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Jessica Renée

@yourlawyerfriend_

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I almost didn’t post this reel and I don't know why I feel compelled to post this at 9 pm at night.

But, as I was scrolling through old drafts, I felt prompted to share it. Maybe someone else needs to hear it. Maybe I needed the reminder myself.

One of the greatest deceptions we can believe is that because “God knows my heart,” we can remain comfortable in the very sin He is calling us to leave behind.

Yes, we all stumble. Every believer does. But there is a difference between falling into sin and making peace with it.

If we truly belong to Christ, we won’t stop fighting the sin that grieves Him. We won’t excuse it, justify it, or build our lives around it. Instead, we’ll keep bringing it to the foot of the cross, asking Him to cleanse us, strengthen us, and transform us.

God’s grace is not a license to continue in sin. It’s the power to walk away from it.

If the Holy Spirit is convicting you today, don’t ignore His voice. Conviction isn’t condemnation. It’s evidence that God loves you enough to call you into something better.

Let’s stop saying, “God knows my heart,” as an excuse to stay the same. Instead, let’s pray, “God, search my heart, change my heart, and help me walk in obedience.”

“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” — 1 John 3:3 by @yourlawyerfriend_

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2 days ago

Read the Bible With Me 📖 | Jeremiah 29

I think Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible—not because it’s wrong, but because we often stop reading too soon.

We all know the verse: “For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

But when I read the whole chapter, I realized God wasn’t saying this to people living in comfort. He was saying it to the people of Judah after telling them they were going into exile in Babylon for 70 years.

At first, that seems contradictory. How can God say He has plans to prosper them while sending them into captivity?

The answer is found in the chapters leading up to it. For years, God had patiently called His people to repent. He sent prophet after prophet, but they refused to listen. The exile was His judgment, yet even His judgment had a purpose.

God wasn’t promising they would avoid hardship. He was promising that hardship wouldn’t have the final word.

That’s what encouraged me the most.

Sometimes God allows us to walk through difficult seasons—not because He’s abandoned us, but because He’s still accomplishing His purposes. He is just as present in the exile as He is in the restoration.

So don’t stop at Jeremiah 29:11.

Keep reading.

Because when you understand the context, the promise becomes even more beautiful. by @yourlawyerfriend_

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11 days ago

As we wrap up an unforgettable week at Lake Conroe, my heart is so full. We laughed together, splashed together, rested together, and made memories I’ll treasure forever as we step into our final season as a family of five before our sweet boy joins us.

There is something so special about slowing down and simply being together. These are the moments I pray our girls will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

And to my husband—thank you. Thank you for always finding ways to give our family experiences instead of just things. Thank you for leading us so well and for intentionally creating memories that point our hearts back to what matters most.

God has been so incredibly good to us, and I never want to stop thanking Him for the gift of this little village He’s entrusted to me. 🤍 by @yourlawyerfriend_

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20 days ago

Hey sis. 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙

Since it’s the Fourth of July, I’ve been thinking about freedom.

As Americans, we celebrate our freedoms. But as Christians, I think we sometimes misunderstand what freedom is supposed to look like.

I’ve been reading 1 Corinthians 8, and I think we skip over this passage way too fast.

Paul says, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” Then in 1 Corinthians 10:23 he reminds us, “Not everything is beneficial… not everything is edifying.”

That made me realize we’ve become really good at asking, “Can I?” But Paul seems far more concerned with asking, “Does this build people up?”

Back in January, I made the personal decision to stop cussing. Not because I thought it earned me salvation, but because it wasn’t edifying to my spirit. Then I read these passages, and my conviction became even deeper.

I started asking myself, “Could the way I live, the words I say, or the things I normalize give someone else permission to drift further from Christ?”

And that question didn’t stop at cussing.

The “Try Jesus, not me” Christian.
The “I don’t need church, I have church at home” Christian.
The “God knows my heart” Christian.

Before y’all come for me… this isn’t about debating whether those things are or aren’t sins. It’s about something deeper.

If my example gives someone permission to lower God’s standard, become comfortable with compromise, or justify something they shouldn’t… have I really walked in love?

Our culture says, “If it’s not a sin, do you.”

Paul says, “If it causes your brother or sister to stumble, I’d rather never do it again.”

Maybe that’s what Christian freedom really looks like.

Happy Fourth of July. 🇺🇸❤️ by @yourlawyerfriend_

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21 days ago

There are so many things I can’t fix for the people I love.

I can’t take away the diagnosis.
I can’t restore the relationship.
I can’t make the grief disappear.
I can’t open doors that only God can open.

But I can pray.

One of the greatest gifts we can give one another isn’t advice, opinions, or even the perfect words—it’s bringing each other before the throne of God.

So today, this post is for you.

If you’re reading this and there’s something weighing on your heart, something you’ve been carrying quietly, or something you simply need someone to agree with you in prayer about, leave a comment or send me a message. It would truly be an honor to pray for you.

Until then, I’m praying Numbers 6:24–26 over you and your home:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

May His blessing rest on your family.
May His presence fill your home.
May His peace guard your heart.
May His favor go before you.
And may you be reminded today that you are deeply loved—by God, and by a sister in Christ who’s praying for you. 🤍🙏🏽 by @yourlawyerfriend_

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24 days ago

Good Morning☀️Read the Bible With Me

This morning I’m sitting by the river at the cottage, and reading Psalm 46 just feels different out here.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble… There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God… God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” Verse 1-5

I’ve seen “God is within her, she will not fall” on necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks—you name it. For a long time, I read it as a verse about strong women. But slowing down today, I realized it’s pointing to something even deeper.

The psalm begins with chaos. The earth gives way. Mountains fall into the sea. Waters roar. Everything is shaking.

Then suddenly… there’s a river.

Not because the chaos disappeared, but because God is present.

The river is a picture of God’s life and presence in the middle of everything that feels unstable. The city doesn’t stand because it’s strong. It stands because God is there. That’s the whole point.

And I think that’s true for us too.

We don’t remain standing because we’re strong enough, disciplined enough, or have everything figured out. We stand because God is with us. His presence is our stability. His strength becomes our strength. His peace steadies us when everything around us feels like it’s falling apart.

As I sit here watching this river flow so peacefully, I’m reminded that God has never asked us to carry life on our own. He simply asks us to remain close to Him. Because where His presence is, there is peace. Where His presence is, there is strength. And where His presence is, we don’t have to fear the chaos around us.

Maybe that’s the reminder someone else needed today too. 🤍🌿

#ReadTheBibleWithMe #Psalm46 #GodIsWithinHer #FaithJourney #BibleReflection by @yourlawyerfriend_

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25 days ago

IT’S A BOY!!! 💙🌋

We are so excited to announce that our son, Langston, will be here this December! Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for everyone who came to celebrate this special day with us. Thank you for showing up, loving on our family, and making this a memory we’ll treasure forever. We love y’all down bad! 🤍

A special thank you to the incredible women who always put up with all my shenanigans and helped me pull off the “same shirt” prank on all the dads. 😂 Watching everyone’s faces as they tried to figure out what was going on was absolutely priceless! Y’all committed to the plan from beginning to end, and it made the reveal even more unforgettable.

Moments like these remind me of Psalm 133: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” We are incredibly blessed with friends and family who celebrate, serve, laugh, and rejoice with us. Thank you for being part of this chapter of our lives.

And for our sweet baby boy, this has been our prayer from the very beginning:

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord.”

We love you and can’t wait to hold you in our arms soon👣💙

- The Pattersons party of 6 by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago

Read the Bible With Me: You Fell, But Who Told You?
I’m reading through Genesis, and something stood out to me about the fall.
Adam and Eve eat the fruit, and the very first thing that happens is that their eyes are opened and they realize they’re naked. Think about that. They’re standing in Eden, surrounded by God’s goodness and provision, yet the first thing they notice after sin enters the picture is themselves. Their vulnerability. Their shame. So they cover themselves and hide.
Then God comes looking for them. Not because He doesn’t know where they are, but because He wants them to come out of hiding. When Adam finally answers, he says, “I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
And God’s response stopped me in my tracks:
“Who told you that you were naked?”
As I read that, I thought about a time when one of my daughters was little and had done something wrong. When I asked her about it, she didn’t tell me what she had done. She simply said, “I’m bad.”
In that moment, I wasn’t concerned about the mistake anymore. I was concerned about the identity she had attached to it.
Who told you that?
Who told you that one mistake defines you? Who told you that one failure becomes your identity? Who told you that because you fell, you are forever labeled by the fall?
When I read Genesis now, I can’t help but wonder if God was addressing something deeper than their nakedness. Yes, Adam and Eve sinned. Yes, there were consequences. But almost immediately, shame began telling them who they were. They weren’t just dealing with what they had done; they were dealing with who they believed they had become.
Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly refuses to let people be defined by their weakest moments. Gideon saw weakness; God saw a mighty warrior. David looked like a shepherd boy; God saw a king.
We should repent when we fall, but we should be careful not to wear our sin as our identity.
The fall is called the fall for a reason, but it doesn’t have to become the defining story of your life.
Sometimes the greatest damage isn’t the mistake we made. It’s the lie we start believing about ourselves afterward. by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago

Happy Father’s Day to the man who spent his Father’s Day driving hours away so we could drop off our oldest at camp.

To the man who always puts his girls first, who gives so much of himself to make sure we are loved, cared for, and supported—today, we celebrate you.

Almost seven years ago, I was so proud to become your wife, and every day since, you’ve shown me what a selfless, devoted, and loving father looks like.

Thank you for giving me some of the most beautiful children a woman could ever ask for.

We love you. We appreciate you. We honor you. We respect you. We adore you.

Happy Father’s Day, Siggy. ❤️ by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago

Is the goal: More Christian or More Like Christ?

Just sharing a thought that came to mind while scrolling through social media today.

When did being a Christian become more important to us than being like Christ?
I see so many conversations about Christianity and what it means to be a Christian that don’t always seem to align with the life and heart of Jesus.

It feels like we’ve become increasingly focused on rules, traditions, cultural expectations, and labels, while sometimes losing sight of the One we’re actually called to follow.

Don’t get me wrong—I am a proud Christian. But the goal was never Christianity for Christianity’s sake. The goal has always been to become more like Christ.

Maybe WWJD isn’t just: What would Jesus do?
But also:
• What would Jesus say?
• What would Jesus post?
• How would Jesus react?

Because sometimes our answer to “What would Jesus do?” looks different from “What do Christians around me normally do?”

Our norms can be influenced by politics, culture, and social pressure. But Christ is above influence. His character doesn’t change. His teachings don’t shift with trends.

1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

So here’s my question:

Have we ever allowed the practices of our religion or the expectations of our communities to become more important than simply living like Jesus?

This thought came to me after seeing a post about a man divorcing his wife because he felt she no longer fit his Christian lifestyle.

It also made me think about Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Gomer, and Mary—people who may have seemed “unfit” by society’s standards, yet fit perfectly into God’s plan.

I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts: How do you balance Christian culture and traditions with the call to simply follow Jesus? by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago

Y’all know I love digging into Scripture, and I’m reading Be Compassionate by Warren Wiersbe as he walks through the Gospel of Luke.

I’ve read about leprosy countless times in the Bible, but I never stopped to consider how closely it mirrors sin.

Leprosy wasn’t just a skin condition—it separated people from community, spread over time, defiled everything it touched, and couldn’t be fixed with surface-level treatment.

Sound familiar?

Sin works the same way.

It goes deeper than what people can see. It spreads when left unchecked. It creates separation from God and others. And no amount of covering it up or trying harder can truly heal it.

That’s why the story of Jesus touching and cleansing lepers is so powerful.

He didn’t avoid the unclean—He moved toward them.

The same Jesus who healed leprosy is the One who heals our hearts. What we can’t fix on our own, He restores completely.

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely…” — Book of Hosea 14:4

Grace doesn’t just cover our sin—it cleanses us.

#BibleStudy #BookOfLuke #FaithJourney #JesusHeals #Grace BibleReflection by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago

Hey y’all, happy Monday! 📖✨ Read the Bible with me as we wrap up the book of Hosea.

I recently finished reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers with my book club, and pairing it with the book of Hosea has been such a powerful experience.

As we close out Hosea, I want to leave you with Hosea 14:4:

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

To me, that verse captures the entire heart of this book.

Throughout Hosea, we see a God who is abounding in love, slow to anger, patient, and faithful—even when His people are not. These are the very characteristics God reveals about Himself in Exodus.

And here, at the end of Hosea, He reminds us that He is also our healer.

He says He will heal our waywardness and love us freely.

Freely.

We don’t have to earn God’s love. We can’t buy it, perform for it, or prove ourselves worthy of it. We simply have to turn toward Him, seek Him, and allow Him to pour into our lives.

That’s the beauty of Hosea: no matter how far we wander, God continues to call us back.

That was also one of the most beautiful themes in Redeeming Love. The main character spent so much of her life running, believing she had to earn love or that she was too broken to receive it. Yet the people who truly loved her never stopped pursuing her.

And even that is only a small glimpse of the love God has for us.

So wherever you find yourself today—whether you feel close to God or far away—know this: His love is still pursuing you.

Continue to be blessed, and I’ll see you in the next “Read the Bible with Me.” 🤍 by @yourlawyerfriend_

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a month ago