When we get personal with Jesus, we give all of us to receive all of him. Allowing him access to every part of our being; the good, the bad and the ugly. The fits, the short-comings, the unforgiveness, the secrets, the hurts, the things we hold precious, the good days, every ounce of our existence...

I’ve always dreamt of having a small hobby farm. Sheep, goats, chickens, and maybe a calf because let’s be real, everything is cuter when it’s miniature. Technically, we have the space on our land, we’re just lacking the animals, barns, and time to be farmers. There probably isn’t much likelihood you’ll be calling me farmer Cass or shepherd Sass anytime soon. But all this farm talk has my brain thinking about another farmer, or shepherd really...

April 11, 2004, Easter Sunday and my 20th birthday. I remember it so clearly. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s back up to the night before. Dustin and I, newlyweds, threw a party in honor of yours truly. We called our friends, grabbed some games, plenty of alcohol, and the party began...

So here goes. Another embarrassing truth about me. I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but after the last devotional, what’s one more dirty little secret? When I was a new Christian, I had a saying. It’s pathetic and I am reluctant to tell you because I don’t want it to become your new mantra, but for the sake of this devotion, here goes. Are you ready for this? I’m certainly not…...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? The weight of life, relationships, obligations bear down on you, weakening you. Me too, friend. Sometimes we get overloaded by little things compiled over time, sometimes it’s one big thing like a diagnosis, losing a loved one, losing a job, or perhaps a child gone astray. ...

My blood pressure was through the roof, red-faced, steam rolling out of my ears and shouts protruding from my mouth. The woman on the other end of the line couldn’t see my fury (nor would she ever see my Jesus), but I guarantee you she could hear my fury very clearly. Everyone in a 5-mile radius of my house could hear me yelling at her, including my children. I know. I know. It’s doubtful I’ll receive a Mom Of The Year award after that hissy fit...

I was spilling my guts to my hubby. I shared with him an area where I’ve been struggling with people in my life. I had held it in for a while, trying to work through it, but nothing was changing. I decided it might be time to seek the wisdom of my sweet husband. ...

Do you know what my favorite part of pregnancy was? Delivery. Crazy right!? Don’t get me wrong, with every child I went into labor and delivery completely terrified of the pain I was about to endure, but I loved knowing that the endless potty breaks, the uncomfortable sleeping situation, the swollen feet, and the lack of oxygen would all soon be over...

I scrolled through thousands of photos on my phone this week, reminiscing over the past year. There were pictures that brought joy to me and some that brought up things that made my heart ache. They reminded me of sweet moments and some that were more sour. Moments of celebration and moments of hurt...

I spent much of my day Christmas shopping. And I love it. There is something life-giving about gifting. It brings me such joy and anticipation of what’s coming on Christmas morning. Or, in my case, early December. Several years ago, my husband and I accidentally started a new tradition in our family. ...

70 degrees and sunshine. Perfect weather for November. I knew I couldn’t waste what could be our last beautiful fall day before winter crept in. So, I spent the afternoon walking, swinging in the hammock and finally landed beside the fire-less fire pit. I was scribbling with a stick in the sand when the story from God’s word about the woman caught in adultery came to my mind...

I snapped a quick picture, her thin, frail, and somewhat bruised hand rested inside of mine. I knew it wouldn’t be much longer and I would no longer feel the tender touch of my Granny’s hand. We were only a few short days from Thanksgiving when I said my last goodbye on this side of heaven. ...

When I published Chasing Jesus, one of the biggest decisions I made was the cover design. I wanted something that would stop people in their tracks when they walked past her in a bookstore. (And yes, she’s a her, I assure you my entire heart and soul went into writing and publishing Chasing Jesus, therefore; she is a her.) Cover design mattered more to me than the title even...

“Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” — Andy Stanley Nearly three years ago now, which seems insane to think, God whispered to my heart to let go. Let go of the ministry I love and was holding on tight to because He had something for me, but I needed both hands to hold it...

I barely got the words out of my mouth when the tears flooded her eyes, rolling down her cheeks from behind her sunglasses and dripping off her chin before she could catch them. I felt like the worst person ever; I made a stranger cry, but it wasn’t about me. God was doing something incredible, and he had asked me to be a part of it...

Panic was near and my tears were bubbling up from within, about to pour out of my worried eyes as I scanned the crowd. I had only gotten distracted for a moment. Captured by something shiny and pulled away into my own 8-year-old world in the middle of Walmart. How could I let this happen? I wondered. My Uncle Kevin was right beside me when I turned away, and now, he’s gone. And he left me all alone in a crowded aisle...

“You will not believe this; the transmission’s out,” Dustin said. Seriously? I thought for sure he was kidding. We had just left from picking up a friend for our son, and his mom was having the same issue. Had she rubbed off on us?...

When my kids were littles, I can remember Dustin and I having to carry them on our shoulders so that they could see above the crowd. Whether a ball game, church function, concert, this has been the story for a lot of us, unless, of course, you’re seven feet tall, that the crowd has gotten in the way...

My two-year-old niece and I were deep into an episode of “Bluey” when an ad popped onto the screen, interrupting our show. My niece, Elina, began yelling, Bluey, at the television when her momma was quick to correct her actions, telling her to be patient...

My gran, Dianne, used to make the best chicken and dumplings in the world. I can still smell them cooking on her stovetop. I would often peer into the pan and wonder where everyone else’s portion was. All I could see bubbling in her pan was my plate full, or three plates full of I’m being honest. Gran now cooks for Jesus. But before her adventure in kingdom cooking, she graciously shared her recipe with me...