It's easy to think a supernatural event would endow us with great faith.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Angelic encounters grew Mary and Joseph's faith, but left Zechariah still doubting and questioning.

Yet faith is required to please God -- not merely in his existence, but in his character. This is despite whether we get the outcomes we desire or not.

Faith is hard. Unbelief is hard. We get to choose which hard we want. Both come at a cost.

We dive into the stories of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph and see how their faith journeys can impact our own. We see from Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy how prayer is a practical and powerful way we nurture meaningful faith.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

#spirituallystrong

#emotionalhealth

#relationships

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#lifeskey3

#advent

#thedivineconspiracy

#christmas

I had grand visions for commemorating Advent with my kids when they were growing up.

The candles had other ideas.

I envisioned a serene family gathering filled with reflection and togetherness. But this didn't materialize. Instead, Advent became a series of mishaps involving arguments, sibling rivalries, and a match-to-candle ratio that showed something serious was amiss.

But I share more here than relaying a family story. Rather, to encourage you to remember nurturing a child's faith is more like growing an apple tree than a radish. It requires time, care, and the understanding that immediate results are not always visible.

You don't measure impact by immediacy. You'll smile along as you hear how this truth got lived out in my attempts to celebrate Advent.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

#parenting

#raisingkids

#raisingchristiankids

#bible

#faith

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianfamilies

#christianparenting

#lifeskey3

#advent

Many Christmas movies portray the season as one of hot chocolate, comfy slippers, and warm blankets. But the profound message of hope that Christmas brings, is a far grander and grittier story.

True hope is not merely about future outcomes but about experiencing God's goodness and strength in our everyday lives. A superficial understanding of hope can be dangerous, particularly if it invites complacency about our need for transformation.

By drawing on insights from Dallas Willard's work, The Divine Conspiracy, we see genuine change comes from a heartfelt desire for transformation, rather than just accumulating knowledge. We are reminded that hope is a sustaining force, capable of supporting us through both joyful and difficult times, and is essential for becoming the best versions of ourselves.

Takeaways:

• Honesty takes bravery, especially when reflecting on the true meaning of hope during Christmas.
• The Christmas story invites us to experience transformation rather than just information.
• Hope is essential for thriving, but it can also be a difficult concept to live with.
• True hope in the Christmas season is not about getting what we want, but about becoming who we are meant to be.
• We often confuse gathering information with personal growth, which can limit real transformation.
• Genuine hope is found in God's goodness, not merely in hoping for desired outcomes.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

#spirituallystrong

#emotionalhealth

#relationships

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#lifeskey3