May has always felt like a season of growth to me.

There is something about this time of year — everything is blooming, expanding, coming to life. What was planted is starting to show. What was quiet is beginning to speak. There is movement. There is evidence.

It’s a season of increase.

And I believe the Lord loves increase.

Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7 (NIV):
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

God is the one who brings increase.

We do our part — we plant, we water, we show up, we stay consistent — but He is the one who causes growth.

And I don’t know about you, but I love looking back and seeing where growth has actually taken place.

Not imagined growth. Not hoped-for growth. Real growth.

The kind that shows up in how you respond instead of react.
The kind that shows up in how quickly you recover from offense.
The kind that shows up in your discipline, your patience, your perspective.

Growth that changes you.

Honoring Mothers — More Than Just One Day

May is also the time we set aside to honor our mothers.

And we should.

But if we’re being honest, it shouldn’t be once a year.

Motherhood is one of the most stretching, demanding, refining roles a person can step into. And the truth is, it never ends — it just evolves.

When your children are little, it’s physical. It’s constant. It’s exhausting in a way that only a mother understands.

When they get older, it becomes emotional. Mental. Spiritual. You’re not just meeting needs — you’re shaping people. You’re guiding, correcting, praying, releasing, trusting.

It takes everything you’ve got.

And it changes you.

Being a mom has taught me more about Jesus than almost anything else in my life.

It has taught me about love that doesn’t make sense.
About showing up when you’re tired.
About giving when you feel empty.
About patience when it’s been tested one too many times.

It has taught me about sacrifice.

Real sacrifice.

The kind that isn’t seen. The kind that isn’t applauded. The kind that happens in quiet moments, behind closed doors, when no one is watching.

And in those moments, I have caught glimpses of what it means that God loves us the way He does.

Not because we always get it right.
Not because we deserve it.
But because we are His.

Motherhood has a way of refining you if you let it.

It exposes your weaknesses.
It challenges your patience.
It reveals where you need to grow.

And if you are willing to reflect, to adjust, to grow — it will change you in the most powerful ways.

Growth Requires Awareness

This ties directly into something I’ve been thinking about a lot this year.

Growth doesn’t happen automatically.

It requires awareness.

It requires a willingness to look at yourself honestly and say,
“Where do I need to grow?”

Not where is everyone else wrong.
Not where life has been unfair.
But where you need to shift.

That’s not always easy.

In fact, it’s rarely easy.

But it’s necessary.

Because what you are not aware of, you cannot change.

And what you refuse to acknowledge, you will repeat.

Growth in your faith, your relationships, your leadership — it all starts here.

Awareness.

Then adjustment.

Then consistency.

Then increase.

That’s the order.

Built To Last — Growth in Real Time

We are now several weeks into Built To Last, and I can honestly say it has been incredible.

The conversations we are having… the honesty… the vulnerability… the breakthroughs… it’s powerful.

God is moving in the lives of each participant.

And what I love most is this:

It’s not surface-level.

It’s not theory.

It’s real life.

Couples are learning how to communicate differently.
They are learning how to listen — really listen.
They are learning how to slow down their reactions and become more intentional in how they respond.

And you can feel the shift.

Not because everything is perfect.
But because people are willing to grow.

That’s the difference.

Strong marriages don’t happen because people avoid problems.
They happen because people are willing to address them.

Willing to reflect.
Willing to own their part.
Willing to change.

Sometimes it’s not a massive overhaul.

Sometimes it’s one change.

One shift in tone.
One decision to listen differently.
One moment where you choose connection over being right.

And everything begins to move.

We are heading into the second half of this academy, and I am expectant for what God is going to continue to do.

Because when people lean in, when they commit, when they stay — growth happens.

Increase Doesn’t Happen by Accident

If May is a season of increase, then we have to ask ourselves an honest question:

What have I been planting?

Because you cannot expect a harvest where nothing has been sown.

You cannot expect growth where there has been no consistency.

You cannot expect increase without intentional effort.

This applies to everything.

Your relationship with God.
Your marriage.
Your leadership.
Your personal discipline.

Increase follows investment.

And not just occasional investment — consistent investment.

Small, repeated decisions.

Showing up when you don’t feel like it.
Doing the work when it would be easier to avoid it.
Staying committed when the excitement wears off.

That’s where growth happens.

And that’s where most people quit.

The Season You’re In Matters

So let me ask you something:

What season does God have you in right now?

Are you in a planting season?
Are you in a waiting season?
Are you in a pruning season?
Or are you starting to see increase?

Each season has a purpose.

And one of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to rush out of the season they are in.

But God does not waste seasons.

If you are in a stretching season, there is something being developed in you.
If you are in a quiet season, there is something being built in you.
If you are in a challenging season, there is something being strengthened in you.

And if you are in a season of increase, there is something being entrusted to you.

The goal is not to escape the season.

The goal is to grow in it.

Growth Happens on Purpose

Everything we do inside Kingdom Alliance is built around this truth:

Growth happens on purpose.

Not by accident.
Not by intention alone.
But through structure, accountability, and community.

Because left to ourselves, we drift.

We start strong.
We lose focus.
We circle back to old patterns.

But when you are in an environment that calls you higher, that challenges you, that supports you — growth becomes consistent.

And consistency produces transformation.

One Final Thought

If May is a season of growth and increase, don’t miss it.

Don’t let this be another month that passes without intention.

Take a moment.

Reflect honestly.

Ask yourself:

Where am I growing?
Where am I avoiding growth?
Where is God asking me to stretch?

And then do something about it.

Not everything.

Just one thing.

Because one change can change everything.

And that’s how real transformation begins.

— Michelle Schaffer
Founder, Kingdom Alliance