BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

2032 The Unfair Ask

The ultimate act of obedience is to offer the thing we love most. It would be easy for me to give you something from my closet that I never wear – but to give you my favorite thing would be a real sacrifice. Sure you can have my Amazon earrings, but the jewelry I bought in Italy is a totally different story. That’s a treasure to me. It would be unfair of you to ask me for my treasure. God asked Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his greatest treasure. His son. The son he loved with every fiber of his being. The son he had prayed and waited his whole life for. And honestly, what an unfair ask of God – right? But today, we will take another look at Genesis 22 and reveal the unmatched love of God within the story of an unfair ask. When God asked Abraham for the ultimate demonstration of his love and sacrifice, he asked him for his son. When God the Father wanted to show us the ultimate demonstration of his love and commitment to us, HE GAVE HIS SON. God knew just how unfair it was to ask for Abraham’s son, because he was preparing to do it himself. All these years, I’ve avoided the story of Abraham’s test of faith because it seemed so cruel. Was he really willing to sacrifice his son? Was he really prepared to lay his son on the alter? He most certainly was – and here’s why: He knew God could do anything. His faith was stronger than his feelings. And just as he laid his son on that alter, God provided a sheep for the sacrifice instead. That day, God came through with a substitution in the form of a sheep. A sheep that would be sacrificed for the cleansing of sin. And about 2,000 years later, God came through with the ultimate substitution – his own son. Jesus is called the Lamb of God, the perfect lamb without blemish or spot, sacrificed on a cross to redeem us. God gave the ultimate sacrifice of his greatest treasure. His ultimate demonstration of love and commitment to us is in offering his son, Jesus. He saved Abraham from having to give his son, and God himself gave us his. What greater love could there possibly be? When God tested Abraham with this unfair ask, he specifically said, “Take your son, your only son – yes, Issac, whom you love so much.” Do you see the divine connection here? God did that for us! God took his son, his only son, who he loved so much. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God did that. He did it for Abraham. He did that for me and for you. The unfair ask, the unthinkable sacrifice, the ultimate demonstration of love, has been done for us! Why? To save us from the life we deserve. We often say things like, “I work hard, I deserve a new car”, or “It’s been a bad day, I deserve to relax”, or “a woman like me deserves to be treated better.” That sounds good – but let me tell you something, we should never ask for what we deserve. We’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. We’ve all failed to measure up. What we deserve is death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because we’ve gotten it wrong before, we really don’t “deserve” what is right. So let’s be clear – God says you don’t deserve it, but he says you’re WORTH IT! What is the life you really deserve? Do you deserve to be successful? Do you deserve to be happy and healthy? Do you deserve to get to go on vacation, have nice things, and be treated good? It’s easy to assume we are deserving of a good life because of our efforts and performance – but we have never once lived up to the standard of self-righteousness. No one has and no one can, except for Jesus. We don’t get what we deserve because Jesus accepted what he didn’t deserve. Jesus came to pay a debt he didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay – So, Jesus unfairly did it for us. I could never ask someone to give up a life to save my life, but that’s precisely what has been done for me. That’s what has been done for you. The ultimate sacrifice. My favorite detail in the story of Abraham is in verse 6, “So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders.” The son is carrying the wood for the sacrifice of his own life. Oh, the foreshadowing of what God was preparing to do. God’s only son, Jesus, our savior – he carried the wood for the sacrifice of his own life. John 19:17 tells us Jesus carried the cross by himself and went to the Place of the Skull, Golgotha. There, they nailed him to the cross and Jesus gave up his life willingly. He carried the wood for the offering on his own shoulders. Jesus did that! What God spared Abraham from, he did for us. Abraham walked back down from that mountain with his son. God watched his own son be crucified on that mountain. Why? To save us. I often share the story of the strangers who one day rang my doorbell and asked my name. I said, “I’m Pamela.” Then, they looked me in the eye with tremendous love and unshakable confidence and said, “For God loved Pamela so much that he gave his one and only son, so that she would have eternal life.” If I would have been the only person in the world, God would have given Jesus to save just me. And that has forever changed my life. I’m not just one of many who happens to sneak in by chance. No, I’m chosen, counted, selected, and personally accounted for by God, covered individually by the blood of Jesus. Do you understand that’s true of you too? You don’t just fit in with the crowd and sneak you way in. You’re not saved from a distance by accident. You were personally sought out, loved, and paid for by Jesus. God did that! An unfair ask was fulfilled just for you. God asked his own son to give up his life for yours, and Jesus did it. He did it for you. He got what he didn’t deserve so you could have the fulfillment of what you don’t deserve. And this sacrifice has made you holy and righteous. You are forever forgiven, forever made right, forever covered in a blanket of grace. And when you really understand the sacrifice that was made personally for you, you simply can’t ever see your life the same. You’re living the life that was saved. You’re waking up to a day that has been fully covered. Your tomorrow has been bought and paid for. Your forever has been secured. So totally and completely unfair. We could never be good enough to deserve it, but God asked his son to sacrifice for us anyway – and Jesus said yes. Imagine how Abraham must have felt walking down from that mountain having personally experienced God’s sacrificial provision. He had been saved. His son had been saved. And life could never be the same. We have experienced something even greater. Greater than a sheep showing up on a mountain – we have a savior who hung on the cross for us, and is now risen in power and glory, overseeing our lives! Girls, life can never be the same when we know this! The unfair ask on our behalf was declared a YES in Jesus! I don’t deserve it, but I’m forever grateful for it. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

2031 Wait God – What?!

Have you ever held back from God because you were afraid of what he would ask of you? I certainly have. I was once convinced a surrendered life would be a boring life – wow, was I wrong! I once believed releasing the desire for my own way would be the end of my desires – again, I was really wrong. It was the beginning of something so much more. What will you do when God calls on you? Will you hide? Will you play little? Will you dismiss yourself? Will you withhold? Or will you believe in the goodness of God enough to say, “Here I am.” I believe that’s exactly what is happening today. God is calling on you. He’s calling on you to trust him. He’s calling on you to take the next step. He’s calling on you to go for him. He’s calling on you to change something, surrender something, do something different this year. Will you answer his call and say, “Here I am.” What would happen if you did? You would get to see and experience the things only God can do. Will it be scary? Maybe. Will you feel inadequate? Probably. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! In our study of the book of Genesis, we’re reading about the life of Abraham. Remember, he and his wife Sarah had waited their whole lives for a promised baby. Finally, at the age 90, Sarah miraculously becomes pregnant, and Abraham becomes a father to Issac at 99 years old. Abraham had believed God’s promise, and now he was walking in the fulfillment of that promise with his long awaited son. And then we come to a chapter titled “Abraham’s Faith Tested”. Whew, have you ever been in one of those chapters of your life? This is where the hard stuff happens. This is where things don’t make sense. And this is where you get to see that through it all, God is forever faithful with his providence and power. Genesis 22 begins with, “Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. ‘Abraham’ God called. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Here I am.'” With over 100 years of life experience, Abraham knows he can trust God. He knows whatever God calls him to, God is going to provide for him to get through. He knows the promises God has spoken over him are undeniable and irrefutable. He lives in the reality that God does impossible things. I wonder if maybe we have forgotten that. Have you forgotten the impossible things God has done for you before? Have you skimmed over the promises your Creator has for you? Can you look back and see that God has always been with you and always made a way? The more you know that, the more you can trust him here. And when you fully trust God, you can reply to his every call with, “Here I am.” What God speaks to Abraham next was unthinkable. Verse 2, “Take your son, your only son – yes, Isaac, whom you love so much – and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” Wait God – WHAT?!!!!!!! This is the son I’ve waited my whole life for, the one every promise hinges on, and now you’re asking me to sacrifice him? To give him up? That doesn’t make sense. Have you ever tried to make sense of the supernatural? Have you ever tried to plan for the impossible? Have you ever tried to calculate the miraculous? Here’s what we do – we flip out, we freak out, and we stress out. When we can’t see it, control it, or fix it, we struggle with it. But God is NOT STRUGGLING. Please hear this loud and clear. Whatever you are struggling with, God is not. Does he care? More than you can imagine! But is he struggling? Not in the slightest. He already has a plan and he perfectly holds the power to fulfill his plan. Whatever you’re struggling with right now, I have a simple and powerful prayer of faith for you today. Right now, think about this area of struggle in your life. That person, that relationship, that uncertainty, that hardship, that hurt – and now repeat this prayer: “God, I know you’re not struggling. Thank you for having a plan through this.” So what does Abraham do when asked to give up his son? Well, we don’t see him flipping out, freaking out, or stressing out. We see him responding in obedience. How? Because he knows by experience that God can be trusted. Here’s what happens next. Verses 3-8: “The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ‘Stay here with the donkey,’ Abraham told the servants. ‘The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.’ So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, ‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘We have the fire and the wood,’ the boy said, ‘but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’ Verse 8 – ‘God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son.’ Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.” Remember – what is the title of this chapter? Abraham’s Faith Tested. Abraham isn’t freaking out. He’s not flipping out. He’s not stressed out. He is 100% confident in God’s ability to perfectly fulfill his plan. And here’s the key – When you know God’s promises, you can trust his plan. Abraham knows God’s promises over his son and every future generation that will come from his son. And because he knows God’s promise, he can trust God’s plan. With absolute confidence, he says to his servants – You guys stay here, my son and I are going up there to worship, then WE will come right back. Abraham didn’t know how, but he knew because of God’s promise, he and his son were coming back down off that mountain together. An offering at that time required a sacrificed life and young Isaac is carrying the wood for the fire on his shoulders and says, “Father, where’s the sheep for the burnt offering?” Abraham’s reply – “God will provide!” That is our answer. It’s my answer for the tests I’m facing and it’s your answer for the tests you’re facing. GOD WILL PROVIDE. I don’t know how and I don’t know when – but somehow God is going to provide exactly what is needed in every situation and we’re going to come back down from this mountain. It’s going to take a miracle, but I’m guided by a miracle worker. It’s quite impossible, but my God is the god of impossible. Abraham didn’t know how he was going to sacrifice his son and still walk back down off that mountain with him, but he knew God was going to do something! He didn’t know how his sacrifice would align with the fulfillment of God’s promises over him and his countless descendants through this son, but he trusted him. God, here I am. I’m trusting you. I’m walking up this mountain. I’m taking the wood. I’ll build the fire. I know you will provide. And I know we’ll walk back down off this mountain having experienced your divine and miraculous provision. I wonder if sometimes we get so caught up in the ‘how’ and ‘when’ that we fail the test. We don’t see God’s miraculous provisions because we aren’t willing to cut the wood. We aren’t willing to climb the hard mountain, so we never know what God really had for us up there. We won’t build the fire, so we never see the miraculous. Abraham cut the wood. He climbed the mountain. He built the fire. And let me tell you what happened – At the perfect moment, an angel of the Lord calls to Abraham again. Once again, Abraham replies, “Here I am!” Verse 13, “Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yaheweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’). Abraham hadn’t always been obedient. Remember, he had created messes in his fear. He had failed to believe God, followed his own plan and learned some hard lessons. But now, he’s learned through experience that God’s way is truly best and can be fully trusted. Even when it’s hard. Even when it doesn’t make sense. The Lord will provide. We’re each on that same journey. The journey of learning to go all-in with God. The journey of learning to fully trust him. The journey of surrender. The journey of obedience. And God is so patient with us on this journey. He gives us chance after chance to get it right. He gives us so many opportunities to fail, then walk in his grace. And with each step, we’re learning to trust him. We’re learning to confidently answer his call, “Here I am!” What will God do here? I don’t know – but I know he will do something. How will he provide in this? I don’t know – but I know he will never fail. Maybe this hardship, this struggle, this problem you’re facing is ultimately an invitation to see God’s miraculous provision in a way that will forever change you. We live in a reality that God does impossible things – be here for it! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

2030 I Will Not Be Discouraged

All good will come under attack. In a garden of beautiful potential, there will be weeds. Everything you plant in your garden will be attacked. To assume otherwise would be naive. You woke up this morning in a garden of beautiful potential. Here, in this year, supernatural things can happen in your life. Things you have been waiting YEARS for have the potential of happening here. Seeds you thought were dead are about to breakthrough the ground. Yes, breakthroughs are here. Growth is here. Proof of all you have been praying for, working for, waiting for, is about to be seen. And my sister, it’s all under attack! Why? Because it’s good! God is doing something sooooo good in you. He’s been moving in your life, working in the details, preparing you for this new year. You’ve felt it. You’ve felt dreams being whispered again, hope being stirred, strength being received. And now … things get noisy! Your adversary, the devil, he is loud. 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” He roars! He creates noise. What does the noise do? It distracts us. It creates fear. I wonder who woke up to distractions, problems, and discouragements today, on just the 2nd day of this new year. It’s not starting how you wanted it to start. Why is that happening? Because you are on the cusp of breakthrough. You are daring to believe the promises which God has spoken over your life. You are claiming the power, the love, and the self-discipline God’s spirit has offered you. You’re starting to write goals from God’s word, goals God wants to pour his power into! And if the enemy of your soul can’t rob you of that offering, he will certainly try to distract you from it. There is noise! Oh, you will probably hear the noise today. Sometimes it shows up in loud, chaotic roars that send shivers down your spine. But most times it shows up as the little voice in your head that tries to talk you down. The voice that says you can’t. The voice that says you’re not good enough. The voice that says you’re not worthy of the changes you desire. The voice that says it will never happen for you. The voice that says it’s too late. That is NOT the voice of God. That is the voice of darkness. That is goodness under attack. Today, we will look at the perfect little story hidden within the pages of your Bible to give you the exact words to speak and next steps to take when the enemy shows up with his distractions and discouragement. It’s the story is of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was charged by God to rebuild the destroyed wall of Jerusalem. These walls had been in ruin for over 100 years, and it was time to be rebuilt. For 100 years, people had looked at these torn down walls that had left their city vulnerable to attack, and of course everyone had wished for something to change – but no one had been willing to do anything about it. I wonder what desperately needs to change around you, but no one has been willing to do anything about it? What if God is charging YOU to be the one who gets to work now? Oh, I believe he is. No more wishing and complaining. No more waiting. It’s time for the work to be done, and God chooses YOU! The good work starts now! Nehemiah had been doing a good work of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. But remember, all good comes under attack. His enemies did not want him to rebuilt the wall and they tried to discourage him. But Nehemiah would not be discouraged. Say that with me, “I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED!” Nehemiah 6:1-4, “When word came to our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it, my enemy sent me this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” You have good work to do in 2026. Rebuilding of what the enemy has destroyed. Rebuilding of what has been broken. Rebuilding of what you thought could never be. And your enemy, plain and simple, DOES NOT WANT you to do this work. No, he doesn’t want you to grow in your faith. No, he doesn’t want you to be healthy. No, he doesn’t want you to be confident. No, he doesn’t want you to have good relationships. No, he doesn’t want you to have energy and joy. No, he doesn’t want you to be happy or successful. Heck no, the devil doesn’t want any of that for you. So you better believe he has been scheming to distract you and discourage you. What should your reply be? Just like Nehemiah. “Enemy, I am carrying on a great project and I don’t have time for you. I will not stop this work because of you!” But the enemy does not give up easily. Nehemiah received the same message 4 times, and scripture says each time he gave them the same answer. That means the voices will try to distract you on Monday, and they will be back again on Tuesday. But that’s not all, they’re coming for you again on Wednesday and Thursday too. But wait, there’s more. The messages from the enemy came the 5th time. Fears and threats, all to distract and discourage Nehemiah from the good work he was doing. And this is what Nehemiah did, chapter 6: 8-9, “I sent him this reply: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’ They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands.’” Oh my goodness, isn’t this exactly what the enemy is trying to do to you? With all his noise, he’s trying to make you believe you’re not good enough and you will never finish what you start. He’s discouraging you with circumstances, bad weather, excuses and doubts. But your response must be, “No, devil, that’s not what is going to happen here this year! I don’t believe you.” Now turn to God, focus fully on him, and ask him to strengthen you! My sister, there is so much goodness in you. God has such great plans for your life and the enemy will try to distract you and discourage you. Day after day, time and time again, you will have to continue on with the work God has given you to do this year and not stop! You will have to choose not to believe the lies of the enemy. You will have to overcome the voices that tell you you can’t. You will have to push through the hard days and the setbacks. And you will have to continually ask God to strengthen you. And if you do, you get to experience life like you have never know before! Here’s how the story ends. Chapter 6, verse 16, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” Oh, the enemy and all of his demons will be afraid because you are doing this work this year with the help of God. They will lose their self-confidence in their power to distract and discourage you. The enemy may be coming into 2026 with a lot of confidence because he has been successful in his schemes against you in the past, but not this time, Devil. Not this time! We know your game, and we know how to defeat you! James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist him. Fight him. Don’t believe him. Don’t be distracted by him. Oh, he’s going to come in and interrupt your goodness. He’s going to be loud and bring chaos. But don’t you dare stop the good work you’re doing. Resist him and he must leave! When the enemy tries to discourage you, you must respond with determination. When the enemy tries to distract you, you must use discernment. Discernment – it’s the spiritual ability to see circumstances as God sees them, not as they appear. Nehemiah had discernment. He knew the invitations of his enemies were distractions. He knew the talked about rumors were discouragements to stop his good work. Nehemiah was not fooled, even when it sounded good – he had discernment. Discernment comes in two steps. 1. Read God’s words. You will only recognize God’s voice when you learn what his voice sounds like. You will recognize his voice by reading his words. 2. Ask God for discernment. 1 Corinthians 12:10 tells us discernment is a gift of the Spirit of God. If it’s a gift, you can put it on your wishlist and ask for it! Lord, please give me the gift of discernment. I don’t want to be fooled. I don’t want to believe the enemy. I don’t’ want to give up in discouragement again this time. Help me to see these distractions for what they really are. Neihmiah rebuilt this wall in just 52 days! These walls had been in ruins for over 100 years and they were set right in just 52 days. The things that have been wrong your entire life could be set right in just 52 days. 52 days of hard work and refusing to be discouraged or distracted. 52 days of seeking discernment. But remember this, your hard work alone will not get the job done. You need God’s help here. You have to seek God in this. God says in Zechariah 4:6-7, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my SPIRIT! Nothing, not even a mighty mountain can stand it your way; it will become a level plain before you!” I will not be discouraged. I will not stop my work. I will seek God for strength, and I will continue! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

2029 Goals 2026 – 4 of 4: FUN GOALS

Does God care about you having fun? Does he care about you doing things you love to do? Does he want you to enjoy life? Yes – as long as it doesn’t become the entire objective of your life. As long as God still gets first place, fun is one of those things that he gives us as a result. Our Bibles are full of scriptures that tell us of the joy and pleasures in the presence of God. Does that only apply to Heaven after this miserable life? No. Jesus even taught us to pray that God’s kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Joy and pleasures here – how? Well, we can be in God’s presence now, and when we are, we get to enjoy the fullness of life. Look at creation and you’ll understand God’s nature. He loves beautiful things. He loves mysterious things. He loves quirky and bizarre things. Watch a few episodes of Planet Earth and you will see God’s fun nature on full display. He was having fun creating this world, now he invites you and I in on the fun. Misery is always an option, but it’s never a good one. The enemy of your soul loves to make you feel like the best stuff in life must come in rebellion to God. Like you can’t have fun and follow Jesus at the same time. Hmmmmm … hang around with me for a day and I think we can prove the devil wrong. We can follow Jesus into some wild, faith-filled spaces we could never reach alone, and we can be the funnest girls there! Fun is my middle name. It’s actually my job. It’s my calling. I create fun for people and then I invite them to play. And ultimately in the fun, we experience the love of God and the joy of Jesus. I can’t spread the love of God and the joy of Jesus by being miserable and turning everything into a dreaded burden. And my friend, you can’t either. We are here as the representatives of Jesus. Represent him well! When Jesus walked in a room, people gathered. Heck, they even tore the roof off a house to get in a crowded room with Jesus. He had something radically different and that energy was felt in his presence. Now, we carry that same Spirit of energy. Don’t dampen it. Revive it. Unleash it. People are drawn in by that positive energy and fun vibe and you can then easily point them to Jesus. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Understand that Jesus not only offers a full and abundant life in Heaven, but he offers a full and overflowing life right here and now. The way you live your life is what brings Heaven to Earth. You’re here to represent Jesus – Is he remotely appealing to others when they look at you? In the final hours of my Daddy’s life, the veil between Heaven and Earth had grown very thin and while laying in that hospital room, he could experience Heaven. Fully aware, he told us what he saw and experienced. My Dad let out deep belly laughs and giggles as he said, “Jesus is so funny! Everyone is so happy here!” I believe that with every ounce of me. And I believe we are called to represent Heaven here on Earth. So, let’s look at 4 scriptures for our FUN Goals and confidently write a few goals we don’t have to feel guilty over in our fun. Scripture 1: Psalm 90:12 TPT, “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” When you realize just how fast this life goes by and how limited your days really are, you recognize the value in each day and you are no longer willing to waste your days. Girls, let’s make these days count. Have you ever noticed how it feels like time goes so much faster than it used to? And we all feel that way. Why is that? Well, there’s actually a scientific reasoning behind it. When you were a kid it seemed like an eternity from one birthday to the next, right? And now it feels like your birthdays come around so much faster. Here’s why. When you’re 8 years old, you only have 10 years of life experience to compare 1 year to. 1 year represents 1/10 of your entire life. It’s bigger to you. But, when you’re 40, 1 year is only 1/40th of your life, so it seems smaller in comparison, therefore going by faster. Now, here’s what you need to know – the older you get, the faster time will continue to go. If one year goes this fast at your age already, imagine 20 or 30 more years from now how you’ll blink and there goes another year. And that means your time to do everything you wanted to do with this one life is running out faster than you imagined. We don’t have to live in fear of running out of time when we live in awareness of the value and brevity of our days. My absolute favorite movie to watch at the beginning of a new year is “About Time” with Rachel McAdams. Without spoiling the movie, it’s about a family where the men are time travelers and no one else knows about their secret talent. They can travel back and experience the same day over and over again, perfecting it to live it as the wish. And in the process, there’s a valuable lesson taught. If you live it right the first time, once is enough. If you treasure the full value of the day as you have it, you don’t have to go back. As an older mom now, I would love to go back and experience my kids being little for one more day. I would love to hear their feet running across the floor and experience their little hand in my hand again. If I could get a return ticket to that time, I would just sit in those moments and savor them fully. I didn’t treasure it for what it was when I had it. I was rushing through life, wishing the days would go faster. But now, I’ve learned to live different. I’ve learned the secret of treating moments as if they were my return ticket to the ordinary days and making them extraordinary with my full presence and intention. I don’t rush through them anymore because I’m fully aware the day will come in the future when I would give anything to have this moment back. Yes, this moment – the one I have today. So while I have it and while I’m here, I’m learning to treasure it like a return ticket to what will never be again. GOALS: • Savor the ordinary and make it extraordinary. • Number and appreciate my days like a return ticket. • Take full advantage of the time God gives. • Slow down and savor my moments. Scripture 2: Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13, “There is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” Here’s the huge key in this – the gift from God cannot become more important than God. The point of life cannot be chasing happiness, eating and drinking. Don’t twist this scripture to fit your desired habits. God has given us this life to live and he’s surrounded us with beauty and blessings to make it better. These are God’s gifts to us, enjoy them in a way that honors him. GOALS: • Honor God with my joy. • Enjoy God’s gifts fully. Scripture 3: Jesus said in Matthew 5: 14-15, “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under as basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” God has put a light within you, and that light is supposed to shine the love and joy of Jesus. Honey, is your light shining? There’s something different in you, but is that something different showing through you? Could a stranger recognize the Holy Spirit’s light in you with a brief encounter? You were not given this light to be hidden. You were given this light to shine. Shine in the way you live your ordinary days. Shine in the way you get giddy over the smallest things. Shine in the way you stand in awe and wonder over God’s creation. Shine in the way you invite others into the joy and make it more about Jesus than it is about you. GOALS: • Shine bright and don’t dim the light. • Be different than the world. • Unleash my giddy and live in awe. Scripture 4: 2 Corinthians 6: 11-13 MSG, “I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’ve been living them in a small way … Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!” When God created you, he didn’t say, “Gosh, I hope she will settle for a little, okay life.” You were never designed to be a glorified bill payer, repeating the same tasks over and over again, numb to it all. No, when God made you, he said, “She’s a masterpiece – now I want her to live BIG!” The truth is, most of us are not truly overwhelmed with life like we say we are – the truth is, we are actually underwhelmed with life. Life has become so small, so routine, so predictable and so mind-numbingly boring, that even the smallest problems look really big and overwhelming in our little underwhelming world. The solution isn’t to create a simple, little life with no problems. The solution is to live a BIG Life where your problems aren’t allowed to overwhelm you. Stop living little, my friend. You were given this one lifetime in which to do everything you will ever do – Are you doing it? What is it you’ve been dreaming of doing – Well, are you ever going to do it? What beautiful thing have you still not seen – Well, when are you going to get around to seeing it? In my experience, God loves to say YES when our priorities are right and we’re seeking him first. His desire is not for us to live little, shut in lives that just one day finally end so we can go to Heaven. His desire is for us to make the most of this life we’ve been given, make a big deal out of him, and leave a wake of impact all around us! So, the question is – what are you going to do with this one life you have been given? GOALS: • Live BIG! Stop playing little and start showing up! • Say yes to life. • Dare to dream with God again. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

2028 2026 GOAL WRITING – Part 3 of 4

Home/Money/Career Does God care about where you live, where you work, how much money you make and how you spend it? Absolutely. Jesus tells us to look at the birds and notice how God takes care of them, then know how much more valuable you are than the birds to God. Jesus tells us God is so intimately involved in the details of your life that he numbers the hairs on your head. NUMBERS. Not only counted, but numbered. Meaning when one hair falls out, he knows precisely which hair it was. And if God has the care and capacity to number your hairs, then I assure you he has the capacity to care about your home, your work and your money. Also, be aware of this – Satan loves to meddle in these things as well. He schemes in Hell how he can bring chaos and disorder to your home. How he can make you miserable in your work. How he can make you so consumed with the pursuit of money that your priorities become twisted. How he can make you continually unhappy because of what you don’t have and miss the blessing of what you do have. The spiritual battle is for real over your home, over your money and over your work. God wants to bless you, and Satan wants your blessings to become burdens. And that is why we must seek God for our goals. How do you live in the blessings without them becoming burdens? How do you pursue good things without the pursuit consuming you? How do you get every single thing God has for you without getting what the enemy pushes on you? Today, we will look at 5 scriptures directly from God’s word for guidance in setting our home/money/career goals for 2026. Scripture 1: Matthew 25:29, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” Here’s what God knows – If you won’t take care of the little house, you most certainly won’t take care of the new big house. If you won’t show up on time for your hourly pay job, you won’t show up on time for your higher level promotion. If you don’t spend $100 wisely, you certainly wouldn’t spend a million wisely. We are continually revealing what we will do with more. Scripture says God has the ability and resources to generously provide everything you need. There’s nothing he can’t do and nothing he can’t give. It’s all under his power. We also know God is not a greedy God, but he is gracious and generous in abundance. He likes to pour to not just fill your cup, but overflow your cup. But, God is not foolish or reckless. In his divine wisdom, he watches to see how you use what you are given before giving you more. What if our prayer shifted from “Lord, give me more” to “Lord, I want to be faithful with what I already have. Thank you for this, now I want to use it well.” GOALS: • Be faithful with the work I have. • Care for what I have been given with delight. • Waste nothing. Scripture 2: Romans 12:13, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” We aren’t given homes to hide behind our doors and create our safe little spaces. We aren’t given money to keep buying more stuff so we can hoard our treasures. We are entrusted with homes to offer hospitality. We are entrusted with things to give them. Out of greed, cynicism and self-protection, we have closed our doors, closed our hands and closed our hearts. God says, OPEN THEM BACK UP! Have you ever prayed for God to show you the needs around you, then you suddenly started noticing people you’ve never noticed before? Why are these needs around you? Because God put you in the middle of them to help! Stop falling for your own fear-driven excuses of not having time, not know what to do, and not being good enough to help. God wants to make you EAGER to help in 2026! GOALS: • Open my home, open my hands and open my heart to help • Be moved by what moves God, then get in motion • Offer my time, talents and treasures with no strings Scripture 3: Proverbs 2:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.” I don’t have barns with grain, nor do I have vats with wine, but I do have a business – I do have a family – I do have a bank account. And I know without a doubt those things get filled when I honor God by offering my best. God’s economy works very different. His math doesn’t make sense. The more you give him, the more you somehow end up having. God doesn’t want your leftovers, he wants your best. You honor him by offering your best. In a very practical sense, this means making everything you have an available offering. Have you ever given away something you really love? Just how good did that feel? Gosh, nothing compares to the feeling of blessing someone else with what you have. And that good feeling isn’t an accident – it’s by God’s great design. You and I are literally designed to feel a level of joy and contentment unlike any other when we are ridiculously generous. GOALS: • Be ridiculously generous • Tithe faithfully and joyfully • Give away great things Scripture 4: Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” If what you treasure most is building a business, then business will consume you. The rest of your life may very well fall apart because your heart simply never leaves work. If what you treasure most is building your fortune, then money will turn you into a person you never wanted to be. If what you treasure most is fame, praise, comments, affirmations, likes and shares, you will be consumed with what everyone thinks of you and says about you. The world in your phone will become more valuable that the real world where you live and your heart will be stuck in your phone. Your heart will always be where your treasures are. This is a priority issue, and 99% of us have a real priority issue. Oh Lord, please help us realign our priorities. God teaches us to seek him FIRST, then everything else will be given to us. God says to love him with your whole heart, soul and mind AND love your neighbor as yourself. Our priority issues are heart issues. We waste our time, we waste our money, we invest in things that simply don’t matter because our hearts are always set on what we treasure most. GOALS: • Get my priorities right • God first, then everything else • No more wasting time or money • Be in my REAL life Scripture 5: Colossians 3: 23-24, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.” Whatever your work is, you don’t have to be miserable in it. No matter how ungrateful your boss or your family might be, remember this – God sees your work and He will reward you! So, do your work for God. A funny thing happens within us when we do the absolute best work we can – we actually feel our best. Again, not an accident. That’s by God’s divine design. He put within you confirmations of when you’re really doing this thing right! Nothing feels better than doing the work, and doing it right! Cutting the corners and doing just enough to get by is a trick of the enemy that steals your joy and zaps your energy. Start doing your best again at whatever you’re doing, like you’re really doing it for God – because actually you are! GOALS: • Give my best effort • Offer my work as worship ————————————————– MIND/HAPPINESS What an area of attack this has been for the enemy. Our mental health is a wreck, our happiness is so surface level and fleeting. This is NOT God’s desire, plan or will for a single one of his girls. It’s time we stop settling for a life overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, worry and fear. Take your peace back. Take your joy back. In the name of Jesus, take back everything the enemy stole. We are actively participating in the very things that are wrecking our lives and our addictions have put us under a spell to just keep doing it. Statics show cutting and self harm tripled in teenage girls once social media was introduced. Suicide increased by 151% with social media. We’re more connected than ever, yet so totally disconnected. We are now more fragile, more anxious, more depressed, more fearful, and more unproductive than ever in the history of mankind. We are seduced and manipulated into being zombies – and we’re very unhappy zombies at that. So, what are you going to do about that? What is God telling you to do about that? Scripture 1: Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Let GOD transform you by changing the way you think. The world has made you think in a way that doesn’t align with God. You can’t just keep copying the patterns of the world. You can’t keep doing what everyone else is doing. It’s time to be different! God wants us to be different. God, how do you want to transform me into a new person. What patterns have I gotten into that have warped my thoughts? What has made me negative? What has made me cynical? What has turned me bitter? What has made me harsh? What has me absent, scattered, disconnected, rushed, unproductive? Where has the enemy hijacked my mind and stolen my contentment? Help me to take it back! GOALS: • Drastically limit screen time • Delete social media • Dedicated unplugged time • Ditch my phone and get a Bible • Be different with Jesus • Take back my time • Take back my happiness Scripture 2: Philippians 4: 6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” I mean basically this scripture says it all and write our goals for us! GOALS: • Trade worry for prayer • Journal my prayers • Live in gratitude • Seek God and receive peace Scripture 3: Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Fix your thoughts – wow, maybe it’s your thoughts that are broken and you need to fix them. Hey, I know the healer!!!! Your thoughts are 100% up to you. And what you think about affects the way you feel. The way you feel affects the way you show up for life. Change your thoughts and you will change your life. God has given that divine power uniquely to us, and only us. And, his word has given us a list of things to think about. Now, take captive your thoughts, don’t let your mind run wild, and MAKE your thoughts them be obedient. GOALS: • Think about what’s good, right, working & coming together • Look for, notice & talk about the good • Take my thoughts captive Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com