Amanda and I had followed God’s call to plant a church in Indianapolis, Resonate Church, exactly four years before – yet national news outlets were now broadcasting our family‘s tragedy. As shock morphed into overwhelming grief, I stepped with my toddler son Weston into an uncertain future without Amanda.

Over the past nine years, God’s mercies have been new every morning. And one of the greatest mercies goes by the name of Kristi.

It was late 2016, almost a full year since Amanda had passed away, and I had just started writing a book – a memoir. I had asked God to help me see his hand of redemption in my story, and the process of putting emotions and memories to paper was bringing me a lot of healing. I even found myself wondering if I was healthy enough for God to bring love my way again. The odds were not in my favor – my current life would require a truly unique woman, one who loved God, loved my son Weston, loved me, loved our church, and even loved Amanda. I left the idea in God’s hands.

That evening, after a twelve-hour day of writing, I headed to the gym to decompress. The owner of the gym had kindly given me a key so I could break a little sweat at odd hours when I wasn’t writing. That night I arrived just as the last class of the evening was finishing up. As providence would have it, Kristi was in that class.

I had noticed Kristi at the gym and around church over the last few months, but we hadn’t exchanged more than a dozen words. She had caught my attention from day one, but she seemed to be avoiding me like the plague. I decided this was the moment, so I worked up the courage to engage in conversation.

“Hey!” I said, trying (to no avail) to play it cool. “You’ve been coming to Resonate church for like four months now, and I know almost nothing about you.” And, to keep it pastoral, I added, “What’s your story? How did you come to know the Lord?”

For the next thirty minutes, we stood there as she regaled me on her upbringing and past. Out of all that she shared,

I homed in on the four years she spent studying abroad and on the mission fields in Mexico, Cambodia, and Brazil. “So that’s why you’ve been serving in Resonate’s inner-city project,” I commented. “You have a heart for missions.”

“Yeah,” she said with some hesitation, “but also my family lives in that area.”

“Wait, by choice?” I blurted out, thinking of the crime rate in that part of the city.

“Yeah.” She kept her poise. “My stepdad and mom feel called to that area as their life’s ministry. That was one reason I chose to attend Resonate. The church’s ForIndy initiative in the inner city? It’s the kind of work our family has prayed to see for years.”

“Wow. That’s amazing!” I said. “Amanda and I used to pray for that neighborhood when we ran by while training for half marathons. Ever since Amanda passed, I’ve felt this huge burden for that area of the city. Much of what we do as a church has come out of our story and the burden it’s placed on me.”

“I’m connected  to your story in some other ways,” Kristi said, “but I don’t think you’ll want me to tell you that.” She shuffled her feet a little and looked around the room.

“What is it?” I was intrigued and a little apprehensive, especially at how awkward she had suddenly become.

“Well. Um. Davey, my stepdad is a chaplain for the Marion County prison system.” She paused to let what she said set in for a second. “And he has regular conversations with the men that killed Amanda.”

I felt all the blood rush out of my face and the room began to spin. “What?!” I was dumbfounded. What are you doing, God? The girl I’ve been interested in already has a close connection with my story? I was at the gym to decompress after a long day – the same day I had asked the Lord to show me the redemption in my story. And Kristi tells me this?

Fast forward through several months of dating, and we were ready to see how our families felt about this: hers, mine, and Amanda’s. We spent a week with Amanda’s family in Elkhart, Indiana, followed by a week with my family in North Carolina. Kristi’s family was in Indy, so we’d already had some time to talk with them. We knew those two weeks were make-or-break for us. We returned to Indy reassured and started talking about a future together.

On November 8, 2017, almost exactly two years after Amanda’s death, I got down on one knee and asked Kristi to be my wife.

It was important to Kristi that we have a small, private, and quiet wedding. You see, although she had a very loving an

d involved stepdad, her biological father hadn’t been in her life for years. Because he struggled with

serious mental illness, Kristi had often feared for her safety. She hadn’t seen her birthfather since he walked out on the family years ago, but the thought of being walked down a wedding aisle touched more than a few childhood wounds.

Meanwhile, I was aware that dozens of people had been personally involved in my journey, both with Amanda and sinc

e her passing. I couldn’t imagine not having those people present as we celebrated this new chapter of life together. Suddenly a message I had received earlier from the Lord came to mind: My redemption story would usher in Kristi’s as well. I convinced her to go through with a bigger wedding and asked her to trust me with the “walking down the aisle” part.

On a chilly, rainy, magical December day in 2017, we gathered friends and family in a castle – well, a local venue that looked like a castle. Although almost nothing in our stories looked like a fairy tale up to the point, we felt like we were living one that day.

I stood at the front with Brad Cooper, who was officiating the wedding, and waited for the doors to open, knowing that what was about to ensue would have us all in tears. I shifted nervously, hoping that everything would go as planned.

“Claire de Lune” began playing softly. The doors swung open, and everyone stood to their feet. There she was, standing alone, a magnificent beauty, delicately resplendent in a fashionable white gown with lace sleeves, clutching a bouquet of snowy flowers.

I could see the hesitation on Kristi’s face as she began to step forward. Her beloved stepfather, Lee, immediately eased out of the back row to meet her. She smiled and accepted his arm as she walked toward me. About one-third of the way down the aisle, Lee stopped walking and Kristi froze with him. He leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear, “This is where I leave you.” Stunned and unsure what to do next, she looked up at me.

At the same moment, Amanda’s father, Phil, stood up and gently took Kristi’s arm. You could almost feel the entire room gasp as people held back tears. Phil walked Kristi the next third of the way until, right on cue, my own father got up from his seat.

My dad escorted Kristi the last few steps until she stood directly in front of me, in all her radiance, and Brad asked, “Who gives this bride to be with this groom?”

“We do,” the three declared in unison from behind Kristi.

It was a storybook moment, and it wasn’t lost on either of us. Tears filled both of our eyes as we looked at each other, two broken puzzle pieces about to fit and stitch our crazy lives together to display to the world a picture of God’s redemption—an unordinary family.

Davey Blackburn is the founder of Nothing is Wasted Ministries which creates resources for those facing trauma, tragedy, and loss. He is the author of Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain (July 2024). Davey and Kristi live in Indianapolis with their three kids, Natalia, Weston, and Cohen. Find resources at www.NothingIsWasted.com.

Friend, we hope this encourages you that God is not done writing your story. He can bring redemption and healing into any part of your life!

You can read more of Davey’s inspiring story in his book- Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. 

The post Nothing is Wasted first appeared on Live Original.

I remember the first family reunion I went to after I became a Christian. Now you gotta know, I was wild and unruly before I gave my life to Christ. I used to smoke so much weed, my body had become unfamiliar with sobriety. But when God saved my soul, he took that addiction away and crucified it with Jesus on the cross. In fact, I changed so much after becoming a Christian that it started to freak out some of my family members—especially my cousin Lil Ron.

Lil Ron and I were really close growing up. We were more like brothers than cousins. But when I gave my life to Christ, our relationship became muddy. I don’t think Lil Ron knew where I stood with him anymore.

He would ask me questions like “So, P, now that you a Christian, if a bunch of dudes were to show up right now and start something, would you ride for me?”

I told him, “Listen, cuzzo, if you were getting beat up, you know I would help protect you. But I ain’t gonna go out there and ride with you no more or fight people like I used to.”

And, man, that did not sit well with him. “You serious? Cuz, we your family! God ain’t gonna be upset with you if you just defending your family.”

At the time, I was torn. I couldn’t find the words to explain how much doing the things I used to do would be me returning to the grave after Jesus did to my soul what he did to Lazarus’s body. How he told death to let me go and called me to rise up from it. All I could think to say was “Cuz, I hear you. I just don’t pursue a lifestyle that dishonors God anymore.” I could feel Lil Ron’s distaste. Lil Ron felt like I was choosing the family of God over my blood family. Yeah, our family was born with the same blood, but this new family I had in Christ was bought with blood far more valuable.

After I saw how Lil Ron reacted, I kind of avoided talking about my faith with my family and close friends because I was afraid it might make them feel uncomfortable, and a big part of me was afraid of being rejected. Here I was, bold lion in the faith with strangers, but around my family, I shrank and became a passive gnat, not wanting to be seen.

When I was thirteen, on one tragic night on the south side of Chicago, a bullet missed a crowd of folks and landed in my uncle’s skull. I remember his funeral like it was this morning. That day was dark, and he was a still night star in a casket. My uncle was only thirty-one years young, and his life was gone because of some reckless man and his bullet.

Over the next several days, our entire family descended on my grandmother’s house to grieve and to support one another. Five days straight, everyone just walked around in shock, crying, and my grandmother was really struggling. Then one morning, my grandmother said to my mom, “I need to go into my room, lock the door, and get before the Lord. I don’t want anything to eat, I don’t want anything to drink, and I don’t want any company. I just want to be by myself for one whole day—just me and the Lord.”

And with that, she walked into her bedroom, closed the door, and stayed there for twenty-four hours. And then the strangest thing happened. The next morning, it’s hard to explain with words, but she just looked different. She came out of her room like a new song, smiling and going around the house comforting and praying for everyone. Man, I’d never seen anything like it. I didn’t get it . . . but I’ll tell you this: whatever it was she found in that room, it filled me with wonder.

From that day on, anytime something bad happened or something was bothering me, I looked to my grandmother. She never pushed her faith on me, told me I needed to repent, or asked me where I stood with God. She would just pray for me and encourage me and talk about her own relationship with God. I didn’t fully understand where she was coming from, but I liked the way I felt when I was around her. I felt hopeful. I felt whole.

Years later, after I had met the Lord for myself, I sat down with my grandmother and said, “Can I ask you a question?” When she said I could, I said, “Four or five days after Uncle Stan died, you went into your room for a long time, and when you came out, you seemed . . . different. What happened to you in there?”

She paused, her light brown eyes glazing over as if she were staring back to that day. “Preston,” she said, “when Stan was murdered, I felt like I was going to die. My pain felt unbearable. I didn’t have the strength to be strong for my family, and I had never felt like that before. So I went into my room, and I said to the Lord, ‘Lord, either give me the strength to be strong for my family or take me to glory.’ And then I prayed. And, Preston, I began to feel the presence of God in a way I’ve never felt it before. The Lord visited me in my room that day, and his presence was so sweet that—at that moment—I entered into God’s rest, and I’ve been there ever since.”

Man, goose bumps began to swell on my skin. Then she said, “What we have to understand, Preston, is that Christians don’t suffer the way the rest of the world suffers. Before I went into my room, I was suffering like my sons and my daughter who did not know the Lord. But once I found his presence, I had hope. That’s what the Lord does, Preston. He gives us hope.”

I get it now. Sharing our faith with our families or close friends doesn’t look like it does with strangers out on the streets, where you’re often asking questions, debating, and quoting Scripture. It looks more like my grandmother. It’s living your faith consistently in a way that makes other people seek you out because you have something that they don’t. She had a God to run to who knew exactly how to tend to her grief. That’s what drew me to her when I was hurting. It’s what drew all of us to her—even if we didn’t fully understand why.

Adapted from How to Tell the Truth: The Story of How God Saved Me to Win Hearts—Not Just Arguments by Preston Perry, available now.

Preston Perry is a poet, performance artist, teacher, author of How to Tell the Truth and apologist from Chicago. Preston’s writing and teaching has been featured on ministry platforms such as The Gospel Coalition, the Poets in Autumn Tour, and Legacy Disciple. Preston is cohost of the popular podcast With the Perrys. He created Bold Apparel and the YouTube channel Apologetics with Preston Perry in order to engage the public in theological discourse. Preston and his wife, Jackie, reside in Atlanta with their four children: Eden, Autumn, Sage, and August.

The post Too Close to Home first appeared on Live Original.

FOLLOWER

DEFINITION: Someone that follows the opinions or teachings of another and imitates the other.

As someone who grew up in a time when social media was being created and continually growing, I joined each new platform as they were introduced. Once my accounts were established, my attention began to be drawn to how many followers I had. At this point, my idea of following someone or even being followed by someone only related to a number on my social media account. My days would be consumed with thoughts like these:

Has the number gone up today on my list of followers? Did I lose any followers? Who unfollowed me? Why did they unfollow me? Why did that picture get less likes than my others? What about that picture made people like it more? What can I do to be sure that I don’t lose any more followers? What do I need to do to make sure more people want to follow me?

Maybe these are some thoughts or questions that have filled your mind more times than you would like to admit like they have mine. Maybe these are some thoughts that have become like second nature to you and you don’t even realize that you are thinking them anymore.

If this is you currently or has been you before, I want to challenge you today to a question and share some truths that have truly changed the way that I walk through my life here on this earth in the midst of a social media driven culture.

What does it mean to be a true follower of Jesus Christ in today’s culture?

In the same way that my mind used to only think of social media when I thought about having followers or being a follower, my mind now immediately thinks of a couple of biblical synonyms to the word. I now hear the word follower and immediately think about discipleship and the beauty of truly, wholeheartedly following the most important person you could ever choose to follow. I now hear the word follower and immediately think about being an imitator of Christ in all that I do here on this earth.

The question we ought to be asking ourselves in today’s culture isn’t, “Do I have a big following on social media?” The question to ask ourselves is, “Who am I following above all else, and who am I pointing others towards in the midst of my pursuit?”

Now trust me, like many of the good things that we are offered in Christ, I know that this shift in mindset is much easier said than done! I know that this mindset is easy to desire, and a lot harder to put into action. I know this from my own walk with the Lord, and I want to encourage you today that believing in the truth of this new mindset is the first step in walking a life completely, sincerely, sold-out for the growth of the Kingdom of the Lord. Which, by the way, is a calling that each and every one of us is responsible for!

It is said in Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Y’all! That wasn’t just a suggestion that Jesus mentioned to His disciples before His time here on this earth with us was finished. That was the greatest commission that Jesus spoke for ALL of us as the body of Christ to get to step into! What a joy it is to know that the Lord has invited us into doing kingdom work alongside Him and that His spirit will be with us through it all until the very end of the age!

So now that we are here, we may be to the point that we can agree that our mindset needs a shift. We may be at the point that we believe that the question we should be asking ourselves is, “Who am I following above all else, and who am I pointing others towards in the midst of my pursuit?” So what next? How do I truly live out a life devoted to following Jesus Christ above all else?

In my personal experience, it takes realizing that this life is out of your control to begin to realize that you need God to lead you through it. Maybe you have been a believer of Jesus for a long time but you haven’t truly been following Him wholeheartedly. I want to encourage you that you are in the right place today to encounter God in a fresh way. Even if you have been running or settling for the lies of this world, you are always in the right place to have an encounter with Jesus Christ. He is simply waiting for you to turn your face to Him and surrender all. And ultimately, for us to truly follow Christ in a way that we become imitators of Him, we must set out to know Him intimately in order to discover how to become more like Him to the people around us.

What if instead of only thinking of our followers on socials for our own glory, we actually viewed each and every number in the same way that Jesus sees and loves them. What if we actually saw each and every number as a human being who can either be pointed towards or away from the cross through the stories, pictures, and captions we choose to post. What if we viewed social media as one of our greatest mission fields to go out and share the love of God with all people we come in contact with. For it is said in Romans 10:14-15,

“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

Lord, may the desires of our hearts be to be the hands and the feet who bring good news to a generation that is desperate for a savior to follow. Lord, may we not care if it costs us followers, as long as we are following YOU!

Lydia Walker is a member of LO Worship and an Area Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Northeast Louisiana. She lives in Louisiana with her husband Reeves and her golden doodle, Teddy. Keep up with Lydia on Instagram @lrd.walker!

The post Follower first appeared on Live Original.

Way before we were “that Duck Dynasty family,” we were just Phil and Miss Kay, a couple of teenagers in love. Then came 10 years of Phil doing almost every terrible thing under the sun. He drank like a fish, he didn’t come home at night, and I was left to raise our three boys and keep a roof over our heads. Everyone I knew told me to leave him.

But our story didn’t end there. 

After a decade of living inside a nightmare, Phil finally let God into his heart, and our lives changed forever. We always joked about what a good movie it would make, but we never thought it might really happen. 

If you know the Robertson family, you may have heard some of the story. In our movie, The Blind, we didn’t hold anything back about how we fell in love and how hard those early years of marriage were. Phil was drinking all the time and mean as a snake most days. He didn’t care much for me or the boys. He even thought running a bar would be a great business opportunity for our family. That right there shows you how out of his mind he was back then!

I know a lot of women will see parts of their stories in this movie. I pray that when they see The Blind, they see hope for themselves. 

When the Lord gives us a story, he gives us the strength to tell it. Jesus tells us that when we’re healed, we should tell others “how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39), so that’s what I did.  I hope my story will show everyone that things can get better. People really can change. 

I’ve seen firsthand the way God can turn lives around. I want the women out there who are hurting because their husbands are hurting to know that there’s always hope in Jesus. I want the men to know they can become the husband, the father, and the man God made them to be.

Phil was the worst of the worst back then. He was well on his way to jail or an early grave. I knew that for him to change, it would take a miracle. I know The Blind embarrasses him a little because he doesn’t like to remember that part of his life. Would you want to watch a movie about all the rotten things you’ve ever done? But Phil also wants people to see his story, to see that no one is too far gone for God. 

When Phil made Jesus the Lord of his life, it was like night and day. He went from chasing his next high to chasing God’s truth. And it didn’t just change our day-to-day lives — it changed our entire future as a family, and it changed thousands of other lives too. Phil’s sister Jan told our pastor, “If you turn Phil toward Jesus, he’ll bring thousands along with him.” And that’s exactly what happened.

When it comes down to it, The Blind isn’t a movie about Phil or our family origins, not really. It’s a story about the grace God offers us and the power he has to transform the hearts of men and women. 

If you’re a woman who loves a man in need of a miracle, The Blind is for you. If you’re a man who loves a woman in need of a miracle, The Blind is for you too. All of us can be healed. All of us can be put back together again. It’s not too late.

The Blind is streaming now on Great American Pure Flix and available on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray. My prayer is that our story will help everyone see that hope, redemption, and restoration aren’t ever out of reach — not for any of us.

Miss Kay Robertson is the beloved backbone and funny bone of the Robertson family and star of the hit TV series “Duck Dynasty.” She married her pioneer man, Phil Robertson, and has four sons, one daughter, and more than 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Kay is the New York Times best-selling author of several books and frequently appears on the “Duck Call Room” and “Unashamed” podcasts. She loves to cook for her family, feed her neighbors, and care for women in need.

The post It’s Not Too Late to Heal Your Brokenness first appeared on Live Original.

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!

The post Don’t Stop Believing first appeared on Live Original.

5 days after turning 19 years old, I had one of the scariest surgeries I’ve ever had. At the time, I was a collegiate long distance runner and had been running my whole life. In 2017, I started having back pain that was preventing me from running and even doing simple life tasks. After months of doctor appointments, physical therapy, and injections…I still had pain and no answers. I remember feeling like no one believed my pain. I remember feeling alone. I remember begging the Lord to heal me and take away the pain as I knew he could. But in this season of my life, the Lord didn’t do that. Once I finally got answers, I learned that I have Degenerative Disc Disease and because of this, I was going to need a 360 back fusion. This is a surgery where they go through the stomach and put in a cage with stem cells and then they flip you over and go through your back and add rods and screws. As you can understand, I was terrified! I started worrying about everything. “What if i can never run again, what if relearning how to walk is so hard i can’t do it, what if my surgery has complications, and what if i don’t get to go back to school next semester?” I gave power to the worry in my life and those questions started to consume me. Thank goodness for wise, loving moms. It was before my surgery that my mom told me this verse, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s troubles are enough for today. Matthew 6:34” This verse is a hard concept to understand, especially for those who worry and fret about the future we can not see. We shouldn’t worry about things we can’t control. At the end of the day, we are not the maker of the universe or the one in control of our own lives. However, the good news is our God is! He already has tomorrow planned for us. He will take care of us day-by-day and moment-by-moment. During this season of my life, I really learned what it looks like to trust God even when I didn’t know what the outcome would look like.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we just trust God in everything we do? I mean like REALLY trust him. It’s easy to trust God when life is going your way, but what about when you’re held to the flame? Where does your faith go then? When we are lacking in faith, we start to stand in the power of “what if” statements.

• What if I’m not pretty enough?
• What if I’m not good enough?
• What if I never get to be a mother?
• What if my friends judge me for following Jesus?
• What if I disappoint the Lord?
• What if my marriage won’t last?
• What if I never get married?

According to the dictionary, “What if”, is used when something is RARELY done or just IMAGINED. Every time we use a “what if” statement, this is just the worry talking about something that may not even happen or an idea that our imagination came up with. Our emotions control these “what if” statements…and let me tell you, sometimes your emotions lie. “What if” statements only take emotions, but “Even if” statements only take faith. The word “Even if” is used to say that if something is the case or not, the result is the SAME. Is this as mind blowing to you as it is to me? Whether this happens to you or not, the result is the same! This is who Jesus is! He is good, no matter what happens, no matter if he answers your prayer or not, he will always be good. If we stand in the power of “what if”, then we will never get to experience the faith of “even if”. There is even a story in the Bible that proves this.

My all time favorite Bible Story is about 3 young men and the faith they had in the one true God. In Daniel 3, we learn about King Nebuchadnezzar and a huge golden idol he made. He told everyone that when they hear the musical instrument, they must bow down to worship the gold statue. Anyone who refused to obey would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. When it came time to bow down to the idol, 3 jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, would not do it. The King told them that they would be thrown into the furnace if they didn’t…and this was their response:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17 -18)

The 3 men were thrown into a furnace that was seven times hotter than usual. Then the King saw a 4th man standing in the fire with them. He called for them to come out and saw that they had not been burned. King Nebuchadnezzar then praised the Lord and told everyone to follow the one true God.

We see in verses 17-18 that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had faith that God could save them. They trusted God enough to say that even if he doesn’t save them, THE RESULT IS STILL THE SAME. Whether they turned to ashes or they were saved…God is still good & God is still King. God may work a miracle in your life or he may not…but that can not change how you respond to a test of your faith. It’s easy to let pain and sorrow lead your life, but look at the 3 jewish men. They still had to go through the fire and experience the flames…but the Lord was WITH them through it all. God is with you in the moments you feel alone, he is with you when you feel hopeless, he is with you when you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and he is with you when the weight of worry comes crashing down. I encourage you to change your “what if’s” to “even if’s” and stop giving power to worry. Today you can be set free from worry, but you have to declare your faith to the Lord. Not 10%, not 50%, not even 98%…you have to give 100% of your worries to the Lord. When you do, just like King Nebuchadnezzar, people around you will see your faith and will be encouraged to follow after the one who truly knows the plans for our future.

After having major back surgery, the Lord answered my prayers. I relearned how to walk, I went back to college the next semester, and I even finished out my college career as a long distance runner for my school. And let me tell you…Jesus got all the credit. In that season of my life, the Lord chose to heal me, but I had to have faith. I’m not saying that having faith is easy or after you give up worry, you won’t ever struggle again. The truth is your faith will always be tested in life, but if the Lord has done it before, I know He will do it again. But even if he doesn’t, I know He is still good and the plan he has for my life is better than I could ever imagine. My faith forever changed the moment I started changing my “what if’s” to “even if’s”.

Mya is a member of Team LO and enjoys spending time with her husband, Isaac, and their dog Bevo! Keep up with Mya on Instagram @mya.d.ramirez!

The post The Power of “Even If” first appeared on Live Original.

You always hear those stories of bad things happening to other people, but NEVER EVER think it will happen to you. I get it. That was me a few months ago.

I had just gotten married to the love of my life, David Hodges, and moved to Birmingham Alabama. I had never moved before, like ever. I lived in the same house my whole life. So, it was already an adjustment and very hard for me to move away from my family because my family is everything to me. We are all truly best friends. Only 4 short months into marriage, I found out my dad was having an affair.

“WHAT?!…” I could have sworn I was dreaming. “There’s no way this is true.” “No, like you don’t understand… I know that’s not true… my dad would NEVER do that.”

My family was always that welcoming home to all our friends. When my friends had difficult home lives or their parents were going through a divorce, or something bad was going on, my parents were always the ones taking them in, praying for them, and helping them. No matter how hard life got, my family and my parents were the one thing that never wavered. They were my safe place.

I was equally close to both my parents, but in different ways. My mom is my biggest encourager and best friend. My dad and I also had a special bond. We are like twins. Everyone always told me I was the girl vision of my dad. Not only did we look alike but our personalities are VERY similar as well. We had common interests and always bonded over athletics. I was my daddy’s girl. He calls me “Smash,” a nickname he gave me when I was a little girl. My dad was my hero, my spiritual leader (for 20 years until I got married), my best friend, my coach, my boss (I worked for him at his Chick-fil-A growing up), and the only man in my life that NEVER broke my trust growing up.

As you can imagine, I was completely heart broken. But it also brought a lot of problems in my marriage.  Imagine this – the father you trusted your life with for 20 years breaks your trust in the worst way possible. How the heck was I supposed to now trust David? A man I’ve only known for a little over a year.

Thankfully, David and I got great counseling, and I learned that he is not my dad and that David has never given me a reason not to trust him. But here’s the thing, my Dad’s choices didn’t just bring consequences into his life…. he brought very hard realities into all of our lives.

I will say this –  my mom, my siblings and I are praying for a miraculous intervention from the Lord. And my dad really seems to be pursuing Jesus and His healing now, which I am thankful for… but it will be a long road with no guarantees.

I know that there are some of you reading my story who have gone through or are currently going through life-shattering pain.  My heart breaks for you. I know what you’re facing every day. Some days, you feel like you’re going to die because the weight of the pain feels unbearable. That’s why I’m writing this post. I want to share how I am dealing with and surviving the pain in hopes that it helps you too.

I know your heart is so heavy, and it’s a constant fight just to keep it together, but I PROMISE you’re going to be okay. You’re so much stronger than you think you are. How am I so certain? Because if you weren’t going to be okay God would never allow you to go through this without His help.

When I am in such a low place that taking just one more step is impossible, all I can do is sit in silence. Sit in silence trusting and remembering that the same God that moves mountains and speaks stars into existence, is the same God that calls me his beloved daughter. He’s putting breath in my lungs and holding my hand every step of the way. I say these words in my head over and over again, “My God has never forgotten about me nor forsaken me, and I know he’s not going to start now.” “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There’s NOTHING my god cannot do for you.”

When we have no more strength, we must rely on God and His strength to handle it on our behalf – and he delights in this. Now, I don’t believe God brings pain and chaos in our world, but I do think He allows it for multiple reasons.

One of the reasons being to bring him glory and shame Satan back to Hell where he belongs.

In the book of Job from the Bible, it talks about how Satan was roaming the earth, looking for someone He could test to see if they would turn from God if bad things happened (Job 1-2). God asked Satan if He had considered (testing) Job. But wait, why would God suggest that Satan test Job – one of his faithful servants? Is it because God was mad at Job or wanted him to hurt? No, absolutely not.

God suggested Job because He trusted Job. He trusted Job to stay strong through whatever trial Satan might throw his way, knowing Job would never blame God or give up on Him. God gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors. In a way, it’s an honor to be trusted with pain because it says a lot about what God sees in you and what He wants to bring out of you. I have to remind myself that suffering is not an obstacle to be used by God, it’s an opportunity to be used by God like never before.

Where there is impossible pain, God always offers incredible power.

Where there is impossible pain, God always offers incredible power. But we must stay close to Him and trust Him. I’ve always heard about the super natural strength God gives people, but I have never experienced it like I am now. Maybe it’s because I never got to a point in my life where the pain was too much. Too much to handle on my own, so I just handled it on my own rather than tapping into the incredible strength God had for me.

I get it now. I now know how powerful this kind of “God strength” is. It’s in me and working through me. And it’s a gift I would not trade.

So, am I okay? No, not really. But I will be! I have a God who has given me so much supernatural strength and peace, it would blow your mind. No, I don’t like this storm that I am navigating and no, I don’t like what has happened to my siblings, my mom and I. But I know Jesus is with us and that brings me so much peace.

I know we are not alone and God is in control. This helps take the burden off trying to figure out how fix this on my own. Instead of trying to figure it all out, I am committed to fixing my eyes on the One who cares and loves me unconditionally.

“So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things, we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever,” 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Here are the three things I must do every day to fix my eyes on the Lord:

1. Get in His word.

God will speak to us so tenderly, powerfully and perfectly through His written word. I especially love the book of Psalms in this season.

2. Worship often.

Turn on your favorite praise music (really loud) and get lost in praising God for who He is and who you are because of Him. I am determined to walk through this trial with praises, mixed with my tears, so that others can experience Jesus through me. My tears will turn into a victory for the cause of Christ.

(Here is a link to the playlist my sister, Hope Houser, made for us to listen to in this season.)

3. Look beyond.

Look beyond your pain, current circumstances and what you’re feeling right now. Find comfort in God’s truths, knowing that He uses all things for good – that there’s a purpose for your pain. In adversity, you have the opportunity to shine Christ’s light brighter and louder than ever before. The darker it gets, the brighter His light shines. The more impossible it gets, the more it becomes evident that the only answer is Jesus.

If you are going through a hard time, this is my prayer for you: I pray God gives you grace to suffer well. I pray He surrounds you with a community of love and support. I pray he gives you strength to do more than “just make it” through this season, but to shine so bright through it. I pray God increases your influence like never before. I pray that He daily gives you the faith to not stare at what’s in front of you, but to see what God sees. His view goes beyond the temporary. His view is eternal.

“I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul…Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:5-9

God loves you and so do I.

Ashley Hodges

The post When Good Goes Bad by Ashley TerKeurst Hodges first appeared on Live Original.

When I was 26, out of the blue, without a sign or symptom, I suffered a massive brain stem stroke while my six-month-old baby, James, slept in the other room. My husband of 3 years, Jay, just happened to come home between his final law school classes and saved my life.

The prognosis was so grim it was unlikely I would even make it through the night. After 16 hours of micro-brain surgery, I miraculously survived, but parts of my brain had been removed, and no one knew what would be next for me: Would I ever wake up? Would I be paralyzed? Would I die?

I did eventually wake up after 40 days on life support in ICU, but I woke up to a body that didn’t work, hooked up to a dozen machines, and I was no longer the woman or wife or mom I had been before. That was when the real work began. I would spend nearly two years in hospitals and rehabs before I would get to go back home.

People often ask if I ever had a moment of true despair after my stroke. I think the answer is Yes AND No. If I truly despaired, I don’t think I’d be here today, but I did come dangerously close about 6 months after I had survived.

It was a few days before Thanksgiving. I was still very, very bad off recovering in a brain rehab surrounded by death and tragedy and a growing awareness of the horror of my new normal. I had taken my ninth swallowing test which I felt so sure I would pass as a gift from God entering the holiday season–turkey legs, here I come! But I failed it again and was slapped with the bigger reality that I could not eat, could not walk, could barely talk, could hardly hold up my own head, let alone play with, engage or take care of my one-year old child. If I was gone, the burden of caring for me and the sadness that came with it would be lifted off the people I loved most in the world. Jay could re-marry an able-bodied woman, and James could have a “normal” mommy. Clearly God had made a mistake by letting me live.

Just as these thoughts began to wash over me, flooding into the deepest places of my broken heart, they were overwhelmed by—I was overwhelmed by—one of the most unusual and life-changing experiences. Though it wasn’t an audible voice from God, it was an awakening of scripture, a vibrant reminder of all the truest things about me and about God, things I had known my whole life but that came to my mind in the moment I needed them most with more clarity and purpose than ever before.

I recounted this “epiphany of hope” in my book, HOPE HEALS. I believe these words were for me in that moment, but they are for you too…

‘Katherine [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE!] you are not a mistake. I DON’T MAKE MISTAKES. I know better than you know. I’m God, and you’re not. Remember that you were fearfully and wonderfully made in your mother’s womb, and that is when the AVM formed in your brain.

There is purpose in all of this. Just wait. You’ll see. There is no replacing you! Jay could never, ever marry a woman as amazing as you. James could never have a mommy like you. Think about what this will mean for his life. Mommy’s stroke will always be a part of his story. That is a gift to him. It will inform his life. Let him consider it pure joy as he grows. All of this will teach him in ways beyond anything you could say or do.

Trust Me. I am working out EVERYTHING for your good. Don’t doubt this truth just because you are in darkness now. What’s true in the light is true in the dark.

I know you can’t fight this. That doesn’t matter. All you have to do is be still and let Me fight for you. I will complete the good work I began when I gave you new life. I will carry it on to completion. Believe that. My nature is to redeem and restore and strengthen. This terrible season will come to an end. You will suffer for a little while, and then I will carry you out of this.

You will see My goodness in the land of the living. Lean into this hope. Let it teach you how special you are. Most people will never go through this kind of hell on earth. I have chosen you. Live a life worthy of this special calling you have received.’“ (pg. 164, HOPE HEALS by Katherine and Jay Wolf)

*reprinted with permission from Zondervan Publishing House and Katherine & Jay Wolf, copyright 2016

For more information on  “Hope Heals”, go to www.hopehealsbook.com.

The post God Doesn’t Make Mistakes first appeared on Live Original.

Hi, my name is Taylor. I believe in vulnerability and sharing what I’m walking through. If it’s ugly and scary, I want people to be able to say, “you know what…me too”. People need people. So, I want to share a recent thing I discovered about myself – I have a control problem.

If you would have asked me a month ago if I felt like I had a control problem, I would have laughed embarrassingly, rolled my eyes and thought you were crazy.  I trust Jesus, so there’s no way on earth I have a control problem. That’s not even possible…right?

Isn’t that what knowing Jesus is all about? Trusting Him because He is good. Walking in faith knowing the plans He has for us will make us prosper. Relying on Him because He knows our desires and can provide for us.

These things are true in my life. I trust Him. I know He means everything for good, even when I can’t see it. Even so, it can still be extremely hard to see sometimes. I walk by Faith. I know He has plans of prosperity for me. I spend time with Him. I’m getting to know Him. He is GOOD. When I don’t feel it, He is still good. When I don’t see it, He is still good. When I want to run away, HE IS STILL GOOD. Period. He is a good Father.

Once God finally broke through my blindness, I had to come face to face with the fact that I am a huge controller. I remember when I first admitted it out loud. I seriously couldn’t look at myself in a mirror without feeling sick. I wasn’t fooling anyone.

So, why do I still find myself trying to take things into my own hands sometimes? I know that’s the opposite of the faith and walk I am called too. Why do I try to play God, allowing it to cause me anxiety, stress and insecurities in my life? Well, for starters, I am a human. Just like you. I am broken, yet beautiful. Jesus knows my heart. He knows I am a control freak, but He still loves me anyway.  Now, hear me out here…that’s not an excuse to go crazy or take matters into my own hands.

He loves us, and He ALWAYS wants better for us in this life. We can’t just cover up our sins or shortcomings by using His love as an excuse. His love is our lifeline. It’s our grace. When we continue to fall short, and we don’t spend the time to figure out what’s missing or what’s wrong, we get stuck. We form nasty habits, and for an extremely long time now, I’ve formed a control habit.

What you don’t identify you allow to grow. 

Sadly, because of a lack of personal boundaries and time to heal from things in my childhood, I let this control root grow in my soul. At 24 years old, I finally found the courage to identify what’s been shaping me into someone I’m not.

Growth is not always rainbows and gardens overflowing with life. Growth is pruning, and tearing, and replacing bad roots with good soil so we can start fresh. Only then can we find life and the fruit that God intends for us before we go and take everything into our own hands.

So, I’m sure you are wondering, what’s next? What does life look like for you now? You’ve identified you have a control problem, but how do you replace that with a deeper, stronger trust in the Lord?

I’m glad you asked.

I went to Portugal alone to see what it looks like to finally let God be the actual God of my life. I said goodbye to the “Taylor God” I made myself into. During every dance on the beach and with every sunset I got to watch, I let go more and more. You just have to learn to let go.

A lot of amazing older people in my life kept whispering the words “time” and “trust” over and over to me again. Time is probably my least favorite word. I’m so bad with time. Yikes. Like so bad.

But you know who isn’t? Jesus. And you know how we become more like Him? We spend TIME with Him. We open our souls and pray to Him. We give Him our trust. He can fix us.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

 Psalm 40:1-3

So maybe you are not a control freak. Maybe you are a relationship freak, or a money freak, or a friend freak…or whatever you like to call your brokenness.

Here’s my advice in closing to you:

1. Get into God’s word. If we want to become more like Him we must take time to figure out who He is.
2. Get to the bottom of your brokenness. Remember what you don’t identify, you allow to grow.
3. Jesus is healer. Trust Him with that. He will heal.
4. People need people. Get with some healthy people to help you.
5. Be kind to yourself – give yourself time to heal and figure out what’s next.
6. Learn to love the word time and time itself (I don’t like #6 but it’s good advice and I am preaching to myself right now).

You are not alone. I hope you know that. Healthiness is a journey that never stops as long as you are growing. And growing is the best place you can be.

P.S. Since I decided to not play God and be the control freak of my life anymore, I’ve been a lot better off. A lot lighter. It’s like I had glasses on that I didn’t need the whole time. And for the first time in a very long time, I can see clearly now.

It looks a lot like beauty, joy, freedom & grace. I like the view a whole heck of a lot better.

-All the love

The post Letting Go of Control first appeared on Live Original.

Our church family discovered an orphanage in the little town of Neyba in the Dominican Republic around 10 years ago. I’ll never forget the first time I walked through that house. It was crowded, dark, and extremely hot. The tiny kitchen had a broken refrigerator and a stove with one working burner. The bathroom (it’s a stretch to call it that) was in the backyard with no plumbing attached (in other words, nothing ever flushed). Speaking of the backyard (again, a stretch), it was fenced-in with what looked like tall sticks wired together. The building sits right in middle of the town so it’s important to have some protection. Inside the house was three rooms. One for the boys, one for the girls and one for the house parents. The eighteen children who lived there were stacked three high in make-shift bunk beds and many of the mattresses were so old the imprint of the child who slept there never went away.

The faces of those sweet children reflected the despair of the conditions they were living in. We were shocked and saddened by what we saw, and we came home determined to make a difference.  Over the years, our church family rallied together to see to it that our “Dominican Kids” would know what hope and love and grace and protection look like. We were able to remodel their kitchen, provide indoor plumbing and a better fence. We also replaced flattened mattresses with new ones. But God wasn’t done with this home.

“I always say if you don’t have a passport, get one. Then say, “Lord, send me.” Be ready for a big adventure to come your way.”

Two years ago we joined forces with an organization called Help One Now. They are dedicated to helping kids around the world find sponsors in America to help with the necessities of life—food, shelter, education, etc. With their help, a second story was added and now the boys and girls are on different floors and each have their own bathroom. One of the older boys told us last week that he never dreamed he would live in such a nice house.

When I was asked to be a part of the team going in 2008, I knew I wanted my grandchildren and other young people in our church family to be a part of this ministry. At 12 years old, John Luke was the first of my grands to go with me. The DR kids loved him so much and immediately attached themselves to him. I remember leaving the first VBS we put on in the town. We nearly had to get a police escort to get us out. The kids loved John Luke so much, they crowded around him, not wanting him to leave. I told him he was like a rock star. The next year Sadie went with me and I had two rock stars. The DR kids loved both of them. Keep in mind this was way before Duck Dynasty. John Luke and Sadie were just young kids willing to go on a mission trip. After that, more and more family went with me. This last trip ten of my family members went along with twelve others from our church. Now you understand why it’s more like a family reunion.

Over the years, some of our DR kids have gotten older and moved on. We continue to keep up with them and help in any way we can. We’re determined to pour into them as long as we can. My grandkids and other young people who go with us join our team in this effort. They lead singing, put on dramas, help with crafts and read scriptures. Mostly, and most importantly, they love them. They are their friends. We’ve always said, love has no language barrier and it’s true. I’m always amazed at how our “kids” from two different countries can communicate when they don’t speak the language. A hug in any language is still a hug. Right? Just like shooting a basketball works in any language and so does making a friendship bracelet.

As I was flying home, I sat next to a man from Canada. He wanted to know why I was in the DR. He was there for work. After I told him, he was quiet for a minute, then he said he often stays in the nicer hotels in Santo Domingo and he notices many groups who come on “mission trips” stay in a nice hotel. He said, “I have a problem with that.”  I said “Why?” He said, “If you’re coming to help poor people, shouldn’t you live like they do?” I agreed that putting the whole 1st world and 3rd world thing in the proper perspective can be difficult.  But, here’s how I look at it.

Each year, maybe two or three times a year, my family will go to a country to help people who will never see a cell phone or drive a car or wear new shoes or go to a mall. But, here’s the deal, the fact that I live in a nice house and drive a car and have a cell doesn’t keep anyone in a 3rd world country in poverty. My circumstances in America won’t change their conditions. But, my heart and what I do with the money I make in America can and does. The man stating his problem with those staying in a nice hotel probably does nothing himself to help the poor; yet he passes judgement on those who do.

After our first trip to the DR, one of the local workers from the area said to our group, “Please don’t go home and feel guilty for what you have. Go home and be grateful. Then, decide how you can give back.” Those were, and still are, very wise words. We are blessed in America. Even our poorest do not compare to the poverty in other countries. So, what do we do with that? We thank God for our blessings and give back to others. That’s what God calls us to do.

I always say if you don’t have a passport, get one. Then say, “Lord, send me.” Be ready for a big adventure to come your way.

Hugs, 2-mama

The post Love Has No Language Barriers first appeared on Live Original.