Sometimes We Have To Fall Into Hope

Clarissa Joan Middleton
4 days ago
8 min read

A Message On Resilience From Pastor Clarissa Joan Middleton

The Goodness Report - Fall 2025

Published Friday, November 14, 2025

Image Credit: Christopher Berg

The picture above was taken by my Norwegian neighbor, Chris, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

This is where Teddy and I relocated our family this past spring for three months of discipleship training and to give birth to our new branch of ministry: Middletons On A Mission.

When 2025 began, being equipped to travel across the globe as a family of missionaries was not on our bingo card. Actually following through with this call over the last eleven months is a testament to being still and knowing Yeshua—JESUS SAVES.

We often talk about purpose and callings revealed, but rarely do we address what it takes to steward God's dream for our lives well.

When God invites us into something new—far beyond anything we could imagine—it’s only natural to wrestle with what must die so we can press “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:14. Obedience often looks like “laboring to enter into His rest.”

It has been a hell of a year, I’ll tell you!

We have had days when there have been many zeroes in our bank account for the mission. We’ve also had days with zero dollars in our bank account, yet and still, our family has stayed on mission!

We’ve had moments knowing exactly where we would sleep for an extended period of time; New York, California, Hawaii, and The Providence of Alberta, Canada.

We’ve also had many scary moments, at first, having no idea where we would be called to lay our head that night; Atlanta, DC, Virginia Beach, Yellowstone National Park, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, Utah just to name a few tents we've pitched.

What we know for sure is that God called us to go, and we said yes to HIS great commission as a family.

Recently, in prayer, I asked the Lord "why is there so much pain and agony and confusion in the Earth during this time where HE has released great promises to The Body?

I bet this is a question that has been on your mind too?

If God is so good, why must we as a society endure so much suffering?

While in deep prayer, fasting, and meditation on HIS WORD, The Lord began to speak to me. I’ll share just a portion of what HE has permitted me to release:

The Lord showed me humanity, and HE showed me Adam. HE also showed me our entitlement and naïveté. 

HE said: 

"when we, humans, were in the garden and being protected, we had no idea how valuable our joy and our peace were. This ignorance limited our capacity to hunger and thirst after HIS righteousness. 

Upon being exposed to desolation and resistance and affliction, we became more aware of just how precious and valuable life with God is."

Becoming in The Kingdom Of God is like 1 John 3:1-3:

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

We must be honest and ask ourselves, who takes care of that which they don’t believe is valuable? Not a soul!

When we understand this, we understand why, like Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21), the devil's number one trick to deceive the believer is devaluing and mocking our relationship with God.

When we allow worldliness to discount our preciousness, we lose the hope necessary to steward the blessing of God well. see. Genesis 1:28

But when HE afflicts us, we shed all manner of laissez faire regarding the importance of tending to HIS garden and the seeds of our promise. We become like a mother who has carried her seed for a time worth the wait. She has nurtured, grown, and loved her baby. She has bonded to this human being, whom she has not even seen, so deeply that nothing can separate her from the love she desires to share with her child.

She, too, reflects God—nothing can separate us from His passion and desire to see HIS glory and likeness manifested by HIS children on Earth.

For the joy set before HIM, Jesus endured the cross. For the hope of life, love, and freedom with God to come, we too must steward our affliction well. Every God promise is worth the wait! The afflictions of today will become the blessings of stewardship over tomorrow’s promises.

This picture was taken June 25, 2025, the day before our commissioning as a discipled family sent to go on missions. In our first year of missions, we served in 2 countries, traveled through 22 states, and ministered through baptism, intercession, preaching, teaching, faith-based production, worship, and hospitality to thousands of people.

We've sponsored believers pursuing theological studies, fed the multitude with food pop-ups, delivered many souls through spiritual warfare knowledge, led non-believers to Christ, and discipled over 100 individuals, children, and families seeking to know God personally for themselves.

There is more! Over the past year, we filmed countless moments from our journey. Our docu-series, Middletons On a Mission, is coming soon—offering you an up-close look at what it truly means to live as a family of missionaries devoted to God’s call.

For more information on Middletons On A Mission and to support our missions fund visit: https://www.mybeingacademy.com/post/middletons-on-a-mission

Cash App: $MrsCJoan
PayPal : @thebeingacademy
Zelle: clarissajoan@gmail.com

The Goodness Report Fall 2025

Dear Friends,

The time has come for us to address our critical need for hope.

In the midst of all the chaos our generations have been chosen to endure, faith matters not without a present hope? Hope is the vehicle we ride, whether cruising or speeding, down the narrow road of faith.

Hope for today, for tomorrow, for the treasure of wisdom yesterday produced, justifies the ache and the groan of enduring hard times.

As a woman who has failed her way into hope over and over again, I'd be remiss if I did not testify to the power of stewarding our affliction well.

When everything is seemingly falling apart, we who have seen the glory of God shine through our darkest hours must speak up!

It is indeed true that history left unaddressed repeats itself as a curse afflicting many generations. Yet, I have also learned, history acknowledged, honored, and passed down can become a generational blessing.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Revelations 12:11

In this hour of darkness, we can look to the dead leaves falling to the ground—making space for fresh buds in the spring—as a sign of hope. We can look to each other’s testimonies of overcoming, like lighthouses guiding us to stay the course. Most importantly, we can look to Jesus, our ever-present help, and stand firm, knowing that His resurrection power lives in all who believe.

Sometimes hope looks like letting everything fall, trusting that God will give us the the resilience to rise again—to dream, to steward, and to live the God-dream afresh.

Let's Pray Together!

Join me every Wednesday through the end of the year for the Mornings With God Prayer Call.

Weekly at 7:00 AM EST / 4:00 AM PST

We will be deep diving into Kingdom Stewardship.

The Lord says it is time to dream the God dream again, and this time steward it well.

God’s will, God’s way always.

God has me on assignment right now to encourage HIS beloved to dream and steward the God dream again.

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Many doors were opened for our family this past year to teach, preach, and spread the Good News. Also, many doors were closed for us to teach, preach, and prophesy The Word of God to all the nations HIS way only.

In the midst of it all, I personally have made up my mind. I will worship the Lord in spirit and truth no matter what. I have learned and really know to be true that obedience is better than sacrifice.

I'm Aware

Image Credit: Genesis Olivia Middleton at All Nations Worship Assembly NY 09.11.2025

I wish I could tell you that I dreamed this life I live today. I have always loved life, but my stipulations on this earthly lease were nothing compared to the glory of God set before me.

Growing up, all I ever desired to be was a mother! This groan emerged out of the aches and pains of having a very tumultuous relationship with my own mother.

I desired to get married only because I believe that is the best way to fulfill my dreams of being a mother.

I never imagined in a million years the man who would become my husband. I never imagined attending the best film school in the world, falling in love with the city of my dreams, or working in industries with great minds that blow mine away!

I also never imagined being filled with the Holy Spirit from the tips of my toes to the crown of my head—until my thirst and hunger for His righteousness overflowed. The hope of glory and the spirit of prophecy, the very testimony of Jesus Christ, fills me like a rushing river, saturating everyone and everything around me—so much that we believe we can walk on water. I never imagined this!

I had and still have no idea what God has for me and you, those of us who love HIM.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

What I know for sure is that by the grace of God, I am what I am. When I call on the name of Jesus, HE, my good shepherd, comes running! Thank you LORD!

Most of the time in my past, I was like Harriett Tubman on that first run.

I was a captive trying to be set free, for me!

Until the Lord brought me into HIS sanctuary and said,

"go back for more souls, intercessor! Go back for more marriages, wife! Go back for more healed women, kingdom daughter! Go back for more of my children, mother! Go back for more Kingdom Business, financier! Go back for more truth, media maker! Go back to spread The Gospel, pastor! Go back to serve, missionary! Go back again, and again, and again until all know YHWH! Just GO!

When HE calls I run, and in my humility HE exalts me. All I have ever wanted to do is sit at HIS feet where I feel the most love! This is how I have learned to make the presence of God my home. When I lift HIM up HE draws men unto HIMSELF. HIS dream and my dream have become one!

I am nothing, but filthy rags. Yet in God, I am made new, made whole, and made holy, perfected in the radiance of HIS glory.

This is my testimony.

I have no Midas touch. I have blood, shit, sweat, sin, and tears like everybody else. I just know YESHUA HAMASCHIACH for myself. HE is my first love.

I thank God for afflicting me and bringing me to my knees this year. Thank you God for making me a witness to hope, faith, and love.

Thank you God for teaching me how to steward my pain into purpose again.

Thank you God for teaching me how to rest in the mess and hope in the chaos.

Thank you God for blessing me with your unconditional love!

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the Gospel and build HIS kingdom HIS way. Isaiah 61

Yes, Lord for the rest of my days!

Amen,