About the Author

Jennifer is an artist living in rural Nebraska with her US Army veteran husband. She loves to create and seeks to reflect the beauty of Christ and encourage others in meaningful, beautiful ways. You can find her and see more of her art on Studio JRU.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. From one “over-thinker” to another: thank you for six words that beautifully summarize half the New Testament! I want to join you in this quest to “Pray Big. Worry Small. Trust God.”

  2. Jennifer,
    Boy am I an “over thinker”. I can analyze the guts right out of every thought. Part of it come from having OCD (I tend to obsess on things), but part of it is laying my burdens and anxieties at the foot of the cross only to pick them back up and mull over them some more. Pray Big. Worry Small. Trust God. I love this. Oh how I think God’s heart yearns for us to simply things. When He created The Garden of Eden, He didn’t have in mind Adam and Eve running helter-skelter all over the place “doing” and “worrying”. No, He created a beautiful place for them to enjoy, take delight in, and to simply be in His presence. Joining with you in simplifying and being present in the wonderful moments He blesses me with. That, I believe, brings Him the greatest joy. Terrific post and much needed reminder!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

    • Oh yes, Bev! I do think it brings Him the greatest joy and that is why I hope I can do better at it! Happy to know I am not alone in my “over thinking” tendencies. We can work on it together!

    • This comment has just blessed me so much. I have OCD too and am a major over thinker. Really sucks sometimes, so I get it. But God is so using this limitation of mine to shape me and strengthen me towards grace and trust. Thanks for sharing it made me feel quite not alone today ❤️

  3. I wishI had read your words two years ago. I overthought a decision,, and regret it with deep heartache to this day. Pray that it be God’s will to bring it back around for a second chance.
    Thank you for your writings today

    • Oh I am sorry to hear that, Marianne. That is hard to carry something like that with you for so long. Praying that He helps you find peace in the situation, whatever that is meant to be.

  4. Such a timely reminder for me! Childlike faith can be hard when we are *so good at handling life* (*I say with sarcastic font!). Like a child, I need less planning and more abiding.

  5. Beautiful reminder! I gave “it” & “them” to Him, fully trusting while I enjoy life! This peace is mine, He gave it to me and I’m not giving it up!

  6. Jesus wanted us to have a childlike faith, and I think He would also want us to have a childlike joy!

    I have never looked at a frog and thought they looked happy. But I did talk to my flowers on our patio yesterday and I thought they looked like they were smiling at the sun and that brought me joy. Some of that simple joy that put a light step in my walk.

  7. “You think as adults that we are the ones teaching kids, but sometimes they are the ones to do the teaching.” So true! It’s amazing what we can learn from them if we will be teachable. I was so deeply touched by things my one grandson did last year that I wrote about it calling him my eight-year-old mentor.

    And that scripture – Philippians 4:7 – I use it daily in a different translation where it says God’s peace will control how we think and feel. I’m so thankful for His help.

    Thank you for sharing!!

  8. Thank you for this very relevant reflection.
    I prayed for help with this problem a few years ago, when my divorce had me terribly unsettled. After study and searching, I distilled it to three simple words that I tried to remind myself of several times each day:
    Invite.
    Surrender.
    Trust.
    I was having trouble inviting Jesus into my life, my worries; trying to take care of things myself. Reminding myself to invite Him into each day, surrender my worries to Him, and trust that He had it was a great help in shifting my perspective.

  9. I love this. I teach preschool and LOVE their simple faith! So refreshing and such lovely energy to be around. I just put up a wooden sign in my house “Pray BIG, worry small, TRUST GOD, love people, LAUGH MORE, stress less, HAVE FUN, live free.. NOW I have to read it daily, believe it daily and live is daily. thank you for the reminder (it doesn’t do me ANY good if it is just a sign and not something I humbly read/do everyday.)

    • I can just imagine how refreshing being around that simple faith is, Tamara! And thank you for the reminder when we see/read these signs that we also have to do. I love that!

  10. I think that God knew that His children would be the kind of people that would have anxieties and worries about life. Look at Adam and Eve they were looking for new foods to eat when the devil tempted them with a food that wasn’t for them.
    After they ate the forbidden fruit that’s when they began to worry about life and they hid from God. But God being a loving father still loved His children so He made a plan for His Son Jesus Christ to come down to earth as a baby boy and later die on the cross for us.
    What a wonderful loving God we have who cares about us. Praise God now and forever.

  11. Thank-you Jen this was deeply touching. I imagine your Gramma must of been thrilled by your daughter’s delight in what she’s created. What I had in mind was to leave our yard open so children could run freely, watch the sunflowers reach for the sky, pick fresh raspberries, and come October, hopefully pumpkins. But still I worry, and it hasn’t changed anything. I need to stop, and just trust it’s in the most capable of all hands, God’s.
    Have a blessed day all,

    Penny

    • She sure was thrilled by our niece’s delight! Your idea sounds just wonderful, Penny! I can picture it! And I am totally with you, worrying doesn’t change anything, so I need to trust more.

      • Jen,
        I’m so sorry for the error, by mistakenly calling your niece your daughter. Thank-you so much for your gracious reply.
        Have a blessed day,

        Penny

  12. Jennifer,

    Jesus said we need to have the faith of a child. Adults worry & obsess over many things. Life would be so much easier if we just “Pray Big, worry small & trust God”. He knows the plans He has for us–so why sit & fret over things. I’m bad to worry about past mistakes & failures. God is teaching me that I can learn from mistakes & that no one is perfect. I read a devotional by Max Lucado about s 5-year old who told dad “I can’t wait until I wake up.” Oh, for the attitude of a five year old! That simple uncluttered passion for life! The philosophy that reads Play hard, laugh hard and leave your worries to your father. –I think that sums it all up!

    Blessings 🙂