Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

A few years ago, some friends and I took a train from London to Edinburgh. It was spectacular. It most definitely had major Harry Potter vibes, and by major, I mean I was on a train leaving from London and there were people and food and even windows. So, yes, exactly like the Hogwarts Express.

It was one of those life moments when I knew it was special as it was happening. As I looked at the English countryside passing by out the window, my mind was quiet enough to hear the gentle whisper, You’ll want to pay attention to this. In God’s deeply intimate knowledge of me, he knew I’d want to soak up every second of this train ride. It was a dream coming true, and he gave me the eyes to see it and the heart to hold it. It was a holy moment.

It was a holy moment because God was there with me.

RELATED: Even When You Don’t Feel God, He’s There

But guess what? My life is not lived on trains from London to Edinburgh. That was a very un-ordinary moment. Most of my life is lived in very ordinary moments. I live an ordinary life filled with ordinary things like grocery shopping and walking the dog and having a friend over for coffee.

My life is lived at this window, in North Carolinathe one I’m looking at now as I type this.

For two hours of my life, I looked out a window to see the English countryside dotted with sheep. Sheep, y’all. Real British sheep! That was for two hours. And yet how many hours of my life have I lived in front of this window? So many. And what do I do in front of this window? I sit. I read. I write. I talk to friends. I play with the dog. I cry. I laugh as I watch Netflix on the couch. Those are all marks of where my real, actual life is lived. I wouldn’t watch Netflix on a train to Edinburgh. That’s not where my normal life is lived.

I’m recognizing that life is beautiful and holy and sacred in both places. My life is just as sacred at home as when I’m adventuring the Highlands of Scotland. What makes it sacred? Not the place. Not the view. Just these two things: God and the present. God in the present. The present moment is sacred because the present is where God dwells. Wherever my present moment is lived, that’s where God is. That’s sacred and holy ground.

If God isn’t limited by time, place, or the view outside my window, that means He meets me wherever I am. Every moment, however ordinary, is an opportunity for a holy moment.

God’s glory isn’t limited to the spectacular moments of my life. I don’t need British sheep or a mountain outside my window to meet with God. Those things are nice, added bonuses every once in a while, but those things aren’t necessary for the appearance of God or me recognizing God in the moment with me. The trees outside my window will do just fine.

RELATED: God is There Through it All

Just as my heart was attuned to the holiness of the un-ordinary moment as I was on the train, Jesus is teaching me to attune my heart to the holiness of moments that are completely ordinary, too. Like sitting in a chair in front of my window and noticing the sunlight through the trees. Like doing the dishes or walking down a grocery store aisle. These are all ordinary moments that become holy as I recognize God’s presence in them and meet him there.

I live my life here, in front of my window and the places around it. Wherever here is for you, be there. Then trust God to meet you there.

To meet you in your ordinary life, as you do your ordinary life things.

Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you always . . .” (Matthew 28:20, ESV). Always includes train rides to Edinburgh, and it also includes standing at the kitchen sink. Always includes Great Commission big moments, and it also includes ordinary life small moments.

Whatever your today holds—He’s there. Whatever your today brings—He’s there holding you.

RELATED: There’s No Need to Hide, God’s Already Found You

What are you doing today? Do you see God there, do you know He’s there with you? He’s longing to meet with you in the life you’re living, the life you’re living as you read these words. Take a moment to pause and remind yourself that yes, He’s here now, here with you. Whether today holds big moments or small moments, He’s with you always. That’s a promise.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Natalie Scott

Natalie writes to help women see God’s grace in their daily moments and find Him in the midst of “all the things.” She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their dog and can usually be found reading a book next to a window.

Jesus Meets Me in the Pew

In: Faith
Woman sitting in church pew

I entered the church sanctuary a woman with a hurting and heavy heart. Too many worries on my mind, some unkind words spoken at home, and not enough love wrapped around my shoulders were getting the best of me. What I longed to find was Jesus in a rocking chair, extending His arms to me, welcoming me into his lap, and inviting me to exhaust myself into Him. I sought out an empty pew where I could hide in anonymity, where I could read my bulletin if I didn’t feel like listening to the announcements, sing if I felt up...

Keep Reading

The Day My Mother Died I Thought My Faith Did Too

In: Faith, Grief, Loss
Holding older woman's hand

She left this world with an endless faith while mine became broken and shattered. She taught me to believe in God’s love and his faithfulness. But in losing her, I couldn’t feel it so I believed it to be nonexistent. I felt alone in ways like I’d never known before. I felt helpless and hopeless. I felt like He had abandoned my mother and betrayed me by taking her too soon. He didn’t feel near the brokenhearted. He felt invisible and unreal. The day my mother died I felt alone and faithless while still clinging to her belief of heaven....

Keep Reading

Can I Still Trust Jesus after Losing My Child?

In: Faith, Grief, Loss
Sad woman with hands on face

Everyone knows there is a time to be born and a time to die. We expect both of those unavoidable events in our lives, but we don’t expect them to come just 1342 days apart. For my baby daughter, cancer decided that the number of her days would be so many fewer than the hopeful expectation my heart held as her mama. I had dreams that began the moment the two pink lines faintly appeared on the early morning pregnancy test. I had hopes that grew with every sneak peek provided during my many routine ultrasounds. I had formed a...

Keep Reading

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

In: Faith, Kids
Little girl reading from Bible

Gathering my kids for morning Bible study has become our family’s cornerstone, a time not just for spiritual growth but for real, hearty conversations about life, courage, and making a difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. My oldest, who’s 11, is at that age where he’s just beginning to understand the weight of his actions and decisions. He’s eager, yet unsure, about his ability to influence his world. It’s a big deal for him, and frankly, for me too. I want him to know, deeply know, that his choices matter, that he can be a force for good, just...

Keep Reading

Mad Martha, Mary, Mom, and Me

In: Faith, Living
Woman wrapped in a blanket standing by water

As a brand-new, born-again, un-churched Christian fresh in my new faith with zero knowledge of the Bible, I am steaming, hissing mad when I first read these words from Luke 10:38-42: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell...

Keep Reading

I Can’t Pray away My Anxiety But I Can Trust God to Hold Me through It

In: Faith, Living
Woman with flowers in field

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid. I was scared of people, of speaking, and even of being looked at. As I got older, I worried about everything. I was aware of the physical impact that stress and worry have on our bodies and our mental health, but I couldn’t break the cycle. I declined invitations and stuck with what I knew. Then we had a child who knew no fear. The person I needed to protect and nurture was vulnerable. There was danger in everything. It got worse. He grew older and more independent. He became a...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

Mom, Will You Pray With Me?

In: Faith, Motherhood
Little girl praying, profile shot

“Will you pray with me?” This is a question I hear daily from my 9-year-old. Her worried heart at times grips her, making it difficult for her to fall asleep or nervous to try something new. Her first instinct is to pray with Mom. Perhaps this is because of how many times her Dad and I have told her that God is with her, that she is never alone, and that she can always come to Him in prayer and He will answer. Perhaps it is because she has seen her Dad and I lean on the Lord in times...

Keep Reading

My Aunt Is the Woman I Want to Become

In: Faith, Living
Woman with older woman smiling

It’s something she may not hear enough, but my aunt is truly amazing. Anyone who knows her recognizes her as one-of-a-kind in the best way possible. It’s not just her playful jokes that bring a smile to my face, her soul is genuinely the sweetest I know. I hope she knows that I see her, appreciate her, and acknowledge all the effort she puts in every day, wholeheartedly giving of herself to everyone around her. When I look back on my childhood, I see my aunt as a really important part of it. We have shared so much time together,...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading