Author Archives: Charis

Charis (Ka-reese) is a 33 year old mom to 5 boys and wife of 11 years to her best friend Bill. They are a full-time intercessory missionary family giving themselves to oversee The Watch House of Prayer in Redding, Ca. She is involved in raising up godly children, pastoring, leading worship, and encouraging people in growing in a life of prayer and pursuit of loving God as the “One Thing” (Psalm 27). She writes regularly at her blog, At the Gate Called Beautiful, where she shares her journeys and encourages other believers to grow in faith together.

When it feels like no one sees you…

Ever felt a bit invisible? Ever wondered if anyone ever notices all you do?

It is so hard to not crave recognition for all the hard work we do day in and day out. It is especially hard to feel unnoticed in our efforts to serve the Lord by serving and loving people.

When I have had an especially hard day sometimes all I desire is for someone to pat me on the back and say, “Good job. I saw you. I noticed your sacrifices, your serving, your biting your tongue when you wanted to lash out at that person who wronged you…  Good job not complaining when you had to do that one thing you despised doing yet again… I saw you.”

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Prayer Simplified

The other day I overheard my husband ask my 6-year-old son if he felt connected to God when he prayed. He answered, “I don’t know.” My husband started to explain that hearing the big words used by grownups in prayer could pressure him that big words were the way to talk to God. He encouraged him to pray to the Father with the words he would talk to his own daddy with – just normal 6-year-old language.

As I listened I thought how so many times we as “grownups” could answer the exact same way as my son: “I don’t really know if I feel connected to God when I pray.”

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