“Everyone grieves differently. Some turn away from God, and some draw closer to Him. We have to figure out how we close that gap.” So, what makes the difference between the woman who moves closer to God and the one who moves away from Him when hard things hit?

We’re on the “climb of life” and then winds of testing and trials begin to push us, trying to throw off our balance with doubt and fear.

You know, climbing up on that rock, I said to myself “I may slip, but at least this rock ain’t going nowhere!” How true is that of God! Our balance, or our faith, may get tested but God is faithful, and just like that rock, He’s not going anywhere!

Have you ever had a moment like this? A meeting or conversation where you knew it was a God appointment. An interaction He was inviting you to trust in His character and to step out in faith? Maybe to share about the hope you have in Him with a coworker or stand firm in love with your convictions on a project. When we are obedient to the invitation and step out in moments like these it builds our faith in God’s character and our confidence in who He calls us to be.

Isn’t it funny that we can be so caught up in what WE want for our life? We can be so sure of who God has made us to be, and yet when those pivotal timelines come and go, and you don’t see those dreams come to pass, we can think ‘wow, my life doesn’t look at all what I thought it would look like at this point! Does it mean I’ve missed my purpose?”

Is there something in your life that you want to see birthed? Maybe it’s a baby, or maybe it’s a dream in your heart, or maybe it’s a calling that you know you need to step into, or maybe it is a legacy that you want to leave. Often we don’t see our dreams come to pass, we shrink back in fear that it will never be birthed. However, we have to CHOOSE to embrace the pain of the process, and keep believing that as we endure, there is joy ahead!

How is your heart? Are you joyful? Fearful? Anguishing? Are you content? Are you frustrated? Are you stressed?

I think no matter where we are today, we can all relate to feeling emotionally beat up, drained, exhausted. Many of us have been through seasons that have changed us. Many of us carry (consciously or unconsciously) the baggage or wounds associated with something we’ve walked through. Many of us look to the Lord and say, Father, I’ve surrendered, I’ve submitted, I’m praying, but I’m still feeling like… and you can fill in the blank. Alternately, many of us are dealing with the fruit of a broken heart, while ignoring what’s getting us there.

You too can make a difference. God might not be calling you to a full-time anti-human trafficking ministry, but He is calling you to “see”.

God has always been committed to community – He could unwrap us from our issues with the wave of His hand or the sound of His voice, yet, He chooses to partner us with other people. People who can see things we don’t, so that, with their help, we can see a future we wouldn’t have.

In this ever-changing world full of drama and controversy, it is so easy to forget that my feet need to be planted firmly in soil amended with God’s word and promises, not soil amended by news anchors and social media.

You are not who you were, what happened doesn’t have to be a constant happening in your life and God thinks you are worth it!

The promise brings us hope for the future but remembering the miracles of the past gives us faith in the waiting.

He goes to prepare a place for us. He will come again and take us to be with Him. We will soon be reunited with our Heavenly Father. Not only will we see IT, we will see HIM.

Rest assured, God cannot change. The same God that rose Lazarus from the dead after 3 days, the same God that saw David become king after 15 years, the same God who gave Abraham a son after 100 years, that God is working on your behalf.