Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

The Joy of Being Known

Who knows you best? Your spouse might know your quirks, like how you take your coffee or what makes you laugh. Your friends might know your hobbies or your go-to stories. Your coworkers might see your strengths and struggles. But there’s Someone who knows you deeper than all of them—God.
Before you were even born, He knew your name, your personality, your dreams. When Jesus called His disciples—Peter, James, John, Matthew—He didn’t need introductions. He knew them inside and out, just like He knows you. He knows your favorite meal, your secret worries, the things you’re too afraid to say out loud. And here’s the best part: He loves you anyway.
Being fully known and fully loved by Jesus is a gift. You don’t have to hide or pretend with Him. He sees it all and says, “You’re Mine.” That’s a friendship deeper than any other.
Let’s Pray:
“Jesus, thank You for knowing every part of me and loving me still. Fill me with the joy of being Yours. Amen.”
Questions to Reflect On:
Who are the people in your life who know you well? List them out.
Who on that list gets you the most? How does that feel?
What does it mean to you that God knows everything about you?
Take Action:
Strike up a conversation with someone new today. Ask about their favorite food, movie, or hobby—get to know them a little and show them they’re seen.

The Joy of Belonging

Think about a time when you felt left out—like no one noticed or cared you were there. Maybe it was at a gathering where everyone else seemed connected, or at work when you weren’t included in the conversation. That loneliness stings, doesn’t it? Now picture a lost sheep wandering through a busy town, surrounded by people yet totally alone. That’s a picture of how we can feel sometimes.
But here’s the good news: you’re never truly alone. You belong to someone greater than you can imagine. First, you’ve got your family and friends who love you—imperfectly, sure, but they’re there. Even better, you belong to God. He’s like the shepherd in Jesus’ story (Luke 15), who drops everything to find that one lost sheep. That’s how much He loves you. He’ll search every corner of your life to bring you back to Him.
And get this: before God spoke the world into existence—before the stars, the oceans, or even Adam and Eve—He had you in mind. You’re not an accident or an afterthought. You’re His from the start, chosen to be part of His family. That’s the kind of love that changes everything. Today, He’s inviting you to rest in that belonging.
Let’s Pray:
“Lord, thank You for choosing me before time began. I want to belong to You fully. Fill me with the joy of knowing I’m Yours. Amen.”
Questions to Reflect On:
What’s your favorite part of God’s creation? Why does it speak to you?
God thought of you before the world began—what are 10 things He might love about you?
Who do you belong to today—family, friends, God? How does that shape your life?
Take Action:
Look around today—find someone who seems alone and offer them a smile, a conversation, or a coffee. Be the hands of Jesus showing they belong too.

The Good Shepherd Finds You

Have you had a mid-faith crisis? Are you in one now? One of the hardest parts of this experience is the loss we feel along the way. We may have lost friends and family, church and community, beliefs and identity. We may even feel like we’ve lost Jesus.
Luke 15:1-7 ESVNow the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
But unlike the many “wolves” who use God’s name to harm and not to heal, Jesus is the good shepherd. He doesn’t employ the silent treatment when we fail to perform. In fact, Jesus disoriented the “good” religious people by constantly hanging out and eating with “sinners,” those who had no standing in the religious community.
When the “good guys” complained about this, Jesus asked a question. If you had one hundred sheep and lost one, wouldn’t you go looking for it? Wouldn’t you celebrate joyfully when you found it? Wouldn’t you hold it close?
Experiencing a faith crisis isn’t sinful; turning away from toxic religious institutions or manipulative leaders, or unhelpful doctrine can be a step towards and not away from goodness. But it can also be lonely and disorienting.
Friend, if this sounds like your experience, remember that you are not alone. You have brothers and sisters experiencing a mid-faith crisis, too, and Jesus would rather come find you than stay with the ninety-nine back in the fold. Jesus is willing to carry you in his arms, even—and especially—when you feel the most lost, the most far away.
Adapted from Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends by Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague.

When Suffering Blindsides You

As we consider the signs of mid-faith crisis, there’s one that’s all too common: suffering. When we’re weighed down with pain, we often feel so alone. But the truth is, we all walk this road at some point. You are not alone.
Psalm 23:4 ESVEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
One thing is for sure: life is full of suffering. Even a quick glance at the news or a history book, or a chat with a few friends, will clarify that no one gets through life unscathed.
And yet, when deep suffering catches up to us, we do often feel blindsided, caught off guard, betrayed. Often, it’s our faith in God we feel betrayed us. Yes, we read in Job that humans are “born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7), but we also read that if we follow God, he will give us the desires of our hearts. And the desires of our hearts are surely not for this level of pain and loss.
Suffering is a great catalyst for faith crisis. How do we square our belief that God is good and present with all the evil we experience?
This is a question that humans have asked for thousands upon thousands of years, and there’s no easy answer. But throughout the Bible, we find a different angle. Truly, no person or nation escaped suffering in these pages. Rather, these books were written to and by some of the most oppressed people in the world. Yet in their darkest moments, they found that if they slung their grief and grievances upon God—they could make it through. Not easily. Not quickly. But in shouting their laments to God, they found the courage to keep going.
Psalms 22:1-31 NLTMy God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?  Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.  Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.  Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them.  They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.  But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! 
Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying,  “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”  Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.  I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.
Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.
O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!  Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen.  I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.  Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations. Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.
What would happen if you shouted your grief and grievances at God today?

When Christians Harm You

One of the most devastating pathways into mid-faith crisis is being harmed by the church, by Christian leaders, or by Christian communities. If you’ve experienced this, it’s hard to know which end is up. But even here, you’re not alone.
Galatians 5:22-23 ESVBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
If you ask a group of people what single factor shook their faith the most, you’ll likely hear devastating stories of Christian churches, institutions, and individuals who claimed to represent God but did the work of evil instead. It’s impossible to miss these tales, for they are all around us. Viral podcasts tell of the damaged congregants who trusted a pastor who was unveiled as a narcissistic abuser. Books expose the ugly underbelly of non-profit organizations and Christian communities that did far more harm than good. Therapist offices fill with people trying to recover from the harm done in the name of God.
It all adds up to a crisis. If we trusted someone to lead us to Jesus, and they took us to the valley of evil instead, what do we do now? Do we give up trying to find Jesus, too broken and traumatized to continue? Or do we look for new guides when our ability to trust and discern is so shaken?
Exodus 34:6 ESVThe Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
There are no easy answers to this shattering, this faith crisis. But one place to start may be remembering what the Bible says God looks like: gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, merciful. And what the Bible says God’s people look like: filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Friend, if you have been harmed by Christians or the church, please seek the safety and help you need. And when you’re ready, ask yourself: What would it look like to find heroes and leaders known for their gentleness, their goodness, their compassion, their self-control? What would it look like to become that sort of hero?