Honest Reflections

Two-minute read.

When I go to the beach, I try to pack light, taking as little as possible with me: a chair, an umbrella, a towel, food and drinks, and reading material. Even packing light feels heavy when trying to find a spot to camp out for the day. The later in the morning I go, the farther I must walk to find a place to sit.

However, when Ron goes with me, the trek goes much better because he helps me carry everything. My steps feel lighter, and I can enjoy the ocean breeze, the warmth of the sun, and the sound of the waves. With Ron’s help, neither of us must carry the load alone. No longer do our shoulders ache, and the journey doesn’t feel as exhausting.

Solomon, author of most of Proverbs, teaches us the importance of surrendering our plans, goals, and daily efforts to God. The Lord doesn’t want us to carry the pressure alone, but instead fully commit our plans to Him. When we trust our heavenly Father with the outcome, He brings direction, stability, and peace to our thoughts and actions.

Every Sunday morning, I write this verse in my journal. First, I thank the Lord for another week, then I go through my calendar and pray for all my upcoming appointments, meetings, and events. Having practiced this for years, by committing my plans to the Savior, I know He will make them succeed. Some get canceled, others get added, and without a doubt, He directs me to divine appointments I never anticipated.

Success doesn’t mean striving harder but trusting more deeply. The Lord will steady our hearts and align our steps when we place our plans before Him. Trusting God with what we carry allows Him to bring peace and steadiness to our hearts.

Journal Questions:

• What plans or responsibilities do you need to place into God’s hands today?
• Are you relying more on your own strength or God’s guidance right now?
• How could trusting God more deeply bring peace to your thoughts and decisions?

Beach Vibe:

Lay your worries at God’s feet like seashells in the sand, and let His peace wash over your heart like the gentle tide.

Two-minute read.

After Hurricane Isabel unleashed her wrath on the East Coast in September 0f 2003, she left beaches in disarray. Debris cluttered the shoreline. Seaweed scattered everywhere, broken shells, driftwood, and tangled fishing line washed onto the beach.

But as the tides settled, and the waves slowly smoothed the sand, hidden seashells shone in the sunlight. Beautiful, polished shells, more than I’ve ever seen before or since, filled the sand. One after another, I collected as many as I could. And then I made Christmas ornaments out of them, writing the name of the storm and date on the back of each one. I found metal tins, packaged them, and gave them away during the holiday season. A reminder that from the storms, God brings good.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, doesn’t call everything we endure good. Pain, disappointment, loss, and hardship happen to us all. The apostle teaches that God can take every part of our lives, even the broken pieces, and weave them into something good for His purposes.

Sometimes we only see the storm, but God sees the shoreline beyond it.

The “good” in this verse doesn’t mean immediate comfort or an easy outcome. Often, the greater good comes in the form of spiritual growth, deeper faith, stronger character, and a closer relationship with the Lord. God works behind the scenes in ways we cannot always understand in the moment.

Paul reminds us that God wastes nothing. Every setback, delay, heartbreak, and victory can become part of His greater plan. Storms leave messes behind. We may not understand why certain things happen. But God, like the steady tide, works quietly over time, bringing beauty, healing, and purpose from what once felt chaotic.

Even when you can’t see it, the Lord still works things together for the good.

Journal Questions:

• What difficult situation in your life might God still be working through?
• How have you seen God bring good out of a past hardship?
• What would it look like to trust God’s purpose even before you understand His plan?

Beach Vibe:

Like the tide reshapes the shore after every storm, God quietly works every moment of your life into something beautiful.

Two-minute read.

In the winter months, the beach has no crowds. Snow covers the sand on the northern beaches. Eventually, the cold gives way to warmer weather, and the sand waits for people to enjoy it. By mid-summer, the tiny gravel can become hot to the touch for bare feet as kids play near the shoreline, the water keeping them cool. Then, once again, the cool winds will begin to blow as fall makes its appearance, winter coming soon after.

The beach doesn’t panic when summer leaves, understanding another season has arrived. Like our lives, some seasons feel bright and full, while others feel silent and lonely. But every season has value, and God walks with us through them all.

Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, reminds us that life moves in seasons. Some bring joy and growth, while others bring waiting, grief, change, or uncertainty. The Lord never promised that every season would feel easy, but He does promise that every season has purpose. Ecclesiastes teaches that circumstances shift unexpectedly, but God remains steady.

We may want permanent sunshine in life, but growth happens with the changing weather. Nature moves through cycles, and so does our spiritual life. Difficult seasons don’t mean God has abandoned us. They may mean the Lord’s preparing, shaping, and strengthening us for what comes next.

Solomon encourages us to have patience and trust, like the beach does when summer ends. We may not understand the timing, but God sees the whole picture, while we see only one moment. In time, the sun will return, and the sand will once again welcome us with warmth. But until then, we can trust that God’s plan will unfold in due time.

Without bad days, we wouldn’t recognize a good one. And without change, we would never grow.

Journal Questions:

• What season of life am I currently walking through?
• Am I resisting a season that God may be using to grow me?
• How can I trust God’s timing instead of rushing ahead?

Beach Vibe:

Just like the tides and seasons of the shore, life changes constantly, but God remains faithful through every wave and every season.

Two-minute read.

In my younger days, I didn’t use beach umbrellas. But as I have aged, taking my pop-up cabana with me has become a must. A small, two-seater, the blue tent doesn’t have much room, and it works great for Ron and me. But if we want to offer shade to others, we take the 10 x 10, which takes more work to set up but easily offers rest from the sun for many.

When Paul talks about seeking the advantage of many, he doesn’t mean gaining their approval or trying to make everyone happy, but instead living with a heart that considers others before self. The apostle wanted to point as many people as possible toward God, even in ordinary choices.

In a sense, Paul offered shade in the Son, offering people a place of rest from the toils of this world by focusing their eyes on Jesus. Sometimes, we must set aside our preferences so someone else can experience kindness, encouragement, and hope. Paul wanted his life to remove barriers that would keep people from seeing Jesus.

Ron and I could do the easy thing and take the small tent to the beach, which would only offer us shade. But when we set aside our preference and take a larger tent, we can offer shade to many. We never know when the Lord will bring someone to us in need of shade. Living ready to serve helps us answer God’s call to action when it comes.

Paul emphasizes that our everyday actions matter. The way we speak, respond, serve, and treat others can either draw people closer to God or push them away. Living with others in mind becomes an act of ministry.

Serving others may cost us a little comfort, but small acts can become relief for someone else. Choose love over convenience, and find ways your actions can help others find peace, hope, and ultimately God.

Journal Questions:

• Are there areas of my life where I focus more on my comfort than on helping others?
• How can my words and actions reflect Christ to people around me?
• What is one small sacrifice I can make this week to encourage someone else?

Beach Vibe:

Be the kind of person who shares the shade on a hot beach, making room for others to rest beside you.

Two-minute read.

In the days following Hurricane Isabel, a category 5 hurricane that struck the East Coast in September 2003, I went to the beach with a friend. Walking onto the sand at Duck, NC, I will never forget seeing a toilet setting smack dab in the middle of the beach. Seashells scattered the shoreline in massive quantities. Debris from houses lay in piles. The scene reminded me of my life before I started following Jesus.

When I gave my life to Christ, He began the process of cleaning up the debris from the storms I caused myself. Poor decisions and selfish desires led me to places I never should have gone. But Jesus came into my life, and slowly put back together all the broken pieces, making me a new creation.

God doesn’t just improve our lives, He transforms them. Spiritual renewal begins on the inside and moves outward through our changed actions. Old guilt, shame, sinful patterns, and former identities no longer define us. A new life begins.

Twenty-three years later, if you went to the same beach in Duck, you wouldn’t find a toilet, nor debris from houses. Seashells still scatter the beach, but not in the quantity that wash up after a hurricane. The town has cleaned up the mess and restored the beach to its original beauty, giving it new life.

Just like Christ does for us.

No longer bound to our old ways, forgiven and free, our identity changes. With Jesus, we get a fresh beginning, a new purpose, and a restored relationship with Him.

 God specializes in redemption.

Our Savior takes the broken places and breathes life back into them. No past mistake, regret, or failure can stand against His transforming grace.

Journal Questions:

• What parts of your old life do you still struggle to leave behind?
• How have you seen God create something new in your heart or in your circumstances?
• What would it look like to fully embrace your identity as a new creation in Christ?

Beach Vibe:

Like the shoreline after the tide rolls through, God can smooth what was broken and make your heart feel new again.

Two-minute read.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Years ago, while playing in the surf with my nephew, a rogue wave knocked me off my feet and tumbled me repeatedly. My body felt like a ball rolling over in the waves, unable to stop itself. When I found my footing again, I felt dazed and confused, with an aching back. As soon as I focused my eyes on the shore, I found stable footing again. Since that day, I haven’t turned my back on the ocean, keeping a steady eye on the incoming waves.

Life has a way of knocking us off our feet. Things happen that we don’t understand, and we quickly feel out of control. Like shifting sand beneath our feet, we lose our balance and struggle to move forward. But thankfully, we have a Savior who doesn’t change, a lighthouse where we can focus our attention and trust to make our paths straight.

Solomon, author of today’s Proverb, invites us to surrender control to God and trust Him completely, especially when life doesn’t make sense. We can rely on the Lord’s wisdom, character, and faithfulness more than our feelings or limited perspective. Where we see in part, God sees the entire shoreline of our lives from beginning to end.

We don’t have to stop thinking or planning, but instead of placing our confidence in ourselves, we place it in the Savior. Instead of trying to figure everything out before we obey God, we step forward in faith before the answer appears. When we invite God into every area of our lives, relationships, decisions, fears, dreams, disappointments, and daily routines, we acknowledge Him in all our ways. The Lord promises that when we seek Him continually, He will make our paths straight, guiding, directing, and steadying us as we follow Him.

Lean into the Lord and His understanding. Trust Him to straighten your paths. Let God become the lighthouse that remains fixed, no matter how rough the water becomes. Focusing on the Savior guides you safely, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

Journal Questions:

• What situation in your life are you trying hardest to control instead of trusting God with?
• Where might God be asking you to follow Him even without having all the answers?
• How can you acknowledge God more intentionally in your everyday decisions?

Beach Vibe:

Let the steady rhythm of the waves remind you that even when life shifts like the tide, God remains faithful and unchanging.

Two-minute read.

A few years ago, while camping at the beach, a storm rolled in from the south. As we stood on the sandy shores, we could clearly see the harsh line of thunderstorms. Lightning shot down from the clouds in jagged lines, and the waves began to beat harshly along the shore. A magnificent sight to see, but scary as well. Rarely have I seen ocean storms; most beach days have sun in the forecast. But some days have more clouds, and every now and then a storm pops up.

Life can feel like changing beach conditions. Some seasons have an abundance of joy, while others feel stormy and exhausting. But just like the ocean remains beneath both calm and crashing waves, God’s strength remains steady underneath every season of life.

Walking with Christ doesn’t mean nothing but sunny days. We will have storms that knock us off our feet. And some days we will do better than others. But when we have Jesus, no matter what kind of day we have, we never face the changing tides alone.

In one of the most iconic Bible stories, Jesus and His disciples cross the Sea of Galilee after a long day of teaching. The Savior decided to take a nap during the voyage. Meanwhile, a violent storm suddenly arose. Strong winds whipped up the waves, and water began to fill the boat. The disciples feared they would all drown, so they woke Jesus up, and He immediately calmed the waves.

Even in the middle of chaos, Jesus remains present. The Lord may seem quiet, but that doesn’t mean He abandoned the boat. With one word, God can calm the storm, or calm you in it. But if we don’t rely on Him for our peace, no matter what the circumstances, we won’t receive it.

Each day, we can live contentedly in the Lord. Sovereign in every way, God never leaves nor forsakes us. Find contentment in His constant presence and everlasting love.

Journal Questions:

• What season are you in right now—one of abundance or challenge?
• How have you seen God strengthen you during difficult moments?
• What would it look like to practice contentment in your current circumstances?

Beach Vibe:

Whether the tide is calm or rough, Christ’s strength is the anchor that keeps your soul steady by the shore.

Two-minute read.

Wildwoods Boardwalk in New Jersey bustles with life during the summer months. When we visited a few years ago, the number of people overwhelmed me. As a person who doesn’t like crowds, I felt pushed and pulled along with the flow of visitors walking along the 38-block boardwalk filled with over 100 rides, amusement piers, waterparks, and numerous eateries.

On the other hand, Myrtle Beach, SC, during the off-season, remains one of my favorite beach experiences. With very few people and empty beaches, I love going for long strolls with the pups, enjoying the steady rhythm of the waves. Peace and clarity flow over me as I enjoy the quiet shoreline.

Following Jesus resembles the quieter shoreline. Instead of people pushing and pulling us by every trend and pressure around, we begin by listening to the calm, steady voice of God. The more time we spend with the Savior, the more our hearts change, like smooth sea glass shaped over time by the water.

Some people don’t like quiet, not wanting to have time to think. They prefer to keep busy and surround themselves with others, unaware of how it influences their lives. Without thinking, we can find ourselves swept out to sea on a wave we never saw coming. But if we don’t allow ourselves to sit in the quietness of the Lord, we won’t hear His still small voice guiding and directing us away from the traps of this world.

Only in the stillness can transformation take place.

Filling our minds with God’s Word and sitting in the quietness of His presence allows His voice to speak loudest in our lives. As we transform our minds, aligning our thoughts with the Savior’s, we will discover the path He wants us to walk. And when the world presses in on us, trying to get us to go a different way, we’ll hold fast to the Lord, allowing Him to transform us.

Journal Questions:

• What voices or pressures most influence the way you think right now?
• What helps renew your mind and refocus your heart on God?
• In what area of your life is God asking you to think differently from the world?

Beach Vibe:

Let the waves remind you that God can wash away the world’s noise and renew your heart with His peace.

Two-minute read.

Sitting on the beach, watching the sunrise as the waves roll gently against the shore, makes me want to praise the Creator. As the vibrant pinks and oranges begin to pierce the darkness, the faint line of the sun’s rays makes its way across the top of the ocean, pointing directly at me. A quiet moment that connects my heart to the Savior’s through the beauty of His creation.

Steadfast prayer pays attention to God’s presence.

When we grasp that the Lord never leaves nor forsakes us, and that He experiences every moment with us, we’ll become steadfast in prayer and watchful for His work. The morning sun illuminates the beach, helping us notice things the darkness hides: seashells sparkling in the sand, birds silhouetted against the sky, gliding over the water, a warm breeze caressing. Steadfast prayer helps us notice God’s work in our lives.

Noticing our Father’s hand in everyday moments fills our hearts with gratitude for blessings big and small.

Looking for a commuter car, Ron and I found ourselves in a small used-car dealership overhearing a conversation between the salesmen.

“Pride, huh?” the older gentleman said, leaning back in his chair. “That’s a good one. I’ve never heard that one before.” Debating the fall of the Roman Empire, we walked into an interesting conversation about sin and its effects on society.

“Who would have thought we would end up talking about C.S. Lewis in a used car shop,” Ron said when we left.

When you keep your eyes on Jesus, you will find Him everywhere. Staying connected through steadfast prayer, keeping a watchful eye, and a heart filled with gratitude leads to an abundant life and interesting conversations in the strangest places.

Steadfast prayer leads to gratitude, and gratitude helps us remember God’s faithfulness even while we wait for answers.

Journal Questions:

• What distractions keep you from being consistent in prayer?
• How can gratitude change the way you approach God today?
• Where have you recently noticed God’s faithfulness in your daily life?

Beach Vibe:

Let your prayers rise and fall like the ocean waves—steady, peaceful, and full of gratitude.

Two-minute read.

Waves calm the soul. As they roll into the shore, one after another, their subtle rhythm hypnotizes beach goers, not rushing, just settling our thoughts in their steady, unchanging movement. When we let the waves create a background sound, and focus our eyes on the horizon instead of the distractions around us, people, noise, and movement, it mirrors fixing our eyes on God’s ways.

As we talked about a few days ago, meditating on God’s word feels like waves hitting the shoreline. We don’t just glance at them and walk away, but allow them to wash over us repeatedly. Like focusing on the horizon, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, something inside becomes calmer, clearer, and more aligned with Him over time. The waves of scripture take root in our souls, washing away our selfish desires and replacing them with the Lord’s.

Transformation happens one wave at a time.

Today’s verse has a quiet but powerful declaration of intention. The author invites us to linger on scripture, not just to read it casually. Meditating simply means turning God’s truth over in our mind, allowing it to sink deeply into our hearts rather than rushing past it.

Anyone who plans a beach day plans to sit and stay awhile. For die-hard beach goers, they arrive early in the morning and leave late in the afternoon, capturing as many of the sun’s rays as possible.

What if we planned our time with God the same way? Instead of rushing through our time with Him, we arrived early and stayed late.

Steady, anchored lives continually reflect on the Lord’s truth. Posture matters more than perfection. The more we return our thoughts to Christ, the more anchored we will become in our walk with Him. Focus your eyes on Jesus, let His promises wash over you, transforming your life.

Journal Questions:

• What is one truth from God’s Word you can intentionally return your focus to today when distractions try to pull you away?
• What distractions most often pull your attention away from focusing on God, and how can you gently redirect your thoughts back to Him?
• When you take time to truly meditate on God’s Word, what changes do you notice in your attitude, decisions, or sense of peace?

Beach Vibe:

Let God’s truth wash over your thoughts like steady waves, bringing clarity and calm with every return.