Scriptures: Ephesians 4:23, Mark 9:23

What if you were to think differently?

Has your life become too full? Are you struggling to keep up and feeling like everything stresses you out, overwhelms you, and you no longer experience joy? 

It happens. But it shouldn’t worry you. What’s important is to make a few adjustments and take action. I want to help you with that because I often find myself at this point too. It’s normal, and that’s why change is necessary. Are you ready for it? 

Many people suffer from sleep problems. Do you too? I can certainly identify. So, I thought recently that maybe the right pillow could make a difference. I got some advice and bought a cotton-filled pillow with a zipper. 

The saleswoman said, “This way you can decide for yourself how much filling you want in your pillow, and accordingly, you can sleep on a full pillow or a flatter one.” 

Weeks later, I thought, “This pillow is no good. My head doesn’t rest well, and I still sleep poorly.” 

It’s my fault, however. I bought the pillow and used it exactly as it was, but it was just too full for my comfort. Why didn’t I adjust it as the saleswoman advised? That was, after all, the advantage of the pillow. 

Sometimes I wonder if we don’t treat our lives the same way. God gives us life and all the possibilities to make something of it, but we don’t. We just stand there and say, “Thanks for life. It wasn’t what I had in mind, but oh well, I’ll deal with it.” 

But God’s Word says, “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds,” (Ephesians 4:23 ESV). Because “All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23 ESV) Could it be that your life, like my pillow, is just too full? That you haven’t taken that possible step of asking Jesus to renew your thinking? That you’ve just accepted that your life is this way? 

While you assume it will always stay the same, Jesus is waiting for you to accept His life-changing help!

And for that, I would like to pray with you today: “Jesus, it’s true, I could be doing better, but my faith has grown sluggish. Please change my thinking, and help me to believe that everything is possible for You, even for myself and my life! Thank you for what I will experience. Amen.”

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Psalms 56:4, Matthew 6:34

Don’t let these fears in.

I’m often asked if I really write all these texts myself, every day anew. And so far, I’ve always laughed and said, “Sure, no problem.”

And I really meant it that way. Because I have so many ideas in my head, my only problem so far was, “Where do I find the time to write down all these ideas?” 

But recently, I went through a phase that caught me unexpectedly. I was down and sad, and for weeks, I could hardly get a handle on it. What was going on here? 

One morning, I actually thought, “What if I have nothing more to say? What if I run out of ideas? Then I can’t be an encouragement to others anymore.” And, you know that feeling, right? Once you let such thoughts run free, they quickly unravel in an unhealthy way. 

And right in that moment, I said: “STOP!” Because remember this: You don’t have to believe every thought! Don’t give them power over your life! Set your thoughts straight! 

Ah, I absolutely love the Bible. If only we’d open it more often when our thoughts try to overwhelm us. It says: “In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.” (Psalm 56:4 NIV) 

When your thoughts try to overwhelm you, fight back with the Bible!

You and I don’t have to be afraid of what tomorrow might bring. 

(see Matthew 6:34 NIV) 

Yet, we often let this fear creep in! Do you catch yourself doing that over and over again? “Will I be able to pay my bills tomorrow? Will my relationship fall apart tomorrow? Will I ever be loved?” 

On days when you’re afraid, trust in God! 

Do you want to intercept your doubting thoughts today with the truths of God? 

Let your fears experience your fearless God!

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Psalms 119:147-149, Psalms 130:5, Psalms 130:7

Did you wake up feeling sad?

You know how some days you wake up and immediately know something is wrong? You feel overwhelmed by sadness. You don’t understand why it’s there because there doesn’t seem to be a real reason for it. Other people have it much worse, but this feeling remains inside you and won’t go away. 

I had a phase like this last winter. I would wake up in the morning feeling sad. Even if I tried to distract myself with activities, I’d get bored within minutes, longing to go home and hide. And all this for no apparent reason. 

If you’ve experienced something similar, you’ll understand how much it can drag you down. And you know who else understands? David, writer of many of the Psalms. He wrote: 

“Before the sun rises, I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations!” (Psalm 119:147-149 NLT) 

Someone who cries out for help isn’t doing well. When David wrote these verses, he wasn’t doing well. Not at all. But what I admire about him is that even in his deepest sadness, he would proclaim: 

“…put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (Psalm 130:7 NIV) 

And also, “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.” (Psalm 130:5 NLT) 

He’s relying on the Lord from the depths of his soul, even when he’s tired and sad. He’s willing to wait for his miracle. Wow. 

David doesn’t let his emotions guide him or mislead him. He asks God to guide them. He leads them straight to the One who holds the redemption, trusting that the miracle will happen! 

Don’t let your emotions lead you. Lead your emotions.

Yes, look to the hope you are assured of, and be prepared to wait for your miracle, because the truth remains: 

“… put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (Psalm 130:7 NIV) 

You are a miracle! 

Scripture: Psalms 37:5

Is your computer giving you a hint?

When I felt overwhelmed by everything, I realized that I had a lot of windows open on my computer. Each window represented another task that needed to be completed. 

One was for a hotel booking for our next “A Miracle Every Day” event. Of course, there were several windows open for the texts I write for “A Miracle Every Day,” open emails that I urgently needed to reply to, a few open Word documents with songs I had started writing, and also an open window on YouTube because I really wanted to watch a particular sermon… sometime. 

Of course, all of this was urgent! I was afraid of forgetting something, so I left everything open. And then, my computer suddenly restarted, and everything disappeared! 

I knew immediately what had happened. It was clear to me. What I had allowed was neither right nor good. Yes, often, we are the ones who allow this stress to overtake us. 

God had gently nudged me several times that this was all too much, but my responding thoughts were that if I didn’t do these things, there would be no progress. 

Stop trying to do it yourself and let God take over.

In my case, it was good that my computer had closed all the windows. Now, I could start over. I needed that fresh start. At that moment, I decided—once again (yes, you have to do it repeatedly)—to ask God for wisdom before each task and then do it. 

Where do you need to close all the windows and start over with God? 

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:5 NLT) 

What a beautiful verse! Let’s believe that. Let’s live it! 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Galatians 3:26, Matthew 19:14-15

Today you can just BE!

Since I’ve been on the road as the author of “A Miracle Every Day,” I must say that everything in my life has been amplified. I’m more closely observed, more easily recognized, and more intensely judged. 

All of this is fine for a while, but when I’m not feeling so strong, I notice all that attention more intensely—and a weak person can’t handle strong emotions very well. 

Fortunately, a strong God is always willing to help weak people!

Right at the beginning of my work, I was assigned a wonderful mentor. She told me about being out for a walk with her father, and being approached by someone: “You are…!” Her father, being naturally proud of his daughter, was about to stop, but she said to him, “Dad, when I’m at home, I just want to be your daughter.” 

What a beautiful image! I could learn so much from this for myself! I have passed that on to my family because I need a place where I can just be a daughter. 

I almost wanted to write, a place where I can “only” be a daughter, but being a child of God is more than enough! You ARE a child of God: 

“So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.” (Galatians 3:26 NIV) 

Do you know what Jesus wants for His children, for you? 

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” (Matthew 19:14-15 NIV) 

Children haven’t achieved anything, yet they are loved. You don’t have to achieve anything either, and yet you are loved by God! 

You don’t always have to be strong. You don’t always have to be there for everyone while letting yourself break down. Today, you can also just be a child—a child of God. 

Maybe it’s time to say, “Sorry, not today. Today, I’m with my Father. Yes, today I’m just BEING. And today, I’m allowed to just BE. Because, first and foremost, I am a child of God.” 

You are a miracle! 

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15-16

What could stand in your way today?

Bitterness is an issue that can creep into our lives and disrupt our dreams and goals. We may not even realize it’s taken hold because we’ve been hurt; we’re angry and don’t want to forgive. In the end, we don’t even realize how this bitterness meaninglessly fills our lives. 

We don’t want to allow that anymore, so let’s go on to today’s miracle: 

Are you sometimes too lazy to clear the table in the evening after having guests? 

That recently happened to me, and when I woke up in the morning, I had to clean up everything before I could get to work for the day. 

“This is unnecessarily time-consuming, and it’s in the way of my tasks for today,” I thought as I cleaned the table. You might say, “It’s just a little thing,” but take time for even small interruptions, they are part of your big dream!

What is your big dream? Recently, I met a woman who told me about her dream: “I regularly organize events for women,” she said. “I just wish these women would become free.” 

As I looked at her, I thought,”You don’t seem very free yourself, to be honest,” and shortly after that, she opened up to me. She had no contact with her father; she just couldn’t forgive him. 

You might like to postpone thinking about your challenges, push them aside for another day. But often, this “little thing” you’re postponing may be the very reason why your dream eventually falls apart or doesn’t come true. 

Remember, Jesus lived God’s dream for His life—He lived His mission 100%—even through the hard times, and dry valleys. This is what the Bible says about Jesus: 

“He understands when we are in weakness, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”(Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT) 

Point 1: 

Jesus understands that it’s not easy for you, for example, to forgive. 

Point 2: 

He wants to help you and provide you with everything you need to follow Him. 

What is there in your life that you should not postpone until tomorrow when you could already live freely today? When you could already live your dream? Consider this prayerfully and honestly. 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Isaiah 42:16, Psalms 23:4

I won’t allow my fears to stand in my way

“I will lead my blind people along paths they have never known. I will turn the darkness around them into light. I will smooth out the road ahead of them. I will not abandon them. These are the things I will do; I will not leave them undone.” (Isaiah 42:16 NLT) 

Has God ever asked you to take a step into the unknown? Perhaps today, that’s exactly what He might ask of you, who knows? I want to reassure you right now that this shouldn’t scare you! 

It’s natural for big questions to arise because you have no idea what awaits you on this new path. You’ve never been here before. It’s also completely normal not to know how to navigate this new situation, even to make mistakes! 

You’ll learn how to handle it. For now, just keep moving forward!

Rejoice when new opportunities arise, and don’t let your fear steal that joy from you!

You know, when I was asked to write these texts you’re reading for “A Miracle Every Day,” I felt very much the same. Questions upon questions: “How will I manage this? Will I have a new idea every day? Will the readers even understand what I mean? Or will they judge me?” 

And believe me, I had at least 100 more questions. But God had clearly asked me… it was up to me to take the step… and today, I experience this great blessing! 

If God is asking something of you today, you should go… because His great blessing awaits you! 

Maybe you’re reading this right now and thinking, “Great, I’ve set out but I’m not experiencing any of this great blessing. On the contrary, fear is taking over.” Don’t let yourself be discouraged. So often, I have experienced that miracles happen when you keep going! 

And for your today, here and now, God wants to strengthen you! 

So, let’s pray together, speak it out, and believe it: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NLT) 

Amen. 

You are a miracle!