Category: Devotionals

Days of Hope: Recalling God’s Faithfulness in the Playgroup Years — Nicole O’Meara

Last week, I found myself in a circle of women I met as a new mom twenty years ago. We were reminiscing about the Playgroup Days when we would get together every Friday with our babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The bonds we made during those years have stood the test of time. I heard a… Continue reading Days of Hope: Recalling God’s Faithfulness in the Playgroup Years — Nicole O’Meara

DEVOTIONAL: A Gift to Treasure — Nicole O’Meara

The red leather cube barely fills my palm. Its worn edges hint at its age. I push the tiny metal button and lift the lid with excitement having a general idea of what’s inside. The inner lining of the lid tells me of its origins: H.A. Jepsen Jeweler; Petaluma, Calif.—the birthplace of my mother and… Continue reading DEVOTIONAL: A Gift to Treasure — Nicole O’Meara

Loving Your Neighbor: the Story of Shelley — Nicole O’Meara

She came bouncing into my room in pink scrubs and a messy pony tail.  The hospital name badge identified her as “Shelley,” my nurse for the day.  Her bouncing took me off-guard.  Nurses don’t bounce, but Shelley does.  We were meeting for the very first time, but she acted as if we were already friends.… Continue reading Loving Your Neighbor: the Story of Shelley — Nicole O’Meara

What’s so Mysterious About Irrational Love? — Nicole O’Meara

It’s a rare occasion when a Bible verse makes me laugh.  There was that one time in college, when my RA, Kim, pointed out that a king fell out his window and through lattice.  (2 Kings 1:1-2)  How in the world…?  Darn those open-windowed castles! At the time, it was pretty funny. Today, a verse… Continue reading What’s so Mysterious About Irrational Love? — Nicole O’Meara

The Lord is My Portion — Nicole O’Meara

Reading the book of Lamentations is like reading a nightmare in which parents eat their children or leave them to starve.  No wonder the author is lamenting… sorrowing.  His situation is utterly hopeless. “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.” I’ve felt that kind of hopelessness.  Not one drop of energy left.… Continue reading The Lord is My Portion — Nicole O’Meara

The Strength You Need — Just In Time — Nicole O’Meara

Which moments from 2022 were your best? Which were the hardest? For me, God was in both. I experienced His healing (the best). My dad died (the hardest). I don’t know what was harder, to watch him decline for months or to say goodbye, but God’s grace sustained me through both. Dad taught my sister and… Continue reading The Strength You Need — Just In Time — Nicole O’Meara

Storms of Suffering Reveal the Strength of Your Foundation — Nicole O’Meara

A recently crochet project taught me the importance of stitching the Foundation Row correctly. Not close, but exactly right. I was making a beanie and tried to fudge the first row, the Foundation Row. The error in my Foundation Row grew until, by the end of the project, I didn’t have a beanie, I had… Continue reading Storms of Suffering Reveal the Strength of Your Foundation — Nicole O’Meara

Why Your Name Matters — Nicole O’Meara

A young woman in horn-rimmed glasses and pinned-up curls sat at a table sharing an after-work drink with a friend.  She chatted leisurely about her work day, puffing on a cigarette between sips when someone at the door caught her eye.  A strikingly beautiful woman walked into the bar—not just a woman, a lady. This lady… Continue reading Why Your Name Matters — Nicole O’Meara

Can you see it?

“For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Matthew 13:17 One of my favorite characteristics of God is that He is a Redeemer. Last week, I wanted to speak into the “new”… Continue reading Can you see it?