Update on Tim's Elbow

(This is not Tim)

Update on Tim's Elbow 

As you all know, Tim has been dealing with an elbow injury that has kept him from doing the sport he loves.

The last update I gave was that his orthopedic doctor had decided to take the path of physical therapy and see how things progressed. However, after consulting with the other elbow specialists on staff and discussing Tim’s case, the general consensus was that it warranted exploratory arthroscopic surgery.

The plan is to address several things while they are in there:

1. Remove the fluid that no one has been able to successfully aspirate and send it off for lab testing.
2. Remove a bone spur that is exacerbating the problem.
3. Address anything else they find that may need attention while they are in there.

So, surgery is scheduled for this Friday. He'll come home same day.

After surgery, Tim will begin post-op physical therapy with a specialist who works with this type of injury. The hope is that by taking this step now, we can get to the bottom of what is going on with his elbow, get him on the right path to healing, and ultimately get him back to the sport he loves sooner rather than later.

This injury has affected more than just his weightlifting. It has also put a halt to his ability to work alongside his dad in our family business. He hasn't been able to train, work, or simply live life the way he normally would. I know that has been frustrating for him.

So, pray. 🙏

Pray for God to guide the hands of the surgeon and that everything that needs to be addressed is addressed while they are in there. Pray for Tim’s healing to be quick and complete so that he can get back to not only training, but to simply living life.

We know healing will be a process. We know there will be recovery and work involved. But we also know that God has got Tim—and Tim knows it, too.

God has seen him through so much in his young life, and Tim trusts Him for his complete healing. So, as we head into Friday, that's where our faith is—not in the surgery itself, but in the God who is with Tim through all of it.

Please keep praying. ❤️🙏

Where Is Your Faith?

(taken from an illustration from a sermon my Pastor taught)

Where Is Your Faith? 

When I saw this illustration that our Pastor shared, I knew I wanted to share it here.

It immediately made me stop and think about where my faith is placed.

The illustration says that our faith should be in three main areas:

The blood of Jesus.
The name of Jesus.
The Word of God.

The more I thought about those three things, the more I realized how beautifully they work together.

Faith in the blood of Jesus reminds me of what Jesus did for me.

Romans 3:23-25 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but that we are justified through Christ Jesus and His sacrifice.

There is nothing I could ever do to earn salvation. I cannot be good enough, work hard enough, or make myself worthy enough. My hope is in what Jesus did for me on the cross.

His blood paid a price I could never pay.

Faith in the name of Jesus reminds me of who I am trusting.

Acts 3:16 tells us that it is faith in the name of Jesus that brings healing and restoration. There is power in His name—not because the name itself is simply a word, but because of who Jesus is.

When I pray, I want my faith to be in Jesus.

When I am afraid, I want my faith to be in Jesus.

When I don't understand what God is doing, I want my faith to remain in Jesus.

And then there is faith in the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 tells us, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

God's Word gives us something solid to stand on when everything around us feels uncertain.

Our feelings change.

Circumstances change.

People change.

Life changes.

But God's Word does not change.

There have been many seasons in my life when I didn't understand what God was doing. I couldn't see what was ahead, and sometimes I didn't even know what I was supposed to do next.

But those are the moments when I have learned that faith isn't about having all the answers.

Faith is trusting the One who does.

When I look at these three areas, I see a beautiful picture:

The blood of Jesus reminds me of what He has done.
The name of Jesus reminds me of who He is.
The Word of God reminds me of what He has said.

And those are three things I never want to forget.

My faith isn't in my circumstances.
My faith isn't in my own strength.
My faith isn't in what I can see.

My faith is in Jesus—His blood, His name, and His Word.

And when I find myself struggling to trust, perhaps the question I need to ask isn't, “Do I have enough faith?”

Maybe the better question is:

“Where have I placed my faith?”

Because when our faith is placed in the right One, we can face whatever comes knowing that God is faithful.  Always. ❤️

---

The Treasures That Fill Our Home

The Treasures That Fill Our Home

When I read these verses, I don't think about a physical house. I think about a home.

Wisdom and knowledge build a strong house. What I take that to mean is that through wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, everyone in a home has a part in making that home stronger. Everyone has a special place to fill.

A house can be beautiful. It can be filled with beautiful furniture, decorations, pictures, and things that we have collected over the years. But none of those things are what truly make a house a home.

The greatest treasures in our home are the people who fill it.

In our home, the rare and beautiful treasures that fill our rooms are our loved ones. Each person is unique and holds value that only they can hold. Each person is rare and beautiful—and I'm not talking about outward beauty.

I'm talking about the beauty that comes from within.

The kindness.
The love.
The laughter.
The wisdom.
The strength.
The compassion.
The faith.
The memories.
The experiences that have shaped each of us into who we are.

These are the things that fill a home with treasures that money could never buy.

Every person brings something different into a family. We each have different personalities, different gifts, different strengths, and even different weaknesses. And yet, God can use all of those differences to build something beautiful.

I think about our own home and how grateful I am for the people God has placed within it. The people I love are not simply occupants of our house. They are the reason it is home.

They are the treasures in the rooms.

And just as Proverbs says, a strong house doesn't happen by accident. It is built. It is established. It takes wisdom, understanding, patience, forgiveness, grace, communication, and most importantly, God.

Because homes aren't perfect.

Families aren't perfect.

People aren't perfect.

But a home built on God doesn't have to be perfect to be strong.

There will be difficult seasons. There will be disagreements. There will be misunderstandings and moments when we don't get it right. But when we allow God to be the foundation of our home, He teaches us how to love each other through those things.

He teaches us to listen when we'd rather speak, to extend grace when we'd rather hold onto hurt, to forgive when it isn't easy, and to value the person in front of us more than whatever disagreement we may be facing.

And perhaps that is part of what makes the treasures in our rooms so rare and beautiful.

They aren't valuable because they are perfect.

They are valuable because they are ours—and because God entrusted them to us.

When I look around our home, I don't want to see only what we've accumulated. I want to see what God has built.

I want the walls of our home to hold memories of laughter, conversations, celebrations, tears, prayers, hard seasons, answered prayers, and ordinary days that we didn't realize were actually some of the most precious days of our lives.

I want our home to be a place where the people inside it know they are loved, valued, safe, and accepted.

Because one day, the furniture will be old. The decorations will change. Things will break, be replaced, or eventually be gone.

But the people God has given us?

They are the treasures.

And if I have learned anything, it is that the most beautiful things in life aren't things at all.

They are people.

They are relationships.

They are memories.

They are the love we give and receive.

They are the people who walk beside us through every season.

And when God is the One building the house, He doesn't just fill its rooms with possessions.

He fills them with rare and beautiful treasures.

I pray that our home will always be a place where those treasures are recognized, cherished, protected, and loved.

Because to me, that is what makes a house a home.

Taking Every Thought Captive

Taking Every Thought Captive

Paul wrote these words as he was defending his ministry and his authority as an apostle.

In this verse, Paul tells us two ways he wages war on behalf of the gospel. First, he demolishes arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against “the knowledge of God.” Second, he takes every thought captive and makes it obedient to Christ.

Demolishing arguments and pretensions seems easy enough, doesn’t it? After all, who doesn’t like to battle over what they believe to be true? Almost no one backs down when they wholeheartedly believe in something strongly enough.

The last part is more tricky, though, isn’t it?

That’s the part that is much harder to do.

Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Doing that means we have to think and live the way Christ would have us think and live. I don’t know about you, but I mess up on this a lot.

My thoughts are all over the place on any given day. Reeling them in and bringing them into obedience to Christ is not a natural thing for me to do—and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

I’m always thinking about what has been, what I’m dealing with currently, and what’s to come in the future.

None of us can see the future. We can look back at the past and know what we do and don’t want in our lives. We can look at what is happening right now and think about ways to make things better, hoping and praying for a better outcome when all is said and done.

But what if we thought about all of it through the lens of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?

That is something I sometimes struggle with—especially when I want to control the outcome myself.

I'm sure you understand that because you may struggle with the same thing.

I can pray about something and then, not long afterward, find myself trying to figure out how I can fix it. I can give something to God and then start taking it back with my thoughts, my worries, my plans, and my attempts to control the outcome.

Maybe that's exactly where taking our thoughts captive becomes so important.

We have to recognize the thought, hold it up against what we know about God, and then decide whether we are going to let that thought control us—or surrender it to Him.

No one ever said living our lives in obedience to Christ would be easy. It most certainly isn't.

My flesh is always fighting with my spirit in a tug-of-war, with one wanting to win out over the other. I'm thankful that, more often than not, I give way to my spirit. But sometimes it takes me realizing that I've allowed my flesh to get in the way before I finally surrender that thought, that worry, that fear, or that desire for control back to God.

And I'm just glad that Christ wins out in the end.

Maybe that's what I need to remind myself of more often:

I don't have to win every battle in my mind. I just have to surrender every thought to the One who has already won the greatest battle.

Walking with Him is what truly matters.

Giving my thoughts to Him makes all the difference—not only for me, but for my family and the way I live my life.

Will things always go the way I think they should? No. We are living in a fallen world, and difficult things will happen. Disappointments will come. Plans will change. Some things will hurt.

But I know Who is with me.

I know Who holds my past, my present, and my future.

I know Who sees what I cannot see.

And I know that when I surrender my thoughts to Him, I don't have to carry the weight of figuring everything out on my own.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

That's more than just a verse to read.

It's a way to live.

And for me, it's a daily reminder that when my mind starts running ahead, behind, or in a hundred different directions, I can stop, take that thought captive, and bring it back to Christ.

Because my thoughts may not always be under control—but they can always be surrendered to the One who is.

Esteeming Others

(image is from Dollywood's social media page)

Esteeming Others

God has brought this verse to my attention several times this year and it has been making me stop and think about my own heart.

I think most of us would say we don't want to be selfish or prideful. I certainly don't. But if I'm being honest, I can still find myself making life about me without even realizing it.

How am I being treated?
Do they appreciate me?
Do they understand me?
What about what I need?
What about what I want?

And sometimes those questions aren't wrong. We all have needs, boundaries, and things that matter. But this verse reminds me that following Christ means I can't make myself the center of everything.

Paul tells us, “Let each esteem others better than himself.”

That doesn't mean I have to believe that I'm less valuable than everyone else. It doesn't mean I have to ignore my own needs or allow people to mistreat me. I don't believe God calls us to live that way.

To me, it means choosing to look beyond myself.

Choosing to notice someone else's needs.

Choosing to listen instead of always needing to be heard.

Choosing to celebrate someone else's accomplishments without feeling like they take anything away from my own.

Choosing to serve when I could be served.

Choosing to love when it would be easier to walk away.

And maybe most importantly, choosing to remember that my worth doesn't depend on being better than someone else.

I don't have to compete for my value.

I don't have to prove that I'm important.

I don't have to be the smartest person in the room, have the last word, or receive recognition for everything I do.

Because my identity is found in Christ.

And when I truly understand that, it becomes easier to lift someone else up.

Looking to Jesus

What makes this verse even more powerful to me is what Paul says next.

He doesn't simply tell us to be humble. He points us to Jesus.

Philippians 2:5 says:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus had every reason to be exalted, yet He willingly humbled Himself and became a servant.

The King became a servant.

The One who deserved glory chose sacrifice.

And He did it for us.

That puts my own little moments of pride into perspective.

If Jesus could humble Himself for the sake of others, how can I refuse to humble myself when God gives me the opportunity to love, serve, encourage, or put someone else first?

I know I won't get this right every time. I am still learning. God is still working on my heart, and I am grateful that He doesn't expect me to arrive at perfection before He can use me.

Sometimes humility looks like saying, “I was wrong.”

Sometimes it looks like letting something go.

Sometimes it means celebrating someone else's victory.

Sometimes it means listening instead of defending myself.

Sometimes it means putting someone else's needs ahead of my own.

And sometimes it simply means asking God to help me see people the way He sees them.

A Different Way to Live

The world often teaches us to look out for number one.

Build yourself up.

Make sure you're recognized.

Get ahead.

Protect your position.

Make sure everyone knows what you've accomplished.

But Jesus shows us another way.

Serve.
Love.
Give.
Encourage.
Forgive.
Lift others up.
Put others first.

That doesn't make us weak.

It makes us more like Him.

And I think that's what Philippians 2:3 is really asking of me—not to think less of myself, but to stop making myself the center of the story.

Because when my eyes are fixed on Jesus, I have less need to prove myself.

I can celebrate someone else's blessings.

I can cheer someone else on.

I can extend grace.

I can serve without needing recognition.

I can love without keeping score.

And I can remember that there is plenty of room in God's kingdom for someone else to shine without making my own light any dimmer.

Lord, give me the heart of Jesus.

Help me lay down selfish ambition and pride. Help me see others through Your eyes. Help me to listen more, serve more, encourage more, and love more.

And when I'm tempted to make everything about me, remind me that it was never about me in the first place.

It has always been about You.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

That is the heart I want.

Not a heart that asks, “What can I get?”

But a heart that asks,

“How can I love?”

“How can I serve?”

“How can I bless someone today?”

Because that is the kind of heart that looks a little more like Jesus.

An Undivided Heart

An Undivided Heart

I have read this verse many times, but recently the words “give me an undivided heart” have really stayed with me.

There is something powerful about knowing the circumstances surrounding this prayer.

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. We aren't told exactly what situation prompted him to write it, but we know he was in distress. He describes himself as poor and needy and speaks of arrogant and ruthless people coming against him. He was asking God for help, protection, mercy, strength, and comfort.

And yet, in the middle of all of that, David says:

“Teach me your way, LORD.”

Not just change my circumstances.

Not just make this easier.

Not just tell me when this is going to end.

Teach me Your way.

That really makes me stop and think.

Because if I'm being honest, there have been plenty of times in my life when my prayer has been more about asking God to change what is happening around me than asking Him to change what is happening inside of me.

I want answers.

I want clarity.

I want to know what is coming next.

I want to know how everything is going to work out.

And sometimes I want God to show me the destination when He is simply asking me to trust Him with the next step.

But David's prayer goes even deeper.

“Give me an undivided heart.”

The NKJV says, “Unite my heart to fear Your name.” The idea is a heart that is made whole or single-minded in its devotion to God.

An undivided heart.

What would that look like in my life?

It would mean trusting God when I understand what He is doing and when I don't.

It would mean believing He is faithful when I can see His hand and when I can't.

It would mean not allowing fear, worry, disappointment, circumstances, or my own desire to control things to pull my heart away from Him.

Because isn't that what happens so easily?

We can love God and still worry.

We can trust God and still try to control everything.

We can believe God is faithful and still wonder, “But what if this doesn't turn out the way I hope?”

We can have one part of our heart saying, “God, I trust You,” while another part is quietly saying, “But I need to figure this out myself.”

Maybe that's why David's prayer resonates with me so much.

He wasn't praying this from a place where everything was perfect.

He was praying it in the middle of trouble.

And perhaps that is when an undivided heart matters most.

It is easy to praise God when everything is going the way we hoped.

It is much harder—and perhaps much more meaningful—to say:

“Lord, I don't understand this, but teach me Your way.”

“Lord, I don't know what comes next, but help me rely on Your faithfulness.”

“Lord, my heart is being pulled in a hundred different directions, so unite my heart and keep it focused on You.”

I think about how many times God has already proven Himself faithful in my own life.

Looking back, I can see things I couldn't see while I was living through them.

I can see prayers that weren't answered the way I thought they would be, but were answered in ways I didn't yet understand.

I can see places where I thought God was absent, only to realize later that He was protecting me, redirecting me, growing me, or preparing something I couldn't see.

And I can look at where I am today and know that God's faithfulness was never dependent upon my ability to understand His plan.

He was faithful then.

He is faithful now.

And He will be faithful in whatever comes next.

That's why I think this verse is more than simply a beautiful Scripture.

It is a prayer I want to pray over my own life:

Lord, teach me Your way.

Not my way.

Not the way that feels easiest.

Not the way that gives me the answers I want right now.

Your way.

Teach me to rely on Your faithfulness rather than my own understanding.

And when my heart becomes divided between faith and fear, control and surrender, what I want and what You are doing...

unite my heart.

Bring me back to You.

Remind me who You are.

Remind me of everything You have already brought me through.

Remind me that I don't have to know what tomorrow holds when I know Who holds tomorrow.

And may I be able to say, just as David did, that I will praise You “with my whole heart.”

Because at the end of the day, that's what I want.

Not simply a life where everything goes according to my plan.

But a heart that belongs completely to God.

An undivided heart.

A heart that trusts.

A heart that listens.

A heart that follows.

A heart that remembers.

And above all...

a heart that is fully His.

Lord, teach me Your way.

Tim's Elbow Update

                   

Tim's Elbow Update

We went with Tim to see Ortho today to discuss his elbow, the plan of action, and the next steps toward getting him back to competing.

The doctor we saw was, by far, the best we've seen so far. He was extremely informative and took the time to explain what he believes is going on and what he feels we need to do moving forward.

In a nutshell, Tim will be spending the next six weeks working with a physical therapist who specializes in the type of elbow injury he has. Apparently, this is something they see quite often in baseball players.

The doctor believes Tim has a sprained UCL, with the possibility of a tear that may or may not require surgery down the road. He also believes Tim has a bone spur that is further complicating things.

The next six weeks of specialized PT will help us better understand just how serious the injury is. If PT helps and Tim responds well, he could potentially get back to lifting sooner rather than later. If it doesn't improve the issue, we could be looking at surgery to address the bone spur as well as the UCL.

One thing we really appreciated about this doctor is that he doesn't just jump to surgery. He explained that, more often than not, a good PT specialist can get elite athletes back to their sport without further intervention. And if Tim does ultimately require surgery, it will mean a longer healing process, but he should still be able to get back to his sport.

So, at least as of right now, this isn't a “you'll never lift again” scenario. It's a “when will you be able to lift again?” scenario. And we'll take that.

Tim has been beyond frustrated through all of this, but he knows this is something that has to happen in order for his elbow to heal properly. He's taking it in stride and is willing to do whatever it takes to get better. He just wants answers, wants to heal, and wants to get back to doing what he loves.

And that's where we come in.

We're going to continue being there for him, supporting him and helping him keep his head on straight as he jumps through all of these hoops he has to go through in order to move forward.

It's not the road he wanted to be on, but it's the road he's on right now.

So we'll take it one step at a time, trust the process, and keep moving forward because Tim loves Olympic weightlifting—and he's not ready to give that up. 

Keep praying in agreement with us for his complete healing as he does all that ortho and the physical therapist advise him to do. 

Let There Be Light

Let There Be Light

Before God spoke, the earth was described as formless and empty, with darkness covering the deep. There was no order, no beauty, and no life as we know it.

And then God spoke:

“Let there be light.”

And there was light.

This is the first recorded command of God in Scripture. God didn't need materials to create it. He didn't need to struggle against another power. He simply spoke, and creation responded.

There is something especially significant about the fact that God created light before the sun, moon, and stars. Those heavenly bodies aren't introduced until the fourth day (Genesis 1:14–19). The light in these first verses, therefore, isn't simply a description of sunlight. It demonstrates God's authority over creation.

Light existed because God commanded it to exist.

Then Genesis 1:4 says:

“God saw that the light was good.”

God distinguished the light from the darkness, establishing the pattern of light and darkness, day and night. Throughout Genesis 1, we repeatedly see God bringing order out of what was previously without form and filling what was empty.

And there is a beautiful theme here.

The Bible begins with darkness.

And God's first recorded creative word is:

“Let there be light.”

That theme of light continues throughout Scripture.

Light becomes associated with God's presence, truth, righteousness, revelation, and salvation. Later, Jesus declares:

“I am the light of the world.” — John 8:12

John's Gospel intentionally echoes Genesis when it begins:

“In the beginning was the Word...” — John 1:1

John goes on to tell us that life was in Him, and that life was the light of all mankind, and that the light shines in the darkness (John 1:4–5).

So Genesis begins with God bringing physical light into a dark creation, while the larger story of Scripture ultimately points us toward Christ bringing spiritual light into a dark world.

And this is where these verses become personal for me.

I've had seasons in my own life when things didn't look anything like I thought they would. Times when I didn't understand what God was doing. Times when I couldn't see what was ahead or how He could possibly bring something good out of circumstances that felt anything but good.

But looking back, I can see something I couldn't always see in the moment:

God was there.

He was working even when I couldn't see Him working.

He was bringing order where I couldn't see any order.

He was making something beautiful out of things I might have considered broken, empty, or even the result of my own poor choices.

I've learned that God doesn't need everything to already be in order before He begins His work.

Look at Genesis.

It was formless.

It was empty.

It was dark.

And God spoke.

“Let there be light.”

And there was light.

That doesn't mean every dark season in our lives disappears immediately when we pray. Scripture certainly doesn't promise that. There will be seasons when we don't understand, when we have to wait, when we hurt, and when we simply have to trust God in the middle of the darkness.

I've had to learn that too.

But these verses remind me of who God is in the darkness.

He is the God who creates where there seems to be nothing.

He brings order where there is chaos.

He brings beauty where there is emptiness.

And He brings light where there is darkness.

Sometimes we want God to show us the whole picture before we can trust Him. We want to know what He's doing, where He's leading, and how everything is going to work out.

But Genesis 1 reminds me that God doesn't need me to understand what He's doing.

He simply needs me to trust who He is.

Because He is still the God who speaks into darkness.

And when God speaks, darkness doesn't get to argue with Him.

“Let there be light.”

And there was light.

That is the God I know.

And that is the God I trust.

Darkness may be present, but darkness does not have the final word when God is present.

Genesis 1:3–4 isn't merely telling us that God created light. It introduces us to a God who speaks into darkness and brings forth something good.

And if He can do that with creation, I believe He can do it in us, too.

Happy National Son's Day

Happy National Son's Day

Happy National Son’s Day to our amazing son! 💗

Where has the time gone? From the little boy we watched grow up to the strong, determined young man you are today, we couldn’t be more proud of you.

We’re proud of who you are, not just what you accomplish. Your strength, determination, heart, and the person you continue to become make us incredibly grateful that God chose us to be your parents.

We love you to the moon and beyond! 🤟

Happy National Son’s Day, Tim! 💙

Whoever Has Ears to Hear, Let Them Hear

Whoever Has Ears to Hear, Let Them Hear

In Mark 4, Jesus is teaching a large crowd gathered beside the Sea of Galilee. The crowd is so large that Jesus gets into a boat and teaches them from the water while they stand along the shore.

He tells them a parable about a farmer scattering seed. The seed falls on four different kinds of ground:

• Along the path — the seed is quickly taken away.
• On rocky ground — it springs up quickly but has no depth and withers.
• Among thorns — the plants grow, but the thorns choke them.
• On good soil — the seed takes root and produces a harvest.

Then Jesus says:

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

He wasn't merely talking about having functioning ears. Everyone in the crowd could physically hear His words. Jesus was talking about something deeper: Are you really listening? Are you allowing God's Word to take root in you? Are you willing to respond to what He is saying?

Later, when Jesus is alone with His disciples and those around Him, He explains the parable. The seed represents the Word of God, and the different soils represent the different ways people receive that Word.

That makes Mark 4:9 a very personal verse. It causes me to ask myself, Am I really hearing what God is saying to me, or am I simply reading His Word and moving on?

I have read this Scripture many times, but sometimes a verse we've read over and over suddenly makes us stop and think about it a little differently.

Jesus says:

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

The interesting thing about the parable is that the seed itself isn't the problem. The difference is what happens when the seed lands on different kinds of soil.

That makes me think about my own heart.

I can read my Bible every day. I can underline verses, write notes in the margins, listen to sermons and Bible teachers, and spend time studying God's Word — and I do all of that. But am I really hearing it?

Am I allowing God's Word to correct me when I need correction?

Am I willing to change when God shows me something that needs to change?

Am I listening when He reminds me to trust Him instead of trying to figure everything out myself?

Am I hearing Him when He tells me to forgive, to be patient, to love someone, to let go of worry, or simply to be still and trust Him?

There is a difference between hearing words and truly listening to them.

I think that is part of what Jesus was getting at when He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

God's Word is speaking. The question isn't whether He has something to say. The question is whether I am willing to stop, listen, and let His Word take root in me.

I've been reading through the Bible this year with The Bible Recap plan on the Bible App, and one thing I continue to realize is that God's Word isn't meant to simply give me information. It is meant to change me. It is meant to shape how I think, how I live, how I treat people, and how I respond to the circumstances of life.

Sometimes God speaks something that encourages me.

Sometimes He speaks something that challenges me.

Sometimes He speaks something I don't necessarily want to hear.

But if I truly want to follow Him, I need to have ears that are willing to hear all of it—not just the parts that are comfortable.

That is my prayer:

“Lord, help me not just to read Your Word, but to truly hear it. Give me a heart that is good soil. Help me recognize Your voice, receive what You are saying, and then live it out.”

Because having ears to hear isn't simply about listening to God's Word.

It's about being willing to do something with what we hear.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Lord, I'm listening.