February: Love and Grace...

Week 8 - Learning to Trust Grace in the Process

Weekly Beat Reflection:

IThis week felt slower.

And it wasn't because nothing was happening. A lot was happening beneath the surface.

We started with healing grace, and healing isn’t loud. It’s not dramatic. It’s often quiet and uncomfortable. Healing forces us to sit with what we’ve been avoiding. It reminds us that grace doesn’t rush recovery. It stays present through it.

Then we moved into grace in letting go, and that one likely touched a tender spot. Letting go isn’t weakness. It’s release. It’s deciding we will no longer hold onto what God is asking us to trust Him with. Sometimes we hold on to control, outcomes, or even old versions of ourselves because they feel familiar. Grace gives us the courage to loosen our grip.

With grace in waiting, the pace slowed even more. Waiting is hard. It stretches us. It reveals impatience. It exposes fear. It tests whether we truly believe God is working when we can’t see movement. We all can agree, waiting is rarely comfortable, but grace steadies us there.

Midweek, we leaned into restoring peace. Not surface-level calm, but deep peace. The kind that doesn’t depend on circumstances behaving. Peace that comes from choosing trust over spiraling thoughts. Peace that returns when we release what isn’t ours to carry.

Then came grace-filled strength. This wasn’t about pushing harder or proving resilience. It was about strength that flows from surrender and not from strain. Real strength doesn’t always look bold. Sometimes it looks like showing up again. Sometimes it looks like choosing patience. Sometimes it looks like resting.

With grace through surrender, we faced the heart of it all. Surrender isn’t giving up—it’s giving over. It’s shifting from “I’ll handle it” to “God, You handle it.” For me, that shift changes everything.

We ended with hope renewed, because surrender creates space for hope. When we stop forcing outcomes, hope rises quietly. Not loud optimism, but steady confidence that God is still working.

What This Week Taught Us

Healing takes time. Letting go creates space. Waiting builds trust. Peace must be protected. Strength flows from surrender and hope grows where control is released. If you're like me, this week may have revealed something important to you and that is: We often want breakthrough—but resist the process. We want renewal—but struggle with surrender. We want peace—but hold onto control. Remember, grace doesn’t remove the process. It carries us through it.

So here’s the question to carry into next week: Where am I resisting what grace is trying to teach me? Choose one area where you're holding on tightly, maybe an outcome, a timeline, or fear and intentionally release it to God.

Scripture Promise:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." — 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)

Prayer:

Father, teach me to learn to trust you in the process of molding me into your image and may your grace always sustain me.

Amen

Stay in Rhythm. Stay in Grace

Reflection Questions

1. Where is God asking me to trust Him in the process right now?

• What situation feels slow, unclear, or unresolved?

• Am I resisting the pace because it feels uncomfortable?

• What might God be shaping in me while I wait?

2. What am I holding onto that grace is asking me to release?

• Is it control over timing?

• Is it an old hurt that needs healing?

• Is it fear of what might happen if I fully surrender?

3. How can I protect my peace while I wait?

• What thoughts tend to steal my peace?

• What habits help restore calm and clarity?

• What would it look like to choose trust instead of overthinking?

Week 7 - Learning to Live From Grace

Weekly Beat Reflection:

In this week beats, we didn’t just talk about grace. We were asked to examine whether we’re actually living from it.

We began with grace in weakness, and if we’re honest, weakness is uncomfortable. We don’t like feeling inadequate, exposed, or unsure. But this rhythm reminded us that weakness isn’t where God steps back, it’s where He steps closer. God's grace doesn’t show up after we fix ourselves. It meets us right in the middle of our frailty.

Then came love that covers. Not love that ignores truth, but love that protects dignity. It made us think about how quickly we can expose faults—our own and others’. Grace teaches us to handle people’s flaws gently, the same way we hope ours are handled.

With grace-filled words, we had to slow down. Words are powerful. They can calm a storm or create one. This beat challenged us to notice our tone, our timing, and our intention. Are our words building up—or just releasing frustration?

Midweek, loving without conditions pushed us deeper. It’s easy to love when it’s returned the way we want. It’s harder when it isn’t. This rhythm asked a quiet but bold question: Do I love people for who they are, or for how they make me feel?

Then we faced mercy over judgment. And that one can be convicting. Judgment feels quick and effective, but mercy requires pause. It requires humility. It reminds us that we rarely know the full story behind someone’s behavior.

With grace-filled boundaries, we were reminded of something important—grace is not the same as tolerating harm. Boundaries are not punishment; they are wisdom. They protect what God is growing in us. They allow love to stay healthy instead of resentful.

We closed the week with living from grace. We don't visit grace when we mess up, we operate from it daily. Living from grace means we stop leading with shame, comparison, and performance. It means we respond to mistakes with growth instead of self-condemnation. It means we extend to others the same patience God extends to us.

What This Week Taught Us

Grace is stronger than weakness. Mercy is stronger than judgment. Boundaries can coexist with compassion. We often expect perfection from ourselves and consistency from others, but God's grace is constant when all things fail. When someone disappoints you… When you disappoint yourself… Will you default to judgment—or to grace? Grace doesn’t lower the standard. It changes the posture.

This week, when you notice yourself defaulting to criticism—toward yourself or someone else—pause and ask: “What would grace do here?”

Scripture Promise:

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” — Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)

Prayer:

Father,I thank You that Your grace is enough for me. Teach me to live from it instead of striving without it. When I am weak, remind me that You are strong. Guard my words, soften my judgments, and guide my boundaries. Help me respond with grace—toward myself and toward others.

Amen.

Stay in Rhythm. Stay in Grace.

Reflection Questions

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” — Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)

1. Where did I need grace most this week?

• In what moments did I feel weak, frustrated, or inadequate?

• How did I respond when I made a mistake?

• Did I extend to myself the same grace I hope others would give me?

2. How did my words and reactions reflect grace—or the lack of it?

• Did I speak from patience or from pressure?

• Where did judgment show up in my thoughts?

• What would mercy have looked like in that situation?

3. What does living from grace look like in my daily life?

• Do I operate from performance or from acceptance?

• Where do I need healthier boundaries instead of silent resentment?

• What would change if I truly believed grace is enough?

Week 6 - Learning to Abide in Love

Weekly Beat Reflection:

This week kept bringing us back to one simple, life-shaping truth: we are loved—and we’re meant to live from that place.

We started with being loved, not as an idea we agree with, but as something we’re invited to actually receive. For many of us, that’s harder than it sounds. We’re used to proving, earning, and holding ourselves together. This rhythm asked us to pause and remember that God’s love is not something we work towards, His love is where we begin.

From there, we moved into grace given freely, learning that grace doesn’t come with conditions or a performance review. It meets us in our mess, our questions, and our unfinished stories. Grace doesn’t wait for us to improve; it shows up right where we are and helps us grow from there.

As the week unfolded, loving others gently challenged how we interact in everyday life. Not everyone needs correction or fixing. Sometimes people just need patience, understanding, and space to be human. Gentle love slows us down and reminds us that how we love matters just as much as what we say.

Then we faced grace over guilt, a rhythm many of us needed more than we realized. Guilt has a way of dragging yesterday into today. This beat reminded us that God’s grace is stronger than our regret and that staying stuck in shame doesn’t honor the forgiveness we’ve already been given.

With compassionate love, our focus shifted outward again though not from obligation, but from overflow. When we truly receive God’s love, compassion becomes a natural response. It helps us see people not as problems to solve, but as hearts in need of care.

Forgiving with grace asked us to do hard heart work. Forgiveness isn’t pretending things didn’t hurt; but rather choosing to release what we can’t carry anymore. Grace makes forgiveness possible, not by minimizing pain, but by trusting God with justice, healing, and restoration.

We ended the week with abiding in love, the reminder that love is more than a moment we visit, it’s a place we’re meant to stay. Abiding means staying connected to God even on the hard days, the quiet days, and the days we don’t feel very strong or spiritual. It’s learning to live rooted in His love, not drifting in and out based on circumstances.

When we stay grounded in God’s love, grace flows more freely, guilt loses its grip, forgiveness becomes possible, and compassion grows naturally.

As you step into a new week, choose one intentional pause each day to return to love. You don’t have to chase love. You’re invited to remain in it.

One beat at a time.

Scripture Promise

“He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
— 1 John 4:16 (NKJV)

Prayer:

God, thank You for loving me just as I am. Help me rest in Your love instead of striving. When guilt or fear rises, remind me of Your grace. Teach me to remain in Your love and share it gently with others.

Amen.

Stay in Rhythm. Stay in Grace.

Reflection Questions

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
— John 15:9 (NKJV)

1. What did abiding in God’s love look like for me this week?

• When did I feel most aware of God’s love?

• When did I struggle to stay connected to that love?

• What situations pulled me into striving, guilt, or self-criticism instead of resting?

2. How did receiving love change the way I related to myself and others?

• Where did grace replace guilt in my thoughts or actions?

• How did loving others gently show up in real conversations or moments?

• Did forgiveness bring relief, resistance, or both?

3. What will help me continue to abide in love in the coming week?

• What habits or pauses help me return to love when I drift?

• How can I choose compassion—toward myself and others—more intentionally?

• What reminder do I need when I feel weak, overwhelmed, or tempted to disconnect?

January: New Beginnings

Week 5 - Learning the Rhythm of Renewal

Weekly Beat Reflection:

This week reminded us that renewal isn’t a single moment, it’s a layered journey. We didn’t just talk about change; we walked through what it looks like when God reshapes us from the inside out, one rhythm at a time.

We began with renewal, discovering that God doesn’t wait for us to have everything together before He starts restoring us. Renewal often begins quietly, with a willing heart and honest thoughtfulness. From there, purpose came into focus, reminding us that renewal isn’t random. God restores us on purpose and for a purpose, even when the next step feels unclear.

As the week unfolded, healing invited us to slow down and acknowledge places we often rush past or hide. Healing taught us that God’s work is both tender and intentional. He heals not just what hurts, but what has shaped how we think, trust, and move forward.

Then came service, shifting our attention outward. We were reminded that renewal doesn’t stop with us. As God restores our hearts, He also invites us to be vessels of grace to others, sometimes in big ways, but often in small, unseen acts of love.

Midweek, renewal revisited gently circled us back to the truth that growth isn’t linear. God often revisits lessons, not because we failed, but because we’re ready to go deeper. I've seen that renewal is ongoing, not one-and-done.

With peace restored, we learned that peace isn’t the absence of noise or conflict, but rather it’s the presence of God steadying our hearts in the middle of it all. Peace comes when we trust God’s timing and release what we can’t control.

We closed the week with more new beginnings, a hopeful reminder that God is never done creating something new in us. New beginnings aren’t reserved for January or major life changes, they meet us right where we are, again and again, as we walk with Him.

Today, why not cast all your cares on Him and enjoy that perfect peace that can be found in His love.

Scripture Promise:

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”— Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)

Prayer:

Lord I thank you for leading me this week into trusting what you you're doing in my life. Show me how to lean fully on you in everything that I do.

Amen.

Stay in Rhythm. Stay in Grace.

Week 5 Reflection Points

1. Where have I seen God working renewal in my life this week?

• What attitudes, thoughts, or habits did God gently bring to my attention?

• Which daily rhythm challenged me the most—and why?

• Where did I sense God inviting me to slow down instead of rushing ahead?

2. What is God teaching me through the revisits, pauses, and healing moments?

• Is there a lesson God keeps bringing back to me?

• What might He be deepening rather than correcting?

• How has healing shaped the way I view myself, others, or my calling?

3. How am I being invited to carry renewal forward into a new beginning?

• What does “new” look like for me right now—big or small?

• Where can I choose peace instead of control this coming week?

• How can my renewed heart overflow into service toward others?

The Rhythm of Walking Into A New Season

WEEK 1: WALKING INTO A NEW SEASON WITH GOD

Weekly Beat Reflection:
This week introduces us to the heart of new beginnings. Rather than asking us to reinvent ourselves, God invites us to walk with Him — learning to trust, praise, obey, wait, rest, and find peace along the way. A new season with God is not entered through effort alone, but through daily surrender and steady faith.

As we moved through each day, we were reminded that beginnings are sustained by rhythm, not resolution. God meets us not only at the start, but in every step that follows.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23 (NKJV)

I've learned over the years that God specializes in fresh starts. In fact, in Lamentations 3:23, we're told His mercies are new every morning, not just on the first day of every new year. This week, God has been gently reminding me that grace has a rhythm, and when I slow down enough to listen, I realize He’s been leading all along. New beginnings don’t come because the past disappears, but because God is faithful enough to rewrite the story. In Christ, the old has passed away, and something beautifully new is always unfolding.

I’ve learned that grace isn’t something I earn by striving harder or getting it right; it's something I receive. It flows freely into the places where I’m weakest, restoring what I thought was lost and renewing what felt worn down. Even the years that seemed wasted are not beyond His reach. God doesn’t just repair us; He restores us with purpose, turning our broken seasons into testimonies of hope.

There have been moments when I’ve stumbled, when my steps felt unsure, and my faith felt tired. Yet His hand never loosened its grip. Second chances are woven into His design, and every fall has been met with mercy instead of condemnation. What I once labeled failure, God gently reshaped into growth purposefully for me.

This week has also reminded me that renewal is not a one-time moment; We have to surrender daily. When my spirit feels empty, God invites me to exchange my weakness for His strength, my impatience for His peace. Waiting may not be my natural tempo, but trusting God’s timing always brings me back into sync with His rhythm. I'm reminded delays aren’t denials; they are divine preparation, making room for something beautiful to emerge right on time.

And then there is the morning, faithful, steady, and full of mercy. Each sunrise whispers the same truth: God is not finished with me. Yesterday’s mistakes cannot outrun today’s grace. His compassion meets me before I take my first breath, inviting me once again to walk in step with Him.

This is the rhythm I want to live by, not perfection, but grace. Not rushing, but trusting. Not striving, but resting in the assurance that the One who began this work in me will complete it.

Why not begin again, not because you failed, but because God is faithful. Step into His rhythm, and give Him your heart.

Tip: When the mind and body are in good health, they can work in a beautiful, harmonious rhythm with the spirit. As you prepare to move into next week's rhythm, plan to incorporate some gentle movements like stretching, slow walking, or any type of light motion. Think of it as symbolizing openness to God's new work. As you make those New Year's resolutions, don't be too hard on yourself. The previous year may not have been your stellar year, but tell yourself this one truth: "God is not finished with me." If He began a good work in you, He will finish it (Philippians 1:6)

Faith Promise:

“He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

Week 1 Prayer

Lord, thank You for meeting me at the start of this new season. Help me to release what’s behind me and trust the rhythm of Your grace ahead of me. Teach me to walk forward with faith, patience, and hope, knowing You are faithful to complete the work You’ve begun.

Amen.

Stay in Rhythm. Stay in Grace.

Again

Reflections — Week 1

Beat Check : Pause. Reflect. Realign.

1) Where did you notice God meeting you most clearly this week: in trust, peace, obedience, patience, or rest?

2) What moment taught me to trust His timing more deeply?

3) Which verse or truth stayed with me when my heart needed peace?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for walking beside me through this week. Help me to stay tuned to Your steady, gentle rhythm, which is full of grace.

Amen..

Blessing

May your heart stay grateful, your steps guided by trust, and your spirit quieted by His peace. May this first rhythm of the year anchor you in grace that carries through every season.

Valencia McMahon