Fear can expose us. This was April of 2020. Covid was ramped up and I was 5 months in on a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. I am holding my 1 year old son in this picture. The fear level was high due to the diagnosis, the threat level was through the roof because of Covid. I was deemed one of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Immune system compromised and taking chemo. I tried my best to drown out the noise but Covid was everywhere. Everywhere you turned it was death tolls and unknowns. Navigating that was a wild ride mentally and emotionally. But fear was ramped up everywhere and I’m not sure we as a society have truly ever bounced back. But those times taught me something. We talk about being fearless and fear is a liar, but I learned fear isn’t always lying. If we pay attention it is teaching us something, something about us. I think we get so caught up in fighting against it that we don’t learn what it is trying to teach us. It can teach us about ourselves. Where we are cowards, where we lack conviction, where we hide and shrink back when we should rise. We learn that maybe we are not as solid and steadfast as we would like the world around us to believe. But these areas for growth, tough conversations with ourselves. These are areas that don’t get exposed until they do. #fear #growth #expand

I've been a part of a men's group for the past 2yrs where Poppa has allowed me to be ministered to and minister in. However there is an underlying tension in me and I'm now seeing in some others about me. As it came to a head the other night during a Bible study conversation where I attempted to share that the parable about the sheep and goats ( as well as many others of Jesus' parables ) were not about eternal punishment I saw and felt the same fear and animosity that caused me to leave that type of setting in the past. It hurt pretty bad . These are good men and some of my favorite dudes that I've been doing life with for the past couple years. Now I feel like maybe that warning about not being unequally yoked was not just for believers and unbelievers but for levels if spiritual maturities too. What do yall think

Divorce in America is around 34-42% range for first time marriages. We are close to 1 out of every 2 marriages ending in divorce. Ambera and I have been married for 20 years. It has not been without difficult times. We have had to navigate and grow in order to keep our marriage intact. My biggest concern was one day looking up once the kids were all grown, and out of the house, and look across at her and realize we had simply turned into roommates over the years. That what I see happen with couples. A lot of marriages fall apart not all at once, but just slowly over the years the two that were joined as one become two again. But this is what I have come to realize. Marriage is about growth. Its not about "staying power." Who wants to be in a relationship where we are there solely because we said we would be. I am not saying that is not how it may seem at times, but that is an immature or elementary way to view it. The idea is to grow and grow together. Sometimes we may be in a relationship with someone who doesn't want to grow and that may make it difficult, but doesn't change the goal. More intimacy, more connection, more love, more growth, more knowing, more union, these are the byproducts of growth. But if we try to approach it with "I'm here because I have to be," we void out the growth because we miss the opportunities to change, adapt and have something better.

We did a little revamp to the Skool site. Something my wife and I have considered doing for a little while now, and felt like now is the time to do it. We feel that the future is very uncertain and can be scary for everyone. The people around us, our family and friends, will matter greatly in the coming seasons. Ambera and I want to build a community where we can all connect. We want to talk about life, lessons, seasons of discouragement, victory, hope, purpose, raising kids, marriage, money, etc. We want to talk about life and all the things that come with it. It can be messy, frustrating, and lonely. We may not be able to fix the first two, but it doesn't have to be lonely. What life topics would you like to see addressed and communicated about?

Welcome to life with Andrew & Ambra. A few things you need to know and I hope you follow through with. 1. This is a place to share ideas and ask questions. Let keep it free and fun. 2. Make a post, share a thought or what brought you here. 3. Comment or like someone else’s post. We can’t build a community if we don’t engage. 4. The goal of this community is centered around Christ in you, but it will not be limited to spirituality. We will talk about health, marriage, raising kids, and number of other life related topics. 5. I love that you have landed here and I pray you find help, love, grace and community that helps you navigate this crazy thing we call life.