Hosanna is known for her spoken word poetry and the book is based on a popular video of her spoken word poem called "I Have A New Name."

You can watch the video here:

The video is clearly about the power of identity that comes from the gospel. Hosanna passionately shows the new names that God calls us and where they come from.

Throughout the book Hosanna shares on specific parts of our identity that we receive from God. In the beginning, it felt like a lot of this wasn't new information to me but I think that is a good thing. A lot of the first section is reminders of who we are as children of God and how we can receive that identity. Even if you're familiar with what God has to say about you and feel like you're walking in that identity, it's an appreciated reminder.

I always say I need to be reminded of the good news of the gospel daily and this book does that.

Later in the book, Hosanna walks through different rhythms to practice to fully experience the identity God has given you. These rhythms include scripture, prayer, rest and community.

My favorite part of the book is actually the practical resources it provides. Each chapter ends with a section to "process your thoughts" and with "practical tools." As I mentioned before, some of the information in this book might feel repetitive if you've been in the church for a while. But these sections are invaluable to meet God in your thoughts as you process your ideas for this season and look to the future through the practical tools.

I think this book could provide a great resource for any small group leaders looking for an identity focused conversation. I especially think it would be useful for young adults and teens.

You can order your copy here & there is a fun giveaway to enter here!

#YouAreMoreThanYouveBeenTold

When Jesus came and walked the earth His disciples were continually waiting on him to take radical action that would lead to overcoming the oppression they were facing by the romans. He did take radical action to overcome but his focus wasn’t on the roman empire. It was on the curse of sin over all of mankind and how to free anyone who would hear His message from that curse so they could share the good news, change the world forever, and spend eternity reconciled to God.

Many of Jesus’ teachings came in confusing parables and often were the exact opposite of what people at the time were expecting just as Jesus Himself was. One of His most confusing teachings comes in Matthew 5:43 where Jesus says, ""You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

1. Start with your own heart

The best way to begin praying for your enemies is to start with your own heart. In some cases you might consider someone who has recently wronged you an “enemy” or it might be someone who is an enemy by acting in ways that oppose God's kingdom. No matter what definition of enemy you’re thinking of, begin by looking inward and allowing the Holy Spirit to search your heart (Psalm 139:23).

Invite the Holy Spirit to help you to see the situation through His eyes–eyes of a jealous love that is after every heart, even the hearts that might appear to be hearts of "enemies." Notice how the Holy Spirit can provide compassion toward people who have wronged you, hurt you, or who are blatantly opposing God.

2. Pray for God to Reveal Himself to them

If the person or group of people you’re praying for are believers then you might be praying specifically for God to reveal Himself to them in a certain situation. If they are acting in a way that is displeasing to God ask God in prayer to reveal that to them. James 5:20 says, "Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

If they are not believers ask God to reveal Himself to them and pray for them as you would pray for unbelievers. You can find a full post on how to pray for unbelievers here. Focus on praying for spiritual eyes and ears to be opened, pray to God's kindness to lead to repentance, and pray against spiritual deception.

3. Focus on the true enemy

In our culture today there is a frequent “us” vs. “them” mentality. In the days of the disciples, it was even more contentious with varying religious and political beliefs that were continually at war with each other. The disciples made the mistake of seeing certain types of people as their enemy, likely prompting this teaching from Jesus on praying for our enemies. I think we often do the same thing today. We label a certain person, group, or way of thinking as the “enemy” we are praying for (or against.)

Jesus saw it differently. His perspective was on the long term kingdom building perspective of saving souls. Ours should be the same. When you take time to pray for your enemies remember who the true enemy is. There is one enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy and we are able to take authority over that enemy in prayer because Jesus gave it to us.

Jesus said, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19 NIV.)

Praying for your enemies isn’t just a nice thing to do. The amplified Bible in Matthew 5:45 says we pray for our enemies “so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven.” Praying for your enemies is a part of your witness as a believer. Whenever you pray for your enemies you are acting in the way the Father would and showing the world what a part of Him looks like as His kid.

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When you first become a Christian there is usually a natural desire that quickly follows to want to go and tell anyone and everyone about the goodness and power of God. It can be irresistible to want to share your story about how God has transformed your life with anyone who will listen.

Recently in pop culture a young celebrity who was struggling with depression, anxiety, and the pressure of life in the spotlight found a new life in Christ and was publicly baptized. After posting about his baptism and beginning to share about his love for God, he started one of his concerts by saying “I’m not going to preach…” and then went on to preach the good news of the gospel. The video is familiar to so many Christians with comments recognizing the feeling. He described it as living in a town in a drought and knowing he had finally found water. He wants everyone who is thirsty to come and get a drink.

Of course, this video also had tons of negative comments from fans who didn’t want this young man to follow God. “We lost him,” they’d say. I can only speculate what this young celebrity must be thinking when he scrolls through his comments from disapproving fans but I know that he likely prays before his concerts and prays for his fans.

As a Christian, we have the honor of partnering with God to share the good news of the gospel message with a world in need. But we cannot simply share the message and hope it transforms people. The power of God is essential in preparing hearts to hear and receive. Before sharing all about Jesus it’s essential that we pray for the people who do not know Him yet.

Pray for spiritual eyes and ears to be opened

Have you ever been around someone who knows the Bible incredibly well, knows all the arguments for and against it, and still continually rejects the message? I always have admired how many atheists know more about the Bible than some Christians do. What this reminds me is that coming into a relationship with God is not about not having enough access to information.

In our culture today we have access to almost too much information. If someone wants to find out answers to their questions about God they can easily go to google. To pray for someone who doesn’t believe in God it starts with a spiritual change in posture.

Some of us remember the moment when something changed for us when we heard about Jesus. There is something spiritual that has to happen before someone who has heard the same message hundreds of times can hear it in a new way again.

In the Bible, this is often referred to as spiritual blindness or deafness. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds." In our prayers for people who do not know God, this is a great place to start. Pray that God would open blind eyes and deaf ears to spiritually hear the truth. They likely have the truth being presented to them in some way or form–but they aren’t listening or seeing yet. Pray for it to happen!

God’s kindness leads to repentance

In the Bible we read that God’s kindness leads to repentance. In order to come into relationship with God we have to determine for ourselves that there is something wrong about our lives and existence without Him. To understand that, we have to be led to admit that we are in need of God.

In our world today it’s easy and encouraged to exist as though we do not need God. There is great opposition in our culture to the message of the Bible. Instead of surrender to God, dying to self, and embracing limitations, our culture encourages us to do things ourself, focus on our individual success and goals, and prove ourselves on our own.

But God is far too kind to let us embrace a life like that. Instead, His kindness leads us to repentance to see that there is something amiss with the world and something off in us until He comes to heal and restore. This is something only God’s kindness can do. When praying for unbelievers, pray they would be led to repentance by God’s kindness to them. Repentance is a major step in learning to depend on God and embrace His better way.

Pray against spiritual deception

If you read my book “How Much More?” you might remember a chapter about not just praying for things but also praying against things. There is a war going on all around us as believers all the time. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget this in our prayer lives and to focus only on what we are praying for. I think that’s missing a major piece of the picture. Answers to prayer were delayed in the Bible because of the spiritual battle going on–we can assume the same still happens today.

Looking back at 2 Corinthians 4:4 here is the full verse in the amplified version, "For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God." The "god of this world" is satan.

When praying for someone to believe in God it’s not enough to pray for them to recognize Jesus for who His is–Lord. We also have to be praying against any spiritual opposition they might be experiencing in their life. For people close to us, God might reveal a specific thing that is stopping someone from experiencing the goodness of a relationship with God. If so, pray against that specific spiritual opposition.

If you are not sure what to be praying against, praying against spiritual deception is a great place to start. Our enemy is known as the deceiver and he wants to tell others that his ways are better than God. This deception is powerful even for believers, imagine how it must feel when you don’t know the truth of who God is and the victory He already has.

Pray against deception in unbeliever’s lives so that they can clearly see the truth of who God is and how He loves us without any distractions or confusion.

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Many Christians remember their first prayer asking for God's forgiveness. This is taught in vacation Bible school and often a major step in a person's walk in faith as they "ask Jesus into their heart."

You likely remember your own first prayer where you made an admission of sin and asked for forgiveness from God so that you could come into right relationship with Him. After this, have you made praying for forgiveness a regular part of your faith journey?

Forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life and yet I don't think most of us pray for forgiveness enough. There is a profound promise in scripture about forgiveness: "if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9 NIV). Learn to pray for forgiveness and claim this promise!

Praying for forgiveness is relational

Praying for forgiveness takes on many forms. You might need to pray for God's strength to help you forgive someone in your life. You might need to receive God's view of you as you ask for forgiveness from Him. Or you might pray that God would help to reconcile a relationship and allow someone else to forgive you.

In any case, forgiveness is not something we do on our own. Even if you are hoping to forgive yourself (a very popular phrase in culture today) you cannot do this without a relationship with God. To forgive yourself, you have to admit that you have made a mistake, admit your own humanity and ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you. Only God can give you the vision for yourself and others that will allow you to walk in true forgiveness.

In prayer, start by viewing praying for forgiveness as a relational conversation. It's not just about you or for you - think through the relationships that are necessary for forgiveness to transform your life.

Praying for forgiveness requires awareness

As I mentioned before, I don't think many of us pray for forgiveness enough. One reason for this might be because we aren't aware of the need for it. If you aren't sure where to start when praying for forgiveness, start by asking God to give you a repentant heart.

Psalm 51:17 says, "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."

Begin your prayer of forgiveness by inviting the Holy Spirit to search your heart for areas where you need to forgive yourself or others in your life. Then transition to praying for forgiveness with an increased awareness of what is going on in your own heart.

Praying for forgiveness is ongoing

When we ask for forgiveness from God, He freely gives it and He never runs out. But that doesn't mean that we can easily and instantly experience forgiveness in one simple prayer. Praying for forgiveness requires an ongoing relationship with God where we actively ask for forgiveness.

The Gospel Coalition explains it like this:

"As a judge, God no longer sees our sin, because his “righteous” verdict removes all condemnation (Rom. 8:1). But as a Father, he’s quite aware of our remaining sin, and he wants us to be aware of it, too, so that we can fight it, kill it, and ask him to forgive it. But we must realize that God sees our sins as a loving Father, not as angry critic. That’s how the Lord’s Prayer begins: not “Our Judge,” but “Our Father” (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2). We pray this petition from inside the family of God, not from the outside trying to get back in."

God doesn't want you to be continually praying for forgiveness because you're worried about your salvation or feel intense guilt or shame. Instead, He lovingly wants to make us aware of ways that our relationships are at risk of not reaching His best for us by harboring unforgiveness or living with unconfessed sin.

When you pray for forgiveness in your life, go to God knowing His love for you is infinite and make a confession asking for His forgiveness knowing that because we are people who will never reach perfection, we'll have to do it again.

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The first time I was in the room when someone experienced healing from God I was completely amazed. In my experience at the church I had been attending I hadn't heard these kinds of prayers yet. When someone was praying for healing I usually heard phrases that invited God's peace over the situation no matter the outcome - a great thing to pray for.

But I remember feeling a deeper sense of faith in this person's prayer as they reached out their hand to touch someone in need of healing. There was a declaration of God as healer, there was an invitation for God to heal, there was a powerful, often repeated statement "in Jesus' name!" and then, there was healing.

Since then I have both seen and experienced healing as a Christian and I believe this is the rule in God's Kingdom, not the exception.

1. Don't overthink it - it's who God is

If praying for healing feels uncomfortable or awkward to you, start by looking to the character of God. I've heard many Christians ask the question, "but what if it's not God's will?" This can feel like a very legitimate question. If you're caught up in the theology of healing, begin with God's character.

One of God's names is "Jehovah Rapha" or "the God who heals." God's name tells us that it is part of His character to heal. Throughout the Bible we see God's healing power on display and we can trust that His character gives us plenty of space to pray for healing.

Instead of focusing too much on the specific words you pray, on if you pray in person while laying hands on someone or if you're praying over a voice message over text or praying quietly alone without anyone watching (all of which are ways I've seen people experience God's healing power!) focus on who God is.

Ask Him to help you know Him and believe Him to be "the God who heals" and pray from this heart posture.

2. Pray Scripture

Whenever you're in a situation when you don't know how or what to pray my advice will always be the same: go find it in the Bible and pray scripture. God's Word is incredibly powerful and when we don't have the words to pray, He does.

Here are some specific examples of verses that might apply to pray for different healing situations needed:

For physical sickness: "The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness"(Psalm 41:3 NIV.)

For mental illness: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NIV.)

For spiritual healing: "He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake" (Psalm 23:3 NIV.)

For emotional healing: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3 NIV.)

These are just a few examples of verses that can be prayed for healing. You can also look for specific stories in the Bible on healing and pray from those verses.

3. Pray in Jesus' name

Sometimes it can feel like when people speak the name of Jesus in the context of praying for healing that it is thought of as a magic word. When you are praying for healing it's important to pray with Jesus' name not because we think the word has some mystical power to it but because of the power behind Jesus' name.

Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

We pray with the power of Jesus' name when we pray for healing because by doing so we are declaring the power of the cross over any physical, mental, spiritual or emotional healing need. The cross accomplished salvation but it also involved Jesus conquering death with His resurrected life. This gives believers today access to the Holy Spirit and the healing power of God.

If you or someone in your life needs healing, start praying for healing today by not overthinking it, praying scripture, and praying in Jesus' name.

I can't wait to hear all of the testimonies of knowing God as "the God who heals" that come out of your prayers!

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Some of the most impactful voices in my life have come from people who are older, wiser and have taken the time to invest in me. At my small Christian college in rural area these relationships were abundant and easy to find. I was continually meeting for coffee on campus with people who were willing to chat with me or signing myself up for time to meet with a professor in their office to learn from them.

Post grad life comes with many transitions and one I wasn't prepared for was the lack of voices of authority and wisdom in my life. I assumed those voices could be found in the local church and went searching for them. But in big, busy churches like most in Nashville I found the people who I wanted to learn from were rushing out the door after church services to buckle kids into carseats and rush off to an afternoon soccer game.

Forget about a traditional mentorship model

My expectations for mentorship came from what I think most evangelical Christians picture when they hear "mentor." I imagined that we would meet regularly for coffee, maybe dive into the content of a book together, and this person would simply generously give their time to me to invest in a younger generation.

Some people have the capacity and eagerness to do this, but it's not common. My husband spent time with a pastor off campus when we were in college and he encouraged my husband to pick up a different version of mentorship. Go where they go, do what they do. Sound familiar? It should because this is how Jesus led the disciples. They were called to follow Him and they did. They watched what He did and learned from Him as He went about His life and mission.

"They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled" (Mark 14:32).

For us, it looks a little different today. The first step to finding a good mentor is dropping the expectations of weekly formal coffee dates and being willing to go over to someone's house and help fold laundry, or show up to that kid's afternoon soccer game and cheer them on alongside their parents.

Ask God to focus your attention on one thing

Another part of mentorship that can be challenging for those of us looking for mentors (by the way, you don't have to be young to need a mentor, I want to be mentored for my entire life!) is that we might have the expectation to ask someone to be everything instead of one thing.

It's a lot harder to find someone to mentor you if you're looking for someone who is a leader in the same business, has a marriage that inspires you, has multiple kids like you, volunteers regularly at the same church that you go to, and lives in your local community.

It's a lot easier to focus on one thing that you admire in someone and that God wants to grow in you and to look for someone to learn that one thing from. Maybe, there's someone at your church whose prayer life inspires you. Other than that, maybe you have nothing else in common. But it could it be possible to enter into a season of mentorship just to learn that one thing?

Ask but don't make it weird

When looking for a mentor it's super easy to make it all about you. I talk/write about this so much in my industry because this is the biggest mistake aspiring authors make--they make it all about their story instead of about a readers story. In writing, this doesn't do anyone any favors and in life it doesn't make a lot of sense to always be thinking about yourself.

With mentorship, when we think about our needs and wants, it doesn't seem super enticing for a mentor to jump in and help. Most people aren't going to be wooed into mentorship. In the Bible, mentors went out and chose their people to follow them. I wish there were more people willing to do this in our society today but since it's a bit foreign and counter-cultural to us, I do encourage people to ask to be mentored.

However, if you make it weird you'll likely get a no. Since most mentors also hold the view mentioned in point one of traditional mentorship many of them will think they can't commit to a regular timeframe to meet up for coffee and that the commitment isn't for them. Also, if you consider your "audience" or your potential mentor they might be intimidated by that formal language. Who, me, a mentor? No way!

Instead, treat finding a mentor like making a new friend. Instead of asking for a weird formal commitment that makes everyone think about signing a contract, just ask to spend time with a mentor like you would invite a friend to hang out. If they mention something they're doing or love to do or a need, jump on that opportunity!

Be willing to go where they already are and soon you'll have sneakily secured yourself a mentor without any formal conversations needed.

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Once the Easter Sunday church service is over, your Easter table is empty, and the leftovers are in the fridge and you are ready to return to a normal Monday morning, what is different?

Every year Christians repeat and celebrate the message that Jesus has risen on Easter Sunday. Easter gives us the opportunity to rejoice in the beautiful gospel story, to share the power of our faith and to testify of all that God has done for us.

Instead of letting Easter come and go like any other holiday, it can also be an opportunity to reflect on how we can live differently because of the resurrection every day. These are just a few ways that your life can and should look different because of the power of Jesus' resurrection.

Forgiving & forgiveness

One way the Christian message is earth shattering and different from any other religious view is because God came to us as Jesus and died for our sins. All other "gods" and religious stories require that humans make their way to God. Jesus reversed this on Easter by making His way to us and giving us a clear path to God.

Now followers of Jesus are left with the responsibility to forgive because we have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13). The power of forgiveness freely offered to us in Jesus has been given to us and allows us to live and walk in forgiveness ourselves while also forgiving others because of this identity shift God gave us.

Living with boldness & security

A daily Christian life should be marked by boldness and security in God. We see this in the gospels as the disciples boldly proclaimed the gospel message and went into dangerous places to share the good news because of the confidence they had in their futures with Christ. The security they had didn't come from anything in the world, it came from the power of the resurrection.

This is true for us today, although it might feel a bit more distant to us. Let Easter be a reminder of where your security is. With security in the truth of the gospel and the power of the resurrection, maybe God is calling you to live a life marked by boldness? Consider what this would look like for you today.

Relying on the Power of the Cross

The power of the cross can feel like a cliche phrase in the Christian world if you've heard it enough. Jesus died and rose again to conquer death, darkness and sin. He gave us access to this same power once and for all on that day.

However, it can be easy to become discouraged or disillusioned in the world.

There is evident sin in our culture today and in our personal lives it can feel like certain sins are harder to talk about or impossible to overcome. This is simply a lie.

A follower of Jesus today can look to the power of the cross and rely fully on Jesus' power to overcome any sin or darkness in today's world because Jesus already made a way.

No fear of evil

As we watched our newsfeeds and TV screens anxiously when the pandemic swept across the world it felt like new levels of fear had entered into the world. Many Christians responded with fear and anxiousness alongside the rest of the world as an unknown threat presented itself to the world. Since then, I keep noticing that there's always something else.

We are invited into fear every moment of every day. But we know that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) With a Kingdom perspective and knowledge of the resurrection, we don't have to fear any evil.

We have a sure confidence that God is on the throne and that what He has promised will always come to pass. The resurrection victory has been and always will be ours.

A hopeful worldview

The resurrection gives us a clear vision for where our hope comes from. In a world that often feels dark, gloomy and destructive we know that there is a loving God who is in control.

There is no one who is beyond saving. Everyone is invited to experience eternal life with God. And no matter how lost we might feel, how dire the circumstances seem or how intense a season of suffering gets, we already see how the entire story unfolds and know what is to come.

Because of this, we should be the most hopeful people to walk the earth--always encouraging, building each other up, and eager to share this hope with the world.

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"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:6

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Romans 8:11

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." John 12:46

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

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Abigail Kaderli is a native Oklahoman currently living in the Tulsa area. She cares deeply about the power of words to speak life, declare truth, and capture what it means to be human. She is passionate about the health of the local church and the spiritual formation of the next generation of young women. Abigail recently married the love of her life and proudly comes alongside his ministry of Gospel-centered residential childcare.

To connect with Abigail, shoot her an email directly at abigailkent25@gmail.com (She would love to hear from you!)

Every Easter season for over a decade, my family and I set aside time to walk through our church’s Good Friday experience. Each Good Friday, the church set up “stations of the cross” to commemorate the significance of Passion Week, allowing participants to better understand and connect to the events that transpired as Jesus drew near his time of death and resurrection. A traditional Passover meal to represent the Last Supper. A pile of 30 silver coins represented Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. A hammer and several six-inch nails represented the tools used in the crucifixion. An ongoing burning of frankincense and myrrh represented the incense used in burial rituals. The station of the Good Friday experience that moved me most deeply every year was the replication of the Holy of Holies, the innermost area of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem where the very presence of God Almighty dwelt among his people. The station’s simple setup included gentle, diffused lighting and long, translucent fabric. A richly colored, thick curtain ripped down the middle hung at the station’s entrance for people to pass through.

Why did this station belong in the experience alongside the others more readily associated with Passion Week?

We only begin to grasp the importance of the Holy of Holies in the Easter story by looking to the covenant God established with the people of Israel in the Old Testament. God gave His people precise instructions on constructing the Temple and approaching the Holy of Holies to honor His glorious presence properly and to protect sinful people from their perfect God. According to the instructions, the High Priest was the only person authorized to enter the Holy of Holies after extensive purifying rituals. He could only do so once a year at Passover to make sacrifices that would atone for the sins of the people of Israel and reestablish their right standing before God (Exodus 26:33; Leviticus 16:16). A massive curtain - 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and one inch thick - separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple and shielded worshipers from the inestimably powerful presence of their holy God.

How does this fit into the storyline of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday?

Matthew 27:50-51 records that at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross, he “cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, died around the same time the temple priests prepared the traditional Passover sacrifices. And the physical world felt the powerful impact of the ongoing, eternity-altering spiritual events.

At the moment of Christ’s death, the representative division between God Almighty and His people was ripped in half, revealing the most intimate of God’s presence without hindrance or barrier. The manner in which the curtain was torn - from top to bottom at the height of 60 feet and clean through the one-inch width - was, itself, miraculous. It served as a profoundly symbolic message from heaven that Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and complete to pay for the world’s sins. The old covenant instructions only foreshadowed the redemption that was gloriously accomplished on the cross and represented in the tearing of the Temple veil. Through the Old Testament’s priestly service, one man - once a year - approached the very presence of God through rituals and sacrifices. Through the Easter story, one Son of Man - once for all time - offers His people unconditional access to our God on the merits of His own righteous life, sacrificial death, and resurrection victory (Hebrews 4:14-16).

For those who have not yet been reconciled to God, the way is open and welcoming for you to come by grace through faith. For those already hidden in Christ, He never-ceasingly serves as our Advocate and Great High Priest. In Christ, we are both saved from the power and penalty of sin and saved into restored communion with our Creator. And this communion no longer takes place in a singular physical location like the Temple of ancient Jerusalem, but in the innermost parts of our very selves and is seen clearly through the gathering of His Church.

We have the very Spirit of God actively dwelling in us and bearing testimony to our new identity (Romans 8:9). We have peace with God and approach Him with confidence (Romans 5:10; Hebrews 10:19-20). We have hope for our eternal future (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We have the joy of daily renewal that frees and transforms us to delight in the glory of God all the more (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

Stepping through the torn curtain of the Holy of Holies replication on Good Friday was always a moment of great clarity.

It served as a humbling reminder of the weight of my sin, the immense perfection of God’s justice, and the cost of my salvation. Yet, it was also a source of hope and comfort amid the horror, betrayal, and sorrow of Passion Week. Christ’s sacrificial death is enough. It is finished. Our victory is secured.

The Gospel we proclaim is earth-moving, veil-tearing, eternity-changing good news of our God, who will stop at nothing to claim His people for Himself. Doesn’t that make the utter joy of Resurrection Sunday all the richer? May our awe of the Easter story bring us to our knees in adoration all year round. May we behold God’s glory with delight and allow it to transform the desires and purposes of our hearts. May He keep us steadfast until we behold our Savior face-to-face without any obstacle, fear, or hindrance of sin and join heaven’s song of worship for time without end.

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We love our little yellow house in Franklin, TN. Our sweet pup always brings smiles to our faces even when she's bringing mud in the house from the backyard. We both feel so fulfilled in our careers. The things we talked about and dreamt about as college kids when we met all seem to be happening, so naturally, we started talking about one other thing that we used to talk about as something that we'd do "someday."

A few weeks later, I was waking up on a Sunday morning saying, "what's that awful smell?" before rushing to the toilet to vomit, walk outside the bathroom like nothing happened, turn down my normal cup of coffee, and look at my husband saying, "So, pancakes?"

In all our conversations leading up to pregnancy I was convinced I was ready. Or at least, as ready as I would ever be. It felt like the perfect time to make the leap. I also knew these things could take time, so why not start? In any case, I'd have nine months to prepare myself. I thought often of moms who had told me, "God gives us nine months for a reason!"

That caught me off guard. I was counting on my nine months of prep time. I had prayed and believed for a baby as so many women have without realizing that I would feel a shift in my identity...instantly.

I had been living from this illusion of control. I run my own business so I create my own schedule. I had lined up the “perfect” amount of work for the first quarter of the year, had my list of new year’s goals in hand, and as soon I as I got pregnant I envisioned myself prioritizing hitting the gym, hydrating, easily keeping the secret, and being one of those pregnant women who seems like a superhero because she’s doing so MUCH. Basically, my mindset was, “I’ve totally got this!”

A few weeks in, I was wearing dirty sweatpants with greasy hair, covered in pregnancy acne (so fun!), and found myself waking up in the morning to immediately grab for my saltines praying in my head, please God, can I just keep these crackers down today?

The next thing any first time mom does is go for the research. I was rarely leaving my bed so I would scroll and read about all the things you simply must do for the babies health and yours. I felt betrayed by my body when it simply said, “no way!” to taking a prenatal vitamin. The sense of control I thought I had disappeared.

I don’t think it has to take having a little human bouncing around inside of you for you to have an increased sense of desperation for God.

I learned to embrace pregnancy as something completely outside of control. For me, pregnancy seems to be the perfect image for what it’s like to live a life of faith. There are people who do everything “right” while pregnant and still experience suffering. There are people who do everything “wrong” and pop out healthy, happy babies a few months later.

We all have some illusion of control in our lives. We can pretend “we’ve totally got this” and prove it by serving in a position in church, checking off our favorite “good Christian” boxes or by surrounding ourselves with wise friends for endless hours of advice giving.

My need for God became apparent quickly in pregnancy. I couldn’t stand the smell of our entire kitchen so I relied on my husband for food. Before sharing the news, our social circle shrunk as we turned down dinner invites and postponed events. I couldn’t help but take naps in the middle of the day even with a to-do list piling up. In all the ways I used to pick up my false sense of control I had to lay it down and simply say, “I need you God. I trust you in this.”

I had to ask for forgiveness from friends I let down, let go of freelance projects I couldn't keep up with, apologize repeatedly to my ever-helpful husband and finally...admit that being a limited human is actually a beautiful thing.

There is a popular passage in Matthew (Matthew 9:18-26) where two different people with two different stories and two different needs are searching for Jesus. One, a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years, another, a leader who doesn't want his daughter to die, both go looking for Jesus.

The woman touches his robe and receives her healing instantly as Jesus turns to look at her and call her "daughter." Then he returns to the leader's home, where mourners are already singing but Jesus touches this girl's hand and invites her to get up, raising her from the dead.

Lately, I'm left wondering if what we find in our relationship with God is what we go looking for. That woman and ruler decided Jesus was a healer because of what they had heard and what they believed. When they were in need of healing, they went looking for what they knew they could rely on Him to provide.

How often do I DIY my faith and try to simply stand in the gap for God instead of going to Him first? How often do I hang onto other solutions, trying to find some sense of control, before I admit that I’m in desperate need of God and actually go out searching for Him?

My pregnancy helped me realize quickly with humility that I don't just need God. I want God. I want to be proactively looking for God for all of my needs, my limitations, and my longings.

Let's live from a desperate kind of faith that commits to looking for Him just to touch the hem of His garment and a confident faith that believes Him when He looks at something dead and calls it back to life. Relying on the true authority of God in our lives is more trustworthy and secure than attempting to rely on ourselves.

P.S. A special thanks to Rachel Breaky & One Twenty Nine Photography for all the gorgeous photos!

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I'm so thrilled to pass the mic to Sarah Irene for this week's newsletter. Sarah Irene is a Michigan native who moved to Nashville, TN in the summer of 2021. Sarah is passionate about seeing her generation (shout out to the 1998 zellenial kids) and the next generation step fully into what the Lord has before them.

She does this through writing relatable posts, supporting teen mommas with community initiatives, keeping it real on social media, training youth volunteers in discipleship, and speaking as much life as possible into the girls in front of her.

You can find her blog full of life giving words to give you a pep talk on the journey here.

On a personal note, Sarah is the real deal. I meet a ton of people aspiring to make an impact and Sarah isn't just aspiring to do it - she got her hands dirty as soon as she moved here and got busy being the hands and feet of Jesus. When I look for guest bloggers I don't look for big instagram followings or the most professional bios, I look for a purity in heart and an anointing and Sarah has both.

I haven't been able to personally be in the room for the Asbury revival but Sarah went there and brought it to us. This weekend, my husband and I went to see "The Jesus Revolution" and after the movie people were laying hands on one another praying and one woman stood up to prophesy over the room. Revival is happening in our churches, on our college campuses, and even in our movie theaters. (:

Psalm 22:3 "Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel."

There are many people commenting on what is going on at Asbury this week and for good reason. People are commenting on why they went, why they are choosing not to go, and whether they believe it is a true revival. I almost feel like I am writing these thoughts more as a reminder of what I encountered in my hours there, than much else. If anything I am writing this to protect the narrative of what I encountered. This is not a history of the revivals at Asbury. This is not a history of what has been going on this week.

I texted Danny late Sunday night that I wanted to go to Asbury. He didn’t respond to that particular text the next morning so I figured he didn’t want to go. At about 4:55 pm Monday evening, I was wrapping up work and I got a text saying that he would be down to leave in 30 minutes. This was the most spontaneous, adventurous text I have gotten from this man…maybe ever.

I love a good spontaneous adventure but I am SIGNIFICANTLY more cautious than DK and I had some questions. Here are some of the things we asked before we packed up and left-

• What are our expectations about going?

• What do we sense the Lord saying?

• Will we be observers, participants, or both?

• What time will we actually get back to Nashville?

The deciding factor for us was that we want to be the kind of people that take God at His word. To catch what He is doing sometimes takes a jump. We decided it was less about the “experience” and more about catching more of His heart. So I filled a water bottle, threw my journal and Bible in a backpack with a pair of sweats that I never would end up changing into and we hit the road to Wilmore Kentucky.

When we got there at about 11 pm, there were people everywhere. People outside on the steps of the chapel, college students starting to walk home, people entering the building, people standing in the foyer, on the sides of the sanctuary and of course people in the rows of seats.

We both noticed lots of chatter- some singing, some talking, some reading scripture out loud. Danny ended up pulling out his Bible and reading through the book of Mark. By the time we left at 2 am, he had read the entire book, specifically notating places in Mark where the word “immediately” was used as well as places of healing, demonic deliverance, and prayer exploding in tongues.

I sat a little and then started to enjoy the swells of worship that were led by students rising up to encounter the Lord. It very much reminded me of all-night worship nights that we held in college. There was a young woman that kept catching my eye and I felt the Holy Spirit’s permission to ask if she needed prayer. As I knelt down next to her she told me that she was a high school dropout from one of the small neighboring towns. She told me that she needed prayer against her pride and that there were some things that the Lord was highlighting to her specifically that she was really prideful in. She did not share with me what those items were but as we were praying I felt the Lord download to me a picture of how He sees pride in a new way.

I notice that often preachers and even just those in my regular community, come at pride like they are entering a cage fight, and in some cases that might be totally warranted, but I did not sense that was the heart of God over this young woman. Instead, I saw in the spirit just how saddened the heart of God was that pride had separated her from greater intimacy with Him. We prayed for deeper surrender, a heart of flesh, and that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit would remind her of just how much a gentleman He is. We prayed that as she lets pride fall, that in humility she would see just how much the Father has been longing to be near his daughter.

This time of prayer with this young woman really marked me.

This young woman was sitting in a chapel where revival was breaking loose all around her and she wanted to participate more fully. And yet… there was her pride sitting in the way. How absolutely kind of the Lord to reveal His heart of indwelling love that moves us away from pride and into the abiding presence of God. This has been a wild reminder to me that for all of time, the Lord has wanted to be near His creation and has constantly made ways to do so.

Another thing that was easy to notice being in the room into the early morning hours was that the worship was pure. Set lists, lights, pro presenter lyrics, and slides, any sort of theatrical addition was thrown out the window. While we were there a pianist and between 1-3 vocalists took turns singing out praises to God. It was beautiful to see people praising for the sake of praising and not from a manufactured emotional moment.

I attended a Free Methodist college and experienced a wealth of Wesleyan teachings when I was first introduced to theology. I have learned over the years that the contemplative ways of connecting to the Lord are more often than not, the most effective way for me to spend time communing with God. I no longer attend a church that incorporates primarily contemplative forms of worship, but a much more charismatic style. I love that my church invites the Holy Spirit in power while also staying rooted in the word. It can be difficult to find both.

In full transparency, I often feel left behind on matters of fiery Holy Spirit encounters because of the ways I most effectively relate to the Lord. It’s been a journey of holding space to run after both. Attending this time at Asbury felt like going home in a sense, back to my roots of not focusing on anything but clearing my mind to fix it on Jesus. It was intimate in a way I haven’t felt in a while, likely because I wasn’t trying to conjure up some feeling, or trying so hard to hear the Lord but to just be with Him in a room that felt like Heaven.

I will go first in saying that often being a newer member of a charismatic congregation can feel like learning a new language in front of native speakers or learning how to go for a jog next to an Olympic sprinter. It can be incredibly new, exciting, terrifying, and confusing all at once. There have been times in attending a church in this new denomination where I have wondered if I am even worshiping the same God because the way He is spoken about just seems so different. I know now that He is the same God yesterday, today and forever, I am just learning new sides to His character in a deeper way.

Attending Asbury last night helped me come back to the heart of the Father in a way that I have been missing- not having to prove anything to anyone, not being watched, looked at, or judged but just sitting in the presence of my Maker.

I might be feeling slightly protective of this school and against those who try to fit revival into manufactured formulas. Maybe I don’t have a right to be. I think it boils down to a desire to see pure moves of God like this stay unadulterated and the glory of the Lord to remain the most important thing.

We know that the word “revival” holds reverence. Let us also know that the Lord is mighty and for us to believe that we could fit every move of God into quantitative earthly words would be foolish. Let us believe that revival starts in each of us.

Let us be people who celebrate moves of God even when that might be across the country… and especially when we wish it was in our own city. Let us celebrate that in a generation where 48% have no affiliation to the God of the Bible, their eyes are paying attention to something taking shape on other campuses across the nation. Let us be humble enough to learn their hunger and thirst. Let this be a tangible reminder that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. Let us not be quick to wonder why it isn’t happening for us, but be quick to praise that “on Earth as it is in Heaven” was a reality this week for this school regardless of how this move of God looks in comparison to revivals of days past.

P.S. If Sarah's words blessed you check her blog out & give her a follow on IG. (:

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Whether you're incredibly clear on what you hope and dream for your life or you're stuck in confusion, we've all had those moments where confusion is brought on by someone else's opinion.

This inspired "Watching from a Window" Chapter 12 of my book "How Much More?"

Watching from a Window

If you’re like me, you might find yourself trying to want what other people want for you. It’s easy to want your path to look like someone else’s, but the reality is, it never was and it never will be.

Trying to do what other people want for you will only confuse you. You can’t try to become what God wants for someone else, and God won’t give away what He has for you to someone else.

I spent a lot of time trying to want what other people wanted for me. It only became confusing and discouraging, and God doesn’t want either of those things for us. Confusion and distractions can pull you away from God and away from His plan for you.

To stay focused on God and what He specifically wants to give you, you have to have an increased awareness of how you’re uniquely wired. This means spending less time and energy on what other people might want for you and more time in an intimate space with God, allowing Him to speak into your life.

If you’re wondering if this is something you’re struggling with, just consider how often you think about other people and what they think of you. When you’re making a decision, how much weight do you give to outside opinions or expectations? Are you focused on honoring and glorifying God, or are you wondering if you will disappoint someone or if you will make someone else uncomfortable?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...

You're going to disappoint people.

It might not be intentional, but someone might give you advice and tell you what they want for you. Maybe they really hope you’ll consider grad school. Maybe they think your career choice should be different. Maybe they have some insights to offer on your dating life.

Good, godly wisdom is always welcome, but at times, you might have to choose obedience to God and what He wants for your life over what other people want for you or even what you want for yourself.

Right after I got married, I had some people who told me that it was my chance to explore and travel the world and I would never get another shot unless I took it now. Others were happy to share their conviction that I would get to travel later, so I should settle into being a wife and embrace a more traditionally feminine role in my marriage.

It wasn’t really important for me to choose one or the other. It was really important for me to lean into God, to see how He uniquely made me, and to allow Him to direct my life.

God has given you unique desires, and a unique calling, and a unique path to accomplish His purposes for you. It isn’t going to look exactly like anyone else’s, and that’s a good thing. He made you different.

You have gifts and talents, a unique personality, and dreams for your life. You are going to want things that are different from what other people want. God made us all different, wanting different things because He has different roles for each of us in the Kingdom. It’s not a one-size- fits-all kind of thing.

I want to give you permission to want things in life, even if they are unexpected, scary, or different from what the people around you want for you. You might surprise people with what you want, and honestly, you might even surprise yourself. I hope you do because that’s a hint that it’s God who is stirring something new in you.

He created us before He even created the world. “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind” (Ephesians 1:4 MSG). Some of our hopes and desires have been around for a very long time, and He doesn’t want us to miss those either. Ephesians 2:10 in the New Living Translation says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

That dream you have had forever? It matters.

There will always be people who offer opinions and judgments while watching us from the sidelines. They aren’t even playing the game.

In the Bible, people were watching from the window.

As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. 1 Chronicles 15:29, NIV

This verse caught me off guard. Why does Michal despise David?

He’s joyful, he’s celebrating, and he’s worshiping God.

She’s watching, and she is judging what he’s doing.

Michal was offended and upset by David’s actions, but he was doing exactly what he should have been doing. The ark of the covenant was a physical representation of God’s presence in the Old Testament. David was in the presence of the Lord and He was celebrating.

Michal didn’t want David to be acting like he was, and she took offense and despised him for it. She stood by watching from the window as the presence of God entered the space.

If your dream or desire puts you in the presence of the Lord, don’t let the people watching from the window stop you from moving and rejoicing in it. People are always going to have anopinion about what we are doing and what we are pursuing, but God is the only One who really knows what is within our hearts and what is behind our actions.

I'm not saying you can do whatever you want. Don't believe the lie that you will always have good desires or let just any desire lead your life. Instead, take them all to the Father. Tell Him with open hands and a heart of surrender about what you want and ask Him about what He wants. Watch what He does.

Some of your desires are from Him, and He puts them on your heart because He has a specific plan for you and for your life. When you lean into that, you will feel the most like who God originally designed you to be. When you pursue those longings, when you act on what the Spirit is prompting you to do, you’ll end up in the presence of God—joyful and delighting in Him. And it’s okay if that makes someone else uncomfortable.

Let your desires come into alignment with God's desires for your life. Ask Him for those desires He had for you at the very beginning. Don't look at what other people want for you. Also, don’t immediately trust what you think you want for yourself.

Go to God every time, sit at His feet, and wait. Listen and let Him plant what He wants for you in you. Tell Him what you want and entrust that to Him. He is going to give you more than you could ever imagine. He’s just that good.

You might want some crazy and unexpected things. Some things will feel too soon or too late, and you will disappoint some people along the way when you take chances. Not everyone will understand what you’re doing, but they don’t need to.

Maybe Michal thought David looked foolish, but David was obedient to what God wanted. David wasn’t focused on what Michal wanted from him, and if he had been, he would have missed out on a moment of delighting in the Father and bringing glory to God.

When you’re obedient and willing to do what God wants for you, you’ll find yourself right in the center of the presence of God, dancing and celebrating, and you won’t notice if anyone is watching.

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There's a Christian influencer who posts these gorgeous videos on Christian morning routines and Christian habits. Everything she wears is new and trendy, the atmosphere is always perfectly bright and airy and the food and coffee she eats looks nothing like anything I've ever managed to make at home.

In the comment section I see so many comments where people are longing for their lives to look like hers with luxury lattes and matching work out sets. Many are asking if she has a job or if she has kids because they feel like they are just barely making it by and adding daily prayer walks to their to-do list sounds overwhelming instead of encouraging.

My goal is to share a list that feels attainable in every life stage and in every circumstance.

1. Spend consistent time in God's Word

To thrive in your faith spend consistent time in God's Word. In busy seasons this might be a short amount of time or a creative way of spending time in God's Word. It could be an audio version of the Bible on the way to work or keeping your Bible at your desk for lunch breaks. Whatever it takes to be in God's Word consistently, do this diligently and you'll reap the benefits of being spiritually fed by the bread of life.

2. Keep a Kingdom focus

Keeping a Kingdom focus is a habit that is an overflow of your consistent time in God's Word. As a Christian it's easy to get caught up in the worries of the world when we don't let God shift our focus. Let the perspective of heaven be the perspective you look on your life with as you stay fixated on what God has for you each day. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

3. Praying continually

We never find instructions in the Bible to pray before meals but we are reminded to pray continually, to pray about everything, and to have an active prayer life. You might not have a picture perfect prayer life that allows for an hour of intercession daily but again, get creative with your prayer life. Create an active prayer life by journaling your prayers, praying throughout your day, and praying alongside other daily activities like driving or cooking.

4. Doing life together

A fact of the process of sanctification in the Christian life is that you can't become more like Jesus in isolation. We need other people and creating a habit of gathering with other believers to encourage one another in your faith is so important. I think this goes beyond just attending your Sunday local church services which often only require the usual smalltalk. Get in a community of believers where you pray together, walk together, and ride the highs and lows of this life together.

5. Serve others

Something that is almost always missing from the Christian habits/routine videos online is this one. I've yet to see a Christian content creator find a way to work "dying to yourself" into a cute Instagram post or quick TikTok video. But again, your faith will flourish when you make yourself gentle and lowly as Jesus described Himself. Create a habit of serving others and you will thrive in your faith.

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Alongside reading God's Word, prayer is something we know we should be doing as Christians. But when your faith isn't on fire and you aren't coming off of a mountaintop experience with God, what do you pray for? Do you simply go through your day only to pause and bless your food or do you announce your laundry list to God each morning and hope for the best?

1. Prayers of Supplication

God is a giver of good gifts! He loves when we go to Him as our trusted Father and all powerful God and ask. Prayers of supplication are all about asking. For some, this might come naturally. For others, it might feel challenging and bring about many emotions as you think about asking God for something.

Jesus encourages us in the Bible to ask and to ask repeatedly. God is ready and available to respond to you. Ask Him to in prayer!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV).

2. Prayers of Thanksgiving

Giving thanks to God is the natural response to answered prayers. Prayers of thanksgiving are simply thanking God for the ways in which we have experienced His presence and favor in our lives. As you thank God you'll often notice more and more things you are grateful for and experience joy in the presence of a generous God.

3. Prayers of Adoration

The difference between adoration and thanksgiving is that

When we feel like we don't have much to be thankful for or aren't experiencing God in a certain way in our lives that we long to, we can turn to prayers of adoration that encourage us to focus on the truth of who God is. He is always the same, so even when we feel like we are in a season of lack, we can adore Him as our provider, and when we are in a season of sickness we can adore Him as our healer.

4. Prayers of Confession

This area of prayer is often overlooked in Christian payer lives mainly because it's not necessarily categorized as a "fun one."

However, I think this is one of the most rewarding ways to pray. If you have been a Christian for a long time, you might think you don't have any blatant sin in your life. But is it worth being right with God if you simply want to confess an unkind thought you had while scrolling social media or bypassing an opportunity to connect with someone for the sake of your own convenience.

Invite God to search your heart and make a regular practice of confessing to God and being fully open and honest before Him.

5. Prayers of Intercession

If you attend a small group you likely write out prayer requests from the people in your group. If you are a person of prayer, you likely offer to pray for people in your life regularly. But how often do you specifically set aside time to pray for those people?

Intercession goes far beyond just praying for people we know. Ask God to invite you into more opportunities to intercede with a kingdom focus. In one season of my life, I couldn't sleep well regularly. A friend asked me to ask God why and invite Him to call me to prayer if He was keeping me awake. The next night, when I couldn't sleep I asked God to direct me to who to pray for and found myself praying for a specific country with oppressed Christians.

If you're looking for more areas to intercede in pray for your government, leaders of your local schools and churches, your community, specific countries or areas of the world in crisis, for refugees, widows, orphans, and for the lost to find Jesus. There is truly no end to the options for intercession and imagine meeting someone in heaven from a part of the world you've never been to but getting to say, "I have been praying for you!"

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This week we are going to explore 5 ways to spend your time to thrive in your faith.

Our time on earth is limited, so as Mary Oliver writes, "what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?"

1. In the Word

This should be obvious! One of the best ways to grow as a Christian is to spend time in the Word of God. If you've been a Christian for many years, you likely have a Bible reading routine that works for you. This year, I challenge you to ask God to empower you to increase in this area. It might not be more time, but maybe it's more insight in the same amount of time. "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

2. In Prayer

Prayer doesn't have to be formal heads bowed and eyes closed moments. Prayer can and should be an ongoing conversation with God throughout your day.

Set up routines and habits for prayer and challenge yourself to spend more time in prayer this year. This could mean reaching out to an accountability partner, praying for a specific person each week, or setting a timer to pray for a certain amount of time.

Prayer is meant to connect us with God, and as you make space to connect with Him you'll see your faith thrive. "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).

3. In Relationships

Per the first post in this series we know that spending time with other people is important for spiritual growth. God has designed for our spiritual growth to happen in community. I am a bit of a homebody so I get wanting to stay home in your comfy PJs, but challenge yourself to say yes to invitations and to send more invitations. Surround yourself with relationships to help you grow and flourish this year and intentionally invest time in those relationships.

4. In Service

Service is such an important aspect of growing in our faith but often overlooked. God has been infinitely generous to us and we should eagerly respond in service. Look for opportunities to serve others this year. If you're able to commit to a service opportunity on a regular basis this can be incredibly helpful in creating a habit of serving regularly.

5. In Work

When my husband and I bought our fixer-upper I was so excited God had gifted us a place to steward. It became a clear picture to me of what it looks like to steward something (like a house) and to leave it better than you found it. For our house, that's been lots of DIY updates. For our faith lives, that means looking at what God has given you to do whether it's a desk job, a couple of kiddos to take care of, or a work of art to create. Spend your time faithfully working unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24)and you will grow in your faith.

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The popular advice continually given to Christians who are hungry to know more of God is that they should read their Bible. I'm a huge advocate for Bible reading but I think we can all relate to having a season where turning to God's word feels arduous or boring.

If that's you today, no worries!

1. Lectio Divina

If you've heard of lectio divina you might know that it translates to "divine reading." This practice can be done well in a group or individual setting. Generally, you begin reading a passage of scripture. It can be short or long, but I wouldn't reccomend too long of a passage because that can become distracting.

Read the passage again slowly, noticing this second time what jumps out at you. When you notice what the Holy Spirit has highlighted to you go back and mediate on that portion–it could be a phrase or even just a word.

Respond to what God is saying. Why has the Holy Spirit highlighted this to you? What might He be speaking to you?

Finally, rest in God's presence acknowledging His character.

2. Ignatious Method

This method of scripture reading is a more imaginative reading of scripture. Instead of simply reading a passage and reflecting on the passage, try to imagine yourself in the passage. This works especially well with narrative pieces of scripture.

Envision yourself alongside the people in the story, or imagine what certain people in the story might have been thinking or feeling. What was the setting like? Is there any research that could provide you with more clarity on what is happening in this passage?

3. Handcopying scripture

This one is as easy as it sounds and surprisingly effective. All you do is simple write a copy of the scripture down for yourself. Begin with a verse or a few, and continue to hand copying an entire chapter!

It has multiple benefits including increasing your ability to memorize scripture, allowing you to remember more of what you read, creating a tangible reminder of God's Word, and forcing you to slow down as you read and write the Bible out for yourself. You might notice something new about a familiar passage when you see it written by your own hand.

"Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Fasten them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart" (Proverbs 3:3).

4. Journaling scripture

This scripture reading practice can be challenging for people who aren't natural journal-ers, but it can be incredibly beneficial and can look many different ways. While you read, you might journal your thoughts and feelings. Maybe you write down a few questions about God. Can you find answers to them in the passage?

Maybe you simply write down a word or phrase as you read. Or, you might write down a circumstance or person's name who you are reminded to pray for as you read. Make a record for yourself of God's faithfulness in your own life as your document prayers and answered prayers.

5. Reading aloud

This is easily one of my favorite ways to read the Word of God. Reading the Word of God alone in my house aloud has become a normal practice for me. There is power in the name of Jesus and I'm eager to speak it! If you're struggling to focus reading God's Word, this is an easy way to create more focus on what is written. It's pretty difficult to focus on something other than what you are saying out loud. Read the Word aloud, and maybe it will sound like a fresh word from God even if it's a passage you've read over and over again.

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It's 2023 and we are jumping into a new series I'm calling your Christian life toolkit!

Whether you're a new believer or have been worshipping Jesus for many years, these toolkit themed posts will help you to evaluate if you are set up to thrive in your faith in the new year.

Today we are talking about people. The Bible is clear that we are meant to be surrounded by people and we are invited into community to walk with God.

1. A Mentor

If you are feeling overwhelmed in faith, life, family or another area a mentor is super important. I often hear people talk about how they cannot find a mentor. It doesn't have to be as formal as you might think. If your goals for the new year surround growing in your faith, find someone who has a prayer life or a worship practice you admire. They don't have to be an expert in the business you're trying to build if you're looking to learn how to pray.

Have a mentor who has been there done that in the area you want to focus on this year and you'll gain clarity and direction as you go. "I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another" (Romans 15:4 NIV).

2. A Peer

One of my favorite things about masterminds groups is that none of us are experts but we are all just on the journey together. Something incredible happens when you get in a room with people who are struggling with the same things you are. Find someone who can grow alongside you and encourage each other along the way.

Together, you'll face challenges and experience more of God's presence through your relationships. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

3. A Mentee

Before you tell me you aren't a leader or you're too young, let's look to the Bible. "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV).

No matter how old you are, God has taught you something valuable that someone else needs. Ask God to highlight who you could become a mentor to. I'm not a marriage expert by any means but with almost 5 years of marriage under my belt I find myself continually drawn to newly weds. I remember exactly what it felt like because it wasn't that long ago, but I also have some wisdom to share.

What is that are of your life for you? Who could God be leading you to? You'll also learn a lot yourself as you learn to teach, encourage, and articulate what God has brought you through.

4. A Pastor

When my husband and I moved to Nashville we felt like we visited almost every church in the entire city, and lots in the greater area surrounding the city. What felt almost impossible to admit to us for a long time was that what we were in search of was not a church, it was a pastor. No, not just someone who calls themself a pastor and uses the title but someone who truly pastors.

Often, people who are pastors don't have the title. Make sure you are under the authority of a pastoral figure in your life to spiritually thrive. In Nashville, we missed that and were continually on the hunt for it. As Christians, we are all under the authority of God and should also be under a pastor.

5. A Challenger

All these people so far sound great, right? This one is a little more tricky. But, if you want to truly thrive in your faith this year, find someone who is willing to challenge it. When Christians are feeling stagnant in their faith I find it's often because they only hang out with other Christians. There is no one to share your faith with because everyone you know already believes in the gospel, and you can suddenly go on autopilot, go through the motions, and start to forget what God said or why you believe it.

Make friends with people who don't believe in God or who are willing to ask hard questions of you. Jesus was often challenged (Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8). You'll thrive in your faith because you will need answers for yourself and your challenger.

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The final name we hear for Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 is "prince of peace." This verse is often used around Christmastime and you have probably heard about Jesus as the prince of peace on repeat this December.

But let's take a minute and look at how big of a deal this actually is. Kings, princes and rulers were not people of peace in Bible times. Actually, they were people who were meant to lead their people into battle and lead them to conquer and destroy other nations for the sake of their own.

By coming as the perfect sacrifice, Jesus is the one who established peace between us and God. Without Jesus, we would still be separate from God.

Instead, Jesus tore the veil and made a way for us to be with the Father forever. He gave us access to God, creating a path of peace and making Him the price of peace.

He also brought peace for us in relationships with each other. Without Jesus, our relationships are chaotic. We don't have the ability to love one another without experiencing God's love for us. Jesus introduces us to that love and peace, allowing peace to now reign in our person to person relationships.

He brought peace so that His peace could rule in our hearts, spirits and minds. Jesus says, "“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

When he leaves His disciples He tells them, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

When we celebrate Jesus, we are celebrating that we get to live in His peace with God, with each other, and within ourselves. He brought you this peace so that you can experience His peace always.

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So far we've been introduced to Jesus as "wonderful counselor" and "mighty God." Next up we learn He is called "everlasting Father." Immediately, you probably notice there are two main things that are brought up here–time and relationship.

Jesus is not just being introduced to us as a powerful authority with wisdom and a God for a time, but He is a God for forever. Second, He is being introduced to us as Father. This is an important shift in Jesus' names so far. The first two names had to do with who Jesus was as a king or ruler. Now we begin to learn how He rules, and the way He rules is relational.

Personally, I think this is where the truth of the gospel becomes incredibly compelling. There are many "gods" and religions that introduce us to a "god" with authority over man or some kind of wisdom. But Jesus longs to be in relationship with the people who He rules, He wants us to call Him Father, and to know Him as Father forever.

In His first two names we are to recognize that He is a God of authority, then we get personal and start to hear how He changes our identity with His identity–He is an everlasting Father, inviting you to be His kid, forever and ever.

The name of "everlasting Father" shows us that Jesus wants to point us to the reason He came: He wants to be your Father for eternity. As our eyes are directed to eternity in His name, we being to see that He desires to be a Father to us forever.

A God who is also Father will act as a Father; Fathers love, care, protect, provide, and desire the absolute best for their kids. Later, in Matthew 7:11 Jesus asks, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Focus on knowing God as your everlasting Father and meditate on how He desires to reign His kingdom through relationship.

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The first name we hear Jesus introduced as in Isaiah 9:6 is "wonderful counselor" and the second name, "mighty God," continues to establish Jesus as a King but it goes one step further.

Instead of introducing Jesus just as a king with authority, mighty God moves our introduction into Jesus with an understanding of His supernatural power.

When I was writing my book, "how much more?" I had a few comments from an editor asking me to not use the word "supernatural" as much. She encouraged me to find another word because to her it felt dated and unfamiliar in our culture today.

She was right.

"Mighty God" introduces us to the idea that Jesus is not just a human with authority and wisdom, but a God with authority and wisdom. And not just any god, but the one true God. This power is beyond human understanding, it's more than manifesting or hopeful anticipation but it's the power that allowed Jesus to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and call a dead man out of his grave.

Isaiah 11:2 tells us,

He is a God with wisdom, but also a God with power that is spiritual. In Hebrew, the word for "mighty God" is better translated to "Hero-God."

When we think of the superhero stories we know and love, we know that they always have special powers and abilities that make them different from the people in their world.

Jesus' name "mighty God" shows us He has heroic power that originates in His identity as God. Rely on this power that makes Jesus divine. In any circumstance you face this Christmas season, you can celebrate that a mighty God with power beyond our understanding has come and promised to come again.

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Have you heard about my book "how much more?" It's all about how God wants to hear about your hopes & dreams! Get your copy!