As I’ve been processing this past season of my life, I’ve realized that there are a few fundamental principles that have guided it. These principles lay the foundation for many of the stories I will tell in this space. So that you may understand the fullness of this season, I’m going to list these principles and expound on them for you here. 
God speaks to us in real, undeniable ways. Whether it’s a message as ‘soft’ as a scripture that speaks exactly what you’re seeking that day, or a message as clear and strong as a prophetic dream or revelation, God speaks. Not only does He speak to us, but He guides us. Some say “How do we know it’s Him?” My response to that is this: “How well do you know Him?” Obviously, being human we cannot know His fullness and will never comprehend Him fully, but the question remains, How well do you know Him? If you spend a multitude of time with Him, you learn beyond a shadow of a doubt what His voice sounds like. And when we have heard Him speak into the very fiber of our beings, it stirs something inside that releases an unquenchable thirst for more of Him. When this thirst is realized, He begins to fill that void with more and more and more of Him, it’s truly like falling in love every day. That’s honestly the best way I can describe my experience with the Lord. He’s the first one I say good morning to and the last one I say goodnight to. I talk to Him all day every day about anything and everything. This is the type of intimacy I have committed myself to, and because I know Him, I know what His voice sounds like. I often hear people wanting a fresh word or a comforting ‘feeling’ from the Lord, yet somehow fail to make time to get to know Him. There is no judgement in my heart for that, because I have definitely been there before. One would not expect to have a ‘good’ relationship with a person that they speak to rarely; one would not expect to have deep intimacy with someone you make no time for. If you want to be close to the Father, make time in your life for personal time with Him. He will always show up; He’s waiting for you to show up. Make time to talk to Him and to listen to Him. Listen to worship music and read your Bible! Remember that He’s in a constant pursuit of your heart; He’s jealous for you. Let Him have you!

When God speaks, we must move. When we know what our Father’s voice sounds like, we can recognize when He talks to us. When He does, we must take to heart what He says, even if it’s not always what we want to hear. Where He leads us, we must follow; when He instructs us, we must obey. He holds the plan for our lives, and we must constantly and consistently defer to that plan. If we hold onto ourselves, we cannot ultimately follow the fullness of His plan for our lives. Trust is hard, I totally get that. However, if we trust a God with our eternal life, than we have no justification for not trusting Him with our earthly lives. If we trust Him with forever, than we must trust Him with this blip on the radar that is earthly life. Now mistrust is one thing, but lukewarm Christianity is another. If you want to follow God when it’s convenient, but aren’t ready to die to yourself, than that’s a different issue than trust. It’s better to be cold than lukewarm. Don’t claim to follow Jesus because it’s the ‘right thing to do’ and than fail to actually follow where He leads. The souls of those around you who are watching you are too important for your to live a lukewarm life. If this sounds like you, know that there is fullness of life waiting when you fully defer to Him. We must follow Jesus where He leads us. It’s not optional. Does that sound a bit radical? Well Jesus was radical, His ministry was radical, so it’s safe to assume that the ministry He has for you will have at least a dose of radical too. 

When we seek His face and follow His lead, amazing things begin to happen. The Christian life is meant to be full of life, joy, passion, miracles, heart changes, ministry, all all around great things! When we are consistently committed to living into the fullness of Him, the mundane fades away. When all we seek is His face, everything is full of life. Hard times come, yes, but when He is our only, there is joy in the sorrow and beauty from ashes. Paul is a prime example of how one can be captivated by the mercy and beauty of a life with Jesus while also experiencing extreme hardship. God’s love and mercy is bigger and more powerful than anything that this world can throw our way. The Christian life is meant to be full to the brim with ministry. Full of divine appointments, healed hearts and bodies, new life. When we let Him be in charge, amazing things happen. These are the types of stories I will be documenting here in the coming weeks. May you be encouraged and inspired. May the name of Jesus be lifted high! 

It has been the desire of my heart for some time now to break the silence of this  hiatus I took from published writing. The past few months have been full of a thousand beautiful things. I use the word beautiful because it is truly the best adjective I can think to use. Not beautiful as in the type of ‘beautiful’ you get from a new shampoo or hair dye, no, not the packaged, processed, streamlined ‘beautiful’ that the world offers. The beautiful I’m speaking of is something more real, something messy and heart-wrenching. The kind of beauty that exists in the crystal clear blue eyes of a new baby, the kind of beauty that exists in a thunderstorm lulling you to sleep, the beauty that awaits you in a sunset over the ocean. Yes, this is the type of beauty I’ve been living into for the past few months.

The past few months have been full of beautiful things. I’ve had countless divine encounters, times when the Father literally introduced me to people out of nowhere. These people have turned into the closest friends turned family imaginable. It humbles me to my knees to see His hand in all of it. I’ve had the opportunity to do the Lord’s work with these newfound family members. We’ve seen hearts, minds, and bodies receive supernatural healing as the Father’s love fell upon us. We’ve seen Heaven rend and Glory fall upon us. We’ve seen hearts become whole and faces turn towards His eyes. We have seen beautiful things. I have experienced an increasing intimacy and I can’t get enough of Him! I’ve received from Him, and I’ve poured out in His name. There are truly not words to describe it all. During this season, I was also planning my wedding and did get married! Praise the Lord for His provision and blessing on my life! I am BEYOND excited to spend the rest of my life with my best friend in the whole world. The Lord has been working in our relationship in some amazing ways during this season.

I knew this past season would be a hiatus from published writing as soon as I entered it. I never stopped writing, mind you, but the writing was mostly between the Lord and I. Now, though, I feel released to share stories of this past season with you. I feel the Lord laying it on my heart to take what is on paper and put it on the net for all to see. Be on the lookout this summer as I document and publish miracles, truth, and the Love of the Father. May it encourage you and point you towards His face.

Be on the lookout for more soon!

Love,

Jacob

Since I began teaching ESL in high school, I have worked closely with immigrants in multiple capacities. Lately, I have worked in serving a community of Latino teens and their families through the ministry of my church. For this entire time, I have always felt uncomfortable with traditionally conservative views on immigration, largely because I have heard countless anecdotes from some amazing people detailing their fight for survival in a socio-political climate that worked, it seems, tirelessly against them. Whether they came to the US with documentation or without, they have lived experiences I would not wish on my best enemy.  While I do believe that following the law of the land, including immigrations laws, is an important, Biblical principal, I have wrestled with this concept in the event of injustice. The law exists to protect the interests of the country and, ideally, its citizens, and above all else to promote justice and freedom. After hearing the stories of a large number of people, however, a disconnect grew between what I was taught laws were meant to do and what the law was actually accomplishing.

This is the same kind of disconnect, with completely different circumstances, that was present during segregation and institutionalized racism, Japanese internment camps, etc. These are moments in history when the law promoted security for some, be it financial, social, or political, but did so at the expense of others. Where is the line, as Christians, when we forgo the lawfully right to do what is morally right? Certainly no one today would call the Civil Rights Movement inherently Biblically wrong because it challenged the then current law of the land, right? In the same vein, I know plenty of Evangelicals who would take up arms in the event that a major freedom of ours as US citizens was threatened. Where is the line in which our God, who loves Justice and all that is truly Good, directs our hearts to go against the law to promote a greater good? Specifically, where is the line with immigration where we stop having blanket beliefs about who these people are and what their motives might be, and embrace them with the Mercy and Justice of God? Justice here not being justice in a US court for illegally entering the country, but justice for the ways they’ve been wronged by their home and mercy for the experiences they’ve had.

I’ve had what some would call ‘liberal’ views on this issue for a while, but when I’ve engaged in conversations with others about it I’ve ‘given a free pass’ to anyone who answered “It’s Biblical to follow the law.” “Their heart is in the right place, so we can agree to disagree,” I would assure myself. I’m realizing, though, that this opens us up to a world of hypocrisy and double-standards. I’ve already presented multiple examples of times when the law failed and when Christians were called to something greater. The answer “it’s Biblical to follow the law” is not enough, because it doesn’t take into account any injustice suffered or any stories of these people. It doesn’t take into account the mercy of Jesus or God’s plan for their lives. I can confidently say that illegal immigration has united me with many many people in Holy ways that only God could orchestrate! God’s plan for these people has superseded our imaginary borders that we have drawn with walls and guns, and it’s utterly prideful and shameful for us to think that we have a monopoly on God’s world. It’s perfectly alright for us to have boundaries and borders so that we may function as a society, and a great rule of thumb is that the law should be followed. The issue arises, however, when we see a massive amount of people breaking the law by entering this country, and condemn them for it instead of embracing them with the love and truth of Jesus. Instead of taking time to at least hear their stories so we may adequately judge their situation, we create blanket statements and build political campaigns around how to ‘deal with them.’ Oh, and please oh please don’t remind us of how Jesus instructs us to open up our land to foreigners. He was surely talking about giving our land-care business to foreigners with green cards, right? That’s what He meant. We are not aware of the injustice because we don’t care to know about it, and we do not care to know about it because it doesn’t fit into our comfort zone. But when we aren’t aware because we don’t care, we are actively perpetuating injustice; that is sinful.

Remember that proverbial line I was rhetorically asking about earlier? Well, it was somewhat of a trick question because the answer is that there is no line. Either we are allowing God to form our worldview, and with it how we view his creations (people like you and I) or we are limiting our worldview to what WE want it to be. Either we are loving all as God instructs, or we are not loving God because we aren’t being obedient. Either we let God have our world, or we make our world our god.

We aren’t condemning these people for their illegal entrance to our country because they broke the law, though that’s what we tell ourselves, but we are condemning these people out of fear.

A fear that has led us to entitlement. We have this intense notion that we are born in the US because God wanted to bless us, but we take it too far when we begin to feel entitled to this blessing. Do you know what we are entitled to? Death. We are entitled to death. Do you know what we have been given regardless of this grim, self-imposed entitlement? We have been given life. We have also been given the right to live in a free country with the ability to practice our religion in whatever way we please, copious amounts of material wealth and an access to wealth that is ever increasing, as well as safe, comprehensive medical care, and an ease of life found only in first world nations. We embrace the feelings of entitlement to these blessings, these privileges, which is actually contrary to Biblical ideology regarding earthly wealth, and this fuels our fear that one day this blessing might fade away. For this reason, we hold on to it as tightly as we can. It’s alarmingly familiar in the history of our country, isn’t it?

“They’re taking our jobs.” “They’re bleeding welfare.” “They’re crowding our schools.” Whose jobs? Whose welfare? Whose schools? “My country isn’t what is used to be.” Whose country? If we believe that God is who He says He is, and if we really trust Him, then we MUST defer our EVERYTHING for His use. We must give to Him, both physically and in our hearts, total control over our material possessions, and total obedience when He chooses to use them in ways that defy what we think is best. This is God we’re talking about! His plan is a perfect plan, and if we are going to claim to follow Him, then we must place our trust in Him wherever He takes us.

Out of this trust in Him, we need to begin to see people the way God sees them. We need to realize that it is worth enduring hardship, pain, and loss so that one can be found. Part of this fear I highlighted earlier comes from a large misunderstanding I believe American Christians have regarding material possessions. We have all been taught that God has blessed us, and that the blessing belongs to God. We have also been taught that it’s been entrusted to us for the works of His kingdom. The part we seem to have trouble with, though, is the idea that we need to be prepared to give it up for Him. The way this is typically translated into our cultural vernacular seems to be less “prepared to give it up for Him,” and more “prepare to lose all that He’s given us.” While the physical end result may be the same, this is an important distinction to make. When we believe that God has blessed us materially more than others because of where we live, and that following God may cause us to “Lose all we have,” we are automatically placing a large amount of value on the things of this world, which, in turn, causes us to cling even harder to them than before! We can handle the part where God has blessed us. In fact, we handle that so well that it becomes part of our identity. The ones God loved enough to allow them to be born in the greatest nation of the world: The US. But when we get to the part about laying down the things of this world and picking up our crosses, we have somehow twisted that into meaning that part of being a Christ follower means that some evil persecutor is going to come and try to take away your God-given wealth, the wealth that God gave to you because He wants you to have it! We treat this wealth as if there are monetary, hierarchical levels in the kingdom. This idea is poisonous garbage!

When God says that your blessings belong to Him, it means that He’s calling you to be willing to intentionally, lovingly, and joyfully give up every last drop of your material wealth and comfort with a thankful heart! Why else would God bless us so much? I can tell you for certain that it’s not because He loves us more or wants us to have a happier, safer life than the other people on this earth. I can tell you for certain that it’s not because He thought we deserved to be more comfortable than HIV infected children who walk miles to drink semi-safe water in sub-saharan Africa. Or because He wants us to spend millions of dollars on a building we call ‘the church’ while our brothers and sisters have only the shade of a tree to worship under. I’m so glad that is not my God, because if that was the character of God I would want no part of Him.

Maybe, just maybe, God has blessed you with all that it is to live in America so that you may know the joy that it is to be His hands and feet in the meeting of the material needs of this world, thus living out the gospel every step of the way!

Maybe He has blessed you with your luxury sports car so that you can sell it and build a small house for an immigrant family.

Maybe God has allowed you to make a six figure salary for five years so that you may willingly give your job to an illegal immigrant tomorrow and comfortably live off your earnings in a small apartment for years to come.

Maybe God has allowed you to know the freedoms of this country, so you can advocate how important these freedoms are for those who don’t yet have them.

All I know is that God did not bless you and I with material gain so that we may continue to be blessed by material gain, but so that we may bless others, all the while citing Jesus’ gift of life as our motivation! There is no greater joy in life than being actively involved in the spreading of the kingdom of God! As we bless others with material provision, we will be blessed by the ministry of the LORD.

If you read this and are convicted, I would love to talk and pray with you about these issues.

If you read this and find yourself already justifying your present Ameri-centric worldview in regards to immigration, I am begging you to spend some time with your Father. He wants to use you for His kingdom, but He will not do that until you are willing to gladly lose all you have.

If you are reading this and know someone who needs to read it, please share it with them. I write so that my words may be read.

The only way I know how to close up this lengthy post is to tell a small story about a very young Latina child I’ve had the joy of knowing for almost a year. We’ll call her Rosa here. She around 2-3 years old.

Recently, Rosa climbed into my lap during our Thursday youth service service. (We have a children’s church to go along with our youth group since many youth bring siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews.) I was excited to see her, because I hadn’t seen her in a long while. She is the daughter of illegal immigrants, only legal because she was born here. She had been treated as an afterthought that day, which is a painful extension of the cultural, socio-political afterthought her life is already becoming as the daughter of illegal immigrants. I knew the Father wanted to love her through me. The following conversation took place after hugs, kisses, and prayers.

Me: Rosa, ¿has oído de Jesucristo?

Rosa: No.

Me: Pues, Él es el hijo de Dios, y te ama. Te ama mucho.

Rosa: Pero no le conozco.

Me: Yo sé, pero Él te conoce, y te ama muchísimo, hija.

English Translation:

Me: Rosa, have you heard of Jesus?

Rosa: No.

Me: Well, He is the son of God and He loves you. He loves you a lot.

Rosa: But I don’t know Him.

Me: I know, but He knows you and He loves you very much.

From there, we sat some more. I held her and whispered prayers of blessing over her sweet head until she was joyful again and ready to run around and play.

As I reflect on that time shared with her and our Father, I can clearly see His love for Her. She walked, well she was carried, into NewDay Community Church to be loved on by Jesus through me. What didn’t matter in that moment was where she came from, whether her papers were in order, who her parents were, or what their country of origin is. What mattered in that moment is that God the Father had so much love to give to His hurting daughter, and that He blessed me with the ability and humility to pour that love upon Her.

And you know what, I am so thankful that loving her didn’t cost me my house or my car, because it allows me to do it again and again. But if tomorrow I had to choose between pouring out more love and truth yet having nothing, and living comfortably while following my own prerogatives, you would find me homeless, wandering the streets all the while singing praises to my King.

Would it be easy? No. Would it be worth it? Yes.

God’s Love and Truth is always worth every earthly cost.

*Disclaimer* [This is a poetic interpretation of some emotions and thoughts I had while praying for our broken world. I understand that this is a very hard issue with many complicated facets. I am not claiming to have any answers, nor do I think my opinions are more valid than anyone else’s, but I know Jesus will guide us through His spirit. He is the only Hope we have.]

If Jesus was walking in the Middle East today, he would be hated.

Hated by us.

He would be a poor, working class man displaced from his home. He would be walking for days at a time, trying to show His love to many through this time of utter turmoil.  He might be out on a rickety boat at sea, holding those who are leaving their entire world behind.

He’d be with them sharing His living water.

He would be comforting people as they ran away from certain death.

His name would be lost in a sea of figures, because we’ve once again dehumanized these people; they’re numbers, statistics. The Savior of the world would be lost to us, drowning in an exodus. A large portion of the world, the people He has come to save, would vehemently oppose Him ever stepping foot on their soil. They would speak about Him with fear and concern as they sit in their cafes and places of work. They would post racial and ethnic slurs to their social media

as if the entire world was yelling obscenities towards Him at once.

It’s easier to yell out of anger than to admit we’re afraid.

We wouldn’t try to get to know Him. We wouldn’t try to see His life. We wouldn’t see the truth in Him. We wouldn’t allow Him to touch our hearts and offer us living water.

We would see the color of His skin, His country of origin, or even hear His accent and completely discount any water He has to offer us. We don’t want it.

He would be “just another Muslim who’s probably a terrorist.”

Even though He’s Jewish.

Even though He’s running from the same people we’re afraid of.

Even though He’s our only Hope.

Even though He’s Jesus.

It doesn’t matter. America is more important. In fact, Jesus would likely be killed in the Middle East when we accidentally drop a bomb on a hospital.

Or when we intentionally drop a bomb on a Mosque, raining fire down in His father’s name.

He would die because He would be with our Muslim siblings, sharing His living water with them. Sharing it with them because we’re too afraid to even open up our hearts to it. With the flip of a switch, we’d drop a bomb and Jesus would be gone. Why can’t we see what we’re doing? Why can’t we see that violence leads to violence leads to violence and that placing our hope in steel will only bring us despair?

Placing our Hope in Jesus is the only way.

The Cross has taken the wreckage of our war-torn, broken lives, and made them whole again in His arms.

Though the world has made us refugees, Jesus has made us whole.

Though violence has made them refugees, we must allow Jesus to make them whole through us.

I have spent peaceful moments over the past few days watching leaves fall from trees. I’m not speaking of leaves being carried away by a gust of wind, but of individual leaves letting go one by one and falling to the ground through the still air to then be carried wherever nature would have. This is what our lives are meant to be.

Just as autumn brings out the truth of these leaves through their natural color, Jesus wants to bring out the truth of Him through who we are meant to be. Just as autumn causes the boldness of the leaves to show through, He wants to give you bold, bright truth and life.

Yet displaying bold brightness and fullness of color to show the trees’ glory is not enough, no. The leaves have to let go; the leaves, one by one, let go of their comfortable place up in safety of the tree where they’ve spent their entire lives thus far. They let go and fall to the ground, unaware of what happens next. Some will stay under the same tree and provide nourishment for it in the spring as they are mixed into the soil. Some will be carried far away by the wind and will provide nourishment for other trees. Some will be photographed and their faces will reach the ends of the earth. Some will be placed into photo albums for the beauty they contain. Some will be picked up by small children and cherished as a precious treasure in a special box under their bed.

God wants you to let go of your comfortable place up in the tree. He has brought out truth and life in you, and He wants your willingness to fall into His purpose. He wants you to let go and fall before Him! He may keep you in your same spot, allowing you to nourish your community and your space. He may carry you far and wide to places you’ve never dreamed of! He may have your voice speak to many, to share with them the Life you’ve been given! He may mold you into a precious person to someone who needs something to hold onto, you may be the reflection of Him to them. Wherever He takes you and whatever He has you do, we can rest on the promise that it will be a life full of Joy!

If we merely display the truth of God yet aren’t willing to let go of ourselves, we are missing out on God’s purpose for our lives. We are saying “thank you for the cross that you have carried, but I am going to live my life in my own tried and true comfort and security.” Don’t hold out pieces of your heart from your Father. He wants the whole thing!

If the autumn leaves never fell, they would never nourish the earth and there would be no room for new life come spring.

Letting go of your own life and falling into the Father’s plan will bring nourishment and new life to many, and it will be the most fantastic, wondrous journey you could ever imagine.

As I sit here writing, I see leaf after leaf fall to the ground, finally tired of holding on. Are you ready to let go and see what an amazing life God has for you?

Let go and fall into His arms beneath the tree of His life.

The past few weeks have been filled with so many political conversations happening all around me. Between the presidential candidates in the US, and the happenings of Kim Davis and her clan so much has been said and done. I have no desire to enter into the political conversation in regards to these issues, but I have been silently observing many conversations between Christians and non-Christians regarding this. It has led me to see how it exemplifies a huge problem in the American Christian culture we have today, and I have prayerfully decided to share some thoughts on the subject. There is a difference between being a Christian and a Christ follower. There is a difference between evangelizing and condemning.

I have witnessed so many people unashamedly condemning others for their actions in the name of Christ through social media recently, and it deeply disturbs me. We often cite the pithy phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” in defense of our verbal outbursts, but I don’t think this phrase adequately encompasses what we are called to do when the issue of sin arises. Instead, I think we are called to EMBRACE the person and lead them to the foot of the cross. From there, God will handle the sin. God is a big boy, and He can handle it! When we distinguish ‘sinners’ in this way, we are self-implying that we are somehow different than they are. We are not. We all fall short of glory, and all need to humble ourselves to a God who loves us enough to take our sin upon Himself. Jesus died on the cross, and died for us so we are no longer bound to the death sin brings. If we truly believed that God is bigger than sin, our response to sin would be one of concern and compassion; we would recognize that sin is a fallen world problem, and that the only way to move beyond it is Jesus. When we react to sin with hate, condemnation, and intense demands of ‘change or go to Hell,’ we are attempting to mask a prejudice towards something we don’t understand with a religious moral desire for change. If we actually loved the sinner, we wouldn’t condemn them, but would love them so much in such a large way that they would know Jesus like we do. When we instill in others a fear of hell and guilt based on their actions, we are NOT loving people! There is no fear in love! Don’t mistake my words and think that I believe we should smooth over sin. Sin is harmful to our very core, and it should be recognized as such. I hate sin and I pray earnestly that the bondage of sin be broken! But the battle has been fought and won! Light has conquered darkness! We need to start treating sin with compassion, sharing the truth of Life with those who are caught in it’s grasp. Freedom has been established for everyone! Treating sin with fear and anger only gives Satan a foothold in our own lives! This is a vicious cycle!

Furthermore, I am so very upset by the fact that people are condemning the actions of others from a religious moral perspective WITHOUT sharing the Gospel with them! Jesus died so that we can be apart from sin, and the only way this can happen is through Him. When we call the actions of others sinful yet fail to share with them the most important thing that has ever happened for them, we are acting out of a horribly selfish, and condemning way. Condemnation is to tell someone they are hell-bound without sharing with them the truth of Christ. Condemnation is to treat heaven like an exclusive club where we ‘don’t want your kind.’ This seems like a huge slap in the face to the cross! Jesus did not take the weight of our load upon His shoulders so that we could police the morality of the world and be exclusive with this message. Jesus hung on that tree so that everyone could be in communion with Him and that those who are in communion with Him would spread that good news to everyone!

When I see people calling strangers out on their actions and not sharing the love and truth of Christ with them, it honestly makes me wonder if they have ever experienced a true encounter with the living God! I know that the more I get to know the Holy Spirit, the more and more I want to share that truth with others. If you don’t feel like the God you know is a God worth sharing but is a God whose name is worth using for moral policing, then I would venture to say that you don’t know the same God I know.

If you believe that someone is headed towards hell because of their lifestyle, take a page from Jesus’ book and love them. Spend time with them, get to know them, live life alongside them, go to their house for dinner, learn about them, and share the truth you have with them.

If none of this sounds appealing to you, then what you spout is not love for the sinner, but hate (indifference at best) for the person who is not like you.

The church in America is declining because we are too lazy and proud to humble ourselves and live life like Jesus.

This has to change, and it has to change soon. The Holy Spirit is waiting for you to be an active participant in spreading the truth of the love and grace that have been shared with us. Are you willing to follow His lead?

“9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

• John 4:9-10

6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

• Luke 19:6-9

P.S. If you have every been hurt by anyone through a declaration of God’s name, let me be the first to tell you that the God I know loves you more than you could ever imagine, and He has created you for amazing things. If you have been hurt by the church, please reach out to me for an apology and a hug. With Love, Jacob.

NewDay Youth is doing something different and new this year: journalling. We are taking a formal time every four weeks to be alone and quiet and spend the better part of an hour writing. They can write about their day, their life, Jesus, the church, etc. The only rule is that is has to be directly connected to them. Contrary to what I imagined, this has quickly become a loved and requested activity. It’s a time where believers can connect with Jesus in a quiet, private way. For non-believers, it allows them to quiet their souls and do some soul searching. It’s super good. While tonight was not our scheduled journalling night, a handful of teens requested to journal instead of social time at the end. I put on some Bethel worship and sat and wrote with them. While I was writing and praying, I started making a list of all the things Thursday Night Live (our youth program) is and strives to be.

With so many socio-political, church-related happenings lately, I have been praying and thinking about what the church’s role is in this ever changing society. After reading over this list, I think it’s a pretty good start to what the church should strive to be in this time. Some of these are obviously more tailored to youth ministry, but if nothing else it will give you a picture of how God has blessed this ministry I love so much.

TNL (Thursday Night Live) is:

• A safe place
• A place where your crazy can unashamedly show
• A place where real life happens
• A place where God is present
• A place full of prayer, both corporate and personal
• A judgement-free zone
• A place full of unconditional love
• A place that has a plan
• A place that leaves room for God to change those plans as He wishes
• A place where people are healed
• A place full of truth
• A place with boundaries
• A place full of grace
• A place that is rambunctious and peaceful all at once
• A place open to all
• A place for contemplation
• A place for learning
• A place to ask questions
• A place to call ‘bull crap’ and talk it out
• An environment that leads to softened hearts
• A place where the Holy Spirit is sought out
• A beautiful place full of beautiful people
• A place that is frighteningly authentic
• A place full of broken people
• A place where love is so thick that you have to wade through it to find your seat
• A place full of joy
• A place full of hope
• (once again) A safe place

I am so thankful for the blessings God has given this ministry, and I hope that this list can bring encouragement to those seeking a trajectory for their own ministries. Authentic lives (sometimes heartbreakingly so) lived out in safety combined with the overwhelming love and presence of the Holy Spirit makes for life-changing experiences.

God has a way of taking all of the worries we have and leaving peace and direction in their place. Praise Him for that! After the last blog post, Alayna and I, along with countless other people, prayed without ceasing for the direction of my educational career as well as the direction of NewDay church. It was a long but amazing few days filled with many a deep conversation, but all of it was shrouded in the Holy Spirit. So cool.

Thursday seems to be a recurring day of importance in my walk with Jesus, and this story is no different. Last Thursday Alayna and I were praying for an extended period of time, really waiting on Jesus to reveal His heart for us. During this time, we both felt like God was saying that the sudden increase of school costs was not an obstacle He wanted me to overcome, but instead a door that was shutting for this time.

I want to share with you a picture He gave me, because it does a really great job of explaining where He has me right now. He gave me a picture of a bicycle wheel, and in the center of it was Transy, and then all of its spokes were labeled “work,” “family,” “friends,” etc. He showed me that this was the old wheel of my life, and that He had me leave Transy in the spring so He could re-make it. The new wheel He showed me has NewDay in the center, and two concentric circles surrounding the center. The inner circle is Alayna, and the outer circle is my community. Then the spokes surrounding the center are things like “work,” “school,” etc. The meaning behind this image is that the spokes surrounding the center support the center and all together allow the wheel to turn. If the spokes are not supporting the center, then the wheel falls apart and can no longer function.

When I was starting out in college, being a student was my “center.” It was my primary motivation, and everything I did, the spokes, was to support that primary goal. However, when God took me to NewDay, the center began to change. I realize now that NewDay needs to be my primary right now, because God has entrusted me with this beautiful ministry. School will come, and I am excited to finish my degree, but school must support the center, not the other way around.

When I arrived at church on Sunday morning, I spoke with several people whom I had asked to pray for me about this situation. All of them confirmed that what I was hearing from God is what they had also heard. This gives me an immense amount of peace and I am overjoyed with God’s provision in this way!

In the past few days, God has continuously told me that He is so excited for the plans He has for me, and that He cannot wait to show me what they are. I am beyond excited to see where this season takes me! There are so many stupendous things coming down the road already (my wedding, several trips, etc.) and I can’t wait to see what God has in store. As NewDay continues to wane and wax through this transitional time, I am so excited to see how God uses my freedom this semester for His glory! Stay tuned for that!

Also, I want to give a big shoutout to Alayna. She already is so supportive of me and my ministry, and she prays with me about all of these really hard decisions. I am so thankful to be starting out my ‘adult’ life with this beautiful woman whose trust in God is deep and unwavering. God has great things for us, and I cannot wait!

Thanks for your continued prayers, they truly bless my ministry. Stay tuned for more awesome things God is doing in my life!

This summer has been full of many amazing things. It has been full of travel, friends, family, late night Jesus talks, planning my future with the love of my life, spreading the love of Christ, and really great fellowship with people from all walks of life. Super awesome stuff!

As you know, I took a semester off of school (See this link to read how God organized this amazing step) and it was my full intention to go back this semester in the Fall of 2015. I am excited to go back to learn at an institution I have valued for the past few years, as I genuinely enjoy learning and only have three semesters left before I will have my undergraduate degree in Spanish! God definitely knew what He was doing (imagine that…) by leading me down the path of withdrawing from school for a semester, and He used that time to have me rest, invest in a multitude of people, get invested into my a multitude of people, and He also sent me around the globe on a journey unlike any other. I am beyond thankful. As I look to my future with Alayna, I am excited to go back to school.

I arrived at Transylvania University last Thursday with five minutes to spare. It was a remarkably sunny afternoon, and I was so excited because it was going to be a productive day! I walked into the accounting office to set up my payment plan, and I was told that my monthly payment had essentially doubled. I won’t go into all the complicated details, but I was  told I would have to come up with twice as much money per month as last year, a figure that is quite literally not possible to come up with given my current means. I thanked them for their time and told them I would get back to them in a few days. So far in my higher education career, I have worked at least full time almost every single week in order to maintain a debt-free status.  This not only serves an earthly purpose, but Alayna, my parents, and I feel strongly that taking out student loans is not on God’s ‘menu’ for my life. God has already confirmed this desire in that I was financially able to take a semester off of school; if I had taken out loans prior to this, I would have to start paying on upon no longer being enrolled in college.

After this meeting, I went to another meeting with a dear friend who leads the ministries I am a part of. He let me in on some very important shifts that will be happening in our ministry in the coming weeks. Nothing bad, but something that points towards the horizon, towards tomorrow. God will show up and make Himself known in this shift, but there are many unknowns and many areas that will benefit from having as many hands on deck as possible. The trajectory of this magnificent ship I work on is about take an exciting shift, and I am pregnant with expectation for what is to come!

An important piece of information I feel the need to share is about something God is working on in my own life. God has placed it strongly upon my heart to adopt a lifestyle that includes sustainable pace. Up until I stopped attending college, I had been working so much (both mentally and physically) and it was taxing. I had my eyes on my goals, and I was working towards them. In November, though, God placed His goals for my life on my heart and my journey with God took a faith-filled turn. I have worked hard to adopt a lifestyle of rest and rejuvenation. For God, Alayna, myself, the church, and all the beloved people in my life.

I arrived at NewDay Community Church around 4:45 pm on that same Thursday afternoon with a million possibilities and outcomes bouncing fervently around my brain. There I sat with no way on my ‘menu’ to afford school, large shifts happening in the ministry I’ve fallen in love with, and the prospect of working 60+ hours a week in an attempt to afford school with no conceivable way of actually reaching my monthly needs. It was a lot.

But I gave it all to God. Every last piece of it.

And I called my friends and family to pray for me.

And I’ve been praying without ceasing.

And I’ve gotten some answers. The Lord has reminded me that His timing is perfect, and that I should not worry about earthly timing at all. He has told me that He cannot wait to show me the plans He has for me, and I can honestly tell you that I am filled to the brim with joy and excitement! How can I be sad or worried when I have complete confidence in He whose reputation is proven?! I have truly been weeping with expectation as I seek His will, because His plan is more beautiful than anything I could ever cook up. It’s truly breathtaking.

Here I sit waiting on the LORD to provide for me an avenue. Could a check arrive in the mail tomorrow with enough money to cover school? Absolutely, it’s happened before. Could Transy offer a new scholarship to me? Of course, it’s happened before. Could God want me to take time off school? You bet, it’s happened before. Could God provide a way for me to finish school somewhere else (maybe Arizona state University through my Starbucks Job)? Of course! You see, God is in the business of provision. God is in the business of leading us down His perfect path for us, and taking us on wild and crazy adventures that bring glory to His name.

I am not telling you this story because I want pity or monetary help, but I am telling you this story because God is doing huge things in my own life. I want to document this moment of uncertainty so that when God does provide a perfect avenue for me, which He will, I will be able to shout from the rooftops how He provided and everyone I tell the story to will have a context with which to understand it.

No words can describe the journey I’ve been on with my father since November. While I am faced with uncertainty as I look towards the coming months, I rest in the fact that God hold my life in His hands. I am overflowing with joy and excitement as I wait for God to show up, and I cannot wait to see where He leads me.

God is for me, and God is with me.

God is for you, and God is with you.

I am spending my life walking in the wilderness with my Father, and I truly would not have it any other way.

Sometimes, God wants us to wait for Him just so we can truly know who He is, so we can know it is He who provides for us. It’s an active waiting, though, one which explores all the doors with expectation and hope. I will wait until the ends of the earth, though, if it means I get to follow my Father.

Psalm 27:14

Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

P.S. If anyone receives any postcards from God in the mail addressed to me, feel free to forward them my way 🙂

The past few weeks have been full. Full of traveling, great people, great food, great conversation, new faces, old faces, faces fading away, God’s provision in hard times and good times, etc. The past few weeks have been full. Today I finally found the time to really ‘get back on the horse’ with my standard workout regiment. Today was especially ‘rough,’ which I expected, because it had been almost three weeks since I had worked out. Moreover, I now begin the process of working out muscle kinks that come from couch surfing, airplane sleeping, late night Jesus talks when sleep seems unnecessary, and dancing in uncomfortable shoes at weddings. Each knot representing something beautiful in its inception, yet painful now.

Life seems to be full of things that start out as beautiful and end up clothed in pain. We see terrorist attacks all around the world on a daily basis. There are starving children in the world whose ‘good day’ consists of a bowl of rice. My bad day consists of far greater. We see lost and broken people walking down paths of destruction because they’re taught that happiness lies around the corner. “Drugs will set you free, alcohol will set you free, sex will set you free, this new relationship will set you free, getting your life on track will set you free.” In reality, nothing you can ever find on earth will set you free, because Love has already set you free.

The Love of God isn’t exclusive or elusive, but it’s deeper than the see and wider than the sky. Love made a way so that you can commune with your creator. This is not some crappy religious magic trick, or a piece of folklore written down in a book. This is a reality that I live into and witness every day. I see people’s lives change in miraculous ways all of a sudden because “Jesus spoke to me.” I see depressions lifted in impossible circumstances because “God’s grace swept over me.” I see people having dreams of Jesus telling them He has made a way for them. Dreams so vivid that they drive or walk miles to churches just to find out more. I see deep hurts get healed in moments when people lay their troubles down before God and accept His love and mercy. Friends, I have seen way too much to not believe.

I also believe that you have seen too. I believe that you’ve felt a little pull on your heart. I believe you have been spared from harm in some miraculous way. I believe that you have overcome impossible circumstances in a way so ‘coincidental’ that it makes you question, for a moment, the existence of something else, something greater. But you push it to the edge of your mind because it’s too much. Too much to even entertain. It would change everything. It would mean your life would look different and that everything would have to change. Let me challenge you to entertain those thoughts. Let me challenge you to follow where your heart strings are leading you. Let me challenge you to call out to the abyss and truly listen for a response. You see, the love of God is trying to reach you because He has so many amazing things to share with you. The Love of God already knows you, because Jesus carried your weight long ago. Don’t be afraid to listen to the whispers you push away. Will your life change? Most definitely. What will it be like? It will be a life rich with a complete love you’ve never felt before. It will be full of a joy that continues to well up inside you until it pours out to everyone around you. People will take notice, people will wonder why and how.

If you have cried out to Jesus and the church has told you that you don’t belong, I want to formally apologize. They don’t know what they’re talking about, because your place has already been set at the table. Whether you think you look the part or not, it doesn’t matter. Your part has already been carried. Your debt has already been paid. The greatest Love that anyone could ever know took your place in death so that you may live. I know it’s a crazy thing to entertain these types of thoughts. It’s crazy because it’s too good to be true. But friends, it is true. You have a creator who loves you and has amazing plans for you. Plans to use your passions and your skills in ways that will amaze you. He loves you and has made a way for your to commune with Him. Open yourself up to the one who holds your life in His loving grasp, and the adventure He will take you on will go beyond your wildest dreams.

I did, and I stand amazed to this day how real and present our God is.

He has made a way for you, and I challenge you to listen to His call.

P.S. The inspiration for this post today came from a song that came on while I was working out. Here is the link if anyone would like some encouragement. “His love is deep, HIs love is wide and it covers us. His love is fierce, His love is strong, it is furious.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkbdByx04yU