Advent // Meditate on His Word // Digital Download

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Advent Memory with Lindsay Griswold

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Meditate on Advent this Season

Join us this Advent Season as my friend Lindsay Griswold hosts Good News of Great Joy.

In addition to meditating on His Word, there are prayers that I wrote to help you pray through the Word.

We start on November 27th, and we will meditate on a new verse each Sunday.

The download includes:

• memory verse cards for 5 weeks

• prayers to help you pray through the Word

• a5 divider

• a5 meditate + prayer pages for each verse

• scripture memory pages for each verse

Pray the Word Challenge

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The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

Psalm 145:14

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Praying the Word carries me in seasons when I do not have the words to pray, when the rugged terrain appears endless, and daily stirs my conversations with the Lord. His word is an invitation into the depths of His presence, guiding me each step of the way. 

God has given us His active living Word and one of the ways we can relentlessly pursue Him is through prayer. As we seek His face, growing in the knowledge of who He is, a hunger for prayer is stirred, which both fuels and sustains. We endure and we persevere in prayer, and we encounter our active living Father each step of the way.

If you ever feel like you don’t have the words to pray, or stuck in your prayer life, this challenge is for YOU! No matter the conditions of the terrain— ⁣What if we looked at it through a lens of faith instead of unbelief?⁣ What if we plunged right into His promise?⁣ What if we put our hope in Him over the conditions?⁣ What if we rested in the knowledge that we have been set with God? ⁣

The purpose of this challenge is to grow in the knowledge of who He is, and deepen your relationship with Him. Our self sufficiency is not sustainable, the way forth is led by Him alone. The path of the trail is set to His ways.⁣ The pursuit progresses by faith in Him.⁣

In this Pray the Word challenge we will be praying through Psalm 145 verse by verse. I will guide you through the verses we will pray through each day, and provide you with prompts to intertwine with what is pressing on your heart and God’s word. 

As I was praying over this challege, the Lord laid Psalm 145 on my heart with so much intention. This psalm is a praise of David, which fits so powerfully for this specific challenge. Praying the Word gives us a heart posture that is fixed on the Lord, and Psalm 145 is a summary of all that David learned about who God is while he was faithfully following Him. 

We will see in this Psalm and inside look into David’s heart and his passion to truly praise the Lord. David proclaims and reflects on the goodness of God. In this Psalm we will learn so much about who God is and what He has done. Great is the Lord!

I have trekked through many seasons of not having the words to pray and other seasons where His word led me through conversations with Him, and I can tell you this—you WILL GROW in the knowledge of who He is, your relationship with Him WILL DEEPEN, and He WILL SUSTAIN you. Get ready, He  WILL MEET you here! 

Trail Map

DAILY:

• Use the words in the verses you are exploring as a guide to writing out a prayer, expanding your prayer with what the Hoy Spirit is leading you in. 

• The prompts below will serve as a tool to help guide you along as you are praying the Word. As you answer them, your words will intertwin with the verses. 

• What is God speaking to you as you dwell in them?

• Rejoice, repent, and request what is on your heart. 

• As you finish writing your prayer, you will see a blend of scripture and the pressings from your heart. 

READING PLAN + PROMPTS:

DAY ONE- VERSES 1-3

Tell the Lord how your heart is fully devoted to praise. 

Read Psalm 99:9– Exalt His name. How is our Lord described in verse 9?

What has God done for you? 

Proclaim a joyful praise. 

What are you praising Him for today?

Tell the Lord how great He is. 

DAY TWO- VERSES 4-7

Tell of his faithfulness.

Write down some of His wondrous works. 

Meditate on a characteristic of the Lord.

How does His greatness transform your life in Him?

What about the Lord are you paying attention to?

Read Isaiah 63:7– what will you recount of the Lord specifically?

What does His steadfast love mean to you?

What is stirring praise towards Him within you?

DAY THREE- VERSES 8-9

How does the Lord being gracious and merciful transform your heart and mind?

How are you bearing Christ’s image as you see who He is in these verses?

What do you need to surrender to Him?

What are some past and present experiences of Gods greatness that you can praise?

Read Psalm 86:5. How are you calling upon the Lord today? 

What do you need to ask Him for forgiveness?

DAY FOUR- VERSES 10-13

What are you thanking God for today?

Describe the glory of His eternal Kingdom.

How has His hand in your life worked?

How is His power made perfect in your weakness? 

What do you need to call upon Him for today?

Read Deuteronomy 3:24– Describe His greatness and His mighty hand and how it changes everything.

How does His everlasting Kingdom propel you closer to Him?

DAY FIVE- VERSES 14-16

What does the terrain your trekking through look like?

How is the Lord upholding you in it?

Read Psalm 37:7– What are you waiting upon the Lord for? How will you wait?

Describe the kindness of God in your life.

Tell the Lord how you will draw near to Him.

Tell the Lord how you will depend on Him.

How will you follow His path, His plan, His pace?

Describe how the Lord satisfies your every need. 

Read Psalm 148:8– Proclaim what He does.

DAY SIX-  VERSES 17-21

Tell the Lord how His graciousness transforms your life.

What do you need to ask of the Lord today?

Describe how you cling to his nearness. 

Lay down any weariness, hurts, or fears at His feet. 

Tell the Lord how He fuels you and how He sustains you.

Adore Him. Tell the Lord all the ways you love Him. 

Describe your need for the Lord in all circumstances.

The Lord hears you and sees you. Tell Him what this means to you. 

Praise the Lord. 

Let’s put our trust in the Lord, because our trust is the Lord. 

Here, in Him, we are like trees planted by water where our roots stretch out to the streams. 

Here, in Him, there is no room to fear when the heat comes. 

There is no worry when the land is parched— the fruit continues to yield. 

He is taking us to a place of complete and sustainable dependency.

LET’S PRAY THE WORD!

Finding Freedom in Surrendering Your Imperfect Purpose

For through the Law I died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]”

Galatians 2:19-21 AMP

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There is freedom in surrendering to who Christ designed us to be. As humans, we often feel like surrendering to anything means that we are giving up control, giving up power, and giving up freedom, but in Christ, we find true freedom when we surrender to His design. A freedom that can only come from the Lord because it is solely dependent on the price He paid for us on the cross. Yet, we allow ourselves to hold back from full surrender because it means that the imperfections and the mess will be uncovered, that our weakest points will be on display-- but what we are not grasping is that the Lord has us come just as we are. Our perspective of who we belong to has to be shifted, the chains of this earthly world must be broken-- as Christian women, we are to show up however He might have us so that He is seen through us. We have to daily remember that He has placed us here on earth for a set amount of time to share who He is, to speak His message, to build His Kingdom, all through the imperfections that we walk with. As a body of believers, our eternal perspective needs to bring us such a hope and peace that we are not battling ourselves to hold on to our own freedom. We are His, society would have us think that can make us weak, belonging to someone-- but it is not just someone who we belong to-- our lives imperfect and all are purposed for His glory. He has called us, purposed us, in such a way that His Kingdom comes, in every single one of our imperfections. The freedom that arrives at our doorstep when we surrender it all to the Lord can feel harder than surrendering to self, but don’t let the enemy deceive you, do not believe that lie he sets up there. God wants us to sacrifice the total feeling of comfort to give us something greater. HIMSELF.  When we think what we want and what He wants out of our lives it can often be different purposes, and it means stepping into the unknown so He can show us all of who He is, and all that He is working in our imperfections.

Why do we give space to hesitation in surrender?

We give ourselves a space to hesitate to surrender because we allow the ongoing pressures of the world, the flesh, and the enemy to shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We live in conformity to those things--- we cannot be transformed in Christ when conformation is existent. We must surrender to these conformities so that we accept His grace in our lives and rebuke the ideas of perfection and pressure. When we hesitate to surrender it all to the Lord, what He does, in fact, call us to, we are really saying, “ fear, lies, perfection, you are all welcome here,” because we choose fear over faith, lies over truth, perfection over imperfection.

Have you felt consumed with the “rules” and “should do’s” of this world that you found yourself in a place where all you could think of or do is try to keep up with it all? Your wheels have just been spinning in the yes mode, the I can do it all mode, day in and day out until you get to a place where you are so tired because really you are just relying on your strength? Your striving is what you think is thriving, yet deep down you know something is missing? It is easy for us to look at our world, at other women, and mamas, and think, “Oh, that is the way I need to be, or that is what I need to be doing, or that is the way it's supposed to go, so what do I need to do to get there” , completely disregarding the truth that we belong to Christ and He is who ultimately directs and empowers us-- not the world that we live in?

We give space to hesitating to surrender because we accept comparison when we should actually be empowering and equipping the women around us to walk in the grace that the Lord has called each of us too.  As Kingdom women, there cannot be a place for hesitation-- we have to be boldly pursuing what it is that will advance the gospel, what will grow His Kingdom. It has to start with a deeply rooted grasp on a fully surrendered life. We leave an open door for our flesh and the enemy to enter when we are not in daily communication with the Lord. Our faith pulls us to center as we ABIDE + SURRENDER to Him. It is so important for us to protect our faith day in and day out— He calls us to have a FIRM grip on our faith, for ourselves and for generations that follow. There is no room for HESITATION when we live surrendered.

 

In what ways can we find true freedom in surrendering our imperfect purpose?

The freedom that comes when we surrender it all to Christ is the freedom that identifies with Christ, living in Christ who lives within. Surrendering is living on the basis of faith not striving. Embracing our imperfections. We begin to understand that it doesn’t mean we are alone on our journey and that His ways are greater than ours. We think that freedom is the power for us to walk on our own, yet He did not design and create us to walk alone in our lives. The truth is freedom is redemption but that doesn’t mean that we go back or remain in a perfect state because there is only One perfect, Christ.

We find true freedom when we accept that we were made with a purpose to glorify His kingdom which means our lives are not about us and our comfort but about the walls He will tear down for us to walk in the victory he paid for us.

The freedom that comes with surrendering our imperfect purpose, the perfect ways that we thought, or strive for, is the freedom that we live out because we have died to our flesh where we can now grasp the power of His growth, abundance, redemption that He purposed in our lives.

When we seek to surrender to the Lord, he sustains us. When we surrender ourselves to the Lord, we are in fact transformed-- freedom..we are justified through our faith in Him alone. When we trust the Lord, what is true of Him, is true of us. It is about what Jesus has done for us, something we could never do for ourselves. Surrendering is doing it only on the basis of faith.

What does TRUE freedom really look like in contrast to the way we perceive earthly freedom?

True freedom from surrendering our imperfect purpose looks like transformation and trust compared to a lack of power as our world would see it. It looks like He is working to challenge us, to connect us, mature us— it doesn't look like we get to do what we want when we want.  It understands that we are not in power of our lives— that there are things that will have consequences due to the fall and sin. We are imperfect for this exact reason, a broken world, a broken people-- but we are redeemed through Christ. It does mean that He is and always will be a good God though because in the end, He will always be glorified but our faith has to remain undoubting.

Something that has really forced me to work very hard to stay far from earthly expectations is being a mama to a special needs child. I feel God in this place every single day, nothing about my pregnancy, my son’s birth, and our journey is one that was a “rule” follower-- it was never about it going according to “plan” because it was all about being Christs to glorify. It is not mine to compare because no matter what it looks like it is a gift. I would be abandoning the Lord if I followed suit with what I thought I should be as a mama to him by comparing-- the wheel would never stop spinning because I would be living for me, my expectations, my desires. Yet, we all have one place we can all dwell in, one Savior to abide in, and surrender to.  We get to walk in freedom trusting that we don’t have to keep trying to please the Lord, and certainly not this world. Christ has already shown us how to live, He already enables us to live a life that is free of pressures, guilt-trips, expectations. We have to take the initiative to identify with Christ himself, understand that with His death, our flesh has also died and we are alive and living with our Savior, not with the striving of this world. Our way to thrive with our time on earth is to let ourselves be consumed with only the Lord, and who He is so that we would be imitators of only one, Him. God doesn’t need or care for us to keep trying to keep up, He needs us to lift our hands high, surrendered, trusting Him to have His way with our lives, not for our sake at all, but for His.

 

“Let us say it again: The Universal Presence is a fact. God is here. The whole universe is alive with His life. And He is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of men. And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will respond to His overtures. (And this we call pursuing God!) We will know Him in increasing degrees as our receptivity becomes more perfect by faith and love and practice.” - A.W. Tozer

the freedom in surrender is found when our imperfect purpose is in fact surrendered

When we surrender to God’s plan for us when we surrender to our imperfections and make room for His perfection we surrender we are brought to a place of rest because we turn over-dependence on the Lord, making way to freedom in our lives. Our world would have us believe that we have to exemplify self-power, self-dependence, but all that eventually does is run us dry. You will do yourself hard if you for one second believe these lies. Ultimately we have to hope in the Lord-- and only in Him, if we want to live a life that is surrendered to Him. Laying down our lives for Him is exactly where He wants us to be, in the imperfect places. He has perfection all figured out, it is not our job, so we can accept that He is who He says He is, He will do what He says He will, and He has already got it all figured out. When we know Christ, who He is fully, everything He has already done for us, we are compelled to surrender to Him, fear holds no ground in our lives.

 

3 Things We Can Learn About Prayer From The Way Jesus Prayed

“Faith in Christs ability to do and to do greatly, is the faith which prays greatly”

E.M. Bounds

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Prayer is one of our greatest tools that God has given us. It is our weapon in this fallen world.Prayer heals the brokenness. Prayer is the open life line that we have with our Savior that allows us to experience the all mighty powerful God. Are we using it, applying it, for everything in our life-- for our protection, deliverance, and victory? What holds us back from experiencing the abundance that is already laid out before us? Do you feel like you're unworthy, afraid at that God might want instead of what you want, fearful that His answer won’t be the one you think you need? Jesus was hungry and thirsty for God. He had a posture that opened Him up to the Lord. Jesus made sure that He was in a position to hear God speak in His life and abide by no hesitation. 

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 How did Jesus pray in the Bible?

Matthew 5:2 states this “ And he opened his mouth and taught them….”. Can we dig a little deeper here for a minute? He is on the mount and the disciples came to Him, and I find myself asking myself this questions- Am I going to Him, running to Him to soak up all He has to teach me, to guide me? We read here he opened his mouth, he is a talking Savior, he teaches, therefore we must go to Him with open hands. There is no better person than Jesus to teach us about prayer. Let's dive a little deeper friend and hear Him speak to us. 

He prayed with rhythm

• In Mark 1:35, “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there”.  We see Jesus waking early in the morning while it was still dark, and departed to a desolate place and prayed. This posture to rise and seek the Lord first was a rhythm that brought Him to the hidden place to be with God. We also read that He prayed for an extensive time, His prayers were not instantly answered and certainly even for Jesus it was what God’s will was. Withdrawing, going to the hidden places, repeatedly, is a rhythm we see Jesus position Himself in to pray to hear God’s whispers. He goes back again and again to the Father, fervently. This is sacred, protected time with the Lord. 

He prayed surrendered

• In Matthew 26:39, And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup [a]pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”  We once again see this posture, this humility that Jesus has when He prays. He comes to the Father bold but surrendered. In a prayer, where He knows His death will happen, and lays it all down to the Father, emphasizing that it is whatever is God’s will for Him. He is not asking to not die on the cross, instead, Jesus falls face down, prays and says “consistent with Your will”. Because Jesus surrendered He was not afraid to pray for deliverance, for what was to come, He had undoubting faith in His Father that He can do all things. In surrendering to the Father, he was able to pray for the big things, the hard stuff, on top of all the other prayers we read in the bible-- He knew the father would deliver Him when He gave it all on the cross. 

He prayed powerfully and victoriously

• In Matthew 6:9-13 we read, “Pray, then, [a]in this way:
  ‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
  [b]Hallowed be Your name.
  ‘[c]Your kingdom come,
  Your [d]will be done
  On earth, as it is in heaven.    
  ‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread.
  ‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
  ‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’ 
  Jesus prayed declaring that He was His father, He is our Father. He knew exactly who He was talking to, because of the power and victory God has over the Kingdom. Heaven emphasizes the sovereign rule that God has over all- His power, one that brings victory for every single one of us.  When he spoke these words as He prayed he set the Father apart from everything, powerfully He prayed and spoke His name. He is victorious when He prays declaring this truth that His kingdom has come,  His will shall be done. We see the power in the words Jesus prays here because He prays for all that is to come. Jesus prays from a place where fear is absent because He trusts that the Father power is victorious. 

What can we learn about the way He prayed? 

Through rhythm, He found connection and heard the Lord

• We see a very living human aspect of Jesus when He goes out to a secret private place to pray. He was quieting His surroundings so that He could lean in closer to God and hear the gentle whispers. The same applies to us when we meet Him in the secret places, the hidden places of our lives we can quiet the noises, the busy. 

Through surrender He left fear behind and sought God's’ will

• I don’t know about you but when I read Jesus praying I can picture Him, being so humble and lifting His hands up in surrender. In a posture that allows our Heavenly Father to lean in closer to us. We learn from Jesus that by surrendering it all we seek His will, we are there to encounter His whispers. Our hunger and thirst for the Lord when we surrender becomes our constant appetite. Can we be so desperate that our faith in the Lord is the complete belief in what His ability is and not ours? Are we coming to the Father, fully surrender, fully prepared to abide in what it is that He has for us? 

Through power and victory, He experienced God's’ might and praised Him. 

• God sent His son Jesus to die upon the cross for us, so that we may be saved and live in eternity with Christ. We walk in the flesh through and with the power of God. His Kingdom comes, He will be done- that is the VICTORY that we get to walk in every day. A posture of praising our mighty God for this, and the power to know that when we pray He already knows what we need before we even ask. Are you walking in the abundance of His power and victory that He has already given you?

“ As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Our God is here in all the rhythms of our days, when we surrender to Him, draw closer, when we stand firm in truth that declares He has won, He is victorious, therefore the weight is taken off of us because He carries it for us. As we proclaim His power, forgive, and confess we tell Him we are open to hearing and we are eager to respond. His words over our lives will never be wasted, He is waiting for you to get into the position to hear Him. Where will you go, what will you do, how will you live in Christ so that you will hear His whisper?

 

The Intricacies of Prayer: What Is It + Why It Is An Important Aspect of Our Faith

“Prayer is continuing a conversation that God has started through his Word and his grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him.”

Timothy Keller

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Prayer is connection yet there are seasons and times in our lives when that connection gets pushed to the backburner and left untouched in applying it to our lives. Prayer is obedience, are we abiding in Him and going directly to the source of the abundance that has already been given and promised?Perhaps prayer feels overwhelming, or you feel lost in your prayer life. We are going to look at prayer in a different light here, connection, a closer connection. It is our time to spend with our Savior on earth in the flesh any time we want. Will you pause with me for a second, will you try to picture Jesus sitting right next to you-- you and Him are  face to face-- He is staring into your eyes and He wants to talk to you for hours on end and doesn't want the conversation to end. He desires us so badly, a kind of desire that we should seek out in Him any chance we have.

What is prayer?

Prayer is simple, prayer is surrender - I say this to mean one thing that prayer is trust. It is a gift that has been given to us thru the ultimate sacrifice of our Father. I know that that can be all things depth and complex, but when we truly get laser-focused on what prayer is, it is simply abiding, simply surrendering. It is radical, friend because the power of Christ is miraculous and because of that we simply have faith. I am not going to promise you that because prayer is simple, you are going to get what you want. What I want to uncover is the simplicity of prayer and the power that it holds when we are committed to our relationship, our ongoing conversation with Christ.  

We can easily complicate something as simple as prayer and that can cause it to make its way to the backburner of our lives. When really it should be how we start our days, how our daily life is rooted. Do you worry you don't have all the words to say? Maybe you don’t feel qualified? Overall there might be a sense of overwhelming when it comes to prayer? Place yourself back in that image of you and Him talking face to face. Sit there. As you look at Him can you see you listening, Him speaking, and then you speaking and Him listening? This is the simplicity. Take away all the barriers that you feel hold you back in prayer and simply speak and listen. Ask, and wait for a response. Seek, and obey. 

The Word is God's prayer, it is Him giving all of us to Him to continue a conversation to be ever present in our lives. Prayer is a connected conversation with our Savior, it is a space that is free access. Jesus tells us that what is written about Him is fulfillment-- He is enough, therefore our conversations with Him are our fulfillment. Prayer gives us His concrete being in our lives. It speaks to us, we know who we are in Him thru prayer, who we can run to, who we can rest in, who we can hide in. 

“Our prayer must be in full, grateful awareness that our access to God as Father is a free gift won by the costly sacrifice of Jesus the True Son, and then enacted in us by the Holy Spirit, who helps us know inward;y that we are his children.” Timothy Keller

Why is prayer an important aspect of our faith + How can you equip your days with prayer?

Prayer anchors our lives. It turns our eyes upon the one who is in full control. It is critical for us to not look to the world for our hope, guidance, approval, and timing. We will leave empty-handed if we look to our flesh for all of these things.  He gave us prayer because He is not finished, He is at work in our lives. He was obedient to the Father so that you and I could be covered in His grace, truth, and glory.

 
Although prayer is simple, the conversation between you and Him, I preface here that that does not mean all that we pray for will come to be. We live in a fallen world, one where there is illness, hatred, crime, death, where the enemy is on the move in many circumstances--- Let these things never be what stop you from prayer. Jesus knew what was to come of His life, He knew He was sent to earth to die for us-- yet we see His obedience to God, never ceasing to pray. Perhaps you are praying for something and you're not hearing from Him, He is not answering you-- what if the exact place or season that you are standing in is where He wants you. Prayer is so important in our faith because, in places like these in our lives, our faith grows deeper, the connection grows stronger. We might not know or see what He is doing, and maybe we never will, and I know that is hard to swallow-- I have had to wrestle with this a lot through these past few years, but to trust that it is and never has been up to us is suffering it all to Him. 

We do not have to stop praying for something because we have been praying about it for a long time. Jesus tells us to pray, to always pray and to never lose heart. Prayer opens our hearts to fearing and respecting God at the same time. We see persistent prayer all throughout scripture, from Jesus, and from so many people in the bible- he encourages us to keep praying. Remember that in having faith in Him is trusting that in all in His time and in His plan. The beauty of our prayer life is to have a faith so strong that you have undoubting faith. To wholeheartedly have no doubt when it comes to the grace of God. 

Prayer does not at all have to be perfect.  We can pray in a multitude of ways and no one way is the correct and only way. If for you that is speaking them out loud, or hidden in your war room, writing them out day after day, crying out to Him, a simple check in at any point in your day-- whatever it looks like, however, you can have the conversation with Him, have it. We engrain it in our hearts when we speak and/or write out our prayers. If you have never written them, my challenge to you today is to grab pen and paper and write out a prayer-- a conversation with Him. If you have never prayed out loud, my challenge for you today is to speak your conversation out loud. You will feel His presence, in some way you will. We have to be obedient when He tells us to keep coming to Him, run to the living Word. We must not get restless but rest only in Him. 

• Equip yourself, your day, your life. Prayer never should be an extra or a burden, it is a get to and we need to abide by that.

• Before you turn to anything else when you wake in the morning, turn to Him, take a few moments and speak to Him, thank Him, ask what you need of Him, praise Him. He will meet you there.

• Then throughout your day check in with Him, when your writing an email, making dinner, folding laundry, running those errands---- talk to Him in the glorious mundane because He is right there with you.

• We must use the tool of prayer that He has given us, that was sacrificed for us--

We shall surrender ourselves, our days, our lives- all of it, to our powerful Father, because the abundance, we are standing in it, you and me. He is our abundant life. His will has, shall, and will be done. In His name, Jesus. 

 

Breaking Free From Our Imperfections Defining Us

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood."

Ephesians 6:12

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Our imperfections are messy, intimidating, and sometimes you might be letting them defeat you, maybe even disqualify you. I am guilty of it. I have to catch myself as I go about my day and dismiss the lie that I am not doing it well, that I am not doing enough. Perhaps they can feel like pressure - pressure to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect business owner, the perfect friend. And when we fail, it hits us hard. This is a natural emotional feeling, and I think it is important to process it, but we need to stand firm in truth that is behind it. His truth, and really our identities are only rooted in Him alone. These imperfections that we are created within Christ might be a description of the season we are in, or what we are processing, but never are we defined by them.

In the genealogy of Christ, we see many people, women, who were completely imperfect-- yet they are included in this list--

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d]and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:1-17 (ESV)

It is important to note that God carefully places  this genealogy to show us that we all come from somewhere, that we have broken parts, that we are imperfect, but the greatest truth in this to hold on to is that Christ redeems us. We are a part of His story of grace. I am here to tell you that we get to BREAK free from our imperfections defining us because we get to embrace them-- when we embrace them, we are essentially embracing Him, trusting that God is in control of our lives.

There have been many times in the last 6 years or so that I have let my imperfections define who I was, to fall into a trap of thinking that I am less than-- when I decided that I no longer wanted to pursue becoming a doctor, and instead I chose real estate for a while. So much of that transition left me feeling lost and seeking His purpose in my life. As I went thru infertility there where many days where I believed lies that it was my fault, that I had caused these issues with my body. Then there were, even more, times when I blamed myself for delivering my son early--- all thoughts and emotions that I had to break free from because that was not God's plan and purpose for me or for infertility and the premature birth. Honestly, friends, the struggles are still there as I break free from these imperfections defining me on a daily basis. There are moments when I am at doctors visits and therapy appointments with Mason and I will slip back into turning the imperfections to blame and down a spiral that is not at all what He wants for my life. I am here to tell you that no matter the imperfection, we can BREAK FREE because He is in our future-- He is going to use all of it the way He desires, and that might not be an easy thing to swallow. It might not be what you want or what I want, but when we can surrender it all to Him and allow Him to make a beautiful thing out of it-- that is when we can be free from the imperfections making us believe we can exist and be on our own.

We have to begin to trace the source of our internal thoughts and ideas that we have. If we are truly metabolizing His words to fuel our minds, then we can fully thrive in the living truth. We become grounded in Christ which is an essential part of breaking free from the imperfections defining us, and instead, we begin to thirst for more of Him. To have such a deep love for the Lord that you feel as if He is standing right there with you. I experienced this many times,  particularly in the NICU, I vividly remember when I literally had to just fall to my knees and just sink to Him. God reminded me that my imperfections are not weaknesses, they are opportunities to cling to Him, seek Him, hear Him. I heard Him over the constant ringing alarms in the hospital day after day for five months, over the chest compressions on my son many times, in the hospice room, and on the walk out of hospice as Mason was moved to a room of life.

I will also share that there will also be times when you can’t quite make out His voice, or see the light, or run to Him-- but know that He is not disqualifying you, He wants you to grow closer, connect with Him even further.You see the closer we are to embracing our imperfections, we are that much closer to understanding how much we need Him. We were made imperfect because He wants us to need Him, to run to Him and lay it all out--- and His grace covers us. He gives that to us unconditionally.

In our lives, these imperfect moments, situations, feelings, thoughts, they are part of His plan, and we have to know that we can’t fast forward thru them. Many times they will last for a season, or years, and sometimes they will remain forever. Yet we get to remain in Him, and that is where we see Him unfold in our lives. Our broken world would have us think that we need to get out of the imperfections-- let me emphasize getting out and breaking free are two very different things. Getting out of the imperfections is not embracing them, it is believing a lie that we don't need Him. Breaking free from them defeating and disqualifying you is a very different idea. It is the premise that when we allow ourselves the space and time in the imperfection we are in fact intensifying the connection with Him-- we begin to see God at work in our lives thru the imperfections and know that we are defined by Christ only, and the imperfections make way for us to stand in His glory.

You can stand through anything when you stand in His abundant grace. Because, friend, it's in our imperfections that Christ makes His perfections shown. He has the power to break us free from the role lies play that can takeover us not embracing the imperfections. He loves us today like He loved us yesterday and like He will love us tomorrow, imperfections and all.

Why I am here and what He calls us to

“How happy are those who have learned how to praise You; those who journey through life by the light of Your face.”

Psalm 89:15 The Voice

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You desire an abundant life. You thirst for a deep relationship with the faithful Lord. You want to get away from the busy, and see meaning in your life, in this season, with what you have. You want your imperfections to thrive in your purpose. You want to dig into His truths and live out His glory in the life He has called you to. I can relate. And I am so excited that you’re here.

I began this ministry because I believe that you can LIVE AND CULTIVATE AN INTENTIONAL LIFE BECAUSE HE  HAS CREATED EACH OF US WITH A PURPOSE. HIS PURPOSE TO GLORIFY HIS KINGDOM.

An imperfect purpose- a life where we are called to live abundantly in His grace, seek His truth and stand in His glory.

Our imperfections are messy, intimidating, and He just might be hiding you in the season that you are in.

Perhaps He is having you be bold in this season, breaking through barriers. Whatever the situation, He is pulling you closer.

Our imperfections feel like pressure - pressure to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect business owner, the perfect friend. And when we fail, it hits us hard.

You can stand through anything when you stand in His abundant grace. Because, friend, it's in our imperfections that Christ makes His perfections shown.

He loves us today like He loved us yesterday and like He will love us tomorrow, imperfections and all.

My view on these imperfect times opened up my world to see His glory with a deep appreciation for ALL circumstances and situations I have encountered. He throws nothing to waste, and honestly looking back I would go through them over and over again because His gracious spirit reminds me so much that He is present and is the only perfection.

In order to fully embrace the purpose we were created for, we need to immerse ourselves into who He is.

When we fully know Him, we experience the freedom that His grace has over our lives to fully live out what He has called us to do. To reflect His image that He so carefully knit together. I have found that in the times that I felt farthest from my purpose and what he created me for, I was actually right there where He wanted me. Out of the waiting, pain, joy, and patience He knew exactly what He was doing as I began this journey I call my mission.  

After more than two years of unexplained infertility (which is still ongoing), I delivered our miracle son, Mason, at 23 weeks.

My life has been turned upside down since.

We spent five months in the NICU, and we were told that our son had no chance of survival and that if he did survive, he would never live a normal life. Praising the Lord because that is not the case and he is healthy, with many hurdles overcome and some still ahead of us. I was at a loss for words for a long time.

It was through that experience that I found myself at a point in my life where I had a choice to either stay strong, be positive, and get grateful for my son and my family or not.

I knew that I needed to choose joy and live my life on God’s strength, not mine. I knew that the only way the three of us would survive this was to choose the little-by-little progress in each day, as some days were life and death within those five months and even after coming home.

Choosing to be intentional and live on purpose with what each moment brought became my mission. Knowing that I could not do all things well, I had to decide what I could do well to live a life filled with purpose and say no to the things that put pressure on me and took me off course.  

The miracle of my son has shown me that we are on this earth for a reason and with a purpose. And that often that purpose shows up most often when life is the most imperfect.

I don't have all the answers, but I am here to learn and live life with you.

I believe that we were created with a purpose. That we were knit in our mother’s womb with the most intentional purpose. That we were meant to live for that purpose. I believe that through grace, faith, and intentional choices, we can find that purpose and embrace it to the fullest. I am imperfect, and I embrace that with my whole heart.

The beautiful imperfections that we are made of are all part of His plan for us. We can let go of the lies of not being good enough, and embrace the fact that God is calling each of us to live our lives with intention. I intend to live on purpose and be transformed by grace. By following that purpose with fire and passion for our Savior Jesus, you can cultivate the life and legacy that God so miraculously created for you.

Imperfect Purpose Series- Embracing our Imperfections

Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own].

1 Thessalonians 5:24 AMP

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He who calls you is so very faithful, friends. He assures us of this so many times throughout scripture, and it stands out here in this verse as Paul adds even more reassurance of our God, and the peace he  ultimately brings. He calls us. For us to even begin to comprehend this idea of Him calling me, calling us to Himself, we need to start at the foundation. We dig into the thought that He can only be the foundation, and therefore any thing or situation or person builds off of Him. 

I think when we can fully picture Him as the foundation of our lives, the situations, and seasons that we live through, whether we feel like we are flourishing or trying to stay above water, it is then that we grow in true connection and trust with our Father.

Imperfect purpose was born from a time of complete dependence on the Lord in my life. Yet so much stems back from early childhood, if I really dig deep but its realization came so much later in life. At a time when I needed to have full confidence, in a place of wilderness, that eventually led me to His pastures. During a time of barrenness, to a time of joy, and back into a time of despair, to His light of hope-- He was at work. He is always at work friends, yet sometimes it is not always easy to see this or experience it right there in that moment--but I find that He prepares us several different ways.

It is in the imperfect moments in our lives where He is drawing us in closer, and then there are moments when He has us drift out a little further in the open, to a place we might feel less commutable, yet He is still there. We actually need these different scenarios to have a different perspective, so we are prepared with the full armor of Christ. It is imperative for us to embrace times when we are in the trenches as well as the times when we might feel like we have a handle on life-- I promise we need Him at all times.

He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own-- He will. I struggled to believe this at certain times in my life and even more so over the last 5 years, but He is faithful. 

When we can embrace our imperfections, we can see our God clearly, our imperfections that He created in His image, all for the purpose of His grace, His Kingdom.

I believe that there are fundamental aspects that will help us to draw closer to Him to uncover the imperfections so that we no longer see them as a fault or failure but instead as freedom in Him. We will dig into one of them today, and will explore more as we continue this series.

• Prayer: It is the first and foremost piece of our calling-- and I say this because this is our foundation, our relationship with Him. We grow in Him deeper when we have a constant rhythm of prayer and conversation. Prayer will become so entangled in you that you will run to Him at all hours of the day, lay it all out on Him, and praise Him at the same time. We must transform ourselves into prayer warriors, putting on the armor daily. 

- Talk to Him today-  out loud, on paper, and quietly. Try all three. No set format, just talk to Him. This will drastically change you, the Holy Spirit dwells inside, and you will feel the connection. I am not going to say you will see the exact purpose in the imperfections instantly, but it builds a top the foundation of Christ, the place we must always plant our feet firmly on. As your relationship is deeper rooted, the thoughts and emotions He wants us to feel and experience will come to greater life. 

For me, I had to stop trying to think I would ever get all of the answers.  What I had to do though is slowly, while feeling and processing, lean further into His arms and allow His grace to consume me. The imperfections might describe us, where we are in life, where we are headed- but friend, let me emphasize that He is the only thing that defines us and our purpose. 

I thought it would be fun to kick things off with a series, that has so many layers and imperfections-- I want to dig deep in Christ, with you. I will be sharing some dear friends of mine with you, ladies who are on the journey with you and me, learning to embrace their imperfect purpose for His abundant life He calls us to live. We will dive into those fundamental pieces along the way. 

Imperfect Purpose Series- How Content Strategist & Manager for Online Entrepreneurs of Faith Embraces Imperfections

with Kaylan Thompson

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As I began to pray about this ministry a long time ago, I felt an overwhelming feeling about the layers that our imperfect purpose encompasses. Equipping women to stand in His calling and purpose that He has created in our lives is no simple matter, yet we have Him at the foundation for it all. He is who and what gets glorified, and because of His grace, we have an abundant life as we live daily in Him.  

Digging deep with Christ opens this pathway of understanding the faithfulness He has in our lives. The beauty of what came as I prayed through all of this is that there are so many different perspectives and stories that He has created for all of us-- This idea that each of us living abundantly in Him, embracing our imperfections, shows us purpose on top of purpose. Really so much of Him, and where He is at work, and the different places we can experience this. So I thought it would be fun to kick things off with a series, that has so many layers and imperfections-- because I want to dig deep in Christ, with you. I will be sharing some dear friends of mine with you, ladies who are on the journey with you and me, learning to embrace their imperfect purpose for His abundant life He calls us to live. 

I pray that this series will further plant your feet in Him, and move His mission of your imperfect purposes in your life so that you can fully experience Christ in any moment of your life. Let us glorify His kingdom. Amen. 

TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS/MINISTRY.

I’m Kaylan, a Content Strategist & Manager for online entrepreneurs of faith. I help women get back to doing what they love in their business by helping them create a plan for their content, reach the right audience, serve the right audience, and use content as a ladder to reach their business goals!

WHAT DOES IMPERFECT PURPOSE MEAN TO YOU?

To me, imperfect purpose means finding the beauty and mission in all of life’s messes. It means drawing closer to God and what He has called you, uniquely, to do and filtering out all the other noises of life.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE YOUR IMPERFECT PURPOSE?

I embrace my own imperfect purpose in so many ways! In my business, I embrace it by giving myself grace when I make mistakes, or create launches that flop, or see content engaging poorly. I say, “Okay, that was imperfect, I made mistakes and didn’t provide the right message and service, but what can I learn in that?” I ask myself what I can learn about my audience, what I can learn about what they need from me, and - most importantly - what I can learn about my business and ministry in the gap between where I wanted to aim and where I hit. Because I believe in that gap there’s a message that God uses to help us hone our own services for our community!

WHAT DOES LIVING ABUNDANTLY IN HIS GRACE MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW MIGHT YOU BE DOING THIS?

I’ve learned to absolutely embrace those hard truths, to not be afraid of them. For so long, I didn’t pursue anything in my business because I was afraid of what my mistakes would tell me. If you look at them the wrong way, all you see are the ways you don’t measure up. But, if you view them as messages from the Lord, guiding you toward your purpose, they drive you more than anything!

HOW ARE YOU SEEKING HIS TRUTH-SHARE ANY WAS YOU FEEL CONNECTED TO THAT TRUTH, OR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU TO SEEK HIS TRUTH DAILY?

I’m working to actively seek His truth in my own life each day - I know that creating that routine is not only essential for my life, but for my business, too. For business women, though, it’s imperative that we build our businesses on a foundation of faith. Some practical ways to do this is praying before everything - before writing that blog, before hitting that publish button, before sending that email, before getting on that call with a client. Your business will be built on beautiful, holy and sturdy ground that doesn’t shift if you build it intentionally piece by piece by seeking His truth, guidance and presence in every area.

HOW ARE YOU STANDING IN HIS GLORY?

I stand in His glory by not being afraid to be vocal about my faith, to serve the way He is calling me to. I don’t hide my message and I don’t waver in acknowledging what my business stands for. It’s His ministry, simply using me to help other women to build, grow and serve their communities.

IS THERE A TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCE IN YOUR LIFE THAT THIS APPLIES? "INSTEAD OF ASKING HOW SOMETHING CAN BE MADE PERFECT", ASK YOURSELF,  “WHAT IS GOD DOING HERE?" WHAT DOES TAKING BOLD STEPS FORWARD IN YOUR IMPERFECT PURPOSE LOOK LIKE?

In my business, taking bold steps looks like not being afraid to try new things. I mentioned earlier that fear held me back for so long. Then I realized - I’m not serving ANYONE by staying silent, immobile and frozen. But, if I move? If I put myself out there and just did the thing? The worse thing that could happen is that I still didn’t serve anyone. The best thing that could happen, though? If I just served one person. And despite all the mistakes I’ve made and am still making, this ministry has been able to infuse purpose and clarity into the businesses of dozens of women - I never would’ve dreamed of that!

MOVING FROM PERFECTION TO PURPOSE, SWITCHING YOUR INNER DIALOGUE FROM, "IS THIS GOOD ENOUGH?" TO, "IS THIS WHAT GOD IS CALLING ME TO DO?" HOW CAN THIS APPLY IN YOUR LIFE?

Building on that, I’ve learned that God works in our fear of not being good enough. Yeah, we aren’t good enough! But He is! Our fear is nothing but pride quivering in our hearts, afraid of being humiliated when people reject our message. I learned to see that in myself and call it what it is - pride being selfish. I look to God and say, “I know I’m not good enough, but you are. You called me here to work through me, so what is it you want me to do?”

WHAT IS YOUR DEEPEST PASSION FOR THE KINGDOM?

To see women serve their audiences with abandon! To see them serve and minister as well as build profitable and sustainable businesses that allow them to live a life of beauty, purpose and mission!

follow along with kaylan

Imperfect Purpose Series- How Shop Owner & Find Wondrous Things Ministry Founder Embraces Imperfections

with Lindsee Walker

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As I began to pray about this ministry a long time ago, I felt an overwhelming feeling about the layers that our imperfect purpose encompasses. Equipping women to stand in His calling and purpose that He has created in our lives is no simple matter, yet we have Him at the foundation for it all. He is who and what gets glorified, and because of His grace we have an abundant life as we live daily in Him.  

Digging deep with Christ opens this pathway of understanding the faithfulness He has in our lives. The beauty of what came as I prayed through all of this is that there are so many different perspectives and stories that He has created for all of us-- This idea that each of us living abundantly in Him, embracing our imperfections, shows us purpose on top of purpose. Really so much of Him, and where He is at work, and the different places we can experience this. So I thought it would be fun to kick things off with a series, that has so many layers and imperfections-- because I want to dig deep in Christ, with you. I will be sharing some dear friends of mine with you, ladies who are on the journey with you and me, learning to embrace their imperfect purpose for His abundant life He calls us to live. 

I pray that this series will further plant your feet in Him, and move His mission of your imperfect purposes in your life so that you can fully experience Christ in any moment of your life. Let us glorify His kingdom. Amen. 

TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS/MINISTRY.

I’m Lindsee. I’m married with two kids and I have a shop called Find Wondrous Things. I sell bible tabs and prayer journals, and hope to create beautiful tools that encourage women to find the wondrous things God has placed in their life.

WHAT DOES IMPERFECT PURPOSE MEAN TO YOU?

Imperfect purpose to me  means leaning into Him, embracing the fact that I am not perfect, but He is. And His will and purpose for me is so much greater than I could imagine.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE YOUR IMPERFECT PURPOSE?

I try to lean into God, abide in Him, trust that His glory can be shown through my imperfections. When I fall short, He gives me abundant grace and vast strength.

WHAT DOES LIVING ABUNDANTLY IN HIS GRACE MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW MIGHT YOU BE DOING THIS?

Living abundantly in His grace to me means understanding the depth of my sin, and coming to God daily to confess and repent, and then turning toward God, and embracing His grace. It means accepting that I am deeply loved and forgiven and I am free to walk in that daily.

HOW ARE YOU SEEKING HIS TRUTH- SHARE ANY WAYS YOU FEEL CONNECTED TO THAT TRUTH, OR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU TO SEEK HIS TRUTH DAILY?

I try to everyday declare a truth over my day. I believe it is so easy for our minds and hearts to wander, so I want to plant my feet firmly in God’s Word and truth daily. Practically that means I try to get into the Word everyday, and take time to pause and pray to God about every aspect of my life. I write down my prayers and I write a truth (from God’s Word) and meditate on it throughout my day.

HOW ARE YOU STANDING IN HIS GLORY?

I think we can stand in His glory when we let Him shine through more than ourselves. That means sharing the hard stuff I go through, which can be hard, but I believe we are meant to give Him all the glory and praise.

IS THERE A TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCE IN YOUR LIFE THAT THIS APPLIES? "INSTEAD OF ASKING HOW SOMETHING CAN BE MADE PERFECT", ASK YOURSELF,  “WHAT IS GOD DOING HERE?" WHAT DOES TAKING BOLD STEPS FORWARD IN YOUR IMPERFECT PURPOSE LOOK LIKE?

Taking bold steps forward in your imperfect purpose means embracing our imperfections, and believing that God can use them for His own good purposes and glory. I think we have to stop and see the wondrous things around us. Find the ways He has poured His grace on you, find the ways He has been faithful, find the amazing ways He lavishes His love on you.

MOVING FROM PERFECTION TO PURPOSE, SWITCHING YOUR INNER DIALOGUE FROM, "IS THIS GOOD ENOUGH?" TO, "IS THIS WHAT GOD IS CALLING ME TO DO?" HOW CAN THIS APPLY IN YOUR LIFE?

This applies to every aspect of our lives. Definitely in ministry, but also in motherhood, or as a wife, or a friend- our enemy wants us to believe we are not enough, but God has a purpose for each of us, and I think we just have to believe it. Dig into scripture and see all the ways God calls people- He calls unlikely people. Whatever God has placed right in front of you- that customer, the friend, the stranger, the husband, the child- it’s part of His purpose, so stand firm in believing that He will equip you for whatever purpose He has put in front of you.

WHAT IS YOUR DEEPEST PASSION FOR THE KINGDOM?

To see women get into the Word and love it! I pray our generation would love and know God’s Word more than anything else in this world.

Follow along with Lindsee