The mindset that changed my life IMMEDIATELY.

This last Sunday, I found myself on the floor of my kitchen, and God revealed something that shifted my mindset and changed my life immediately. Jacob got home from work after being gone for a 48-hour shift. I was tapped out. We had a full day planned, church, time with friends. It normally would have been easy to just push through, but I knew that today I couldn't. Something in me felt heavier than usual. The boys had been a lot, yes, but this was different. So I got the boys ready. Jacob loaded them up and took them to church. I stayed home. I started baking for a friend's giving we were having later that day. In the middle of baking and prepping, I started praying out loud, tears rolling down my face. God, why have you trusted me with so much? A loving husband, four beautiful boys, a calling to speak your word. I felt overwhelmed. And what happened next changed my mindset instantly. It changed the way I looked at everything. Recently, I had been listening to a sermon that my dad preached. It's really good. He was talking about Psalms 23 and how God is our shepherd. We tend to picture shepherds as calm men walking a quiet field with a staff, gently herding sheep. But the reality is so much more fierce. Shepherds have to be brave, aware, protective. Their job is to keep those little sheep safe. Sheep who wander into danger without even realizing it. Sheep who get themselves stuck in ridiculous places. Sheep who have no idea what is coming around the corner. A shepherd has to be strong enough to fight off lions and bears, patient enough to teach the sheep how to walk right paths, wise enough to guide them to safety even when they don't understand. As I was praying, I fell down to my knees right there in the kitchen, completely surrendered. God, I cannot do this. It cannot be me. Whatever plan you have goes beyond anything I can see. And the fact that you want to use me even in a tiny way astounds me. I prayed that if there was anything I was trying to hold on to, that he would take it from me. My husband, my children, our unknown future, this little community we have here on YouTube. It's yours, God. All of it is yours. And if I ever try to take it and make it mine, take it away. Because this is bigger than me. This is bigger than us. And as I was internalizing this, something shifted. I saw how small I was in the big picture. Not insignificant, just small. And yet he still chooses to use me. Just like he chooses to use you. We each have a purpose, perfectly designed by God. And suddenly, I felt like one of those little sheep, wondering, unsure, but completely trusting my shepherd. He loves us that deeply. He wants us to thrive. The world is dark and heavy, but we get to live with joy because eternity is waiting. This life is only a small part of our story. We can live with excitement and peace because the best is still ahead. As a little sheep, I trust my shepherd. I lean into him. I know the sound of his voice. I know it so well that if another voice tries to impersonate him, I can tell. I do not follow. It's not familiar. There are so many distractions pulling at us from every direction. If you need help identifying some of those, my free workshop link below walks you through some of them. And here's something important. In this world, there are voices that look harmless. There are paths that seem good at first glance. There are wolves in sheep's clothing. Situations, relationships, opportunities, and ideas that look warm and safe on the outside, but carry danger underneath. Usually, the Holy Spirit gives us that little nudge, that tightening in our spirit that whispers, this is not safe. This is not for me. And if you feel that, I encourage you to run from it. Pull back. Pray. Ask God again. Wait for clarity. The shepherd does not only lead us towards still waters. He also leads us away from the places that could destroy us. This is why staying close matters. Because the closer we are to him, the quicker we recognize danger, and the faster we hear him say, keep walking, or turn around. I want to be so close to him that nothing can snatch me out of his hand. Here's the thing. When our mindset shifts into knowing we cannot do this without him, everything changes. To be successful, to love deeply, to be good, we need Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit working through us. We wander around thinking we know what we are doing, but he sees what we cannot see. He sees the lion in the distance. He sees the ditch we are about to fall into. We have to trust him. We have to look for his guidance. The world is terrifying without Jesus, but we do not have to fear. We belong to the one who created the universe. The one who knows what was, what is, and what is still to come. There is so much peace in that. So we can walk with our little sheep head held high. Picturing that is just adorable to me. A little oblivious to danger, but fully aware of our shepherd. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Father, seal our hearts. Keep us close. Hold on to us tight, Jesus. Recently, God called Jacob and I to make a big change in our life. A complete, truly complete step of faith. I'm not going to share the details. I might in the future, but it is something most people would call risky, or maybe even look to some a little irresponsible. Yet God called us to take this step, and made it so abundantly clear that if we didn't do it, we knew we would be out of his will. The confirmations were impossible to ignore, and because of that, we have no fear right now. Even in the midst of the complete unknown. We trust our shepherd. We trust that if he calls us to jump off of a cliff, it's because he plans to catch us. It's time for us to release this illusion of control. We do not need it. The moment we realize we are nothing without God, is the moment that he begins to use us. If you want a deeper dive into this scripture, I will link that sermon I was talking about earlier below. It really is so, so good. Psalms 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. See you soon.