raising a blessing

One day, he’ll decide for himself what he believes. You could say that about him now, with his confident nature and unapologetic faith in who God is, but he’s still so young and he still comes to me with his doubts and questions. But one day, he won’t. One day, he will seek out those answers on his own. One day, he will be on a journey that is all his. And on that day, it won’t be the knowledge that I have shared with him or the beliefs that I hold deep in my own heart that securely anchors him to the Father. It will be the one-on-one relationship…

“For (Jesus) has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him. We come closer to God and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out!” (Hebrews 10:20,22 TPT) Sometimes one simple Bible verse can ground you solidly in His truths, given permission to…

It started off as a conversation about shame between my Heavenly Father and me. He pressed on my heart to give it over to Him and I resisted, arguing in a most stubborn fashion that I deserved to carry it. The conversation quickly transpired into a full-blown discussion about my identity and who I am in Him, but it unexpectedly evolved into a beautiful and life-changing challenge that He placed on my heart: To write a list, the list: Much like I asked my son to do for this art project, my Father asked me… Who are you? Make the list. Write the words. Leave nothing left unsaid. And here’s…

Okay, so warning… today’s “Two-Minute Thoughts on Faith” post is a bit out there. But it’s been lingering on my mind for days now, so I figured… why not? And bonus… if you’re of the Gen-X generation, particularly the latter end of that generation, you might even get a real kick out of this. So, let’s do it! I promise that if you hang with me for the end, it will be worth it! (Heads up: This post contains some colorful language.) If you were a teenager or young adult during the turn of the century, think around 2001, you likely remember the movie, Save the Last Dance. Now, although…

Ever get the sneaking suspicion that the protective armor that you choose to wear every day could be the very thing that is holding you back from your breakthrough or your victory? Absolutely no judgement here. I’m in the trenches with you, still learning to let God protect me in those places and spaces. But hang with me for a minute and let me share a story with you – It’s a familiar story. The story of David and Goliath. And here’s a king, King Saul. And this king decides that this young man, this boy, David, should be adequately protected if he is going to face such a fierce…

Over and over again, Jesus repeated the same words: The greatest commandment, the greatest instruction, the greatest lesson… was to love and love well. But how do we truly love well? It’s a question that I have been walking through with God a lot recently; a place and space where He has been calling me to grow. And here’s just one of the lessons that He has taught me… In Mark chapter 2 (TPT), we find the story of the paralyzed man lowered into a house where Jesus was speaking: “While Jesus was preaching the word of God, four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man. But when they realized that…