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Franklin Hysten

@franklinhysten

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Back to school for my Junior and now Senior 😭😭 it’s all happening so fast now.

Senior year… this picture speaks for itself. 😭

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✨🍋 Today I turn 50. 🍋✨

Fifty.

What a beautiful gift.

This year has reminded me that every birthday is a privilege, every sunrise is a blessing, and every heartbeat is worth celebrating.

I’ve laughed.
I’ve cried.
I’ve healed.
I’ve been stretched.
I’ve traveled.
I’ve learned.
I’ve loved more deeply than ever before.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that Blaze Forward is no longer just the name of my company.

It’s the way I choose to live.

This next chapter isn’t about slowing down. It’s about living more intentionally, loving more freely, serving more boldly, and taking even better care of the one life God has entrusted to me.

Here’s to family.
Here’s to faith.
Here’s to health.
Here’s to purpose.
Here’s to new dreams.
Here’s to old dreams finally becoming reality.

Thank you to everyone who has walked beside me, prayed for me, laughed with me, and loved me into this new season.

The Golden Era begins today.

Let’s blaze forward. ❤️🍋✨

#Golden50 #BlazeForward #TrueWealthIsHealth #Grateful #Chapter50 FaithFamilyHealth BirthdayBlessed

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On June 19, my life changed forever. #
I had a heart attack. And I will be now focused on living the most healthiest life I can.
Today also marks five years since my mom passed away. I never imagined we would share this part of our story, but somehow I feel like she is still guiding me. She taught me so much about strength, and now I carry those lessons with me.
To everyone who prayed, called, texted, sent flowers, meals, financial support, and even surprised my boys with gifts at camp so they could still experience joy while our family walked through this—thank you. My family and I have felt so deeply loved. We truly could not have walked through this without you.
If my story can encourage just one person, please don’t put off your health.
Know your numbers. Get your blood work. Take your medications. Know your baseline. Learn your family history. Find a doctor you trust. Ask questions.
Heart disease runs in my family. While we can’t change our genetics, we can understand them and make choices that help us live healthier, longer lives. I was already living a healthy lifestyle, and because of this experience, I’m even more committed to becoming stronger and healthier than ever before.
Life is precious.
Take the trip. Spend time with the people you love. Take care of your body. And if you need help—emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, or financially—please ask. There are more people willing to walk beside you than you may realize.
This isn’t the end of my story. It’s the beginning of a new chapter—one filled with even greater gratitude, purpose, healing, and hope.
Thank you for loving me so well.
With love, Jenjii ❤️
#HeartHealth #HeartAttackSurvivor #HealthIsWealth #godisgood

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Just in time for Father’s Day…I’m honored to share this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. 🎉🎧

This year, I decided to reach out to the husbands and life partners of incredible mothers I’ve interviewed on the podcast in the past, inviting four extraordinary fathers to share their reflections on living an E.P.I.C. life.

Each father offers a glimpse into what they’ve been on a quest for, insights into one of the guideposts from the E.P.I.C. framework, and an invitation to try something that will help us more fully live our E.P.I.C. lives.

Together, these four fathers bring perspectives shaped by different faith traditions, cultures, and lived experiences. And they all offer a masterclass on what it takes to parent and live life fully, with strength and humility.

Thank you Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Iftikhar Ahmed, Franklin Hysten, and George Brian Sellner for entrusting us with your reflections, and for the love and intention you bring to fatherhood and to living your lives.

And thank you Tricia, Saadia, Jenjii, and Jadah, the mothers whose voices have shaped this podcast over the last decade, and whose connection with me inspired this episode.

All of these contributions felt like a gift for me. Wherever you are listening, whether you are a father yourself, parenting alongside one, or maybe missing one, I hope this conversation is a gift for you too. Happy Father’s Day. 💗

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“Just because you’re getting older, it doesn’t mean…(I Samuel 3:2)!”#doctorpulley #health #age #kingdomteachings #better

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We raise them so they can soar…Mama is preparing and praying because my amazing child is now a man. And so it begins. 😭❤️ The great poet, Kahlil Gibran captured my heart tonight.

ON CHILDREN
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable. #mompreneur #boymom #moment #myson #myheart

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Last summer, we were honored to document a groundbreaking pilot ,the YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (Y.E.P.) for @sf_dcyf , in partnership with @blazeconsultinggroup We crafted a compelling short documentary that highlights the incredible strength, resilience, and joy these San Francisco youth exude. Their stories not only inspired us but also underscored the vital importance of leading with youth voices to create meaningful change.

🎥 soon….

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Today my 15-year-old reminded me:
‘A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t fix it.’

Not failure. Not identity. Not destiny.
Just a lesson waiting for growth.

Our young folk are not problems to manage — they are wisdom in motion.
Let’s listen more. Correct with love. Lead with grace. And make space for them to rise.#youth #growthmindset #encouragement #ᴍᴏᴍʙᴏss #wellness

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So let me get this straight…
A turkey is now a down payment?? 🦃💳😩

$91 for a small one.
$119 for a big one.

When did turkey get a luxury tax and a security detail?? 😂

Listen—if your family tradition says “there MUST be a turkey,”
and your budget says “absolutely not,”
this might be the year to change the menu, not your peace.

And if anybody has big feelings about it, just tell them:
👉🏾 “You are more than welcome to bring the turkey. I’ll handle the seasoning.”

Because this season was never meant to be about capitalism.
It’s not about price tags or pressure.
It’s about Jesus, love, family, laughter, and togetherness.

Some of my sweetest holiday memories came from seasons when we didn’t have much—
but we had joy, card games, jokes, music, dancing and each other.
Those moments fed us more than any meal ever could. Now the memories feed our soul.

To everyone stretching dollars and carrying worry this year:
I’m praying provision, peace, and surprise blessings over you.
May your table be full of love—even if the menu looks different.

Let’s stop letting consumerism steal our joy.
And come back to the true reason for the season:
✨ Jesus. Love. Gratitude. ✨

The joy was never in the turkey anyway. 🤍

#christmas #turkey #mompreneur #JoyIsFree #wellness

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Happy Birthday to the love of my life @franklinhysten the man who keeps me laughing even when I’m trying to be serious 😂
If you know him, you know his joy is contagious and his humor is unmatched and his goodness is authentic. My prayer for this next year is simple: 1,000,000 more laughs and every blessing he’s ever given coming back to him pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

I’m so blessed to call you my husband.
Friends — flood these comments with birthday love for my guy! 🎉💛#

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Thank you @sf_dcyf for having us support the production of this years Winter Wellness Conference ❄️ it’s always great to give back to those that are doing the important work for our children, youth and families in San Francisco 💯

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✨ It’s Okay Not to Be Okay ✨

Pull Up, Get Up & Move On — New Episode

Listen… the holiday season hits different for all of us.
For some, it’s joy, lights, family, and warmth.
For others, it’s heavy memories, anxiety creeping up, or emotions that don’t fit the “holiday cheer” script.

And here’s the truth:
You can hold two competing emotions at the very same time.
You can be grateful and overwhelmed.
You can be joyful and grieving.
You can be excited and anxious.

And it’s okay.
It’s okay to have a moment where you feel like you’re slipping.
It’s okay if you need to sit down and breathe.
It’s okay to not be okay.

DMX said it best:
“I gotta get up so I can tear shit up.”
Meaning—falling isn’t the end.
Pausing isn’t failure.
Taking a breath is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.

So during this season, I want you to listen to your mind, your body, and your spirit.
Take the moment you need.
Honor what you feel—all of what you feel.
And when you’re ready, pull up… get up… and move forward with intention.

You’re not alone.
You’re human.
And you’re doing better than you think. ❤️

🎧 Tune in to the new episode: “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay.”
Let this be your reminder that falling doesn’t disqualify you.
It just makes your rising that much more powerful.

#ItsOkayNotToBeOkay #PullUpGetUpMoveOn #HolidayWellness #MentalHealthMatters #AnxietySupport #HealingJourney #MindBodySpirit #TakeWhatYouNeed #YouAreNotAlone #EmotionalWellness #DMXInspired #BreatheAndReset #WellnessPodcast #GriefAndGrace #SeasonOfFeelings #RestWhenYouNeedTo #RiseWhenYoureReady #momboss #mompreneur #grief

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