Category: Blog

I have always loved photography. Something about being able to capture moments inspires me. I recently saved up and bought a Canon M50 camera. I upgraded the lens and am still in the process of trying to learn how to use it. The logistics of both the camera and using it artistically to capture a moment the way I want to is a lot more difficult than I thought.

In trying to learn, something stuck out to me; focus. A critical component of photography.

I read somewhere that if you don’t focus properly, you will end up with blurry photos even when all of the other camera settings are correct. The Holy Spirit showed me how similar this is to our faith.

You can set it to autofocus, which means the camera does its best to guess and does it for you, basically on autopilot. But if you want to really focus purposely, precisely and intentionally on the subject that has your attention, you need to focus manually.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. What are we focused on? Is He really the King of our hearts like we declare in the songs we sing? Are we actually trying to find the face, heart and character of Jesus in every moment of our lives that we are in? Are we choosing to manually focus on Him so that we don’t miss Him, or are we just on autopilot and hoping that someone else will do it for us?

Whatever your answer is, He’s not mad at you. He’s madly in love with you.

He desires your affection and attention. And He’s extending an invitation to you: a beautiful journey of seeking His heart and manually focusing on Him in every moment. Say yes?

Hebrews 12:2 & Isaiah 26:3

-Carly Lynn

Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”

Oof, I read this verse yesterday and it has been running through my mind ever since.

Growing up, every summer my family went up north to our cottage at the lake. I remember what would happen if the paddle boat, jet-ski, pontoon or anything else we had in the water wasn’t secured to the dock. They drifted.

What first looked like a small distance, if not quickly taken care of, could become something lost, damaged and out of sight. As something drifts, it moves slowly, but it doesn’t stop moving, so over time it makes a lot of ground. Second by second, it drifts further and further away from where it’s supposed to be.

Isn’t that a lot like us? We drift too. We’re human. If we aren’t conscious and intentional about being anchored, we drift.

Have you drifted? Has your heart drifted?

Has space come between you and God?

This journey with Jesus in a world full of distraction and temptation requires us to secure ourselves to the Rock, anchor our hearts and intentionally fight to stay there. Let’s decide as a family to stay anchored to Jesus and lovingly encourage and pray for one another to do the same.

-Carly Lynn

Do you know that you are immeasurably loved? Immeasurable, meaning the amount you are loved is incapable of being measured. In every moment, that is unquestionably true. And it can’t be taken from you.

What if we lived our lives from the reality of this truth? What if we lived our lives from an overflow of being immeasurably loved by God?

I think when we let God tell us who we are, when we look to Him for our identity, purpose, provision & validation, we won’t get caught in the trap of looking for it anywhere else.

-Carly Lynn

As you begin a new week, how’s your heart?

Are you bringing it to God?

He wants all of it.

(P.S. Yes, even those parts you try really, really hard to hide.)

It doesn’t surprise or scare Him.

Are you meeting with Him daily? Is His presence your priority?

Do you have peace? If not, I know where you can find some.

This world is a dark and broken place. Your purpose here is to make Him known. Don’t forget. Guard your heart, protect your peace and feed your faith.

-Carly Lynn

Hey friend, just want to encourage & remind you today…

His mercies are new.

Every day we wake up, we get a new chance to be thankful. Every day comes with a new opportunity to encounter God, to thank Him, to praise Him, to serve Him and to reflect His heart to a world full of people who so desperately need it.

Because of Jesus, every day comes with an opportunity to ask for a new beginning, a fresh start, a clean slate. When we ask for forgiveness, He doesn’t condemn us. Instead, by His Spirit, He beautifully changes us.

Life with Jesus is exciting, it isn’t dull. He always has more for you; more growth, healing, deliverance, love, community, peace, wisdom, joy. What do you need from Him today? I pray you press in and ask.

2 Corinthians 5:17, Lamentations 3:22-24, Mathew 7:7-8

-Carly Lynn

When was the last time you saw yourself the way God sees you? Had His thoughts about you? Experienced freedom through His unchanging truth?

Have you ever?

This week I want to do something a little different;

I want to challenge you to dig deeper into your identity.

Take a few minutes to reflect on what you believe to be true about who you are. If you were to introduce yourself right now, what are the first thoughts that come to mind?

Next, I want you to apply God’s truth. Does this change or challenge what you currently believe about yourself? Does this change what others may have said about you or to you? (p.s. it should!)

I love you friend, I believe in you, and I’m rooting for you. You are unlike anyone else.

You are unique, valued and irreplaceable.

Praying you live in the full God-given identity you were created for.

You were made to live loved.

-Carly Lynn

In the midst of a trying season, I’ve had “PERFECT PEACE” written on my left hand.

I often write scriptures or words that I’m clinging to on my hand so that I’m constantly reminded of what’s true. I want them close.

I don’t want to forget. I can’t afford to forget, even for an hour, what He’s teaching me or what He says. As I’m constantly bombarded with the opposite in a broken world, I keep what He’s saying close. It’s a weapon against fear, against lies, against anything that isn’t God.

I’m human. My feelings are real, but that doesn’t mean they are true. He is teaching me how to process them with Him, instead of trying to push them away or suppress them. He’s teaching me how to discern what’s good and what to do with what isn’t.

So, when fear tries to intimidate me and anxiety tries to overwhelm me,

I see those 12 letters written on my hand.

When depression tries to completely deplete and defeat me,

I see those 12 letters written on my hand.

When stress tries to dictate my schedule and take me away from what’s most important, I see those 12 letters written on my hand.

When the world wages war, I remember what’s true, and

I consciously choose perfect peace. I choose Him.

“You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3

-Carly Lynn

We were created to be filled by God and God alone.

That’s why you don’t feel full by all those other things.

You know, that person, place, paycheck, position, or picture-perfect feed, etc. Whatever we try to make our portion apart from Him will make us feel punctured, draining us until we remember where our Source is again.

What does filling your cup up look like for you?

Where do you feel most connected and closest to God?

Do you make time to do that? Do you take time to process your emotions, take care of your body and nurture your relationship with the One who made it?

This week, let’s be intentional about making time and space for God to fill us up.

If we get filled up the right way first, we won’t have the voids that cause us to feel empty and run to the wrong things that won’t last later.

There’s a longing in the human heart that was designed to lead us back to Him,

and until that’s enough for us, nothing else will be.

Read: John 4:13-14 & Psalm 63:1

-Carly Lynn

The world glorifies “busy,” idolizes being seen, and praises never missing a beat.

So what happens when the Lord leads us into a season of being “under construction”? The kind that doesn’t, at the time, feel like being lovingly protected at all, but feels a lot more like being disciplined, isolated and buried?

I have fought this place myself. I tried to pray it away; I tried to get myself out in my own strength; I tried to avoid the uncomfortable process of refinement, until I saw Who was with me in the fire. Surrendering in this place gives you a new lens and perspective to see this season for what it really is, a beautiful gift of grace.

God has a way of leading us into seasons of hiding, pruning and refining. These are the times where our character and relationship with Him are built; it’s where the foundation of our faith is laid. It’s where we discover His nearness in a new way, where chains are broken off of us and everything about Him becomes personal.

God is most concerned with who you are and the condition of your heart. His mercy protects us from fulfilling promises prematurely, because ultimately they will crush us if we aren’t prepared for them. As you wait for whatever you’re waiting for, allow God to work on your heart and character. The fruit you bear will allow you to sustain the calling He has for you when it’s time.

So, if you feel like you’ve been buried, there’s something you should know.

Remember what happens before seeds bloom and grow?

Friend, take heart. God has a beautiful plan for you, and this is only the very start.

-Carly Lynn

“When we love Him most, we love others best.”

This isn’t just a Pinterest worthy quote, this is something I’ve learned first hand and am sharing it from the deep depths of my heart. When we make Him the utmost priority, desire and affection of our heart, our heart changes. Something happens, supernatural heart surgery happens.

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26

God’s love is far from what the world defines it as, and for me personally, this is really good news. The world’s definition of love broke me, disappointed me, used me and abused me. The world’s definition of love is self seeking, it isn’t patient, it’s far from kind and it doesn’t stay when life gets messy. This is because it isn’t really love at all; at most, it’s lust. It’s fleeting, conditional, and surface level.

The entire world is looking for love – in other people, in dating apps, in engagement rings and in marriage. In accomplishments, in sports, in money and in fame. There’s lots of quick-fixes, but there’s only one Real Thing.

The problem is that our love burns out. Worldly love wears thin. Without a greater source to draw from, everything eventually dries up. We must have a source of perfect love to draw from so that we can be filled up, and from being full ourselves, we can then pour out and into others.

So friend, where are you looking for love?

I don’t want a conditional love; I want the real thing. And that is 100% only found in Jesus.

-Carly Lynn