I’m not a painter. Even so, this week I went to a “paint night” for the ladies at our church. I thought it would be a fun time getting to know some ladies and still be productive.

The painting on display was of 3 ladies looking at the distant mountains. When I saw that painting, I seriously doubted I would be able to replicate it so it would look like the teacher’s.

She patiently taught each step. The mountains were first and she explained how to make them look like they were in the distance. I thought I had to make them look just like hers, but mine were different; I considered giving up. Instead, I stuck with it, listening, watching, painting. Then when the finishing touches were put on, I realized I actually had done it! I was thrilled that I had stayed with it, and I loved the end product.

Isn’t that so much like our walk with the Lord? When we start out with Jesus, it sometimes feels like there is so much to learn to come to maturity. But Jesus, our Teacher, is so patient with us. He walks with us, step by step. As we commit to walking with Him and determine to not give up, we see answered prayers, while lessons are learned. His love enfolds us through it all. Gradually, when we look back, we can see that there has been growth, and Jesus was at the centre of it all. Without Him, just like without the painting teacher, it would be impossible to achieve any kind of growth.

I can look back on my life and see how times of despair pushed me into Jesus like nothing else would have. He walked with me through it all, guiding, encouraging, helping, whispering love to me. In turn, those times made me into a better person who more quickly hears Jesus. I only saw the hard times, but He saw the big picture. He knew that all I went through would shape me into the person He saw me to be.

Are you going through hard times? Cry out to Jesus; He is right there with you.

Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us that “The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

He is FOR you and not against you.

Here is the finished painting. Not bad for a non-painter, huh?

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Does this resonate with you?

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In December of 2025 we had another crazy rain storm. The Sumas River in Washington State flooded, so it was inevitable that the waters would come across the border to our city as well. We watched the water grow and I was convinced it would follow the same pattern as in 2021. Feeling such compassion for our neighbours who were devastated by the previous flood, I asked God to send His angels to re-route the flood waters so our neighbours, and the houses on our property, would be protected from the inevitable flooding.

Not long after, we noticed the water was leaving our street, and the water that was creeping up on our neighbours’ driveway was receding. In the end, we did not get flooded nor did our neighbours as the water went a totally different direction than we all expected. God indeed sent His angels to protect us!

Have you had a situation whereby you were convinced it would not go well for you, but you prayed and saw God move on your behalf? I would love to hear your story! Our God is an amazing God!

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When I was in Israel, I walked around the wall in Jerusalem. There are narrow gates at regular intervals along the wall which are probably about 3-3.5 feet tall. It was said that camels can enter the city this way, but they have to be on their knees and the burdens on their backs must be taken off and set aside. When they are unencumbered and in that position, they can enter…on their knees. These gates are called The Eye of the Needle.

I believe in this statement, Jesus means that if you try to enter into the kingdom of God with all the cares and worries of this world, you will not be successful in entering in. All the burdens must be laid aside. Sometimes we need help with that, and Jesus is with us to help set the worries and cares aside, if we cry out to Him.

When we are unhindered once again, we can look to God in humility and receive His peace.

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When he realized he was in the midst of all the dark things he’d seen in the city, he cried out to Jesus, “Where are You?”

Very faintly he heard Jesus said, “I’m in the canoe.” So the man ran toward the voice. Breathless, he jumped back in and asked, “What happened, Jesus? Why was I in the city?”

Jesus responded, “You took your eyes off me and onto the things you were seeing in the city. This put you right in the midst of all the evil that was there, and you lost My peace. I could no longer protect you from what was there because you entangled yourself in it all.”

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I realize the subject in my pictures are female, but this is to demonstrate that each one of us takes our eyes off Jesus now and then. When we find ourselves in fear or any kind of darkness, we must go back to Him for His peace to surround us once again.

I am so grateful that Jesus is indeed the Peace Giver! No matter what comes my way, He is always there to guide me through and into His peace.

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Recently God gave me a picture of a freeway on-ramp that was cluttered with potholes and debris. Driving a car onto an on-ramp like this would be dangerous. If one goes too fast without care of the vehicle, it would most likely damage the car. 

It struck me that many of us are like that freeway entrance. We carry in our hearts past hurts and offences, and then wonder why we don’t have a victorious life. Those potholes are like the troubling foxes in our lives. They bring unbelief and weigh us down with wrong understanding of who God is. Jesus wants us to catch the troubling foxes, but not only that, he has said He will be with us in the process. “We will do it together” he said. That is such a comfort to me! I am not on my own when there are things in my life that need to be addressed and purged. Jesus is helping me through that undertaking because He wants to see me set free into His perfect love.

As I allow Him to work in my heart and cleanse me, it’s like filling the potholes on the freeway entrance. The surface is levelled and debris is removed, making it safer to drive on, for both me and the vehicle. The ride then is smooth and brings me to a wide open freeway, or onto a clearer path that He has for me. The noise of the vehicle driving over potholes is removed, so I can more easily hear His voice when He directs my steps.

Are there things in your life that you know are a hindrance to your walk with Jesus? If you give Him permission to cleanse you, He will. But He will do it in a way that brings you “life” in exchange for the “death” of sin.

God is for you, not against you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. And His heart for you is to see you set free from things that hold you down, like unbelief, shame, guilt or anger.

Be set free in His love! 

The post Potholes? first appeared on OliveBoettcher.com.

This morning as I was reading my Bible, I was struck by how much God loves us. There are always “troubling foxes” in our lives, things that threaten to pull us away from the love Jesus has for us. We live in this fallen world, and we have to daily make efforts to keep ourselves from being tempted to not spend time with Him, to go through our day without Him. But as we make a concerted effort to get rid of those things that bind us and walk with Him, His love overtakes us. 

The fact that Jesus says, “Will you catch them and remove them for Me? We will do it together,” amazes me. Imagine that! Yes, He does want us to catch those things in our lives that have the possibility of drawing our eyes to those things that would hinder our relationship. But above all that, He says we will do it together! He doesn’t leave us to clean ourselves up, but He comes in and shows us the things we need to deal with, then helps us to remove those troubling foxes from our lives!

If we think of the “foxes” as temptations, lies, distractions, or harmful habits, Scripture and the character of Jesus give us clues about how He deals with them. He doesn’t destroy us for having them near. Instead:

• He exposes them gently: Like in John 4 with the Samaritan woman, Jesus reveals the truth without condemnation, awakening a desire for change.
• He speaks truth to lies: In the wilderness (Matthew 4), Jesus countered every temptation with the Word of God, showing us that truth is our best defense.
• He cleanses the temple: When corruption invaded sacred space, Jesus drove it out forcefully—showing that His love includes zeal for our purity.
• He offers transformation, not just removal: He calls us to follow Him, and in that following, He does the cleansing—sometimes firm, always loving.

So Jesus does not drive the foxes away with anger, but rather with authority, truth, and transforming presence—changing the heart of the person so the foxes have no place left to hide.

What an awesome God we serve! So kind, so merciful, so powerful!

(AI assisted blog entry)

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Have you ever felt His love seep into your soul, bringing that peace that only He can give in moments of unrest?

Do you know that Jesus loves you more than you can fathom? More than any parent can…more than any spouse can.

He knows the very depths of your being, He knows your heart, your motives; He knows the true you, the one without any masks. And He still loves you more than you can fathom.

We can depend on Him. He is always with you, if you’ve asked Him to live inside of you, so He knows everything you’re going through. He cries with your defeats, His heart hurts when you are broken-hearted, He feels the pain when you are not treated as you should be.

I’ve gone through times like that, when I was so broken-hearted that all I could do was sob out His name: Jesus! And in the midst of my cries for help, He has tenderly held me, seeping His love into my heart. It didn’t make the pain go away, but somehow it became more bearable knowing that He was in it with me.

I would like to challenge you to do the same. Next time you are particularly broken over something, instead of planning revenge or being angry, cry out to Jesus to love on you, to fill you with His Spirit and His love. He will do just that. Sometimes, if you let Him, He will also help you to see how He feels about what you’re going through. That could be a revelation in itself!

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 341:24 NKJV

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:13+14 NKJV

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The song goes on to declare that He leaves the 99 to pursue the one who is hurt, lost, or wandering. He won’t let His children be taken by the enemy who never stops trying to derail us. God won’t stop until we get established in His love. Instead He’ll run to find us, heal us, bring us back into the fold. 

I had always thought that if I was the one who was lost or wandering, I would just be left behind. But that is not God’s heart toward any of us. He’ll leave the 99 who are healthy and whole to come find that one who is in need of healing. He’ll bind up their wounds, nurture them and love on them.

What an awesome God we have! Would you be able to send me a note describing what this song means to you? I would love to hear your thoughts…

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