Love That Goes Deeper

/ Mikki Halbach / Leave a comment

February is often called the “month of love.” Everywhere we look, we’re surrounded by hearts, cards, and reminders to celebrate affection and warm feelings. Love is presented as something that should feel easy, affirming, and endlessly pleasant. And while those expressions can be sweet, God’s Word invites us to look beyond the surface and ask a deeper question: How does Scripture define real love?

John gently reminds us that love is more than kind words or good intentions—it is something lived out “in deed and in truth.” Loving in truth means caring enough about someone to align our love with God’s Word, even when that requires courage. There are moments when silence feels easier than honesty, and agreement feels safer than truth. Yet Scripture calls us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). This command calls for us to examine our hearts: Am I willing to lovingly speak truth when it is uncomfortable, or do I avoid it to keep the peace? True love doesn’t ignore truth—it delivers it with humility, prayer, and grace.

God’s love also invites us to consider our motives. Biblical love is never self-serving. It does not speak truth to prove a point, protect pride, or ease personal discomfort. Instead, it seeks the spiritual good of the other. This kind of love asks us to pause and reflect: Are my words and actions rooted in genuine care, or in a desire for control, validation, or recognition? Love that reflects Christ is pure—it gives without expecting anything in return.

And then there is patience. Scripture tells us that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4), not because patience comes naturally, but because real love often requires endurance. God’s love does not withdraw when growth is slow or obedience is imperfect. It stays, hopes, and continues to invest. This challenges us to consider: Who has God placed in my life that requires patient love right now—and have I been tempted to love only when it feels easy? Loving patiently means trusting God’s timing instead of demanding immediate change.

Hallmark may celebrate love with sweetness and sentiment, but God wants for us a deeper, truer love—one shaped by Scripture, purified by right motives, and sustained by patience. This is love that reflects not the season, but the Savior.

Takeaway Thought: God’s love goes deeper than feelings—it is truthful, pure, and patient.

In His Love,

Mikki💜

Prayer: Lord, as we reflect on love this month, teach us to love as You do. Help us speak truth with grace, examine our motives honestly, and remain patient when love feels costly. Shape our hearts so that our love points others not to ourselves, but to You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Rest After the Rush

/ Mikki Halbach / 1 Comment

“The Lord gives His beloved rest” — Psalm 127:2

January arrives differently than December. After weeks filled with noise, celebration, and full calendars, the world seems to soften. The decorations are packed away, the music quiets, and the pace of life finally slows. Almost everything from the holidays is gone… except the leftovers, which somehow keep multiplying in the fridge.

It’s in this quieter space that many of us notice something we didn’t have time to feel before—we’re tired. Not just physically, but deep in our souls.

The busyness of the season often carries us along on momentum. There are gatherings to attend, meals to prepare, gifts to wrap, and expectations to meet. The joy is real, but so is the weariness that follows. And when the rush ends, we’re left with an important question: what does our soul need now?

Scripture reminds us that God is deeply attentive to our weariness. Jesus didn’t wait until people had everything figured out before inviting them closer. He simply said, “Come to Me… and I will give you rest.” Rest wasn’t offered as a reward for finishing well, but as a gift for those who were already tired. As Psalm 127 reminds us, rest is something the Lord lovingly gives to His people—it’s not something we have to earn.

These early days of January gently invite us to slow down enough to listen. Where did the past season stretch us thin? What parts of our hearts feel worn or neglected? And are we willing to pause long enough to let God restore us before rushing ahead? Scripture tells us that it is the Lord who restores our souls—not our productivity, not our plans, and not how quickly we move into the next thing.

We often assume that the start of a new year requires immediate movement—new goals, fresh commitments, bold resolutions. But throughout Scripture, God frequently works in still places. Again and again, He calls His people to stop, to remember, and to trust. “Be still and know that I am God” is not a call to inactivity, but an invitation to deeper awareness of His presence and power.

There is something sacred about this space between seasons. January feels like a threshold—a quiet moment between what has been and what is coming. In this stillness, gratitude has room to settle. God’s faithfulness becomes easier to recognize. Trust begins to deepen. Isaiah reminds us that in quietness and trust is our strength, a truth we often overlook in louder seasons of life.

As we sit in this slower rhythm, another gentle question arises: what if rest isn’t something we squeeze in after we’ve done enough, but something God uses to prepare us for what’s next? What if the quiet is not empty, but purposeful? Scripture consistently shows us that before God leads His people forward, He often meets them in stillness first.

So as this new year unfolds, January invites us to land softly. To resist the pressure to rush. To trust that God is already at work—here, now, and even in the quiet. The same faithful God who carried us through last year is present in this moment, restoring what has been worn down and gently shaping us for the days ahead.

And if resting feels a little uncomfortable at first, that’s okay too. After all, we’ve been moving fast for a long time. Sometimes it takes a few quiet days—and maybe one last round of leftovers—before our hearts remember how to slow down.

Takeaway Thought: The quiet seasons of life are not empty—they are often where God is rebuilding what busyness has worn down.

In His Love,
Mikki💜

Heavenly Father, as the noise of the season fades, help us become more aware of Your presence. Thank You for meeting us in the quiet and for working in our hearts as life slows down. Teach us to trust You with the still moments, the unanswered questions, and the days that feel ordinary. As this new year begins, restore what has been worn and renew our strength, shaping us into who You are calling us to be—at Your pace, in Your perfect timing. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Thrive This Season: Don’t Just Survive

/ Mikki Halbach

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”—John 10:10

If you’ve spent any time scrolling social media lately, you’ve probably seen it too—posts, reels, articles, and even “expert” tips on how to SURVIVE the holidays.
Survive?
Really?

If the birth of our Savior—God putting on flesh and stepping into our messy world—isn’t a reason to THRIVE, then what is?

And yet… we all know how it goes.

By December 1st, we’re knee-deep in wrapping paper, cookie crumbs, shopping lists, “dirty Santa” gifts, school programs, office parties, and endless “bring a dish to share” reminders. And our calendars fill as fast as our carts. The pace quickens. The noise gets louder. And suddenly, the season meant to bring peace on earth feels more like chaos in aisle seven.

But what if we don’t have to settle for the frantic version of Christmas?
What if this year could look a little different?
When my kids were younger, we did a craft project that involved glitter — the innocent-looking, shiny, sparkly kind. Everything was going smoothly until one of them bumped the container. And when I say bumped, I mean it went airborne like glitter had just been waiting for its chance to launch.

It. Went. Everywhere.

In their hair.
In the carpet.
Under the table.
In the dog’s fur (he sparkled for days).
In the grout between the tiles.
Weeks later, I’d still catch a speck shining on the edge of a lampshade or stuck to a sock fresh out of the dryer.

It didn’t matter how much I swept or wiped — the glitter kept showing up, catching the light, reminding me of a moment long after the mess was “cleaned up.”

And as ridiculous as it sounds, that glitter taught me something.

Just as Glitter Doesn’t Stay Put…Neither Does Joy

Glitter spreads.
It sticks.
It shows up in places you weren’t expecting.
It doesn’t ask permission.
It reflects light even in the dim corners.

But it only spreads because someone touched it.

And joy — real, God-given joy — works exactly the same way.

We tend to believe joy is something that happens to us. When the house is peaceful, when the plans go smoothly, when the cookies come out perfectly, when people behave the way we hope they will.

But biblical joy doesn’t behave like that.
Joy is not fragile.
Joy isn’t dependent on perfection.
Joy doesn’t wait on circumstances to improve.

Joy spreads wherever it is handled…
noticed…
touched…
and embraced.

Much like glitter, joy has a surprising way of showing up in unexpected places when we make space to truly engage with the things that produce it: God’s presence, God’s Word, and God’s peace.

Let’s Embrace the Glitter!

We rush through December touching everything but joy.
We handle stress, obligations, commitments, expectations, comparison, pressure, and noise.

But joy?
Peace?
Stillness?
Worship?

We rarely pause long enough to let them cling to us.

Yet thriving doesn’t start with a perfect holiday season.
It starts with touching what carries God’s presence — the things that sparkle with His goodness.

When you slow down to breathe in His Word…
When you choose gratitude in the middle of the mess…
When you stop scrolling long enough to pray…
When you laugh with someone you love…
When you say no to something that steals your peace…

You’re touching joy.
And like glitter, it spreads.

It sticks to you.
It shows up later when you least expect it.
It makes even the messy places shine.

Jesus Didn’t Come So You Could Just “Survive”

He came so you could have life — abundant, overflowing, joy-filled life.

Life that sparkles even in the chaos.
Life that spreads to the people around you.
Life that reminds you that no matter how busy the season becomes…
you are held, you are loved, and you are not alone.

This year, don’t settle for holiday survival mode.
Touch what matters.
Let joy cling to you.
Let peace settle over you.
Let the light of Christ show up in unexpected places — just like glitter.

Takeaway Thought:

When you slow down enough to touch the things that carry God’s presence, His joy and peace begin to cling to you—and transform your whole season.

Prayer

Lord, as we step into this season, help us slow down and remember what really matters. When things start to feel rushed or overwhelming, steady our hearts and draw our attention back to You. Let Your joy cling to us in the everyday moments and let Your peace guide the pace of our days. Use us to bring a little glitter and love to the people around us. Make this a season where we feel Your presence in real, simple ways.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

In His Love,
Mikki💜

When You Feel Worn Out: Finding Strength in God

/ Mikki Halbach

When You Feel Worn Out: Finding Strength in God

Let’s be real for a minute…
If you’re already feeling stretched thin, brace yourself — the holidays are coming. And as wonderful as this season can be, it has a way of piling on the pressure. Shopping lists grow longer, calendars fill up faster, and before we know it, the joy we want to feel, starts competing with sheer exhaustion.

Between work, family, ministry, and trying to remember whether you actually moved the laundry to the dryer or just thought about it. Life already feels full — and now we’re adding sparkle, casseroles, and gift wrap to the chaos.

You don’t even have to say it out loud; we can all see it in each other’s eyes — tired.
Emotionally tired. Mentally tired. Spiritually tired.

But here’s the beautiful thing: when our strength runs out, God’s never does.

Isaiah 40:28–31 says:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”

God Never Gets Tired

That alone is pause worthy. We get tired just thinking about our to-do lists — but God never needs a nap, a break, or even a refill on coffee. He’s the Creator of the universe, and He’s holding you together when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

He Delights in Giving Strength

And here’s the good news: God doesn’t roll His eyes when we’re worn out. He moves toward us. He gives power to the weak — not judgment, not a lecture, but power. When you’re out of energy, out of patience, out of ideas, He offers exactly what you need — Himself.

Even the Strong Get Weary

We all know that one person who seems to have endless energy and a perfectly color-coded planner — even she gets tired. Scripture says even the strongest eventually fall. Strength fades, no matter how disciplined or devoted we are. But that’s okay, because our weakness isn’t failure — it’s the space where God’s power shows up.

Renewal Comes Through Waiting

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”
Waiting here isn’t passive or boring — it’s leaning in. It’s saying, “Lord, I’m done pretending that I can do this alone.”

Just like your phone needs to stay plugged in to recharge, your soul needs time connected to the Source. And you can’t rush that. Quiet moments with God aren’t wasted time — they’re refueling time.

Maybe for you, waiting looks like:

  • Saying no to one more event.
  • Or opening your Bible before opening your inbox.
  • Or taking a few minutes to sit with a cup of coffee and simply breathe in His presence.
  • And yes — maybe it even looks like a nap.

The Truth of the Matter

You’re not weak because you’re tired.
You’re wise when you let God be your strength.

So, take a breath. Let go of the guilt that says you must do it all. And remember, the same God who never grows weary promises to renew you.

Takeaway Thought:
God doesn’t need your strength — He offers you His.

Prayer

Lord, You see how worn out we are — in body, mind, and spirit. Thank You that You never grow weary and never give up on us. Teach us to rest in You instead of running on empty. Help us to release what we can’t control and trust You with what we can’t carry. Renew us with Your strength, refresh us with Your peace, and remind us that our power comes from Your presence. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Mikki💜