I hope you are having a fabulous start to the summer! In 2024 my oldest son graduated from college and we ended up doing a seventeen day stretch together, spanning a wedding in Virginia, Olympic Trials in Indiana, and a family vacation in Michigan. We were mostly with lots of friends and family, but had quite a bit of one-on-one time amidst those seventeen days driving from place to place.
This year my middle son graduated from college and although we didn’t do much of a multi-state tour, we did have some sweet one-on-one time. One day we drove to Fort Lauderdale (just an hour south), hopped on a high speed ferry and spent the day in the Bahamas. The weather was perfect, the seas were calm and we will never forget it.
This new era with our sons being in three different places this fall feels like an invitation to make special memories with just them. Whether Will and I both pop in for the weekend, or I go for just a night, I can envision doing things that each would specifically enjoy. It’s fantastic when we can all be together but I hope to make the most of this new season.
Plus, it’s biblical. God has made us in His image but also as individuals, uniquely reflective of His glory. We should love and affirm our sons as the one-of-a-kind men that they are.
Do you find it easier to engage with loved ones as a group or one-on-one? We can always grow in the grace of loving others by more fully understanding how we are loved without condition and beyond all measure.
This passage from Ephesians 3 conveys such tender, one-on-one love from a faithful God.
“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may filled with all the fullness of God.”
May we be rooted and grounded in Love that surpasses knowledge enabling us to pour into others!
With Love,
Kristie
P.S. The throwback is from ten years ago today — the last day of school in 2015. The beach picture is from Bimini on May 28th.
I have had a busy few weeks. We attended graduation at Georgia, I finished my little teaching job (although I absolutely loved it, I am praying about what’s next because as an empty nester I should probably work more than two days a week). I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Nate who leaves in a few days for his internship in Atlanta. Then this weekend we had the whole Jackson Five together, which is always a tremendous gift. One of my favorite things in the whole world is to drift off to sleep while hearing the brothers laugh together in the next room. Is there a better lullaby?
This morning, before we headed to church together (The Jackson Five at our beloved little church is another favorite of mine), I was reading from my Everyday Gospel Bible in the Book of Job. A line from Chapter 21 was an odd epiphany. Do you ever read a verse you have definitely read multiple times in the past and yet it hits hard, as if you have never in your life heard it? This is the line spoken by Job: “Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.” In other words, “Let me speak my piece, but then mock me all you want.” My epiphany was that this is one of THE problems that plagues our culture in the 21st Century. People are so concerned about what others think. Mockery is avoided at all costs.
This should not be. We should not care in the least if the culture mocks us, or even, at times, our so-called friends. If the last five years have proven anything, it is the absurdity of groupthink. Could the majority be more wrong than they were in 2020? Who would want to fit in with that crowd? Yet it was not a unique era. It is a common occurrence for the majority to be dead wrong. We need to be committed to praying for wisdom and discernment and to saturate our thinking with the Word of God. The prevailing view may sometimes align with the straight and narrow path that God calls us to, but we shouldn’t be surprised if that alignment is rare.
Mantras like “You do you,” or “Rock on” affirm your chosen path, but “Mock on” acknowledges that there is a right path. You can mock me, Job says, my life may be in shambles, but “My Redeemer lives!”
Your Redeemer lives. Even the laughter of loved ones as a lullaby cannot compare to this truth.
I’ve been feeling a little run down this week. I sound like I’ve screamed my head off at a hockey game or something, but I haven’t. Then yesterday I had a terrible headache all day. Maybe it’s natural after last weekend. My 21-year-old son, Nate, graduated from The University of Georgia, which he did in just three years. This required a ton of hard work and was only possible because he started college with more than 25 credit hours from AP classes. Plus it was Mother’s Day. There was a lot of celebrating and a lot of roadtripping.
We heard two commencement speeches, one for the Terry College of Business and one for the whole school. Both of them were quite good. Both referenced Scripture — one gave the verse and reference, the other just used the wisdom without acknowledging that it came from the Bible. It made me realize the formula for a great commencement speech is to share a few personal stories, the funnier and more self-deprecating the better, and then share some biblical wisdom. A pastor once said a good sermon is just telling a joke and running to the Cross. But it applies beyond the pulpit because laughing is not just medicine — it’s heart-softening balm. It prepares you to receive truth and hope. Colleges should only platform speakers who can be funny. After the audience is softened up with a few laughs, then the speaker can share a few worthy points to ponder. Have you ever noticed that it is practically impossible to share a worthwhile message that is not somewhere in the Bible?
Yet many people do not look to the Bible for wisdom. In fact, there are people who treat the Bible as irrelevant for life in the 21st Century. What a profound victory for darkness to convince whole groups of people to avoid cracking open God’s Word. I am praying this morning for my friends who never read the Bible. May they have an openness to reading even just The Book of John and Proverbs.
And let’s be honest too about the results of ignoring God’s Word in the earliest stages of life. The cute photo above is Nate on Wednesday holding his birthday twin and second cousin, Bennett. Like Nate, this little baby isn’t being raised in a household that believes that children should figure out the truth for themselves. Hopefully the world is waking up to the horrifying effects of that nonsense. No, Bennett is being raised in a home where biblical wisdom is a part of daily life. He is being pointed to the truth with love. He is prayed over and cherished as wonderfully and uniquely made.
Maybe in 21 short years I’ll attend Bennett’s college graduation and hear a few fun tidbits and a message that sprints to the Cross. Maybe Nate will give the address. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1b-2.
Intra-familial sports rivalries have been part of our family culture for a long time, but we’ve decided to up our game a bit. You may wonder — with an University of Tennessee graduate and an University of Georgia graduate (as of a week from today) – – how we could possibly turn up the heat, but we’ve found a way.
This fall Nate will be a graduate assistant at Auburn University while he earns a Masters of Accounting. Sam will be up down the road a bit as a Blount Scholar at the University of Alabama. I’m excited about us all converging in Alabama this fall to cheer on whichever team is playing. I will never stop singing lots of Rocky Top, and my Georgia Bulldogs won the football championship Nate’s freshman year. Still, I am willing to spread my SEC love.
The truth is, being an Auburn fan is not exactly new for me. If you’ve ever been there you know: it’s a special place. Likewise, the University of Alabama has an incredibly beautiful campus and the program Sam is doing is perfect for him. Plus, I realized on my visit to Tennessee in February that I really do miss the South and its alluring charm. Next month marks a full three years in Florida and while I never tire of swaying palms and sunshine, I do appreciate a little variation now and then. Lookout Mountain’s four distinct seasons, with just a dash of winter and daffodils by the end of January, made it ideal, but Alabama is similar. So I am excited to be able to combine getting a taste of seasons with seeing my sons.
Some families do not follow sports at all, but for us it has been a fun way to spend time together. Now with 25% of the SEC covered by Jacksons, we are almost guaranteed a winning Saturday every week!
Later this month, I am speaking to a Moms’ group about building a strong family culture. I will probably mention sports, but that won’t be my main focus, obviously. But I’d love to know some of the ways you have bonded with your own family. Are there things that pop to mind immediately? Are there things maybe you wish you had done more of? Or maybe less of? What kinds of things have especially glued you together?
Of course I believe the most important foundation is God and His Word. We are knit more closely together as we grow closer to Jesus. That is just the basic design.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
I’ve been thinking about a phrase we often see on social media: Make it make sense. Most of the time, it is used to poke a political opponent, suggesting that the inherent hypocrisy is downright befuddling. Sometimes it is used in a humorous way, which is refreshing. But the last few days it’s struck me that it’s actually a deep-seated, universal need.
We need things to make sense. We need to understand why we are here. Where we are going. Why we face suffering. Why people we love die. Why natural disasters keep happening. Why the world cannot keep itself out of wars.
In our heart of hearts we really do have a longing for it to make sense. When my sons were little, they went to a school that was very explicit in teaching from a biblical worldview. The students were often asked– in the midst of various kinds of lessons — about evidence of God’s created purpose, how that purpose was marred by sin, how Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection can redeem and one day — when we are in heaven — fully restore God’s design. This framework gives such meaning. Even so, answers rarely come in HD clarity. Still, I will gladly take an answer with blurred edges over no answer! And that really is the alternative. Rejection of the biblical narrative of creation, the fall, redemption and restoration leads to no answer at all.
As I’ve been more faithful in reading through the whole Bible the last couple years, some answers have come into focus for me in profound ways. I am grateful for those. Others still require faith. But there’s peace in trusting that God is loving and good and that He is sovereign. Perfect understanding is not required. A solid biblical framework, with a few areas of clarity and a growing faith is not a bad place to be. We should never stop seeking to understand. We should continue praying for wisdom, while acknowledging we won’t graduate from faith until we meet Jesus face to face.
But what about kids who are not given even the flimsiest of frameworks to sort out life’s deepest questions? How can we expect them to flourish as humans? Is it any wonder that we have a population that is increasingly apathetic? What was the expected result when we’ve taught the masses that there is no objective truth? Tell people nothing really matters and then expect them to thrive? Make it make sense!
Relatedly, earlier this year I joined the advisory board of LifeWise Academy of Palm Beach County which aims to bring Bible education to public school students. My sons were blessed with the ability to analyze all that they were learning through a biblical worldview. I have no doubt that this framework — given to them very young in age-appropriate ways — has been vital in shaping who they are today. Why wouldn’t we want public school parents to also have the option for their kids to receive a solid Bible education?
Jesus tells us that He came so that we could have life to the FULL. (John 10:10b). I don’t think the full life He is referring to is possible without Him answering some of our deepest questions, do you?
Blessings,
Kristie
P.S. The picture above is from a LifeWise Academy event in Palm Beach Gardens on Monday. Your prayers for continued momentum from this event are appreciated. If you are local and would like to learn more, I’d love to meet with you. You can also find out about LifeWise Academy in your area by visiting the website.
In October 2001, I became a mother for the first time. But even before that I spent lots of time with my niece and nephew, and before that I doted on my little cousins. For most of my life I have had the blessing of children to love on and be entertained by. Today however marks a new season. Eighteen years ago today our third and last baby boy was born. Suddenly I find myself surrounded by men — men who can vote and be drafted and go to jail.
The blessing is that my three sons, who brought so much laughter to my last couple decades, are amazing men. I mean they are sinners like everyone else, but I am proud of how thoughtful and intelligent they’ve become. They are driven and faith-filled. Plus they know that I always love to hear a funny story.
The world may relentlessly sow seeds of dissatisfaction, telling you that you can’t be happy unless you have this or that. But I believe the best thing you can do, after deciding to live for Jesus of course, is to have a family. A family is a sanctifying gift that brings joy and meaning beyond measure. Nothing compares. I’ve had the opportunity to see many facets of life: I’ve oddly had a high paying job in a prestigious law firm. I’ve rubbed elbows with people in various professions who have achieved tremendous success. I’ve taken some incredible vacations. I’ve attended some very glamorous events. But nothing compares to the joy of being a mother. The social media movement touting the supposed freedom of being childless is just another joy-robbing scheme of the devil. Sadly, many DINKs (dual income, no kids) will come to their senses when it’s too late, and they won’t be able to enjoy being DIAKs (dual income, adult kids). Yes, I made that up but I kind of like it!
That doesn’t mean that parenting is easy. Obviously it’s not. Motherhood requires sacrifice, and we are always going to make mistakes. We will wound the little people we aim to love. We will let them give up when they should persevere, and we will push them when we should call it a day. Sometimes we will choose the wrong battles. Sometimes we will fail to recognize what they need. But we will learn so much trying, and so will they. We will grow more reliant on the Lord. We will grow increasingly convinced that He is sovereign and that we cannot orchestrate any particular outcome. We will be forced to pry our stubborn fingers from their futile efforts to control, and hand our children over to God. We will do this again and again, even when they are adults.
In the midst of this, the family bond will be reinforced through the best and worst moments. Together, we will witness that God uses it all for our good and His glory.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Blessings,
Kristie
P.S. The pain of wanting a family and not having one is not a topic that I could possibly tackle, but I am praying tonight for the those who face this heartache. I also have been blessed by wonderful people in my life who invested in others as a parent-like figure. This too is a reflection of God’s design and I am grateful for that influence.
This week I took a trip with my youngest son to Chattanooga. We left in 2022 and haven’t visited in over two years. On Wednesday, we flew into Chattanooga’s delightful little airport which has added two gates since we left. We rented a car and headed for the mountain. The trek up was a reminder of how insane it is that all three of our sons learned to drive there. The margin for error is tiny — the slightest mistake could be deadly. Many of the roads are dangerously narrow, the guardrails absurdly flimsy. But dang is it charming! We drove by our old house and it looks prettier than ever. The snow from that morning stuck peacefully to the trees, and having not seen snow in years, it looked downright magical. And I was able to connect with a few friends, too. A beautiful place with wonderful people. Mostly.
It would be a lie to say that our departure from Chattanooga was 100% joyful. There were some aspects that were really hard. It’s weird to know people have it out for you. And that’s an understatement! The malice, the lies, the downright evil — it’s surprising and disconcerting. We are such easygoing people. It is jarring to know people are genuinely committed to your demise. It often felt like an overwrought drama. I mean, “C’mon. You are overreacting!” Yet unbelievably, it was real life.
Thankfully, what others may have meant for evil, God has meant for good. Despite the efforts of others to destroy us, we landed at the beach. We have had the sweetest three years as a Jackson trio. I can see how God has specifically blessed us in ways we would not have imagined. I did not know I needed this slower-paced season. But the rhythm of often seeing both the sunrise and sunset and getting a mega dose of Vitamin D on the daily has been a gift.
Yesterday I saw this quote from Charles Spurgeon:
We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand.
Do you engrave your trials in marble and record your blessings in sand? I think the temptation is to memorialize how we’ve been wronged in granite, with the font of a chainsaw. But the older I get the more I am convinced that the trials– even those that cut the deepest and are hardest to understand — need to be as erasable as my footprints in the sand. Bitterness longs for permanence. But grace is more like high tide, wiping the slate clean a minimum of twice a day.
We need to record the blessings with a sharpie, but the trials in expo dry erase. We need to understand that all of it will be used for our good and God’s glory. In fact, remembering the trials at all should be for the sole purpose of building our faith –God was faithful in that season and He does not change.
I’ve been mediating on these words from Colossians:
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (4:2). My brief visit to Chattanooga this week filled me with such thanksgiving for so many blessings of our time there. Perhaps you too could benefit from revisiting a season that was not 100% wonderful and let the ceaseless tide of grace wash over the pain. You may walk away with a renewed sense of gratitude for the blessings.
With Love,
Kristie
P.S. The picture above is from a spot I used to walk to regularly. From that vantage point I could see the boys’ school and my husband’s work. I would often pray for them as I took in this amazing view. But I can guarantee I never walked there when it was less than 30 degrees. But maybe the cold air makes the view even crisper. It was well worth the brisk walk from the rental car!
It is freshly-squeezed orange juice season in Florida. The OJ pictured above is literally $15 per gallon and I can testify that it is worth every delicious penny. It’s like sunshine in a glass. I am utterly obsessed! I am also obsessed with this little water bottle that my son, an SEC athlete, gave me. Since I have two favorite SEC schools, and may add a third Fall 2025, it is just perfect for me. But today I found out that combining OJ and my SEC bottle may cause a nuclear reaction.
Last Thursday I left my beloved bottle — half filled with orange juice — at Bible study. I meant to swing by and get it during the week but I never did. I had no idea such a mistake would cause a near death experience. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the force with which it exploded upon untwisting was many many many orders of magnitude stronger than the most intense champagne uncorking you’ve ever witnessed. Plus this “cork” is metal. David killed Goliath with a stone to the head, and so I praise God that somehow no one was injured. I mean the ceiling is scarred but you’d have to know where to look to see it. Once again my life is marked by grace upon grace!
But you know what else is a dangerously atomic combination? Godlessness and political fervor. I have strong political convictions and I always vote. But no matter the outcome, I know God is sovereign. In fact, even when things haven’t been decided how I may have liked, I have been blessed to see how God has used certain aspects to grow me personally. I believe God is at work in my life no matter who sits in the Oval Office. I believe the calling on my life to be invested in the people where I live is the same no matter who controls the Senate. I am certain we were never intended to have our identities wrapped up in politics. The meltdowns confirm that something is really wrong.
I am praying that a revival breaks out in our country — that all people would stop pretending that their “works” earn them anything. Instead may we daily adopt a posture of gratitude. Guess what? We woke up today. We live in a free and prosperous country. More importantly, Jesus died for our sins. Our works don’t mean a thing, but He wants to wrap us in His completed work. We don’t have to do anything — it is done. When we accept His offer, we can rest in His robe of righteousness.
Look with skepticism on those who want to push you towards victimhood, or towards identifying with a group. Reject identifying with a voting bloc or even an oppressed group. You are you unique. You were knit together with love and intention in your mother’s womb. You are loved beyond measure because you are YOU, made in the image of your Creator. No one “sees you” like He does. No one loves you like He does. Every single person on this earth will disappoint you. But you don’t have to be devastated by that when you find your identity in Christ.
He will never leave you nor forsake you. And His love is the more powerful, more transformative than nuclear energy. His love is the most powerful thing that exists. Why would you reject that?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3: 16-17
I wrote the post below in 2021, but the issue is ongoing. If we aren’t careful we are going to lose the First Amendment. Censorship, disregard for life and a slew of other issues I care deeply about are on the ballot. I do not take for granted that I have a say in the process — voted today in fact. Hideous angle on a beautiful day, but it documents our tropical “I voted” stickers.
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Has your automobile passenger ever gotten you a speeding ticket? I realize it sounds improbable, maybe even impossible, but it happened. A few weeks ago Will and I left Raleigh, North Carolina at the crack of dawn to drive back to Chattanooga. He drove the first shift. I took over around 8 a.m. On Saturday mornings Will loves to watch English Premier League soccer, and so I sailed through the mountains of North Carolina while he watched soccer.
We were passing through Asheville when I noticed a navy blue Dodge Charger on my right. It occurred to me that it could be an unmarked police officer. I asked Will to look and see if it was a cop. I pulled up next to the car. Will examined the driver and confirmed it was not. I accelerated on by.
About 60 seconds later I exclaimed, “It WAS a cop!”
“How do you know?” Will asked.
“Because he’s pulling me over!”
If you pull up next to a cop, have your passenger stare them down and then pass on by, that’s a foolproof recipe for a speeding ticket. You need not even be going way over the posted limit.
Talk about misinformation: Nah, that’s not a cop.
He was in full uniform, including a wide-brimmed trooper hat. But we make mistakes. It’s part of being human. The idea that we can eliminate misinformation is a scary premise. Do you think there’s a group of people who should decide which narrative is the truth for you? Even if we could assume pure motives, which of course we can’t, people are flawed. The human who most cherishes me, who is most invested in my happiness and well-being, made a costly mistake. He’s the best-case-scenario and yet still capable — rare as it may be — of giving me misinformation.
Shouldn’t we just want information and acknowledge some of it is good and some bad? News outlets are mostly propaganda machines, spewing lie after lie. Government officials and organizations likewise are increasingly unreliable. So-called “experts” are even worse. It almost feels like the truth is unknowable.
But alas it’s not that dire. The Truth is a Person and His name is Jesus. He is the same yesterday today and forever. And He loves you.
We also have Bibles. We can compare the information of the day with the eternal truth of God’s Word. Do you do that? Do you pray for discernment? Do you assume the information you are given is true? Or do you filter it through a biblical lens? We are made in God’s image and we can reason through things. I find it astounding how people don’t even ask the most obvious of questions. They just accept the narrative.
Let’s take even the simplest example. In 2020, a universe changing discovery was made: cloth masks stop respiratory viruses.
Think about that. We put men on the moon fifty years before the virus stopping cloth mask was “invented”? It defies credulity. That would be like the iPhone coming before the wheel. Yet it would seem many have accepted this misinformation as truth without batting an eye.
But no matter the topic, thoughtful questions can quickly reveal nuances. Unexamined, surface- level analysis will never lead to wisdom and it doesn’t even seem the intent. The intent is more like “Here’s what you need to believe. No data nor discussion required. No questions allowed. Oh, but here’s a new show on Netflix. Enjoy.”
In the 21st Century, the unquestioning passivity of the masses is easily accomplished. But we weren’t made to live like that. As image-bearers we are called to much more.
How can you use your knowledge and intellect to ask good questions? How can you discern between good and bad information? How can you resist the scare tactics of authoritarianism? How can you use your God-given gifts to serve your community? Ponder these always applicable verses, and have a fabulous and discerning weekend.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 ESV
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What are some 2024 examples of “misinformation”? In the aftermath of the horrific destruction from Hurricane Helene, President Biden remarked that some people think the government controls the weather. What do you think about that? I have no idea the extent to which the weather is modified, but I think it’s beyond absurd to think no one is trying to influence the weather. Think about how brainwashed you’d have to be to believe that we send people into space, we can communicate instantaneously with anyone anywhere via video, we have been transplanting human organs since the 1950’s, but nope, no one has ever tried to modify weather. Yet that appears to be the official narrative despite easily accessible evidence to the contrary. I hope you’ve noticed that the “narrative” often has zero basis in fact, much less logic. Praying for revival to break out in our country and around the world.
Can you believe it’s August? It’s funny August use to mean wrapping up swim team and a relaxing month before my little boys went back to school the Wednesday after Labor Day. August used to be a month to vacation and breathe easy. Now, August marks the end of summer. For the first time, we took our family vacation to Michigan in June. Although July was lovely, it still felt like the most fun thing was behind us. Not sure I like that schedule. My dream is to spend the whole summer in Michigan.
But today I am launching a series on writings from the Puritans. If you have not read any Puritan authors I trust you’ll be blessed to see the richness of their language and the depth of their faith. Many people have recommended The Valley of Vision to me over the years. I’m actually not even sure when I ordered it, but it has been sitting around for a good bit and then last week I had a lovely beach day with a sweet pal of mine. Our husbands have been tight buds since kindergarten and we all got married young. She mentioned how much she has been loving The Valley of Vision. I decided I’d start reading it and blogging about it.
Today I read an entry entitled The Family. Here are some excerpts:
Help me to hate and forsake every false way…O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred. Let those that are united to me in tender ties be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory…Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience, soft heart, the alarms and delights of thy Word, be not finally blotted out, but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love.
Maybe one way to counteract the praise song repetition, the uniformity of language generally, is to read these authors. Plus, the sweetness of the faith! How can you not love it?
Yes, Lord, yes. As time with family in the summer of 2024 comes to a close, may “those that are united to me in tender ties be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.”
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Psalm 3:3
A few of you may remember that sweet song our little ones sang at school in the early 2010’s. It is indeed: “For His glory. It’s for His praise.”
Spur 