Debra Anne Cook

Reading Paul’s letter to the Philippians and I can’t get past the greeting.

Have you noticed… Paul didn’t just say “love you guys.”

He saw them as DEARLY LOVED.

Longed for.
Held close.
Deeply valued by their Creator.

So I’m challenging myself this week… want to join me?

Here it is:

Every time you interact with someone, be it friends, family, coworkers…

Pause and remember:

This person is not just loved.

They are DEARLY LOVED.

Chosen. Wanted. Held by God.

Even the one that frustrates you.

Even the one that’s hard to understand.

I’m working to remember who they are before I react to what they say or do.

Will you try with me?

Let me know how your week goes practicing that! I’m guessing great things will come from it for all of us!

Dearly Beloved. (Do I Actually See Them That Way?)

I’m in a season with some coworkers that’s been stretchy.

And instead of pushing through to the deep theological stuff, I keep getting pulled back.

Remember the greeting to the Philippians. Phil 1. Reading it now.

Because right there, before the doctrine, before the theology, before any of it, Paul calls these people dearly beloved.
Not just loved. DEARLY beloved.

And I keep asking myself: do I see my coworkers that way?

The ones who frustrate me.

The ones I have to sit across from in meetings and keep my face neutral.

The ones Jesus longed for, died for, holds tight right now, today, just like He does me.

Today I’m inviting the whole Christian community into this challenge with me:

Every meeting.
Every interaction.
Every moment friction rises with a believing coworker

Remember who they are.

Dearly beloved too.

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to sn**ch them out of My Father’s hand.” — John 10:29

Growing up I was always accused of showing off.

I loved being in front of people. Speaking. Sharing. But I carried shame about it for years.
Decades even.

Then I was at a silent retreat. And God met me at a window.

He showed me the trees outside. And He said, “I like to show off too. Look at what I made. I like to be seen. I like to be known.”

And something broke open in me.

He wasn’t correcting me. He was claiming me.

“You are your Father’s daughter. The very thing that made you feel like too much, that came from Me.”

I dropped decades of guilt in that moment.

That’s what WICKS does.

It connects you to God.

And it helps you see God in others.

Even in the people who irritate you most, there is a reflection of His nature trying to come through.

You were made in His image. And when you finally see that clearly, really see it, everything changes.

See for yourself at

Remarkably Made | Discover Your God-Given Design You're more than a personality type. You're made to reflect God. Discover your unique design through the WIKS framework and walk boldly in God's purpose for you.

You are not a project to fix.
You are a person designed by God.

Before the world told you what to be,
He already decided who you are.

You are not random.
You are not a category.
You are remarkably made.

This page is where I'll be sharing writing, reflections, and what I'm building next. Remarkably Made is coming - slowly, intentionally, and rooted in God's design.