unexpected – BeanSpired Editions

An empty mug sits on a rough wooden tabletop.

When Our Best Isn’t Enough

November 22, 2022February 1, 2023 Megan Bean

The end of our capability doesn't have to be the end of our story. In fact, by the grace and power of God, it can be a beginning.

Old fallen maple leaves cover the ground, almost completely obscuring the grass. The leaves are dry and brown, with pale undersides.

God, Life

Coming Unburied

February 25, 2022February 1, 2023 Megan Bean

What do you do with the stuff that can't and won't stay buried, yet is still undeniably not what you wanted in your life?

A furry gray donkey with a white nose and belly and a dark stripe down its shoulder stands in a snowy pasture. It turns its head toward the camera and pricks its ears. The pasture in which it stands is long and narrow, with wire mesh fences, and slopes downhill toward a forest. The forest consists of pine and bare deciduous trees. Through their branches the sky shows a bright cloudless blue. Some trees off-screen to the right streak the snow with shadows.

Donkey Devos, God, Holidays & Seasons, Tough Times

Finding God When Things Look Bleak

January 25, 2022February 1, 2023 Megan Bean

We may not always be sure what to make of what God sends us. But we can always trust and know the One who sends it.

Tough Times

Living in the Face of Your Nemesis

December 30, 2020June 1, 2022 Megan Bean

Maybe you're facing a problem, old or new, that has you frozen in your tracks or pacing in your bunker. Maybe you've tried giving it (or yourself) time, but found yourself growing stagnant. Or maybe, as overwhelmed as you feel at the thought of moving forward, waiting it out simply isn't an option. But how do we get moving? How do we live – really live – in the face of our nemeses?

Horse Homilies, Tough Times

Catching Our Balance

May 20, 2018June 16, 2022 Megan Bean

How do we catch our balance when life skips a stride?