For most of my life, I believed I had to prove that I was enough. I chased success, approval, and anything that might fill the emptiness inside me.

Josh Blakesley believes his calling is to make music that moves people into prayer and action. Since the release of his debut album in 2003, he has become a mainstay in Catholic Christian music as an artist, composer, producer, and worship leader.

I grew up Catholic in Zimbabwe, where I spent the first 24 years of my life. My parents would always remind us, “Remember who you belong to.” I knew they meant Jesus, but for a long time, I was mostly coasting in my faith.

I vividly remember the day Matteo and I quit our jobs. Our fourth baby was about a month old and we had just sold our house. We walked into the office where we worked together knowing exactly what we had to say.

I was raised Catholic, from a large Catholic family in St. Louis MO, and was taught at an early age how important faith was. 

Now as a husband, a father of 3, and co-founder of SacredSpark, I have not only surrendered to following Jesus and His Church, I have made it my daily mission to help build up the Church through bringing people together in community and holy, virtuous relationships.

Just as I thought that was enough growth, I got a call from Damascus. I had only been there once, on an SPO retreat, but I felt drawn to go back as a summer camp counselor.

Like a lot of cradle Catholics, going to Mass every Sunday was just part of my life. I went to Sunday school, Catholic retreats, and by God’s grace, I never really walked away from the faith, but for a long time, I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. 

God never abandoned me. Instead, He led me on a journey to rediscover Him, myself, and fall into an alignment with His will. I said “yes” and this is my story. One step, one day, and one yes at a time all for His will and glory.

Though I am permanently blind in my left eye, I’ve been able to see the way that God redeems our suffering. All we have to do is give it to Him and trust in His timing. Nothing given to God is ever wasted.

At first it was just a hobby. But that summer, while I was home with more free time, I began investing in it. I cleaned up the design, bought the domain acaffeinatedcatholic.com, and started writing more regularly, sharing posts on my personal Instagram and sending people to the full version on my website.

In September 2019, I attended a high school retreat, not knowing it would change everything. For the first time in my life, I didn’t just know about God, I felt the Father’s love personally. That moment rewrote the direction of my life.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been searching for God—but my real relationship with Jesus began when I was 19. In college, I joined a Baptist church, and later I followed my friends to a non-denominational church. I was trying to grow in faith, but deep down I still felt like something was missing.

 Through storytelling and beauty, I seek to help others encounter Jesus, the source of all beauty and the deepest longing of the human heart.

I’ve always loved stories. From fairy tales and folktales to sci-fi and fantasy novels, I’d read anything I could get my hands on growing up. There were Catholic books in the mix, too—Bible stories and lives of the saints. But for a long time, I thought all the best stories had nothing to do with God.

I did not plan on attending CCO’s Rise Up last year. The year prior was difficult so I thought that it would be better for me to have a lowkey and more quiet Christmas season.

It wasn’t until the second half of my studies at Brock University that I was reintroduced to the Catholic faith through a ministry called Catholic Christian Outreach.

I walked through much of my life in a kind of slumber. I went to Catholic school from the time I was little until I graduated, but the faith was never something I truly lived.