Hey friends,

I hope y'all had a great weekend! The end of a weekend means another Monday. Another Monday means back to school and ready to learn. The school week means homework, friends, teachers, keeping up online, after-school activities, and all the drama in between. It can be exhausting, to say the least. How do you balance life out and make the best choices for yourself? 

This week Pastor Dre shared a story with us that's in the Bible. He talked about the time Jesus invited his disciples to let everything go and follow him. By that, He meant those men had to leave behind their possessions, homes, people, and their town. Can you imagine us, Pastor Dre or Pastor Shawn, asking you to drop everything you own and follow us? We know that following Jesus can have a cost in the eyes of society. How big of a cost do you think is too big? As we have been searching for clarity in our walk with Jesus, this is something that will bring lots of clarity.

Every day that we encounter all those things we talked about in our school week, we become more weighed down. The expectations social media, our friends, and even teachers put on us can be a lot when you're trying to please the world's expectations and follow what God has for you. So drop them. Drop the people wanting you to live up to the standards of the world. Drop the ideas you have for yourself that have been influenced by social media. Drop the person that your friends expect you to be or the things that they expect you to be ok with. Now trust God. Trust that his timing is always on point and will have you exactly where you need to be. Be lightened of that weight in you to be anyone but what God wants. It's a small cost to feel like you can move in purpose and not in forcefulness. 

This week, practice purging your life of the things and people putting demands in you that don't align with His word. Be intentional and notice how you feel after you stop trying to live up to a social standard and freely rely on God to guide you.

We love you and are praying for you! 

Jesse and Marissa