Category: Story

  • Walk With Me: It’s Time to Grow

    Walk With Me: It’s Time to Grow

    “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” — Hebrews 5:14

    Let me ask you a question.

    Are you growing?

    Not—How long have you been a Christian?

    Not—How many Bible studies have you completed?

    Not—How many sermons have you listened to?

    Not even—How much Scripture do you know?

    But is what you know about Jesus changing the way you live with Jesus?

    That’s a different question.

    And it may be one of the most important questions we ask as we continue learning what it means to walk with Him. Hebrews 5:12–14 gives us an interesting—and somewhat uncomfortable—picture of spiritual maturity.

    The writer compares spiritual infancy to needing milk and spiritual maturity to being ready for solid food. His concern wasn’t simply that his readers needed to learn more. They had already been taught truth.

    They needed to grow in their ability to live it. And tucked into verse 14 is a phrase I don’t want us to miss:

    “trained by constant practice.”

    Those words tell us something important about spiritual growth. We aren’t transformed simply by accumulating Christian information.

    We are transformed as God’s truth moves from our heads, settles into our hearts and begins changing the way we live. We have to practice it.

    My sister Sara had a phrase that has stayed with me for years:

    “Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional.”

    Sara knew quite a bit about change.

    Her life changed in ways she never would have chosen. Illness eventually took away her ability to work, travel and even leave her home.

    Those changes happened to her. But what she did with them?That was something different.

    Sara once wrote a blog post about one of her life goals: to be intentional in all things. She believed that everything we do—even the smallest things—has an impact.

    A smile. A compliment. Stopping what we’re doing long enough to really listen. Paying attention to someone else’s need. Choosing the way we speak to ourselves when we wake up in the morning. Responding when we feel God tugging at our hearts.

    None of those things seem particularly dramatic. But they are the places where growth happens.

    Sara wrote:

    “The way for me to make sure I’m living intentionally is to first be sure I’m really present in the moment.”

    Present in the moment. Maybe that’s where intentional growth begins. By paying attention.

    Are We Paying Attention?

    Sara admitted that as her physical world became smaller, it would have been easy to let the world pass her by. Instead, she made another choice.

    She wrote:

    “But it’s my intention to be open to whatever God has in store for me.”

    And then she said something that has always struck me:

    “My biggest fear is that He has a purpose for me and if I’m not paying attention, I’ll miss it.”

    What if spiritual maturity requires us to pay attention?

    Pay attention to God. Pay attention to His Word. Pay attention to our thoughts. Pay attention to the person standing in front of us. Pay attention to the little opportunities to obey. Pay attention to that nudge to encourage someone, forgive someone, call someone, serve someone or simply stop long enough to listen.

    Maybe we sometimes miss opportunities to grow because we’re waiting for God to teach us something new while He’s giving us opportunities to practice what He’s already taught us.

    Think about some of the truths many of us already know.

    We know God is trustworthy. But then something happens that doesn’t make sense.

    Now we get to practice trust.

    We know Scripture tells us to forgive. Then someone hurts us.

    Now we get to practice forgiveness.

    We know we’re supposed to take our thoughts captive. Then fear starts telling us everything that could possibly go wrong.

    Now we get to practice replacing lies with truth.

    We know we’re supposed to love others. Then God puts someone difficult in our path.

    Now we get to practice love.

    We know we’re supposed to obey God. Then obedience requires something uncomfortable.

    Now we get to practice obedience.

    This is where truth moves from our heads into our lives.

    And I think this is exactly what Hebrews means by being “trained by constant practice.”

    Believe It. Think It. Do It. Live It.

    Throughout our Walk With Me journey, we’ve been talking about a simple progression:

    Believe Right.
    Begin with biblical truth. What does God say?

    Think Right.
    Allow that truth to shape the thoughts and desires of our hearts.

    Do Right.
    Choose obedience—even when our feelings haven’t caught up yet.

    Feel Right.
    As our hearts and minds are continually brought under God’s truth, we begin experiencing the contentment and peace that come from walking His way.

    Growth happens as truth travels through that process again and again.

    We believe.

    We think.

    We choose.

    We practice.

    And little by little, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we change.

    That’s discipleship. That’s maturity. That’s growth.

    Growth Isn’t Perfection…

    There’s one more thing Sara said in that post that I think we need to hear.

    After describing her desire to live intentionally, she admitted:

    “I drop the ball on it all the time… I mess up with the best of them. But my intention is to always keep trying.”

    I love that honesty.

    Because intentional growth is not perfection.

    It’s practice.

    You will get distracted. Practice coming back.

    You will respond poorly. Practice apologizing.

    You will believe the fearful thought for a while. Practice replacing it with truth.

    You will miss an opportunity to obey. Pay attention when the next opportunity comes.

    We aren’t earning God’s love by getting everything right.

    We’re walking with the One who already loves us, allowing Him to train us as we follow.

    And training requires repetition.

    Again.

    And again.

    And again.

    Constant practice.

    So maybe the question this week isn’t:

    What do I need to learn?

    Maybe it’s:

    What has God already taught me that I need to practice?

    Is it trust?

    Forgiveness?

    Gratitude?

    Patience?

    Generosity?

    Encouragement?

    Surrender?

    Taking your thoughts captive?

    Being fully present with the people God has placed in front of you?

    Taking that step of obedience you’ve been putting off?

    Don’t make a list of twenty things you need to change.

    Ask God for one.

    Lord, what truth have You already taught me that You want me to practice today?

    Then pay attention.

    Because the opportunity to practice may show up in a conversation you weren’t expecting. An interruption you didn’t want. A person who tests your patience. A thought that needs to be captured. A prompting that would be easier to ignore. Or a circumstance you desperately wish God would change.

    And perhaps right there—in that very ordinary moment—God is growing you.

    Sara was right.

    Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional.

    But Hebrews helps us take it one step further.

    Growth requires practice.

    Not just knowing truth. Not just agreeing with truth. Not just highlighting truth in our Bibles.

    Living it.

    And perhaps spiritual maturity isn’t always God giving us something new to learn. Sometimes it’s God giving us another opportunity to practice what He’s already taught us.

    So this week, let’s pay attention. Let’s listen. Let’s obey. Let’s practice.

    And when we drop the ball, let’s get back up and practice again.

    Because we’re not trying to arrive at perfection.

    We’re learning to walk with Jesus.

    And as we walk with Him, it’s time to grow.

    Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional. Practice is how intention becomes transformation.

    Walk with me.

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • Invite Others Along

    Invite Others Along

    Joy Was Never Meant to Stop With You

    “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ … Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law… Jesus of Nazareth.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.” — John 1:43–46

    Over the past five weeks, we’ve been on an incredible journey together.

    We began by learning to seek Jesus with our whole hearts. We discovered that when we intentionally pursue Him, He faithfully reveals Himself.

    Next, we learned to follow faithfully—taking the next step of obedience even when we couldn’t see the entire path.

    Then we talked about what it means to abide deeply. Not simply visiting Jesus when life becomes difficult, but remaining with Him every day, allowing Him to shape our thoughts, our decisions, and our hearts.

    Last week, we celebrated the beautiful fruit of that relationship—experiencing joy. Not happiness based on our circumstances, but the unwavering confidence that Christ is with us no matter what life brings.

    Now we arrive at the final step.

    Perhaps the most important one.

    Invite others along.

    Because joy was never meant to stop with us.

    Faith Was Always Meant to Be Shared.

    One of my favorite passages in Scripture is found in John chapter one.

    Philip had just encountered Jesus.

    He didn’t attend seminary.

    He didn’t have years of Bible study under his belt.

    He couldn’t answer every theological question.

    What did he do?

    He found his friend Nathanael and simply said,

    “Come and see.”

    Those three words have always challenged me.

    Philip didn’t argue.

    He didn’t pressure.

    He didn’t pretend to know everything.

    He simply invited someone else to experience what had changed his own life.

    Sometimes we make sharing our faith much more complicated than Jesus ever intended.

    We convince ourselves that we need all the answers before we can tell someone about Him.

    But maybe God isn’t asking us to have every answer.

    Maybe He’s simply asking us to extend an invitation.

    You Already Have a Story.

    One of the enemy’s greatest lies is this:

    “You’re not qualified.”

    Maybe you’ve thought:

    • I don’t know enough Scripture.
    • My past disqualifies me.
    • I’m not a speaker.
    • Someone else could explain it better.
    • What if they ask me something I can’t answer?

    Friend, none of those things stopped Philip.

    None of those things stop Jesus from using ordinary people.

    Your story matters because it’s your story.

    No one can argue with what Christ has done in your life.

    You don’t have to tell someone everything about Jesus.

    You simply have to tell them what He’s done for you.

    The Most Powerful Invitations Are Often the Simplest.

    Inviting others along doesn’t always look like standing behind a pulpit.

    Sometimes it looks like saying:

    “Can I pray for you?”

    “Would you like to come to church with me?”

    “I’m reading something that’s encouraging me. Would you like to read it together?”

    “Let’s grab coffee.”

    “How are you… really?”

    “You don’t have to walk through this alone.”

    Those simple invitations have eternal impact.

    Many of us can trace our faith journey back to someone who simply cared enough to invite us.

    A parent.

    A grandparent.

    A Sunday School teacher.

    A neighbor.

    A friend.

    Someone left room at their table for us.

    Now it’s our turn to leave room for someone else.

    An Empty Chair.

    I love the image of a porch.

    Porches invite people to slow down.

    To talk.

    To laugh.

    To rest.

    To belong.

    There’s often one more chair waiting for a guest.

    I wonder if our lives could look more like that porch.

    Not closed off.

    Not hurried.

    Not so full that no one else can enter.

    Just one more chair.

    One more conversation.

    One more prayer.

    One more invitation.

    One more person discovering that God deeply loves them.

    Imagine what could happen if each of us asked the Lord to show us who belongs in that empty chair this week.

    Not to fix them.

    Not to rescue them.

    Simply to walk beside them as we both follow Jesus.

    The Adventure Continues…

    As we close this series, I hope you realize something.

    This was never about completing five weeks of reading.

    It was about becoming people who seek Jesus daily, follow Him faithfully, abide deeply in His presence, experience His joy, and then invite others to experience the same.

    That’s the rhythm of the Christian life.

    And that’s the heartbeat of Choose Joy Adventure.

    Because adventures are always better when we travel together.

    So today, ask God one simple question:

    Who are You inviting me to invite?

    Maybe it’s a family member.

    A coworker.

    A neighbor.

    A friend who’s quietly struggling.

    Or maybe it’s someone you’ve been thinking about for weeks, but fear has kept you silent.

    Don’t wait until you feel perfectly prepared.

    Philip didn’t.

    Simply say:

    “Come and see.”

    And perhaps those three words will become the beginning of someone else’s greatest adventure.

    This Week’s Challenge…

    Before next Monday, ask God to place one person on your heart.

    Pray for them every day.

    Encourage them in a tangible way.

    Invite them to coffee, church, Bible study, or simply into a conversation.

    You don’t have to have all the answers.

    You only have to be willing to leave one more chair at your table.

    Because someone is waiting for an invitation.

    And Jesus is still changing lives, one “Come and see” at a time.

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • Experience Joy: The Fruit of Trust

    Experience Joy: The Fruit of Trust

    “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” — John 15:11

    We’ve spent the last several weeks walking through three simple invitations:

    Seek Jesus.

    Follow Faithfully.

    Abide Deeply.

    Each one is a step closer to the heart of Christ.

    But what happens when we seek Him? When we faithfully follow His leading? When we remain close to Him day after day?

    We begin to experience something the world cannot explain.

    We experience joy.

    Not the kind of joy that depends on circumstances.

    Not the kind that disappears when life gets hard.

    Not happiness that comes and goes with good news or difficult days.

    The joy Jesus offers is something much deeper.

    My sister, Sara Frankl, understood this kind of joy perhaps better than anyone I’ve known. Though she lived with unimaginable physical suffering, she once wrote these words as her personal definition of Joy that continue to challenge and encourage me:

    “The unwavering trust that God knows what He is doing and blessed me with the opportunity to be part of it. Not despite what is happening in my life, but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.”

    What a beautiful definition.

    Notice that Sara never says joy is pretending life isn’t hard.

    She doesn’t ignore the heaviness.

    She acknowledges it.

    “When everything earthly feels heavy…”

    She knew heavy days.

    She knew unanswered prayers.

    She knew physical pain.

    She knew disappointment.

    Yet she also knew something greater.

    She knew the One who carried her through every moment.

    I’ve often said that joy is a focus, not a feeling.

    The more I think about it, the more I realize joy is also the fruit of trust.

    When I trust that God is who He says He is…

    When I trust His timing…

    When I trust His wisdom…

    When I trust that He is writing a story greater than I can see…

    Joy begins to grow, even when my circumstances don’t change.

    That doesn’t mean we always feel joyful.

    There were days during my cancer journey when I didn’t feel joyful.

    There are still days when life feels heavy. When tears spill over.

    But joy was never dependent on how I felt.

    Joy came from knowing that Christ was walking with me.

    Jesus told His disciples in John 15 to abide in Him, just as branches remain connected to the vine. Then He immediately spoke about joy.

    That isn’t an accident.

    Joy isn’t something we strive to produce.

    Joy is the natural fruit of remaining connected to Jesus.

    The closer we stay to Him, the more His joy becomes our strength.

    So perhaps today the question isn’t, “How can I be happier?”

    Perhaps the better question is, “Where is my trust?”

    Because wherever trust in Christ grows deeper, joy follows.

    Not because life suddenly becomes easy.

    But because Jesus is enough.

    No matter what adventure lies ahead.

    This Week’s Challenge

    Instead of asking God to remove every difficult circumstance, ask Him to deepen your trust.

    Watch for moments where He reminds you that He is present, faithful, and working—even when you cannot yet see the whole picture.

    You may discover what Sara discovered years ago:

    That even when everything around you feels heavy, Christ can give you an internal lightness that nothing on earth can touch.

    Choose Joy.

    Not because life is easy.

    But because Jesus is faithful.

    Reflection

    • Where is God inviting you to trust Him more deeply today?
    • What circumstance have you been measuring by your feelings instead of His faithfulness?
    • How might abiding in Christ change your perspective this week?

    May we continue to seek Him, follow Him, abide in Him…

    …and discover the joy that only He can give.

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • When Life Feels Like a Puzzle

    Have you ever dumped a puzzle out onto a table and wondered how all those random pieces could possibly fit together?

    At first, the pieces seem disconnected. Some are upside down. Some appear insignificant. Others look like they belong somewhere else entirely. Yet the person assembling the puzzle trusts that every piece has a purpose because they have seen the picture on the box.

    Life often feels the same way.

    There are seasons when we can only see a handful of pieces. We see the heartbreak, the disappointment, the unanswered prayer, the unexpected detour, or the dream that didn’t unfold the way we hoped. Looking at those individual moments, it is difficult to understand what God is doing.

    But God sees the finished picture.

    What feels random to us is not random to Him. What appears broken is not beyond His ability to restore. What seems out of place is often exactly where it belongs in His greater plan.

    Romans 8:28 reminds us:

    “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

    Notice that Scripture does not say all things are good. It says God works through all things for good. Every piece matters.

    Some puzzle pieces are beautiful. They represent blessings, victories, answered prayers, and joyful moments. We gladly place those pieces into the picture.

    Other pieces are harder to accept. They represent grief, illness, loss, disappointment, and waiting. We may wish we could leave those pieces out altogether. Yet often those difficult pieces become the very places where God’s faithfulness shines brightest.

    If you’ve ever worked on a puzzle, you know that the edge pieces usually come first. They create a framework that helps everything else come together. In the same way, God’s Word provides the framework for our lives. When circumstances confuse us, His promises help us understand where the pieces belong.

    The truth is, we were never meant to assemble the puzzle alone.

    God is the Master Designer. He knows exactly where each piece fits. He knows why certain pieces arrived when they did. He knows why some pieces seem delayed. He knows how today’s confusion will connect to tomorrow’s purpose.

    Our responsibility is not to see the entire picture. Our responsibility is to trust the One who does.

    Maybe today you’re holding a piece of the puzzle that makes no sense. Perhaps you’re facing a situation that feels unfinished or unresolved. Remember that one piece is not the whole picture.

    Don’t judge God’s plan by the piece you’re holding today.

    Trust that the Author of your story is still working. Trust that He is placing each piece exactly where it belongs. Trust that one day you will look back and see how His grace, wisdom, and faithfulness were present all along.

    The puzzle isn’t finished yet.

    And that’s okay.

    God is still putting the pieces together.

    What piece of your life are you struggling to understand right now, and how can you choose to trust God with the bigger picture?

    Proverbs 3:5-6 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

    With love and joy,

    Laura

  • Stop Counting

    “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” — Psalm 20:7

    We count everything.

    Calories. Followers. Dollars. Wrinkles. Accomplishments. Failures. Likes on social media. How many people showed up. How many people noticed. How many people didn’t.

    We count what everyone else has and quietly compare it to what we don’t.

    And before we know it, our worth becomes attached to numbers.

    But God never asked us to count those things.

    He asked us to count on Him.

    Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” In Biblical times, chariots and horses represented strength, power, security, and status. Today, our “chariots” may simply look different. We trust in followers, appearance, income, achievements, relationships, recognition, or the approval of others to make us feel valuable.

    Yet none of those things can truly hold the weight of our identity.

    The world teaches us that more is better. More attention. More influence. More success. More applause. Yet the more we chase those things, the more empty we often feel. Because the human heart was never designed to be filled by comparison. It was designed to be filled by Christ.

    Comparison is exhausting because there will always be someone with more. More beauty. More money. More opportunities. More followers. More recognition. If we live by counting what we lack, we will always feel like we are behind.

    But God’s Kingdom works differently.

    Jesus never measured people by popularity, status, or possessions. He looked at hearts. He valued faithfulness over fame. Obedience over attention. Surrender over success.

    The disciples probably didn’t look impressive by the world’s standards. Moses felt inadequate. David was overlooked. Ruth was a widow. Paul carried weakness. Yet God used each one powerfully because they stopped focusing on what they didn’t have and started trusting the One who had everything they needed.

    Maybe that’s where peace begins too.

    Not in finally getting enough.
    But in realizing God already is enough.

    What if we stopped counting likes and started counting blessings?

    What if we stopped counting flaws and started remembering grace?

    What if we stopped counting how far behind we feel and started counting on the God who never leaves us?

    Because the truth is, when we constantly compare ourselves to others, we lose sight of the unique story God is writing in us. Someone else’s success does not diminish your value. Someone else’s calling does not cancel your purpose.

    God is not asking you to become someone else.

    He is asking you to trust Him with who you already are.

    The enemy loves distraction through comparison because comparison keeps our eyes horizontally focused on people instead of vertically focused on God. Peter learned this when he walked on water. As long as his eyes were on Jesus, he stayed above the waves. The moment he focused on everything around him, fear took over.

    The same is true for us.

    We sink when we focus on everyone else’s life instead of God’s faithfulness in our own.

    Social media can become dangerous when it quietly convinces us that everyone else is happier, prettier, more successful, more spiritual, or more loved. But remember, people usually post highlights, not struggles. We compare our behind-the-scenes to someone else’s carefully edited moments.

    God never intended for us to live chained to comparison.

    Galatians 6:4 says, “Pay careful attention to your own work…without comparing yourself to someone else.”

    That verse is freedom.

    Freedom to stop performing.
    Freedom to stop competing.
    Freedom to stop striving for approval that only God can truly satisfy.

    At the end of the day, God will never ask how many followers you had. He will ask if you followed Him.

    He will not ask if everyone applauded you. He will ask if you trusted Him.

    He will not ask if you measured up to others. He will ask if you loved Him and loved people well.

    So maybe today is the day to stop counting all the wrong things.

    Stop counting what you lack.
    Stop counting failures.
    Stop counting likes.
    Stop counting how you compare.

    And instead, count on God.

    Because when God is enough, you no longer need the world to tell you that you are.

    With love and joy,

    Laura