In Matthew 8, we enter a scene in which a scribe promises Jesus that he will follow him wherever he goes. Jesus replies: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 

In her past work as a school counselor, Jenessa Fillipi confronted the reality of Jesus having no place to rest his head when she learned that some of her students did not have a bed to sleep on or a table on which to eat. This realization awoke Jenessa to the reality of the everyday challenges of families around her; yes, even in her cozy city in the Midwest. Did Jesus, our God incarnate, lack for a resting place during his time on earth? What about his children on earth? How are we called to respond?  For Jenessa, it meant founding Down Home, a ministry dedicated to providing a place for the vulnerable to rest their heads at night. 

Along with being the founder and executive director of Down Home, this wife and mother of four recently was bestowed the title of 2024 Mother of the Year. But before all those roles, she claims daughter of the King to be her highest calling. 

Show notes: 

• https://www.down-home.org/
• https://www.americanmothers.org/
• https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns/faith-led-fillipi-to-mother-of-the-year-down-home-ministry