September '25

-

 

For Katie

My brother Noah was still living at home.  He would go and walk the neighborhood with "this girl named Katie."  Before I even met you, Katie, I knew Noah was completely smitten.  I knew if things didn't work out when you were dating, Noah would never have gotten over you.  He loved you and it was obvious to everyone who knew him.  I am so thankful for you, sweet Katie.  You bring so much light and joy to our family.  You are an excellent match for my brother.  Thanks for loving him so well.  I am so thankful to call you "sister."  I love you lots!  Thanks for sharing your heart with us here on the blog.


             
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you." 
- Isaiah 26:3

"When I was working night shift at the hospital when my husband and I were first married, there was a period of time where I dreaded going to work. The hours were long, the patients were extremely sick, and there wasn’t enough help. There were some nights when I felt like I was living a real-life nightmare. Sometimes when a shift was really hard, I would hide in an office off the nursing unit to be alone for a minute to cry. I felt so helpless, so overwhelmed. It felt like nothing could make this nightmare end and no peace was in sight.

In these moments, the only thing that helped me was remembering God. A verse that has always comforted me in moments of anxiety is Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.”

Perfect peace doesn’t mean we will always feel super happy or cheerful. The scriptures teach us that we will experience trials. In these moments, the true obstacle is not only the trial itself but keeping our minds focused on true things. 

“…Whose mind is stayed on you” means it takes conscious effort to remember the Lord and keep truth from the scriptures close to our hearts. Humans are extremely forgetful people. That is one of the reasons why God had the Israelites make pillars of stone, for the purpose of teaching future generations of his marvelous works. 

When you are going through trials, you can depend and lean on God, the giver of peace knowing that he knows exactly what you are going through. What a merciful act it was for Jesus to condescend to earth and experience human trials. He is a sympathetic high priest. He knows when we sit down and when we rise up, and discerns our thoughts from afar. He says he will never leave us nor forsake us. We can have perfect peace when we remember these truths, when they are “stayed” on our hearts continuously. When we learn to trust the Lord in all things through these means, we can stop carrying our heavy burdens and ask God to take them from our shoulders. "
- Katie Fowler

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2025 at 7:42 AM

    Just what I needed to read this morning. God Bless You Katie and Emily for sharing . Sincerely, Virginia Montgomery

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM

    Thank you Katie and Emily! I’m clinging to his peace during a season of grief and anxiety. This has been a perfect reminder his mercies for his children.
    Love you ladies,
    Aunt Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2025 at 10:29 AM

    Love these insights. Thankful for these wise words about Biblical peace versus what the world portrays as happiness! Thanks for taking the time to put this out there-Amanda Patton

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2025 at 11:44 AM

    Beautiful reminder that He is the true source of peace - in EVERY situation! Thank you, Katie and Emily! Blessings, Susan DuPre'

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

If you're comfortable, please leave your name with your comment :)

Popular posts from this blog

July '25

-
Image
Out of all the paintings I've shared in my calendars from the past few years, July 2025 is by far the most personal.  I only publicly share about 10% of the paintings that I create in any given year.  The rest are stored away & kept private from the world, but not this one.  This one I share because the Lord let me know that it was time.   There is a whole story behind this particular painting.  Even when I finally made the decision to add it to the calendar, I didn't know what I was going to say come devotion time. To be completely transparent with you, I have gone back and forth and struggled throughout the month of June with what to share or not share about this piece.  I hope what I've landed on will be an encouragement to you.  Perhaps someday I will be in a place where I can share the full story, but for now- this is the direction we are going to go. Scroll back and look at the painting again.  Ask yourself these questions: When you...
Read more

JUNE 25

-
Image
Note: My symptoms are a lot right now, so this month is going to be a bit shorter.  I pray God would use this post to springboard you into His Word and a time with Him. It Is Well with My Soul Horatio G. Spafford, 1873 When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!— My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee,...
Read more

August '25

-
Image
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1 If July was the most personal painting of 2025, August was the most challenging.  This painting has 26 rainforest animals in it.  Can you find them all?  Last year I spent a lot of time on animals in my artwork - I studied their shapes and colors.  I was particularly fond of the animals in the rainforest at the time, thus this painting came to life.  As I painted different animals, this hymn kept going through my mind. All creatures of our God and King Lift up you voice with us and sing Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam Thou silver moon with softer gleam O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! It is said that this hymn was originally written by St. Francis of Assisi in 1225.  The story goes that one day he came across a flock of birds.  The birds didn't fly away and so St. Francis told them the gospel.  As if in response to hearing the goo...
Read more