When life became more than I could take, When the waves were crashing and my soul was breaking like a ship tossed in the sea, I could reach out and feel His hand grasping mine, “Don’t let go.”

A photo of Cade and I.

I would never have stood holding this baby, if I had not reached out to Him.

Our faith is not keeping us from sinking. Our faith is greatest when we feel there is no hope, no safety, no chance of being saved. When we sink far below the water and are about to be lost, that’s faith.

Faith is not willing blessings and miracles to light.

Faith is when, like Peter we lose it all and yet still say, “Lord, save me!” No, maybe he didn’t walk on the water, and maybe I wasn’t able to call down healing in the 9 months I suffered through hyperemesis gravidarum.

I wanted to.

I tried. Oh how I tried. With desperation of soul, “save me!! Heal me!! I know thou canst do all things! Help thou mine unbelief!”

But I did find His hand. And while I was left with my lips barely grazing the tops of the waves, sometimes gasping for air, I held on.

I let my mind picture His hand in mine.

And then I’d finally look up and see that He’d been holding on the whole time, I felt those tear-filled eyes knowing my very pain. His eyes wet with tears as He held me knowing that my legs, my arms, my very lungs would become stronger because of the fight, the struggle to keep myself afloat.

He knew.
He felt.
He waited.

And though at times I was drowning, my face no longer above the water He held on still. Because PERFECT faith is never needed. He reached out to pull me up again each time I failed because He was born to.

Peter was rescued when his faith was FAILING. When he was sinking.

Don’t let go.

Even when you think you can’t wake up one more day. When you think the house or job won’t come. When the baby isn’t this perfect rainbow you expected. When your heart physically hurts from the pain you’re enduring.

Don’t let go.

All He needs is for you to look up.
He will reach out and do the rest.

One day your greatest desire will be in your hands. And your fight will be won.

A photo of me taken from overhead holding our new baby boy.

I cannot even believe I’m saying this, but the only reason we are here, you are here is because we suffered.

After Cade and I shared our story, totally impromptu with everyone we were invited into a woman named Chrislyn’s office. We were just making the rounds meeting people.

I mean, we felt the privilege for sure, she was the boss lady of Time Out For Women and that’s something I had heard gobs about. But that’s it, it had nothing to do with us.

She made us both cry two steps into her office.

I may never forgive her.

But I’ll work on that. 😜

No really, she was incredible and immediately asked us to sign her advanced copy of our cookbook she’d been given.

We had no idea it would make us stand there, words caught in our throats as the tears flowed.

Cade and I looked at each other, both totally overcome and chuckled a little.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed” I said. “I didn’t know it would make us cry, but this is the first time we’ve ever signed our own book and it feels a bit like the end of pain as we step into the light we’ve been searching for.”

And from that moment on Chrislyn has been more than a new friend, she’s been family.

That meeting is what began a journey that would mean EVERYTHING to us.

We were invited to be on a 2 year Tour as speakers with Time Out For Women and listen here, it is the absolute answer to my childhood prayers and unsaid desires of both our hearts.

If we had never suffered we would never have been invited to bless and fulfill promises of old to seek out the weak and weary in this special way.

Remember, as a little girl all I wanted was to be enlisted, to help in the rescue of others.

Our cookbook, our speaking tour, our Instagram that while it may look like a food blog is really a place of connection and love WITH all of you.

Be watching, you all comment to lift one another as much as we do. What are the chances people all over the world could find and lift each other here?

You’re fulfilling the desires of our hearts.

The pain was worth it. It was necessary.

Now we can Better see you and love you in your pain.