Dear Friends,

Before an issue of Just Between Us reaches your inbox, many hours of thoughtful work have gone into its pages. Writers draw from their lives and God’s Word to offer honest, meaningful encouragement. Our editorial team selects and shapes each article, checks Scripture references, and carefully reviews the words. Reflection questions and pray…

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Dear Friends,

Have you ever noticed how quickly peace can slip away?

One small worry becomes a whole list of what-ifs. One unexpected bill, one hard conversation, one troubling headline, one more notification on our phones—and suddenly our minds are racing and our hearts feel anything but settled.

Most of us know what it feels like to want certainty. We want to know how things will turn out. We want to protect the people we love. We want to make wise decisions, keep up with our responsibilities, and hold everything together. But life has a way of showing us that we were never meant to carry it all on our own.

This week’s issue is an invitation to bring our anxious, distracted, overwhelmed hearts back to the One who holds us. God’s peace is not dependent on calm circumstances, a quiet schedule, or a perfectly ordered life. It comes as we learn to trust Him with the next worry, the next fear, and the next thought that will not settle.

In these articles, you’ll find encouragement for anxiety, practical wisdom for finding peace in a noisy digital world, and a faith-building reminder that God’s promises remain firm when life feels uncertain.

Wherever this week finds you, we pray these words help you breathe a little deeper, loosen your grip, and remember that you are secure in your Father’s care.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Trading Fear for Peace Through Trusting in God’s Love | Samantha Wise
When worry becomes a familiar pattern, peace can feel almost impossible to reach. Samantha Wise shares her journey through anxiety, people-pleasing, motherhood, and the exhausting desire to keep everything under control. Her story points us back to the faithful care of our heavenly Father, who invites us to trade fear for trust one small step at a time.

Peace is Possible in a Digital World | Dr. Sylvia Frejd
In a world filled with dings, pings, updates, and endless demands for our attention, it’s easy for our souls to feel scattered. Dr. Sylvia Frejd helps us consider how digital stress affects not only our minds, but also our hearts and spiritual lives. With practical encouragement and biblical truth, she reminds us that peace is still possible when we make room for stillness and return our attention to Jesus.

Keep Calm and Carry On | Stuart Briscoe
How do we stay calm when fear feels very real? Stuart Briscoe reflects on his childhood in wartime England and the Scripture promise that shaped his understanding of peace. Through a powerful story of fear, faith, and God’s unchanging character, this article reminds us that we can carry on—not because we are in control, but because God is.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Trading Fear for Peace Through Trusting in God’s Love

Trusting the Lord instead of chasing control.

By Samantha Wise

Ever since I was a child, I’ve struggled with worry. Even at a young age, the idea of something being out of my control felt terrifying. I feared being called on in class, dreaded group projects, and avoided leadership roles at all costs. I was also a people-pleaser to the point that it became unhealthy, leaving me anxious and constantly questioning myself: Was I doing enough? Was I good enough? Once I became a Christian, I even worried about whether I was “good enough” to call myself a child of God. Instead of seeing Him as a loving Father who had adopted me into His family, I mostly saw God as someone to fear, just as I feared many other things in life.

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By Stuart Briscoe

The question startled me. She was sitting on the front row. Quiet, respectful, listening intently. But it was her eyes! They held me with the kind of searching wondering, unblinking gaze known only to children in innocence. “How do you stay calm?” she inquired.

“How do I keep calm?” I responded, scrambling for an answer, wondering how I explain in language that an eight-year-old can grasp.

The question was not the only surprise of the morning. I had been invited to talk to a group of a few hundred homeschooled children about “growing up” in wartime England. I explained how World War I had been called “the war to end all wars,” but World War II started little more than twenty years later. I was eight years old at the time.

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By Dr. Sylvia Frejd

It’s safe to say that we all feel pretty stressed out living in this fast-paced, digital world. A recent article in Time magazine noted that the current generation is the most anxious and stressed generation of all time. Experts agree that our digital devices are keeping us in a state of heightened state of awareness.

Scientists say our overuse of technology is rewiring our brains for distraction, and this affects more than just our minds. It’s affecting our physical and spiritual health, and over-stressing our hearts and minds. There are all these dings and pings that constantly demand our immediate attention. I actually had a heart scan done a few weeks ago. The doctor told me I needed to reduce my stress, so I’m trying to stress less and find peace in the midst of my digital life.

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By Samantha Wise

Ever since I was a child, I’ve struggled with worry. Even at a young age, the idea of something being out of my control felt terrifying. I feared being called on in class, dreaded group projects, and avoided leadership roles at all costs. I was also a people-pleaser to the point that it became unhealthy, leaving me anxious and constantly questioning myself: Was I doing enough? Was I good enough? Once I became a Christian, I even worried about whether I was “good enough” to call myself a child of God. Instead of seeing Him as a loving Father who had adopted me into His family, I mostly saw God as someone to fear, just as I feared many other things in life.

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Think about the last time something in God’s Word stayed with you.

Perhaps you shared it with a friend, prayed it over your family, or remembered it during a difficult conversation.

Biblical encouragement can shape what we carry into the lives of others.

That’s our prayer for Just Between Us: that as women grow closer to Jesus, His truth shapes their homes…

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Dear Friends,

Do you ever find yourself wiping down the kitchen counter or folding another load of laundry while your mind races through an endless to-do list? Maybe you’re thinking about the strange sound your car is making, a child’s upcoming activity, or the meal you’ve been meaning to deliver to a family walking through surgery, welcoming a new baby, or grieving a loss. Life moves quickly, and it’s easy to feel as though everything depends on you—that if you stop for even a moment, the whole world might stop spinning.

Yet, God never intended for us to simply survive our busy days. He invites us to live each day with Him.

That’s where spiritual disciplines come in. Rather than adding just another item to our to-do lists, they can become a way to train ourselves to see God in our busy day-to-day and welcome His peace and presence into our hearts. As we faithfully practice habits like prayer, Scripture reading and memorization, gratitude, and reflection, they gradually become less like obligations and more like the natural rhythms of a life rooted in Christ.

In this issue, you’ll discover practical ways to draw closer to Christ through a variety of spiritual practices. It’s our prayer that you will find inspiration to try some of these spiritual disciplines this week and root yourself more deeply in Jesus.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Spiritual Practices for Today | Melissa Gween Meek
What does it look like to intentionally make space for God in your everyday life? Melissa Gween Meek explores three spiritual practices while introducing several others to you so you can begin making them part of your regular time with God. Whether you’re discovering these practices for the very first time or returning to some familiar ones, her practical encouragement will help you cultivate a deeper walk with Christ.

His Word in My Heart | Laura Sandretti
What difference can hiding God’s Word in your heart really make? Laura Sandretti shares how memorizing Scripture, a vital spiritual practice, has strengthened her through parenting challenges, marital disagreements, and health struggles. Her honesty and practical encouragement will inspire you to begin storing God’s Word in your heart—one verse at a time.

Also:

• Just for You

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Spiritual Practices for Today

Watch these disciplines deepen your relationship with Christ.

By Melissa Gween Meek

It’s hard to quiet our hearts long enough to truly listen to God. Our emotions, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists often compete for our attention. Whether we are caring for family, leading a ministry, or running a business, we need intentional spiritual practices that keep our hearts and goals aligned with God’s heart.

In my bookkeeping business, I have witnessed success as well as the pain that comes with unexpected challenges. Through it all, I have learned that my work is about much more than balancing numbers. My clients trust my judgment because they know my faith guides my decisions. They know that I follow God.

Over the years, God has blessed me with clients who have become like family. Each relationship has stretched and shaped me in different ways, leading me to rely on many spiritual practices that have become the foundation for my clients and me. As God continues to strengthen me through them, I have the privilege of encouraging them to do the same.

Spiritual Practice #1: Examen

The Examen is my favorite spiritual practice. Each night, when I crawl into bed, I intentionally review the day with God. I slow down to look back over the day, noticing my thoughts and actions. This simple practice helps me see things I would have otherwise overlooked.

As you practice the Examen, consider these questions:

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by Laura Sandretti

When I am blessed to speak at a conference or retreat, I try to not only help solve a problem, answer a question, or unpack a doctrinal truth; I also try to answer, “how.” It is not enough to tell women to have a mustard seed of faith, to be anxious for nothing, or to be a godlier wife or mother. We need to know how to do those things. Although we are transformed into Christ’s likeness only by the power of the Holy Spirit, there are spiritual practices we can do to avail ourselves even more to His work in and through us.

There is one “how” I consistently encourage women to implement, but it is usually met with resistance and skepticism based on the blank stares, chuckles, or eye rolls I see when I share it. Despite that, I will never stop encouraging women to engage in this spiritual practice because I believe it is one of the best and most practical ways to live out an authentic Christian faith. In fact, I have watched it change my life.

What is one of the most effective “how-tos” a Christ-follower can practice, yet is one of the least practiced spiritual disciplines? What is one of the best ways to stay connected to the Lord and ensure we continue, by His grace and power, to look more like Him? Memorizing Scripture.

The eye rolling comes in, of course, because if you are like most women, your brain and calendar are so filled beyond capacity already that trying to memorize Scripture seems impractical, impossible, and, if we’re honest, not that desirable. And since our phones have become an always-available appendage, why would we need to memorize anything?

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By Melissa Gween Meek

It’s hard to quiet our hearts long enough to truly listen to God. Our emotions, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists often compete for our attention. Whether we are caring for family, leading a ministry, or running a business, we need intentional spiritual practices that keep our hearts and goals aligned with God’s heart.

In my bookkeeping business, I have witnessed success as well as the pain that comes with unexpected challenges. Through it all, I have learned that my work is about much more than balancing numbers. My clients trust my judgment because they know my faith guides my decisions. They know that I follow God.

Over the years, God has blessed me with clients who have become like family. Each relationship has stretched and shaped me in different ways, leading me to rely on many spiritual practices that have become the foundation for my clients and me. As God continues to strengthen me through them, I have the privilege of encouraging them to do the same.

Spiritual Practice #1: Examen

The Examen is my favorite spiritual practice. Each night, when I crawl into bed, I intentionally review the day with God. I slow down to look back over the day, noticing my thoughts and actions. This simple practice helps me see things I would have otherwise overlooked.

As you practice the Examen, consider these questions:

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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

PSALM 23:1–3

Do you feel weighted down by pressure today? We all feel pressure in different ways and at different times. When that pressure builds, our identities often get tied to what we can achieve. Some of you may even read devotionals or listen to sermons because you’re trying to be “godlier”—which we sometimes treat as a synonym for “better.” But that’s not how God works. He isn’t after your performance—He’s after a relationship with you. God does not scream pressure. He is a refuge. He is the Shepherd who leads us beside quiet waters and refreshes our souls. Yet so often, we confuse His voice with the inner critic in our heads—a voice that demands perfection, that tells us to do more, try harder, be better. The voice of God says, I want to care for you. I want to restore you.

Here’s a little identity hack I’ve learned over my years of walking with Jesus. When you find yourself in a season of wrestling with your identity because of the pressures you’re facing, don’t start evaluating yourself based on what you have accomplished or achieved. Instead, start with a posture of compassion. Pause and receive the grace to be imperfect, the freedom to let God meet you in the broken places. This shift is a game changer. It will move you out of the weighted world of toiling and into Jesus’ world of light burdens and quiet waters.

Today, take a deep, slow breath and remember: The same Shepherd who led David to quiet waters is leading you now.

Lord, thank You that You are my Shepherd, not my taskmaster. Teach me to rest in Your love, to hear Your true voice, and to let my identity be rooted in Your compassion.

Excerpt from When Jesus Is Everything by Jennie Allen. Used with permission.

“I cried when I began reading Just Between Us.”

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Dear Friends,

Some struggles are easy to see. Others are carried quietly beneath the surface.

We can show up to work, care for our families, sit in church, answer the text messages, and still feel as though our hearts are barely holding on. Depression, anxiety, worry, and emotional heaviness often hide behind ordinary routines. And when they linger, we may begin to wonder if our faith should be stronger, if our prayers should be better, or if God feels farther away than He used to.

This week’s issue is a reminder that you are not alone in those low places.

God does not turn away from the weary, the anxious, the depressed, or the overwhelmed. He draws near. He welcomes our cries, carries our heavy burdens, and often shows His love through the presence of His people.

In these articles, you’ll find biblical encouragement for walking alongside those who struggle with depression, reflections on clinging to God’s goodness when darkness feels heavy, and a practical invitation to turn worry into prayer.

Wherever this issue finds you today—steady or weary, hopeful or heavy-hearted—may it remind you that Christ’s love reaches even here. You are seen. You are held. And you are deeply loved in the low places.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Why Christian Love Matters in Depression | Dr. Kathryn Butler
Depression is often a hidden suffering—one that can sit quietly in a church pew, unseen by those nearby. In this article, Dr. Kathryn Butler helps us better understand the weight of clinical depression and the powerful role Christian love can play when someone is walking through a painful season. Her words invite us to become people who listen well, love with patience, and reflect Christ’s care to those who are hurting.

Canopy Over My Soul | Erika Rachelle Anderson
What do we do when we know God is good, but our souls still feel covered by heaviness? Erika Rachelle Anderson shares her own experience with depression and how the Psalms became a lifeline in the dark. Through David’s prayers, she discovered a way to hold sorrow and faith together while learning to cling to God’s goodness one day at a time.

Turning Worry into Prayer | Shelly Esser
Many of us know what it feels like to have worries keep circling through our minds. But what does it really mean to cast those cares on God instead of holding them ourselves? Shelly Esser offers a practical, Scripture-rooted reminder that prayer is not a last resort—it is the place where we bring every anxious thought to the One strong enough to receive it.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Songs For the Low Places

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Why Christian Love Matters in Depression

Walking alongside the depressed with love and support.

By Dr. Kathryn Butler

The first day I ventured through the church doors, no one knew I fought the compulsion to throw myself off a bridge.

I had drifted about for months with a shroud draped over my mind. Joy had vanished. As a physician, I understood my anguish and could describe its chemical mechanisms with precision. I could define clinical depression and deconstruct it. Yet as I sat there that day with the Bible heavy on my lap, despair crowded out my will to live. Never before had living felt so much like dying.

Fellow churchgoers noticed I neither lifted my voice in song, nor bowed my head in prayer. Many rightly deduced that church was foreign to me. No one, however, could perceive the severity of my groaning, because like other mental illnesses, clinical depression is a hidden disability. It skulks behind everyday routines. We go to work and pick up our kids from school, but struggle to breathe. We force a smile, while our regard for life erodes away.

As Charles Spurgeon described:

“The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.”

Unfortunately, misconceptions about depression seep into the church, tainting our words. While the Bible urges us to open our arms to those crushed in spirit, too often sufferers of depression find the church to be a home for ridicule rather than truth and love.

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By Dr. Kathryn Butler

The first day I ventured through the church doors, no one knew I fought the compulsion to throw myself off a bridge.

I had drifted about for months with a shroud draped over my mind. Joy had vanished. As a physician, I understood my anguish and could describe its chemical mechanisms with precision. I could define clinical depression and deconstruct it. Yet as I sat there that day with the Bible heavy on my lap, despair crowded out my will to live. Never before had living felt so much like dying.

Fellow churchgoers noticed I neither lifted my voice in song, nor bowed my head in prayer. Many rightly deduced that church was foreign to me. No one, however, could perceive the severity of my groaning, because like other mental illnesses, clinical depression is a hidden disability. It skulks behind everyday routines. We go to work and pick up our kids from school, but struggle to breathe. We force a smile, while our regard for life erodes away.

As Charles Spurgeon described:

“The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.”

Unfortunately, misconceptions about depression seep into the church, tainting our words. While the Bible urges us to open our arms to those crushed in spirit, too often sufferers of depression find the church to be a home for ridicule rather than truth and love.

Read more

By Shelly Esser

Often when I read Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything…” I think, “Really God? Have you seen my life? Do you see the complexities of caring for an aged, widowed uncle leading to sleepless nights, and the chronic health problem my husband battles every single day, or the mounting medical bills? And, Lord, by the way, have you seen the chaos that’s going on in the world right now?” Mental health experts say 1 in 3 people are currently suffering from heightened anxiety or depression. So how are we supposed to not be anxious about anything? It feels impossible!

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By Erika Rachelle Anderson

I vividly remember what it feels like. The constant heaviness. The tasks that piled up because it was all I could do to feed, clothe, and try to nurture my children.

The lack of joy.

The constant overwhelm.

The dread.

I retreated into a social isolation to hide my brokenness; a canopy of death hung over my soul.

Depression.

There is no denying that what I was experiencing was real.

This depression could be neither a sole spiritual reality that could be prayed away nor a longitudinal neurochemical limp needing lifetime medication.

There had to be a middle ground.

I knew Jesus. Though I was unsure why He wouldn’t speak my freedom into existence, I knew He could proclaim a word, and the suffocating gloom would dissipate.

It is frustrating to be friends with Freedom yet find no relief from depression.

I knew Psalms to be a book grief, yet I found it to be trite.

I didn’t fully understand the power of the Psalms until my depression got so bad that it became my guide and my handbook. The only way I could get through a day was to sit with that book every morning before work and every night before sleep.

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Dear Friends,

Sometimes, a word of encouragement comes just when we need it most. A story reminds us we’re not alone, Scripture steadies our hearts, or a woman’s honest words help us take one more step of faith.

For more than 35 years, Just Between Us has been coming alongside women in those moments—helping them know Jesus more deeply and live confidently…

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Dear Friends,

Have you ever replayed a conversation in your mind, wishing you could take back words you said or respond differently? Most of us know what it feels like to fall short in our relationships. We hurt the people we love, misunderstand one another, or struggle to extend grace when we’ve been hurt ourselves.

In our featured article, a surprising bouquet of flowers becomes a powerful picture of forgiveness and reminds us that Christ loved us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). We’ll also explore how healthy relationships often require trust, vulnerability, and courage, and how God invites us to notice the people around us with the same compassion He has shown us.

Whether you’re working through a difficult relationship, learning to forgive, or simply asking God to help you love others more deeply, we pray this issue encourages your heart. The same grace that has been given to us is the grace we can extend to others.

Let’s discover together what it means to love as Jesus loves.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Bouquets of Forgiveness | Shelly Esser
A simple flower delivery becomes a powerful reminder that forgiveness isn’t just something we feel—it’s something we demonstrate. Discover how God’s grace teaches us to forgive, take the initiative, and love beyond offense.

Rollercoasters and Relationships | Julie Ganjei
Relationships can be messy, especially when past hurts make trust difficult. Julie Ganjei shares how God helped her move from fear and isolation toward healing, trust, and deeper love for others.

Notice His People | Ashley Thomas
How do we slow down enough to notice others? Ashley Thomas shows us that God often works through ordinary moments when we're willing to see people through His eyes.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Encounter the living Jesus throughout all of Scripture. Brought to you by the Passion movement, The Jesus Bible spotlights Jesus Christ as the central pillar throughout the entire Old and New Testament and shows you how to faithfully follow him as you participate in his grand story. Hundreds of articles identify references to Jesus throughout Scripture, helping you see how the full biblical narrative points back to him.

Bouquets of Forgiveness

Who do you need to send a bouquet of forgiveness to?

By Shelly Esser

I ran upstairs. When I opened the door, a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers greeted me. I was sure the delivery man had the wrong address. After all, who would be sending me flowers? It wasn’t my birthday or a special occasion. But, yes, it was the right address. The flowers were for me! I eagerly tore open the card to see who they could possibly be from. My heart became overwhelmed, and the tears began to flow when I read the card “I love you, John.” On a day when my behavior was at its worst, my husband sent me flowers. I didn’t even come close to deserving them, yet in my sinfulness and weakness, he reached out to me in love and sent me a bouquet of beautiful grace. He forgave me before I even asked him to. I was stunned. Never was my husband more Christ-like than at that moment when he chose to look beyond my sin and instead look at me only with love and compassion. Forgiveness is only possible with that kind of gaze.

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Have you ever finished a book and immediately wanted to gift it to others? Maybe you found yourself wanting to share about the revelations that were too good to keep to yourself. The Noticer by Andy Andrews is one of those books for me. It’s a beautiful story on perspective. Jones, the main character, spends his days walking through town and having meaningful conversations with the people he notices.

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By Shelly Esser

I ran upstairs. When I opened the door, a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers greeted me. I was sure the delivery man had the wrong address. After all, who would be sending me flowers? It wasn’t my birthday or a special occasion. But, yes, it was the right address. The flowers were for me! I eagerly tore open the card to see who they could possibly be from. My heart became overwhelmed, and the tears began to flow when I read the card “I love you, John.” On a day when my behavior was at its worst, my husband sent me flowers. I didn’t even come close to deserving them, yet in my sinfulness and weakness, he reached out to me in love and sent me a bouquet of beautiful grace. He forgave me before I even asked him to. I was stunned. Never was my husband more Christ-like than at that moment when he chose to look beyond my sin and instead look at me only with love and compassion. Forgiveness is only possible with that kind of gaze.

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By Julie Ganjei

Loving Others When It Hurts

“I don’t do relationships,” I snapped back to my friend while addressing some relational issues in my life as a new baby Christian. You see, I had isolated my heart for a long time because of past hurts before becoming a Christian, and I had built thick walls around my heart for fear of getting hurt again. Trust had been broken on numerous occasions. Perhaps you can relate.

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