It’s been nine days since we launched into the last two months of 2022. Life is happening so fast, and there’s been so much I’ve savored in the past ten months, and others that I let slip behind me.

Since 2014, the reality of Thoughts Of Redemption is something that I’ve either spoken about, experienced, or learned to recognize in my own life. It started with me speaking topically on different important topics that I believe God cares about or something that interested me. Whenever it came to me speaking about myself, it was more high level, with broad general understandings. Like, I’m going through changes in my thinking, growing, being challenged, that sort of thing.

Then as I started dating my wife Vanessa, the lens and microscope on me and my life became hyper-focused on the need for a change in my thinking, as well as being more vulnerable, honest, and specific about me and my life, rather than speaking on topics. I still love to speak on topics by the way, and will continue to speak on what’s interesting and important to me. But I always say how influential my wife has been in how intentional I am in sharing more about myself, and how I am experiencing life.

That phrase ‘experiencing life’ has taken on a greater significance for me, as I’ve struggled with guilty thoughts for not creating more of what I know is in me on these platforms. It’s not because there isn’t time for me to create, but I have struggled to set time and honor it. However, I’ve also practiced intentionally accepting the truth that there’s nothing wrong with me living life more than trying to write and record audio or video about it. What’s crazy about the wrestling I’ve gone through in my thoughts is, I have been creating content in ways that are very fulfilling to me!

Especially the content that I’ve created with my beloved wife throughout the year with our channel Covered By Grace! We’ve been able to share about our marriage in ways that I look forward to sharing on our YouTube channel soon. One thing I’ve concluded at this point is that everything I’ve been involved in, has in some way directly challenged how I’ve “experienced life.”

Covered by grace? Well, if you only knew the amount of grace God had to cover me in, especially as I’ve lacked it towards my wife and others. Thoughts of redemption? Hmph! It’s unfortunate how much my thoughts lacked the redemption that God calls for me to think in. Even with my friend Rachel Marie Kang’s book Let There Be Art that she has graciously featured me in? The encouragement that book gives me is a blessing in the reminder it gives that I never stopped creating just because I stopped creating content. That I’ve been called to create in my marriage, my home, and in serving with my gifts in ministry.

As we live our lives in these last two months of the year, join me in embracing the only true and living God, Jesus Christ. He has not stopped working, regardless of those who have stopped believing, living, and loving Him and His work. He is passionate about transforming how we think, even when we’re slow or struggle to change our thinking like I’ve been. He is our redemption and He has established His value in us.