The Pace of Grace Blog
Hope is a Person—Not a Process
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” –Hebrews 6:19 (ESV) A quick scroll through your social media feed at the beginning of a new year will likely reveal countless New Year motivational quotes and affirmations that sound…
Read More 
Five Ways to Slow Down and Savor the Season
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2 I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like the retail rush into the Christmas holiday hits…
Read More 
Grateful for His Goodness When Life Feels out of Control
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: Gratitude “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1 This November marks three years since I started my journey to relieve anxiety, restore peace, and revive hope by stepping outside for soul-soothing walks with the Lord during a desperate season of resurfacing physical…
Read More 
An Unexpected Harvest
By Renée Gotcher
Today I’m sharing one of my devotions, “An Unexpected Harvest,” in a very special place: On the Proverbs 31 Ministries website, in the Encouragement for Today devotions series! What an honor to be among the excellent writers featured here—I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to share what God placed on my heart with all…
Read More 
What Does it Mean to Be Missional?
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: Missional “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” –Mark 16:15 (ESV) I vividly remember the year I found myself sitting next to my homeschooling sister-in-law and my first-generation homeschooling mother-in-law at the Denver Missional Women’s Conference. Both happened to be in town at…
Read More 
Three Simple Ways to Experience Spiritual Refreshment
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: Spiritual Refreshment “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.” –Exodus 23:12 My husband and I have always loved hiking. Before we had children,…
Read More 
Book Review: Jesus, Calm My Heart
By Renée Gotcher
I have enjoyed the inspiring prayers and personal application of Ruth Schwenk’s prayer prompts journal, “Jesus, Calm My Heart: 365 Prayers to Give You Peace at the Close of Every Day.” Having followed Ruth on social media, I’m familiar with her prayer prompts, and on many occasions, I’ve been one of the women she talks…
Read More 
When God Says His Grace is Enough
By Renée Gotcher
In 2 Corinthians 12:8, the persevering apostle Paul made a very reasonable request to the Lord: “Concerning this thing [a thorn in the flesh], I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” It seemed like the obvious solution. Yet the Lord had a different answer for Paul—removing the “thorn” was…
Read More 
Why Meditating on God’s Word Matters
By Renée Gotcher
A few weeks ago, I shared about the “key verses” note I started on my phone last fall, during a resurfacing struggle with physical anxiety symptoms. At that time, I couldn’t control how my body felt from day to day, sometimes minute to minute, but I knew I could control where I put my mind’s…
Read More 
Are You Worried You’re Not Strong Enough?
By Renée Gotcher
Are you struggling to believe God isn’t disappointed with you because you aren’t “strong enough” to face the ongoing crisis you woke up to today? Do you feel like a failure because you’re caught up in the same battering storm, and no matter how hard you try to swim to safety, you’re far from peaceful…
Read More 
Are You Struggling With Motivation?
By Renée Gotcher
Do you dread seeing the words #motivationmonday pop up on your social media feed at the start of a new week? Maybe you are still weighed down by what you didn’t finish or fix last week. Or maybe you’re worried you won’t be able to stem the tide of to-dos on this week’s list. Or…
Read More 
Will Time Outside Improve Your Mental Health?
By Renée Gotcher
Would it surprise you to learn the average American spends more than 7 hours looking at a screen each day? (DataReportal 2022 Global Overview Report). Or maybe that doesn’t surprise you? Do you find yourself inclined to retreat at home to reduce stressful daily interactions, taking care of as much as you can with the…
Read More 