the cause of death.
blurred lines, sacred rest.
Happy July Family!
Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? Honestly, it feels like a blur.
Like when a photographer tries to capture something moving too fast—what ends up in the frame is just motion and light, rushing past the lens. That’s how this season has felt. Fleeting. Fast. Fuzzy around the edges
But if you know me, you know I’m a numbers girl—and the number 7 holds a special place in my heart.
This month, Corey and I will celebrate our 9th anniversary on 7/10.
We celebrated #sealingthehome in July a couple years ago, signifying a new chapter in our lives.
After six years working in education, I decided—in the 7th year of my career—to take a leap and build something of my own.
And of course, we can’t forget the biblical weight of 7.
God rested on the seventh day. Not because He needed to, but because we would. A divine reminder that rest is holy. Necessary. Powerful.
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
— Isaiah 30:15
So maybe this month, we consider entering into that rest.
Even as the world tells us to hustle harder the second half of the year—to grind, to finish strong, to push through—what if we did something different?
What if we slowed down?
What if we created space for God to do something spectacular on our behalf?
What if we laid some things down…
plans.
expectations.
timelines.
pressure…
and trusted that wherever we are right now, God has something better in store?
Something we won’t miss if we just pause long enough to see it.
This month, let’s choose nearness over endeavor.
Stillness over striving.
Faith over force.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.”
— Matthew 11:28–29
May this July be your Sabbath.
A breath in the middle of the year.
A moment to remember that we were never meant to do this alone.
With love,
MJ
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the quiet kinds of death—the unseen endings, the letting go, the moments when something we once carried must be laid down. But Scripture reminds us that death is never the end for those in Christ. It’s the door to something new. This poem poured out during one of those moments. If you’re navigating an ending, I pray it reminds you: God doesn’t waste death. He uses it to raise something better.
what was the cause of death?
death.
that dreary word carries with it baggage
too heavy to travel to spaces with limited capacities…
what am i saying—
most spaces are too small to contain
the negative emotion,
the pain,
the weight of what could’ve been
what never will be..
and what no longer remains
death is the end.
the end of a life,
the end of a chapter.
a season.
the end of what once was—
something that beautifully existed,
took up space,
filled a gap or a thought,
a hole…
held residence in a mind,
or a tiny chamber in a beating heart.
a soul.
“see you laters” turn into “goodbyes” forever.
nothing lasts a lifetime, they say—
man, i should’ve known better.
even though i did know better..
death was already familiar.
but standing face-to-face with it
usually never gets easier.
until the realization comes—
death is necessary.
it’s a fact.
Jesus came to die a death
that would give us our lives back.
was it easy for Him—
to die in our place,
for a human race
who could never bear death that way?
humiliated,
yet He communicated a love
we only assimilated through a
revelation that He came to put away our shame
once and for all.
and then He gave us a call—
one that forces us to respond
to every death differently.
no matter how big,
no matter how small.
what was the cause of death?
maybe—not maybe.
God is trying to resurrect.
what is God wanting to resurrect in you?
what needs to die
so He can lay to rest the rest
of what He already died to make new?
maybe pride,
for humility.
old thoughts,
for the godly.
maybe it’s friendships you need to yield—
to make room for ones that truly build.
maybe the dream you’re clinging to
isn’t the one God designed for you…
maybe it’s time to give Him
all you lost—
so He can give you a better cause.
to die for…
actually, to live for.
because the cause of death…
was resurrection all along.
and that means death isn’t the end—
it’s actually the beginning of a brand new song..
a new life God is offering you
right here,
right now—
every moment you choose to lay it all down.
God is waiting on you—
and He’s big enough
to carry the baggage,
the pain,
the struggle,
and all that death claims.
and even in the uncertainty there is
one thing’s for certain about what will be:
this suffering that we are experiencing
will not compare to the future glory
in Christ our King.
so what is the cause of death?
i guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
⸻
💬 Closing Reflection
What is God asking you to release?
What quiet death is He calling you to embrace—so something better can rise?
I’d love to hear your thoughts— join the chat!
And if this spoke to your soul, pass it on to someone walking through their own ending. 💛