Hey friends, This is a bit of a different letter. I’m calling it “The Valley.” I’d write this to myself if no one else read it. I wanted to address the idea that if you live perfectly, you would somehow have a perfect life without issues or toil. Life has peaks and valleys, and so often, when we are in a valley, we can get pretty funny ideas about ourselves, God, and others. The best example of this is obviously Jesus. He was perfect, and yet His life was not without difficult choices,...

“Jake, fear is just a temptation to believe a lie about Me.” That was revelation to me. God is good. He is and will protect you. If you mess up, He's merciful. I made the mistake of not rejecting the fear and the lie associated with it immediately.

Crisis can shrink God in our minds. Sometimes pain can confuse us into seeing the Father as a silent observer instead of an active participant. When the bottom falls out (and it sometimes does), the Father does not stand on the rim of the pit and shout instructions. He climbs down.