JOYFUL + RISING NEWSLETTER #63
MARCH 30, 2025
Happy Sunday, my friends!
I hope you all had a marvelous week this week! We enjoyed so much beautiful spring weather here in Georgia, and we are so grateful for that. As always, thank you for being here! It’s an absolute honor to be a small part of your week and to have you join me in this space.
In free portion of this week’s newsletter, you will find:
Prayer for the week
Life and baby updates
Upcoming blog posts for this week
Music and memory verses of the week
Short devotional
Paid subscribers will also be able to access:
Extended devotional and application questions
Bible study recommendations
Let’s jump in!
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Lord, thank you for each person reading this newsletter today. I pray that no matter what is going on in their lives today that they feel the comfort of Your presence, Father. In every season of life You are good. You are holy. You are worthy of our praise. We ask that you would guide our hearts as we head into a new week. Allow us to lean into the conviction of the Holy Spirit and choose our thoughts, words, and actions with great purpose. May the way we choose to live bring light and hope to those around us and may it be honorable to you always. We love You and we praise You.
Amen.
LIFE UPDATES: SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
We have been busy little bees this week! As the weather has warmed up, I feel like we are constantly on the go. It’s a joyful season to be sure, but I do catch find myself pausing to reflect some days and encouraging myself to slow down. I’m not sure if other homeschooling families feel this way, but I sometimes feel like I’m eager to let Liam try so many different activities. Since we do have that flexibility, it’s easy to fill our schedule until we are suddenly running around nearly every day! I have to remember that the reason we chose this type of schooling was for more peace, not less of it. We have some exciting family activities coming up in the next few months, but I’m hoping that in the midst of it we can remind ourselves to slow down a bit and rest.
What are some ways you make sure you pause and prioritize rest in these busy seasons? I’m curious! Let me know in the comments.
JOYFUL + RISING BLOG UPDATES
There are two new blog posts launching this week, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them.
I’M NOT THE SAME MOTHER I USED TO BE - AND THAT’S OKAY
Motherhood has changed me in ways I never expected - some beautiful, some painful, but all transformative. In this blog post, I reflect on how grief, growth, and experience have shaped the who I am today, and why I’ve learned to embrace this evolution instead of mourning who I once was. This post will go live on Monday March 31 at 7:00 PM.
17 DIAPERS AND THE INTERNET’S LACK OF GRACE
Motherhood is already heavy, but for many, it's made even harder by the weight of judgment. In this post, I reflect on a viral moment where a struggling mom was ridiculed instead of supported, and I share why compassion should always come before criticism - because we never truly know what another mother is carrying. This post will go live on Thursday April 3 at 7:00 PM.
MUSIC & MEMORY VERSES
This week’s song is one that is incredibly simple in both its structure and its message. At first glance, it may not feel as deep from a doctrinal standpoint as some other modern worship music. However, I absolutely love its simplicity and the way it draws us back to some of the most basic truths in our faith:
God sent His son, Jesus, to earth to be the Savior of the world
Jesus lived among us sinlessly and died the death we deserved to atone for our sins
Jesus conquered the grave and through Him we are forgiven
Jesus continues to reign victoriously
Jesus was and is Immanuel - the ultimate evidence that God is with us.
For God is With Us by for KING & COUNTRY
Favorite Section:
All in a moment
All in an instant
The body was broken
And it was finished
So let us begin
The celebration and the ceremony
There's silence on Earth, but the Heavens are roarin'
Tellin' the story of the coming glory
Can you feel your heart begin to race?
Can you see the tide begin to change?
With all of our futures rearranged
The world will never be the same
For God is with us
God is with us
MEMORY VERSE:
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20, CSB
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL
Choosing Grace Over Judgment | Ephesians 4:1-3
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3, CSB
The internet thrives on outrage, and judgment has become our default. But as followers of Christ, we are called to something different. Ephesians 4 reminds us to walk with gentleness, patience, and humility - to live in unity rather than division. Yet, in a world that encourages criticism, choosing grace often feels like swimming against the current.
Grace doesn’t mean we abandon discernment. Jesus didn’t tell us never to judge - He warned us to judge carefully, knowing that the same measure we use will be used against us. We are called to judge righteously, not self-righteously, and to lead with love rather than condemnation.
If the only sinless man to ever walk the earth was quick to extend grace, how much more should we? This week, let’s challenge ourselves to resist negativity and choose a path of peace - both in our personal lives and in the way we engage with the world around us.
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