in a ballgame or burger than in our Creator?

Awake my soul, O Lord! Teach me to follow hard after You. Let me delight in Your presence more than anything else. May my desires become Your desires for You are the One who satisfies fully, loves completely, and never lets go. Amen.

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post Awake My Soul can be found at Thoughts about God.

Islands seem so romantic.  The gentle sea breezes and the soothing sound of the waves crashing on shore.  The breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. The peace-no hustle and bustle of the mainland.

And yet, an island can also hold us captive.  If we have no way of getting off, we might not be in a 5’x5’ cell but we’re prisoners just the same.  Stuck, going round and round but never accomplishing anything. When the storms come, we’re sitting ducks with no place to run. Isolated and alone.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to an Island.  It wasn’t the kind with gentle breezes and the soothing sound of waves.  Oh no, this Island was one of my own making.  It was the Island of “What If?”  Have you ever been there?  What if I don’t get that job?  What if my children grow up to be drug addicts and alcoholics?  What if I’m forgotten?  What if it’s cancer?  What if they don’t like me?  What if I fail?  What if God fails me?  Round and round we go in the “What If’s?”  Held captive, not in a 5’x5’ cell but a prisoner just the same.  The Island of “What If?”

When we allow the “What If’s” to rule our lives, we run round and round never accomplishing anything.  We’re stuck and we wonder why.

“What If’s?” allow fear to run rampant in our lives and keep us from trusting the One who holds us in the palm of His hand. (Our lives are in His hands and He keeps our feet from stumbling.  Psalm 66.9)

“What If’s?” isolate us.

“What If’s?” keep the focus on us. “

What If’s?” hinder us from knowing our God.  (But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things.  I, the Lord, have spoken!  Jeremiah 9.24)

“What If’s?” hold us captive and hamper us from embracing the beautiful plan God has for us.  (“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29.11)

But there is HOPE!  We no longer have to live on the Island of “What If?”; this Island of shifting sand and endless anxiety!  God wants to lift us up out of this muck and mire and place our feet on solid ground.  (I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire and He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalm 40.1-2)

Today is the day to leave the Island of “What If?”!   Call out to Him, put Your hand in the hand of the One who loves you (. . . Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15.5) and experience FREEDOM, it’s what Jesus gave his life for!

By Kristi Huseby
used by permission

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The post The Island of `What If’s?’ can be found at Thoughts about God.

Do you have a substitute god in you life?

They say that there are two different kinds of people in the world – those who eat to live and those who live to eat.  I confess I am of the latter persuasion!

I love food.  I love to think about food, to cook food and to plan special occasions around food.  I don’t eat emotionally or to salve a deep dark problem in my life.  I eat, plain and simple; because it gives me great pleasure – at least for a little while and then it’s time to eat again.  What I’ve noticed is that the more I eat the less I’m satisfied and that in order to be satisfied I have to eat more and more.

I’ve known this to be a problem for most of my life.  And to be perfectly honest it’s an area that I have not wanted to relinquish.  I mean seriously, I have given over to God so many things in my life – submission to my husband, my children, my possessions, etc. that I have wanted to hang on to this one area in my life.  My rationalization went like this – this is a physical issue, not a spiritual one so I’ll just handle it on my own, I don’t need to bring God into this, He’s got so many more significant issues to deal with, I’m sure He doesn’t have time for this petty little problem.

So on my own, I have tried all kinds of methods to control this issue in my life.  I’ve tried dieting (from cabbage soup diet to Weight Watchers), reading books, prayer (I’ve even resorted to begging God to “heal” me).  But each one has fallen short.  Some of them worked for a while – I even lost 30 pounds with one of the diets but eventually all the weight came back and more and I was worse off than before.

Every time I would diet, there was a sense that I was not getting at the root of my issue.  It was such a battle to deny myself.  I felt hungry all the time and then eventually I would get worn down and give up in defeat.

Just recently I started doing a Bible study on Overeating and for the first time I’m allowing God to get at the heart of this issue and let me tell you it has been humbling and freeing!

I have come to acknowledge that I have a substitute god in my life.  (It pains me to say it but it’s true.)  God has created each one of us with this inner desire to be filled by Him but we often choose to allow other things to fill that hole in our life and that was exactly what I was doing.  I was allowing food to fill me rather than God and that’s why I have been so dissatisfied and have needed more and more to keep me happy.

You see substitute gods TAKE, TAKE, TAKE.   They take your time, your energy, your thoughts, your money, your focus, your purpose . . . If they give it’s only temporary and then it leaves you needing and wanting more and more and more.  That’s what this god was doing in my life.  I was bowing down to the god of pleasure, worshiping and accepting it as lord in my life.

Through the study of God’s Word, He has shown me that I need His sorrow for my sin and His repentance.  I now know that this area of my life is sin.  Before I called this problem in my life everything but sin and by not confessing and relinquishing this area in my life I have experienced frustration, anger and defeat.

Joel 2.12-13 says;  That is why the Lord says,

“Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.“

Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He is eager to relent and not punish.

Repentance is good but hard!  And praise God that He loves us in spite of our failures, in spite of choosing a substitute god over Him!  And each day I’m experiencing His amazing grace as I continue to give this issue in my life back to Him and accept His forgiveness.

I cannot end this article without asking you . . . Do you have a substitute god in your life?  Are you bowing down to the god of Pride?  Pleasure?  Self-righteousness?  Is there an area in your life that you have been unwilling to relinquish and submit to God?

I’m here to tell you, it’s not worth it!  Sin only brings shame, sorrow, frustration and guilt but God is ready and waiting to release you from the bonds of your sin and to set you free!  There is so much joy and freedom and He is patiently waiting.

Romans 2.4 says, Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?  Does this mean nothing to you?  Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from sin?

So trade in that substitute god for the REAL ONE – it’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made!

by Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post Substitute God can be found at Thoughts about God.

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12,( NLV)

My Marine son has a Latin saying tattooed on his arm – SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM. It means,

“If you want peace, prepare for war.”

I’ve thought long and hard about that statement.

If a country desires peace they must have an army, armed and prepared, to protect its citizens from those who desire to overtake it.

Soldiers rigorously train for battles they may never face, in order to keep their country secure and safe. But what happens to a country when its army is ill-equipped, poorly trained and undisciplined? It is left vulnerable to attack. In order for peace to be achieved a country has to be ready for war in every way.

During my son’s 12-week Marine Basic Training his drill sergeants wanted their platoon to be the very best at everything they did. That meant that every man had to be excellent. If one member fell behind, they all would pay the price. My son’s platoon would drill 8-9 hours straight in order to achieve best platoon in drilling. They were right on track for taking first place for top platoon overall but when they got to the rifle range something happened – their shooting was off and they finished in second place. Their drill sergeant lined them up in their barracks and began to scream and yell at them for taking second place. He was so mad that he took their second place trophy and threw it out the window! And then he said,

“There is no second place in war! You are either first or you’re dead!”

As followers of Christ, we are in a war!

We have an enemy that hungers for our souls and preys on our weaknesses. He seems to find all the places that we are vulnerable, or ill equipped. One of his best tactics is to get Christians to think they are at peace when they really are at war, to catch them unprepared and untrained for battle.

We need to be prepared for the battle. We cannot let down our guard, we must be strong and alert! But what does that look like in our life as a follower of Christ? We must train just like a soldier does – we need to learn God’s Word and be ready to use it. Jesus used Scripture in defeating Satan when he was tempted. We need to not just read it but apply it to our lives. God’s word needs to be an integral part of our everyday life!

We must develop our relationship with God. We need to know who He is so that we can place our trust in Him even when we don’t understand what’s happening or can’t see the way. The Bible calls us to walk by faith. Notice that in the first part of those verses it says that we are to be strong in the Lord and that we are to draw our strength from Him. We cannot do it on our own – we need His power, His strength and His might.

If you want peace in your life as a Christian, you must prepare for the battle.

Father, My strength is in You alone. When I am tempted to believe that I can handle this on my own, gently remind me that the battle is Yours. Help me to faithfully study Your word so that I can know You better. Amen

Question: Are you aware and ready to fight spiritual battles in your life?

by Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post If You Want Peace, Prepare For War can be found at Thoughts about God.

It’s 2026!  

A clean slate.  A fresh start.  A blank canvas.  Just waiting to be written on.  What will you and I become this year, I wonder?

To be honest, I hesitate to make New Year’s resolutions because I rarely make it through January before they’re broken.  Discouragement gives way to hopelessness and I wonder if I will ever resolve to do anything that costs me very much.

But this year, I was recently challenged to consider letting go of the New Year’s resolutions and instead choose “One Word” to give my attention to throughout the whole year.  I was encouraged to reflect on the kind of person I want to become by the end of the year.  It’s not about making external changes but internal ones.

It’s about the heart.

As I envisioned what I want to be, I began to write out heart struggles that I long to have victory over:

I want to celebrate other peoples success without wishing it was for me.

I want to be Holy Spirit-driven rather than self-driven.

I want to be an open book, with nothing to hide.

I want to be a lover of God, craving time alone with Him.

I want to embrace the life God has for me, instead of wishing I had someone else’s.

As I reflected, I discovered my one word . . . Undivided.  Undivided in my love for God, undivided as a follower of Christ, undivided in my passion for Him.

“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”  Psalm 86.11

My focus and my attention, as I travel through this year will be to have a heart that is Undivided.

So what about you?   Will you take up the challenge and discover your One Word to be intentional about?

What needs to change in your heart?   What person do you want to become this year?

Have you been discouraged with your New Year’s resolutions in the past?  Why not take some time today to discover One Word and a Scripture verse that will challenge you all throughout the year.  Here’s a website that I found to be really helpful in this journey:
My One Word.

May this be the year, we all look more like the Christ!

By Kristi Huseby
used by permission

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“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Luke 6.27-30

These days we toss the word LOVE around so casually. “I love football games, and ham sandwiches. I love movies that make me laugh and cry. I love hamburgers and apple pie. I love my spouse. I love my kids. I love God.”

Jesus calls His followers to a love that is way beyond casual.

It’s Crazy. Supernatural. Foolish.

It’s a love that goes outside the norm and takes our breath away. A love that is costly and knows no limits. A love that is bold and unexpected. A love that is lavish and expects nothing in return.

We’re not only to love like this but we’re to love our ENEMIES like this!

Do we love the one who left us for someone else? The one who held our heart in their hands and carelessly discarded it? The one who stole our innocence? The one who emptied us of all we are emotionally, mentally and physically?

How can we love like this?

We can’t! Humanly speaking, it’s impossible to love like this. But our God is the God of the impossible. He specializes in doing the unexpected, the astonishing! And He has implanted this crazy, foolish, transcendent love in our hearts that enables us to do what we could never do on our own!

His love enables us to love extravagantly, unconditionally, lavishly! Will you open your heart to this love the Father has for you and then let it overflow into the hearts of your enemies and friends alike?

Lord, we readily admit that we are frail and human, that our pain and hurt often get in the way of our love. We need you. Our love is fickle but Your is faithful. Our love is conditional but Yours carries no conditions. Our love is frivolous but Yours is purposeful and extravagant. Teach us to love like You love. Amen.

Today, Find an opportunity to show Christlike love to someone you usually overlook.

Kristi Huseby
used by permission

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“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.” Psalm 59:16-17

I was cleaning my house getting ready for company when the phone rang.

“Ma’am your son has been arrested for shoplifting.”

My whole world came to a standstill. The pain was excruciating, the shame unbearable, the isolation overwhelming.

What do you do with a son who is 17 and arrested for shoplifting? What do you do when he comes home and wants to go to a friend’s house? What did I want to do? Ground him for the rest of his life!

I knew rationally that it wasn’t my fault he had made this choice, but my emotion-wracked heart screamed just the opposite. “You’re a FAILURE! As a mom, as a person, as a follower of Jesus. Why did you ever think you could raise a child?”

My husband and I were so empty. There’s no manual for things like this. No guide book. No answers. No place to hide.
We had nowhere else to turn but God. The emptiness drove us to our knees.

And we discovered He was there for us every step of that difficult journey. He didn’t remove the pain, but He did fill us with His peace. He didn’t take away the brokenness, but He used it to turn our hearts towards Him. He didn’t absolve the consequences of my son’s actions, but God did work everything out for good!

I’ve learned to choose Jesus no matter what. It’s the only way to truly live!

Holy Spirit, we need You. Come and fill us with Your power. Be our Comforter. You don’t promise us an easy carefree life with no troubles, no pain, no sorrow. But You do promise to be with us. Teach us to turn to You, to depend upon Your strength and power as we journey this difficult road of life. We choose You! Amen.

Thought: Maybe you can relate to feeling like you’ve failed. The Bible never says that God won’t give us more than we can handle. But He does promise us His Holy Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot. How are you trying to handle the difficult situation in your life? Write out a prayer of surrender. Give everything over to God and choose to trust Him in your trial.

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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I have friends, maybe you’re one of them, who can look at an old dilapidated table found at a flea market and envision what it would like in their house with a little tender loving care.  But when I look at the same old table, I see something that should’ve been hauled off to the dump a long time ago.

I struggle to see beauty in junk.  And I find myself believing God feels the same way about me.

Then, I remember Peter.

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest followers. Just hours before Jesus was captured and crucified, Peter rashly promised Jesus that he would go to the death for Him . . .
Simon Peter asked,

“Lord, where are you going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”  

“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”  John 13:36-37 (NLV)

It was only a few hours later when Peter denied ever even knowing Jesus, not once but three times!

At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind:  “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  And Peter left the courtyard weeping bitterly.
Luke 22.61-62

Can you imagine how devastating this must have been for Peter?  Was there anything worse than disowning Jesus? Did Peter feel like a piece of garbage?  Trash to be thrown away?

Far from throwing Peter out, Jesus finds him and asks not once but three times if Peter loves Him.  Something beautiful takes root in Peter’s heart . . .

From that moment on, Peter is a different man. He becomes a powerful spokesperson for the gospel of Jesus Christ and God uses him to turn hearts to Him.  What Peter saw as junk in his life; his biggest failure was what God used to make him stronger, more determined and more driven to follow Jesus and boldly share the Good News.

God took this broken man; his messy bits, his glaring failures, and shaped him into something jaw-dropping beautiful!

When I look at my life, the messy bits, the poor choices, I see a huge mess.  A pile of junk!  I see no redeemable qualities whatsoever.

But God does the same thing with me as He did with Peter.  He sees my messy piles and envisions something beautiful and accepts the challenge of turning my chaos and clutter into something truly breath-taking.  Look what Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

Isn’t that amazing!  He doesn’t just see our junk but remarkably He uses it to make something beautiful!  God sees the BIG PICTURE. We only see the here and now, the failures, the mistakes, the regrets but God uses all of it to accomplish His great plan for us.

Look at what God does in nature:  He changes an unsightly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly and an “ugly duckling” into a magnificent swan.

If He can do that to a caterpillar or an “ugly duckling“, think what He can do with us!

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post Ugly to Beautiful can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-26 (NLT)

Why God does want me to be in community with other believers? Why can’t I just do church on my own? People always make things so complicated and messy.

Could it be that being in community with others causes us to grow in ways we never would on our own?

This past year, there was young woman in my Bible Study who slunk in with a hoodie over her head and slouched in her chair not making a single comment the whole evening until we got to prayer time. She blurted out that she didn’t want to be there. Why had she come? She really didn’t know.

Over the course of the year, the group encouraged, challenged and supported her as she slowly surrendered her life to God. We had front row seats, as we watched God transform a life!

Living in community is God’s design. It’s what He desires for each one of us. Community often brings joy and sorrow, beauty and pain, healing and messiness but don’t let the dark side keep you from experiencing the hope of community. The dark and the light both serve their purpose in making us more like our Savior.

Lord, I confess that I am drawn to the comfortable and simple. I don’t want complicated and difficult. I want easy. But that’s not Your plan, that’s mine. Today, I choose to be in community with Your followers even if it’s messy because I know it is what you designed especially for me. Amen.

A Thought: If you’re part of a small group, reach out to a member you don’t know as well. If you aren’t, do some research and join a small group at a local church!

by Kristi Huseby
used by permission

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The post A Front Row Seat can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.” Psalm 31:21a (NLT)

At this time of year, I find myself much more reflective and contemplative than I normally am. Wanting my life to make a difference and hoping I’ve done a few things well in the year that has just vanished. But more than that, I find myself this year with a longing deep in my soul to bring to light all the ways that God has met me. His provision. His Love.

His kisses from heaven. Heaven’s grace: the simple gifts God uses to whisper to us, “You are loved, you are special. You are Mine!” These blessings often cloak themselves in the simple, the mundane but they are love gifts just the same. We see them in a spectacular sunset, the warm touch of a friend, a loved one’s whisper, “God put you on my mind and I prayed for you today.” Sometimes these kisses come in disguise.

I readily admit that some of the “kisses” I’ve experienced this year, haven’t always seemed like His whispers of love in my life; when my beloved son seemingly derailed his life with one poor decision, when a close friend had serious medical issues, when my precious sister was broken and hurting and I couldn’t be there to comfort her. But I have seen God bring beauty from the ashes in ways I never dreamed possible and blessing upon blessing. I have been overwhelmed by His love as I pause to look back.

Lord, I want to live with a heart of thanksgiving. I want to have eyes wide open to glimpse the kisses you send my way and to live in the light of your love all through this year and in the years to come. Amen.

Thought: Take some time today to reflect on how you have been “kissed” this past year by God.

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post Kisses from Heaven can be found at Thoughts about God.