We skipped last week’s Sunday Send... To be honest, I was wrestling with God on some trivial—but still important—stuff. And I decided I’d rather keep wrestling with Him than send out a newsletter pretending to be encouraging when I myself wasn’t encouraged. (can’t pour from an empty cup) But before we jump in, don’t miss the bottom of this newsletter as there is a big $1000 giveaway to not miss!

So where are we today? Well, physically we’re in Turks and Caicos (PTL). But spiritually, we’re in a much better place too.

It’s funny how God works sometimes, ya know? You’re in the middle of all this frustration and confusion—kicking and screaming like a toddler (talking about myself here)—and then later you look back and go, “Ahhh, I get it now, God.”

That “ah hah” moment for me? It came when I was biking uphill for what felt like 30 minutes, in the dark, on a flat tire, with a phone that was almost dead (needed it for GPS), in a place I’ve never been, with no streetlights in sight. It sounds like a joke, but this actually happened! Lol

I was sweating bullets, muttering words I shouldn’t have been saying under my breath, and actively avoiding bringing it up to God. But right there, in all that annoyance, it hit me. It was like I zoomed out and could actually see myself from above—this sweaty, worn-out, frustrated guy, in literal paradise, who has lost the plot.

That physical picture? It was exactly what was happening in my spirit. I wasn’t just riding a broken bike uphill in the dark. I was the bike. With a flat tire, grinding uphill, doing the absolute most, trying to make it all work on my own, while missing the peace and joy God has for me.

Maybe you’re in a season like this too—or you’ve been there before. It’s that moment where you realize you’re doing too much, running yourself ragged, and completely missing the beauty of what’s right in front of you because you’re so busy trying to hold everything together.

When God gave me that picture, I felt the word “surrender” hit me. Because that’s what’s been missing. I want His peace, but I want My way. Jesus said, “I am the way…” (John 14:6). The catch is—there is no peace without surrender. And I felt this deep knowing that all my pride—years of forcing my will up the hill on my own strength—was being exposed.

Right about that time I reached the top of the hill and the experience changed. I felt the desire to just “let go” and my downhill momentum carried me back to our rental with minimal effort. Isn’t that a picture of surrender? The cool breeze hit my face, my heart felt lighter, and for the first time that day, I felt the peace of paradise.

I’m excited to continue working through that scar tissue that has built up over years and years of being afraid to surrender to Him.

Okay, so typically we have a fun segment where we do a trivia poll on something we learned from the Free Online Courses from Hillsdale College… But this time we want to do a $1000 giveaway! We will pick TWO winners each winning $500 cash, yes if you’re international you can join, and we will announce the winners in next weeks Sunday Send 3/9!

Here is what you need to do! Click this link RIGHT HERE to enter the giveaway and just enroll in a course and show us that you watched at least one lesson! There is a place to submit screenshots to keep it easy on you! If you have already signed up for their courses you can still join! Just watch one of their lessons and send a screenshot to the link above so you are entered!

To be transparent, we are doing this because we genuinely love the courses! Hillsdale does not know we are doing this and the money is coming straight from us. We do partner with Hillsdale, but this is something extra we want to do just for them and for you! When someone finds something special you don’t want to hide it under a rock, you want to show it to the world and that’s how we feel about their free online courses!

Here is the link if you’re having trouble viewing the other one: https://forms.gle/uzUJ3DxLDVoKEK4x5

Thank you for being a member of the Sunday Send! We love you & remember… you are God’s masterpiece!