Are You in the Valley of Dry Bones?

and a downloadable Soul Care Workbook for You!

A Personal Note

Hello friend,

I’ve missed connecting with you during the last couple of weeks. It’s been a blur of busy as my husband and I ventured to the Carolinas. The day after returning home, I braved a flight on United. After a lengthy (and unexpected) layover in Denver, I held my precious granddaughter for the first time.

While I’m not one to share family photos often, I thought you might enjoy meeting little one and catching a glimpse of the oldest extant wooden bridge in South Carolina.

How are you spending your time this summer?

Dancing in Grace: An Action Plan for Spiritual Revival

Life careened out of control as I slogged through the mess childhood trauma made of my life. Determined to mark out a path free from the past, I relegated memories to a Pandora’s box brimming with fear, grief, anger, and abuse. I begged God to release me from the torment of a history tainted with shame, but the heartache remained, even impacting my marriage, parenting, and soul.

My efforts proved futile. Emotional pain and the horrors of a broken childhood demanded attention. Healing. Revival of heart, soul, and mind.

Maybe you know that ache, too.

That spiritual place of feeling spiritually dry. Emotionally brittle. Bone-weary and breathless from carrying burdens no one else sees.

But what if revival is still possible—even for you?

When You’re in the Valley of Dry Bones

In Ezekiel 37, God gives a vision to a weary priest-in-exile. Picture it: a barren wilderness strewn with bleached, scattered bones. A place of death. Despair. The end of the story.

But then—God speaks.

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
— Ezekiel 37:3 (NKJV)

Reconstruction proved futile until God breathed life into each person.

Maybe That’s You Today

You, too, may feel much like the Israelite captives. You might cry out in agreement, ‘[My] bones are dry, [my] hope is lost, and [I am] cut off!’ (Ezekiel 37: 11).

Maybe you are:

• grieving brokenness in your family.

• weeping over a wayward child.

• wondering if your marriage—or faith—can withstand the storms.

• longing for something more than the routine of survival.

Don’t give up, beloved daughter of God. Your story isn’t over. Not when the breath of God still moves and empowers dry bones.

Speak Life Over What Looks Dead

Sometimes we think revival looks like emotional fireworks or mountaintop moments. But revival often begins in a moment of surrender, a whispered prayer, or the steady return to God’s Word.

It looks like:

• cracking open your Bible when your heart feels numb.

• whispering hope over your life, even when the words feel flat.

• believing God can breathe life into your circumstances.

One author said it like this:

“For my friend struggling in her marriage...
For my friend crying over her son…
For my friend longing to be held by someone other than a book…
Don’t assume the dream is dead. Sometimes it just needs to be woken up.”

The same God who breathed life into a valley of bones can breathe new life into your weary soul, fractured relationships, or stagnant faith.

Revival isn’t reserved for perfect people. It begins with the broken. The desperate. The dry.

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Steps Toward Spiritual Renewal

If you’re feeling worn thin by the weight of your circumstances, consider these intentional steps toward revival:

1. Return to the Word.
   Like Ezekiel, listen to God’s voice. Open Scripture and let His truth revive your heart.

2. Speak life.
   Pray over your circumstances. Declare God’s promises aloud—even if you feel uncertain.

3. Invite God’s breath.
   Ask the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your faith. Revival starts with His presence.

4. Seek community.
   Don’t walk alone. Reach out to other women of faith who will pray with and for you.

5. Rest in grace.
   Revival isn’t performance—it’s a work of grace. Let God move at His pace.

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From Dry Bones to Dancing

As for me, healing didn’t come in a sudden burst. It arrived in stages—bone by bone, prayer by prayer, breath by breath. The same God who lifted me from despair continues to transform my story into one of grace and redemption.

Friend, your dry bones were never beyond reach. You were made to live. To breathe. To dance again in the freedom only Christ provides.

Will you trust Him to begin the revival in you?

With hope,

Tammy

BTW—What part of Ezekiel 37 speaks to you most right now?
Leave a comment below. I read and reply to each one.

If this encouraged you today, would you share it with a friend? Or forward it to someone who needs fresh hope?

Together, we’re moving from dry bones to dancing in grace.

A Soul Care Check-in Workbook for you.

If you need more guidance or support, feel free to download the Soul Care Check-in I’ve created for you. It’s a simple resource with space for journaling, prayer, and reflection that can be incorporated on a weekly or monthly basis.

Recent Articles and Guest Podcast Episodes

• Spiritual Disciplines in the Bible: Train Yourself Like an Athlete

  The Cambridge English Dictionary defines discipline as “the ability to make yourself do something, even if it is difficult, so that you can achieve a goal.”

  Training is never easy… Driver’s training. Potty training. Spiritual training.

  Why pursue the disciplines of faith if they prove difficult? Why deny oneself the short-lived pleasure of unholy desires?

  Because Christ’s sacrifice, the sure exchange of our sins for His grace, transforms our hearts in such a way that we yearn to spend time in His presence. To become more like Him. To pursue a life that reflects the inner change gifted to us through salvation. (Discover more about spiritual disciplines at Equipping Godly Women.)

• 30+ Bible Verses for Stress-Find Comfort When You’re Overwhelmed or Anxious

  Tears trekked down the boy’s cheeks as he shared about his homelife. The threats to personal safety. My heart shattered as I gazed into grown-up eyes in a child’s face.

  Within hours, a migraine beat against my temples. Whispering a prayer for my student, I embraced the invitation of Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Read the full article on Crosswalk.com.)

• If you can’t see beyond the current struggle of your situation, be sure to hop over to Dr. Michelle Bengston’s podcast, Your Hope Filled Perspective.

  

Peace and grace,

Tammy

P.S. If you like resources like the Soul Care Check-in, or you’d prefer something else please let me know. I want to support you!