Rooted + Rested - Embracing Peace And Rest Through Faith And Self-Care...and a touch of Lavender

This Friday marks thirty-seven years since Bob and I got engaged. Looking back, I can't help but smile at how little we knew about the story God was writing. Our engagement was anything but traditional, and if someone had told that twenty-year-old girl what the next thirty-seven years would hold, I'm not sure I would have believed them. Together, we've walked through seasons of deep joy and unexpe...

This week, an unfinished patio, a few sparrows on the stones, and some fragile lavender plants became a gentle reminder of God’s care. In the middle of summer projects, harvest, heat, disappointment, and the feeling that everything is moving too fast, Lisa reflects on Luke 12:6-7 and the promise that not one sparrow is forgotten by God. If you are tired from carrying good things, waiting for somet...

58 | Your Labor Is Not In Vain What if one of our deepest fears isn't failure? What if it's looking back someday and wondering whether our work, our sacrifices, and our efforts really mattered? This spring, I found myself wrestling with questions about purpose, fruitfulness, and whether the things we pour our hearts into truly make a difference. In this episode of Rooted + Rested, I share a person...

57 | The Lavender Lady Have you ever found yourself creating a story in your mind before you knew the whole story? Maybe you've assumed the worst. Maybe you've wondered if a door was closing. Maybe you've filled in the blanks with fear because you didn't have all the information. I've done that too. In this episode of Rooted + Rested, I share a personal story that taught me an important lesson abo...

Have you ever reached a point where you didn't know what to do next? Maybe you're facing uncertainty. Maybe you're carrying disappointment. Maybe you're waiting for answers that haven't come. This spring, I found myself in a season where I felt overwhelmed by loss, questions, and the temptation to quit. But in the middle of it all, I sensed the Lord speaking four simple words to my heart: Do the n...

Welcome Home: God’s Presence in Everyday Life Sometimes the most meaningful reminders of God's presence come in the most ordinary moments. After returning home from a much-needed vacation, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude. What began as a simple homecoming became a beautiful reminder of God's goodness, faithfulness, and care. In this episode of Rooted + Rested, I'm sharing a personal stor...

Have you ever wondered if God sees your waiting… your hurting… or the things you carry quietly? In this deeply personal episode of Rooted + Rested, I’m sharing about a hard spring filled with loss in the lavender field, injury, uncertainty, and honest questions before God. What began as a season of pruning unexpectedly became a lesson about being remembered—not forgotten—by God. After removing aro...

Sometimes trusting God is hardest… not with our own lives… but with the people we love. The child we worry about. The spouse carrying something heavy. The friend in a difficult season. The parent struggling. The person we pray for over and over again. In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we’re talking about what it means to release control, surrender outcomes, and trust God with those who weigh hea...

Sometimes trusting God with the future sounds simple… until life starts feeling like one thing after another. In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we continue our series on praying Scripture by focusing on trusting God with the future during uncertain seasons. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the unknown… carrying anxiety about what’s ahead… or emotionally exhausted from trying to hold everyth...

This is week 7 in our Praying Scripture Series. What if the way you see yourself… isn’t actually the truth? In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we continue our series on praying Scripture by focusing on who you are in Christ—learning how to release fear, self-doubt, and pressure, and instead rest in your identity in God. If you’ve been questioning yourself… feeling like you’re not enough… or letti...

What if you didn’t have to be afraid… even when you don’t know how things will turn out? In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we continue our series on praying Scripture for peace—learning how to trust God not just with our needs, but with our fears and uncertainty. This week, we focus on resting in God’s presence… not because everything is certain, but because He is with you. If you’ve been feelin...

What if you didn’t have to carry tomorrow? In Week 5 of this Scripture prayer series, we focus on praying Scripture for provision—learning how to bring our needs to God while trusting Him to provide. This episode will guide you through: Praying Scripture for provision and daily needs Finding balance between asking and trusting Releasing pressure to figure everything out Resting in God’s care, one...

What if forgiveness wasn’t about striving… but about coming honestly before God? In Week 4 of this Scripture prayer series, we focus on praying Scripture for forgiveness—learning how to confess, release false beliefs, and receive God’s grace. This episode will guide you through: Praying Scripture for forgiveness and healing Letting go of guilt and striving Confessing not just actions—but beliefs t...

What if gratitude didn’t depend on your circumstances… but on who God is? In Week 3 of this Scripture prayer series, we focus on gratitude and thanksgiving—learning how to pray Scripture and give thanks in every season. This episode will guide you through: Praying Scripture through gratitude Memorizing Bible verses in a simple, peaceful way Trusting God even when life feels uncertain Returning you...

What if your prayers didn’t start with asking… but with worship? In Week 2 of this Scripture prayer series, we focus on who God is—His goodness, His greatness, and His faithfulness. This episode will guide you through: Praying Scripture in a simple, approachable way Memorizing verses you can carry throughout your day Slowing down and returning your heart to truth Featured Scriptures: Psalm 86:10 P...

What if prayer could be simple—and the words you need are already waiting in Scripture? In this first episode of the Praying Scripture series, we explore how speaking God’s Word back to Him can quiet your mind, steady your heart, and bring you rest. Lisa shares a gentle, practical approach to memorizing a daily Scripture prayer—starting with one powerful line from Zechariah 4:6: "Father, I come to...

Do you ever feel like your life is a pinball machine—bouncing from one responsibility to the next, never slowing down? In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we’re talking about the deep kind of tired that so many Christian women carry… the kind that doesn’t go away with sleep. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or spiritually exhausted, this episode is for you. Together, we’ll explo...

What does it really mean to live in the Armor of God? In this final episode of the Armor of God series on the Rooted + Rested podcast, we step back and reflect on the full picture of Ephesians 6:10–18 and how each piece of spiritual armor helps us stand firm in our faith. Throughout this series we’ve explored: • The Belt of Truth that anchors us in God’s unchanging Word • The Breastplate of Righte...

In Episode 42 - #6 in the Armor of God Series of Rooted + Rested, Lisa shares a contemplative reflection on prayer, trusting God, and committing the “winter seasons” of life to Him. Using stories from her lavender farm, she explores pruning, anticipating spring, and the bittersweet end of the growing season. Drawing from Zechariah and the Armor of God series, Lisa reminds listeners that God is nev...

In this episode of our Armor of God series, we explore the meaning of the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17 and how God’s Word sustains us during seasons of uncertainty. What does it really mean to “take up the sword of the Spirit”? And how do we use Scripture when the outcome feels unclear? Through a personal story from the lavender field after a long winter — including replacing over 100 pla...

In this episode of the Armor of God series, Lisa shares a deeply personal story from her lavender fields about trust, faith, and God’s faithfulness in moments of uncertainty. After experiencing a late frost that appeared to destroy her harvest, Lisa discovered a powerful lesson about the shield of faith from Scripture and a personal teaching moment with Jesus: “Keep watching.” Join Lisa as she ref...

What does it mean to have your feet “sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15)? In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we continue our Armor of God series by unpacking the biblical meaning of the gospel of peace and how it steadies us in seasons of anxiety, hurry, and uncertainty. This is not peace that comes from perfect circumstances. This is peace that flows from the good n...

In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we continue our gentle Armor of God series by focusing on the Belt of Truth from Ephesians 6 — and how God’s truth steadies us when anxious thoughts and long-held lies rise to the surface. Many of us struggle with thoughts that feel familiar and convincing: I’m not enough. I always fail. I don’t have what it takes. These lies often take root early in life and qu...

Standing, Not Striving: Introducing the Armor of God (Episode 1) Have you ever felt like the hardest battles you face happen in your mind—especially when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or discouraged? In this episode of Rooted + Rested, we begin a gentle series on the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10–18. Together, we explore how spiritual warfare often shows up as anxious thoughts, self-doubt, and...

What happens after you obey God — but before you see the outcome? In Episode 4 of Rooted + Rested, a Christian podcast for women, we conclude our Esther Bible study by exploring Esther chapters 6–10 and reflecting on what it means to trust God with the ending of the story. Esther’s courage, Mordecai’s faithfulness, and God’s unseen hand remind us that deliverance doesn’t always come loudly or quic...