Walk With Me

I recently went on a mission trip to Spain and decided to pursue missions full time. God has been leading me on a new, different, amazing path and I am on a fun journey or learning and growing. My purpose with this blog is to encourage and share Biblical truth. I invite you all to walk with me as we navigate through this world.

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  • Intentional Rest

    Intentional Rest

    Happy Wednesday, we have made it halfway through the week! Today I want to dive into the importance of rest and honoring the Sabbath.

    “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:1-3

    This passage comes in the first book of the Bible after God had created the heavens and the earth. To translate it to our world today, God put in 100% of His effort for six days and then rested on the seventh day. That’s how I picture it and how I’m approaching this topic.

    In today’s world we can get so caught up in planning and working trying to obtain the American dream that we forget that even God rested. God bless the businesses that are closed on Sundays, so their team has a day off to rest. Our souls and our bodies need it and that’s why we have Sundays which is supposed to be the day we go to church and worship together. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” God gave us the seventh day so we could have rest.

    When you think about it, days did not exist before God created the heavens and the earth. He could’ve just stopped at day six and started over and worked but instead He made a seventh day. This seventh day was added into our week to rest, reset, and get ready for the next week so we could bring 100% again. God created the seventh day with us in mind.

    “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

    The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments and is, in my opinion, the easiest one to uphold. It is literally instructing us to not work but rest which we should be all for, amen? So why is it so hard to stop ourselves for just one day of the week? Speaking from personal experience, I just came out of a very time consuming and demanding job which required me to work on Sundays. I fell victim to viewing work as an idol and prioritizing it over my own health and, more importantly, the Lord. Why was I not honoring the extra time given to me by the Creator of time? There might as well only be six days in the week if we are not stopping and resting in between.

    Now, honoring the Sabbath can look a little different for everyone. Even though it is typically Sundays, it doesn’t have to be. Maybe you work in a church, so you of course have to work on Sundays. It can be another day of the week. Some people honor the Sabbath by turning off their phones and unplugging from social media in addition to not working. Am i saying you have to do all that? No, but I am encouraging you to take advantage of the seventh day given to us. It is a gift. Honor it, cherish it, treasure it. Spend time with your family undistracted from everything else. You have six perfectly good days to think about work, let it go on the seventh, and then give your 100% again on day one.

    One more thing I want to leave you with is something I actually heard Charlie Kirk say in an interview about the Sabbath. He said, “it doesn’t matter what day of the week your family chooses to honor the Sabbath, but someone else should be able to see into your house and know what day you do. “In other words, your Sabbath day should look different from the other six days.

    This doesn’t mean you can’t work hard, but it does mean we need to be intentional about participating in a day of rest. Take care of yourselves, remember why we have a seventh day, and honor the Lord.

    I love you guys and am praying God shows you something this week,

    Courtney McKean

  • A Godly Man ft David McKean

    A Godly Man ft David McKean

    Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a very nice day of worship and praise for our good Father. I was particularly enjoying our worship service as we sang “I am blessed, I am called, I am healed, I am whole, I am saved in Jesus’ name. Highly favored, anointed, filled with Your power for the glory of Jesus’ name!” I love that we can all come together on Sunday mornings and sing lyrics like these praising our good, good Father.

    Continuing our series on men, today we will look at a man’s role in the Bible. I have again recruited my uncle’s help so these are his words on a Godly man:

    Much is said today regarding the definition of a man. Yet the definition of manhood itself is obscured by a culture in moral free fall. Much could be said about what it means to be a man and much has been said. But there has to be a foundation from which you can rightly define what a man is or what manhood is. And that foundation is God’s word.

    So, we go back to the beginning. God created man. Man was the pinnacle of his creation, (that is male and female). Adam was the first man. Almost immediately man was given the roles of leadership and responsibility. Genesis 2:15. “The lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (NIV). Adam was to be a good steward of what God had created and had given to him. There was to be order in God’s creation. This idea of leadership and order is further addressed in 1 Corinthians 11:3: “the head of every man is Christ, the head of every woman is man, and God is the head of Christ.” Men are to lead their homes as the follow Christ.

    This leads men into their role as provider. In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul writes, “But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, has denied the faith.” He is to work for the good of his home, and all those in it. This goes beyond merely a financial responsibility, it also means that a man in his home is to give of himself for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of those in his life. The wife partners with her husband for the needs of the home, but the husband bares the responsibility.

    So, what the man has a husband and father is to be protected. We can refer to Nehemiah 4:14 for guidance, “Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes (NIV).” Protection means placing himself between attackers and those he loves, holistically, including emotional and spiritual attacks.

    And a good way for men to protect their family: teach them Godliness in the home. The bible says it so clearly, “These words that I am giving you today are to be on your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” God was clear to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. And lastly (those these characteristics of a Godly man are not exhaustive), drive this bit of scripture deep into your hearts. Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” Have a servant’s heart towards your wife. Being responsible, providing for the family, leading spiritually, are each ways in which you can be a servant to your family.

  • Men in Scripture

    Men in Scripture

    Happy Saturday everybody. Today we are starting a little series on men of the Bible. We did our series on women, now it’s man’s turn. For this, I have recruited my uncle’s help since he has a lot more experience with men than I do and since I am not a man. I asked him to first choose 5 men of the Bible who influence him most and had faith that could be of encouragement to the men today. Here we go:

    In a time of uncertainty and cultural pressure, God used Joseph to demonstrate obedience to God in choosing faith over fear. Joseph was chosen to be Jesus’ earthly father. Have you ever been put in a position where something unexpected happened to you, you can’t do anything about it, and people are gossiping and passing negative judgements on you? The angel of the Lord came to Mary to tell her she would carry Jesus, the Son of God, before coming to Joseph. Matthew 1:18-19 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” After this, an angel of the Lord comes to him and puts his heart as ease, and he continues to marry Mary without worrying about the whispers that would go on behind their backs. His faith in God, the Heavenly Father, gave him to strength to become the earthly father of Jesus.

    Waiting on God’s promises can be difficult. We see God using Simeon to show us He will use us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine. Simeon’s story is found in Luke 2:25-35, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Each one of us has a purpose, a divine destiny, and God promises to carry those out in us in His perfect timing. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” Psalm 145:13. Do not feel forgotten and do not see waiting as an oversight from the Lord. Trust in His divine plan.

    Fathers, look to Job for encouragement when raising young ones. As a man of integrity, Job exemplified what it looks like when a father loves his children so much that he will do everything in his power to ensure God’s favor on them. In the biginning of his book in Job 1:5 it says, “And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.” Job interceded for his children to ensure they were consecrated to God.

    In Numbers we learn about a man named Phinehas, son of Aaron. “And the Lord said to Moses, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood. because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” Phinehas was a key figure in exemplifying zeal, faith, and divine favor. Mostly, he exhibited a profound zeal for God’s holiness.

    In the book of Genesis, Abraham had a servant who was not given a name but most certainly given a story. He is given a command by his master, Abraham, and he follows that command out of faith. He loved and respected his master so strongly, he acted on faith and faith alone. His faith in his master drove his faith in fulfilling the Lord’s plan for him. “I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.” Genesis 24:39-41

    These are just a few of the steadfast men God handpicked to be in the Bible. Each one has his own story and purpose as do each of you. When feeling stuck in waiting, look to Simeon, Elijah, David, Moses, and so many more who’s faith in patience exceeded their doubt. In seasons of uncertainty, look at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, who’s world got flipped upside down when a woman he was marrying became pregnant and not from him, but from the Holy Spirit. This sacrificial act of faith lead to him becoming the earthly father of Jesus, the Savior of man. For fathers struggling with raising children, Job is an example of how to raise children in a Christ-centered home. On days when you don’t have any motivation to live the Holy life, find encouragement from Phinehas.

    Tomorrow we will dive into men’s roles in the Bible. There are many, many great men from the Bible we can talk about. These men in the Bible were the first to go through what you are going through, and they are talked about in the Bible for our gain. We have an incredible resource in the Bible for testimonies and encouragement so do not overlook it. Read someone’s story in the Bible today and let it inspire you to live your life with bold faith and courage.

    Praying we all find comfort in reading our Bible,

    Courtney McKean

  • More Precious than Jewels

    More Precious than Jewels

    We have made it to Friday everyone! This is the last day I will be addressing women in this series. So far, we have looked at how a woman should act and present themselves according to the Bible, and we looked at the stories of women in the Bible and how they encourage us now. Today we will look at the roles God has for women according to the Word of God.

    The Bible is truth, I think we can all agree on that. It paints a perfect picture of what God desires for His people. He has spoken about men and women and how they have roles in a household. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to this purpose.” Romans 8:28 This verse is so true for a Christian home when everyone is living in accordance with their roles God has intended for them.

    in Genesis 2, the Word of God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”

    Women, we were designed to be man’s helper. God made man first and then made women to help him, not the other way around and not at the same time. That is not to say men are better than women, but it is to say women have a beautifully important role as helpers. I do not want us to look at that as a putdown or to lessen our value in the eyes of God, and please do not let it lessen your value in the eyes of man. First of all, we do not live to satisfy man, we live to satisfy God. Men have been given a very tough role as leaders and heads which we will discuss more in the days ahead, and we are here to support them as they do their works for the Lord. That is our first role as women, and I want us all to look at it as an opportunity every day to serve the Lord in helping our men because ladies, they need it.

    There is a whole chapter on wives and husbands in Ephesians that we tend to ignore because of some words we do not like so we are going to discuss it because, well, it is Biblical. God says through the words of Paul, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself it’s Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Now, men have submissions of their own so do not worry, we will get to that in the coming days. Women do not like the word “submit” and we certainly do not get excited to “submit” anything to anyone. This is where the secular world has misconstrued the Word of God.

    It is a very honorable and biblical act to submit to our husbands as long as we have a husband worth submitting to. This first starts with marrying someone “equally yoked” as Paul says in 2 Corinthains 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” When you get married, two become one. “The two shall become one flesh” Ephesians 5:31. Are you marrying a man who is going to go to church with you every Sunday? Are you marrying a man who will pray with you? Are you marrying a man who will lead you closer to Christ or farther away? Are you marrying a man who works to serve the Lord? If that is not your man, walk away. They are not doing their role as a biblical man. If you are marrying a man who is these things, he will be a man you will want to submit to.

    God made men first, therefore He made them able to do things on their own before He made them a helper in women. That being said, men were born to lead and be the head of households. God made them stronger emotionally and physically to provide for their families. Women have a role in the household that is just as important and beautiful. This is a long scripture, but it really paints a beautiful picture of woman’s character:

    “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. she perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31

    Reading this scripture makes me so happy to be a woman because God created us to be so awesome. Working tirelessly and endlessly manning our home and providing food for our families is a blessing to cherish. We get to be a pivotal part of our husband’s pursuit for God and our children’s testimony, and God will bless that. Do not feel less than, do not feel ignored but feel honored you have been given this role of servanthood for even “the Son of Man came not be served but to serve.” Matthew 20:28

    Husbands and wives working together for the good of their household by performing their biblical duties as head and helper make for a beautiful story. Women in Christ, we have been given our marching orders from God. Act honorably in the eyes of the Lord, remember the faith of the women who came before us, and help your husbands. Live Biblically.

    I love you all and love being your sister in Christ,

    Courtney McKean

  • Biblical Sisters

    Biblical Sisters

    Happy Thursday. I hope everyone is making it through this week and finding time each day to dive into the Word. Today we are continuing to talk about women and how to get through the trials life throws at us. Life can be unbearably hard at times but thankfully we have incredible women in the Bible to turn to for advice and encouraging.

    One thing that is so beautiful about the Word of God is that it is a blueprint for our lives. God has placed many different personalities and situations in the Bible so that we may one day have someone to look to for encouragement. We go through losses, tough times and think no one knows how we feel or what we’re going through, but I have good news. There is a woman in the Bible you can read about, she lived through what you are feeling, and she made it. The Word of God will show you just how beautiful her story was in God’s ultimate purpose for her.

    Let’s begin with loss and heartache which is something Naomi and Ruth knew all too well. Their story is so special because not only does it show faith through loss but also incredible loyalty. In case you don’t know the story here’s a little snippet of it: Naomi was a widow with 2 daughters in law who also lost their husbands. The daughter in law, Ruth, chose to stay with Naomi even though it was going to be a life of struggling. She followed Naomi to her to the land of the Israelites not knowing how she’d be accepted as a Moabite. This is a story of 2 strong widows sticking together to get through life. God blessed Ruth’s faith and loyalty and made sure they were both provided richly for. Ruth lost her husband and packed all her stuff up and went to Israel and started over knowing that she was considered an enemy to the Israelites. Look for her strength through loss when you don’t think you can get through the next day. You’ll find her story in the Old Testament in the short book of Ruth.

    For those of you who might be in the waiting season of your life, God gives us many different women to look at. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth all suffered with infertility in the Bible. They all have different stories, but I want to highlight maybe the most popular one in the story of Jesus and that was Elizabeth. The Bible never reveals her actual age, but it says she was well beyond the years of childbearing which in Biblical days could mean very old in our time. This to say, Elizabeth waited and prayed for a long time for a child, but her faith never once wavered. In Luke 1:6 she is described with her husband, Zechariah, as “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” This doesn’t mean it was hard at times to trust in God’s timing, but this story reminds us just how perfect His timing is. God was waiting for Jesus because Elizabeth was to give birth to his cousin, John the Baptist, who would be the one to baptize Jesus in the Jordan River. Her years of waiting ended up being part of the story of Jesus.

    When we find ourselves in need of courage and strength, God gives us Deborah, Esther, and Abigail. When you look at Esther’s story, she ended up in a position of power knowing that she could be killed for who she was. She wanted to save her people, and God used her in her position to influence the king to save her people. She didn’t let her fear stop her boldness or waver her faith that God had a divine plan. You can read her whole story in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament.

    When we find ourselves in a situation that we don’t know how to deal with, God uses the stories of Hagar and Bathsheba. I love the story of Hagar. Though it is short, this is a beautiful story of an enslaved woman who ended up having to bear the child of her masters as they could not. This created tension and she was misused and tried to run away. The angel of the Lord found her and comforted her. He listened to her pain and blessed her through her loyalty and freed her after many years. There is more to her story than I have time for, but I would highly recommend reading it in Genesis 16-21.

    I could go on and on about women in the Bible, but the last one I want to speak about is the woman who bled for 12 years. This woman is unnamed, but we know her story as one of extreme suffering and incredible faith that Jesus would heal her but just one touch. She had only heard about Jesus and that He had the power to heal. Seeing no light in front of her, she had the faith that Jesus, a man she had never met, could stop her bleeding but just a touch of His cloak. Jesus said to her in that moment, “Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you.” Matthew 9:22

    Ladies, we have a blueprint of how to live and how to pray through tough times. The trials will not end but our wonderful, merciful God has given us women to look up to for encouragement. He gave us the answers to our questions before we were conceived through the Word of God. This powerful sword, shield, resource we have is something that should not be ignored. Devote yourself to reading it every day for it is our daily encouragement to keep the faith through hard times. I thank God for these women for walking our trials before us, for all they had was faith in God. They did not have examples to look at from the Word of God as we do now.

    Remember the women who paved the way for us in our sisterhood in Christ,

    Courtney McKean

  • Live Biblically With Boldness

    Live Biblically With Boldness

    I’m going to start a series of posts addressing each gender (there are only two: men and women), our temples, and how they all work together in a household according to the Bible. This first couple will be directed towards women so if you are a man, this weekend will be all about you. Women, let’s dive in.

    I’m going to be sharing a lot of scripture just to share the truth of the Word of God as to what His vision for women is. Remember this scripture as it is our guide to live by.

    I want to start by saying how wonderful it is to be a woman. We have such a special role in our churches and in our lives that God has given us the grace, strength, patience, and compassion to give to our world. God has a purpose for women, and we must make sure we are taking care of our temples to live out those purposes.

    “And do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” 1 Corinthians 6:19

    Paul writes this after addressing sexual immorality in the church of Corinth. He reminds us that when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and accepted Him to live in our hearts, we made a place, a holy temple, inside us for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Our bodies, created by God, are not ours to abuse. We are to use our bodies to glorify God, not ourselves. Glorifying God with our bodies means taking care of our bodies. There are so many ways we can damage our bodies in this world that Satan tempts us with. Drugs, alcohol, food, and sexual immorality are just a few. Smoking, drinking, and eating too much are not ways to honor God with our bodies. They are an immediate form of gratification to honor ourselves.

    “Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works.” 1 Timothy 1:9-10

    God calls us to honor Him by presenting ourselves appropriately in what we wear and how we act. The words modesty and self-control are used in these verses, and they are two I do not want us to forget are in the Word of God. Be modest in clothing, do not wear clothes that show too much. Attention should not be drawn to us by the skin we show between our clothes but by the light from the Holy Spirit shining from us. Pray for self-control daily as it is something we all struggle with. Remain steadfast in your values and beliefs and do not let others influence you into things that are not honorable to God.

    “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

    The world has normalized sexual immorality so many people ignore the fact that it is in the Word of God to save yourself for marriage. There is something so holy about intimacy between a husband and wife that we have lost sight of. I encourage all of you, stay pure, pray against lust, and desire to honor God by not giving into unholy acts. Let’s unnormalize sex before marriage.

    While the Bible does not directly address cursing, it does say in Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” and in Colossians 3:8 “rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene talk.” The language we use today is not the language being used in the days of Paul, but it is safe to say the Word of God is strongly discouraging us from using the language of today. Consider the cuss words of today’s language unwholesome and, therefore, obtaining from it. It is not pleasing in the ears of our Lord.

    My concluding encouragement to you all: dare to be different in this world full of confusion and evil. Focus on honoring God through the way we dress, act, and speak. While we may look at this world as corrupt and a time we do not wish to raise kids in, what a perfect time it is to fight against evil and fight from the victory God already has over this world. Do not be afraid to stand up for the Word of God and live in accordance to it for God already has the victory we are fighting for each day.

    Women, live biblically with boldness,

    Praying for all of your hearts,

    Courtney McKean

  • One You

    One You

    “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book we were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:14-16

    How often do we look at ourselves and think we are not good enough or we aren’t doing as much as the person next to us? How often do we compare ourselves to others and feel jealousy for someone else? This has been something I have personally struggled with most of my life. I have always felt like I’m a step behind everyone because I didn’t graduate college, get married, or have kids. I have been letting others steal my joy for so long because I’m so filled with jealousy.

    I am now 31 and I’m looking at my life in a way I never have before. I’m sitting with my uncle last night and I’m writing a paper for school and he’s watching a show. All of a sudden, he pauses his show and looks at me because he could tell I wasn’t fully there. I stop and look back at him and start crying because my heart is so heavy. I’m praying every day for God to reveal more of His will for me, and I think one reason why I was crying was because I have spent my whole life looking at everyone surrounding me instead of looking straight ahead at my path. I cannot continue to let my jealousy steal my joy.

    Comparison is something I think we all deal with whether its comparing lives, comparing material things, or comparing people. The question is why are we so fixated on everyone in this world and how do we stop? The first thing I am doing every morning before I get out of bed is pray. I pray for God to lead my steps for the day and to open my heart and eyes. This prayer time in the mornings sets the stage for the rest of my day and gets me focused on God. Then I get up, get dressed, do my makeup, and fix my hair so I feel good about how I look going out in public. Physical appearance is not everything, but it does build confidence. If I can be happy with how I look then that eliminates my desire to look at what others look like. Making plans and finding things to do that will help others is another thing I focus on because it takes the focus off of me. I have realized that as soon as I shift my focus off of this world (including myself) my eyes look to God. A way to look at it is this: if you look down you see yourself, if you look to the right or left you see other people, but if you look up you see the world, and when you look at the world and its beautiful magnitude, you see God. And then your mind shifts to Him and remember it’s not about you at all. Our joy comes from Jesus Christ alone.

    God has paved a path for me, my best friend, my cousin, and for you and they are all different. While my path may look very different than my best friends, both of them are beautiful. There is only one you in this world, and you have a wonderful purpose. If you are single like me, cherish this time of growth because God is building you to do something you can’t even imagine. If you are a husband and wife praying to have kids, believe that God’s timing is perfect and He is using you for something else right now. For mothers and fathers, every house looks different. Some mothers work, some don’t and there is nothing wrong with either one. Your primary role in life is to love God, and that looks different for everyone. Show your kids love, teach them about Jesus, and be present in their testimony. Your path is perfect and it’s a path only you can walk.

    “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

    As we move forward in our lives, remember that God created you from nothing. He made you a man or a woman, He colored your skin, eyes, and hair. He put your bones and heart in place. He took His time to make you exactly who He wanted you to be. He wrote your book and filled it with dates according to His plans. He gave you gifts to use throughout your life. Let’s not be so wrapped up in everyone else that we run out of time to use those gifts and walk our path. I want to stand face to face with God on the day He calls me home and say with empty hands, “I gave everything for You.” I don’t want to carry anything undone into Heaven.

    This was a long one so if you’re still here, thank you. I encourage all of us to walk our paths and not stray off the pavement. You are perfectly and wonderfully made, and there is only one you.

    Love you all and God bless you,

    Courtney McKean

  • Forgiving the Lost

    Forgiving the Lost

    “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

    Until a few weeks ago I was not someone who stayed up with current events in the world. I did not like politics or watching the news because they seemed so negative. Most of my updates came via TikTok or Facebook. That is how I first heard about Charlie Kirk over a year ago. I still wasn’t watching the news, but I had social media to keep me in the loop on a few things. It wasn’t until recently that I realized I am helping no one by not being engaged in the news. As a Christian and as someone who wants to save people, I can’t save a world that I don’t know. I take this time to encourage anyone who has the same feelings about politics and the news. It is our Christian duty to know what is going on around the world so we know how to help it and pray for it. Tune in and engage in our worldly home.

    I have watched more news the past couple of weeks than I have my whole life. I want to be more proactive and intentional, so I’ve been watching to see what I need to do. I watched Charlie Kirk’s memorial yesterday and, it was amazing to see every single person who spoke (politicians included) speak about Jesus in front of the whole world. The world came together to worship yesterday because of Charlie Kirk.

    Then Erika Kirk, wife (now widow) of Charlie Kirk, came up to speak. Before she spoke any words, she prayed over the room. She then said a few things that will forever be embedded in my mind. She recited the verse above, addressed the man who killed her husband, and said, “I forgive you.”

    I’m bringing this up because I’m thinking about the people who I have not forgiven from my past and I ask you, do you have anyone you need to forgive today? The verse, “they know not what they do” holds so much truth and meaning. What should be our response to people who persecute us? As Christians, we should want to respond the way Jesus did time and time again. Hanging on the cross, Jesus said these very words. Speaking for myself, I’m taking Erika Kirk’s lead and forgiving.

    We live in a lost world. Students are taught things like, “truth is relative.” The common phrase that comes up in college according to Frank Turek is “true for you but not for me.” This leads them to not know what the truth actually is because they believe that there can be multiple truths. Because young people are being fed lies like “abortion is not murder” or “there’s more than 2 genders,” they truly do not know what they do. Therefore, we must show them love and forgiveness. That is the only way we are going to reach them. If we don’t forgive them, we will never reach them.

    There are new believers in this world every day. In the last 2 weeks, hundreds of people have gone to church for the first time. As we continue to plant seeds, it is crucial that we water them. They will be persecuted by friends and family and will be tempted to turn away from the Lord. It is up to us to walk with them and encourage them. Pour into them the way Jesus poured into His disciples. They need us.

    You have my prayers and love,

    Courtney McKean

  • Following Your Calling

    Following Your Calling

    Happy Saturday! I hope everyone had a great week and are ready for an amazing Sunday. I want to start by encouraging everyone to invite someone to church tomorrow. We had a lot of people attend church for the first time last Sunday because of Charlie Kirk, and I want us to keep that momentum going! Church is intimidating for people not used to going, but friends make it better.

    “Among other things, this means that I need to discover my vocation, my overall calling in life, composed of my talents, spiritual gifts, and so forth. And I should passionately seek to occupy my vocational place for the good of believers and unbelievers alike.” -J.P. Moreland

    I have been on this journey of figuring out my calling for a long time. I do believe our callings change depending on where we are in life, but our overall calling to lead people to Christ never changes. I just spent years working at several different places and figuring out how to bring Jesus into conversations was difficult. People around me knew I was a Christian, but I wasn’t intentional about sharing why. I also wasn’t intentional about inviting co-workers to church. I have learned through the past couple years that building relationships is so important when introducing the Gospel. Sharing about Jesus first starts with love. You have to show someone love before you go into any deep conversation. That is how Jesus approached non-believers before he started telling them about God. He knew that in order to reach someone He needed to spend time with them. Build relationships, love through actions and words, and intentionally tell someone about the reason you are a Christian when the time is right. That is our primary calling that we should be doing everyday either inside or outside our vocation.

    The second calling we have is our job or hobby. Right now I am in school to become a missionary. That is what I feel my calling from God is. Are we always going to have a straightforward answer for what our “calling” is? No. For me, I went to Spain recently on a mission trip and came home completely engrossed in missions. I actually spent the last day I was there praying that something would happen that would keep me there a little longer. Suddenly I felt God tugging at my heart so hard towards missions and I was so excited. When I came home, a lot happened in the span of 2 weeks. I immediately met with my missions pastor to talk about steps to make this happen, enrolled in seminary, was let go from my job, moved to another job, got very sick and had to quit that job, started school and now here we are. I just recently got another job that will get me through school until I become a missionary, but for a minute I wasn’t sure what God was doing. All of this happening gave me a feeling of peace that this is what God wants me to pursue and that my calling is missions because He made several things happen when I came back. Will His calling for you be revealed like this? Probably not. All I could do and am still doing is waking up every day praying for God to lead my footsteps for the day. Our God is very much a day-to-day God so we, as Christians, have to stay flexible. I feel called to missions right now, but I know that when I finish school, He could be calling me somewhere else where my degree will be needed and that’s ok.

    When it comes to figuring out our calling, we have to make sure it falls in line with our talents and gifts like the quote above said. Why was Charlie Kirk so good at what he did? Why was he so good at debating? Because that is what he was called to do. We were all born with gifts so when you think about your calling, think about what you are good at. Growing up I can’t tell you how much I wanted to be a singer. I always knew I wasn’t called to it because God made me tone-deaf. I’ve spent a lot of my professional career now being a manager and leader and now I’m going into a field where I’m going to have to be independent and lead groups through my ministry. I’m going to school so I can be properly trained and knowledgeable to guide and teach where needed. Finding your calling requires prayer and hard work. Yes, we are born with gifts but those are just the basis of what prepares us for God’s calling.

    What I’m going to leave you with is this: do you feel that where you are right now is where God wants you? Do you feel peace about your job, or do you have a sense of doubt every day? If you do feel doubt, I encourage you to pray about it. Now I’m not saying if you pray about it then God will close a door. He might but keep your eyes open for other things. It may be that you pray about it, and you continue to have doubt in your heart about where you are. I think then that will be your answer. But whatever you do, work for the good of both believers and non-believers. Be intentional about making relationships. Have a lot of friends. Listen to God and pray constantly.

    You are loved, you are worthy, you are beautiful. Have the best Sunday and God bless.

    Courtney McKean

  • Unapologetically Bold

    Unapologetically Bold

    Just like the title of this post, I am going to be unapologetically bold when discussing this subject so hang with me.

    I’m going to start out with a straightforward question: Would you take a bullet for your faith? Let me ask it in another way: Are you boldly sharing your faith in front of non-believers who will persecute you?

    Matthew 10:22 states, “And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Let that sink in for a second. To follow Jesus is to be hated by the world. Will you endure to the end, or will your knees buckle when you have the opportunity to pray for a stranger? Are we just being bold in the comfort of our own house or church? Do you think if God told Charlie Kirk the morning of September 10th, 2025 that this was going to happen and it had to be today that he would have willingly stat in his chair underneath that tent? Would you?

    Let me ask a different question. Did Jesus run from Gethsemane when God told him the time had come? Did he deny God in front of all the people that wanted him dead in order to be spared? To live boldly for our faith, we must live like Jesus. That sounds simple but when you evaluate your life, are you taking advantage of all the opportunities God gives you throughout the day or are you ignoring them? Part of being bold means taking initiative and doing something unpopular. Are you letting the fear of what others will think or say get in the way of God’s purpose for you?

    God gave you life. The sole purpose of our life is to glorify God by telling people about Him. Do we not think the very One that gave us life will see us through life and into the afterlife? Stop thinking about the expectations the world has for you and think about the expectations God has for you. My fellow believers, sisters and brothers in Christ, I am asking myself these very questions. The world is our battlefield. Are we armed with the knowledge to defend our faith? Are we armed with the “belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit?” -Ephesians 6:10-18

    God gives us everythig we need to be bold and as intimidating as it can be, in order to obey God we must do it. Dr. Michael Youssef says, “Genuine faith can only be demonstrated by obedient action.” Noah had this when he was building the ark and people thought he was crazy.

    To continue in Matthew 10:23, he says, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” The job does not end. Every day is another day the Lord has made for us to share the Gospel with someone, to be bold in our faith. That will look different every day so pray in the mornings for God to give you the eyes to see these moments when they come. Do we feel good about how we have lived our life on earth if God were to call us home today? I encourage us all to take a chance on someone this week, to be bold in acting in our faith and not focusing on how the world responds to it but how God responds.

    Always praying for you all,

    Courtney McKean