Tag: Psalm 118:22-23

The Sounds of Silence

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When I Should’ve Kept Quiet
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler

We were sitting at breakfast—me and a longtime friend I’ve been blessed to sometimes travel with. Just friends, nothing more. She’s smart as a whip, well-read, full of stories, a beautiful woman both inside and out, and patient—especially with me.

Now, I have this bad habit. I talk too much. Always have. Even back in grade school, I missed the honor roll more than once because of a C in citizenship—too social, they said. Some bosses said the same years later. Too many words, not enough listening. Even put it on my annual review.

That morning, between bites of scrambled eggs and sips of coffee, she finally spoke up after I’d been rambling on, chasing one story after another. She smiled, gentle but firm, and said, “Jimmie, you don’t need to tell your whole life story every time. Sometimes, just respond to what I’m saying. Don’t chase rabbits.”

It stung, because she was right.

See, I’ve interrupted stories, cut off people mid-sentence—not out of malice, but because I thought I was connecting or helping. Truth is, I wasn’t listening. I was showing off. Or maybe showing my loneliness. Either way, I wasn’t being kind. I wasn’t being present.

I remember my grandma once told me, “Jimmie Aaron, the girls don’t care how much you know or where you’ve been. They want a man who listens and says nice, honest things about them. That’s why they like the strong, silent type.”

Lord knows, I should’ve taken her advice to heart.

Recently, I read a verse that brought all this back to mind:

“But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, ‘Do not answer him.’” — Isaiah 36:21 ESV

Sometimes the wisest thing to say is nothing at all.

There’s power in silence. Wisdom, too. I’ve learned that when I talk too much, I crowd out other people’s hearts—and sometimes, even God’s voice. You can’t listen and talk at the same time.

So now, I’m working on that. Less rambling. More listening. Fewer rabbits. More respect. And I have my friend to thank for caring enough to point out an area I really need to work on everyday.

And when the moment calls for it, I ask God to give me the grace to shut my mouth and open my ears.

Grace and Peace,
Jimmie

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When the Soul Remembers

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When the Soul Remembers: A Morning with Psalm 103
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler

Well now…

This morning started quiet. One of those slow roll-outs where the house is still wearing its robe of sleep. I woke before the alarm, before the cats stirred, before the sun even hinted at showing up. I just laid there, staring at the ceiling, letting the stillness hold me for a moment.

There’s a verse that drifted into my mind—soft, steady, familiar. Like the voice of an old friend.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. —Psalm 103:1 KJV””

I’ve heard that verse my whole life. Quoted it, sung it, even preached it back when I wore the pastor’s hat. But this morning it hit different—landed deep. Not just a verse. A reminder. A call.

I got up slow, the way a man does when his body’s been through a few decades of life. My joints chimed in, reminding me they weren’t as young as they used to be. I shuffled down the hallway, past the old pictures and the bookshelf with my old seminary books and well-worn Bibles.

Out on the porch, coffee in hand, I watched the day break open. The sky started as a soft purple bruise on the horizon, then slowly turned to fire. The kind of sunrise that doesn’t rush. It just unfolds—like a hymn sung verse by verse.

And there it was again.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Not “bless Him when everything’s going right.” Not “bless Him when you feel like it.” Just—”bless Him.”

With all that is within me. Even the parts that ache. Even the parts that doubt. Even the tired, uncertain, worn-out parts of me.

You see, some mornings, praise is a natural outpouring—like water from a spring. Other days? It’s a choice. A whisper of faith in the middle of the mess. And maybe that’s the most honest kind of worship—the kind that chooses to say “He is still good” when nothing around you makes sense.

It’s easy to forget, isn’t it? To let the noise and weight of life drown out the song. But your soul remembers. It knows the truth your mind sometimes forgets—that His name is still holy. His goodness is still real. His mercy still reaches even you and me, here in the quiet of a brand-new day.

So I sat there, sipping my coffee, letting the words rise up again—not from duty, but from deep down where the real stuff lives.

Bless the Lord, O my soul…

And I did.

Maybe today you need to remember too. Maybe you need to pause, breathe deep, and let your soul do the talking. Let it praise through the pain. Let it lift its eyes. Let it bless His name—not because life is perfect, but because He is.

Let everything in you echo His goodness.

Every breath. Every beat.

Grace and Peace,
Jimmie

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A Three-Word Prayer That Walks With Me

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A Three-Word Prayer That Walks With Me
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler

Some verses don’t need a lot of words to carry weight.

Like this one:

“Pray without ceasing.”— 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

Now, that’s not saying you’ve got to spend your whole day on your knees or mutter prayers under your breath from dawn to dusk. No sir. It’s more like this — keeping your heart tuned to God, like a well-loved old radio locked in on a favorite gospel station.

It’s whispering thanks while you’re waiting in line at the pharmacy…
It’s calling out for strength when your knees ache on the stairs…
It’s thanking Him for the warmth of the morning sun or the taste of that first sip of coffee.

That kind of prayer is less about posture and more about presence.
It’s not just a thing we do — it’s a way we live.

Let your life breathe prayer — steady, honest, unbroken like a quiet hum in the background of your day.

That’s what I try to do every morning when I open up my Bible and spend time in devotion. Somewhere between the first light breaking through the window and the last sip of blonde roast, I find myself praying for you — yes, you reading this.

I ask the Lord to watch over you… and if your heart’s still out there wandering, still searching, I pray you come to know Jesus Christ.

So what does that mean — to “come to salvation in Jesus Christ” if you’re a spiritual seeker?

Well, if that’s you, it means you’re looking — for truth, for peace, maybe even for something to hold onto when the world gets too heavy.

You’re not alone in that. I think we all carry questions. Sometimes they’re wrapped in wounds, sometimes in wonder.

To come to salvation in Jesus is more than just nodding your head in agreement with a list of church doctrines. It’s deeper than that. It’s trusting — I mean really trusting, way down in your bones — that Jesus is who He says He is.

The Son of God.
The Savior of the world.
The One who can take the shattered, jagged pieces of your story and gently hand you something whole in return.

That’s the journey I’m still walking.

If you want to hear how that road started for me, I wrote it all down here — My Story.

So next time you’re stuck in traffic or watching the rain dance on the window, remember those three little words:

Pray without ceasing.

They might just be the quiet nudge you need to draw near.

Grace and peace on your journey,
Jimmie

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The Ones They Threw Away

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The Ones They Threw Away
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler

I’ve lived long enough to know what it feels like to be passed over.

To sit in the back row while someone else gets the nod.
To watch the world size you up and decide you don’t quite measure.
Articles turned down. Manuscripts rejected. Ghosted by friends.
Too plain. Too slow. Too much baggage. Too short.
Not enough or not the correct social media presence. Not enough shine.

Yeah, I’ve been there. Maybe you have too.

But the good book has a line that just won’t let me go. It says:

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”— Psalm 118:22–23 (KJV)

Now that’s something, isn’t it?

They tossed that stone aside — said it wasn’t good enough for what they were building.
But God had other plans. He picked it up, brushed it off,
and laid it down as the very first stone in something eternal.

He turned what was rejected into what was essential.

And that’s the kind of God I believe in —
one who sees value in what the world calls worthless,
one who chooses the wounded, the worn, the weathered.

Truth is, He builds His finest work out of what’s been broken.
Cracks and all. And remember, sometimes it takes cracks to let the light to get in.

So if you’re feeling like yesterday’s news,
like maybe you missed your chance or weren’t ever in the running —
take heart.

You might just be God’s next cornerstone.

Because what others threw away…
God’s got plans for.

And when it’s His doing, well — it’s always marvelous in the end.

Keep the faith,
—Jimmie
📖 jimmiekepler.com | jimmiekepler.substack.com

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