Magnolia Grace Beauty

Somewhere along the way, we started hearing the phrase that pastors should “stay out of politics,” and it sounds reasonable until you actually hold it up against Scripture.

Because the truth is, the Bible never tells spiritual leaders to stay silent when truth is at stake.

It tells them to teach God’s truth wherever it applies, and that does not stop at the church doors.

It tells them to call sin what God calls sin, even when it is uncomfortable.

It shows us over and over again that God’s people spoke to rulers, confronted systems, and stood firm when righteousness was on the line.

That was never about political power.

That was about obedience.

There is a difference between endorsing a party and refusing to surrender truth, and that line matters more now than ever. When truth becomes negotiable to keep peace, it is no longer truth.

I think this is where confusion sets in.

We want faith to stay personal and quiet because it feels safer that way, but Jesus was never silent about what mattered. He spoke with clarity, conviction, and purpose, even when it cost Him something.

That does not mean everything becomes an argument.

That does not mean we speak without wisdom.

But it does mean we cannot pick and choose where truth applies based on what is comfortable.

Scripture reminds us in Acts 5:29 that “We must obey God rather than men.” That is not a political statement, it is a posture of the heart.

As believers, we are called to be wise, discerning, and grounded, but we are not called to be silent when God has already spoken.

Truth does not need to be loud to be clear.

It just needs to be faithful.

29 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥: “𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴!
-Acts 5:29

Journal Prompt
Where might I be tempted to stay silent in order to stay comfortable, and what would it look like to stand in truth with both wisdom and grace?

© 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 | 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦

📸: I remember standing in this lobby waiting on the elevator to go see my dentist as a child. Now, it’s been restored to a hotel that I get to bring my own children to. 

We live in a time when volume is often mistaken for wisdom.

The loudest voices on social media usually sound the most confident. The strongest opinions often come packaged with the most outrage. However, when you pause long enough to really listen, you sometimes realize that volume is doing the heavy lifting because truth is nowhere to be found.

Scripture repeatedly reminds us that wisdom rarely announces itself with noise. Wisdom listens. Wisdom pauses. Wisdom measures words carefully before speaking.

The world rewards quick reactions. God values thoughtful responses.

Christians are called to speak truth, but we are also called to speak it with restraint and humility. Sometimes the strongest voice in the room is the one that refuses to join the chaos.

Truth does not need shouting in order to stand.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
-Proverbs 17:27

Journal Prompt
How can I practice wisdom in the way I speak, especially when emotions are high?

© 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 | 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦

Let me speak from a place that was earned.

I am the daughter of a thirty five year veteran and the wife of a twenty four year veteran. My husband served in every conflict the United States was involved in from 1992 through 2015. He served ten years enlisted and fourteen years as an officer. He deployed. He missed holidays. He missed birthdays. He carried responsibility most people will never fully understand.

Those years were not theoretical for our family. They were lived.

I knew what I was signing up for when I married into the uniform just as he knew what he was signing up for when he raised his right hand. We understood that service meant sacrifice. We understood that administrations would change. We understood that we would not agree with every decision made above us. However, discipline and loyalty to the chain of command were never optional.

The uniform is not a costume. It is not a backdrop for online outrage. It represents structure, authority, accountability, and sacrifice.

My husband did not always agree with every policy decision. However, he respected the office, honored the structure, and did his job with integrity. That is maturity. That is leadership.

Spouses are civilians and are not governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. However, public words still carry weight. Public hostility can invite scrutiny. Scrutiny can affect careers. Careers provide for families and reflect decades of service.

You cannot celebrate the benefits of service while publicly undermining the structure that provides them. That is not courage. That is contradiction.

Freedom of speech is a gift. My husband defended that gift. Sometimes that freedom includes the freedom to say foolish things. However, freedom does not remove responsibility. Freedom does not eliminate consequences. Freedom does not excuse recklessness.

There were nights I put children to bed alone. There were moments of uncertainty that I carried quietly. There were deployments that stretched longer than expected. Those sacrifices were not for a political party. They were for the freedom of this country and the dignity of its people.

Supporting the military does not mean idolizing politicians. It means respecting the institution, protecting the integrity of those who serve, and recognizing that proximity to the uniform carries responsibility.

Scripture tells us to honor governing authorities because they are established by God. That does not mean every leader is flawless. It means we respond with restraint, wisdom, and self control. To whom much is given, much is required.

Bless our hearts, sometimes people confuse volume with virtue. They assume that loud equals righteous. However, self control is a fruit of the Spirit, and integrity rarely needs to shout.

You can disagree without being destructive. You can hold convictions without burning down the house you live in. You can speak truth without jeopardizing what someone else built with decades of sacrifice.

As for me and my house, we will honor the uniform. We will pray for our leaders. We will speak carefully. We will remember the cost of service and the responsibility that comes with it.

Above all, we will remember that our ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ, whose authority stands above every earthly office and every earthly power.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
-Romans 13:1–2

Journal Prompt:
Do my public words reflect discipline and gratitude? Am I honoring the sacrifices connected to my household with integrity?

© 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 | 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦

There are moments in faith where softness is appropriate, and there are moments where clarity matters more. This is one of those moments. Jesus is not one option among many. He is not a suggestion, a philosophy, or a symbolic path. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to Heaven is through Him.

That statement alone can make people uncomfortable, yet discomfort does not make something untrue. Scripture is breathtakingly direct about salvation. It does not say Jesus shows the way. It says He is the way. It does not say He teaches truth. It says He is the truth. It does not say He offers life. It says He is the life.

Our world prefers blurred lines and spiritual flexibility. Culture celebrates the idea that sincerity is enough and that all paths eventually lead to the same destination. The Gospel says otherwise. Salvation is not earned through morality, kindness, discipline, or good intentions. Salvation is received through faith in Christ alone.

This truth is not harsh. It is merciful. God did not leave humanity guessing. He did not hide the path behind religious performance or human perfection. He made the way unmistakably clear through Jesus. The cross was not symbolic. The resurrection was not metaphorical. Both were necessary.

Grace humbles us because it removes the illusion that we can save ourselves. Grace comforts us because it removes the fear that we have to. No amount of goodness can replace surrender to Christ, and no amount of brokenness can disqualify someone who comes to Him.

I do not speak this truth with arrogance. I speak it with conviction and love. Eternity is real. Heaven is real. Jesus is the only way.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
-John 14:6

Journal Prompt
Have I fully trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior, or have I been quietly depending on my own goodness, effort, or beliefs? What does genuine surrender look like in my daily life?

© 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 | 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦

📸: silliness

It has been almost two years since my father passed away, and grief has continued to teach me lessons I never expected. Some of those lessons came gently, while others required deep restraint and a kind of trust that grows in silence rather than action.

During that season, I learned what it means to love someone fully while having no control over the circumstances surrounding them. That kind of love is humbling, and it teaches you that devotion does not always come with answers or resolution. Sometimes devotion simply asks you to remain present and faithful.

What made this season especially complicated for me was being both a daughter and a nurse. When my mother battled cancer, I was not yet a nurse, which meant I knew less and asked fewer questions. I trusted more freely because I did not understand the medical language or recognize the signs. When my father became ill, I knew too much. I understood what I was seeing, and I carried knowledge that was both helpful and heavy at the same time.

There was a constant tension between what I knew and what I could actually do. Loving someone deeply while having medical knowledge but no authority to change the outcome is a difficult place to stand. I wanted to help more, and I wanted to fix what could not be fixed, and that reality was painful.

One of the hardest things I learned was that obedience to God does not always look like action. Sometimes obedience looks like restraint. It looks like choosing patience when emotions are strong, and it looks like trusting God with situations you are not meant to influence or change.

There were moments when silence felt heavy, not because truth was absent, but because speaking would not have brought healing. What God showed me during that time was that restraint is not weakness. Restraint is discipline, and it is faith practiced quietly without recognition.
>continued in comments

This is one of those topics that gets misunderstood a lot, especially in faith spaces. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing, even though people often treat them like they are. Forgiveness is something I choose for my heart. Reconciliation is something that requires change, accountability, and safety. One can happen on my side alone, and the other cannot.

Jesus offered mercy freely, but He did not give access carelessly. He loved everyone, but He did not entrust Himself to everyone. Scripture actually tells us that He knew what was in people’s hearts, and He moved accordingly. That was not a lack of love. That was wisdom.

Some relationships cannot be reconciled because nothing has changed. Apologies without repentance do not rebuild trust. Words without action do not create safety. And healing does not happen in environments where the same harm keeps repeating. This is where people feel guilty. We hear that we are supposed to forgive, so we assume that means restoring access. We confuse grace with tolerance. We start questioning our discernment instead of listening to it.

God never asked me to stay in unsafe spaces to prove my faith. He never asked me to reconcile without repentance. He never asked me to ignore patterns in the name of peace. Forgiveness frees my heart. Reconciliation requires change. Guarding my heart is not unloving. It is obedient.

I can forgive fully and still choose distance. I can love without reopening doors that God already helped me close. I can trust God and still trust what He has shown me.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23

Journal Prompt: Where have I been confusing forgiveness with reconciliation? What boundary might God be asking me to honor for the sake of healing?

© 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 | 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦

📸: This one was tough. After having two surgeries in the last year, exercising has taken a back seat and I’m far from where I was before the surgeries. That’s ok, though. One step at a time and this is the first step.

Merry Christmas, sweet friends.

Today is holy and tender and full of wonder, even when it does not look picture perfect, even when there is an empty chair at the table, and even when the joy feels quieter than it once did. Christmas has a way of meeting us exactly where we are.

I keep thinking about how God chose to enter the world. He did not arrive with fanfare or power as we define it. He came as a baby, wrapped in humility, laid in a manger, close enough to touch and close enough to love.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 ESV

Jesus did not come to impress us. He came to save us. He came to sit with us in our brokenness, to bring light into dark places, and to offer hope that does not fade when circumstances change. That is the gift of Christmas. Emmanuel means God with us.

Whether your home is loud and full today or quiet and reflective, I pray you feel His nearness. I pray peace settles into your heart. I pray you remember that the greatest gift was never found under a tree. The greatest gift was placed in a manger and later stretched out on a cross out of love for us.

Thank you for being here, for walking this space with me, and for seeking Him alongside me. Your presence here means more than you know.

May your Christmas be filled with grace, quiet joy, and the steady reminder that you are deeply loved.

With so much love and gratitude,

Lara ✨

Today my heart is full. Not because everything is perfect, but because God has been faithful in every single place I’ve walked this year. The highs, the lows, the quiet moments in between. He has carried, covered, and cared for my family in ways only He can.

As we gather today, I’m thanking Him for His presence, His mercy, and the way He keeps showing up right on time. I pray your home feels His nearness and your heart feels His peace.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. May God bless you and keep you close.

Sometimes I look at my life and think, “How did I get here?” For those of you that don’t know me, I am a 52 year old retired registered nurse with a degree in Journalism (the radio and tv one not print😉) who somehow ended up running a successful online beauty and wellness business while sharing things that I love. And now I find myself writing devotionals that bring me more joy and peace than anything else I have ever done. It is amazing how life unfolds. I could never have planned this path on my own.

For a long time I tried to make sense of it all. I wondered how my education, my career, and my passions could possibly fit together. But now I see that every season had a purpose. Nursing taught me compassion and endurance. Journalism taught me how to listen and tell a story. My beauty and wellness business taught me how to build connection and encourage others. And all of it, every twist and turn, prepared me for this moment, sharing my heart through words that point back to Him.

God has a way of weaving together the seasons that seem unrelated into something beautifully intentional. What felt like detours were actually directions. What seemed random was part of His plan all along. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That verse has never felt more true to me than it does now.

The more I write, the more I realize this journey is not about having a perfect past or a carefully planned future. It is about walking in obedience, one step at a time, and trusting that God knows what He is doing even when I do not. The peace I feel when I sit down to write these devotionals is not something I created. It is something God placed in me for this season.

Continued in comments⬇️