Tag Archives: feelings

Is God tired of my prayer?

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It’s a thought many of us have had but don’t always say out loud.

“I’ve prayed about this so many times.”

“Maybe I should stop asking.”

“Maybe God is tired of hearing the same prayer.”

If you’ve ever wondered that, you’re not alone.

But Scripture doesn’t give us a picture of a God who grows impatient with His children. It gives us a picture of a God who invites us to keep coming to Him.

Isaiah 40:28 reminds us:

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary.”

If God never grows weary, then He doesn’t grow weary of you either.

Jesus even told a parable about a persistent widow to teach His disciples that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1-8). Her persistence wasn’t a nuisance—it was an example.

Prayer isn’t something God tolerates.

It’s something He invites.

Sometimes we treat prayer like submitting a request. We ask once and then wonder if we should bring it up again. But prayer is a conversation, and conversations don’t end after one sentence.

As we continue to pray, something begins to happen.

We become more consistent.

Our prayers become more specific.

We notice where we’re trusting God and where we’re still trying to carry things ourselves.

That doesn’t mean the answer always comes when we want it to. But staying in conversation with God is never wasted.

So what do you do when you feel like you’ve asked too many times?

Pray again.

Not because God forgot.

Not because He needs convincing.

But because He told us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

God isn’t rolling His eyes when you come to Him with the same burden.

He’s listening.

The next time you’re tempted to think, “I’ve already prayed about this,” don’t let that stop you.

Instead, let it remind you that God is always ready to hear from His children.

Keep praying.

Keep trusting.

Don’t give up.

Reflection: Is there a prayer you’ve stopped praying because you assumed God was tired of hearing it?

Is God Mad at Me?

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I first asked this question on the blog in 2021.

The years leading up to that post were filled with highs and lows. My husband and I were struggling with infertility, life felt uncertain, and I found myself asking a question that I think many Christians quietly wrestle with:

“Is God mad at me?”

I wasn’t asking because I wanted an excuse for my behavior. I genuinely wondered if I had done something wrong. Was God punishing me? Had I disappointed Him? Was He withholding something because of my mistakes?

Since then, I’ve had countless conversations with friends and readers who have asked the same thing.

Maybe not with those exact words, but close enough.

“I think God is punishing me.”

“Maybe this is happening because of what I did.”

“I feel like God is getting me back.”

I’ve realized this question usually doesn’t come after a season of rebellion. It comes after a hard season.

A prayer goes unanswered.

A relationship falls apart.

You keep struggling with the same sin.

Life isn’t going the way you expected.

When we’re hurting, we often interpret God through our circumstances instead of His character.

But Psalm 103 paints a very different picture of God.

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love… He does not treat us as our sins deserve… As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Those aren’t the words of a God looking for reasons to push us away. They’re the words of a God who delights in showing mercy.

What’s even more remarkable is who wrote them.

David.

A man who committed adultery, arranged a murder to cover it up, and experienced the painful consequences of his sin. Yet after experiencing both conviction and forgiveness, David still described God as compassionate, gracious, and abounding in love.

That tells me something important.

God’s correction is real, but His character never changes.

We often assume God responds the way people do. We expect Him to hold grudges, withdraw His love, or wait for us to earn our way back.

But God is not like us.

He is holy. He is just. He is compassionate, gracious, and faithful. His desire isn’t to shame us into hiding. It’s to draw us back into relationship with Him.

That doesn’t mean there are never consequences for our choices. Scripture is clear that there are. But consequences are not the same as rejection.

So if you’ve been wondering whether God is mad at you, don’t let your feelings answer that question.

Start with His character.

And if you’re wondering how to learn His character, start with His Word.

You don’t have to read the entire Bible in a week. Start by finding someone whose story feels familiar to yours.

When I couldn’t get pregnant, I studied the women in Scripture who struggled with infertility. I wanted to see how God responded to them. I wasn’t just looking for answers to my situation—I was learning about the God who walked with them through it.

The more you know God’s character, the less likely you are to assume the worst about Him when life gets hard.

Reflection: When life gets difficult, what is your first assumption about God? Is it based on your circumstances, or on what Scripture says about His character?

The enemy wants you to question God’s character. Scripture invites you to know it.

Until next time,

Dominique

Parenting yourself as a parent

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As I think about Mother’s Day, I keep thinking about how important it is to parent yourself too.

Because parenting is not just about how you engage with your kids.

It’s also about how you engage with yourself.

It’s about how you speak to yourself after a hard morning.
How you recover after you lose your patience.
How you respond when you don’t measure up to the standard you created in your head.

Being somebody’s mom is hard.
Honestly, it’s the hardest role I’ve ever had.

Harder than being a wife.
Harder than being a daughter.
Harder than leading a team.
Harder than any title attached to a paycheck or applause.

Because motherhood exposes you.

It exposes your impatience.
Your need for control.
Your exhaustion.
Your expectations.
Your childhood wounds.
Your humanity.

And this is where walking with God daily matters.

Not just so you can parent your children well
but so you can parent yourself well too.

So you can give yourself grace.
So you can steady your emotions.
So you can take motherhood one day at a time instead of projecting ten years ahead.

So you can step back from:

All the expectations.
All the comparisons.
All the “shoulds.”
All the “this is how my parents did it.”

Walking with God daily reminds you that you are still being formed too.

You are not just raising a child.
God is raising you.

And sometimes the most mature thing you can do as a mother is:

Pause.
Pray.
Forgive yourself.
And try again tomorrow.

Parent yourself the way you parent your children.

With patience.
With correction and compassion.
With consistency instead of condemnation.

Because the grace you give yourself will overflow into the way you love your family.

Happy Mother’s Day to the women who keep showing up, growing, learning, repenting, loving, and trying again.

Until next time,

Dominique

Easter Reflections

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This time of year can feel strange.

Easter reminds us of resurrection and new life, yet many of us quietly feel stuck—tired, restless, or dulled by routines we once prayed for. It’s easy to get used to our blessings. Familiarity settles in. Gratitude fades. And without realizing it, joy and peace feel harder to access.

The disciples knew that feeling.

They didn’t expect to lose Jesus the way they did. What they thought was secure was suddenly gone. Grief, confusion, and fear took over. And yet, what felt like loss became the doorway to something deeper. They didn’t just get Jesus back; they encountered Him in a new way.

Easter reminds us that what feels lost isn’t always gone forever. Joy can be recovered. Peace can be restored. Perspective can be renewed—often by remembering all that God has already done.

It’s possible to be surrounded by answers to prayer and still feel unsettled.

Not because something is wrong—but because time, pressure, and familiarity have a way of shifting our perspective.

What once felt sacred can quietly become assumed.

And without realizing it, we move from gratitude to restlessness.

Questions help us notice when that shift happens.

Have the goalposts moved without us naming it?

Have circumstances started to define whether what we prayed for is still “good”?

Have we mistaken the weight of responsibility for dissatisfaction?

Sometimes the ache we feel isn’t a signal to want more.

It’s an invitation to return.

Not to a moment, but to a posture.

To the trust we had when we asked.

To the gratitude we felt before outcomes were visible.

The way forward may not require something new.

It may simply ask us to pause, remember, and re-align our hearts with the God who already came through.

This might be the moment to pause, remember, and let gratitude lead again.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Until next time,

Dominique

Making people uncomfortable

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HaileyPaigeMagee who is basically my IG therapist (LOL) is putting out great content about breaking people pleasing. One thing she said was

In order to break the people-pleasing pattern, we must learn how to sit with discomfort instead of reacting to it, including:

  • The discomfort of others being unhappy with us
  • The discomfort of letting others handle their own problems instead of rushing in to fix them
  • The discomfort of having difficult, honest conversations about our needs and boundaries

The discomfort that comes when we realize that others’ happiness isn’t our responsibility, but our own happiness is.

This was revoluntary for me because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone but realizing that adults could be disappointed and that was ok ,was big for me. That they would still like me, that they wouldn’t stop talking to me was big. I still struggle with this one, but I have gotten much better.

I still struggle with the discomfort of having difficult conversations, I don’t want to make people feel bad.I also don’t want to give negative feedback but sometimes people don’t realize how they are coming across and since they asked we should tell them.

I had to realize what was mine to hold and what I had to let go of.

Its interesting that I was more worried about disappointing other people than I was in disappointing myself.

Hailey says to recognize if you are people pleasing, do your insides match your outsides? Do you feel happy or do you feel anxious and resentful? I would take it a step further and ask how did you feel when it was over, do you feel warm and fuzzy or are you now going over all the things you said in your head. That probably isn’t the place you should be.

Until next time,

Dominique

New mercies

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”Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.“
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There’s are a few different versions of this verse but I like this one because it says we are not consumed because his compassion’s never fail.

Consume in the Hebrew means devour. What is devouring you right now? Is it work? Is it home? Family? Friendships? Anxiety? Stress?

Because God is compassionate nothing can overtake us or devour us. One bad day doesn’t make a bad week. One bad conversation doesn’t make for a bad relationship. Because of his new mercies we can begin each new day with fresh perspective. I know it can be hard to get over a hurt and keep replaying it in your mind but you don’t have to.
Each day is a new opportunity to begin again.
God is not walking around holding on to that hurt, anger, sadness and we don’t have to either.

I’m not saying if someone hurt you it’s instant relief but remembering that you can start the next interaction fresh may be helpful to you.

New mercies count for everything not just for days but bad conversations, hurt feelings, bad choices, regrets, etc

Before you decide to hold on to bad feelings, bad decisions, regret, guilt, grudges, etc remember that Gods

mercies are new every morning.

Are you holding on to something and you need to let go?

Prayer: Father help us not hold on to things we don’t need to. You say give you our burdens and you will give us rest. Thank you that we don’t have to hold on to anything but you. Thank you we are not devoured or consumed and that we have the ability to start fresh.

Embracing Weakness: A Path to Growth and Compassion

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Luke 6:35 says love your enemies and do good to them. I talk a lot about getting rid of your enemies, but at some point, I think we have to have a mindset shift. God did. Getting rid of your enemies is all Old Testament talk; when He gets to the New Testament, it’s different. We can’t be always at war; eventually, we will need to rest. So I say be kind to your weaknesses. They made you who you are, too. Try to use your weaknesses to fuel you to do better, be stronger. God doesn’t waste anything.

Both things can be true: you can acknowledge your weaknesses and still strive for greatness. Embracing your weaknesses doesn’t mean you let them define you negatively; instead, it means recognizing them as part of your journey. God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

He uses our struggles to shape us, to build resilience and character. Loving your enemies and doing good to them is not just about external relationships. It’s also about how you treat yourself. Often, our biggest enemies are the voices of doubt and fear within us. When we learn to love and forgive ourselves, we mirror God’s love and forgiveness. This self-compassion allows us to extend the same grace to others.

In this way, we transform the concept of enemies from something external and hostile to an internal challenge that propels us toward growth and compassion. By loving our enemies, whether they are external adversaries or internal struggles, we participate in God’s redemptive work. We find peace and rest not in the absence of conflict, but in the way we navigate and transform it.

So, next time you face a weakness or an enemy, remember that God can use it for good. Embrace the lesson it brings and let it refine you. Both strength and weakness, peace and conflict, we will experience all of these in our lives. Trust that God, in His infinite wisdom, can work all things together for your good.

As you reflect on your journey, I encourage you to embrace both your strengths and your weaknesses. Practice self-compassion and extend that same grace to others. Make a conscious effort to love your enemies, whether they are external or the inner voices of doubt. Start today by identifying one weakness and thinking of a way it can propel you towards growth.

Internal Enemies

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”My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me.“
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Your enemies are doing their best right now to destroy you but don’t let them. Don’t let the enemy doubt make you forget what God can do. Don’t let the enemy fear make you forget that you can do anything with Christ Jesus. Don’t let the enemy of overwhelmed make you forget that while things and obligations may be surrounding you, you can overcome them all by the authority of the Lord. Don’t let the enemy of insecurity make you forget that you were made in Gods image so you are mighty and strong.

God wants us to be successful. I recently read in Dr. Phillips book, Tending the Garden Within, to ask God for what we needed. I challenge you to do that now. I asked God for a win and he gave me one! Just yesterday. He is always listening, always ready to step in, always willing to help. I know that doesn’t immediately pay a light bill or lessen your to do list but it’s a reminder that he has our back. We are down but not destroyed.

Read all of Psalm 118 if you have time, there is some good stuff in there..

Prayer: Father, thank you for the reminder that you have our back and you will meet our needs. Thank that if you are for us who can be against us. Nothing can stop what you put in motion, not even us. Delay is not denial as everything is for our good. I pray we all can sit down with you and tell you what we need. Thank you for always listening, for being emphatic, for being our friend. Thank you for the wins that are on the way. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Minimalist adjacent

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Have you ever heard the term “minimalist” and thought it meant getting rid of everything you own and living in an empty room? That was my initial impression too. But as I delved deeper into the concept, I discovered that minimalist living is about intentionally choosing to live with fewer possessions, focusing only on what truly adds value to our lives.

In today’s fast-paced world, clutter seems to be an ever-present issue. Our homes are filled with things we rarely use, and our minds are crowded with distractions. But what if clearing out physical clutter could lead to a clearer mind and a deeper connection with the world around us?

Author and speaker John Mark Comer, in his book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” highlights the importance of creating clear space in our lives. He emphasizes the idea that clutter isn’t just physical—it can also clutter our minds, making it difficult to hear God or connect with our inner selves.

By simplifying our surroundings—whether it’s getting rid of clothes we never wear, toys our kids have outgrown, or clearing out shelves and closets—we can create space for what truly matters. This act of decluttering isn’t just about tidying up our homes; it’s about asking ourselves, “Does this possession add value to my life? “

Minimalism isn’t about deprivation; it’s about abundance—abundance of time, energy, and focus. By resisting the urge to constantly acquire more stuff, we free ourselves from the burden of excessive possessions and gain more time for the things that truly bring us joy and fulfillment.

Moreover, studies have shown a direct link between clutter and anxiety. By decluttering our physical spaces, we can alleviate stress and create a more peaceful environment for ourselves and our families.

Ask yourself, why am I buying these things? What feeling am I chasing?

I will never be a true minimalist. I enjoy shopping too much, but I can do better. I have been trying to not buy anything until I give some things away, that has been working somewhat.

In conclusion, embracing minimalism isn’t about giving up everything we own; it’s about being intentional with what we choose to surround ourselves with. It’s about creating space for what truly matters and finding clarity in a cluttered world. Minimalism is a life long journey, decluttering doesn’t happen overnight. So let’s take a step back, evaluate our possessions, and simplify our lives for a greater sense of peace, purpose, and connection.

Moving through grief

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I wrote this post in August 2022

I started and stopped this post several times, but this time I finally finished. I’m sharing this so you may have some insight in why I have been so sporadic in my posting over the last few years.

Grief is such a hard emotion to process. It was especially hard for me to process because I had no experience. I have never lost anyone before who wasn’t old. Losing those people was hard but I found solace in the fact that they lived long lives and it was time for them to go home.

I have suffered two loses in 2021 and 2022, less than a 6 months apart and it has been difficult. My favorite uncle passed away right before my birthday unexpectedly. It was awful. I can’t even drive to my hometown without thinking about him. ( this has gotten better) He taught me how to drive. I think about him randomly all the time. I didn’t even manage to get through this post without crying and I hate crying. (Didn’t make it this time either lol)

My mother in law passed away when she was young. I was even younger and she was the first, “young” person I knew that had passed away. I wasn’t caught in my own grief though I had to help my husband in all the practical ways that come when someone dies. She died in November and I don’t think I felt the pain of her death until her birthday in February, which was months later. It will be ten years this year and sometimes it still feels like it just happened.

I tried to write this months ago but I couldn’t. It’s wild because in the time it took me to stop and start this another one of uncles passed away. He was sick but I know plenty of people who have cancer and get better right? He didn’t. We went from a family of 4, down to 2 in 5 months.

I didn’t think I had the right to be sad, not like my mother who lost 2 of her older brothers or my brother who lost the only father figure he knew. Or my grandma who lost 2 kids back to back. But we had our own special relationship too and that should honored. Its so hard losing someone in pandemic times. Everyone is losing or lost someone. I didn’t want to burden anyone because it’s been hard on everybody. I feel better now. Mostly. (Even better now)

I haven’t really been able to write and I was wondering why? It has been a very hard year. Some ups but it feels like a lot of downs. Through all of this I have been grateful because God has kept me.

I try to write posts that are informational or encouraging or motivating but today I dont have any of that. I will say if you are grieving you will eventually feel better. (I do feel better)