I am sitting in the beautiful setting of Bon Echo Provincial Park. Evidences of God are everywhere: the tall pines that tower over the campsite, the warm sunshine beaming down on us, and the stunning view when we walk down to the water's edge. I love camping! I always have, but this trip feels a little different. I am even more aware of God's presence.

My husband, two-year-old son, and I left our home in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, with a 1991 Astro van, pulling a 1965 sixteen-foot trailer. I had been nervous all week as we prepared for our six-hour-long trip with such aged vehicles. Worry tends to focus on things that we have no control over. Finally, I decided to put it in the Lord's hands, as He is in control of everything! I prayed that we would have a safe and smooth trip to and from the park.

It was early morning when we left, and we had a beautiful day for travelling. We were about 30 kilometres from the park when my husband decided to stop and check all the tires. They were all in good shape, so we continued on the last leg of our journey. When we arrived on our campsite, my husband noticed that one of the tires on the trailer was leaking and going flat. We praised the Lord that He had brought us safely and smoothly, and we thanked Him that the spare tire was in good shape!

In this moment, I was reminded that God cares about everything that matters to us, even the small things. All good things come from Him. We experienced a wonderful vacation because of God's love and grace.

Throughout Scripture, we see evidence that God cares about the small things in life, as well as the big things.

Luke 12:6-7 – Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)

God is always with us, and when we deliberately commit our worries to Him and thank Him for looking after them, that's when His miraculous provision is evident. The next time you are feeling anxious about something, take it to God. He is always willing to listen. He loves us always.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for always being there for us. You are all-powerful, and You are always willing to help us. Help us to remember that we can come to You about anything. We just need to ask. Amen.

The other night, my two-year-old son climbed up on the couch and said, "Read Bible." Then he reached over to the side table and took hold of my old, worn, brown Bible. Concerned that he might tear the thin pages, I handed him his storybook Bible. The look of it on the outside is surprisingly similar to mine, so this made him feel special that his Bible was just like Mommy's.

He sat on the couch, flipping through the pages, looking so intrigued. This encouraged me to sit beside him and open my own Bible. This was a very special moment to share with my son.

The sermon at our church on Sunday had been about Psalm 23, so I decided to read through that passage. After about ten minutes, my son was all done reading his Bible and it was time to start getting ready for bed. A half hour later, after teeth were brushed, stories were read, songs were sung, and Micah was in bed, I had a quiet house. My idea was that I would go downstairs and just watch a little television, but I was so inspired by Psalm 23. Then I remembered some of the Bible journaling that I had tried a couple of weeks earlier and thought that maybe I would attempt a scrapbook spin on it. I made the trek to the basement, dug out a wicker box with a few scrapbooking supplies, which probably hadn't been touched in well over a year, and started creating.

The end product wasn't important to me. It was the journey of creating something based on this Psalm. The way that I was able to meditate on the verse was new and inspiring to me.

I continue to find it astounding the different ways that God speaks to us. This shouldn't surprise me, but for some reason I forget how amazing God is. Here, during this demanding time in my life as a busy mom of young children, God spoke to me through my two-year-old, telling me simply to be still and spend a few moments with our Lord Jesus Christ. He says:

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (NIV)

We often wonder why God isn't speaking to us, but it isn't that He is not speaking; it's often too loud around us so that we cannot hear Him. It's like trying to have a conversation with a good friend in the middle of a subway station at rush hour; it's just not possible to have quality time and hear what each other has to say. We need to quiet the busyness in our lives and be still. It is then that we will be able to hear God.

God spoke through a two-year-old boy when He invited me to be still and read His Word. Who or what is He using to speak to you?

Prayer: Dear God, please help us to take time out of our busy lives to be still. Help us to listen for You in all circumstances and from the most unlikely people. Thank You for wanting to spend time with us and for loving us. Amen.

Last year, I suffered from a concussion. As a young mom with a busy life, I did not give my brain the time that it needed to heal. In turn, this caused the concussion symptoms to drag on much longer than needed.

I wasn't able to care for my young son; I couldn't have a conversation with my husband; I felt useless around the house; I couldn't go to church; I wasn't able read my Bible; even praying was difficult. Although God surrounded me with so many wonderful people who helped immensely during this time, I still felt cut off from the world and very much alone.

Feeling isolated from everything, including God, I started crying out to the Lord, "Please, I just want someone to talk to." It was then that God replied, "I am here, My child. I always have been. You can talk to Me." I have never heard God so clearly as I did in that moment. I admit that I felt a little ashamed for not having taken the time to be with God earlier.

I will never forget that day. It was a beautiful spring day, and I was sitting on a rock at the back of our property. All of a sudden, I could feel God all around me. He was in the warmth of the sunshine on my face; He was in the gentle breeze swaying the branches in the trees; and He spoke to me through the singing of the birds. I heard those birds, and instantly, this verse came to me:

Matthew 6:26 – Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (ESV)

"Trust Me," God was saying that day. "Give up all your fears, tears, and anxieties, and just trust Me."

It still took another three months before I could read my Bible or have a somewhat normal conversation with someone, but every time when I broke down crying, or felt like I couldn't handle it any more, I would just stop myself and say aloud, "I trust You!"

Life has many battles, and some are larger than others. But as Solomon said:

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

We cannot do it without Him, so let us give it all up to the Lord our God and say, "I trust You!"

Prayer: Dear Lord, please forgive us when we try to do it all on our own. Help us, Lord, to turn to You for guidance, wisdom, and strength. Help us to start each day by remembering to trust in You and to live a life that puts You at the centre. Amen.