Author: brandyn@elevatedfaith.com

Thanksgiving is a season where we naturally look around and count our blessings. We thank God for our families, our homes, the food before us and the moments that made our year meaningful. But there is a deeper dimension of gratitude, one that doesn’t just thank God for the visible blessings, but for the process that shaped us, humbled us and prepared us.

Many people associate thanksgiving and celebration with big monumental moments, virality, applause, IG notifications…

But I have a different perspective this year. 

What if the things you lost, the trials, the tribulations and the testing of your faith, are really what built the table God has prepared for you to sit at?

We think the blessings are “things.”
But when we get the things, our peace and joy grow wings.
They’re fleeting.

The truth is this:
The table God sets for you is often built from the very trials you prayed to escape.

Four perspective shifts to consider:

🤎 The Trials Were Tools in God’s Hands.

God never wastes pain. Every hardship becomes lumber in His hands. When surrendered, it becomes a tool, a brick, a nail — building something better than we could’ve designed for ourselves.

Think about Joseph: falsely accused, thrown into prison, betrayed by those he trusted and loved. Yet every hardship was positioning him, creating character and preparing him for purpose. 

When he finally sat at the table God built, he could look back and say: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” -Genesis 50:20

Your story isn’t any different. What the enemy tried to use to break you, God will use to build you.

🤎 The Table Is Set in the Presence of Your Enemies.

Psalm 23:5 is a Thanksgiving Scripture if there ever was one:
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Not in the absence of enemies. 
Not after everything makes sense. 
But in the middle of it.

The table God prepares for you is not just a place of blessing; it’s a display of God’s faithfulness. It’s His presence and peace in the midst of whatever circumstances you are in. It’s proof that no attack, no betrayal, no season of setback can stop the destiny on your life.

– Every tear waters the ground of your future.
– Every closed door redirects you toward God’s perfect will.
– Every dry season teaches you dependence.
– Every wilderness develops your spiritual muscles and maturity.

🤎 Thanksgiving Is a Weapon.

When we give thanks, especially for things that deeply wounded us, something shifts spiritually. Gratitude breaks chains. It breaks bitterness. It breaks the lie that God abandoned you in the hard moments.

It’s the revelation that God was working even when you couldn’t see it. Being thankful for the trials doesn’t validate what happened. It validates the power of the God who carried you through it.

It means you recognize that without those trials:
– You wouldn’t be as strong.
– You wouldn’t be as wise.
– You wouldn’t discern like you do now.
– You wouldn’t pray like you pray now.
– You wouldn’t appreciate blessings the way you do now.

The trials didn’t break you; they built you.

🤎 Your Table Is Proof of God’s Intentionality.

When God prepares a table, it’s not thrown together carelessly or haphazardly. It’s intentional. Personal. Thought-out. Designed specifically for you.

And the beauty is this:
Every trial, every disappointment, every delay has purpose.

Nothing was wasted. God used it all to craft a table where you don’t just eat, you testify.

This Thanksgiving, thank God for the journey that got you here.

– The trials that matured you.
– The storms that pushed you closer to Him.
– The losses that taught you what truly matters.
– The waiting seasons that strengthened your faith.
– The prayers He didn’t answer because He has something better.
– The times you thought you were breaking but you were actually becoming.

This year, thank Him not just for the table…
but for everything He used to build it.

What are you grateful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving 🤎
– Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn

The gym and the church may seem like two different worlds, but really they’re both places of transformation. One strengthens the body, the other the soul. When we step into either, we show up with a desire to grow, to discipline ourselves and to become who we were created to be.
 
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” -1 Timothy 4:8

Physical training teaches us habits that parallel our walk with God. When we push through discomfort at the gym, we build endurance. When we push through spiritual trials, we build faith. When we are tested, we build our testimony. All of it requires discipline, focus and a commitment to growth, even when it’s hard. Especially then.

1. The Discipline of Showing Up
Progress doesn’t come overnight. You don’t lift weights once and expect transformation. The same is true in your walk with God.

Spiritual strength is built through daily surrender. Every rep, every prayer, every quiet moment of obedience builds something unseen until one day, you look back and realize: you’ve changed.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” 
-Zechariah 4:10a

2. Resistance Training
Muscles only grow through resistance, the same is true with faith. The very pressure that challenges you physically is what makes you stronger. Spiritually; trials, temptations and tests are the “weights” God allows to strengthen your endurance and deepen your dependence on Him.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” 
-James 1:2-3

3. Fueling the Right Way
A healthy body needs nourishment. So does your spirit. You can’t expect strength if you’re spiritually starving. The Word of God is your daily fuel, your spiritual protein. Worship, fellowship and prayer are like rest and recovery; they renew and refresh your soul. If your spirit feels tired, go to the Source.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 
-Matthew 4:4b

4. The Ultimate Trainer
Every athlete performs better with a coach. As believers, our trainer is the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, Comforter and personal guide. He shapes us from the inside out, transforming not only our habits but our hearts. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just want you to look strong; He wants you to be strong.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” 
-Galatians 5:25

5. The Goal: Jesus
True wellness isn’t just a strong body; it’s a soul aligned with God’s Spirit, walking in peace, purpose and discipline.

As you train your body, train your spirit too. 
Let your workouts become worship. 
Let your endurance mirror your faith.
Real transformation, spiritual and physical,
happens one step of obedience at a time.

“Run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.” 
-Hebrews 12:1b-2a


– Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn

P.S… EF MOTION, our activewear line, drops Spring/Summer 2026 ⚡️
(stay tuned)

Faith is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. It’s what keeps us anchored in the middle of life’s inevitable storms, hopeful in our wildernesses and waiting, and bold when stepping into the unknown. Here are 5 powerful Scriptures about faith to help you build your life on a firm foundation…

1.  Faith Foundation
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
–Hebrews 11:1

🕊️ Reflection: Faith sees with the heart, what the eyes can’t yet.

2. Daily Discipline
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
–2 Corinthians 5:7

🕊️ Reflection: Keep walking, even when the path ahead isn’t clear. God is already there.

3. Believing Before Receiving
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
–Mark 11:24

🕊️ Reflection: Faith takes your prayers from hopeful wishes to confident expectation. Faith prays as if the answer is already on the way.

4. Faith in the Fire
“Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
–James 1:3

🕊️ Reflection: Your struggle is a spiritual gym. It’s the training ground required for stronger faith. Trials aren’t meant to break you; they’re meant to build you. God uses testing to refine our faith.

5. Shield of Faith
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
–Ephesians 6:16

🕊️ Reflection: When you hold onto God’s promises, you silence the voice of the enemy. Faith is what protects you when the battle is raging. Keep your armor on.

Life with Jesus requires us to let go of the need to know before we go. Faith isn’t about feelings or the right forecast; it’s forfeiting the need to understand. And it’s about trusting that God is faithful to either help you fly or be the firm foundation that will catch you when you land.

Have faith, friend xoxo

– Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn

What do you think of when you think of courage?

Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the presence of Jesus when you’re surrounded by fear. It’s continuing to move forward in faith, even when fear whispers in your ear. We aren’t called to shrink back, bow down or conform to or for the world. We are called to step courageously into what and where God leads us to with boldness, faith and full confidence in His Word.

When He calls us to do something, He equips us with the courage to walk it out.

-Courage flows from God’s presence.
Joshua faced a daunting task: leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land after Moses’ death. God instructed him to not rely on his own strength but to find courage in God’s presence. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9b) You can’t muster this kind of courage on your own; true courage flows from intimacy with the Holy Spirit and knowing that the Lord is with you.

-Courage rises in faith, not fear.
Fear says, “What if?” Faith says, “Even if.” David faced Goliath not because he was the strongest but because he knew the God who fought for him. Courage isn’t reckless; it’s a steady trust in the One who holds every battle in His hands. “The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

-Courage is choosing obedience.
Sometimes courage looks less like slaying giants and more like daily obedience. Choosing integrity, forgiving when it hurts, loving when it’s hard and speaking truth in love. When we walk in obedience, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live courageously in a world that often opposes God’s ways. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

-Courage is found in Christ.
Remember that courage is found in Christ. When you feel small, remember God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. When you feel unseen, remember the Lord goes before you and surrounds you. When you feel afraid, speak His Word and let His promises anchor your heart.

A prayer for courage:
Lord, fill me with Your courage today. Help me rise above fear and step into all that You’ve called me to do. Remind me that You are with me, You go before me and You strengthen me. May my life be a testimony of bold faith, unshakable trust and courageous obedience. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 💙

Here is what the Bible has to say about courage:

Deuteronomy 31:6 
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:9 
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

1 Chronicles 28:20a 
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.

Ezra 10:4
Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.

Mark 6:50
They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”

Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Philippians 1:20a
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted…

Be strong & courageous, 
– Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn

There’s something deeply personal, powerful and profound about the story in John 4, where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well.

This wasn’t just a chance encounter; it was a divine appointment.

Jesus went out of His way to pass through a place He knew she’d be. He made specific time for her, at a specific place, and sent His disciples away so He could be alone with her.

She showed up on the scene with an empty jar. This is a prophetic picture. She was as empty as the vessel she was holding. She wasn’t just physically in need of water, she was spiritually starving.

He found her shackled by shame. An outcast, alone and isolated, but she left with living water, overflowing with joy and empowered by purpose.

How could it be? How could one encounter, one day, with one man, change a woman entirely?

We all have a well where Jesus waits for us. It may be the place of our exhaustion, the place where our cross feels the heaviest or even the place where we escape just to get through another day. Jesus chooses to show up in the middle of our mess on purpose. Not when we appear to have it all together, not when we’ve cleaned ourselves up or prettied up our past, but in the middle of our deepest desperation and need.

Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
-John 4:10

He doesn’t shame you. He doesn’t avoid you, block your number or go a different way. Instead, He looks you directly in the eye and speaks to what you don’t even know you need. That living water is His presence, His forgiveness, His Spirit filling the empty places inside us. His grace that fills every gap.

The Samaritan woman tried to fill her life with relationships, attention and affection. If we’re honest, we often find ourselves doing the same, trying to fill ourselves with anything that will fill the void, numb the pain or give us purpose. We search for success, wear ourselves out for approval and drown ourselves in distraction. None of it satisfies. Only Jesus can satisfy the deep thirst we have in our soul. And when He does, the evidence is undeniable. She ran back to her village proclaiming, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29).

Maybe today you feel like that woman. Maybe you’ve been avoiding the well, dehydrated and avoiding the source because that’s where you know you’ll be exposed the most. He sees you. He knows your story. And He offers you Himself, the living water that never runs dry. Your past doesn’t disqualify you. Your failures don’t push Him away. In fact, those are the very places where He loves to show His power and grace the most.

The invitation stays the same. When Jesus meets you at the well, you won’t leave the same.

🤍 Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You that You meet me personally at my well. In the ordinary, messy places of my life. You offer living water to quench my thirsty soul. Help me lay down the empty jars I’ve been carrying and receive what You offer instead. Fill me with Your Spirit, restore my joy and let hope rise in my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

✨ Promises:
🤍 John 4:13-14
→ Jesus is the only one who can quench the thirst of our souls.

🤍 Psalm 34:18
→ God draws near when our hearts feel shattered.

🤍 Isaiah 41:10
→ His presence is our strength in weakness.

🤍 Matthew 11:28-29
→ Rest is found not in striving, but in coming to Jesus.

🤍 Romans 15:13
→ True hope is rooted in the God who never fails.

🤍 Revelation 21:6
→ His invitation is for everyone who longs for more.

– Carly Lynn // @car1ylynn