Mosaic (Nov 14)

Happy Friday!

This week I went back to the basics—right to the “beginner” recipes. No kneading. An overnight rise. A simple dough that didn’t require technique so much as willingness. I made two loaves by hand and one in the bread machine. A small spark of motivation, that’s all it took. Three loaves later, we’ve been eating fresh bread all week. Other than the unexpectedly dark crust on one of them, there were no complaints. Only the quiet delight of something homemade, something I had been too hesitant (or too busy) to try again.

My youngest is in piano lessons, and every week we talk about practice. She still expects herself to be instantly good at every new song. But skill doesn’t come at the first attempt—it comes through repetition, patience, and persistence. She’s slowly learning that confidence is built measure by measure, not magically bestowed.

Kneading dough. Practicing piano. Beginning again. These small moments have reminded me that trying new things—especially the things God calls us to—is rarely comfortable. It takes courage to start. It takes humility to not be good at something yet. And it takes perseverance to keep going when our efforts feel awkward or slow.

We sometimes forget this applies to our spiritual life as well. Scripture often describes growth using images of cultivation, training, and transformation—processes that require movement, effort, and grace. “Make every effort to supplement your faith…” Peter writes (2 Pet. 1:5). Paul urges believers to “train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7). Jesus speaks of abiding, pruning, and bearing fruit (John 15:1–5). None of these images imply stagnancy. All of them imply forward motion with God.

Trying new things spiritually might look like building a new habit of prayer, confessing a sin we’ve tiptoed around, joining a ministry we’ve avoided, or practicing gentleness where criticism has always rolled off our tongue first. It might look like extending forgiveness, beginning a hard conversation, or simply choosing to obey where we’ve long delayed.

And sometimes courage is needed not for big, dramatic changes but for the very ordinary ones—like showing up consistently in the Word, saying yes to community when we feel tired, or speaking words of blessing instead of frustration. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up” (Eph. 4:29). That shift alone can feel like rewiring a muscle we don’t know how to use yet.

It’s easier to stay stuck. To stay exactly who we’ve always been. To assume growth will somehow happen without intentionality. But the Spirit nudges us, presses us, and forms us toward Christlikeness. And with each nudge comes an invitation to step toward Him rather than away.

Courtney Moore reminds us, “How easy it is to remain stuck in the well-worn ruts of our safe and comfortable habits when the Holy Spirit is nudging us to step into something fresh. We can never allow fear to be an excuse for poor stewardship.” This caught me. Because so often what holds us back is not inability but fear—fear of failure, fear of discomfort, fear of not measuring up.

But God does not call us into growth alone. He promises His presence, His help, His sustaining grace. “For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). He supplies what He commands. And He never asks us to steward what He has given without also giving us the strength to do so.

So maybe this week the call is simple: begin again. Try the new thing. Return to the practice you’ve neglected. Confess the sin you’ve tolerated. Step into the obedience you’ve postponed. Trust that small beginnings still matter in God’s kingdom.

The bread won’t always turn out perfectly. The piano piece won’t be mastered overnight. And the spiritual habits won’t feel natural immediately. But faithfulness grows in small, repeated steps. Courage grows one obedient moment at a time. And as we follow Jesus—even into unfamiliar places—we discover again that He meets us there with grace.

On the Blog

📚 On My Shelf

• I’ve been learning more about my Fast Mind tendencies with this read—it’s been both convicting and clarifying.

• I’m also nearing the end of my commentaries on the book of James, which has made for some rich study time.

• And yes… still working through this one on Christian womanhood.

(At this point, I’m slightly concerned about the accountability of sharing my “currently reading” list every week—it only seems to grow 😅.)

(Baking my first loaf of bread in awhile; Reading mission board reports, while drinking chai in my mission mug with my mission prayer wall in the background; Risk with 2 players is just an all-out war; They still love each other after)

In Articles

Tell Your People You Are Grateful For Them | Natalie Hilton

Canadian Thanksgiving may be behind us, but gratitude doesn’t follow a calendar. Most of us could stand to say it out loud a little more often. Natalie offers both the why and a simple how for letting people know they matter.

A Theology of the Bed | Ian Wildeboer (TGC)

Have you ever considered your bed a meeting place with God—where He draws near in rest, fear, repentance, and prayer? I hadn’t either. Even with interrupted sleep (I see you, perimenopausal friends), the Lord invites us into His refuge and steady care.

(And, if you enjoy poetry, or are a mom of littles, you'll like this: Why God Made the Moon)

Let Scripture Sing to Your Suffering Soul | Lauren Washer

"Someone once said to fully understand God's love, we must experience both the sting and the sing of Scripture." I’d never heard that before, but it rings true. Lauren beautifully shows how God’s Word names our pain while lifting our eyes to Christ.

Social Media is Bad for Christian Women | Phylicia Masonheimer

We may nod along to this title, but Phylicia digs deeper into how social media shapes women’s ministry and relationships. She writes, “Women are being fed whatever they want to hear in pretty beige squares.” It’s a needed wake-up call toward truth, accountability, and healthier community.

In Defense of Different Gifts and Callings | Trevin Wax

Remember that moment where you realize you're different from others? Here Trevin reflects on 6 different temperments: Trainer, Advisor, Artist, Ambassador, Protestor and Builder, and how they each serve the body of Christ in unique ways. Which one are you?