As we step into a season full of growth, sunshine, and new beginnings—I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to truly live in community. This month is also a little special for me—it’s my birthday month. And birthdays have a way of making you pause and reflect… not just on where you’ve been, but on who you’ve walked alongside to get here. So often, life pulls us in a hundred different directions. We get busy, overwhelmed, or even a little guarded. But God never designed

The first time I heard about four-word prayers was when Mark Whitt came to preach at our church early in my marriage, about five or six years ago. I wish I could remember the full message or find my notes, but after searching and searching, I still haven’t. What I do know, and what has been written on my heart, is the impact it had on me. While I can’t remember the specific points or exact words, I do remember him testifying to the power of simple yet bold prayers. Ever since

I don’t know about you, but where I grew up, spring was always a big deal. I was born and raised in New Hampshire, where it feels like winter eight out of the twelve months of the year. Winter up north is dark, gloomy, and cold. Whether it’s rain or snow, the sun hardly seems to shine. The days are shorter, the sky is heavier, and everything slows down under a thick blanket of gray. As a kid, I loved the winter. I loved building snowmen, sledding and tromping around in the pi

There are different types of friendships and some of the hardest are those that live in our memory like our favorite song. The ones who filled you with laughter, pulled all nighters with, felt effortless, and gave you a sense of belonging. However you never think about the day that you realize it's been days, weeks, months, and then eventually years since any of you reached out to each other. Sometimes I would just feel broken but not because of any one person, but simply bec

At the beginning of 2026, my husband and I decided the word of the year for our family would be joy. Joy is defined as a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. After the year we had in 2025, it only made sense that our word be joy. This would be our year to celebrate the good things in life. Six days after deciding on our family word, my world shattered. My poppa’s time on earth ende

Philippians is such an interesting book to study. When I first started reading, I really didn’t know what to expect. It’s known as the “epistle of joy”… and yet, Paul wrote it from prison. A prison. The whole letter feels steady. Hopeful. Confident. Content. Not because his life was easy. But because his joy wasn’t coming from his life. It was coming from Christ. Paul understood something we forget all the time: joy isn’t based on our circumstances. It’s not pretending every

Biblical joy is a Spirit-produced state of being. It is a deep, steady, God-centered confidence that flows from trusting God’s character, God’s saving acts, and God’s promised future. While joy can produce feelings of happiness, it is not the same as happiness. Happiness is fragile because it depends on circumstances—good news, pleasant experiences, or life going the way we hoped. When circumstances change, happiness often fades with them. Joy, however, is rooted in God Himse

What if motherhood isn’t defined by giving birth, but by giving love? For a long time, I measured my life against a picture I thought it should match — a home filled with biological children and milestones that looked familiar. When that picture didn’t become reality, I quietly wondered what God’s plan for me really was. What I didn’t know then was that He was preparing me for motherhood His way — a way that would bring deeper joy than I ever expected When God Redefined Mothe

Strands of Love ​Love is tested in many ways through many relationships. Infertility runs through a household in a very quiet and painful way. You find yourself having conversations you never envisioned having, where you want answers all you have is silence, a type of grief that you cannot give a name. It strains your communication, raises your emotions, as well as makes the strongest feel like they are falling apart wondering where God is. ​It is a new type of hurt that yo

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ Hello people! I thought we would start off with some scripture right off the bat this time. February is well known as the month of love. And what better love is there than the love of our Heavenly Father. This verse above shows me how deeply God really loves me. He died thousands of years before I was ever even thought of by anyone on earth. But more specifically

Do you ever get overwhelmed with the perfect love of Jesus? I’m often reminded: Jesus really loves me. Not a surface-level love. Not a “when I’m doing everything right” love. But a love that is deep, intentional, and steady. A love that existed before I ever knew how to recognize it. His love feels so real and it’s hard to understand how someone could love so purely. Jesus isn’t loving me out of obligation. He’s not loving me because He’s waiting for me to “earn it.” He loves

Love. It’s been a tricky word for me for as long as I can remember. I saw it modeled the wrong way when I was a little girl, and I went on to experience it the wrong way as a young adult. And when I say “wrong,” I mean it wasn’t love in the way God defines love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It’s the most searched Bible verse in the world. Why? B

When you think of the word miracle, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of being healed from an illness or disease. Maybe you think of a loved one coming to Christ. Or maybe you think of that big prayer that seems to go unheard. Webster dictionary defines a miracle as an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. Two months ago, I heated up my favorite, beautiful stoneware saucer. This saucer was unlike any you could pick up from Target or order

Constantly throughout this year the word light keeps appearing in different parts of my life. Our church had a series on light this year, when I’m reading my bible I will come across the word light, studies I do bring it up, and even in simple day to day things ill see the word. I feel God heavily placing it in my heart and a strong desire to live it out. Being a Light has been something I have struggled with my whole life, not sharing and representing God’s grace and truth

Today is my little brother Hunter’s birthday. He would be 31 this year. And he is celebrating his fourth birthday in Heaven with Jesus, our Lord and Savior! Hunter professed faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He believed that Jesus died on the cross for him, was buried, and then rose to life! He trusted in Jesus’s finished work on the cross to cover all of his sins. In honor and memory of my precious brother, I want to share something I wrote in my journal recently

I can't even tell you how many times I have questioned "why" in the last 10 months. My family has endured so much loss and heartbreak...

This fall, I have the privilege of leading a small group with one of my good friends. We’ll be going through Jennie Allen’s study Get Out...

Girl in the mirror I see the way you sigh I hear the thoughts that accuse instead of affirm I know you close your eyes and wish for...

Domestic violence can sometimes be a taboo topic to talk about. However, I know first hand that it can be a painful reality for many. My...

TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT I used to struggle with the idea that God allowed truly evil things to happen to people. I didn’t...

To be honest, when Grayson FaceTimed me from Waco, TX in July on what was supposed to be a casual work trip, and he proceeds to hit me...

Dear sister, Have you ever looked up and realized that you don’t even know what day it is? In the pure chaos of life's hectic moments:...

Trusting God Through Infertility There are some seasons in life that are so silent, so raw, they barely leave you with words to pray....

This past weekend, we got to host our first ever conference as a ministry and to say it was Holy Spirit led is an understatement. Moment...

I never thought You’d take me here I didn’t think I’d see it through Honestly, I wanted to leave this place But You’re calling me to...

The circle I’m building I’m building a circle, not wide but wise, not filled with noise, but truth that never lies. Not crowded by those...

My favorite flower is the hibiscus. I love it so much that I even have a few tattooed on me. There’s something deeply moving about the...

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the...

It’s that time of year where freedom is celebrated. As we launch fireworks into the sky, attend barbecues and other activities, and...

Me and my husband got the opportunity to take our oldest and my sister to see Elevation rhythm and Forrest Frank. It was my son’s first...

Why do we need community? “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”” Matthew 18:20 NIV So why is it important...

This week has already been a struggle bus and decisions are just about the only reason for that. Why do decisions have to be so hard? I’m...

A piece of my testimony is my experience in a toxic relationship. I personally feel like the sting of toxic relationships has worn off in...

I’m Makaya Parris—first and foremost, a daughter of Jesus, wife to Nathaniel, and proud dog mom. As an LMSW and school counselor, I’m...

Hebrews 12 I looked down at the test and saw “Pregnant.” Overjoyed and a little nervous, I picked up my freshly turned one-year-old...

Dear Mothers of all ages and at all stages, May this psalm of motherhood draw you closer to His Heart. May it remind you of the eternal...

So smooth and clear Not a single ripple on the glass like water It’s peaceful appearance Gives me no reason to fear And it beckons me...

“Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what...

Last week I had a really tough parenting afternoon. After being home all day with my children, ages two and five, I was spent. The two...

I spent many years asking God the biggest question of all time - Why? This question was formed by countless ruthless circumstances of...

I’m Makaya Parris—first and foremost, a daughter of Jesus, wife to Nathaniel, and proud dog mom. As an LMSW and school counselor, I’m...

The other night at supper time, my daughter sat down at the table to indulge in her bowl of hamburger stew. In her rush to get started,...

A history of abuse is very difficult to work through. When a parent abuses you there are so many feelings that happen; from betrayal to...

Have you ever felt like life has knocked you flat on your behind? And every time you try standing up, something just pushes you back...

“To my Declan I used to love laying next to you while you slept. I still love the contact but the fear is profound. Are you just...

I met 12 year old me for coffee today. She was on time. Just like me. She ordered an iced chai tea latte & a chocolate croissant. I...

Being a mother is truly one of my greatest blessings. It’s something I prayed about for years, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world....

I am a wife and mom to three daughters and we live a very full life. Like most families we have school, sports, church and other...

As I step out into the snow-covered landscape, I am met with a sense of stillness and peace that is hard to find in our busy lives. The...

Being a PenPal with God may sound a little strange, but I have been in a spiritual paralysis. It’s hard to pray and even harder to...