by David and Meg Robbins | Feb 8, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
If you’re like us, at some point in your life, you wish you could go back in time and have a re-do at something you completely flopped in with your spouse. There are several moments that hop into memory that make us say, “Wow, if only we’d known this before we got married”.
When we got engaged, we both took marriage seriously and invested in preparing, but marriage is an ongoing process. No matter how much we studied the map of marriage, we still had the journey ahead of us with so much to learn.
As we look back on the path we’ve walked so far, here are three things we wished we knew before we got married.
1) Mutually agreed-upon boundaries with family and friends.
In the early days of our marriage, Meg would sometimes go to her parents for comfort and guidance, instead of me. One thing that caught me off guard was the way I felt when Meg sought help or comfort from her parents before turning to me. It hit me in a way I hadn’t expected. It really hurt. I found myself questioning my role and importance in Meg’s life.
At first, I struggled with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. I wondered if I was failing in some way as her partner if she felt the need to seek help elsewhere. But as I got deeper into understanding her perspective, I came to see that it wasn’t about me lacking something, but rather about her seeking comfort in a way that felt most natural to her.
Meg wasn’t intentionally sidelining me; she was merely navigating our new dynamic as a married couple while going to the support structures that had always been there for her– I mean, her parents raised her.
After a few conversations on how those relationships need to change (at least a little) as your spouse becomes a higher priority, I realized that Meg’s actions weren’t meant to exclude or devalue me. She was simply leaning on the familiar support system she had always turned to. It was a natural instinct for her, rooted in years of trust and familiarity.
Today, we aim to be intentional about:
1. Setting aside time to talk, bringing a welcoming heart for conversation
2. Creating mutually agreed boundaries that we follow in Christ’s love.
Though we made a plan, we’ve found that setting boundaries can be tough. But the struggle to become unified in Jesus is so worth it. Trust us, God sees your effort to honor Him and each other.
3. Our marriage can change the world.
Before we got married, we don’t think we really thought that much on how our marriage could change the world. Honestly, we wish we reflected more on how God had drawn us together, understanding we would be a part of a design way bigger than ourselves.
Whether you’re single or married, your life matters in showing who God is to others today. Now, He’s painted every aspect of your life and your spouse’s life – your surroundings, relatable memories, passions, differences, sense of humor – to draw you together toward Him and serve and love people around you (check out Acts 17:26-27).
Knowing this deeply ahead of time that our marriage will have power for its mission as we learned to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit would have allowed us both to quickly pursue God for a specific direction. We would’ve been more curiously early on on how He’d like us to impact the world in our little corner of life as newlyweds and every season after.
Today, we embrace the truth that our marriage is more than just two people making each other happy. We’re not perfect at it, but when we both sense the opportunity and call to represent God, we outwardly share it with others we encounter whether we’re on a walk in our neighborhood, the stairwell at the office, or our kids sporting events.
One new way we’re excited to be impacting other couples for Christ is in sharing more of our story in FamilyLife’s new Art of Marriage small group study. We get pretty open there about our day to day and also give others couples a way to easily impact those around them.
To build a marriage according to His design, we cannot ignore its potential to spiritually impact the world inside and outside our home for showing others who God is.
3) Conversations about our past can bring us together in incredible ways.
Engagement is a critical time to continue learning each other’s backstories. And if you’re dreading that sentence, we did too.
It was intimidating for us to share the depths of our pasts. But truthfully, we wish we knew early on, that on the other side of Christ centered conversation, was love and safety – for the both of us. We talk about this more in our book Preparing For Marriage, but we can say each time we’ve allowed God to lead us in peeling layers we may prefer to hide, the more we get to experience the masterpiece of closeness that God designed for us to have in marriage.
With a trail of almost two decades of marriage behind us, we have found it’s essential to approach these conversations with grace and understanding. We both work at this today in any tough conversation, committing to active listening to foster an atmosphere of empathy and Christ’s love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), for better or worse.
Recognizing and addressing our past sins, hurts, and misconceptions about marriage lays a foundation for a healthy today and future together.
Here’s the thing
There’s honestly a good chunk of knowledge we wish we knew that isn’t general but more specific to each other and our marriage. We say that as encouragement – marriage is a journey not only with each other, but Jesus. There’s lots of learning ahead.
Truthfully we foresee a ton more learning to come for years ahead of our marriage – even after two decades. And even so, our marriage rests in the fact that if dependence on Jesus is the goal, every weakness of ours is an advantage. If you’re looking for a realistic plan for marriage, find an Art of Marriage small group near you. It’s a great place to join other couples pursuing the Lord with their togetherness, even in the middle of every weakness they carry.
Looking at the mural of marriage, we find God to be the ultimate artist, skillfully crafting each piece and detail of our journey together. As we navigate the intricacies of His ways, may we all continually lean on His divine craftsmanship, trusting in His guidance and wisdom to shape each of our marriages into a masterpiece of love, grace, and lasting significance.
David and Meg Robbins are passionate about helping people integrate faith and family and equipping them to make a difference in their local communities. David became the President of FamilyLife in 2017. The Robbins have served together in a variety of ministry roles through the years, working primarily with the rising generation in Western Europe, Atlanta, and New York City. David and Meg, married in 2001, currently live in Orlando, Florida, with their four children. They are contributors to FamilyLife’s new edition of the Art of Marriage™ study that is available nationwide. This new resource is designed to help couples explore new levels of intimacy, communication, and connection with their spouse.
by Laney Rene | Feb 6, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
One of the very first times I remember questioning my identity was when I was only five years old. My childhood best friend and I lived in the same neighborhood. We played every day together. And, of course, our families went to the same church. Around Christmastime, like many others, our church had a Christmas program planned, and they needed a little girl to play a role in the performance. I can still remember the way my heart hurt when I found out they didn’t choose me and had chosen my friend for the role. But the hurt I felt was not from them choosing my friend; the hurt was because all I could hear in that moment was that they didn’t choose me. True or not, at just five years old, I thought very clearly: The reason they must not have chosen me is because I’m chubby and not cute like her. While I don’t feel the same pain and hurt today, as a mom to my own little girl now, replaying that memory is still heartbreaking to me.
I can’t help but think about my daughter. I never want her to doubt her identity or her value, but because she’s human, I know she’ll ask that question throughout her life. My prayer now is not that she would never ask the question, but that she will always know Who to ask.
A Little Pro Tip
No matter who you are, how you see yourself, or where you’ve come from, there’s about a 99.99% chance you’ve asked this question before. Make no mistake, this is a loaded question. Some of us ask ourselves, some of us ask the people around us, some of us ask people we don’t even know on social media and, in desperate times, some of us do all the above.
The question “Who am I?” doesn’t always sound like those three little words. It comes in all kinds of packages: thoughts, thought patterns, feelings of doubt, and often anxiety. “Who am I?” often looks like comparing gifts, talents, abilities, looks, calling, or story. It can mean comparing your family, how you were raised, or even your perspective of yourself to that of someone else. Whether we realize it or not, we ask the question “Who am I?” many times throughout our lives and in many different seasons. Some of us, when we might be walking through an especially difficult season, even ask ourselves this question multiple times each day. As a culture and a people, I believe we’re crying out for the answer to this question more than we ever have before.
So, you might be thinking, I ask myself this all the time. I want to begin our journey together by reminding you that asking questions, even this one, is not bad! But asking this question to the wrong person could be detrimental.
I used to believe discovering who we are was something we figured out when we were young, but I realized with every new season, I was rediscovering who I am again and again. Throughout my life, I’ve watched others far beyond me in years some cases, never truly know who they are at all. As women, we go through many seasons that cause us to re-ask the question “Who am I?” Not to mention the pressure of social media and its access to people and women across the world, which has made count- less women feel less valuable, less original, less worthy, and less captivating.
This three-word question can quickly feel over- whelming and all-consuming when we don’t have an answer. In some seasons, many of us become so crippled by the lack of an answer that it completely transforms the way we think, feel, and act.
One of the most life-changing moments for me came from asking God this question at 22 years old. I was living out a dream of being a professional backup dancer, traveling the world, experiencing different places, and making memories. But this dream wasn’t as perfect as I imagined it would be. I was incredibly confused and lacked peace, not to mention I was also in a relationship that was causing that confusion. Throughout that season of life and through a relationship that lasted four years, you could definitely say I was asking the right question to the wrong person. And, because I was asking the right question to the wrong person, I remained confused and anxious.
So, I want to give you a little pro-tip, straight from my hard-won reality to your heart! Whether you’re 15, 55, or 95 and reading this right now, you will never discover who you truly are by asking more questions about who you are.
Discovering your true identity, your God-given DNA, and your personality — what makes you and shakes you — will only happen by discovering more about the One who made you. Whether you’re reading this and believing in God or doubting every part of Him, I can promise you that He is the way to the contentment and peace with yourself that you’re searching for.
Our Truest Self and Deepest Purpose
At 22 years old, I decided I was done living in the in-between. I wanted to live in the fullness that Jesus came to give me and died to lavish upon me, so I ended the relationship, quit my dream job, moved to a new city, made new friends, and began believing for God’s very best for my life. To that point in my life, those were the hardest decisions I had ever made, but now I can tell you that they led to the best seasons of my life.
Completely starting over caused me to ask the question, “God, who am I?” At least this time, I was asking the right person! I had held on so tightly to the things I was doing and the people I was doing them with that, without them, I truly didn’t know who I was.
One day, as I sat in my apartment in Nashville, God reminded me of a video my mom had sent me months earlier. In the video, I was about three years old, standing in the playroom of my home. I grabbed the karaoke mic and said with great confidence, “I love Jesus.” In that moment, God was gently reminding me that the most important title I would ever have is simply being “His,” a daughter.
What does a three-year-old have to offer? What important thing can a three-year-old achieve? Not much. And that was the point. He didn’t want me to achieve anything, be anything, or do anything for Him. He didn’t care how much Scripture I had memorized, how many followers I had on social media, how many people approved or disapproved of the relationship I was in, or how successful I was by my or anyone else’s standards. God just wanted me to know whose I was — I was His. And when we know we are His, we discover our truest self and our deepest purpose.
Now, let me be clear — I’m not asking you to quit your job, move to a new town, or completely start your life over. But I do want to ask if there’s something, anything, holding you back from being who you truly are. I know that can be a bit of an overwhelming question, so it’s okay if you don’t know right now…
Although my story involved moving and starting over in many areas of life, I can tell you that it wasn’t all about those external changes. The physical changes were a tangible result of letting go and letting Jesus show me who He is and who I am because of Him.
You’re In A Beautiful Place
Maybe you’re in a new season of life, and you feel like you’re back at the starting line. Maybe you just moved to college, or maybe your kids just left the house and you’re rediscovering life as an empty nester. Maybe you just got married or maybe you’re pregnant, and your body is changing like crazy. Maybe you’re a grandma now, or maybe life threw you a curveball you didn’t see coming, and you don’t even know what to call the season you’re in. If I could put my hand over your forehead right now, the way my dad always would, and speak peace over your mind and rest over your heart, that’s exactly what I would do.
The truth is, though you may not feel like it now, you’re in a beautiful place. You’ve got a really good Friend ready to walk with you, ready to work with you, ready to show you who He is and who you are because of Him. Whether it’s for the first time or whether it’s for the hundredth time, it’s never a bad idea to ask your Father, to ask Jesus, to remind you who you are.
Taken from Daughter: Becoming Who You Already Are by Laney Rene
Laney Rene is a wife, mom, and founder of The One He Loves, a ministry which exists so every woman can be refreshed, encouraged, and reminded of Jesus’ loving-kindness toward them. She’s the author of the new book, Daughter: Becoming Who You Already Are. Laney is known for sharing the goodness of Jesus in a way that is not just inviting but also captivating. After walking through a painful season and into a redemption story only Jesus could come up with, Laney couldn’t keep the good news to herself. Today, as a worship artist, author, and speaker, Laney continues to find creative ways to share the heart of Jesus with everyone she can!
by Allie Walker | Feb 1, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
I don’t know about you but I am definitely one of the most impatient people ever. I’m the one who leaves for a class 30 minutes early because I can’t stand the thought of being late. When I say “let’s leave at 2:00pm”… I’ll be in the car ready by 1:45pm… just ask my roommates lol. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Atlanta traffic… good thing Michael is one of the most patient people and drivers I know… safe to say he does most of that driving hehe.
My point in exposing my bit of impatience with these things is because it applies to more than traffic or punctuality on small silly things.
I get impatient with those things because I’m WAITING / WANTING to get to a destination.
Ooo read that again.
I get impatient with those things because I’m WAITING / WANTING to get to a destination.
When I’m sitting in traffic and have an event to get to… I’m thinking about getting to that event… not the 1000 cars I gotta get by to get there.
Waiting is a natural part of life. No matter if it’s in traffic, a long line, a test grade to come back, a flight…etc.
Waiting is also a part of FAITH. God continually calls his people to wait for the Spirit to be revealed. In fact, the history of Israel is a history of constant waiting. From Egypt to Exile, the people waited for their redemption, looking forward to the Messiah. And in the new testament came their messiah… Jesus. Now we wait for Christ’s return, and for the full establishment of God’s kingdom upon the earth. What hope we have!
But… like waiting in Atlanta traffic or fill in the blank… waiting for God to reveal purpose in a hard season, or for all of the promises of God He tells us in His word, can be frustrating at times. I don’t know about you but I’ve definitely found myself in seasons (still am) of asking God “Why do I have to wait for the good to come of this?”
Or
You feel like you are doing everything right but still find your feet in a season of waiting and disappointment. Maybe even feeling like He’s forgotten about you. Your dreams. Your desires. The work you have put in.
YOU AREN’T ALONE.
Something the Lord has been teaching me in my recent season, is PRESENCE. Waiting can teach us a number of things but the tug of my heart is “Being present.” Embracing HIS presence. Allowing HIS presence to keep me or lead me to where He wants me.
There’s freedom in that. There’s freedom to surrendering to HIS presence.
The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, crying out for deliverance. God responded by sending Moses to lead them to freedom. (Exodus 1-12)
Jeremiah often faced rejection and persecution for delivering God’s messages. Yet, he remained patient and steadfast. And God provided (Jeremiah)
David had to wait many years and face numerous trials, including persecution by King Saul, before finally becoming the King of Israel. (1&2 Samuel)
God is working in the waiting.
But did these people just sit still in the waiting? No. they didn’t give up on their faith. They kept pursuing the Lord. And He came through. Every. Single. Time.
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 40:31…
“But those who WAIT on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”
Next time you grow impatient in your waiting, or grow frustrated in your season…
Remember these things:
He sees you. Keep seeking Him.
What God has for you, you can’t speed up, can’t slow down, can’t delay and can’t stop.
But we can control the posture of our hearts. To trust Him. To stay present where He has our feet.
Even when we feel our feet should be somewhere else. We can’t see the big picture he can. He has plans to protect you, teach you, love you, mold you and shape you. He wouldn’t keep you in a season if there was nothing else beneficial from it…
“For we know ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”
Not all things are good, but God can bring good out of anything.
God can see what you can’t. Trust Him. He’s not letting go of you… so you don’t let go either!
Love,
AW
by Maddee Hill | Jan 30, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
“One of the scariest realities in life is that if you insist, God will let you do it your way.” – Louie Giglio
I convinced God that my plan was better.
Year 2023 was finally going to be MY year. The hopes and dreams I had for myself were unlike any other year. I went into 2023 with the mindset of “This is IT! This is the year things are going to happen for ME! I can just FEEL it in my bones!”. Have you ever done the same? I’ve made a vision board for the past 5 years, and it’s one of my favorite traditions at the beginning of a new year. I sit at my computer, I pull up Pinterest, and I just GO to town. Then I get all of the photos together and I print them out, then tack them on a board (highly recommend making a girls night out of this by the way). Last year, my board was COVERED in things I believed were going to happen for me in 2023. Key words… WERE going to happen. Now for starters, I need you to know, dreams are SO good! You SHOULD have hopes and dreams. You should TOTALLY have a bucket list. Dreaming excites me for the future, but it was almost as if I knew better than God for year 2023. It was like I was making a board of all the things that I was manifesting into my own life, and God was the afterthought of all of this. Whew, even writing that takes me back.
My dreaming quickly became unhealthy. I would look at my board every day when I woke up, and just wonder when God was going to make it happen for me. My vision board was COVERED in these things I was convinced my life would look like in the next 12 months. A relationship taking the next step, traveling with certain people, moving back home, planning future things, etc. It became so unhealthy, that I started to ignore red flags that were just waving right in front of me. Like, the brightest red flags you have ever seen y’all. Things that I swept under the rug, because it didn’t align with how my year was going to go. How I had PLANNED for my year to go. So I ignored them, naturally. – Fast forward just two months into that year, and a big portion of my dreams were all of a sudden stripped from me. Not only were my dreams stripped, but so was my identity. Because along the way, I had put my entire worth in everything but Jesus. I was lost, at a dead end, and searching for any ounce of hope I could find.
For the one who has found themselves in a similar place, I want you to know, I deeply empathize with you. Asking God questions like, how could this be your plan for me? Why does it seem that for so long, I have celebrated everyone else’s dreams becoming a reality, but mine are still at a stand still? Does God even care about the desires of my heart anymore? And friend, these are all questions I actually encourage you to keep running to Jesus with. He would much rather you run to him with your doubts and anger than run further away from him. He is the safest place I know. A place where I bring all my doubts, fears, frustrations, concerns, confusion, and questions.
As I sit here today writing the honest state of the place I found myself in a year ago exactly, I wish you were sitting right in front of me, so I could tell you face to face where the goodness of God was in the midst of all my unknowns. The healing that had to take place in me, required me to unclench my hands of all the things I thought I was in control of, and let go and just look to the Father in complete desperation. That’s the place I needed to be at, that’s the place he needed to show me where I needed to look all along. The things God showed me, the ways he protected me, the days to come that would soon explain why he let certain things happen, they were only just around the corner. And friend, I believe the same is true for you.
The scary thing is, I don’t think God would’ve gotten my attention any other way. I was so completely fixated on the plans I had for myself, that I didn’t even think to ask Jesus if this was even remotely where he wanted me to go. I had to be broken so he could do the mending in me. The mending that couldn’t be done by any human being on this earth. So what mending does Jesus need to do in you? What area of your life do you need to give BACK to Jesus? What area of your life are you completely OBSESSING over?
Struggles have not been absent in my life ever since, quite the opposite actually. But in the struggles, I have this unwavering faith that He who promised is faithful. He didn’t begin a good work in you to just leave you hoping for the best… no, he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion. To find healing, you have to be vulnerable long enough to go to the places your mind tells you to avoid. There’s something that happens within us when we invite only a trusted few into our mess. It gets messy. And I believe that’s actually how Jesus created us to live. He doesn’t promise an absence of struggles in this life when we follow him, instead, he promises that he will never leave us when we find ourselves in the deepest of them. And let me tell you something, He is who I want to be with when I find myself in the valley.
Before you go, I want you to know, He is not withholding from you. Read that again. He wants GOOD things for you, friend. Things that your mind can’t even comprehend right now, because you simply wouldn’t believe it. He’s protecting you, pruning you, and maybe for the reason so that you’ll be able to bear more fruit in the season to come. He is a GOOD good Father, and He can be trusted with the deepest longings of your heart.
Cheering you on — mads
by Blair West | Jan 25, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
Oh how easily I attempt to avoid the “sting” of conviction for my own complacency and comfort. I think in our world of constant distraction, it’s easy for all of us to ignore or grow numb to the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit. We grow complacent. When we are complacent, we don’t welcome conviction.
Complacency results in a lack of desire to change, or the belief that one doesn’t need to change. Conviction disrupts our complacency. I’ve learned that we as humans do not love to be disrupted or interrupted, especially by conviction.
We get comfortable in our sin, so when conviction hits, we turn the other way and pretend we didn’t feel it… or at least I do at times. To be honest, over the last year, I have grown so distracted that I wasn’t necessarily “pretending” that I didn’t feel conviction, I was actually too overwhelmed by my distractions that I didn’t think I had the capacity to dig deeper when conviction hit. I knew the conviction would require me to sit and reflect, but my distractions told me I didn’t have time to do that, so I continued on, and “ignored” the conviction of the Holy Spirit telling me to slow down, reset, and release control.
The sting of conviction often hurts so much we don’t want to acknowledge the root of what’s going on deeper…the fear of having to change, the fear of giving up control, the fear of turning from a life that has grown to be incredibly comfortable, the list goes on.
I’m sure we have all found ourselves here at some point in our lives…maybe you are in this place right now. If this sounds familiar to you, I want to send some encouragement today.
A GOOD STING IS A GOOD THING.
Let me say that again. A GOOD STING IS A GOOD THING.
Conviction may sting, yes. It may be uncomfortable and not feel so great, but it is a GOOD thing because it is from the Holy Spirit. When we are convicted, it means that God is reaching His hand out and wanting to refine us. He is bringing attention to our sin or ways in which we have turned to things other than Him for fulfillment, so that we can turn from that and turn toward Him. This is called sanctification, meaning “set apart to be made holy and purified.”
I think sometimes we confuse the two words conviction and condemnation.
Conviction is from the Holy Spirit.
Condemnation is from Satan.
Conviction leads us to repentance. Condemnation overwhelms us with guilt and shame.
The good news is that in Christ there is NO condemnation. Satan has no say in our sanctification process because Christ has made us new, calling us holy and setting us free from the enslavement of sin and death.
Romans 8:1→ “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death…”
It never “feels” good when I am convicted and have to acknowledge the complacency I have fallen into because of the entanglement of my sin. But, conviction always leads me to the feet of Jesus where I humble myself and acknowledge my need for Him. But, it requires that I slow down and really sit in what the conviction is revealing that is going on deeper within me. There is always a root of our sin, of our complacency, and of our need to be distracted. And when the root is discovered, that is where the joy and beauty of refinement is really experienced.
May we not be women who run from conviction, but rather embrace it and thank God for the grace and mercy He pours out on us, so that we are not overcome by guilt and shame. May our distractions cease when conviction comes, so that we can rest in the kindness and mercy of our Father, knowing that He is refining us and making us more like Him as we allow the Holy Spirit to dig up the ways in which the world has distracted and numbed us.
Gosh, conviction is never fun, but it is always beautiful because it’s a picture of the kindness of God offering us the chance to be sanctified and renewed each day. LOVE YOU GUYS!
xo, Blair
by CC Calbonero Lutz | Jan 23, 2024 | Featured, Life Advice
Have you stopped believing that God could do it?
Well, you’re certainly not alone. I recently just moved out of my dream apartment and I am still in awe at it all…
In 2021, I moved to Nashville as an absolute leap of faith. I had one friend that I knew in this city and endless nudges from God whispering to just go… I remember quite literally saying, “well, what’s a year?! Let’s give it a shot. If I love it I’ll stay and if I don’t… California will always be there.”
I had no idea what exactly God would do with that whisper…
Blessings began to follow that little act of obedience– opportunities for work opened up, 1 studio in my dream apartment became available, and every little detail came together with an unmatched ease and joy. Now hear me out, that first year wasn’t necessarily perfect, but if one thing was clear, it was the fact that I was supposed to be in Nashville for longer than just one year. God had bigger and better plans.
–
It was a typical Sunday attending the Belonging Co. 9am service, where I sat with my good friends, Jay and Reagan. It was Reagan’s last Sunday at church before she moved back to North Carolina and we all had plans to grab a cup of coffee after church. What I thought was a “typical” Sunday was actually the beginning of a beautiful story that God had planned far beyond I was even born (Psalm 139:16). I think it’s safe to say that day I was standing in the middle of an answered prayer.
“Hi, my name is Jonathan.”
“My name is CC!”
On our way out of church we ran into Reagan’s friend, Jonathan Lutz. With excitement in her voice she said, “Omg, Jonathan meet CC and Jay… CC and Jay meet Jonathan! I’ve been wanting y’all to meet!!”
Between us girls, I thought that Jonathan was so cute– and after 2 weeks, the Lord’s beautiful story began to unravel even more. I felt called to sit alone at church that Sunday, to later find that Jonathan would coincidentally sit 2 seats down from me. After a small invitation to a post church hang and an exchange of numbers… we later went on our first walk, first date, and after 3 months of intentionally dating we became ~official~.
Fast forward 1 year later and we were ENGAGED with numerous God moments to tell our future kiddos on how God so beautifully wove his love, grace, and favor throughout our story. (Pst, I’m telling y’all there are SO many little details that point to the goodness of God, I feel like I can write an entire BOOK on it all!)
_
Friend, God can do it.
Oftentimes, it’s up to us to keep believing that He can (John 11:25-26). I’ll never forget a line Chad Veach shared on Whoa That’s Good, “When you’re walking in the will of God, Heaven is at your back.” There is so much truth in that statement that I have seen come into fruition in my own life. I think God DELIGHTS when we step out in faith into the unknown. Afterall, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen right?! (Hebrews 11:1-6)
When I said yes to God and moved to Nashville, of course I had the hopes of meeting my future husband, building a community and continuing to advance the kingdom of God. But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that sometimes fear would try to creep into my mind and heart and tell me that these things weren’t possible for me…
I praise God that I can now stand on the other side of all those fears with a holy confidence that says, “If I’ve seen God do it once, I know He can do it again.” Which brings me back to the first line of this blog…
I moved out of a place that was once my dream apartment, only to step into a new dream apartment that I had always hoped for… only this time I get to walk into this season as a WIFE.
God is so so good.
Don’t stop believing.
CC is a wife, podcast host, social media strategist and writer. Her passion has always been to spread JOY and make heaven more crowded. A few of her favorite things are local coffee shops, yummy cookies, thai food, and any time spent with family and friends!
Keep up with CC on Instagram @ccalbonero!
