Brown Family Faith Leap 2025

 2025(6) Faith Leap - An Aside: I'm Gonna Worship Through It     This blog post is not going to be like my typical posts. Just a quick Aside to say Hallelujah. "I know my God can do it. So, I'm gonna worship through it. Before I see my breakthrough, I'm gonna choose to praise you! " - Tasha Layton Don't you love this picture above? When Richard took it, he had no idea how perfectly he would capture the emotions I've felt in the last week. It has been a rough one, but also beautiful. Mighty waves have crashed down around us while, at the same time, the Savior's peace beyond has been a constant; His gentle light breaking through the darkness. I do not have all the words to tell the story yet. And, frankly, I am hoping and praying to experience more of an ending before I share it. In the meantime... Seeking answers and understanding from Him this week, I was led to Nehemiah. The entire book gave me great insight, but I was especially instructed by Chapter...

 2025(26) Faith Leap - Chapter 16: A heart-warming, water-freezing Valentine's Day "Your Heavenly Father loves you - each of you. That love never changes...It is not changed by your talents or abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there." Highlights: The kids cashed in on their overnighter Our second visit to Kutaisi gifted us with roadtrip treasures, gratitude for our circumstances, wonderful time with wonderful people, actual gifts and one of our favorite Georgian activities: Fortress Exploration An unexpected welcome home by Cupid, the lizard, and Nellie, the Land-lady For the first time in our lives, we own alcohol, and purchased coffee A memorable Valentine's day with no gas (why do we always seem to be without power or gas on holidays?), youth activity delivering valentines to missionaries, and babysitting A m...

 2025(6) Faith Leap - Chapter 14: Eating the Elephant (Bite 3) All the feels for Enoch and his wife this week: his city being taken up into heaven and leaving his son behind in order that the human race might be perpetuated, and the Savior born (through Noah). I had a good moment of mourning as I processed the extension of our trip equating to a full month longer to wait to see CJ again. But, it is okay. He is doing SO awesome! He has a really full semester of difficult classes, preparing for an AP test, volunteering at the Capital, regular temple visits, debate tournaments, designing and building his own 3D printer, socializing, and dating - and he is managing it all so well! We are so proud of him! And shout out for the many moms and friends who are keeping an eye out for him and sending me pictures of what he is up to. I love every update. 💖 Highlights We are grateful for frogs, service opportunities, and the bashfulness of scorpions We look forward to thick grass, slow cookers...

 2025(6) Faith Leap: Chapter 13 - Eating the Elephant (Bite 2: Our Batumi Branch) The question-a-day-challenge that I keep mentioning actually came to me as a prompting while listening to President Christofferson speak during the recent  Worldwide Youth Broadcast . (If you haven't had a chance to listen and debrief with your youth, do it! So good!) During this broadcast, I also received insight to a question I have often had about the story of the man healed by Christ at the pool of Bethesda: They were surrounded by a multitude of people also in need of healing, so what was it about this man that made him the recipient of a miracle? I think there is evidence of at least 3 reasons/areas where I can focus when I am seeking miracles of my own: He HOPED:  John 5:5-7 "And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent...