Tag Archives: starting over

September 25, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Redeemed From The Pit

Today is the 22nd anniversary of the lowest point in my life. I had been through six months of having the bottom fall out from under me. I went through the death of a friend, a divorce, a repossession, loss of friendships and a lot more. One thing after another seemed to crumble. Everything I held dear was being taken from my life as a result of decisions I had made. Then, on September 25, 2003, my business failed and I was out of a job. It felt like my life was over as I laid down on my living room floor that night. I cried out to God in surrender as the life I built was destroyed by this storm. However, I still had my foundation in Him. I told God I was ready to end my life because I couldn’t do it anymore.

I felt the voice of God remind me that I had built my life on a foundation of my desires instead of His. I vowed that if He helped me out of that hole, I would build my life His way. I marked my calendar with the words, “The Bottom”. Getting back to where I felt I was at ground level took over a decade. Now it’s over a decade past that and I can look back and see how far God brought me. It wasn’t easy and the progress has felt slow and minimal. Yet, when I look back, I can see where I’ve been, and now look forward to where He is taking me. It’s not an easy thing to look back, but it’s necessary for all of us. When it feels like we’re on a treadmill going nowhere fast, God is actually working in our life and helping us along the way.

Psalm 103:2-5 says, “Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle” (AMP). God is in the process of redeeming your life from the pit. No matter how deep a hole you feel like you’re in, He can get you out. Remember all the things He has done, knowing He will continue to work out all things for your good. He will satisfy your life with good things once again. Trust in Him no matter how dark it seems. Your pit may be deep, but His grace is deeper still.

Photo by Giulia Grani on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word. 

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September 24, 2025 · 5:42 AM

Rekindling Your Fire

When I go camping, I love having a fire at night. I use it for light and for cooking. One of my favorite routines is to start the fire back up again in the morning without a match. How I do that is I blow on the ground where the fire was. The dust and ash get moved out of the way, and I look for pieces of coal or embers under all the ash. Once I find them, I take some kindling, which is pine needles and small sticks, and set them on top of the coals. I then blow again. With the fresh wind, the coals start to glow orange. They seek out the kindling and ignite it. In a few seconds I have a fresh fire that’s ready to keep burning all day.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah’s fire was quickly extinguished by Jezebel. He had just called down fire from Heaven, but her threat to kill him caused his to extinguish. Instead of letting it stay out, he went to Mount Sinai to seek out God. When he arrived, God asked him why he was there. The process of rekindling his fire began with being honest with God. It was the still, small voice that uncovered the embers and coals. To rekindle the fire, he was given a new assignment and he went back into ministry. His fresh fire came from intimacy with God and a renewed purpose. He wasn’t content to live in the ashes of a fire that once burned bright.

In 2 Timothy 1, Paul began his last letter encouraging Timothy and us to remember the flame that once burned bright in us. In verse 6 he says, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (NLT). Like Elijah, if we’re going to rekindle our fire, we must be intentional about it. We need to seek out alone time with God. We need to be honest about why the flames in our heart have died down. We must listen to His still, small voice that will breathe on the coals underneath the ash. Then we must be ready for our assignment and ready to use the gifts and callings He’s given us. What once burned bright is able to be rekindled. There are still coals underneath the ashes of what has been. Ask God to fan into flame the gifts and rekindle your fire.

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash

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May 6, 2025 · 5:33 AM

Bitter To Better

In the book of Ruth, Naomi thought her story was over. She was forced to leave her home due to a famine. While living in a foreign land, her husband died. Some time later both of her sons died leaving her without a way to provide for herself. She tried sending both her daughters in law back to their parents so she could return home, but Ruth famously stuck with her. When they arrived in Bethlehem, people recognized her and couldn’t believe it was Naomi. She replied, “She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness’” (AMP). Even though she felt like her life had turned bitter, people still called her Naomi.

What seemed like the end of her story, was really a new beginning. God was quietly putting the pieces of her new life together. He led Ruth to the field that belonged to Boaz to glean and find food. Her willingness to stick with Naomi impressed Boaz and he protected her. Not only that, he was able to redeem Naomi’s family name, heritage and legacy by marrying Ruth. When they were married and had a son named Obed (worshipper), the town people said, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer (grandson, as heir) today, and may his name become famous in Israel.” Naomi’s life is a testimony that when it seems you’ve lost everything, God can create a new beginning.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].” God doesn’t leave us in our pain or loss. He heals our broken heart and bandages our wounds so we can heal. Just like He was working behind the scenes for Naomi, He’s working for you. When we’re blinded by our pain, He sees a future we can’t in that moment. Your story isn’t over when one chapter ends. God uses pain and devastation to birth new life and create fertile ground for new growth. God can take us from bitter to better as we allow Him to heal our brokenness and comfort us in our sorrow.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

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March 11, 2024 · 5:30 AM

A Season Of Restoration

Over a decade ago fires ravaged through Texas after a long summer drought. I know people who lost their houses, their cars and heirlooms. They were left with the charred remains of their property and their lives. It was devastating for so many. However, I remember driving through some of the burned areas the following spring. Trees that had been burned up had fresh shoots growing out of them. Flowers began to peek through the ashes on the ground. It was a beautiful sight to see as this new life began to spring up through all the devastation. I’ll never forget how the green was juxtaposed against the black everywhere. I immediately thought of the Scripture in Isaiah 61:3 that says God gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

If you don’t know, Job is the oldest book in the Bible. It’s the story of a man who lost everything in a day. His kids were killed in an accident, his livelihood was stolen by raiders and his food was destroyed in a storm. Just about everything unimaginable happened in an instant. The rest of the book is conversations between he and his friends looking for answers, looking to blame someone and questioning God. Then God shows up reminding them that we won’t always have the answers here because we don’t understand God’s ways. Then God restores what was taken from him because of his faithfulness in the time of devastation. It’s incredible that the first book written in the Bible is about pain and loss while revealing God’s restorative nature.

Job 14:7-9 says, “There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant” (GNT). You may feel like Job today as you go through an unimaginable situation, pain or loss. You may look around your life and only see the burnt remains of what was everything you held dear. I’m here today to remind you of the restorative nature of God. What looks like an end is really a beginning. What looks like devastation is actually fertile soil for new life and growth. There is hope. God can create life in areas that have lain dormant and dead for years. He will give you beauty for your ashes, joy for your mourning and a garment of praise for your spirit of heaviness. You’re entering a season of restoration.

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February 16, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Building Success

When someone is staring something new, whether it’s a business or ministry, I usually give them the same advice. I tell them, “Start with Timex, not Rolex.” You want to build something that will take a licking and keep on ticking. You also don’t want to over spend. So many times when we’re starting something new, we make it about the sizzle instead of the steak. If you want to build something that will last, take your time, do things right and lay the foundation work first. No, it’s not sexy and it may not get a lot of attention, but if you do the small things right from the beginning, the larger things will take care of themself later. God puts it this way, “If you will be faithful in the small things, I’ll make you faithful over many things.”

In Zechariah 4, the Lord showed him Zerubbabel in a vision. He was the man who would lead the first group of Jews out of Babylonian captivity around 500 BC. This first set of Jews went back under his leadership, and with money collected by all Jews, with a mission to rebuild the Temple. The work was tedious and hard. People tried to disrupt them and stop them, but Zerubbabel kept working and kept the people focused. The Lord reminded him that it wouldn’t be completed by his might or strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Then in verse 10, the Lord sends him a reminder, and one to us too. He said, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (NLT). It was a reminder to not undervalue the beginning work of laying the foundation.

If we don’t get our foundation right, the rest of the structure is unsound. God is not concerned with whether or not we’re making things attractive enough. He wants us to do them right and to do them well. Whatever you’re starting won’t be a success because of your might or power, but by God’s Spirit. Yes, you should work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God, but don’t despise the small beginnings. Don’t compare yourself in the beginning stage to where someone else is that has been doing it for a while. Put your head down, do what God called you to and leave the results up to Him. He doesn’t measure success the way we do anyway, so quit trying to building something that’s successful in man’s eyes. It’s not their approval you should be after.

Photo by Barbara Olsen from Pexels:

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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December 31, 2020 · 5:30 AM

New Beginnings

Author Robert Burns penned the now famous line, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I can’t tell you how many times in my life the plans I made were detoured. I thought my plan was foolproof, only to find out it wasn’t life proof. Things happen that I don’t foresee and derail my goals and dreams. Often times, in disappointment and frustration, I give up on them and never return to complete them.

Sadly, this is the story for most of us. Life happens and takes away our happily ever after. We either think life has it out for us or God just doesn’t care. The truth is that often we try to build our own plans for our life and never include God’s plan for our life. When all of my plans came crashing down several years ago, I looked at my life and only saw a foundation left. I remember hearing God say, “Now that your plan failed, will you try it my way?”

I agreed that His way was best. I remembered the prophetic words spoken over me shortly after disaster took it all away. God said, “What looks like an ending is only a beginning. Where I am leading you, you will find more joy than you’ve ever known.” As I handed over the reigns of my future to God, I prayed, “God, I trust your future for my life over mine. Do what you want with my life and work out your plan for me.”

God has been faithful to do just that. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will work out his plans for my life” (NLT). If your plan for your life has failed and you’re at what looks like an ending, I recommend handing over the reigns of your life to God. You can trust your future to Him. He will take what looks like an ending, and turn it into a new beginning. Pray that same prayer I did and watch God work on your behalf.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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October 23, 2019 · 5:50 AM

Building Success

When someone is staring something new, whether it’s a business or ministry, I usually give them the same advice. I tell them, “Start with Timex, not Rolex.” You want to build something that will take a licking and keep on ticking. You also don’t want to over spend. So many times when we’re starting something new, we make it about the sizzle instead of the steak. If you want to build something that will last, take your time, do things right and lay the foundation work first. No, it’s not sexy and it may not get a lot of attention, but if you do the small things right from the beginning, the larger things will take care of themself later. God puts it this way, “If you will be faithful in the small things, I’ll make you faithful over many things.”

In Zechariah 4, the Lord showed him Zerubbabel in a vision. He was the man who would lead the first group of Jews out of Babylonian captivity around 500 BC. This first set of Jews went back under his leadership, and with money collected by all Jews, with a mission to rebuild the Temple. The work was tedious and hard. People tried to disrupt them and stop them, but Zerubbabel kept working and kept the people focused. The Lord reminded him that it wouldn’t be completed by his might or strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Then in verse 10, the Lord sends him a reminder, and one to us too. He said, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (NLT). It was a reminder to not undervalue the beginning work of laying the foundation.

If we don’t get our foundation right, the rest of the structure is unsound. God is not concerned with whether or not we’re making things attractive enough. He wants us to do them right and to do them well. Whatever you’re starting won’t be a success because of your might or power, but by God’s Spirit. Yes, you should work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God, but don’t despise the small beginnings. Don’t compare yourself in the beginning stage to where someone else is that has been doing it for a while. Put your head down, do what God called you to and leave the results up to Him. He doesn’t measure success the way we do anyway, so quit trying to build something that’s successful in man’s eyes. It’s not their approval you’re after.

Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash

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January 7, 2019 · 5:48 AM

Just Do It…Again

Have you ever had to start over at square one? It’s one of the most frustrating things there are. After you’ve done the work and made progress, something happens and you have to start over. I’ve had to do that in life, with dreams God has given me, with work and in relationships. I don’t have many pet peeves, but doing work I’ve already done is one of mine. It’s redundant, but I’ve learned to not look at what I’m having to do over. Instead I focus on the outcome. The work is worth the payoff in the end.

After Isaac inherited all of Abraham’s wealth and land, people became jealous and didn’t like him. They poured dirt into the wells that Abraham had dug and forced him to leave that area. Genesis 26:17-18 says, “So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham’s death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them” (MSG).

I’m sure Isaac was frustrated, but he did the work anyway. I believe that’s what you and I need to think about today. You may be frustrated at how clogged up life is at the moment. You may feel like you’re at square one with the dreams God planted in you. Don’t quit or give up. Do the work with gladness and push forward. There is a reward and times of refreshing coming, but you’re going to have to do the work. It may require sacrificing other things, spending more time in prayer, reading the Bible or fasting, but God’s rewards for you are on the other side of your obedience. Pick up a shovel and start digging.

Photo by Nastya Kvokka on Unsplash

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November 20, 2017 · 5:52 AM

Starting Over

Have you ever wanted to get a fresh start? Have you ever said, “If only I could do it all again”?Sometimes it would feel nice to get to wipe the slate clean and start over. You would get the chance to do things differently. A fresh start would let you change how people perceive you as well. There are a lot of benefits to getting a fresh start. The problem is that most of the time, a fresh start happens because things didn’t work out the way we planned.

I grew up playing Atari. While I’m not much of a gamer now, a lot of my childhood was spent trying to “flip” games. On certain games, there were levels and your goal was to get to the end. When I would fail at a level, I would try again over and over. I learned to try different strategies to get past certain things. What worked on one level didn’t work on another. I never really thought about it, but each time my game was over, I was getting a fresh start to try again.

Life isn’t much different. I’ve been to the “game over” screen before. I’ve burned through everything and come to the end of the line. I remember being upset that I was having to start over, but I was also thinking of how I would do things differently. I had to change my choices and my behaviors if I was going to get a different result. I did not, and do not, want to end up in that place again.

Psalm 145:14 says, “GOD gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit” (MSG). If you’re at the game over screen in life, don’t quit. Look at it as an opportunity to get a fresh start. You may feel like you’re down on your luck and your life to this point has been wasted, but you didn’t lose your experience. God gives us fresh starts with the wisdom we’ve learned through experience. It gives us the opportunity to make better decisions and to be more successful. What looks like “game over” is really a fresh start.

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November 13, 2017 · 5:39 AM

New Beginnings

Author Robert Burns penned the now famous line, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I can’t tell you how many times in my life the plans I made were detoured. I thought my plan was foolproof, only to find out it wasn’t life proof. Things happen that I don’t foresee and derail my goals and dreams. Often times, in disappointment and frustration, I give up on them and never return to complete them.

Sadly, this is the story for most of us. Life happens and takes away our happily ever after. We either think life has it out for us or God just doesn’t care. The truth is that often we try to build our own plans for our life and never include God’s plan for our life. When all of my plans came crashing down several years ago, I looked at my life and only saw a foundation left. I remember hearing God say, “Now that your plan failed, will you try it my way?”

I agreed that His way was best. I remembered the prophetic words spoken over me shortly after disaster took it all away. God said, “What looks like an ending is only a beginning. Where I am leading you, you will find more joy than you’ve ever known.” As I handed over the reigns of my future to God, i prayed, “God, I trust your future for my life over mine. Do what you want with my life and work out your plan for me.”

God has been faithful to do just that. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will work out his plans for my life” (NLT). If your plan for your life has failed and you’re at what looks like an ending, I recommend handing over the reigns of your life to God. You can trust your future to Him. He will take what looks like an ending, and turn it into a new beginning. Pray that same prayer I did and watch God work on your behalf.

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