Encourage, Equip, Empower

Each month our very own amazing writers from South Texas publish a series of blog posts written with you in mind. Our desire is to encourage, equip, and empower you through stories, experiences, and insights from our writers and from God’s Word.

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  • Are You Serving?

    by April-Michelle Burkhalter Originally Published in Our Heart His Mission, Volume 2 (2024) The Compassion of Christ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with…

  • In South Texas, As It Is In Heaven

    I love this year’s national women’s ministries department theme, As it is in Heaven.  I think every Christ follower I know longs for Heaven for many reasons, chief among them, to see and worship our King. Along with seeing Jesus face to face, we will also be free from this world and all that it…

  • Worship As They Do In Heaven

    “May your Kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 This year the national women’s ministries department has chosen these words as our theme for 2026: As It Is In Heaven. Looking around our world today, it is difficult to imagine this being anything like what we have…

  • Audacious Change

    I have never been good at change; small changes (like going to a different
    grocery store or taking a new route to a familiar place) to the larger scale
    changes (like moving to a new country and learning a new language). I
    buck and fight and cry and lament, much to the chagrin of my saint of a
    husband. Change isn’t a good look on me.

    Many of you might be “amening” and nodding your heads with me while
    others can’t fathom a week without a change. Others are change addicts! I
    once had a roommate that would rearrange our home, sometimes in the
    span of a university lecture! How she was able to move huge pieces of
    furniture so quickly is between her and God. I might not have liked it, but I
    can’t say it wasn’t impressive.

    One January, six years ago today actually, I buried my first-born child. A
    beautiful daughter with a flower name, Lily Green. The Lord gave my
    husband and I her name after we were declared infertile. Daniel prayed
    Matthew 6:28-29, “Why are you anxious for clothing? And consider the lilies
    of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and yet I tell you,
    even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” We
    rejoiced when I became pregnant, and we mourned when she quietly left
    this earth shortly before birth. After a lifetime of hating change, I had finally
    been excited for the biggest change of all. One of the silently cruel parts of
    her death was how life didn’t seem to change at all. Too quickly my body
    healed, the nursery was packed up, and life seemingly went back to the
    way it had always been. But my heart, my very soul, was irrevocably changed.

    Death isn’t the only change that can bring sorrow, suffering, and grief. A
    dream defeated, a hope deferred, a relationship ruined–all of these
    changes (or seemingly the antithesis of change) birth an abundance of
    emotions inside of us. When we are confronted with various feelings
    competing to be felt, especially if we have an unhealthy worldview, we can
    become shells of ourselves. Imposters even. God does not desire for us to
    be whitewashed tombs; shining faces with rot and decay lurking under a
    few layers of skin. Our King desires redemption, not just for our
    circumstances but also for our souls.

    I miss Lily Green more fervently than I could even possibly say to you. It’s
    an ache that begins in my soul and often leaks from my eyes and squeezes
    with each breath I take. Each day there are reminders of what should have
    been and what is not. However, change isn’t the enemy. Death isn’t even
    the enemy. More times than not it is my very own flesh. Romans 8:6 says,
    “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life
    and peace.” Perhaps to embrace change looks like allowing the
    circumstances you find yourself in to be filtered through a spiritual lens
    rather than an earthly one. To embrace peace and the King who ushers it
    in, instead of allowing our flesh and its sinful desires to undermine what our
    souls truly long for.

    “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
    comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…And we know for
    those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
    called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:18, 28.

    No one will ever be able to convince me that change is good or that my
    daughter’s death was good in the sense that we understand now. However,
    I do know this: that the God of the universe, who saw His creation and said
    that it was good, then witnessed that very creation invite sin into what was
    perfect, had His heart broken with the corruption of His perfect world. That
    same God put on flesh and came to our world as a baby; born to die for the
    sins of all mankind. That is good news. A beautiful reason to embrace
    unforeseen and unwanted changes in our own lives so that we may not
    perish but have everlasting life.

    Six years ago my life changed more than I could recognize. God, having
    felt the immeasurable grief change can bring, took every step with me then
    and he continues to lead me now. Just like he leads you. Through
    mountains and valleys, seasons of fallow and seasons of abundance, and
    life and death, I challenge you to allow King Jesus to lead you.

    You may have scrolled past the cover photo accompanying this blog or perhaps your attention was snagged and you studied it intently. This is a picture hanging in the home of a dear friend of mine. A college student she knows from Chi Alpha painted this for her after she shared with her that her daughter had passed away. When my four-year-old saw this picture she joyfully exclaimed, “Look mama it’s Lily in Heaven.” In my darkest hours of overwhelming grief, God granted me a glimpse of Heaven. There was a landscape of green, teeming with wildflowers. I never saw her face but I saw a little girl much like this one: blonde hair and a flowing dress laughing and playing without fear or pain. I saw many children in this dream, and I remember trying to get to her; to get her attention. As I picked up my hand to wave at her and call her name, another hand touched my shoulder. Joy radiated from the man next to me; joy and love. He took my hand and kissed it and held it for a moment. Then he gently led me away all the while holding my hand with his other arm around my shoulders. I remember waking up and feeling lighter. A realization that I hadn’t failed my daughter; I had not abandoned her by not following her into death. Someone far grander than I was taking care of her, and instead of me leading her in this life I will worship alongside her in the next.

    I love what another STXWM blogger, Tracie, said earlier this month; new
    year, same me. There can be so much fanfare when a new year is ushered
    in, fireworks, countdowns, and stylish parties. But what happens when a
    new year comes and with it all your unresolved prayers, fears, and
    expectations? Does ‘all things new’ include our spiritual selves? Have you
    wiped clean the proverbial slate between ourselves and others? Between
    you and God? Have we sought redemption where wronged, and restoration
    where sin separated? Let us boldly abandon what entangles and
    audaciously grasp what God has for us. As I continue to seek God in
    healing and grieving, I pledge to intercede on your behalf. Whether you are
    reading this in 2025 or 2027 or the year 3000, you can confidently know
    that you are beloved by God and covered in prayers by your sister in Christ.


    MaKenzie V. is a global worker who has faithfully been serving the unreached in the Arab World while growing her family. Almost every moment of the day is spent chasing Jesus and her toddlers- usually with a cup of hot tea or coffee in hand. She enjoys learning languages, deep belly laughs, and connecting with others where God has them.

  • When Your New Season Isn’t What You Hoped For

    We received a text message:

    “Can you guys meet for a quick Zoom call?” 

    We had our suspicions about what they needed to tell us, and they were confirmed a few minutes later over video chat. Our team leaders had accepted a new position and would be transitioning out of their current role, which meant we would be expected to step up and take on new leadership responsibilities. It was going to be a new experience, a new transition, a new team dynamic.

    A few months later, as we were clumsily navigating our new role, I had the thought,

    “I didn’t ask for this.”

    I was wrestling with all the new things that had been thrust upon us, and feeling very overwhelmed and vulnerable. We hadn’t asked for this new role, and to be honest, I didn’t want it. I had my list of really good reasons why we weren’t the people for this job, why we were unqualified, why it was unfair and unrealistic. 

    Sometimes the new seasons we step into aren’t ones we hoped for.

    So what do we do when we find ourselves in a new season, wondering how we got there and whether or not the Lord made a mistake or missed a detail because we just can’t seem to make sense of it all? How do we respond to coming change when the change that’s coming isn’t what we wanted or hoped for?

    —–

    This year, my oldest daughter will graduate from high school. As cross-cultural workers, not only will we be sending her off to college, but we will be leaving her on another continent while we return to the field. We will watch her say goodbye to her home here in Southeast Asia, knowing it’s very unlikely she will ever live here again. We’ll fly to America a party of five, and return to Asia a party of four. The grief of it all feels like too much.

    I know this new season is necessary and right, but if I’m being totally honest, I don’t want to go through it. And just like the Zoom call with our teammates that brought on unexpected change in our jobs and roles, I am wrestling with the tension that comes from wanting to believe that God is good when the new season we’re forced into doesn’t feel good.

    —–

    After a year of resisting our new leadership position, trying to convince the Lord He got it wrong, I found myself in a worship service singing, “You are worthy of it all.” As those words slipped easily off my lips, the Spirit asked me, 

    “Am I also worthy of your weakness?”

    I realized that my resistance to the new season I found myself in wasn’t so much about the job title or role or responsibility, it was about the weakness I felt in it. The vulnerability of doing what we feel unqualified for, incapable of, or unprepared for often causes us to resist the new thing rather than embracing our weakness and seeing it as an opportunity for God’s strength to be made perfect in us. 

    “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” -2 Cor. 12:9a

    We talk about giving our best to the Lord, which He is absolutely worthy of, but He doesn’t just ask for our best. He asks for ALL of us— our worst, our brokenness, our flaws, our insecurities, our weaknesses. When I neglect to surrender my struggles and only offer my strengths, I carry a weight of shame that keeps me from walking in His freedom in the new seasons and opportunities He brings me.

    New seasons that are unwanted or unexpected are going to highlight our weaknesses, and perhaps that’s exactly why the Lord allows them. The discomfort of living out of our weakness calls us to humility and surrender, and there we find a divine strength that we cannot embody lest we embrace our weakness— not a strength we must or conjure up in the face of difficulty, but the very power of Christ at work in us.

    “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Cor. 12:10

    It’s been three years since that Zoom call, and while the road has not been easy, I can see how the Lord used that unexpected new season to do a formational work in my heart and life. Once I stopped fighting it, surrendered my weakness, and embraced the new thing God wanted to do, He has delighted me with His presence and strength in beautiful ways.

    The thought of the new season to come for our family this year still puts a lump in my throat, but I am clinging to the hope that when I feel utterly weak and the path ahead feels impossible to traverse, I have a faithful friend who is familiar with the Way of Weakness, and who will be with me and impart to me His strength every step of the way.

    He isn’t leading us into these challenging new seasons because we are strong enough for them, but because HE is.

    Embracing our weakness in the seasons we didn’t ask for or want takes an audacious faith that chooses to believe God’s grace truly is all we need. Perhaps you find yourself looking at some undesired changes ahead in 2025. Maybe you’re already in the midst of a new season you are struggling to accept. When we choose to surrender our worries and weaknesses to Christ, we are making space for the unfailing strength of our Savior to uphold us and empower us to walk forward with faith into the unknowns ahead. Faithfully carry those weaknesses, doubts, concerns, griefs, and worries to the Lord in prayer and let His mighty presence renew you and remind you that even when things don’t feel good, He is still good.

    Author, Heather F.

  • New Year, Same Me

    Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

    As I’ve gotten older, New Year’s Eve has become less and less about getting dolled up and going out and more and more about whose house we’ll hang out at while we play games and guess whose kid will pass out first. The truth is, I’m not much of a fan of New Year’s. Between the disappointment in broken resolutions and it taking the entire month of January for me to remember not to write “2024,” I am a big believer in the “new year, same me” revolution. It’s simpler, it’s more realistic, and honestly, it’s more in line with what I read in my Bible.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a fresh start. I’m here for goal-setting, gym memberships, and that vague feeling of optimism that a new year brings. But let’s be real: the odds of sticking to a resolution for 365 days are about the same as my 8-year-old not calling me “bruh” for a whole day. Not happening. That’s why I love what the Bible says about “newness.” It doesn’t make us wait until January 1st to experience it. God’s mercies are new every morning. Every. Single. Day.

    So, if you’re like me and you’ve already broken your resolution by the 3rd of January (or maybe you’ve just made 47 new ones by now), take heart because you’re not alone and you are not a failure. God’s mercies are there, fresh as a morning cup of coffee every day. And that, my friends, is the ultimate fresh start.

    Every year, we all go a little crazy with the idea that this year will be different. We’ve got a list of resolutions: lose weight, stop procrastinating, read more, be more patient, learn a new language, start a podcast—whatever. The “fresh start” energy is real; we feel like superheroes for about 72 hours. But by the time the excitement of the New Year’s confetti has settled, reality starts to creep in. The gym? Packed with newbies who are now fighting for the last parking spot. The diet? The leftover cookies from Christmas are calling your name in the kitchen. The “new me” thing? Well, the “same me” seems to be showing up again. And guess what? That’s actually okay.

    The idea of the “new year, new me” can be inspiring—until you realize you’re not as “new” as you thought. But here’s where we get to flip the script a little bit. The Bible doesn’t give us the luxury of a clean slate only once a year. God’s mercies are fresh every morning, not just on January 1st. And that’s not just a poetic saying; that’s a promise. No matter how many times we fall short, God is there to pick us up again. Every day is a new opportunity to walk in His grace.

    The Daily Reset

    Let’s be honest: life is messy. Our plans don’t always work out, our resolutions get buried under piles of laundry, and our good intentions often crumble when the coffee kicks in. But the beauty of God’s mercies is that they don’t expire. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us: “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

    So, if you ate the entire bag of chips yesterday (guilty), or you snapped at your kid when you had to ask them 6 times to put on their shoes this morning (also guilty), guess what? God’s mercies are still fresh for you today. It’s like having a daily reset button that we can press over and over, no matter how many times we mess up.

    This doesn’t mean we should give ourselves a free pass to be lazy or live without purpose. It doesn’t mean there’s no value in making goals or working hard to become better versions of ourselves. But it does mean that when we fail—and we will fail—there’s grace. The same grace that gives us a fresh start at the beginning of the year is available every single morning.

    You might be thinking, “Okay, that sounds nice and all, but what if I really want to try and do better this year?” I get it. We all want to improve. I’m right there with you. But let me remind you that the “new year, new me” vibe that society sells us is very much performance-based. It’s about the doing—the self-discipline, the grinding, the hustling. It puts pressure on us to be flawless, to show up perfect, and to be the best version of ourselves. And if we’re being honest, that pressure is exhausting.

    But God offers us something different: grace. Instead of trying to “be better” on our own, He calls us to rest in Him and rely on His strength. God’s mercy is not something we have to earn or achieve—it’s a gift. When we fall short, God’s grace is there to pick us up. We don’t have to wait until next New Year’s Eve to start over; we get another shot every morning we wake up. This is another chance to move closer to the person God has made us to be.

    I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive to be better in the new year. You can still make resolutions! But maybe, just maybe, we should stop making them about our own ability to do it all perfectly. Perhaps this year, instead of trying to be “the new me,” we focus on letting God shape us day by day. Maybe we resolve to accept His mercies every morning, to extend grace to ourselves when we fall short, and to trust that God’s work in us is happening, even when we don’t see instant results.

    This year, let’s make the “same me” revolution one rooted in God’s never-ending love and grace. While the world may offer us a “new year, new you,” God’s Word gives us something far better: new mercies every morning.

    So, whether you’ve stuck to your New Year’s resolution or have come up with a new one every single day, it doesn’t matter. God is still there, faithfully offering fresh grace to meet you where you are. And that’s the kind of fresh start that lasts.

    Happy New Year, friends. Same you, but with new mercies, every day. Isn’t that just the best kind of start?

    This idea of new mercies every morning is an invitation to live with audacious faith—the kind of faith that says, “I may not be perfect, but I trust that God’s grace is bigger than my failures.” Audacious faith is the confidence to step into each day knowing that, no matter how many times we fall short, God’s love and mercy are unshakable. It’s about trusting that God is at work in us, even when we can’t see the immediate results. When we embrace the fact that our “newness” doesn’t depend on us, but on His unfailing grace, we’re free to take bold steps, make mistakes, and keep getting back up. Living with audacious faith means we can look at our “same me” confidently, knowing God is making all things new—one grace-filled morning at a time.

    Author, Tracie Tevault

  • Audacious Faith

    When I first heard this year’s theme, I’ll admit, I had to do some research.  Audacious is not a word we hear often in everyday conversation.  My good friend, MaKenzie V., is brilliant with languages and had already done some of this research before I ever started.  She was gracious enough to share the following with me:

    Audacious is an adjective meaning “intrepidly daring, adventurous, and recklessly bold.”  Some synonyms include bold, brazen, cheeky, cocky, impertinent, sassy, and nervy.  Alternately, antonyms for Audacious include careful, cautious, guarded, prudent, safe, and wary.

    Now that we know what Audacious means, what is faith?  I didn’t go to the dictionary for this one.  Hebrews 11 tells us that (1) “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Later in verse 3 the writer continues to explain that “by faith we understand that the entire universe was formed by God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”(NLT)

    Hebrews 11 is often called the “faith chapter” because it is a long list of heroes of the faith from the Old Testament.  The author of Hebrews drew on their stories to demonstrate to the Jewish believers in Rome that living by faith is deemed as an act of righteousness by God.  Just the very act of believing that God can and will come through for us is viewed as righteousness by Him.

    I am often guilty of seeking to demonstrate my righteousness to God which inevitably ends with me comparing my righteousness to that of others.  It’s a silly thought to compare righteousness with someone else when it is something that cannot be seen by me.  Only God can see our hearts and lives in their entirety.  So, what should I really be doing?  According to Hebrews 11, I should have faith in God and act on that faith.  

    Having Audacious Faith is not about running straight ahead with our eyes closed into the unknown.  It is about knowing that the God who made the promise is the God who will keep it.  It is about praying the prayer of faith and believing that God can and will heal.  It is about holding on to the hand of the Father while you walk through what feels like an unending storm.  It is about daring to heal from a past hurt and trusting God to help you open your heart again.  Audacious Faith will also carry you through when things don’t go as you planned.

    Faith is bold and daring but it is not unwise.  It is reckless in a way that has you calling on the resources of Heaven rather than what you have at your disposal on earth.  Audacious Faith will keep you trusting God for a healing when doctors tell you there is no hope.  Audacious Faith will keep you growing and learning when this world tells you that it’s too late.  Audacious Faith tells you to keep going when all you can do is make it from one day to the next.  Audacious Faith will keep you running back to the Father when this world says you’re a fool for believing; when things seem like they haven’t changed.

    Jesus told Thomas “Blessed are they who have believed and have not seen.” (John 20:29)  It is even more challenging to believe when we pray and we don’t see the answer we expected or it takes longer than we expected to arrive.  It is daring and bold to have faith at the bedside of a sick loved one and it is bolder still to have faith at the graveside.

    “She will be known for the boldness of her faith.” This line is emblazoned across the National Women’s Ministries webpage.  In 2025, I want to challenge myself, and you, to be known by the boldness of our faith.  This is not about what others think of us but instead what our lives can cause others to think about Jesus.  I want others to see that when things are going well this year, I will thank Him and when things are not going well, I will trust Him.  The theme verse for this year is Matthew 19:26, “With men this thing is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  It is audacious of us to believe even when it is impossible with the strength of this world.  It is audacious of us to have faith when we are not enjoying the season where we are walking.  The writer in Hebrews 11 reminds us that all we see in creation was made from what we cannot see.  This is the evidence of what we hope for.  This is Audacious Faith.

    This year I choose not to make resolutions but instead to commit to living with Audacious Faith every day.  I will pray with faith for signs and wonders and I will pray just as fervently for peace, patience, and greater faith than ever before.

  • Drop Your Blanket

    I know some ladies who live for the Holidays. You know the ones who plan out their home decor with themes and color schemes. Every spot in the house must match the appropriate holiday and colors. If this is you, awesome. I’ll give you my number.

    I, however am not one of those women. I am not a decorator, especially when it comes to the holidays. I might strategically place a knick knack here or there, but I don’t really plan these things out. I mean, we almost didn’t even have a Christmas tree this year.

    It was 9 days until Christmas, when we finally put up our tree. We decided to do a small one because we just moved a few months ago and we still have things in boxes, and like I said, “9 days until Christmas” doesn’t seem like a lot of time to decorate a big tree and enjoy it.

    But we got it done. It looks so pretty and now that Christmas is over, I feel as though I can relax a little. Oh except, now I need to come up with my New Year’s resolutions.

    Oh dear, where to begin…well I do know one resolution that I didn’t really keep the way that I had hoped- spending more time with Jesus.

    It seemed like such an easy goal, but the truth is I’ve struggled. It’s easy when I can just pull him out of a box when I need something, or I realize I haven’t spoken to him in a while. I need to make sure I check him off my list. The only thing is he should be more than just a check mark.

    One of our favorite traditions is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas while decorating the tree. My husband and I started this tradition the first year we were married and continued it with our young daughter.

    But this time around when we were decorating the tree, I wasn’t really paying attention to the movie. I’m not even sure I saw but a few scenes. However, I did make sure to have my whole family put down the Christmas lights and the ornaments as we listened and watched Linus’ speech about what Christmas is all about.

    He quotes Luke 2:10-12

    And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

    9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

    10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

    11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

    12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

    The reason I wanted to watch this scene was because I saw on a reel that while Linus is quoting this powerful scripture, he drops his blanket as he’s saying, “fear not.”

    If you’re familiar with his character, he and his blanket do everything together. He’s not one to let go of it lightly. You see, for Linus, his blanket is his security.

    The imagery of him dropping his blanket and not picking it up until he’s finished quoting the Christmas Story is a beautiful reminder that Jesus is our Prince of Peace. For a split second, we can see that Linus couldn’t care less about his blanket, because he knows the importance of the story.

    My family and I went through a lot of hurt this last year. There was so much uncertainty, and healing from past relationships. There were days when it wouldn’t bother me and days when it would tear me up inside. Just when I thought I was over a situation, something would trigger the hurt and pain all over again.

    Many times, we go through difficult trials in our lives, and we hold on to that hurt, shame, loneliness, or anger instead of holding onto our Savior.

    I would find myself holding on to these things. It was as if I was walking alone, when I didn’t have to. The reality is, Jesus doesn’t sit in a box, waiting for us to open it and pull him out. No, he’s always right there.

    The angels, shepherds and wise men, made a choice to worship Jesus. In fact, we can learn that it took the wise men close to 2 years to even find him. This must have taken a lot of preparation and dedication to pull off. They obviously had to leave their homes, families and put their trust in the Lord.

    It took them 2 years to find Jesus, when I have the privilege of knowing him every day. Then why am I allowing myself to continue in this pattern? I’m not spiritually growing, while my hurt and anger continue to grow. I was ready to drop my blanket.

    As I was reading Luke 2, I began to realize that Jesus was born in the middle of a filthy stable so that he could save a dying and broken world. He was born in a mess to clean up a mess, and I was a mess. If I’m honest with myself, I still am. But I’m learning to let go of things of the past, and to lean on him more.  

    When it comes time to put the decorations away, I don’t want to add Jesus to the box. I want him to be the front and center of my life.

    So, this coming year don’t make Jesus a check mark or a seasonal ornament. Keep him out of the box and make the choice to drop your blanket and worship him daily. 

    Melinda Brown is a mother, co-pastor, entrepreneur, and now she can add author to her ever growing list of gifts. She and her husband, Jason, pastor Columbus Community Church in South East Texas and now, Melinda has agreed to come on board as one of our newest authors on the STXWM Blog Team. Her heart is to share the love of Jesus through her writing and to tell the world of the healing and comfort that can be found in a relationship with the Lord.

About STX Women

We are the Women’s Ministries branch of the South Texas Assemblies of God.

Women across South Texas desire a community where we celebrate each other and share each other’s burdens.

Together, we walk out our God-given purpose in our family, church, and community!

Our passion and love for Christ unite us to reach the lost at home and across the world. 

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