Church Hurt Is Real, But Don't Let It Keep You from Christ

"Church hurt" is real.

It has become a phrase we hear often, and for good reason. Many people have experienced deep wounds from those within the church—pastors, leaders, fellow believers, or people they trusted. Those wounds are not imaginary. They hurt, and sometimes they leave scars that last for years.

But while church hurt is real, allowing imperfect Christians to permanently separate you from Christ gives those people far too much power.

Our hope has never been in people.

Our hope is in Christ Jesus.

At one time or another, almost every believer has been hurt by someone in the church. Someone said something they shouldn't have. Someone acted in a way that didn't reflect Christ. Someone who was supposed to encourage you instead wounded you. Maybe someone in leadership disappointed you, betrayed your trust, or failed to live out the very truths they preached.

If that's happened to you, I'm truly sorry.

The pain is real.

The disappointment is real.

But those people are still human.

The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every pastor, elder, Sunday school teacher, worship leader, and church member is a sinner in need of God's grace. While they are called to represent Christ well, none of them are Christ.

Only Jesus is perfect.

Psalm 118:8 tells us, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."

That's an important reminder because it's easy to place people on pedestals. We expect them to always do the right thing, always say the right thing, and never let us down. When they fail—and eventually they will—we can become so disillusioned that we begin questioning God Himself.

But God didn't fail us.

People did.

There is a difference.

So why do we allow imperfect people to influence what should be our own personal relationship with the Lord?

That's a difficult question, and there isn't one easy answer. Pain has a way of clouding our perspective. Betrayal cuts deeply, especially when it comes from people who claim the name of Christ.

Yet while people will fail us—that's simply part of living in a fallen world—God never will.

Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to keep "our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Our faith was never meant to rest on the character of another person. It was always meant to rest on the character of Christ.

That's why we must seek Him for ourselves.

No pastor can build your relationship with Jesus for you.

No church can replace your personal walk with Him.

No Bible teacher can spend time in God's Word on your behalf.

We have to open the Scriptures ourselves. We have to pray. We have to pursue Him daily. As we read His Word, we discover who He truly is—not simply who others have portrayed Him to be.

I understand that church hurt cuts deeply. You are not alone. People you should have been able to trust may have been the very ones who caused the pain. People who were supposed to reflect Christ may have misrepresented Him.

I understand.

But if we allow those hurts to define how we see God, we only deepen the wound. We end up distancing ourselves from the One who never intended to hurt us in the first place.

The enemy would love nothing more than to convince us that because God's people failed us, God has failed us too.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus experienced betrayal Himself. One of His own disciples sold Him for thirty pieces of silver. Peter denied Him. The rest of the disciples fled in fear. Yet Jesus continued His mission because His purpose was rooted in the Father's will, not in the faithfulness of people.

There may be times when you need to leave an unhealthy church. There may be situations where boundaries are necessary. In cases of abuse, manipulation, or ongoing unrepentant sin, walking away from that environment can be wise and even necessary.

But don't walk away from Jesus.

When many disciples abandoned Him, Jesus asked the twelve if they wanted to leave as well. Peter answered in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

That's the question we all have to answer.

If not Jesus, then who?

The world around us is filled with hurting people. Every person you meet carries wounds of some kind. Many people allow those hurts to define their lives and shape every decision they make. If we're honest, we've all been there at one point or another.

I know I have.

But healing begins when we stop looking at imperfect people and start looking at our perfect Savior.

Church hurt may have been part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the end of your story.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

People may disappoint you.

Churches may fail you.

But Christ never will.

(taken from the Bible App)

Don't Be Anxious About Anything

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I heard this verse preached countless times while growing up. It was one of the first Scriptures I memorized as a child, and it has stayed with me throughout my life.

The truth is, anxiety comes naturally for many of us. It certainly did for me.

Growing up in a home with an alcoholic father and a mother who enabled him—mostly out of fear of what he might do to her or to us kids—I learned to live in a constant state of worry. I was always waiting for the next argument, the next disappointment, or the next crisis. Anxiety became my normal.

As I got older, that anxious way of living followed me. It clung to me like glue, trying to keep me in bondage to fear and worry.

But God never intended for us to live that way.

When Paul tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything," he isn't pretending life is easy. He's inviting us to do something different when anxiety comes. Instead of carrying every burden ourselves, we're invited to bring every concern, every fear, and every unanswered question to God through prayer—with thankful hearts, trusting that He hears us.

Notice that God doesn't always promise to remove the situation immediately. Instead, He promises something even greater—His peace.

Not just any peace, but "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding."

That kind of peace doesn't always make sense. It can settle over your heart while you're still walking through difficult circumstances. It isn't based on everything going right; it's based on knowing the One who is in control.

I especially love the promise that His peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. What an incredible picture! God's peace stands watch over us like a guard, protecting us from being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety as we continue to trust Him.

Every time I read those words, they bring a sense of calm that is hard to explain. It's almost as if His peace begins to bubble up inside of me, reminding me that I'm not carrying life's burdens alone. That peace is refreshing, especially considering everything I've walked through.

Jesus later echoed this same promise in John 14:27:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The peace Jesus offers isn't dependent on our circumstances. It's different from the temporary peace the world promises. His peace steadies us in the middle of uncertainty because it comes from His presence, not from our situation.

Living in a dysfunctional home isn't the way God intended anyone to live, but sadly, many people know that reality all too well. Looking back now, I can see God's hand on my life every step of the way. He walked with me through the pain, helped me heal from my past, and gently taught me to trust Him instead of my fears.

Today, He has blessed me with an amazing husband, a wonderful son, and a life filled with His faithfulness. I don't take any of it for granted.

More than anything, I simply want to keep walking with Him.

After all He's done for me, how could I not love Him with all my heart? I still fail Him at times because I'm human, but He has never failed me. Instead, He faithfully wraps me in His loving arms, reminds me of His grace, and gently brings me back into fellowship with Him. That's who He is.

Maybe you're carrying something today that's causing anxiety—a health concern, financial stress, family struggles, or simply uncertainty about what comes next. Whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone.

Take it to the Lord. Tell Him everything that's on your heart. Thank Him for His faithfulness, even before you see the answer. Then trust Him to do exactly what He promised.

His peace may not always change your circumstances immediately, but it will change you as you walk through them. And sometimes, that's the greatest miracle of all.

(taken from the Bible App)

Renewing Your Strength and Soaring

There are so many Bible verses that stop me in my tracks and make me think. Isaiah 40:31 is one of those verses, and it's one of my favorites. Let me tell you why...

If you back up to verse 29, it says:
        "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the                                   weak." (NIV)

So many times in my life I've been weary and felt like I couldn't go on any longer. I've felt defeated, exhausted, and beaten. But God...

God brought these verses to my attention so often that before long I had them memorized. He showed me that whether I was walking through hard seasons or easier ones, He was always with me. He was there to give me the strength I needed, exactly when I needed it.

What has always encouraged me is that He didn't just give me strength once—He renewed it. I didn't have to rely on yesterday's strength to get through today's struggles because my strength was renewed as I continued to hold on to Him.

He helped me soar on wings like eagles by lifting me above the challenges I faced. He helped me run my race of faith without growing weary. He gave me the strength to walk without fainting, no matter what came my way. I'm living by faith today because of everything He has brought me through and because of the strength He gave me to endure every step of the journey. He is faithful. He is so good. And I am incredibly thankful.

Back in verse 26, Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of God's power. We're told to lift up our eyes to the heavens and look at the stars. The One who created every one of them brings them out one by one and calls each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Think about that for a moment. If God knows every star by name and faithfully keeps each one exactly where it belongs, how much more does He know and care for us? The same God who holds the universe together is the God who holds us together. The same mighty strength that keeps every star in place is the strength He offers to us when we are weary.

That's what makes verses 28 through 31 so comforting to me. The God who never grows tired, whose power is beyond anything I can comprehend, is the very One who renews my strength when mine is gone.

Back in verse 28, Scripture reminds us that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows tired or weary. Knowing that has made all the difference in my life. Because He never grows weary, I could hold on to Him through every season. I knew He had the strength I lacked and that He would provide it right when I needed it.

His timing has always been perfect—even when it wasn't the timing I wanted. Looking back, I can see that He was never late. He always came through exactly when it mattered most, and that has taught me to trust Him more and more.

I love picturing verse 31 whenever I read it. There's such peace in knowing, deep in your soul, that God's promises are true. After so many years of walking with Him, I've seen His faithfulness over and over again. Every time I've stumbled, every time I've missed the mark, He has picked me up, strengthened me, and helped me keep going.

If you're in a season where you're tired, discouraged, or wondering if you can take another step, hold on to Him. The same God who has faithfully renewed my strength will renew yours. He is still in the business of lifting weary hearts, strengthening weak hands, and helping His children soar.

May you find your strength not in yourself, but in the One who never grows weary. As you wait on Him, trust that He is already at work, renewing your strength and preparing you to soar.

(taken from the Bible App)

God Is Already Working Beyond What You Can See

I wonder how many blessings we miss because we've unknowingly placed limits on what we believe God can do.

We pray for enough.

God is thinking abundance.

We pray for a way through.

God is preparing a brand-new path.

We ask Him to solve today's problem.

He is already working on tomorrow's victory.

So often our prayers are shaped by what we can see. We ask according to our own understanding, our own resources, and our own expectations. But God isn't limited by any of those things. His plans are not confined to our imagination or our ability to figure everything out.

When I look back over my own life, I can see countless examples of this. There were prayers that seemed unanswered at the time, only for me to realize later that God was protecting me from something I couldn't see. There were doors that closed because He had a better one waiting. There were seasons of waiting that felt long and difficult, but they produced a deeper faith and a greater dependence on Him.

If God had only given me what I asked for years ago, I would have settled for so much less than what He ultimately wanted to give.

That is the beauty of walking with Him.

God doesn't simply answer prayers—He transforms lives.

He doesn't just meet needs—He changes hearts.

He doesn't merely provide enough—He delights in showing His goodness in ways that leave us standing in awe.

The greatest miracles God performs are not always the ones everyone can see. Sometimes His greatest work is changing us from the inside out. He replaces fear with faith, bitterness with forgiveness, anxiety with peace, and hopelessness with confidence in Him. As He works within us, He also works through us, allowing His love and His glory to reach others.

Every blessing, every opportunity, every answered prayer, every ounce of strength, and every victory has one source.

God.

That is why He deserves all the glory.

When people see His faithfulness in our lives, the spotlight should never stay on us. It should always point back to the One who made it possible. Our lives are meant to be testimonies that declare not how capable we are, but how incredible our God is.

So today, don't limit your prayers by your own imagination. Don't believe that your circumstances are too difficult or your dreams too big. Trust the God who specializes in doing what no one else can do.

He is already working in ways you cannot yet see.

And one day, you may look back and realize that what He accomplished was far greater than anything you ever thought to ask for.

Give Him all the glory.

Your Choices Are Writing Your Story

Every one of us has moments when we look at our lives and wish something was different.

We wish we were healthier.
We wish our relationships were stronger.
We wish our finances were better.
We wish we had more peace, more purpose, or a deeper walk with God.

The truth is, the life you have today is largely the sum of the choices you've repeated.

Not luck.

Not fate.

Not coincidence.

Our habits become our future.

Our decisions become our reality.

That can sound discouraging at first, but it's actually one of the most hopeful truths you'll ever hear. Why? Because if your choices helped create the life you're living today, then different choices can help create a different tomorrow.

Too often we wait for life to change.

We wait for the perfect opportunity.
We wait until we "feel ready."
We wait for someone else to change first.

But real transformation rarely begins with waiting. It begins with choosing.

Choosing to forgive.

Choosing to pray instead of worry.

Choosing to spend time in God's Word instead of endlessly scrolling through social media.

Choosing discipline over excuses.

Choosing gratitude over complaining.

Choosing faith over fear.

None of those choices may seem dramatic in the moment. Yet repeated day after day, they shape the person you're becoming.

The Bible reminds us in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Every choice is a seed. Eventually, every seed produces a harvest.

If something in your life isn't working, don't simply hope things will magically improve.

Ask yourself:

What choices have led me here?

Then ask an even better question:

What choice can I make today that honors God and moves me in the right direction?

You don't have to overhaul your entire life by tomorrow morning. God often works through small acts of daily obedience. One faithful decision today can lead to another tomorrow. Over time, those decisions build a life marked by wisdom, peace, and purpose.

Remember, your past choices do not have to define your future. God's grace gives us the opportunity to begin again. Every new day is an invitation to make choices that reflect His will and trust His direction.

So if you don't like where your life is headed, don't lose hope.

Start making different choices.

One better decision today can become a completely different life tomorrow.

Your life is a result of the choices you make. If you don't like your life, it is time to start making better choices—and with God's help, those choices can lead you exactly where He wants you to be.

When God Chooses the Unlikely

I hope you are someone who writes in your Bible.

I know some people prefer to keep their Bible looking untouched, but for me, my Bible is a reflection of my journey with God. The notes in the margins, the underlined verses, the dates I wrote beside passages, and the prayers I have written down are reminders of the ways God has spoken to me throughout different seasons of my life. 

Writing in my Bible helps me slow down and truly absorb God's Word. It helps me remember what He has taught me, what He has brought me through, and how He has grown me. It is part of my process of walking closer with Him. 

Recently, I was reading 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, and I found myself stopping and reflecting on these powerful words:

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong."

These verses are such a beautiful reminder that God does not choose people based on the standards the world uses.

The world looks for talent.

The world looks for status.

The world looks for influence, power, wealth, and accomplishments.

But God looks at the heart.

The world may overlook someone because they don't seem qualified enough, experienced enough, or important enough. But God has always been in the business of using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

Throughout Scripture, God chose people who didn't seem like obvious choices.

Moses felt inadequate and questioned his ability to lead.

David was the youngest son, overlooked even by his own family, yet God chose him to become king.

Gideon saw himself as the least in his family, yet God called him a mighty warrior.

The disciples were ordinary fishermen, but Jesus chose them to help spread the Gospel throughout the world.

God has never needed perfect people.

He has always used willing people.

And that should give us hope.

Because many times, we look at ourselves and see what we lack.

We see our weaknesses.

We see our past mistakes.

We see the areas where we don't measure up.

But God sees something different.

He sees potential.

He sees purpose.

He sees what He can do through someone who is willing to trust Him.

One of the greatest lies we can believe is that we have to become "enough" before God can use us.

The truth is, we become useful when we surrender what we have to Him.

God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called.

He takes our weaknesses and shows His strength through them.

He takes our ordinary lives and uses them for His extraordinary purposes.

Looking back over my own life, I can see so many moments where I knew it wasn't because of my own strength that I made it through. There were seasons where I didn't have all the answers, where I felt unsure, where I wondered how things would work out.

But God was faithful.

He was building my faith.

He was shaping my character.

He was preparing me for things I couldn't see yet.

The very places where I felt weak became the places where I experienced His strength the most.

That is what makes God so amazing.

He doesn't need us to impress Him.

He simply asks us to trust Him.

Your background doesn't disqualify you.

Your past doesn't disqualify you.

Your weaknesses don't disqualify you.

If God can use fishermen, shepherds, the overlooked, and the unlikely, He can use you.

So don't compare your calling to someone else's.

Don't measure your worth by worldly standards.

Remember that the same God who chose the unlikely people throughout Scripture is still choosing people today who are willing to say, "Lord, use me."

Because when God gets the glory, our weaknesses become the perfect place for His strength to shine.

And sometimes, the people the world overlooks are exactly the people God chooses to use the most.

When I look back over my own life now, I can see so many moments where it was because of God's strength that I made it through. That the seasons where I didn't have all the answers, where I felt unsure, where I wondered how things would work out — He was there.

God was faithful.

He was building my faith.

He was shaping my character.

He was preparing me for things I couldn't see yet.

The very places where I felt weak became the places where I experienced His strength the most.

I have learned that God doesn't waste any part of our story.

The painful chapters.

The seasons of waiting.

The moments when we felt forgotten.

The times when we wondered if we were enough.

God can use every single piece.

Sometimes the very things we wish we could erase are the things He uses to show His grace, His mercy, and His faithfulness. The places where we were broken become the places where He brings healing. The places where we felt weak become the places where His strength becomes the most visible.

When I look back, I don't just see the struggles I walked through. I see God's fingerprints all over my story.

I see the people He placed in my life at the right time.

I see the doors He opened that I never could have opened myself.

I see the ways He took someone who didn't always feel qualified and reminded me that my qualification comes from Him.

The same God who used a shepherd boy named David, a fisherman named Peter, and countless other ordinary people throughout Scripture is still using ordinary people today.

People who have flaws.

People who have scars.

People who have a past.

People who simply choose to say, "Yes, Lord."

Maybe today you feel overlooked.

Maybe you feel like you don't have enough talent, experience, knowledge, or strength to be used by God.

But remember this:

God has never been limited by what the world sees.

He is not looking for the most impressive person in the room. He is looking for a willing heart.

A heart that says, "God, I may not have much, but what I have belongs to You."

Because when we surrender our weaknesses to Him, He gets the glory.

And that is the beautiful thing about serving a God who chooses the unlikely.

He doesn't choose us because we are enough.

He chooses us because through Him, we can become everything He created us to be.

Where You Look Determines What You See: Choosing Faith Over Fear

Where You Look Determines What You See: Choosing Faith Over Fear

Life has a way of presenting us with challenges.

Some seasons feel heavier than others. Unexpected circumstances come. Plans change. Doors close. Prayers seem unanswered. We face situations that are bigger than our ability to fix them.

And in those moments, we have a choice.

We can focus on the problem.

Or we can focus on the possibilities.

Where we place our focus often determines how we walk through the season we are in.

When we focus only on problems, our problems begin to consume us. We replay the situation over and over in our minds. We search for every possible thing that could go wrong. Fear begins to grow, and before long, the problem feels bigger than anything else in our lives.

The more we focus on what is wrong, the more wrong we seem to find.

But when we shift our focus toward possibilities, something changes.

We begin to look for solutions instead of reasons to give up.

We begin to see opportunities instead of obstacles.

We begin to recognize that even difficult seasons can produce growth, wisdom, and strength.

This doesn't mean we ignore our problems or pretend they don't exist. Faith isn't about denying reality. It's about remembering that our reality is not bigger than our God.

Throughout Scripture, we see people who faced impossible situations but chose to focus on God's possibilities.

When David stood before Goliath, others saw a giant they couldn't defeat. David saw a God who was greater than any giant standing in front of him.

When the disciples looked at the crowd of thousands needing food, they saw a shortage. Jesus saw an opportunity for a miracle.

When the Israelites stood before the Red Sea, they saw no way forward. God saw a path where there wasn't one.

The difference wasn't the circumstance.

The difference was where they placed their focus.

Fear asks, "What if this goes wrong?"

Faith asks, "What can God do through this?"

Worry focuses on what we cannot control.

Trust focuses on the One who is always in control.

I have learned that some of the hardest seasons of life can become some of the greatest opportunities for growth. The moments that stretched me the most were often the moments where God revealed His faithfulness the clearest.

Looking back, I can see places where I thought something was an ending, but God was creating a new beginning. I thought a door had closed, but He was preparing another one to open. I thought I was walking through a struggle, but He was building strength and purpose through it.

God doesn't waste anything.

Romans 8:28 reminds us:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

The challenge may still be real.

The waiting may still be difficult.

The road may still be uncertain.

But when our focus shifts from the size of our problems to the greatness of our God, we begin to see possibilities we never noticed before.

Instead of asking, "Why is this happening to me?"

We can begin asking, "God, what are You teaching me through this?"

Instead of focusing on what we have lost, we can look for what God is building.

Instead of allowing problems to define our story, we can trust God to write a greater one.

Because the things we focus on tend to grow.

If we focus on problems, they will take up more space in our hearts and minds.

But if we focus on God's possibilities, we begin to see opportunities for growth, purpose, and blessings that we may have missed before.

Our circumstances may not always change immediately.

But our perspective can.

And sometimes, changing our perspective is the first step toward seeing what God is doing all along.

The True Measure of Leadership: Preparing Others to Lead

The True Measure of Leadership: Preparing Others to Lead

One of the greatest misconceptions about leadership is believing that our value comes from being indispensable.

Many people measure their success by how much everyone depends on them. They want to be the one with all the answers, the one who has to make every decision, or the one who keeps everything moving. While that may feel important for a season, it isn't the goal of true leadership.

Real leadership isn't about making yourself impossible to replace.

It's about making sure others are equipped to succeed without you.

The strongest leaders don't build followers. They build leaders.

They teach.

They encourage.

They invest.

They share what they've learned instead of guarding it.

They celebrate the success of others, even when those people eventually outgrow them.

Jesus modeled this perfectly.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus poured Himself into His disciples. He taught them, corrected them, encouraged them, and trusted them with responsibility long before they felt ready. His mission was never to have people depend on His physical presence forever. He was preparing them to carry the Gospel to the world after He returned to the Father.

Paul followed that same example. In 2 Timothy 2:2, he wrote:

"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Notice the pattern.

Paul taught Timothy.

Timothy taught faithful people.

Those faithful people taught others.

That is leadership.

Leadership creates a legacy that continues long after the leader is gone.

Whether you're raising children, coaching athletes, managing employees, serving in ministry, or simply mentoring a friend, your greatest accomplishment isn't having people always come to you.

It's watching them confidently walk in what you've helped them become.

As parents, we don't spend eighteen years teaching our children so they'll need us forever. We prepare them to become responsible, capable adults who love God, make wise decisions, and someday invest in others.

As coaches, we don't just teach techniques. We teach character, discipline, perseverance, and confidence so our athletes can lead both on and off the platform.

As Christians, we aren't called to collect followers for ourselves. We're called to make disciples for Christ.

That kind of leadership requires humility.

It means letting others make mistakes.

It means giving away opportunities.

It means celebrating when someone you've invested in accomplishes something greater than you ever did.

That isn't losing your importance.

That's fulfilling your purpose.

A leader's success should never be measured by how many people still need them.

It should be measured by how many people are faithfully leading because someone once believed in them.

So ask yourself today:

Am I building dependence on me?

Or am I building confidence in others?

Because leadership isn't about being needed.

It's about preparing others to lead.

When I think about leadership, I don't think about titles, positions, or how many people know your name. I think about the people God has placed in our lives and the responsibility we have to pour into them.

One of the greatest blessings of my life has been watching God allow me to invest in others — especially through my role as a wife, a mother, a co-business owner with my husband, and a follower of Christ.

As parents, we spend years teaching, guiding, correcting, and encouraging our children. We don't do that so they will always need us. We do it because we want to prepare them to step into the calling God has placed on their lives.

Watching our son grow has been one of the greatest reminders of this truth. The goal was never for him to stay dependent on us forever. The goal was to help him develop character, confidence, faith, discipline, and the courage to pursue what God has put in his heart.

There is something incredibly humbling about watching someone you have invested in begin to walk confidently on their own.

That is the reward of leadership.

Not being the person everyone has to come back to.

Not receiving recognition for everything you have done.

But seeing someone else use what you poured into them to make an impact of their own.

At the end of the day, everything we have comes from God. The opportunities we have to lead, teach, mentor, and encourage others are not about building our own name — they are about pointing people back to Him.

My prayer is that my life reflects a leadership style that serves, equips, and multiplies. That the people God places in my path would not just remember what I did for them, but would be stronger, more confident, and better prepared to fulfill their own God-given purpose because of the investment I made.

Because true leadership isn't about creating people who need us.

It's about helping create people who are ready to lead.

And that is a legacy worth leaving.

A New Chapter in Weightlifting

A New Chapter in Weightlifting: The IWF’s New Weight Divisions Begin Tomorrow

Weightlifting is about to enter another new chapter.

Beginning tomorrow, August 1, 2026, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will implement a new set of bodyweight categories for senior and junior competitions around the world. USA Weightlifting will also adopt these adjusted categories for sanctioned domestic competitions moving forward.

For those of us who follow the sport closely, these changes are more than just numbers on a chart. Weight classes can impact an athlete's training, nutrition, competition strategy, and even the direction of their career.

The New IWF Weight Divisions

For senior and junior men, the new categories will be:

60kg | 65kg | 70kg | 75kg | 85kg | 95kg | 110kg | +110kg

For senior and junior women, the new categories will be:

49kg | 53kg | 57kg | 61kg | 69kg | 77kg | 86kg | +86kg

These divisions will take effect at IWF competitions beginning August 1, 2026. Those in bold text are the Olympic Categories for the Olympic Teams. 

These new categories will help establish the weight classes that will be used for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 

What Does This Mean for Athletes?

For some athletes, the changes may not make much difference at all.

For others, a few kilograms can completely change the game.

An athlete who has spent years competing in one weight class may suddenly find themselves deciding whether to stay where they are, move up, or work toward a new category. The difference between being at the top of one weight class and the bottom of another can affect everything from strength ratios to competition strategy.

And then there are athletes who have already had to navigate multiple changes in a relatively short period of time.

Our son, Tim, is one of those athletes.

He began 2025 competing in the 61kg category before having to move into the 67kg category (which was made the 65kg category in June of 2025 when IWF adjusted the categories). He wasn't, and neither was his coach, on the page of cutting down to 65kg, when he was in the top end of the 67kg category, so he made the hard decision to move, yet again, to the 71kg category. Now, another change is coming.

After August 1, the 71kg category will no longer exist. The new men's divisions will include 70kg and 75kg. 

That means another decision.

Does an athlete try to make 70kg? Do they continue to grow and compete at 75kg? What is best for their strength, development, health, and long-term goals?

Those are decisions that cannot be made simply by looking at a number on a scale.

Weightlifting Is About More Than a Weight Class

One thing I have learned watching Tim compete is that the number beside an athlete's name never tells the whole story.

It doesn't show the hours spent training.

It doesn't show the missed lifts, the injuries, the setbacks, the doubts, or the moments when an athlete has to decide whether to keep going.

It doesn't show the work that happens when nobody is watching.

And it certainly doesn't show the journey.

Tim has already had to learn how to adapt. He moved from Taekwondo into Olympic weightlifting. He changed weight classes. He competed at the national level. He experienced the disappointment of missing lifts and the joy of hitting personal records.

At the 2026 Junior National Championships, he walked onto the platform with something to prove—not to everyone else, but to himself.

He hit a personal record in the Clean & Jerk with 130kg, set a personal record total of 231kg, and became the Junior National Champion in his division.

Now, another change is coming.

And that is one of the lessons weightlifting continues to teach us: you cannot always control the circumstances around you. But you can control how you respond to them.

Every New Division Creates New Opportunities

Change can be frustrating.

Especially for athletes who have worked hard to build themselves into a particular weight class.

But change can also create opportunity.

A new weight division can give an athlete a fresh start. It can change the competition landscape. It can open the door for someone who may have previously been caught between categories.

Sometimes the path forward is not about forcing yourself to remain exactly where you are.

Sometimes the path forward is about taking a look at where you are, where you want to go, and what is best for the next stage of your journey.

That applies to weightlifting.

And honestly, it applies to life.

The Weight Class May Change. The Goal Doesn't Have To.

August 1 will bring another change to the sport of weightlifting.

There will be new categories.

New decisions.

New strategies.

New opportunities.

For athletes like Tim, the question will be whether 70kg or 75kg is the right path forward.

But regardless of what number appears beside his name, one thing will remain the same.

The work.

The discipline.

The determination.

The willingness to step onto the platform and give everything he has.

Because ultimately, the weight class is just a number.

The real measure of an athlete is found in the work they are willing to put in, the challenges they are willing to face, and how they respond when the path doesn't go exactly as planned.

Weightlifting has already taught Tim—and our entire family—that progress rarely happens in a straight line.

Sometimes the categories change.

Sometimes the goals change.

Sometimes the plan changes.

But the journey continues.

And I have a feeling this next chapter is going to be another exciting one.

Worthy of All Glory, Honor, Power, and Praise

There are some verses that cause you to slow down.

Not because they are complicated.

But because they are so powerful that they deserve to be read slowly.

Revelation 4:11 is one of those verses.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…”

God is worthy.

Not because of what He can give us.

Not because of what He can do for us.

Not only because of the prayers He answers or the blessings He pours into our lives.

He is worthy because of who He is.

He is our Lord.

He is our God.

He is the Creator of all things.

Everything we see.

Everything we know.

Everything that exists.

It all began with Him.

“For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Our lives are not accidents.

Creation is not without purpose.

We are here because God willed us into existence.

And because He is the Creator, He alone is worthy of our glory, our honor, and our worship.

It is easy to give glory to the wrong things.

We can give glory to success.

To accomplishments.

To possessions.

To people.

To ourselves.

We can become so focused on what we have achieved that we forget who gave us the ability to achieve it.

We can become so focused on the blessings that we forget the One who blessed us.

But Revelation 4:11 brings our focus back where it belongs.

God is worthy.

When life is going well, He is worthy.

When we are walking through a difficult season, He is still worthy.

When prayers are answered, He is worthy.

When we are still waiting, He is worthy.

When we understand what He is doing, He is worthy.

When we don't understand at all, He is worthy.

His worthiness does not change based on our circumstances.

God does not become more worthy when life is good.

And He does not become less worthy when life is hard.

He is worthy because He is God.

And when I look at my own life, I am reminded of this truth over and over again.

I have walked through difficult seasons.

I have faced things I never would have chosen for myself.

There have been times when I didn't understand what God was doing or why He allowed certain things to happen.

But looking back, I can see His faithfulness.

I can see the ways He carried me.

The ways He strengthened me.

The ways He brought me through.

And even when I couldn't see what was ahead, He was already there.

That is why I praise Him.

Not because my life has been perfect.

Not because I have never struggled.

But because God has been faithful through every season.

He has been faithful in the valleys and on the mountaintops.

He has been faithful in the waiting and in the receiving.

He has been faithful in the pain and in the joy.

He has been faithful when I understood and when I didn't.

And when I think about the life I have today, the husband God has given me, our son, our family, and all the ways God has brought us through difficult seasons, I can't help but be grateful.

Every good thing comes from Him.

Every breath is a gift.

Every day is an opportunity to recognize His goodness.

And every blessing is another reason to give Him glory.

But even if He never gave us another blessing, He would still be worthy.

Even if every prayer wasn't answered the way we hoped, He would still be worthy.

Even if the road ahead became difficult, He would still be worthy.

Because our worship should never be based solely on what God does for us.

It should be rooted in who God is.

Worthy are You, our Lord and God.

You created all things.

You gave us life.

You sustain us.

You carry us.

You forgive us.

You love us.

You are faithful.

And You alone deserve all glory, honor, power, and praise.

So today, whatever season you find yourself in, take a moment to remember who God is.

Before you ask Him for anything, praise Him for who He is.

Before you focus on what is missing, thank Him for what He has already given.

Before you become overwhelmed by the circumstances around you, lift your eyes to the One who created it all.

God is worthy.

Worthy of our praise.

Worthy of our trust.

Worthy of our obedience.

Worthy of our worship.

Worthy of our whole lives.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power and praise…”

And when I look back over my life, through every difficult season, every unanswered question, every blessing, and every moment God has carried me through, I can say with all my heart:

**He has always been worthy.

He is worthy today.

And He will always be worthy.**