Few days can inspire as much gratitude in my heart like this day…Calla’s baptism day, February 10.

There is celebration when I consider that Jesus entered my life, praise when I remember the moments that He began to reign in my heart, humility when I count the cost He paid to save me. There is comfort in my forgiveness, confidence in my salvation, anticipation in my hope.

My heart sings when I consider how my Jesus loves me…but oh it roars when I consider how He loves my child. My praise swells to an ovation, my gratitude grows to a frenzied…

VH1 used to run “Storytellers,” episodes that allowed songwriters to share about the circumstances and emotions that led to some of the songs people know and love. I’ve always thought that was fascinating…a look behind the curtain…a key to unlock a deeper understanding of lyrics and melody…a window into the heart that birthed the song.

We’ve already shared a video of Janet and AJ Schubert performing their song, “The Brave Way Home” but we want to share some of the story that led to the song, confident that you’ll be inspired to praise the song’s Giver…

“He is my Savior. He is my King. And I will follow Him forever.”

Every moment is a gift. But this moment…this moment is a treasure…it is a promise. I’m forever grateful to have shared it…this very specific, definitive moment, with my Calla three years ago today. I think back to all the discussions about Jesus and about baptism and faith we had with our sweet girl…

It’s the last day of 2021 and I’m naturally feeling reflective.

This time last year, Crystal and I were still finding our feet beneath us. We were determined to follow Jesus forward, but reeling from wave after wave of grief upon grief. We left 2020 feeling unwanted and crushed, misunderstood and confused, but entered 2021 with a fledgling, hopeful grip on a beautiful, God-given mission to call and equip fellow wayfarers to deeper living, eyes fixed on Jesus and hearts set on Heaven.

Throughout this year we have continued to learn to cling tightly to the truth we have been taught and to hold everything else loosely. We’ve faithfully leaned into the work of discovering the shape and the scope of the ministry God is building with us. We’ve humbly stood with our hands open before God, trusting Him to fill them, determined to do His will, and believing that on the other side of obedience is blessing.

This has been a year of God reminding us that He is far from finished with us....

What started as a way for people to give memorial gifts after our sweet Calla’s rescue to Heaven, has become a movement of people embracing Calla’s heart to look out for the left out. When we decided to keep Calla’s slime shop open, we didn’t know what would come...we just knew we wanted to honor our girl. So, we followed her slime recipes and kept following her lead.

Grief expresses itself in all different ways in each of us. Ezra’s grief journey is different from Crystal’s, and hers is different from Lilah’s and Lilah’s is different from mine. We all feel our loss differently, we respond to our sorrow differently. We each have varied timelines, triggers and coping patterns, individual ways we face the reality of our circumstances, unique stances that steady us in the storm. And still, we are drawn together by our shared loss, bound together by our common longing and our shared love for Calla, for our King, and for each other.