Pressing Forward 2026: HE IS THE LIFTER
A Spiritual Care Package From Middletons On A Mission
Published Wednesday, August 26th, 2026
"Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
Psalm 3:2-3
I'm Aware
Written By: Teddy Middleton
When you bench press, the goal is simple: never let the weight settle on your chest or fall beneath you. You press it up. You press forward.
But the ability to press is first rooted in the belief that you can—and for me, that belief is ultimately rooted not in my own strength, but in the power of Jesus Christ at work in me.
I'm also aware that some seasons call for me to just get into position and let God do the work of heavy lifting on my behalf. There's a lot of heaviness in this world, and those of us on the narrow road following Jesus are promised opposition. Having the ability to spiritually discern what you're called to carry vs what you'll surrender to HIM is essential.
Growing up, my Uncle Ron-Do, R.I.P, taught me how to lift weights. He trained me to push beyond failure and discover strength I didn’t know I had.
As a business owner and master barber, he demonstrated the importance of cutting-edge precision—knowing that the smallest details can make the greatest difference.
Naturally, as a man, a husband and a father, I have the desire to be sharp and equipped. I prefer being able to handle the responsibilities of my life with strength, wisdom, and quite frankly on my own.
This is just how I was raised, to show up for those I love.
Now, imagine, my own inner wrestling when the Lord asked me to quit my full-time job and travel with my family as a full-time missionary depending solely on HIM for provision.
How can one be sharp and precise, when they have surrendered their way forward and lack details about the exact path to take?
The bible talks a lot about being crushed for your calling. There is not a man in The bible of notable mention who figured it all out by himself. Yet, every day most men I know, myself included, have a hard time not being the one with the master plan and presumably all the answers to life figured out.
It can be a heavy weight on your chest—almost suffocating at times—to carry the responsibility of providing for your family as a man while not always knowing how it’s going to happen. But GOD always steps in and helps you finish the rep.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7After 20 months of wrestling with God's way during this first year on mission with my family, I'm finally learning how to let God do the heavy lifting. I have settled within myself that how I feel in a given moment matters less than the satisfaction of obedience to my God-given YES.
So I will press forward—not because everything feels good, easy, or certain, but because I believe, and I’m grateful to be chosen and trusted with God's kingdom business.
The Lord is my Father, and when the weight becomes too heavy or I find myself nearing failure, He is my spotter—present, faithful, and strong enough to help me press through.
Here are Ten Ways I’m Pressing Forward In This Next Season of Life in the Marketplace + On Missions:
I Will Keep Going
Choosing Gratitude
Staying Present
Looking for the Positive in the Negative
Letting My Joy Outweigh My Sadness
Valuing the Opportunities I Have In Front Of Me
Honoring My YES
Resting
Pressing Forward Together
Trusting God With Each Next Step
The Being Academy Scholars present... "The City Of Dreamers"
The Being Academy Scholars present their new animated series, City Of Dreamers, coming soon to The Being Academy Youtube Channel.
This musical edutainment and discipleship series follows Geegee, Viva Jo, and TheoCai—three young Scholars growing up on mission with their family in the extraordinary City of Dreamers. Through original music, storytelling, humor, adventure, and prayer, each episode helps children discover what it means to follow Jesus, hear God’s voice, obey HIS Word, love others, and live boldly by faith. Created for children and families, City Of Dreamers makes discipleship imaginative, engaging, and fun while inspiring kids to live their God Dreams out loud.
Subscribe to The Being Academy on YouTube to be the first to know when the series releases. Follow Jesus. Be Bold. Live your God Dream out loud.
Marketplace + Missions: Our 2026/2027 Ministry Agenda
For the last 20 months, as our family has served in missions, we have been sustained through a combination of personal savings and generous seeds sown by our friends and family during seasons when our capacity to self-fund was limited.
Over the next couple of months, we will be transitioning into a new marketplace income + missions fund model, and we look forward to sharing more about what this next season will look like soon.
As we make this transition, we’d like to invite you to prayerfully consider sowing into our August 2026 Missions Fund. These funds are support for our family as we transition from our summer missions transition housing in Palm Desert, California, back to our home base in Orange County.
We are deeply grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and every seed sown in support of our family’s obedience to God’s call.
The Goodness Report: August 11, 2026
What happens when you say YES to A God Dream?
What happens when you say YES to A God Dream?
Ten years ago, on August 9, 2016, our family arrived in Southern California with two babies, one loaded white sedan, $4,000 saved, no jobs, no permanent residence, and no immediate family nearby—but God.
We came to California following Jesus in pursuit of A God Dream to build the faith-based media tech company known today as The Being Academy. What we could not see then was that God’s dream was far bigger than anything we imagined. While we were building the company, HE was building us.
A DECADE BEING SENT is our testimony of ten years of faith, family, business, servant leadership, prayer, obedience, surrender, and praise. It is the story of what happened after we told God YES—and kept telling HIM yes when the road required more faith than certainty.
Eighteen months ago, we stepped away from everything we had built to follow Jesus as a full-time missionary family. Through that season, God revealed something we could not have understood when we first arrived in California: the marketplace, the mission field, and the Ministry of Family were never separate assignments.
From one faithful step to the next, this is our testimony of what happens when God breathes on the surrendered YES of HIS children and uses A God Dream not only to build what they are carrying, but to build the people carrying it.
With ten years down as a solid new beginning, we boldly testify: God’s not finished.
Thank you to every member of The Being Academy and every financial partner supporting Middletons On A Mission. To every person who has prayed, given, encouraged, sown seed, opened a door, welcomed our family, attended a ministry gathering, experienced something we created, or simply believed alongside us over these last ten years: you are part of this testimony too.
JOIN US THIS NEXT DECADE
Cash App: $TheBeingAcademy
PayPal : @thebeingacademy
Zelle: info@mybeingacademy.com
A Summer Of Praise Playlist
What’s a summer day without the perfect playlist to go with it? With 27 days left of the season, it’s the perfect time to lock in the warmth by giving praise to God. We’ve curated a groove mix of hip-hop, reggae, house music, traditional gospel, and CCM designed to lift your spirit, turn your attention toward Heaven, and magnify the Lord in these final golden days of summer.
Whether you’re driving with the windows down, loving on your partner, celebrating with family, working, resting, or simply enjoying a cold glass of your favorite beverage, let every beat drop become the soundtrack to God’s goodness in your life.
Click your preferred music streaming platform icon below to set an atmosphere of praise, love, joy, and dance right where you are.
Spotify Playlist 
Youtube Playlist 
Tidal Playlist
With love, In Service
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