Mornings with Jeff & Rebecca

You know when you're in Sunday service and the pastor says something that hits exactly where you're at? That was me this week.

The news over the weekend has been heavy. As tensions rise, it's understandable if you've felt anxious, even afraid.I found myself glued to the coverage for a while… and I could feel it getting to me. My heart started to race. My thoughts got a little loud. That's when I knew I needed to pause.I put the phone down, opened my Bible, and found myself in Psalm 46... and the words there were exactly what I needed.

Some conversations with Jeremy start simple, like “What's our Hulu password?” and then turn into a whole philosophical discussion about digital safety.

We all know what a "fair-weather friend" is: someone who's around for the fun times but disappears when things get hard. And let's be honest, most of us have felt that kind of disappointment at some point.Paul knew that feeling too.

It's summer camp season, which means parents everywhere are waiting to hear how it's going. Some kids write home with sweet updates… and some? Not so much.

I saw a headline the other day that just said, “Carrots are in season.” Not exactly life-changing news… unless you're really into carrots.But it got me thinking... I wondered if I'm like that with my faith. Am I only “in season” when life feels easy, or when I'm feeling extra spiritual?

When I was about five, we stopped at one of those roadside petting zoos... you know the kind. And they let you hold a baby wildcat for a photo. I don't remember what kind of cub it was… but I do remember deciding I needed it. 

I doubt you'd recognize Dan Meers if you passed him at the grocery store. But if you've watched a Kansas City Chiefs game anytime in the last 35 years, you've definitely seen his work. Dan was the man inside the KC Wolf mascot suit: bringing joy to fans, visiting hospitals, encouraging kids, and staying totally anonymous the whole time.His story got me thinking. Dan's whole job was to make someone else the star. 

There are few things funnier than a good group prank... and this one was top tier. Over 200 dads at a church in Coppell showed up on Father's Day wearing the exact same blue polo. Why? Because their wives secretly coordinated it.

Is your house God's house?That question really got me this week. I was reading in Titus 1, where Paul is laying out the qualities of someone who manages God's household. And it made me stop and think: if Caryn and I want our home to belong to the Lord, what kind of qualities should I be living out as the one leading it?

I think most of us want the same things in life: to be healthy, to stay sharp, and to live with joy for as long as we can.Well, there's a 90-year-old woman who says she's figured out a few keys to doing just that. Things like being kind to yourself, practicing gratitude, choosing joy... all stuff that makes sense.But then she said something that made me laugh: she decided to cut onion rings out of her diet. At 90!

Do you ever overthink things? I do. I can spiral pretty quickly, playing out every possible outcome before something even happens. And one place this shows up for me is with a friend of mine who doesn't want anything to do with God.

If you've ever been to an animal shelter and you're an animal lover like me, you know how hard it is not to just say, “Yep, I'll take them all.” I mean, surely there's some room left in the house, right?Well, at this one adoption event, a sweet shelter dog named Sienna was walking around greeting people, just being her friendly, adorable self. But when she came across one man, she stopped. 

Some people just seem to radiate joy. They always know how to encourage, always find the silver lining, and somehow make you feel lighter just by being around them. I thank God for people like that – but sometimes I wonder, could I be that person for someone else?Scripture says yes.

There's a video making the rounds that had Caryn and me cracking up. A little girl, probably no older than three, is standing there with lipstick smeared all over her face. And when her dad starts asking questions, she holds her ground like a seasoned lawyer.Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZXl9AUgxdE

If someone Googled you, what would you want them to find? That question hit me hard the other day. Because honestly, my first thought was, “Please don't let them see my mess.” My sin. My failures. My past. But because of Jesus, those things don't get the final word.So what do I want people to find? 

Father's Day can be complicated. There can be deep joy and deep sorrow – celebration and aching – all in the same day.If that's what this weekend looks like for you, I want you to know you're not alone. The grief just means the love was real. And in all of it, God is near.

Let's be honest – people aren't always easy to love. And when I feel that tension, I have to stop and ask myself: What's my motivation here? Is it to be right? To get my way? Or is it to reflect God's love?

When something went wrong with my car, my first call was always to my dad. One night after church, my headlights randomly stopped working. I panicked, called him, and he drove 20 minutes to meet me. Of course he helped me... but the next day, I received an invoice. Would you believe it's now one of my most treasured possessions? 

There's a moment in Luke 1 that stops me in my tracks every time. The angel tells Mary she's going to give birth to the Messiah – life-altering, overwhelming news – and her response is, “I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”That kind of faith blows me away.

I did not have “Texas team helps catch a runaway zebra in Tennessee” on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are.Learn more about Ed the zebra's dashing escape (and eventual capture) here: https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/pet-zebra-captured-after-8-days-on-the-loose-in-rutherford-county/

I almost gave up on college. I had the books, I was enrolled – but I stopped going to class. I watched friends graduate and figured I'd missed my shot. But then a few friends started encouraging me: You're not too far gone. You can still finish.Their words helped me believe again. And it reminded me how powerful encouragement really is – not just in school, but in faith. 

I thought I was making a new friend named Diane from California – she texted the wrong number, we had a fun little back-and-forth, and she even offered me homemade Chinese food if I ever visited. But then I got that weird gut feeling… like maybe this was a scam. So I blocked her.I either protected myself from a scammer or ghosted a very sweet woman named Diane. Either way, lesson learned.

Sometimes the enemy tries to haunt us with our past – bringing up old mistakes, stirring up guilt, and making us question if we're really forgiven.But here's the truth: if you've brought it to Jesus, it's covered.

Sometimes love looks like doing the dishes without being asked. And sometimes… it looks like planting two different kinds of wheat across your farmland to spell out a mile-long anniversary message.

You can dump a whole bucket of water on a rock and it won't do much. But a slow, steady drip? Over time, it can carve right through it.That's what consistency does.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Yeah… not true. Proverbs 12:18 says our words can cut like a sword or bring healing.

We used to live in an old house, and while we were there, we didn't really notice the smell. But then we'd go on vacation, open a suitcase at the hotel, and boom – there it was. That old house smell, clinging to everything.It got me thinking… our thoughts can be like that too.

Kermit the Frog gave the commencement speech at the University of Maryland this year... and honestly, he crushed it.

Electricity always takes the path of least resistance. It finds the easiest way through and avoids obstacles if it can.I wish faith worked like that. I wish growing in my relationship with God was always smooth and simple. But the truth is – faith doesn't grow stronger by avoiding resistance. It grows through it.

Sometimes I see all the sweet anniversary posts or matching Christmas jammies on social and think, “Should Jeremy and I be doing that too?” But then I remember—he doesn't have to show the world he loves me… he shows me. And that's what really matters.

I was standing in line at the store when I noticed the cashier holding each $20 bill up to the light to check if it was real – and it made me think. One day, our lives will be held up to the light too.

Olivia Jaquith was in the middle of anchoring a morning show when labor started - and she kept going. Calm as can be, timing her contractions between segments and finishing the newscast before heading to the hospital.

Words can stick with us. Sometimes for years. Someone says something hurtful, and it changes the way we see ourselves.David knew that feeling. To his brothers, he was just the kid who watched the sheep. But God didn't see “just a shepherd.” God saw a king.That's a good reminder for me not to let other people's words - or even my current circumstances - define who I am. Only God gets to do that.

Our cat Dutch is not a cuddler... unless I bribe him. And yes, the bribe involves bird videos on YouTube. I literally open my laptop, play a video of birds flapping around, and suddenly he's in my arms like we're best friends.Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. Does it work? Every time.

It's kind of wild how much of life can be outsourced. You can hire someone to mow your lawn, fix your car, clean your house, even run your business. But there's one thing you can't outsource: your relationships.And that includes your relationship with Jesus.

I was sitting on the floor in my closet yesterday (my usual prayer spot) just trying to block out distractions and spend time with God. Worship music was playing from my phone, and the room was dark and quiet.Then I felt something soft brush up against me. It was our cat, Tobias. 

I tend to praise God the most when things are going well. When life feels good, it's easy to be thankful. But when things are hard? That's when it gets real.

When Ambrealle Brown found out she needed a kidney transplant, it felt like her whole life got put on hold. She had to quit nursing school and spend hours every day connected to a dialysis machine, just trying to stay alive.But then her mom, Nija, quietly went and got tested to see if she could be a donor. And without telling Ambrealle, she found out she was a match.

I think a lot of us are like ducks (stay with me here). On the surface, we're gliding along, looking calm and collected, but underneath, we're paddling like crazy just to stay afloat.

Some days just hit harder than others. You're trying to keep it together, but then you have to run an errand, and you're a complete mess in public – ugly crying in the checkout line or sobbing at a stoplight. Not a great feeling.That's where this woman found herself, rolling through a Burger King drive-thru in Stillwater, Oklahoma, having one of the saddest days of her life. When she pulled up to the window, the guy working there did something small but incredibly kind.

I wasn't part of the popular crowd in high school, but I really wanted to be. I remember watching the cool kids from a distance, wishing I could fit in – even though, if I'm honest, a lot of what they were doing probably wasn't what God would have wanted for me.It took me a while to realize that fitting in isn't always the best thing, especially if it means stepping away from what God has for me.