Category Archives: WiseWords

Push!

“I can do…”

(don’t stop there)

“I can do all things…”

(not quite there yet)

“I can do all things through Christ…”

(keep going)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(wait, there’s more)

There’s MORE?!?

Yes. Check the context.

This verse has nothing to do with will power or goal-setting or goal-getting or team spirit or community vibe.

Let’s go back to the actual words on the page and the situation that gave birth to them.

The apostle Paul is not standing on a stage with lights and loud music. He is sitting in a Roman prison—chained, probably cold, writing by the light of whatever small lamp the guards allowed. He does not know if he will live or die. He is not crafting a motivational speech. He is writing a thank-you note to a small, struggling church in Philippi that had scraped together money and supplies to help him while he was in need.

Here is the fuller picture (Philippians 4:11-13):

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Paul is not saying, “With enough faith and positive thinking, you can achieve any dream you set your mind to.”

He is saying something far quieter, far stronger, and far more comforting:

“I have learned the secret of being content—no matter what season God has placed me in. Whether life feels abundant or painfully empty. Whether my body is healthy or breaking. Whether people are kind or cruel. In every single shifting circumstance, I am not left to survive on my own willpower. Christ Himself gives me the strength I need to remain faithful and steady.”

The “all things” is not a blank check for personal ambition.

The “all things” means all the ordinary, hard, confusing, and sometimes terrifying things that God’s people are actually called to walk through in this broken world.

It is the strength to rejoice even when the prison door stays locked.

It is the grace to keep loving when you feel empty.

It is the peace that holds your heart when the future looks dark.

It is the endurance to keep trusting when every feeling screams “give up.”

So the verse is not mainly about what you can accomplish.

It is about Who holds you when you feel you can accomplish nothing at all.

That is why a chained apostle could still overflow with joy.

He was not announcing his own unlimited potential.

He was announcing the unlimited sufficiency of Christ.

And that, dear reader, is the push that takes you farther than your self-talk ever could.

For You

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The Wiggle Room

As I watched my six-year-old wiggle through kids’ church yesterday, I saw God’s love in action—His rules paired with grace create a “wiggle room” where we can grow. Allow me to boast in the LORD whose faithfulness has always been my portion.

Grateful for People
I’m blessed and honored to have mutual follows with some of the best REAL people on X. My account is small so if you’re following me on X or other platforms and reading this, know that I’m eternally grateful for you. I’m choosing not to stress about any algorithm or trend. Years ago, a painful experience taught me that God is easier to please than people and when I prioritize pleasing Him instead, life becomes pleasantly peaceful.

God’s Order in Christian Parenting
Fast forward to October 19, 2025, a Sunday. I was with my husband, our six-year-old son, and one of my sisters in the worship hall for the 6pm service. My mom was cheerfully serving as an usher at the doors.

Earlier, I watched my son in the 3pm kids’ church from a distance. He was all over the place—running, jumping from mat to mat, playing with other boys. Yet, for a good part of the program, he sat on the mat, listened, obeyed instructions, watched the live Bible story on stage, and answered pop-quiz Bible questions with other kids aged 6 and up. I smiled as he raised his hand a number of times to ask questions or to be allowed to speak.

How do you handle a group of kids needing bathroom breaks while still meeting a learning goal? I observed a Lifeshaper as she prepared to take my son and other kids to an area outside the hall. She handed them a flat rope with rings and let each kid hold onto a ring to stay with the group. With each step, she literally walked them through the day’s big idea (“God helps me to bless others”) and memory verse: “My body and my mind may become weak, but God is my strength. He is mine forever” (Psalm 73:26 ICB). She sat them in a circle and gave clear instructions to go one at a time. My son waited patiently for his turn. It seemed a bit too long but, thankfully, he was able to hold it in.

I don’t love rules, yet as a parent, I’m a stickler for order. I’ve learned that rules and order go hand-in-hand. Without clear rules, there’s no semblance of order. God is a God of order and peace, and His rules are given out of love—to protect us, not restrict us; to nurture our free will, not suppress it; not only for aesthetics but fully for His glory.

Wiggle Room of God’s Love
I get frustrated when people disobey rules, but the older I get, the more I see that humanity benefits with a bit of wiggle room. That wiggle room is called love. Watching the Lifeshaper lovingly create space for the kids to learn and grow, I knew there’s something my family and I must do. (More on this in a future post, Lord-willing.)

During the 6pm service, we stood together. One of the songs, “Stand Strong” is memorable for me as my husband and I sang with our hands entwined, arms raised in worship to our God. That wasn’t something we normally do as a couple. By God’s grace, we weren’t campaigning—we were championing something bigger than ourselves. We’re championing each other as co-heirs in God’s Kingdom. We’re championing marriage as God designed it, tearing down idols, breaking unhealthy cycles, and pruning dysfunctions. We’re two imperfect people championing the perfect cause of Christ down the line. We don’t have millions of followers or net worth, but we have a mustard seed of faith planted in our hearts. That’s more than enough for us to persevere, as my life verse reminds me:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14 ESV)

A Legacy of Faith
Years ago, when I was a volunteer in kids’ church, a guy gave me a poster with this verse: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV)

I’ve long lost that poster, but the guy who gave me that poster is now my husband of nearly 13 years. On top of the pounds and grey hairs we’re gaining, we have Christ. We have a son growing in Christ, a Mama serving Christ, and families getting to know Christ. And, yes, we have a lot of wiggle room in Christ. We’ll keep pressing on, working hard, and persevering. In between and along the way, we’ll make time for rest and play.

Thank you for reading! Where is God giving you “wiggle room” to grow in faith right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below or tag me on X when you do. Shabbat Shalom!