Devotional Discoveries

But God ...

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 03:33:06 -0800

BUT GOD ...

by Kara Capps

Today's been a day of being up in my head way too much, listening to the droning sound of the 'not-good-enough'...

You know the ones, don't you? MY list goes like this:

not as organized as...
not as calm as...
not focused enough...
not kind enough...
not stylish enough...
not enough of a mother or wife or friend...

etcetera AND ad nauseum. Been there?

My "BUT GOD" Sermon

Okay, sit here with that for a moment. "BUT GOD ..."

Don't you love that? Don't you just love that phrase, those two little words that say EVERYTHING? I can't get enough of it.

In this case of self-loathing, BUT GOD said... "You're my beloved child, and I don't like it when people talk about my kids that way ... and as you're one of them, hush and listen to Me..."

Don't think He said that to me? Check this out ...

WHOA. In this case, I heard Him say, "Call a friend." So I did. Then, "pray for someone who is hurting." So I did. "Bless someone." I sure hope I did! Then, "Hey, it's okay to want to climb in a nest, just don't do it by yourself. Reach out and say it." So I did.

I told The Lord that I don't have a reason to feel off today and there is so much more pain in the lives of others who I know...Read More

The Philosophy of SECURITY

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:15:04 -0800

The Philosophy of Security
with Linus van Pelt

In the famous Peanuts comic series, Charles Schultz' Linus van Pelt, is the epitome of fear. You know the guy.

Little Linus totes his security blanket around and holds it like he might implode if it left him.

Linus, the guy who tries to kick the habit by once giving said blanket to Snoopy, but still couldn't handle having a new or different one.

And this. This may just be EVERY believer's favourite moment in Christmas movie history:

Of course, you remember! And I'll bet you watch it every year.

But you know ... I noticed something I had NEVER noticed before in a re-watch of the classic Peanuts holiday special last year. Watch what Linus does while sharing the true meaning of Christmas...(try not to read ahead haha). Linus, the kid one will NEVER see without that baby blue comfort he caresses, does something I don't think he ever does in any other Peanuts special.

He's about to share the most important news that has ever been. He is about to take a stand that most people wouldn't ... on any stage. He is about to share about JESUS. I know you've heard, but let's listen again...

I know, right? Go Linus! BUT ... sharing Jesus isn't even what I'm talking about. It's what he does when he is about to share the best gift the world has ever been given.

Did you see it? You may have noticed before, but maybe you are spiritually savvy-er than I am. A family member once pointed it out to me as a little, "Hey, that's funny..." and didn't think anything of it, but years later it actually hit me pretty deep. It makes me choke up a little to think about it these days because I realized this important message at a time I 'needed my own security blanket,' if ya know what I mean.

As he is gearing up for this moment, good ol' Linus does something we never see him...Read More

Experience the Heart of Christmas Through Mary’s Eyes 🎁

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:55:29 -0800

Experience the Heart of Christmas
THROUGH MARY'S EYES 🎁

Hey there, Devotional Discoveries community!

We hope this message finds you well and filled with peace. Today, we wanted to share something special—our latest devotional discovery. It's a heartfelt reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and the incredible love surrounding this season.

As we reflect on Mary's remarkable story and the birth of Jesus, we invite you to watch this beautiful and inspiring video: Mary Did You Know—YouTube. Let the powerful lyrics and soul-stirring melody touch your heart and remind you of the miraculous events that unfolded on that holy night.

Amid the busyness and commercialism that often accompany this time of year, it's essential to pause and contemplate the more profound significance of Christmas. It's a time to rekindle our faith, embrace the joyous spirit, and share love with those around us.

Devotional Discoveries is dedicated to providing meaningful insights, devotionals, and resources that help nourish your spiritual journey. As we approach the Christmas season, we encourage you to take time each day to reflect on the incredible gift of Jesus and His birth's impact on our lives.

We invite you to join us in cherishing Christmas's true essence and sharing the love and hope it represents. Let's embrace the joy of this season and spread kindness and compassion wherever we go.

Wishing you a blessed and joy-filled Christmas season!

With love,

The Devotional...Read More

How to Show Intentional Compassion

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:17:28 -0800

Can compassion be taught? I believe after hearing this story you will know it can.
You may or may not be getting on a plane anytime soon. But you will still get what I'm saying when I ask this question: Have you ever tried to board a plane with your child? (you just groaned, didn't you?) If so, I hear ya. It's not something one looks forward to, right? I have seen many women boarding a plane with their children, young moms trying desperately to calm them. Now, this doesn't happen ALL the time or to every mom, but I don't think you'd hear one woman who would raise their hand and actually volunteer to do this.
Would you?
Let me tell you I have definitely seen a mom at an airport with a three-year-old daughter who began kicking and crying on one arm and her hungry four-year-old also wailing at full blast. They came toward the back of the plane. *cue scary organ music here* I know EVERY passenger was quietly praying her seat wasn't beside them. One guy 'lost.'
However, this man didn't roll his eyes or groan, try to find another seat, or spend the whole time making unnecessary trips to the bathroom. Instead, this dude, let's just call him Mr Jesus, offered to hold the baby while she got her kid buckled in and then, coloured with said buckled toddler for the ENTIRE trip.
Because of this man's generousity of his own plane-time, it allowed HER the longer minutes to feed her infant while her toddler was conversing animatedly with Mr Jesus - who answered EVERY comment. See why I named him that? ;)
Some might say she was lucky. She could have been seated next to anyone of us losers who was internally wishing for sleep aids and earplugs, right?
In 2 Samuel 9, we read of another example of sacrificial and clearly intentional compassion. After King Saul and his heir Jonathan were murdered in battle, some assumed David would kill off any rival for his place on the thrown....Read More

How Belief Alone Falls Short

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:10:00 -0700

No, Belief Isn’t My Anchor
(But Here Are My 10 Convictions)
At some point, we all ask the big questions: God, where are you? Who are you? What is wrong with this world, and how can it be fixed?
I understand those questions completely. I believe our human minds struggle to grasp divine concepts, and without God, there’s no universal reference point. It can feel like we see everything only through the lens of our own experiences.
Painfully obvious disclaimer: I am not a Pascal, a Clairvaux, a Nouwen, a Chesterton, or a Lewis ... and I certainly don't claim to be Mother Teresa or on Pope Benedict XVI's impressive list of deep Christian thinkers (it IS a great list btw!). But this is my self, jotting down a few real thoughts about life, love and the pursuit of God. I have collected these over the past around-50 years and at one time or another put them in a particular file (I process slowly! lol). These are brief and may seem disconnected at times, but each comes from an experience with Him. Therefore they connect at the heart.
I am not a great theologian or philosopher, just a fellow traveler jotting down some thoughts on life, love, and the pursuit of God. These are brief reflections, collected over many years, that come from personal experiences with Him.
Here we go ... and here are a few things I’ve learned along the way. When you see the words "MY TINY TRUTH" what it really means is "a fragile theory from my human brain."
Truth is a person.
The truth isn’t just a...Read More

What If the Bible Were All You Had?

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 05:29:24 -0700

What if the Bible Were All You Had?
(7 Biblical Ways to Grow in Discernment)
Proverbs 3:7, 9:10, & 13:20, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Hebrews 5:14, I Thessalonians 5:21, and 1 John 4:1
Picture yourself with nothing but God's Word—no commentaries, no sermons, no group discussions, and no study guides to hold your hand. I'm not thinking apocalypse or anything like that. Maybe you find yourself in a remote place, on a mission trip, or at your kitchen table early in the morning when everyone else is asleep, and it's just you and God's voice in the pages before you. Would the Bible in your hands be enough? Would you know how to dig in, listen, glean wisdom, and let it reshape your heart and mind?
The beautiful truth is: YES, it can be enough. You can learn to engage with Scripture in a way that deepens your faith and helps you grow in discernment, whether you have a room full of Bible scholars or it's just you and the Lord.
That's where a deep dive Bible study comes in. When you aren't relying on someone else's thoughts or waiting for a trusted leader to spell things out for you, you discover what it means to truly study Scripture deeply for yourself. Through asking good questions, exploring the historical context, and wrestling with what God is saying, you develop biblical discernment—the skill of recognising His voice and will, wherever you are and whatever you face.
In this post, we'll delve into how a deep dive Bible study cultivates the kind of spiritual discernment we all need. You'll find seven biblical ways to grow in discernment, each one woven seamlessly into this hands-on, heart-engaged approach to discovering God's truth for yourself. No matter your experience level or how alone you might feel, these steps will show...Read More

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace: 5 Reasons to Engage in the Transformative Practice of Prayer Journaling

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 09:04:37 -0700

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace:
5 Reasons to Engage
in the Transformative
Practice of Prayer Journaling
It began with a quiet evening after the sun had dipped below the horizon. I sat alone, grappling with the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that seemed to dance uncontrollably in my mind. Picking up an empty notebook, a gift I had received weeks before and tucked away for a rainy day, I felt an unfamiliar spark of hope. Could this be the beginning of a deeper connection, a dialogue with the divine?
Prayer journaling has become my sacred companion in this quest, offering an oasis of peace and reflection. You'd be amazed at how transformative this practice can be. Let's explore the five profound benefits of keeping a prayer journal enriched with wisdom from spiritual leaders, focus scriptures, and resources to guide your faith journey.
1. Spiritual Growth and Transformation
Engaging regularly with your prayer journal is like planting seeds of spiritual insight that bloom with time. It fosters a profound transformation as we align ourselves with God's purpose. As Henri Nouwen once said, "The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it." Henry reminds us that true spirituality is not about escaping or withdrawing from the world, but rather about engaging with it in a deeper and more meaningful way. ohn 15:5 is a guiding scripture:
Spiritual journaling allows us to document that journey of remaining in Him, uncovering areas...Read More

Paper or Pixels: Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:03:59 -0700

Paper or Pixels:
Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal
Do you think about the importance of documenting spiritual insights?
Habakkuk 2:2 does and he which says,
God instructs Habakkuk to write down his revelation clearly so that someone in the future can take it and deliver it into the right hands, those who need to hear it. This act of writing is not just a task, but a personal connection with God. Anyone in the end time who speaks God's words fulfills this.
I'm serious! Your journals may be read someday. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can stop now, but I encourage you greatly to keep at it!
In today's tech-savvy world, journaling has expanded beyond the traditional paper-bound notebook to include accessible digital formats. Deciding which suits your prayer journaling journey is about personal preference and finding the path that aligns with your lifestyle and heart's rhythm. This journey is not just about selecting a journal but choosing the medium that best connects you with the divine. Let's explore each journal's unique offerings to help you choose the perfect match for your spiritual practice.
Physical Journal: A Tactile Tribute to Personal Expression
There's a beautiful intimacy in putting pen to paper, particularly when we're baring our souls through prayer. Here's why a physical journal might hold a special place in your heart: The tactile experience of writing by hand draws us more deeply into each moment.
Right?
I mean, there'a something so sacred about the flow of ink that connects both body and mind in prayerful reflection, fostering a divine connection. A physical journal is your artistic playground—where doodles, drawings, and decorations breathe life into your heartfelt entries, making...Read More

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:15:07 -0700

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER
This gets a little personal, so if you want out now, go for it.
We heard glass break on our anniversary one year. I report that is was only the stem of an engraved champagne glass from our wedding reception. We only drink out of them once a year on our anniversary to remember a year passed together and welcome another to come. It was only the stem, but we obviously can’t drink out of it anymore or set it on the table. It may not have been an earth-shattering loss, but it was really sad to lose. I actually cried when I realized what had broken because to me it represented a very difficult year in our lives in the way of loss. I thought it was ironic that it should end with broken glass. My husband held me while I cried. I’ve spent several years, off and on, trying to find ways to fix that glass.
My 'mother-in-love' (which she prefers over 'mother-in-law' - I love this is) heard something break in the dining room. Somehow the chandelier had fallen onto the crystal candlesticks sitting on her dining room table. She cried because she felt a great loss…not for the beautiful glass, but for her son and 'daughter-in-love'. To her it represented how the family felt during this holiday season. How ironic that it should end with a teardrop of broken glass. She knew what was coming; we had all been told. And we realized later that it was at that very moment that her son, my husband, was holding me while we lost our child.
We did not hear glass break, only our hearts. But that year, one of our smaller anniversaries, when I pulled out the ONE champagne glass, I thought of my husband. He held me during those weeks for some very low points, he took care of the house and his wife as if it were his only job in the world. He brought me flowers,...Read More

Nurture & Harmony: Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal (& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!)

Tue, 06 May 2025 16:33:39 -0700

Nurture & Harmony:
Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal
& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!
It was a quiet morning when I realized the power of putting my thoughts and prayers onto paper. I was sitting in my living room, a cup of tea steaming beside me, as I decided to go across the room and open my mother's old trunk. So many memories in there...
Then I gently pulled out and glanced over my first journals from previous years. Some were journals from my much younger years, some I had written on special trips, others were entire books written to a travelling companion and one to my husband, and most were prayers.
I've stopped handwriting journals because my eyes give me so much trouble, but large print and computer screens help quite a bit. But oh, how those handwritten pages were a time machine. In those pages, I saw a record of my struggles and triumphs, the answers to prayers that had unfolded, and the reflections that had deepened my understanding of my journey with God.
The prayer journals became a personal sanctuary—a testament to God's grace. Rhonda Kabel said, "A prayer journal can be a doorway to seeing breathing life become evident through the sacred intimacy of prayer."

Creating a prayer journal is a personal and profound way to cultivate a deeper relationship with God. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated, "There is nothing more important than becoming aware of your own prayer life and how it moves you toward grace." Journaling can bring clarity, focus, and peace, helping you articulate your gratitude, needs, and spiritual reflections.
Choosing the correct type of prayer journal is personal, like finding the right rhythm for your heart's song. Whether you lean towards the tactile joy of handwritten pages or the seamless organization of digital entries, what truly...Read More

Devotional Discoveries

But God ...

BUT GOD ...

The Philosophy of SECURITY

The Philosophy of Security
with Linus van Pelt

Experience the Heart of Christmas Through Mary’s Eyes 🎁

Experience the Heart of Christmas
THROUGH MARY'S EYES 🎁

How to Show Intentional Compassion

How Belief Alone Falls Short

No, Belief Isn’t My Anchor
(But Here Are My 10 Convictions)

Truth is a person.

What If the Bible Were All You Had?

What if the Bible Were All You Had?

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace: 5 Reasons to Engage in the Transformative Practice of Prayer Journaling

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace:
5 Reasons to Engage
in the Transformative
Practice of Prayer Journaling

Paper or Pixels: Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

Paper or Pixels:
Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER

Nurture & Harmony: Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal (& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!)

Nurture & Harmony:
Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal
& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!

Devotional Discoveries

But God ...

BUT GOD ...

The Philosophy of SECURITY

The Philosophy of Securitywith Linus van Pelt

Experience the Heart of Christmas Through Mary’s Eyes 🎁

Experience the Heart of Christmas THROUGH MARY'S EYES 🎁

How to Show Intentional Compassion

How Belief Alone Falls Short

No, Belief Isn’t My Anchor (But Here Are My 10 Convictions)

Truth is a person.

What If the Bible Were All You Had?

What if the Bible Were All You Had?

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace: 5 Reasons to Engage in the Transformative Practice of Prayer Journaling

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace: 5 Reasons to Engage in the Transformative Practice of Prayer Journaling

Paper or Pixels: Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

Paper or Pixels: Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER

How to Fix Broken Things FOREVER

Nurture & Harmony: Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal (& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!)

Nurture & Harmony: Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!

The Philosophy of Security
with Linus van Pelt

Experience the Heart of Christmas
THROUGH MARY'S EYES 🎁

No, Belief Isn’t My Anchor
(But Here Are My 10 Convictions)

Writing Your Path to Inner Peace:
5 Reasons to Engage
in the Transformative
Practice of Prayer Journaling

Paper or Pixels:
Choosing Your Ideal Prayer Journal

Nurture & Harmony:
Crafting YOUR Prayer Journal
& 8 Ways To Keep It Organized!