Celebrating my birthday with a do-over. Maybe you need one too?

It’s never too late to begin again. Never too late to reset the rhythm, realign your heart, or take a different step forward. God’s still in the business of comebacks, redos, and second chances.

So here’s to August… 

A fresh month full of fresh mercy. A new opportunity to move with intention. New routines. A new school year. New parenting grace. New priorities. A new posture of heart. Not perfect, just present. Not crushing it, just committed. Not hustling, just anchored.

And if you need a picture of what starting over with Jesus really looks like, just look at Peter in John 21.

He swore he’d never walk away… then did.
He said he’d never deny Him… but did it three times. Loudly. Publicly. Painfully.
He was the bold one. The messy one. The one who loved Jesus and still failed Him. But after the resurrection, Jesus didn’t scold him. He didn’t shame him.  He made him breakfast.

He met Peter right on the shoreline with kindness and a question:

“Do you love Me?”

Not “Why did you do it?”, Not “Shouldn’t you be past this by now?” He met Peter with love and mercy, and a fresh assignment:

“Feed My sheep.”

That’s what starting again with Jesus looks like. Not shame, but calling. Not guilt, but grace. Not disqualification, but a deeper invitation.

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Let me tell you what that looked like in my life. There was a time I was on fire for God. Not just loving Him, but being using by Him. I was leading, serving, opening my home for Bible studies, praying with other women, raising my kids in the Word, pushing forward in ministry school… I thought I was walking straight into my calling, but then everything shifted. Rhytms in our schedule changed, A half-cocked business plan failed hard, practices and games swallowed our family nights, my coursework at Highlands College got pushed to the back burner, and I… I slowly stopped showing up. Not just to ministry, but to God.

Oh, I still attended church.
Still showed up to group chats.
Still nodded along in small group.

But something in me was gone.
It was burn out. I was buried in obligation and bitterness.

I never meant for it to happen, and honestly I didn’t know it was happening; everything around me was moving so fast.  And somewhere in the noise, my passion became pressure…my service became silence…and my once-soft heart started hardening into something critical, bitter, fearful, and tired.

So today John 21 hits a little deeper than it ever has before, because I’m realizing that I’m not the first one to go fishing after a spiritual failure. Peter was there too.

And just like Peter, Jesus is meeting me on the shoreline.

Not with a list of what I should’ve done. Not with a timeline to catch up. Just with a question: “Do you love Me?”

And if I’m honest… starting again has felt like an impossible task some days.
Like I’ve already gone too far down the wrong road to turn back now.
Like shifting gears would just be too much work.
Like everyone would notice the U-turn and have something to say about it.

But that’s not the voice of the Shepherd. That’s the enemy…feeding the lie that it’s all on you to fix it. Because the truth? All it takes is a simple “yes.” One surrendered yes to a fresh start. You don’t have to figure it out. You don’t have to climb your way back. The Spirit does the heavy lifting. You just stay available: quiet, still, open.  And before you know it, what felt impossible begins unfolding in front of you. The fog starts to lift. The light starts to return. He lifts you from the depths and gives you back your purpose. He’s been working in the dark the whole time… and He’s not done with you.

So if you’ve been wondering if it’s too late for you, hear this:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.” -Lamentations 3:22–23

If you’re in need of a reset… just know, me too. Today’s my birthday. And I’m choosing to begin again, with a quieter heart, a slower rhythm, and a firmer grip on grace.

So maybe this is your shoreline moment too. Your August invitation to return. To realign. To let mercy meet you in the middle and give you the courage to move again.

Here’s to showing up. Trying again. Living it out, on purpose.

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Reflect:
Where in your life do you feel like you’ve “blown it”?
What would it look like to meet Jesus on the shoreline instead of running from Him?

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Prayer:
Lord, thank You for meeting me with grace instead of guilt. Thank You for being the kind of Savior who makes breakfast for the ones who failed You. I want to believe it’s not too late. Not too messy. Not too far gone. Help me see this season through Your mercy. Let me live from Your newness, not my past. Amen.

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Reset Step:
Write down one area where you’ve felt stuck in shame or failure. Then speak this truth out loud:
“Jesus meets me here. I can begin again.”

Put it where you’ll see it this week. Say it when shame creeps in. Let it lead you forward…anchored, not afraid.

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Here’s to comebacks. Here’s to mercy. Here’s to August. And hey…if you need a fresh start…
Happy new day, friend. I’m right there with you.

Need help finding your way back? You don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

I created The Shoreline Reset Workbook as a gentle guide to help you reconnect with Jesus, reflect on where you are, and realign with His peace.

This printable workbook will help you:

• Recognize what’s not working
• Release shame and self-sufficiency
• Say yes to a fresh start
• Reflect on Scripture with guided prompts
• Follow the R.E.T.U.R.N. rhythm to realign your heart

You can grab it for free by joining The Reset Room, my library of encouragement, resources, and Scripture-based tools to help you reset from the inside out.

Join here and get instant access to The Shoreline Reset Workbook and all current freebies:

P.S. Don’t forget to check your junk folder to confirm your subscription! Once you click that confirmation email, you’ll get the password to unlock alllll the freebies inside The Reset Room.