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Live, Love, Learn to the Glory of God

Faithstead

Live, Love, Learn to the Glory of God
Journal

Parable of the Pine and Bear 

5 Mins read
November 22, 2025
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Inspired by the short film Forevergreen, this reflection explores sin, temptation, and God’s steadfast love, showing how surrender and gratitude lead us back to Him.

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When Truth Comes Through Story: Thoughts on a Master Storyteller

October 23, 2025
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Is Our Turning Point Still Missing the Point?

September 24, 2025
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Reflections on Charlie Kirk

September 14, 2025
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Welcome

Heidi Chou

Hello there

I'm a Christian mama of two, on a quest to love God, homeschool, and homestead. Faithstead is where I share the journey, hoping to inspire and connect with families who want to live humbly, learn deeply, and love fully for His glory.

Book Review: You Are What You Love By James K. A. Smith

Revelation Reloaded – Week 6: The Seven Histories (Revelation 12:1–15:5)

Revelation Reloaded – Week 5: The Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:2-11:19)

Podcast

Reflections on Charlie Kirk

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Is Our Turning Point Still Missing the Point?

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Advent Special: The Tale of the Three Trees

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Have a lovely day
Just sharing a few of my daughter’s latest drawing Just sharing a few of my daughter’s latest drawings. 🖍️✨

She’s been loving her acrylic markers, and it’s been so fun watching her creativity grow. 

#ArtWithAcrylicMarkers #YoungArtist #HomeschoolCreativity #CreativeKids #RaisingCreators
Isaiah wrote these words nearly 700 years before J Isaiah wrote these words nearly 700 years before Jesus came, yet they paint a vivid picture of the cross. Every phrase reminds us that Jesus’ suffering was not an accident—it was an act of love. Isaiah doesn’t just describe Christ’s suffering; he explains its purpose.

Jesus wasn’t merely pierced. He was pierced for our transgressions. He wasn’t simply crushed beneath the weight of Roman cruelty. He was crushed for our iniquities. Every wound had a reason. Every stripe had a purpose. Every moment of suffering was part of God’s plan to deal with our sin.

The cross was not a tragic accident or the unfortunate end of a good man. It was the place where Jesus willingly took our place. The punishment we deserved fell on Him so that we could receive the peace we could never earn. His wounds became the means of our healing, not because suffering itself saves, but because the sinless Savior bore the penalty for sinners.

Isaiah invites us to look beyond the physical details of the crucifixion and see its meaning. The greatest question is not, “What happened to Jesus?” but, “Why did it happen?” The answer is deeply personal: for our transgressions, for our iniquities, for our peace, for our healing.

Listen to the podcast. 🔗 in bio.

#ScriptureMemory #Isaiah535 #HideGodsWordInYourHeart #GospelTruth #MemorizeScripture
Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Is Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Isaiah 53:5 together:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah doesn’t just tell us what the Messiah would suffer—he tells us why. Jesus wasn’t merely pierced; He was pierced for our transgressions. He wasn’t simply crushed; He was crushed for our iniquities. Every wound had a purpose: to bear the punishment we deserved so that we could have peace with God. As you memorize this verse this week, may you be reminded that the cross wasn’t just an event in history—it was God’s plan of redemption, accomplished out of His great love for you.

💛 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share, so you never miss a verse.

#ScriptureMemory #Isaiah535 #HideGodsWordInYourHeart #GospelTruth #MemorizeScripture
The seven trumpets unmistakably echo the plagues o The seven trumpets unmistakably echo the plagues of Egypt. Just as God judged Egypt in order to deliver His people from slavery, the trumpet judgments portray God confronting a rebellious world before bringing about the final redemption of His people. The Exodus was not simply an event in Israel’s history—it became the pattern for God’s future acts of salvation and judgment.

But John is doing even more than recalling the Exodus. He is also inviting us to look back to the opening pages of Genesis. Think back to the opening chapters of Genesis. God created an ordered, life-giving world.

Now, in Revelation, those same realms begin to unravel and John is painting a picture of de-creation.

Throughout Scripture, creation and humanity are closely connected. When sin entered the world, the ground was cursed. 

Ultimately, however, the story does not end with de-creation. The temporary unraveling of the present world prepares the way for God to make all things new. 

Also, greatest problem facing humanity is not a lack of evidence. It is the hardness of the human heart.

The plagues of Egypt show this clearly. Pharaoh saw God’s power again and again, yet instead of repenting, his heart only became more stubborn. The issue was never insufficient revelation—it was entrenched rebellion.

Jen Wilkin notes, God is “longsuffering even with those who set themselves in total opposition to Him”. He does not act immediately in full judgment; He stretches out opportunity after opportunity for repentance. 

What we often underestimate is not the goodness of God, but the depth of human sin and the capacity of the heart to harden itself against truth. The plagues of Egypt and the trumpet judgments of Revelation both reorient us to that reality. They expose sin not as a surface-level mistake, but as a deep resistance to God’s authority that only grace can overcome.

Read the full post in the blog. 🔗 in bio.

#SevenTrumpets #BookOfRevelation #EndTimesJudgment #BiblicalProphecy #RevelationStudy
Finished! 🤎 What started as a single piece of lea Finished! 🤎

What started as a single piece of leather has become something truly special.

My son spent countless hours cutting, stitching, and paying attention to every detail. Watching him learn a skill that values patience, craftsmanship, and perseverance has been just as rewarding as seeing the finished product.

I couldn’t be more proud of the work he put into this project. It’s a reminder that some of the best things aren’t rushed—they’re built one stitch at a time.

#Leatherworking #HandmadeLeather #LeatherBackpack #Craftsmanship #MadeByHand
The Hebrew phrase translated “perfect peace” is li The Hebrew phrase translated “perfect peace” is literally “peace, peace” (shalom shalom). It speaks of complete peace. 

We often think peace comes from changing what we are thinking about—replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. But Isaiah points us to something far deeper. Peace comes from changing the object of our thoughts.

The mind is never truly empty. It is always fixed on something—our fears, our future, our failures, our ambitions, or our disappointments. Whatever occupies our thoughts eventually shapes our hearts.

Isaiah doesn’t tell us to fix our minds on peace. He tells us to fix our minds on God.

Why? Because our minds become like what they behold. When we meditate on God’s holiness, we are humbled. When we meditate on His faithfulness, we learn to trust. 

Listen to the full episode. 🔗 in bio.

#Isaiah #scripturememory #knowbyheart #perfectpeace #trustgod
Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Is Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Isaiah 26:3 together:

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

In a world that tells us peace comes from controlling our circumstances, Isaiah points us to the God who keeps His people. 

Our peace isn’t rooted in having life figured out, but in trusting the One who is our everlasting Rock. As you memorize these verses this week, may your heart rest in His unchanging faithfulness.

Listen to the full episode in the podcast. 🔗 in bio.

💛 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share, so you never miss a verse.

#Isaiah #ScriptureMemory #HideGodsWordInYourHeart #TrustInTheLord #ChristianEncouragement
Faithful Christians throughout church history have Faithful Christians throughout church history have interpreted the judgment passages in Revelations differently. The goal here is not to settle every debate but to read Revelation carefully and recognize that thoughtful believers may arrive at different conclusions.

Simple Sequence (One Event After Another)

This view reads Revelation as a straight timeline. First the seals happen, then after they finish the trumpets happen, and after the trumpets finish the bowls happen. Each series describes new events moving history forward toward the end.

Think: chapters in a book — Chapter 1, then Chapter 2, then Chapter 3.

Telescopic Sequence (One Series Opens Into the Next)

This view is also chronological, but it sees the judgments as connected. The seventh seal leads into the trumpets, and the seventh trumpet leads into the bowls. The later judgments are not completely separate—they unfold out of the earlier ones.

Think: opening a telescope—each section extends and reveals more inside it.

Recapitulation (Repeat and Expand)

This view sees the seals, trumpets, and bowls as covering many of the same events again and again from different angles. Instead of moving straight forward in time, Revelation circles back and retells the story with new details each time.

Think: watching three different camera angles of the same game.

Progressive Parallelism (Repeat, but Move Closer to the End)

This view sees Revelation as repeating the same general period of history several times, but each cycle moves closer to the final victory of Christ and gives more detail than before.

Think: climbing a spiral staircase—you pass similar places again, but each time you are moving upward.

As we study Revelation, our goal is not only to decide on a structure but to see what each vision teaches us about Jesus, His kingdom, and how His people are called to endure and worship.

#RevelationStudy #BiblicalInterpretation #ChurchHistory #EndTimesStudy #FaithfulReading
A little behind the scenes of my son’s latest leat A little behind the scenes of my son’s latest leatherworking project ☺️

He’s been learning from @thecashells Lincoln’s leatherworking course, and it’s been incredible to watch his confidence and craftsmanship grow with every stitch. 

There’s something special about slowing down, working with your hands, and creating something that’s built to last.

This is just a sneak peek... stay tuned for the finished piece. I can’t wait to share how it turned out!

#Leatherworking #LeatherCraft #Handmade #Craftsmanship #MadeByHand
I gave in to the Trader Joe’s sheet cake hack for I gave in to the Trader Joe’s sheet cake hack for church ladies board night 🍰✨

Fellowship, laughter, and a dessert that required zero spiritual gift of baking 😌

Truly, where two or three are gathered… there is also sheet cake!

#ChurchLadiesNight #BoardNightFellowship #TraderJoesHack #EasyDessertWin #SweetFellowship
In the past, I associated Revelation with fear or In the past, I associated Revelation with fear or escapism. I hope I get raptured and not left behind in the Great Tribulation. But the main aim of the Book of Revelation is to give us hope and endurance. 

A helpful way to understand this is through the image of prisoners of war. Imagine you are a prisoner held in enemy territory, and you receive a message: your country is coming with force and weapons to rescue you and defeat those holding you captive. If you are aligned with your country, that news is not meant to terrify you. It brings hope. The same event that brings fear to your enemies brings confidence and endurance to you.

In the same way, Revelation announces that God is coming in judgment. For those who reject Him, that is terrifying news. But for God’s people, it is not meant to produce panic—it is meant to produce endurance. It means evil will not win forever, and rescue is on the way. Revelation is not given to drive believers into fear or escape, but to strengthen them to remain faithful while they wait. 

The message is that the Alpha and Omega is already over all of history. He stands at the beginning and the end, and nothing is outside His rule. So even when judgment is described in powerful and unsettling images, the call to God’s people is not fear—it is faithful endurance. In the end, God will set everything right, and His justice will also be His rescue.

Read the full article on the blog. 🔗 in bio.

#Revelation #BookOfRevelation #BiblicalHope #ChristianFaith #EnduranceInFaith
The peace the world offers is often tied to circum The peace the world offers is often tied to circumstances. It feels strong when life is stable—when answers come quickly, relationships are smooth, and plans unfold as expected. But it is fragile. When something breaks, it breaks with it. It is more like a quiet season than a deep foundation.

The peace Jesus gives is different. It is not the absence of trouble, but His presence within it. It is not dependent on control or clarity, but on trust in Him. That is why He can say, “do not let your heart be troubled”—not as a demand to suppress emotion, but as an invitation to anchor your heart somewhere stronger than your circumstances.

Realistically, this doesn’t mean you stop feeling anxious or sad. It means those feelings no longer get the final word.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

#PeaceOfChrist #John1427 #BiblicalPeace #FaithOverFear #ChristianEncouragement
Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Jo Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize John 14:27 together—“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

In a world full of competing voices telling us to secure peace through control, success, comfort, or certainty, Jesus offers something radically different. He does not give a peace that depends on life going right or circumstances staying stable. He says, “My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” The world’s peace is fragile and conditional, but His peace is rooted in His presence and unchanging faithfulness.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

💛 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share, so you never miss a verse.

#John1427 #BibleMemory #ScriptureMemory #MemorizeScripture #KnowByHeart
Just a tiny adventurer reaching new heights 🐸✨ #F Just a tiny adventurer reaching new heights 🐸✨

#FrogLife #TinyExplorer #NatureMoments #ClimbingGoals #CuteAnimals
Journey through Scripture in this Sojourner Storyc Journey through Scripture in this Sojourner Storycast episode as we trace God’s deliverance from Passover in Egypt to Jesus the true Passover Lamb and Peter’s miraculous prison escape. Discover how God faithfully brings His people out of slavery into freedom, darkness into light, and death into life. Perfect for Christian homeschool families, family devotions, and Bible learning at home.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

#SojournerStorycast #Passover #JesusOurPassover #PassoverLamb #apostlepeter
In this Sojourners Storycast episode, we trace the In this Sojourners Storycast episode, we trace the sweeping story of God’s deliverance—from the first Passover in Egypt, to Jesus the true Passover Lamb, to Peter’s miraculous prison escape, and the echoes of that same rescue still at work today. Through every scene, we see one unchanging truth: God is always bringing His people out—out of slavery into freedom, out of darkness into light, and out of death into life.

On the night of Passover, God’s people waited in Egypt as judgment passed over the land and the blood of a lamb marked the homes of those who trusted Him. 

Many years later, Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper room and revealed that He Himself was the fulfillment of that story—the Lamb whose body would be given and whose blood would be poured out for many. 

And still later, in the days of the early church, Peter sits chained in prison during another Passover, only to be rescued in a way that echoes both Exodus and the resurrection of Jesus.

From Egypt to Jerusalem to a prison cell in Acts, the same God is at work—faithful to save, powerful to deliver, and present with His people in every generation. And today, that same story continues in all who belong to Christ.

Scripture: Exodus 12; Luke 22:14–20; Matthew 26:26–28; Acts 12:1–17; Colossians 1:13–14; 1 Corinthians 5:7

This episode is part of the Sojourner Storycast—a storytelling series for kids, teens, and families that weaves Scripture together to show how God faithfully works through His people to accomplish His perfect plan. Perfect for Christian homeschool families, family devotion time, and Bible learning at home.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

#SojournerStorycast #Passover #PassoverLamb #JesusOurPassover #BibleStorytelling
In this reading, the opening of the scroll is not In this reading, the opening of the scroll is not merely the unveiling of future events, but the activation of an inheritance. However, it is significant that the scroll is sealed and cannot be opened by anyone in heaven or on earth except the Lion of Judah, Root of David. What’s interesting is the contrast that when John turns around the see the Lion of Judah, he sees a slain Lamb. And what might seem a bit baffling is that this Lamb is described to have seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. This emphasizes Jesus’ omnipotence (horn=power), omniscience (eyes=sees all), and omnipresence (seven spirits). Only Jesus is worthy to execute God’s redemptive plan and bring history to its intended fulfillment.

The Lamb receives all complete and perfect worship and recognition. Nothing is missing. Nothing is partial. His worthiness is total. Just as everyone worshipped God in the previous chapter, now all the exact same worship is directed to the Lamb, which shows that Jesus is co-equal with God the Father.

Even more striking is the order of what unfolds. When the seals begin to be opened, the first visible result is not immediate blessing, but judgment. This reflects a consistent biblical pattern: before the people of God fully enter their inheritance, God first deals with what stands in opposition to His kingdom.

A helpful parallel is the conquest of Canaan. Israel’s inheritance was promised, but hostile nations stood in the way. Judgment on those nations was not separate from the promise—it was part of the process of bringing God’s people into what had been given to them.

In the same way, Revelation shows that before the fullness of the new creation and the eternal inheritance is realized, God’s justice is revealed against evil, sin, and rebellion. Judgment is not opposed to redemption; it is the necessary removal of everything that distorts and resists God’s good kingdom.

Read the full article on the blog. 🔗 in bio.

#RevelationStudy #WorthyIsTheLamb #KingdomInheritance #LionAndLamb #NewCreationHope
If you’re looking for a fun summer activity for yo If you’re looking for a fun summer activity for your kids, I can’t recommend @sealydiystudio enough 🥹🎨 My daughter had the absolute best time at art camp—creative projects, so much fun, and sweet memories made 💛

#ArtCamp #SupportLocal #KidsActivities #CreativeKids #SummerMemories
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say I show the way or I Notice that Jesus doesn’t say I show the way or I teach the truth or I offer life. He says, I am.

When we want certainty, Jesus offers relationship. When we want a clearer path, Jesus invites us to trust His presence. Christianity is not ultimately about finding the right formula—it is knowing and following a Person.

This claim is echoed again after the resurrection in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Scripture speaks with one voice: salvation is found in Christ alone.

Thomas à Kempis wrote: “Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.” And A.W. Tozer expressed it this way: Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways. He is the only way.

These words can feel exclusive in a world that values many paths—but Jesus’s words are both comforting and confronting. Comforting because we do not have to earn our way to God. Confronting because Jesus leaves no room for self-made paths to the Father.

To know Christ is to know the way home.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

#John146 #KnowByHeart #MemorizeScripture #HideHisWord #ScriptureMemory
Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize Jo Press play, repeat after me, and let’s memorize John 14:6 together—“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus spoke these words in the upper room as His disciples wrestled with uncertainty and questions about where He was going. Thomas asked the question many of us still ask today: How do we know the way? Jesus answered not by giving directions, but by pointing to Himself.

In a world full of competing voices telling us to create our own truth, trust ourselves, or choose whatever path feels right, Jesus offers something radically different. He does not say He knows the way or teaches the way—He says, “I am the way.” He is not one option among many, but the One who brings us to the Father.

Let this verse remind you that the Christian life is not about striving to find God or piecing together your own meaning and purpose. Our hope rests in Christ alone—the One who is truth in our confusion, life in our weariness, and the way when we do not know where to go.

Episode 🔗 in bio.

💛 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share, so you never miss a verse.

#John146 #KnowByHeart #MemorizeScripture #HideHisWord #ScriptureMemory
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Live, Love, Learn to the Glory of God
Live, Love, Learn to the Glory of God
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