The Gift of Time
I was recently in the Pacific Northwest, and visited Carkeek Park. As I stood there amongst the trees, with the ocean stretching out before me, I stood there in awe…and just breathed.
I am so grateful for the life I have, for the people I love and those who love me back.
Maybe the gift of time isn’t about having more of it, maybe it is about being present for the time we’ve been given.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
Today, I stood near the water and watched it move, steady, unhurried, and carrying the quiet rhythm God placed within it. The light rested on its surface, and each small ripple seemed to whisper peace to my soul. As I listened to the water meeting the shore, I felt at home.
I’m learning to notice these moments, the ones in which creation becomes a gentle reminder of God’s presence.
In the beauty that surrounds me, in the rhythm of the water, in the breath moving through my body and in the stillness opening within me,
I am right where I need to be.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
Tonight, as the sun went down, I watched the sky turn a beautiful orange. I stood there for a moment, taking in the beauty, and felt something in me soften.
I thought about how often God meets me in these simple moments, His presence surrounding me and reminding me that He is with me.
That sunset felt like hope as He spoke to my heart, I heard Him say, “You are worthy of everything good, YOU are God’s beloved”.
I know Father God loves me unconditionally. His love is not something I have to chase, prove, or hold onto tightly, it is already mine.
There is deep freedom in this truth, “I am defined by the One who created me and calls me His own”. And while He loves me exactly as I am, He also gently leads me into the fullness of who I am created to be.
I’m letting this truth settle deeper than my thoughts. I’m letting it into my heart, my identity, and my daily life. There is freedom in knowing I am loved exactly where I am, while still becoming all that God created me to be.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
I am learning that one of the most healing truths I can carry with me is this:
I belong to love.
Love is the ground beneath my feet. It steadies my heart and reminds me to speak to myself with kindness, to extend grace to others, and to move through the world with an open heart instead of a guarded one.
This is the kind of life I choose to live, a life rooted in love, shaped by love, and overflowing with love. Because when I know where I belong, I can live with greater peace, deeper compassion, and quiet confidence, always returning to this simple truth again and again:
I belong to love.
And from that place, I am free to become all I was created to be.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
I’m learning that, I don’t need to figure out the whole path. I only need to take the next step right in front of me.
So I pause, take a deep breath and notice the breeze moving through the trees, the warmth of the sun, the birds singing, and know that creation trusts our Creator; and I believe that I too, can trust God with my life. So I let go of the pressure to have it all figured out, and I stand here. I breathe here, I meet God here, and from this place of presence, I take the next faithful step.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
I imagine the first moments of hearing freedom spoken aloud after waiting generations for it, was like breath loosening in the chest after being held for way too long, that first exhale brought a feeling of sudden, overwhelming physical relief.
Juneteenth calls me to dwell in that sacred moment of liberation and to honor the courage, resilience and faith of those who held onto hope. It reminds me that freedom is not only a historical proclamation or a date remembered each year, it is a living inheritance, felt in the body and carried through generations.
That remembrance leads me to consider what freedom asks of us now, and how the meaning of Juneteenth continues beyond the moment freedom is declared.
Liberation is not complete simply because it is spoken, it must be practiced, defended, and embodied. It is both memory and movement, honoring those who endured, while continuing to create a world where freedom can be fully lived.
Freedom is breathing deeply and remembering I belong to God, its releasing what no longer holds life and making room for what restores it, and it’s knowing that our “worth” was woven into the soul from the very beginning.
May we remember, may we honor, and may we continue becoming people who choose truth, justice, compassion, and wholeness.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” – Psalm 23:6
There is something deeply grounding about this promise. Not that life will always be easy, but that God’s goodness and mercy are already moving with me. They are not distant, or waiting for me to earn them, but they are present in this breath, in this moment, in the steady rhythm of my heart.
As I inhale, I welcome God’s goodness.
As I exhale, I release all that I was not meant to carry and when my mind races ahead or my body feels unsettled, I gently return to this truth, that goodness and mercy are following me, God’s presence is behind me, beside me, and before me.
Today, I choose to notice the beauty around me, the sway of the trees, the warmth of the sun, the sound of birdsong, the quiet reminders that God is near.
Goodness and mercy are not just words on a page, they are a living promise, faithfully walking with me, one breath at a time.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
Joy is an inside work.
A gift from God that can exist even when life feels uncertain. It grows when we become rooted in truth instead of outcomes, and when we trust God’s presence more than we trust our circumstances. When we remember that our worth is not determined by who stays, who leaves, who understands us, or who doesn’t. People will disappoint us, seasons will change and life will stretch us in ways we never expected. But I’ve learned that joy remains available, and today, I choose joy, because of who God is. His love is steady, His presence is constant and that is enough.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
I am learning to move with intention, grounded, aware, and open to the beauty around me. God, I trust You here, in my breath and in my becoming.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
It’s in the stillness where I’ve met God most intimately, in the raw, unfiltered spaces where I have nothing left to offer but my honesty.
I’ve learned that healing isn’t found in rushing to fix what’s broken or pretending the pain didn’t happen. It’s a slow unraveling, a sacred surrender. It’s the way my spirit leans into His presence when I don’t understand, and in this space, is where I find rest.
I am learning that peace is not the absence of pain, but the nearness of God in the middle of it.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
