'I believe that every child has a purpose.'

Meet Tara Watson, and her incredibly adorable baby boy, Jesse. Like 1 in 700 babies born in the United States, Jesse was born with Down Syndrome. And although the Watson family considers Jesse the greatest blessing in their lives, the road they have walked has been far from easy. The initial shock and fear accompanying his diagnosis was only compounded by the continual pressure from Tara's doctor to terminate. Later, she endured extended periods of isolation during which she faced the threat of Jesse's multiple medical complications. In this interview, she shares openly about the hope, perspective, and grace, she found during her times of suffering. Tara generously provides tried and true encouragement for others in similar situations. And, regardless of chromosomal differences, she teaches us how to celebrate every child's life, reminding us that each soul is born with distinct and beautiful purpose.

Sacrificial praise is something that we can only offer up now; only from this side of Heaven. Once we are in the fullness of His Presence before the throne of Jesus, it will be as natural and compelling to worship and praise God as breathing.

And, that is why those who have deeply suffered, those whom have experienced grave loss, and yet, say with their lives, ‘He is Good,’ captivate my attention. I marvel at the grace on their lives, and am humbled by the magnitude of their surrender. I admire the honesty of their brokenness, and I want to glean from their God-refined wisdom and perspective.

Jessica Hyde is such a woman as this. I first heard a portion of her testimony, read by Katherine Wolf, author of Hope Heals…

I guarantee that all of us have places of joy and wonder in our lives coinciding with areas of challenge and unanswered prayers. Today, I want to introduce you to Myssi Brown, and I hope that her interview takes you into a deeper peace and comfort in the Lord. My aim is that as you listen, you will see that 'no season in life is without value’ and that, in Christ, we can freely be both weak and strong, and abide with purpose and a holy joy.

Myssi could have discussed a myriad of life experiences. Within the last decade she came close to losing her life during the delivery of her 4th child, she became a special needs Mom, and she lost her best friend to cancer. To be honest, though, you would almost never realize any of this unless you outright asked her. She is full of life, and hope, and also refreshingly honest about the hardest places.

Last month, as my oldest daughter and I were recapping her Fall ballet season,  I asked her what her 2017 dance goals were. She replied, “Miss Melissa told me that I need to work on ‘Owning My Space.’” She explained that ‘owning her space’ is about dancing with confidence from the center of who you are. It is a way of commanding and presenting your art without shame or fear, assured that you have something to offer, regardless of your imperfections and mistakes.

That phrase stirred in my spirit for over a month. Own Your Space.

The heaping mound of responsibilities and disappointments accumulated by my late 30's had tried, sneakily and quietly, to drown out my childlike instinct to live with wonder and celebration. Over the past few years I have rediscovered the celebration of the uneventful today, as if reunited with someone I forgot I once knew. Maybe it's truer to say that pain and loss, in its universal way, has forced me to find joy in the simpler things of life.

One of the purely bright sides of walking in the shoes as a Special Needs parent has been experiencing the unfiltered happiness of our baby girl's successes. And let me tell you, every letter of the word 'success' has been wildly redefined…

I was radically saved as a 16 year old.

Jesus, and the purpose of the cross, became so real to me. Thankfully, since then, GOD's existence hasn't repetitively been a struggle for me.

But to be honest, the question of His goodness has.

Is GOD really good? How does that play out practically in my life? What does it mean when prayers don't seemingly get answered? Can I truly trust HIM? And what would happen if the unspeakable happens? Would I remain faithful? Would I remain soft?

These are questions I am sure many of us have asked ourselves, if we are being quite honest. Consequently, these are the stories and questions that I am driven to explore…

In this episode of Flesh & Gold Amber boldly shares about her first experiences with GOD as a child, and then she testifies about a powerful, sometimes painful, time of transformation, refinement, and strengthening in her walk and identity with the LORD. Listen as she discusses the powerful work that the LORD has done in her life. She shares how the LORD has freed her from striving, unbalanced driven-ness, and anxiety, and has enabled her to live from a place of rest and peace. She shares such a powerful story!