The Slow Rise: Finding Depth in a Fast-Forward World

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In our household, pizza has become the hamburger helper of feeding our kiddos on many given Sundays. Sam's Pizza (because Costco is too far now…so sad), along with hot dog and pizza alternatives, has been our go-to. With five little children, I understand why fast food becomes such a temptation for parents. You're just tired. Making it out the door on Sundays just to make it to church on time feels like winning the Super Bowl every week. It's a good goal, for sure. But by the time you get back home with lunch in mind and need to get the kids down for a nap, you'd be lucky not to pass out on the couch. Reagan and I usually try to squeeze in a 15-minute nap if the kids aren’t fighting or waking each other up. Sometimes I just have to take it to survive through dinnertime and bath time. It's not easy at all, but we're grateful—grateful for quick dinners and grateful that kids are just willing to eat something. All that to say, pizza has become a household favorite for the kiddos as it means a break with no cooking for me or Reagan. Since we want to honor the temples that God gives us, I sometimes venture to make pizza at home instead. How do we make this stuff faster? Maybe healthier? Nah, just faster.

In our fast-paced American culture, we’re obsessed with speed and efficiency. We want things quick, easy, and instantaneous—chasing shortcuts to eradicate anything hard or time-consuming. I’ve grown up swimming in this mindset, and if I’m honest, my own personality leans into it: How can we make this quicker, faster, better? The iterative process, automation, AI—it’s all about eliminating the repetitive, the boring, the slow. But lately, I’ve been questioning this. Are we missing something by always rushing?

Take pizza dough, for example. You can find countless recipes for “one-hour pizza” with quick-rise yeast or even beer for that yeasty flavor. It’s good enough, right? But compare that to dough that’s been given time to rest, to develop its gluten network, to let the yeast work its magic. The flavor of slow-crafted dough is unbeatable—a natural unfolding that no shortcut can replicate.

This got me thinking about the deeper things in life, like the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Every single one of these takes time. They’re not instant. They grow through investment, commitment, and staying the course—no shortcuts allowed.

I was talking to my friend John (Sarah’s Dad - The single mom who we’ve helped support several letters back) who recently, who shared how he’s searching for peace but struggles to discern where it comes from. Instead he struggles deeply with substance abuse. He’s bombarded with sources promising satisfaction, yet true peace, like all these fruits, only comes through surrender, repentance, and walking in faith. There’s no quick fix.

Consider love. The world offers counterfeits—surface-level affection, transactional relationships, or chasing likes on social media. But real love? It's demonstrated through quiet, anonymous sacrifice and unconditional care for your family, friends, or even those who've hurt you. Joy, too, gets faked with fleeting pleasures—binge-watching Netflix, porn, alcohol, or escapism. Yet true joy grows through enduring life’s ups and downs with faith.

Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict; it’s a soul at rest, something no drug or drink can mimic. Patience (or forbearance) can’t be faked by numbing emotions or bottling up resentment—that only poisons the heart. Kindness isn’t a performance for favors; it’s born from humility, often forged in suffering. Goodness can look upright outwardly but be hollow if driven by pride or hidden sin. Gentleness isn’t enabling wrong but lovingly standing firm, shaped by experiencing God’s grace through our own flaws. And self-control? It’s not about rigid diets or chasing false dreams like a pyramid scheme promising riches. True self-control grows through repeated repentance, seeing God’s way is better after wrestling with our own sin. Oh how His ways are better indeed. May you keep us from straying.

The best things in life—whether it’s pizza dough or the fruits of the Spirit—require time, process, and patience. Shortcuts might get you close, but they’ll never match the depth of what’s cultivated slowly. So let’s embrace the slow, faithful work of growth. It’s in the waiting, the refining, the staying-the-course that we find the treasures God has for us.

Let’s go make some pizza and go love our neighbors too.

Much Love In Christ,

Reagan & David

Prayers

• Focus and Discipline in School: I’m about 6 more lessons away from finishing Greek exegesis. Pray for continued diligence and focus.

• Recovery from Sickness: Thank you for praying! Levi has had to go through a revision again lately for his tongue tie. Not sure if its caused more complications, but pray for the nursing time for Reagan

• Boys have started school: Judah and Ezra are adjusting well. Mornings are still pretty rough for them. Pray for kindness and patience as we help them transition.

• Missionaryish Deployment Team: We're in the preliminary stages of putting together a team that is separate from our governance board. This team will help raise awareness about Missionaryish's work. Please pray that God brings the right individuals together for this effort. If you're interested in exploring this opportunity with us, email us at [email protected] or text me at 619-940-5391.

• RUF International: Had a chance to speak to Chad (Assistant Coordinator at RUF). We’re slowly ironing out the details as to what this will be. Pray for wisdom and discernment as we look to 2028 as a potential entry point.

• Financial Goals: Praise for God for reaching 69% of our living expenses goal for this year for 2025. Pray that we meet our full living expenses goal next year and progress toward operational funding for the ministry.

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