Merea Ministry, Inc.

10/13/2026

Small blessing! Just got a call about picking up a check from https://www.facebook.com/share/19d3WX2d4m/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Someone had donated gently used household item or furniture and put it under Merea Ministry’s name and that is helping us fund our ministry. If you have items that have a lot of good use still please consider donating them. If you decided to put them under our name we will be eternally grateful. Have a Blessed Day!!

🛍️Shop. Donate. Make a Difference!🛍️
405B Hwy 51 South
Batesville, MS
Consign For A Cause is a community driven resale store where proceeds support local churches, mission groups, nonprofit groups serving families,children, animals,and those in need.

08/26/2026

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗽 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝟭 𝗮.𝗺.

Y’all, let me tell you how awesome our God is.

How He takes little things that seem completely unrelated and knits them together until you’re basically staring at a neon sign from Heaven.

So hear me out…

My Mamaw butt dials me ALL the time.

I answer thinking she needs something or maybe just wants to hear from her favorite grandchild, but nope. More often than not, I’m just listening to Channel 5 at level 100 in the background while she has absolutely no idea I’m at the other end of the line.

But last night at about 1 a.m. her name popped up on my screen. And if you know me, you know that yes, I was still awake.

Because it was 1:00 in the morning, it scared me.

Did she fall? Is she okay?
(She was fine, by the way.)

Well, this morning I sat down to ask the Lord for direction for the day. And, Jeremiah 1:5 had already been bouncing around in my head.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Then I opened my devotional and there was Jeremiah 1:5 again.

And right there under the verse were the words:

God does not call by accident.

And that’s when it hit me.

Mamaw may call me by accident, but…

𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦𝗡’𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗟.

Before Jeremiah ever spoke a prophetic word, before he ever broke that jar, before he was ever put down in that creepy hole, he had ALREADY been called and SET APART.

God knew him before he ever took his first breath.

And He had a reason for calling him.

And that’s the part I can’t get away from and that excites me!

God does not call by accident.

He knows who He is calling.

He knows why He is calling.

And He calls on purpose.

So when we find ourselves wondering, “Lord, are You sure You meant me?”

Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us:

He knew exactly who He was calling before we ever knew where He was leading.

So here’s the challenge:

Stop spending so much time asking whether God meant to call you, and start asking where He’s asking you to step next.

If He’s placed something on your heart, put someone in your path, or opened a door in front of you, don’t dismiss it just because you feel unqualified.

He knows who He called.

God doesn’t butt dial.

08/12/2026

𝗢𝗵 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗮𝘆

“For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”
Matthew 12:34 NLT

Have you ever had the Lord teach you a lesson through an insult? 😳

Well, here’s proof He can and will use just about anything to teach you a lesson.

Recently, somebody at church insulted me on how I was handling one of my responsibilities.

Let me start by saying I don’t have hard feelings toward this person at all. I love them dearly. This writing isn’t about pointing fingers or rehashing what was said. It’s about what the Lord taught ME through that interaction.

The week before, part of the sermon had been on James chapter 3. Between that sermon and this ordeal, the Lord had plenty of material to remind me just how powerful our words can be.

I’m not writing this as a “woe is me, my poor feelings were hurt” story. Along with my constant battle of tongue bridling, I was also blessed with thick skin. My feelings are not easily hurt.

BUT it did bring to mind the importance of controlling our tongue. You never know what battle someone is fighting. You don’t know if they’re already circling the drain of exhaustion, and then your words flush them right on down.

You just never know how your words can affect somebody, whether kind or hurtful.

Because I’m gonna be 100% honest, it was one of THOSE weeks. You know, where everything that could go wrong did? Yep…

I felt like I was being drug across rock bottom by the struggle bus. Most days I didn’t even know what day it was, but I was pretty sure I was already behind.

I was running on caffeine, Adderall, and Jesus, held together by sheer stubbornness, praying it all held while hoping nobody noticed.

My feelings weren’t hurt, but those words landed on an already weary heart. And that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make.

The person speaking to me had no idea what I was carrying. But before I point a finger at them, I had to ask myself: How many times have I opened my big mouth and my words landed on a weary heart barely holding it together?

We don’t know what burden someone is carrying.
Maybe they just lost a family member. Maybe their marriage is on the rocks. Maybe they’re holding everything together by themselves.
Maybe they’re raising a difficult child and wondering if they’re getting any of it right.
Maybe their bank account is in the negative.
Maybe they are struggling with addiction.

Maybe they’re one fake smile away from falling to their knees.

We just don’t know. And that’s why our words matter!

This is something I’ve been convicted of time and time again. So many times before I say something, I hear the Holy Spirit telling me to zip it! “That’s not glorifying Me, nor is it bringing them to Me.”
It’s an ongoing battle, and I don’t always win.

Jesus said, “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”

What you’re full of is gonna spew out of you like a shaken up Dr Pepper.

If you’re full of bitterness, hate, and resentment, guess what? That’s what’s gonna spew out when you get shaken up.

But if our hearts are full of Christ, His grace and mercy should be spilling out of us.

Our words don’t just reveal our hearts. They affect our witness. We are image bearers of God and followers of Christ. We can tell people about Jesus all day long, but they’re watching how we speak to and about folks too.

Are our words reflecting the Savior we claim to follow?

Because if we’re supposed to look like Jesus, our words should sound like Him too.

Thankfully, the same Savior who convicts us about our words is also faithful to change our hearts. Because ultimately, bridling our tongue isn’t just about learning when to keep our mouth shut. It’s about allowing Christ to change what’s inside of us. When He changes our hearts, what spills out of us begins to change too.

I don’t always get this right. But I want the words that come out of my mouth to point people toward Jesus, not make their load heavier.
❤️🙏

07/17/2026

Y’all come see us this weekend and get you a free snow cone, and let us pray with you and share the hope of Jesus Christ! ❤️💙

05/28/2026

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℍ𝕠𝕝𝕪 𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕥 𝕊𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕄𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕓𝕦𝕥 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕒 𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖

Y’all know how the Lord uses the most random and unexpected things to get our attention?
Well, lately mine have had feathers and a loud mouth.
I’ve really jumped off the deep end into birdwatching lately. Researching what each
bird likes to eat, their habitat, and of course, their calls. I’ve checked out library
books on birdwatching, bought numerous feeders, made a bird bath, the whole nine yards.
And somehow, I’ve become a person who willingly wakes up several hours
earlier because dawn is pretty much bird happy hour.
And let me just say I’ve been completely blown away realizing just how many birds
are actually in my yard. Birds I’d never even heard of: yellow-bellied sapsuckers,
tufted titmice (which still sounds made up), and yellow-billed cuckoos.
And then this morning, the bird I’d been hoping to see was just standing in the middle of the road acting like he’d been there waiting on me. (I saw it while driving, hit the brakes, and briefly considered calling in and going full Steve Irwin to track this bird for the rest of the day.)
If you had asked me six weeks ago where those birds lived, I probably would’ve
guessed the Amazon. Not my backyard in Mississippi.
Where did they come from?
What made them suddenly show up?
I mean, logically I knew the feeders were supposed to attract birds. I just didn’t
expect it to work this well.
Come to find out they had been there the whole time, flying around, hooping and
hollering, and harassing the squirrels, just doing whatever birds do all day while I
walked around oblivious.
And apparently, I was the one late to the party.
The birds hadn’t changed. I had.
I finally slowed down long enough to notice.

Yesterday I listened to a message about Simeon and all I could think about were those birds.
And it made me wonder how much I walk past spiritually without noticing.
Do I do the same spiritually?
Do I prepare my heart to notice the Lord?
Do I slow down enough to listen?
Do I look for Him?
Do I expect Him to move?
Luke 2 says Simeon was righteous and devoted to God. He had spent years waiting
and trusting that God would fulfill His promise to send a Savior. The Holy Spirit was
upon him and led him to the temple one day.
While he was there, a mama and daddy came in holding a baby. A baby that Simeon
immediately recognized as the Messiah. He took Jesus into his arms and praised God saying, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation.”

And I just kept thinking about that. Because this is such a regular, everyday kind of
moment. The kind of thing we’d see at church and never think twice about. The kind of moment that would’ve been easy to miss.

And honestly, I think I probably would have.
I think I would’ve smiled and waved at the baby.
But I would’ve missed the Messiah.

And honestly, I wonder how often I still do.

But Simeon didn’t.
Simeon walked closely with the Lord and The Holy Spirit was upon
him. He was watching and waiting for the Messiah, so when Jesus came, Simeon
recognized Him.
And that just keeps rolling around in my head. And it makes me wonder how many
times I sound like Habakkuk.
Lord, where are You?
What are You doing?
Why can’t I see You?
Meanwhile, God’s response is:
Look.
I’m working.
I always have been.
And I think that’s what the Lord’s been showing me in all this.
Not, where is God?
But am I paying attention?
Am I listening?
Am I expecting Him to move?
Or am I walking right past evidence of Him because I’ve stopped looking?

Are you?

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation.”
Luke 2:30

03/04/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

This picture looks peaceful. But it doesn't tell the whole story.

I snapped this picture Monday morning. It was almost comical how perfect the photo looked compared to reality.

As cars passed by our house, I caught myself thinking,
“To anyone driving by, this probably looks like the perfect morning.”

Perception vs. Reality

It may have looked perfect, but the reality was far from it.

Listen, I love my kids fiercely and would do anything for them. I’d jump into a pit of tree frogs, I’d jump into the ocean in the dark, and I’d even eat deviled eggs for them.

But loving them deeply doesn't mean I always have the patience and grace motherhood requires. And that morning I had already run out of both.

You wouldn’t know by looking at this picture that I had already lost my temper that morning. Big time.

You wouldn’t see that I had already fallen to my knees asking forgiveness. Because in that moment, I knew I couldn't do it in my own strength.

All you would see is a peaceful snapshot of kids doing school outside on a beautiful morning.

Maybe you’d see mom on the porch swing and think,
“Wow, she’s got it made in the shade.”

In reality she was praying for wisdom and endurance.

Maybe the people driving by really did think it looked like the perfect morning.

But they only saw a moment.

And that’s the thing about perception.

So much of what we see in life works the same way. What we see on Facebook or other social media are still shots. Snapshots of a moment frozen in time. A smiling family. A tidy house. A peaceful morning. A successful ministry. A perfect photo.

But those pictures aren’t the full story. They are just a frame.

Real life is everything that happened before and after the picture was taken.

Sometimes we see those snapshots and quietly start building standards in our minds. We decide what motherhood should look like, what patience should look like, what a peaceful home or successful ministry should look like.

But those standards were never meant to come from social media or the world around us.

Our standard is Christ.

1 Samuel 16:7
“The Lord does not see as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

People see pictures.
God sees the whole story.

The cars driving by our house that morning probably did see a peaceful moment. But it wasn’t the whole story.

And most of the time, when we look at other people’s lives, we’re not seeing the whole story either.

So instead of measuring life by what looks good to the world, we should be far more concerned with what is pleasing to the Lord.

And thankfully, the One who sees our hearts is also the One who gives us the grace to keep growing. Maybe someone else needed this reminder today too.