Strategic Fathering

05/29/2026

Launch Day!

Six years ago, when my beautiful bride Christine passed away from cancer, I had no intention of writing a book about my journey. There was no thought about making my wife’s death a focus of ministry or encouragement for anyone.

During that devastating season, I was desperate for guidance. I read many books on grief, but so many of them felt hollow or distant. Out of the frustration growing inside of me, last year I started collecting thoughts from my personal journal entries and slowly crafted them into a devotional.

Today, I am releasing NEXT: Lamentations and Devotions.

I believe this book is different. It is not a “how-to-grieve” manual; it is a “permission-to-grieve” gift. It features forty days of reflection and release, but it also includes a crucial halfway point: The Selah section—an intentional space to stop, rest, and breathe in the middle of the heavy lifting. At the end of the forty days, the Grief Examen merges a timeless spiritual practice with our specific sorrow work, giving you a guided pace to reflect on your day and prepare for what's next.

This is a labor of love, and perhaps the most important work I have ever done. The Holy Spirit guided me each step of the way, and I am so grateful to God for His grace. My prayer is that as you read, you will discover the overwhelming goodness of Father God in entirely new ways.

https://a.co/d/09PU9K6l

When your world shatters, the "emergency mode" eventually fades, leaving you in a daze that feels more like a thick fog than a clear path. You aren't just looking for "closure"—you are trying to recognize yourself in a life that no longer fits. In , Jay Cookingham shares his own raw, gut-leve...

05/29/2026

“You were made for the presence of God. Not just enter into it…but to stay in it, linger and remain forever. You are not a trespasser, loiter or squatter or a temporary fixture. No, you were invited, urged, desired to come and never leave. You were designed and created to be there.

You were positioned, placed and chosen to be in His presence. The purpose of His presence is meant to capture you and never let you go. Being with Him is life.” - JC

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11

05/26/2026

Clarity

Clarity is important.
Understanding is crucial.

I recognize both help me navigate life. However, my desire for clarity can be a hindrance to intimacy with God.

I don’t NEED clarity, although I want it.
I don’t NEED understanding, although it seems important for decision making.

What I NEED is trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (6) in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

My need for clarity sometimes affects the way I trust Father God. The answer or further understanding becomes more desirable than trusting His character.

Simply put… I am trying to mid-understand less and trust more. The clarity I desire is not about my challenges but in the way I see my Messiah.

Trust helps me interpret life through the lens of His character, not the lens of my understanding.

First John 3:20 says, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

I want to trust His heart, not mine.

05/18/2026

"Obedience to God's Word is directly related to the way we see God the Father. It's more than following a list of list of do's and don'ts, it's about following His heart...it's all about love." - JC

"But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here." John 14:31

05/13/2026

"I want to stand out, stick out, be noticed, and astonish people. I want to WOW them with the fact that I have been (am) with Jesus. Not impress with my gifts or abilities…just the wonder of being with the Master." - JC

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

05/12/2026

Grace continues to show me the potential I have in Him…despite who I am at the moment. - JC

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20:32

05/09/2026

"When God uses the word NOW, it’s an invitation. Salvation was a NOW moment that God used to rewrite our spiritual DNA to look like His. Salvation offers an opportunity to mirror the Father’s heart. NOW is that moment when God invites you into the miracle of forgiveness." - JC

For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2

05/06/2026

“Sometimes it’s hard to pray because we lack the courage to risk an encounter with God.” Jay Cookingham

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29-31

04/28/2026

A disciple needs to invest in show business. - JC

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,(8) and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:7-8

04/20/2026

"Love is at the heart of disciple making, it’s the drawing power of Christ released through us. Loving each other is the most powerful and complete way to demonstrate what Jesus has done for us… and He wants to do for others." - JC

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (35) By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

04/14/2026

To remain free, our identity needs to be connected to a God ordained purpose not a man-made hijacked image. A man's passion always follows his identity and is fiercely loyal on protecting that identity. That's why we need to know who we are in the Father; it sets us free to pursue purpose with passion. - JC

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2