Praise Him Psalms & Parables, Praises & Promises

 A reflection on a life redirected. 🎨 Design in a Hole Scripture: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” — Exodus 14:14 (NIV) It stung at first. I had poured my heart into helping the Rec Center see the value of creative design — flyers that told a story, that invited people in. And then, just like that, someone new was hired. Someone who didn’t design, really, but let AI do the work instead. At first, I wanted to crawl into a hole — to shrink from the sting, to let frustration build where faith should be. But somewhere in that quiet space, God whispered: “This hole isn’t punishment. It’s a pause for purpose.” So I started to look around inside that hole — and found something waiting. My own sketchbook. My own art. My own life, full of patterns and textures and colors that didn’t need approval or a paycheck to be meaningful. Sometimes, God allows doors to close not to keep us out, but to keep us still enough to see what’s already ours. Inspiratio...

It's such a beautiful way to see the time change — “falling back” as an act of trust . Here’s a November Maple Lane Devotional that captures that idea — the slowing down, the gratitude, and the warmth of faith that lives close to home: 🍁 Falling Back to Faith Scripture: “In quietness and trust is your strength.” — Isaiah 30:15 (NIV) The clocks turned back last night. Most people see it as just an extra hour of sleep, but to me, it always feels like a pause button — a sacred breath before the rush of the holidays. As I sat with my morning tea and looked out over Maple Lane, the world felt gentler somehow. The street was still. The trees, though nearly bare, were glowing in that late-autumn gold that only November brings. And in the hush, I sensed it again: life isn’t found in the hustle — it’s hidden in the hearth. It’s easy to believe that the world’s rhythm is the right one — all hurry, noise, and endless striving. But God invites us to a different cadence. “Be still,”...