Jen Roland

First day of 6th, 8th, and 11th grade! 🚌🚌 We are officially past the elementary school phase, 2 of my 3 kids are bigger than me, and Kayla is starting to talk about colleges!! How did this happen!?!

I am praying for all the kids and their families as they head back to school and transition into fall. Amidst the busyness of this season, God’s blessings are abundant. ❤️❤️

Reading this book and reflecting on how you could substitute the word “anxiety” with any personal struggle—and all of these truths would still be true:

It’s an opportunity for spiritual growth. 🌱

It’s not a hindrance to a deeper life in Christ; it’s an impetus for it. ✝️

You were made for more. The very thing that threatens to steal what you most want to hold onto—peace, health, comfort—is the very thing God wants to use to draw you close, where you’ll find the “more” your soul longs for. ❤️

I’ve replaced “anxiety” with a blank in the author’s quotes. Fill in the blank with whatever you’re walking through and see if it still applies:

✨ “But here is a little-known truth about ___: it isn’t only a problem we wish would go away; it is also an opportunity for spiritual growth. In fact, for a Christian, ___ is one of the most powerful opportunities for transformation we’ll encounter.”

✨ “This doesn’t mean ___ is good… But Jesus is our Redeemer, which means He can redeem something that is not good originally into something that benefits us ultimately. With Jesus, we can experience ___ as an opportunity for transformation.”

✨ “Treating ___ solely as a problem is counterproductive.… ___ can be the very place where we meet Jesus. Through ___, we can actually become more like Him.”

✨ “___ is not an obstacle and is not irrelevant to getting closer to Jesus—it is the entrance point for spiritual growth (when we don’t) grab for immediate relief of psychological discomfort.”

✨ “The blueprint we want from God is one that promises we won’t lose valued things. But Jesus shifts us from the what to the who—to the present reality and character of our Father God. Do we want the blueprint? Or the Architect? We need to become people who actually deep down want to get to know the Architect…A Heavenly Father is SO MUCH BETTER than a supply of things.”

Bottom line: As much as we want to fast-forward through the struggle, the wilderness is sacred ground. Transformation happens when we walk through it with Him. Whatever you put in the blank might be the very place God is forming Christ in you” (James 1:2–4).

Last Sunday, my church family gathered around me to pray as I stepped into the new position of Spiritual Formation Pastor at

Our lead pastor prayed that discipleship and small groups would be enlivened through my ministry, lives would be changed, and revival would spread. He prayed that spiritual formation would catch fire, and that God would move through me to awaken hearts.

I never would have anticipated this role years ago as a classroom teacher—but God wastes nothing! The same passion I had then for helping children grow and learn now fuels my desire to help others deepen their relationship with God.

Every trial and triumph worked together to bring me to a place of complete surrender, where I had a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit that awakened me to God’s presence, power, and the many ways He speaks. New gifts were birthed, divine dreams and appointments became regular, and my heart caught fire for Him.

Last year, a friend shared a prophetic word: that God saw my humility and was now calling me to the frontlines—to step into a five-fold office. Later that year, while sharing my heart for discipleship, another friend said, “That’s it—that’s what you’re called to do to help the church grow and continue the movement of the Holy Spirit.” She prayed for me and encouraged me to trust that God would open the door at the right time.

That time has come—not only to step into this position, but for a move of the Spirit! For holy centers of fire to be ignited in our churches and spread into our homes, communities, and workplaces! 🔥🔥 He wants to pour Himself out, empower, heal, and restore anyone who’s hungry for more of Him!

Please pray for me as I begin this new role—that I would remain humble, yet bold. Expectant, yet patient. That I would be led by the Spirit, and lead others to know Christ and be changed by His love—just as He has changed me. ❤️❤️

Great things are coming…to God be the glory! 🙌🙌