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The first thing my friend Ingrid showed me as we began talking was her Bible— the one she had when she was 21. Inside, she wrote an inscription, something she believed God told her… “I love you and I want you to be free.” ⭐️ Ingrid was around alcohol her entire life. Casually. She tried it when she was 12— and immediately spit it out. “That’s important,” she says, “because we learn that it’s an acquired taste. We don’t naturally like things which are harmful to our bodies.” (The good news is that if it’s a learned behavior, you can unlearn it or replace it.) Eventually, she acquired the taste and began drinking more… Especially as she got older (it became more of a crutch, as if often does). And as she got remarried (into a fabulous family of extroverts who never meet strangers, always invite everyone Into the home, and constantly pull out more chairs for more people). “It was just the perfect storm,” she says. She found a path forward and quit. And, her husband, who had been her “drinking buddy,” quit with her... + Read more + listen at www.Jenkins.tv/blog/167 

Yes, there is a science to fun— and there are steps you can take to set an environment where fun more readily happens… 👇 https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/166 🚌🚌🚌🚌 Here’s the scoop… My friend Barbara has always been an event planner. Even when she was a kid, she planned parties and hosted everyone— gifting them with an experience that just made things “better.” In college, in fact, she studied event management and even took a specialized (read: adapted for her) course plan towards earning her Master’s. That led her overseas where she planned and hosted events at one of the best venues in the city… But, of course, life happens. And things aren’t always as rosy as they seem. Late in her 20s, Barbara began doing some soul searching. Now at home staring a family, she found herself excited (new blessings) and depleted (new revelations) all at once. Such is life, right? As we often say: Life is beautiful, and life is also hard. When life imploded, a series of life-events moved Barbara back to who she was in the beginning… …. the person bringing happiness + joy to others. But now, she was doing it from a healthy center, from a space of overflow and purpose… 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Listen to the talk at https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/166 or your fav podcast provider.

In this talk we discuss the third— and final— soul wound(s) of the Soul Wholeness series, guilt and shame. It’s a nasty tag-team duo that works like this… 🧐 We’re born with a moral compass— an internal rudder of right and wrong. When we violate our personal conscience, soul wounds can occur. Moral Injury, a soul wound akin to PTSD, is often the result. Rather than eliciting a fight or flight response, MI creates feelings of guilt and shame. Here are the main ideas to listen for— 👉 “Moral Injury” occurs when we violate our code of morality, that is, of right and wrong. The result... is guilt & shame. 👉 The uncommon cure for Moral Injury— for guilt & shame— is mature love. Now, pause right here… … the ODDEST part of this reality is that so often we inflict the people closest to us with the most “immature” versions of love. Those are the people we seek to berate, belittle, and bash… And that leads to the final observation— 👉 In relationships you can choose intimacy or control, as well as transparency or hiding... but not both. True love expels fear with great intensity, creating space where people own who they are and move forward to who they’re designed to be. The all-too-uncommon cure for guilt & shame is receiving forgiveness— unconditional love— from someone the wounded person believes has the moral authority to grant that forgiveness. 💙💙💙💙 Listen in… Putting this into practice has the potential to revolutionize… well… everything.

In this talk we continue the Soul Wholeness series… … and discuss the topic of soul ties. Here’s why: Issues arise when we attach our hearts, for any reason, to the wrong place. When we do, bad fruit always emerges. When we connect our hearts in the right way to the right things, beauty emerges. 💙💙💙 Here are the main ideas of this convo: 👉 The “fruit” we see in our lives is a result of the unseen “roots.” To grow better fruit you must nurture better roots. 👉 Addiction happens when we attach our hearts— ❌ To the wrong things, or ❌ To the right things for wrong reasons And, note: we can find ourselves “addicted” to many things. In fact, over 2/3 of the people who seek addiction help do not have a chemical dependency. 👉 The cure for bad “roots” = knowing and walking in your true identity. When we get this healthy, good fruit emerges. 💙💙💙 Dealing with soul ties isn’t about legalism; it’s about walking in freedom— so that nothing hinders us from embracing who we’re designed to be.

We’re designed to grow by exploring the world around us. But, we bump into painful experiences as we do. So, we create (often unconscious) rules to protect ourselves from future pain. Some of the rules are functional (and help us), others are dysfunctional (and hinder us). In this talk I reference three rules of human nature, related to soul health, govern how we uniquely approach the world. Then, we’ll go farther. We’ll discuss how these rules can create ruts— both good and bad. * Functional rules = friends = help us (don’t touch a hot stove, fear of heights, walking down dark alley) * Dysfunctional = foes = hinder us (lack of trust in relationships, fear of failure, etc.) In the the end, we eventually get more of what we expect, creating a “flywheel” of momentum. In other words, if we don’t work through the “triggers” we discussed in the previous video we’ll find ourselves constantly living from “soul memory,” something much like muscle memory. How does it fit with soul health? Well, in the same way you can’t drive a car by always looking over your shoulder, you can’t drive through life by staring in the rearview mirror. Gaze back when you need to… But live “ahead,” leaning forward…

Brandon Lazarre is the founder of Your Purpose Coaching, and serves as a life coach with a unique angle towards helping you discover your specific design… … that design, in turn, launches you into your purpose. 🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹 Brandon uses the analogy of an arrow— and says we’ve all been created, like arrows, differently than other arrows. Some arrows… 🎯 Explode and cause a big “boom,” like Rambo. 🎯 Others are like those with which you hunt deer— they resemble a precise surgical scalpel. 🎯 Still others are more blunt— like practice arrows. But they’re all needed, each of them (and others) fulfilling a specific purpose. His tagline is… ⭐️Everyone is created by God to create something that only they can create.⭐️ Read more + listen at https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/162 

Faith is NOT about behaving a certain way, it’s about BECOMING who we really are, who we’re designed to be. https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/161 

Two of the joys we most crave— freedom from guilt & shame and authentic community— exist in the place which seems scariest, the light. Those who are willing to “go there” discover true freedom comes not in hiding, but in realizing there’s nothing more to cover-up.    ++++   Listen in at https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/160 or your fav podcast provider.

We each have a body, a soul, and a spirit. It’s easy to confuse the soul and the spirit, but distinguishing  each from the other is essential to walk in total health... We must recognize there is an “outer person” and an “inner person” to each of us. In some sense, we do. But, most of us don’t realize the Bible also teaches that we are comprised of a body, a soul, and a spirit— and that the soul and the spirit are two different entities. That is, the “inner person” can be subdivided even more. It’s easy to separate the “body” from the “spirit” or the “body” from the “soul.” But delineating the “soul” from the “spirit” sometimes proves a bit more difficult.  1 Corinthians 6:17 tells us, “Whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in spirit” (NIV).     This spirit is the true “inner man” we want to live from. It is the key to pulling the unseen world into the visible world around us. The problem is that the spirit is often hidden beneath or behind the soul.    And, whereas the spirit is quiet, steady, and humble, the soul can become aggressive, outraged, and opinionated. Quickly. In other words, the soul is the internal part of us that’s still “in process.” The soul is comprised of the following: The mind, which includes our thoughts The will, which includes our desires The emotions, which includes our feelings Are those not the parts of us that cause the most problems and create the most chaos? In this talk we break it down and begin stepping towards total health…  +++ Read more at  https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/soulorspirit

The resurrection isn’t only something that happened to Jesus, it’s something that also happened to you. Here’s why and how… Jesus not only died in our place, He also lived in our place… That is, He gives you His death and He gives you His life… and more— that’s actually just the tip of the iceberg. +++ Read more at https://www.Jenkins.tv/blog/breakthrough

God doesn’t simply reveal truth to you so that you can study it; He reveals Himself to be encountered and experienced. When He shows you another facet of Himself (in this book or anywhere else!), He's inviting you to receive it. And, I guarantee, God is better experienced than merely explained. Moreover, He invites you to receive it— in full— right then, in that moment. There’s no waiting, and He doesn’t give Himself in pieces (see John 3:34). He gives Himself— and His gifts— completely.’ We often think (because we’ve been taught) that we must “step it up” and “believe harder” in order for the Lord to do a great thing in us. I’ve heard some pastors at a well-known church say, “Dig in deeper” and “go after God.” But, the Bible tells us clearly that faith isn’t something we generate— it’s something that comes to us (see Romans 10:17). The gifts we receive by faith come from a faith that is also a gift in and of itself! Galatians tells us we actually live the life we live now by the “faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). Look at the King James Version. Most other translations miss this one and suggest that it is faith in the Son of God. The KJV rightly denotes that God Himself places the faith there. It is His faith working in us! The gifts we receive by faith come from a faith that is also a gift in and of itself! If the Lord places within you a desire for freedom, it is His invitation for you to receive it. And it is His faith alive in you which makes it happen! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Listen at https://www.jenkins.tv/blog/invitation or your fav podcast provider

In the final talk in our Life Planning series we discuss time management— and the reality of tradeoffs. 🎳🎳🎳🎳🎳 We’ve got to be honest with ourselves; we can’t do everything. And, a yes to one thing is most often a no to something else (and vice versa— a no now empowers us to say yes later). We shouldn’t see this as restrictive, but as freeing… … so freeing that we actually place things on our calendar. You see, our calendar reflects our stewardship of our most valuable currency, time. In the same way our bank statements reveal what we value, so also do our day planners. 🗓 So, if it’s important, protect it… budget it… steward it… Just like money. Although, here’s reality, time might be an even MORE valuable asset that cold card 💰, because you can always make more money— yet no one has found a way to develop, save, find, or create time… This talk will help you define— and then focus on— the things which matter most, so that you can build a life that truly matters. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Listen at https://www.jenkins.tv/blog/bigsmall or your fav podcast provider.

Wherever we focus our time + energy will grow— for good or bad. So, it’s important that we focus on the things we want to grow. In talk #3 we dive deep into the law of the harvest, that is, sowing and reaping. And, we see that it works in every area of life. 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 Sowing and reaping is a principle implemented on the 3rd day when the power of seed bearing plants were spoken forth by God (Genesis 1:11). You know the principle: like begets like based on something already inside the first of the “likes.” Somehow, we've just assumed that “seed” only works in biology. However, “seed” is a principle of creation which works in every area of life. This is what Moses meant when he taught “Whatever you put your hand to prospers” (Deuteronomy 15:10). Here’s how it works… ✅ You reap WHAT you sow… So plant the right thing. ✅ You reap it WHERE you sow it… So plant it where you want the seed to grow… ✅ You reap MORE than you sow… So, rest assured— for good or bad— your efforts will be multiplied!. ✅ You reap AFTER you sow… So don’t delay. Start now. The sooner you sow, the sooner you the harvest comes. Plus… 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 Though we cannot control the harvest (like a farmer), we can manage the cultivation process. We can faithfully do the work set before us, even the unglamorous and simple… Small actions doing regularly, over time, have incredible results. So, we should never underestimate the power of simply showing up with our best selves and faithful tending to our field. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Listen at https://www.jenkins.tv/blog/harvest or your fav podcast provider.

In talk #2 of the Life Planning series we discuss the soundtrack which plays in our heads. Who’s got a bad one, sometimes? ✋ And, who needs to change the story they tell themselves? ✋ Yeah— all of us at one point or another… Here’s why… 👉 We’ll live from the story that’s playing there moreso than any other thing. Whereas many of us are quick to “shut up” someone who speaks against us, we need to learn to manage our own negative self-talk as well. Read that again. Slowly. Manage. Your. Own. Negative. Self. Talk. 😬 This doesn’t mean we deny reality or cease being honest with ourselves. Rather, it acknowledges that our thoughts— and our mindset— are important factors in how we live. Many times, we react negatively to our circumstances because they seem mundane. We compare our “normal” with other people’s “highs.” But, when we look at reality, we see that the supernatural most often happens amidst the ordinary. Understanding this frees us to embrace the small blessings of everyday life— and even plan for them.   🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Listen at www.Jenkins.tv/blog/soundtrack or your fav podcast provider.

Many of us hate goal setting, but we know we should do it. That is, living with intentionality is better than “doing random” or just “going with the flow.” 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ But maybe there’s something about how we’re often taught to set goals that unsettles us moreso than the idea of goal setting itself. In this 4-part series, we break it down and offer another way to look at things, empowering you to move from where you are to where you’re designed to be. Here’s where we begin… In talk #1 we learn that there’s a certain rhythm to Creation— a way things just “work.” Specifically, the universe runs on rest, on intentional bursts of on and then “off.” But two things knock us off balance— 👉 Anxiety 👉 Identity issues This tag-team duo keeps us from taking that much-needed reset (we need it daily, weekly, and even annually). The result is that our bodies don’t rebuild physically, we don’t reset mentally, and we don’t regulate very well emotionally. That knocks us out of whack. Big time. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ When we step into the intentional rhythm of Creation, we live from a a different center. Furthermore, we begin to see a blur between what is truly sacred and what is secular. That is, we discover that any activity can be holy and set apart for supernatural use. This frees us to stewards the gifts and time and calling that we’ve been given… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ And once we understand that, we’re ready to truly begin living the life we’re designed to live. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Listen at www.Jenkins.tv/blog/start or your favorite podcast provider…  

The final “F” of #Oola is Fun…. (I know, some of you are “all in” on this— and some of you are wondering, “What in the world?”) Either way, hear me out…. 👌 First, the definition… Fun = An intentional pause from our inherent drive towards “productivity” in order to rest + restore the body, soul, and spirit, as well as enjoy the good gifts God grants for our enjoyment. 👌 Here’s why I think it’s important… ✅ First, look at how the universe is wired!! There’s a certain way things work, a way of “off” and “on” that’s built into the fabric of the universe. Look at the Creation story, for instance… Evening and morning…  And look at when Adam & Eve are created, at the end of the 6th day…  And then what they step into… A rhythm of on and off.  In other words, we’re NOT made to always be on… We’re made to live a beat of 6 and 1, 6 and 1, 6 and 1…. 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰 A rabbit trail… 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 Take the drums as an example. No musician hustles on stage more than the drummer. They keep the rhythm, they physically push the limits, and they create MUSIC… But the music happens because of the moments of rest… No rest = all noise. Yep. Rhythm only happens because of the beat of times ON and cadence of times OFF. 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 Maybe we can learn a lot from the drummer… Maybe we can learn about this thing called hustle and bring some balance in… Why don’t we? Well… ✅ Second, think about WHY we step out of that rhythm- the cadence for which we were created. Why don’t we pause, day-dream, take days off, rest… sleep longer…? Why we don’t just “check out” of producing and lean into fun…. 👉 Because we strive.  And why do we strive?  👉 Because our identity is often so wrapped in what we do. ✅ Bottom line… No rest = no rhythm = all noise. Yep. Rhythm only happens because of the beat of times ON and cadence of times OFF. Maybe we can learn a lot from the drummer… Maybe we can learn about this thing called hustle and bring some balance in… 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌   Want to learn more? Want to claim your #oolaLife? Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results… … are stellar. 🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary? 👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21

Our working definition for #OolaFriends is this: 🚌🚌🚌 People close enough to see your blind spots, relationally connected enough to call them out, and interdependent enough to “do all of life” with you. 🚌🚌🚌 Here’s the PROBLEM with it: We tend to change the definition of what true friends are. Resist the urge. Don’t re-write your own dictionary. Don’t change the definition 👌👌👌 Solomon, the wisest guy who ever lived (you know, the guy who saw two women arguing about who the baby belonged to, so he suggested, “Cut the baby in half!” in 1 King 3:16-28?) described friends in the following manner >>> ✅ Friends stick with you when things get tough-  “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17 NIV). ✅ Because we need others and because tough times DO inevitably come, fair weather friends aren’t helpful to have-  “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV). ✅We’re reminded NOT to be fair weathered friends; others rely on us in the same way we rely on them-  “Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend… Better is a friend who is near than a brother far away” (Proverbs 27:10 edited). ✅Much of the “tough stuff” we face in life is actually our own fault. We reap what we sow.  Also, we cause some of the tough stuff others face. So, Solomon reminds us to have friends that can tell us what we NEED to hear, not just what we WANT to hear- “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). ✅ And, of course, because conflict is part of any relationship (read: tension), we want people who can weather it… and endure with grace. So, Solomon is clear- “Don’t make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. You might learn their habits and not be able to change” (Proverbs 22:24-25). 👆 Those are just a few ways in which Solomon describes friends. In reality, you can’t have too many people like that in your life. It simply requires too much of a commitment and energy- if you’re going to be a good friend AND have some good friends.  👌👌👌 My guess is that after reading a few of the verses above from Solomon- which, really, just brush the surface of what true friendship is like…  … you *might think something like this: “Geez… if that’s what true friends are like, IT REALLY IS difficult to actually maintain too many of them… a lot is required.” You’re right. Friendship is a lot of "give."  A lot of it…  (The flip-side is that it's also a lot of "take," a massive amount of benefit.) I think we inherently know this, though. And we know that our “friends” on Facebook, for the most part, aren’t really friends. This doesn’t mean Facebook is bad- it's an amazing tool for connection, right?!- or that most of those people don’t contribute to our wellbeing in some sense. It just means that surface-level connections of any kind don’t match the description of friendship Solomon starts sketching in Proverbs.  🍺 Because of this, we actually change people’s titles- even though their roles haven’t changed at all. We refer to acquaintances and even “pseudo-acquaintances” as friends, right? I mean, how many times have you met someone in real life and then had that awkward exchange that goes something like, “Hey, I think we’re friends online… aren’t we?!” You see, we’re “friends” online but we don’t even know how to interact in person. That’s clearly NOT friendship. That’s acquaintance-ship. So, we come up with a new name for REAL friends- the kind that match the actual description we see outlined in the Bible. The term “friend” doesn’t do the relationship justice, because we’ve diluted the word so much, so we refer to these people as FAMILY.  Yet they’re not really family. Family is a group of people related by blood or marriage or legal contract (i.e., adoption). Family isn’t friend AND friend isn’t acquaintance.  You see how confusingly weird this can all get? The language has become blurred, such that we don’t really know how to categorize people anymore.  We lean, now, towards having many and shallow relationships rather than  having fewer & deeper interactions. 🍺 
This week, let’s don’t do that… Even if we’re “low” in the friends category, no worries… We can rebuild— or build for the first time— that part of life, too…   🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌   Want to learn more? Want to claim your #oolaLife? Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results… … are stellar. 🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary? 👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21

Faith is a humble confidence that everything is going to be OK… … it doesn’t mean everything IS OK, that everything is good… some things are outright ugly… … but faith is the hope that all things, in the end, work out for our God…. ++++ Here’s our definition: 👉 A humble confidence that God is always working all things together for my good— the good & the bad, the things done to me & the things I do. +++++ A few years ago I walked through the toughest, most gruesome season I’d ever endured… I found myself asking this question— 🎯 Can I trust God’s character MORE than I tremble at the circumstance I’m facing? 🎯 Sometimes, people say that faith just erases reality- or changes it altogether. That you see, sense, feel fear or trepidation… then you’ve missed it… Maybe not. Think back to some of the stories you know with me… 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego (i.e., Rack, Shack, & Benny- for former Veggie Tales watchers) wouldn’t bow to King Nebechadezzar’s golden statue. As they faced the fiery furnace, they confessed… “God can deliver us. But EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, we will stand fast” (Daniel 3:18). Faith didn’t erase reality. It just meant that maybe there’s something more, something beyond the tough tension we see… 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 Job lost EVERYTHING. His friends thought God took it because of some secret sin. Turns out, Satan took it. And it wasn’t because of his sin. It was because that’s what the enemy does- looks for ways to shred and shame… “Even if God slayed me,” Job said, “I would trust” (Job 13:15). . Say what? Yes. Sometimes there’s a tension- one that doesn’t make sense, but one that just resolves… And decides… 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 👉 Perhaps, this too falls under that category of things that He promises to make beautiful in His timing (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And maybe this is one of those things that He promises- even if it makes no sense at all- to work together for the good (Romans 8:28). . And even, this momentary “light” (even if it doesn’t seen so light) affliction will produce some heaviness / weight of glory that will later be revealed (2 Corinthians 4:17). Yes, there’s a tension between the TOUGH and the TRUST… 🎯 🎯 🎯 A few weeks years I read Brennan Manning's book Abba’s Child. He quotes Saint Augustine as stating that in the economy of God, all things work together for our good. All things. Even our past sins. That’s part of the faith equation, too— God can take EVEN that…. I’ve seen it firsthand. He takes every crooked path and makes the way straight. He takes every piece of grit and forms it into gold. He takes the broken pieces of our lives and morphs them into His best. Such is the nature of grace. Have faith… 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Want to learn more? Want to claim your #oolaLife? Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results… … are stellar. 🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary? 👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21

Let’s talk about FIELD for a bit... 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 We were created in God’s Image. He’s a Creator, a worker… one who adds value. That means this— 👉 Work isn’t a curse. 👉 Despite all of the jokes about dreading “manic” Mondays, work is actually a gift. In the Garden of Eden, Adam worked before sin, before the Fall, before the curse. 👉 We were designed to create, steward, and add value to the world around us. Note how things unfolded way back in the beginning: 1️⃣ First, we were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Redemption restores the fractured image of God that has always been present. Jesus takes the pieces and puts them back together such that we clearly resemble who He is. 2️⃣ Second, God is a worker- when He walked on the earth 2,000 years ago Jesus testified that the Father had been working since the beginning (John 5:17). Jesus verified, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” God has always worked. He has always enhanced the places He’s present. He has always “added value” and made things better through His activity. 3️⃣ Third, since we are created in His image, it makes sense that we are fulfilled when, like Him, we work. He created people to work just as He works (Genesis 1:28f.). In the same way that God is a Creator, we- being formed in His image- are creative. 🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠🛠 The problem is not work. Rather, the problem is toil- when there is not an ease and a fulfillment to the work. When the work doesn’t “add value.” When the work seems mundane instead of creative. When the work seems a drudge rather than life-giving. This negative association with work was birthed in Genesis 3:17-19, as a curse of the Fall (emphasis added): Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “ Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it, all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Man had been working before the Fall (since Genesis 1:28f.). And, it is only after the Fall that creation moves from completely “good” to its “thorn-infested” state. In the same way in which the old pattern of sin distorted the full glory of humanity, the glory of creation which we see now is a limited glory from its original display. Creation anticipates the day we will walk in our full glory, our total freedom (read: redemption). Romans 8:19-22 says that creation itself currently groans with birth pangs, waiting to be released from its bondage, awaiting for the full revelation of the sons and daughters of God (us!). Here, we see that Creation itself if part of the redemptive work of Jesus. Our full glory is connected in some way to creation’s; creation’s full glory is intertwined with ours. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Your field is… The sacred space where I steward my gifts + my calling to serve others by living my purpose. My field may be a full-time job, an educational pursuit, a stay-at-home opportunity— and it may change over time.   🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Want to learn more? Want to claim your #oolaLife? Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results… … are stellar. 🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary? 👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21

This can be a tough area for a lot of people… And it can be a GREAT one. And it can be both. Even at the same time. ❌ Long post warning ❌ 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 This is an area where I’ve felt like a failure and had to do some deep soul-searching. (Maybe you can relate.) A few years ago, overnight, my ex-wife stopped talking to me, froze me out, and began openly ignoring me in front of our kids… even while we lived in the same house. It was gut-wrenching. In fact, I told someone that the best way to describe how it felt was simply this… If you’ve ever gutted a fish, when this happens… you are that fish. As you can imagine… 👉 This was hard of me. 👉 This created a no-win situation for the kids, who still deal with this today… 👉 This rattled my faith… 👉 This created a heap of shame + embarrassment + all kinds of other clutter… 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 The upside is that the Lord redeems + restores all things— even if it doesn’t look like, on the back end, what we thought it might look like… … and, I’ve seen that grace always takes us to a greater place…. (The downside is that the road to get there is often long, hard, and lonely….) 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 Why do I tell you this? Because, sometimes, I think it’s easy to see where people ARE in the moment, grab hold of that snapshot, and think that’s the entire story. It never is. For every high moment, there are a string of lows that often lead you there… … and for every low moment, there is a mountaintop that is coming. I’ve talked the trench in this area…. A lot of people have. 👉 When we get married, we never think that “the for worse” part of the vows will come into play… and that it might not work out. 👉 When we have cute little babies and post their pics everywhere, we never think that— one day— they might not want to speak with us… 👉 When we grow up hanging out with siblings, vacationing and laughing and playing at the pool, etc., we never think that there may be a time when we stop communicating…. But those things happen… So, let’s navigate this one together, and pray + work to make this “family” area just a little bit better this week than it was last week, OK? Incremental change… Small steps… Even if they seem insignificant in the moment MULTIPLY and add up over time to make MONUMENTAL shifts… 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 Here’s my working definition of family… 🚌 People related by blood or covenant. Ideally, these are our closest human relationships, the place where the most grace + empowerment is displayed. 🚌 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙   🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Want to learn more? Want to claim your #oolaLife? Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results… … are stellar. 🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary? 👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21