From Texas to Missouri

Nothing should bring you more joy than the Lord. Friends, family, entertainment—in any aspect—nothing should compare to what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. As I learn and mature, it keeps recurring to me every single year that, no matter what, I need to have Jesus as my centerpiece. I won’t have true happiness, completeness, or fullness until I do.

I’m getting married soon, and it seems like nothing could make me happier or bring me more joy than my soon-to-be wife, Carley! But I need to remember who gave me the words and the courage to talk to her—and that He is the one who put us together in the first place. Both of us hail from Texas originally—I’m from good old San Antonio, and she’s from Dallas—and we both ended up moving to Missouri in 2021 and 2022. Our meeting wasn’t ordinary; it was quite unique in almost every aspect. We moved from big cities to small towns of about 200 people, over an hour and a half apart, and then met in a town right in between ours. We were completely different people, yet we were drawn together. But that’s a different story! I just love her so much.

Jesus will always be with you in your darkest places, and He will always and forever be the most consistent thing in your life—everlasting and never failing. If you can find something else even close to that, please let me know—but I don’t think you’ll have such an easy time finding it (because it doesn’t exist).

We all have our personal stories—some good, some bad—but what role did Jesus play in all of those stories? What has He allowed you to go through? What did He help you come out of? How can you use those stories to glorify and testify for Him?

If you’ve gone through addiction or are in it now, I’ve always believed that what you’re going through is a testimony in the making! You might struggle now, but when He frees you from it, I promise it will be something you’ll want to talk about. A God like that is the one I serve—and that’s why I always believe He is the only one who can bring you complete and utter joy. He is, and always should be, your centerpiece in the dark storms that feel unending—because when they do end (and they will), Jesus will have been with you through the entire thing. Without a doubt, He was in your presence.

He’s a good God, a faithful friend, and a loving Father. Trust in Him and never doubt that He will use you for a great testimony and great things in His kingdom. He is a very detailed God who will use every last part of your story for His glory and His kingdom. He loves you!