There are gifts that I’ve always wanted to have. I’ve secretly envied the people who see images and get prophetic words for others. I’ve always thought it was so cool that people see pictures and somehow God delivers a tailor made message to people with that. Somewhere along the way, I figured that was a prophetic gift given to the people I knew who experienced that kind of thing in their relationship with the Lord, but wasn't a thing for me. On this trip, Courtenay, who flow

I've always wanted to know what the conversations, the relaxed time, the tense and offended moments are like for the people I glean from spiritually. What do they do when their kid has a meltdown? How's that handled? Or what are the rules of engagement in passionate discussion with their spouses? What does the private preparation look like? Or what does the outpouring look like where microphones and lights don't go? Accompanying Courtenay and Jeremiah on this trip was like ha

I had predetermined to never make a post or statement about these kids' or these people's work ethic. It felt far too stereotypical even if it were true. What struck me much more was their sense of ownership- their almost intuitive nurturing way of being. When we would move like a caravan from Okoa to the community center for dance practice, the older kids almost always would find a younger kid to keep track of. If they noticed one person cleaning up, they would just help the

You think this is glitzy- standing in front of these sweet kids, all eyes on me, their full undivided attention. But the truth is I was as far outside of my comfort zone as I was from my home in Jacksonville, Florida. Way out. I thrive on familiarity and there was none on this trip. Foreign country. Foreign language. Foreign food. Different time zones. Non American accommodations. And I'm an introvert! I was interacting with people all day long and many of them I have never m

Many times, we identify these kids by their lack: "they're orphans". But I have a sneaky suspicion that they have a better handle on identity than most of us. Their uncanny ability to find joy, simple and untouchable joy is a message in and of itself. Dressing up and singing, glitter as the only accessory they need, they radiate. Where can I get some of that? I don't have much experience with orphanages or baby homes, but Okoa Refuge broke the mold for me. It's bright and col

Anyone who knows me knows me, knows I have a complex relationship with food. I love food, but only certain kinds of food. I don't eat fruit, I have a thing about textures, and at one point as an infant my mother was keeping me alive by feeding me the squished out insides of French fries because that was all I would eat (things that only first time parents would put up with 😂). So you can imagine that eating food in Africa made me nervous. So much so that I spent upwards of $

I recently returned from a week long missions trip to Africa. While there, I had numerous soul stretching experiences that I'm going to be sharing over the next several weeks. Here's the first: I wondered from the first moments of knowing I would be going to Africa, if it would feel like returning home. I know that can sound silly, because well I'm American, right? But I wondered nonetheless. When we first arrived and were walking through the village, children would call out

I believe one of the biggest ways the devil steals from us is in laying out expectations for our lives that go against the Word of God. No where else can you see that so clearly than our relationships, especially those with our parents. Mothers and daughters should have a heaven kissed relationship where there is trust, laughter, and friendship, but so many mommas feel lost and frustrated. I consider my mother my bestest friend. We have that relationship because of some funda

There are times where we can faintly (or not so faintly) tell that God is trying to lead us into greater surrender with Him. Get up earlier, save more, take a softer tone, etc. This beckoning for surrender can be met with some reluctance on our end. But ultimately, in a true fatherly fashion God is trying to work out some exceeding good fin us and for us. Check out the video for more on how yielding to God is the biggest way God makes us richer #Yield #Fruitfulness #Lead #Tru