One thing I've learned through bouts of receiving excess amounts of lemons is that the lemonade is rarely about or for me. Whatever trials we face, we have a responsibility to put in the work in order to turn those lemons into lemonade for both ourselves and others. The process isn’t enjoyable, and it certainly isn’t easy, but it is necessary for both own growth and for encouraging others.
Read MorePhysical pain, heartache and loss, financial troubles, and all sorts of trials shorten the distance of our vision. It sometimes takes all of our beings to move forward when we can’t see what’s ahead. That’s when we can rely on hope to become our lenses.
Read MoreThis is your mid-year reminder to keep going, keep pushing, and keep fighting.
Read MoreOne of the best parts, but also one of the most difficult parts, of committing to and living a Christ-led life is the internal work that has to be done. The pain, resentment, past trauma, anger, character flaws, and so on that have taken root in our hearts continually pop up and cannot be covered up or planted over. They can hinder the growth of our relationships with God and restrict how God can use us.
Read MoreThe sunny days are much more enjoyable after a few days of clouds, and I will be sure to not take for granted those sunny days that come in a row. And I can’t forget that all the plants need to be refreshed by connecting to the source of their growth, even if it means not receiving direct sunlight for a day or two.
Read MoreOur illnesses can become our idols if we’re not careful. Illnesses often affect our activities, where we go, what we eat, and how we live day to day. They can shift our way of thinking and cause our emotions to overflow. They change the ins and outs of our entire lives; so, of course, our focus is turned toward our illnesses.
Read MoreRewriting and shifting the way we look at ourselves after diagnosis is a challenging process. Loving our bodies is exponentially harder when our bodies don’t operate the way they are supposed to.
Read MoreOur second days can last anywhere from a moment to many years, and during that time our hope and faith can waver, we may come to acceptance, frequently get angry, attempt to make personal goals and changes, and so much more. Sometimes, we become comfortable with the dysfunction of the second day and end up living with no peace, little happiness, and minimal hope. And if we’re not careful, we will be so focused on what happened on our “Good Friday” and how it affected us, that we will miss our “Resurrection Sunday.”
Read MoreWe were not designed to live disconnected from God. We are to seek Him first and foremost as the source of encouragement. Our friends, family, spouses, even pastors and leaders, are all amazing people who can provide us with some of the support we need, but they aren’t always available when we need it, nor should we expect them to be.
Read MoreI’ve come to realize through my own experiences that sometimes we think we have peace, but we really do not. I think we confuse peace with being happy or satisfied in a moment. And it’s not to say that that isn’t peaceFUL, but do you really have peace?
Read MoreIt would be so easy to type out some sort encouragement saying that my faith has always outweighed by fears. But, that would be a lie, because there have been days, weeks, and probably even months at a time where I had little to no belief in the unseen future of my life.
Read MoreShould be comfortable in our pain? Is it wrong to have moments, or even seasons, of anger, grief, or desperation even if it does have a purpose?
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