Giving ourselves permission in the middle of our grief or a heavy sadness to find joy is ok and is a gift. It can an “and/also” moment. I feel this really hard thing “and/also” MY GOD is with me and I trust Him!

Whatever you are waiting for today, do it with hope, and expectation. Look eagerly to and linger with Jesus. The secret is in embracing the wait by lingering with God.

In the areas of my life where I struggle with being truly invested in, do I really trust and believe God that being faithful and obedient to the little things is important?

I appreciate Paul being honest with his struggle with sin. It brings me hope to know I am not an anomaly. Paul continues to talk about the war inside of himself when he asks and answers this question:

No matter where we find ourselves in this life, we are called to look like, act like, respond like and speak like Jesus.

So now if we put all these truths together we have a God who searches us, knows us, is our Father and remains with us always.  What a Heavenly gift!

You would think, with everything we’ve been through, I would be an expert on trusting God and not questioning the circumstances and situations that happen.

The passage of dry bones shows the gift of faithfulness, nearness and the Lord’s powers displayed

Having just celebrated Easter, I am struck by the thought that because of the power of the resurrection, who I am is different after the Cross.

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the promises and power of God to live whole and free lives!!!!!

“Throughout the Bible we see God pursuing His people with relentless passion and doing whatever He had to do win them back. God had a plan for redemption and a means to restore a broken relationship.” ~ Joel Ryan

When God moves in our lives and we look and act different than what people have always known ~ we have a great moment to declare what Jesus has done for us and bring Him glory!

God sees you in those moments, those seasons. He not only sees you, but has a secret treasure waiting for you there.

To read God’s word as if the One you love has revealed his heart for you, his passions, his emotions, and his love for you is the more personal way to read it because that is exactly what He has done. God has made himself vulnerable in scripture.

Jesus fully and completely met people where they were at so He could bring them to the the most life-changing decision of their lives -- to believe that He is the Messiah and would save them from their sins.

Perhaps like me at times you find it to believe that a perfect God does in fact, truly and fiercely loves us. That He is walks with us. That He protects us. That He is who we can go to in times of distress and doubt.

You see, I’ve defined anxiety as a feeling. Anxiety isn’t a feeling, it’s a belief system that disguises itself as a feeling.

When we feel nothing He is still there. Still showing up. Still leading. Still loving.

If Americans got behind President Kennedy with his dream to put a man on the moon, surely we can believe in the God of the universe,

Love begins and ends with God. He provided a way for us to be with Him for all of eternity…He loves us so much He wants to spend it with us.