More than Unbroken

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Feelings and Faith

Vulnerable moment: it’s been a crazy week. If I’m being honest, the last six months or more have been wrought with uncertainty and so many questions within myself about my purpose. I’ve been in a season of transition in our family with adapting to having an independent adult child and an independent teenage son-both of whom are thriving. So my purpose as a mom has shifted into steadfast support and guidance from a distance rather than rushing to the rescue, which I know is where we should be with them. This shift has adjusted our marriage. Lyndon and I are both learning how to navigate this new territory, and I’m so grateful we have each other. My Daddy died suddenly last year, and I am still grieving the unexpected loss and what could have been. Grief is a strange journey and differs for everyone. What I know is Christ gives me the most profound peace when I feel my turbulent heart trying to sway me. But it certainly is a sadness that is layered. Because of these major life...

It’s Been a While

I haven’t written a post in a while for many reasons. The greatest of these is I have found more interaction and engagement with producing videos (Vlog posts). Even so, the writer in me still wants to put words to paper, so I decided it would be good to simply share my heart in this format. To be honest, I have felt a little blind in all of this since last year. What began as a a project to share my faith journey has evolved into something I didn’t expect and still don’t really understand. But I continue to move forward and trust God in the process. My situation isn’t new. I’m reminded of the Israelites after their exile ended in Babylon and they returned to Jerusalem to build the temple. Before the exile, King Josiah implemented religious reforms to worship God alone. After his death, however, the Israelites strayed from God again. Once His justice was fulfilled, Ezra was sent to oversee the rebuilding process. Josiah laid the groundwork for the proper worship of God according to thei...

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God & Parenting

Setback to Setup

For Our Good

Fighting the Battle of your Mind

Christianity… What’s the Big Deal?

Check out the latest VLOG.

Pitfalls & Pride

Called to Complain?

This post will be brief, but I feel it necessary as we collectively watch the peaceful transfer of power which is a hallmark of our nation and democracy. No matter which side you were on, as Christians, we have a responsibility now to pray for our leadership. I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Considering that Paul is telling Timothy to pray for the Roman authorities, who publicly and proudly persecuted and killed Christians, this could be considered a difficult command. What we know is that God is sovereign over all. Nothing takes Him by surprise. We are not called to complain. We are called to pray. Complaining about a situation or outcome we don’t like doesn’t change the situation. Prayer is what changes things. And s...

Cruise at Your Own Risk

Anyone else love the cruise control in your vehicle? I personally look forward to opportunities to just turn on the cruise control and coast on the highway. But there’s a catch. For one thing, you can’t cruise in the rain. It puts you at risk of hydroplaning. If there’s a lot of traffic, you’ll find that cruise control isn’t very useful because of everyone traveling at different speeds. Sometimes I think we treat life like the cruise control in our car. As long as things are coasting comfortably, we are content to just move along. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy seasons of contentment. But if we aren’t careful, I think we can put our walk with Christ in jeopardy if we try to just “coast along.” I will lead those who are blind by a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them And uneven land into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone. ( Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭16‬ ‭NASB) But prove yourselves doe...

Comfort & Joy

In all honesty, the holidays can be a struggle for me. This is nothing new. When I was sixteen, I lived through Christmas knowing that my Daddy planned to leave after one last holiday together as a family. Despite this, I hoped he would change his mind. When he didn’t, I was devastated. Later in life, we lost loved ones and had to navigate the difficulty of moving forward with an empty place around the tree. It’s bittersweet, especially when we recognize that those we love are with our Savior in Heaven. So how do we beat the holiday blues? We fix our eyes on the hope that Jesus brought when He left His throne in Heaven to make His home among us. This hope is our comfort that, even in this fallen world, we can have the profound peace and joy that Christ came to give us. This year, I’m grieving the loss of my Daddy in a new way. He passed from this life in April. It’s not been easy to cope with his loss. We had a strained relationship for many years, but God restored our connection over ...

Sit With It

I recently had a week that was one of those difficult stretches that felt like too much to bear. I don’t need to go into the specifics—those close to me and those who have been praying for me already know what I’ve been facing. But I wanted to share something with you. As a believer, I’ve learned that even in our darkest moments, there’s something powerful about being open, vulnerable, and transparent. So today, I’m sharing what God taught me during a tough season, hoping it might help someone who’s walking through their own struggles. I’ve been a Christian for years, but the truth is, believers still go through hard times. Sometimes, it feels like everything is out of our control, and in those moments, it’s easy to forget where our help comes from. It was Friday morning, after a week of heavy emotions, that I stepped outside onto my back porch with my coffee and journal. It had been cooler, and the calm was a relief. Journaling has been such a tool for me—something I learned in therap...

How Bold Can You Go?

How far are you willing to go for the sake of the Cross? As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, gr...

It’s Gonna Be Okay

In recent weeks, there has been a tremendous shift from optimism within my circle. Storms, politics, and supernatural phenomena all have us looking with longing to the eastern sky as we await the rapture of the church. But that doesn’t mean we can stop and sit in defeat. Check out the video: For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬)‬ © 2024 Jill Cook. All rights reserved.

The Vote: 2024

Check out my intro and be sure to watch the Lakepointe Church video on voting in a Biblical context. Rise Up Church: A Call to Action for Christian Voters

Timing

Trust Issues

Let’s Keep Growing

The Other Side

Thank you for your patience and prayers as I have taken time to process through the unexpected loss of my dad in April. These last several months have been a season of growth for me, and I have spent a lot of time in prayer. What I know is my Heavenly Father has never left me, and He carries me, even now, as I step back into writing regularly. God has been dealing with me about not lingering in the season of mourning. As a family, we have dealt with so much loss since 2020, so I thought a good portion of my mission was to encourage those who are struggling with grief. But God has reminded me that grief is not permanent. It’s a season, but He carries us to the other side of it. Does this mean I won’t have moments of missing my loved ones? Absolutely not. But I cannot continue to miss out on life because I am mourning a loss on earth. It’s time to wash my face and keep moving forward. I’m not just unbroken and undone in my calling. God is moving me to more. There is more to this abu...