I’ve heard it said that “you shouldn’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle” and “comparison is the thief of joy”. But what if my “middle” does not look like I thought it would at this point in my life? I feel behind when it comes to career successes.

You may be asking yourself, “How do the battles we face on this earth draw us closer to God?” Jeremiah 1:19 states, “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, says the Lord” (NIV). So, if you are facing a battle in your life, let me suggest three ways to draw closer to God. 

The reason you like it is because you have experienced it, and enjoyed it. You went beyond the ingredients telling you that it is sweet, opened the packaging, and tried it for yourself. You have tasted it and all of its sugary goodness, and Know it is good.

I sat in a space where joy and sorrow were coexisting simultaneously. I was grieving what was, questioned what now, but was excited for what was to come.

As I began to reflect on my questions for the night, I was greeted with a not so fun question. “What is a situation in your life that you need to let go and give God control to work for your good?”

To be good enough to earn God’s steadfastness, I must surrender my efforts at being good enough. I must confess perfection is unattainable, accessing God's favor by being human, enduring an incurable, enfeebling disorder. 

There are a lot of things in life this past year that I have looked back on and been so overwhelmed by the goodness of God that I get to do life with all of you! Not only have we seen Jesus show up but we have seen Jesus appear in the hearts of so many of you. The bold challenges each episode, the deep conversations you all have had, has been so uplifting and my prayer and hope is that continues.

There is nothing we can do to “earn” His love because He already proved how much He loves us. What we can do is make our lives align with the will of God in faithfulness. By observing this holy time by fasting, praying, and almsgiving, the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection can deepen our faith.

“Seek and you will find”. When we lose Jesus, it is not a forever thing, he promises us that we WILL find him when we seek after him with all of our heart.  

The reason for Lent is to honor and respect the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is not only a time meant to somberly reflect on our repentance, but also hope for the eternal life Jesus offers through his sacrifice on the cross. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which is 40 days before Easter.

 Here are 5 steps that you can take when learning how to glorify the Lord during school.

A specific parable in Luke 10:25-37 speaks on the importance of helping your neighbor. Jesus is hanging out with his followers one day when an expert of the Law asks Jesus a question.

There’s a lot of loss in that last paragraph, some of them big, and others small. However, even right now, the loss brings beauty, even in ways we least expect it. Each one of these losses have been redeemed in one way or another.

If the Lord had answered Elijah’s prayer in verse 4 with a “yes”, Elijah would not witness the signs and wonders of the Lord that would restore a nation. Elijah listened to the quiet whisper of the Lord instead of being caught up in the loud, hopeless, discouraging voices of the world around him.

What if I told you, you are part of a bigger team beyond just those individuals? You are part of a great shared mission and vision the second you said yes to Jesus. The list you just created… Well friend, your name is on Jesus’ list as someone who is on his team! When you said yes to him, you joined His team, and His mission.

No words needed to be spoken. I like to think that God was concentrating on what He was doing. Usually when I am talking I cannot multitask very well and mess up on whatever I should be focusing on. God formed a human out of the dust of the ground. FORMED not spoken into existence.

How many ways can we praise the Lord? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as life has been quickly changing and evolving, but my prayer life has remained the same. I have found myself wanting more from my prayer life but not knowing how to start. 

Have we been desensitized to sin to the point where we no longer mourn it? We don’t like to sit in the awful, but sometimes that is just what we need. We are not meant to constantly dwell there, otherwise that would be utter hopelessness. However, getting to that place is a work of God in us, with the aim to then fix our eyes toward Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Some days, my prayer might be as I hold my daughter and rock back and forth as she fights her nap. Other days, it might be a full 30 minutes of prayer time before Ceci wakes up for the day. But the important part is that I do the best that I can to bring myself and others closer to the Lord, regardless of how that looks. 

It was during this time though that God began developing in me a habit of praying while awake at night. I found it easier to switch my focus from the pain if I prayed for others and the Psalms were my go to for comfort and soothing my soul. I found David’s words pouring out his heart to God to be a relief – it was ok for me to share my heart with God too. 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” It’s ok to tell God how you feel – He already knows what is in your heart.