“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Forgiveness can be such a tricky thing, especially when we feel justified in our offenses. We have somehow equated justification as a valid reason to hold onto something God expressly told us not to hold onto. He told us to forgive as He forgave us. And if there is anyone who has walked this earth and had justification to hold onto sins committed against them, it’s Jesus, but he doesn’t. And while He does require us to repent, which means to turn from our sin, He never once said we had to ask Him for forgiveness. He forgave us long before we were ever sorry, and He forgives us even when we’re not. The command He gave us was to forgive as He forgave. I recently sat with my daughter crying in a youth camp service, and when I asked her if everything was ok, she told me God was dealing with her heart to forgive someone specific that had hurt her deeply, and she said, “It’s so hard, because they’re not even sorry. They don’ t care that they hurt me.” And, she’s right…It IS hard. She was concerned that if she verbalized forgiveness that she wouldn’t mean it, and therefore nothing would be “released.” I reminded her that Jesus told us to forgive them 70×7, not because they would sin against us that many times, but because it could take that many times of forgiving them for our hearts to be healed. Forgiveness can come in layers, and every time our minds or hearts are meditating on those moments, we have to forgive them again.
Earlier this month, my father passed away, and it dredged up pain I thought I had healed from decades ago. I can tell you the exact moment unforgiveness and bitterness against my dad left me. I know where I was and what I was doing, and it wasn’t in a church or at an altar. It was in the back room of our home that I was turning into an office to surprise my husband with for his birthday. I wasn’t even having a worshipful moment when it happened, but I felt it physically leave my body, so I know someone was praying for me. I was content to hold onto that hatred, but Jesus removed it in that moment. I called my dad who I had not spoken to in over a year at that point and reconciled. Did that change my dad’s behavior? Not at all. He was still the same person, but because God had done a work in me, I was very different. Did my forgiving him mean I removed healthy boundaries to keep me and my family safe? No, but it did mean that I handled myself very differently than before. See, forgiveness doesn’t change the other person, it changes us which is why Jesus commanded us to forgive. He’s calling us higher.
All is well that ends well, right? Apparently not. When my dad passed, as the oldest child, I was tasked with planning his funeral and taking care of the things he left behind. While in West Virginia tending to those things, I stumbled across evidence of his abuse towards my brother and me. I immediately had to walk outside the house to catch my breath, and I had to recognize the moment for what it was…another area that still needed healing in my own heart. Being triggered by anything should be a red flag for us concerning our own hearts and not billboards for sins committed against us. It’s God’s grace that reveals the broken things in our hearts and gently coaxes us to steward the healing He so lavishly offers. In that moment when I had every right to just walk away and let everything rot to the ground, because, “How dare he keep a memento of abuse. What kind of sicko does that,” Jesus so lovingly asked me, “When you join me in Heaven, will this moment matter? When you are on this side of eternity will any of that matter?” I had to be honest…No, it won’t. And I had to forgive again. Not because my dad asked for it or even deserved it, but because when I hold up all of my pain and my offense to the light of eternity, I don’t see those things anymore. I only see Jesus. I want Him more than I want to hold onto any of it, and I will gladly let those things fall to the ground.
And anytime my heart reveals another unhealed wound? I’ll forgive again. Not because they are worthy, but because HE is worthy.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Church camp has always meant so much to me. My sophomore year of high school was when I first realized I wasn’t really living my life fully for Christ. I came home on that classic “camp high,” feeling like my faith had changed in a big way.
Fast forward to my senior year — the theme was Total Surrender. By the end of the week, I was honestly shocked by how many things I still hadn’t fully given over to God. Now, a year later, I’m still learning what it means to actually live in total surrender. That theme came at such a perfect time in my life. I was stepping into a brand-new season and had no idea what to expect.
I think a lot of us can relate to this idea. We’re usually okay handing God certain parts of our lives, but we hold on tight to other parts — thinking we can handle them better ourselves. I know I’ve definitely struggled with that. It’s crazy to think how hesitant I can be to trust God, even though He’s already done so many amazing things in my life that I never could have imagined.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”
On the last full day of camp my senior year, the speaker invited us into a time of prayer and said to do whatever felt right — go up to the altar or stay in your seat. I noticed a middle school girl next to me was crying and looked unsure of what to do. I asked her if she wanted me to go up with her, and she said yes.
Once we got to the front, I prayed over her and then gave her a moment alone. I stayed kneeling there with my eyes closed. After the song ended, I looked up to check on her — but she was gone. Suddenly, I realized I was alone at the front and decided to take that moment for myself.
Before camp, I had been offered the chance to be the youth ministry intern for the upcoming year. I had been really struggling with whether or not to say yes. So right then, I prayed: “Lord, this anxiety and anxiousness I feel — it’s yours. I hand it to you. Please give me discernment.”
Almost immediately, I felt this huge wave of peace wash over me. At that moment, I knew God was calling me to take the internship. As I got up and walked back to my seat, I felt so light, like I was floating. I remember thinking, Why didn’t I surrender this sooner?
When we stop trying to lean on our own understanding and actually trust God fully, we realize that life is so much better in His hands. Total surrender isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.
When I first asked to write I wanted to talk about what the Lord has done in my marriage just a month into it, but I felt the Lord lead me to write about something else. As hard as it is to do, especially with everything that goes on nowadays, Jesus calls us to love and pray for our enemies.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,”
Matthew 5:43-44
I can promise you I am not good at that. As much as I hate to admit it I’m the type of person to hold a grudge. In my line of work, there are a ton of different people, with a ton of different backgrounds and beliefs on how things should be done. This pretty much guarantees that at some point in the day, someone will annoy me. Now when that time comes it’s always my choice to forgive them and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), or to treat them as an enemy. There are countless examples in the Bible of what acting this out, or the result of it looks like. The best example by far is in Luke 23. Jesus after being battered by the Romans, and mocked by the Jews hung there on the cross. He didn’t curse those people but instead said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they have done.” After everything Jesus went through, he still cared for their salvation. Still wanted the Lord to forgive their sins against him.
It isn’t easy loving the people who harm you, but everyone is a Child of God whether they acknowledge it or not. Our God is the type to leave the 99 to save the 1. We need to remember that the love we show to our enemies can have a massive effect or influence on their walk with the lord. Pray over your enemies, show them the love of God through your actions as Jesus calls us to do.
I’m fortunate enough to live in a time that reality tv is at its peak.
I’m not talking about “The Kardashians” or “Love is Blind”. I’m thinking of a show that took place in West Monroe, Louisiana, featuring men with long facial hair that love ducks.
This show is incredibly different because it first aired in a time that TV wanted to display anything but a Christ-like nature, and they did just the opposite.
The head of the family that starred in this show is Phil Robertson. Phil was unapologetically alive for Christ and learning about Phil was inspiring but also convicting.
After Phil gave his life to Christ, he felt so called to share the good news. He would feel convicted by seeing a stranger in a parking lot because he didn’t know where they stood with Jesus. He even tried to share Jesus with people who stole from him.
I’m not sharing this to brag about how cool Phil Robertson is, but there is something we can all take from him. We have the same opportunities he did, and we can take them.
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says to the disciples , “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Christians, we all come from different walks of life, but we are united in one purpose, to seek out the kingdom of God and lead others there too.
My prayer is that I and whoever reads this will notice and take advantage of their opportunity to spread the good news, that eternal life is found through faith alone in Jesus Christ for all who accept Him.
With the 4th of July approaching I know we are all preparing to celebrate the United States as an independent nation. This was a time when soldiers made significant sacrifices to secure our freedom, and still today many men and women give their lives to protect our freedoms. Soldiers have a dedication to their country prioritizing it above their own lives. They have a sense of duty,selfless service, responsibility to values, honor, bravery, courage, perseverance, suffering, and etc. The life of a soldier can actually be compared to the life a christian should live.
As christians we are in the army of Christ. We are to live our lives in obedience and discipline to the Father, our commanding officer. We have to continually seek and follow His guidance. He leads us by faith and through prayer and reading His word on a daily basis. We must prioritize our committment to set aside time to hear from God. This will empower us to face whatever battles may come our way. It also will give us the wisdom we need to make decisions and to lead others to Jesus.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8
As soldiers for Christ we have a duty to selfless service and a responsibility to spread the gospel. We are to put others and their well-being before our own. Our lives should be full of humility and love for others. We should live following the example of Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, never for personal gain or recognition. This can be giving our time to serve in our church, community, or even workplace without expecting recognition. We have to have pure hearts that truly desire to please God without it being an obligation. We may feel unappreciated at times but we can rest assured that we are pleasing the Father!
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:15
As soldiers for Christ we will experience times of suffering which leads to perseverance. We have to stay focused on our goal which is to live fully for God. Our suffering will always have a purpose usually in the sense that we experience growth that will deepen our faith. It also gives us the ability to be a help for our fellow brothers and sisters when they suffer. This can take a lot of bravery and courage just as it does a soldier in a battle. As christians we have to fight battles daily. Satan is constantly standing against us to try and defeat us. He knows what triggers us. He knows how to cause us to doubt. BUT God is greater than the enemy, He gives us the strength to fight the devil and our fleshly desires. We just have to stay focused and always look to the Lord.
“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3
As christians in God’s army we get to serve the highest commanding officer of all!! He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!! We know He has already won the battle. Jesus Christ has defeated death through His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection. We will face many battles in this life but God has given us His word as a weapon against the enemy. When we read the word of God, pray, seek His will, and keep our faith, we win the battle!!!
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
A topic that’s been heavy on my heart this past year has been walking through the wilderness.
As I entered into my first year of college last fall, I felt foreign to the world. I didn’t have sports anymore, I was distant from friends that I have grown up with, and I was scared to death of what the future looked like for me.
I would think to myself, “How do I navigate my future when I have no idea what it even looks like, or where the Lord is leading me? What if I choose the wrong career path and waste my life and money going to school for something I don’t even like?”
One day at bible study we were discussing being obedient to the Lord. As we were discussing this, the question I previously stated came into conversation. We began talking about what if we think we’re being obedient to the Lord, but in reality the Lord was leading us somewhere different.
My pastor told me something that gave me such peace. He said that no matter which path you choose, the Lord will be glorified if you are choosing HIM and putting HIM in front of your every step. That reminds me that no matter where I am in life, or how foreign the circumstances seem, the Lord will be glorified.
Another thing to add is that when it seems you are in the wilderness, make sure that your identity is being found in Christ. Not in your boyfriend/girlfriend, sports, social media, or the world.
When we lose focus on who God calls us to be, we lose focus on where he calls us to be.
Going forward, I hope to encourage everyone with this verse from Isaiah 42. In verse 19 it says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers on the desert.”
When Adam and Eve fell to temptation in Genesis 3, sin entered the world. The first man and woman were cast out of Eden when they chose to disobey God. In the followingchapters of Genesis and throughout scripture, we see shame, strife, death, disobedience, pain, chaos, and people living as though there were no God. Though God sent a flood to cleanse the earth, it didn’t take long for sin to become rampant again. When we look at the world around us, we see the destructiveness of sin. We have the same enemy that the first man and woman had, and he will do anything to keep us from knowing and walking with God. We have assurance even in this because Jesus tells us in 1 John 4:4: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Romans 6:23 tells us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Father God sent His only Son to be our Savior. What an unbelievable,indescribable gift of love – the love that sent Jesus to take our place on the cross. We earned the death sentence, yet He willingly poured His life out for us. Hebrews 5:7-10 reminds us that Jesus suffered in our place: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”
When we hear the “old, old story about a Savior who came from glory,” the Holy Spirit stirs our souls and leads us to the nail-scarred feet of Jesus. For the first time, we see ourselves through His eyes – our lostness and utter helplessness to save ourselves. We see and grieve at the depravity of our sin, but we also rejoice at the depth of love poured out for our redemption. We come to know that it is the love of Christ that brings us straight into His arms. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” There is no greater love…
But the story doesn’t end at our salvation. We, too, are called to walk the path of suffering, to stand in the gap for others. We have a story to tell, and we will pay a price for sharing the story. Some will scorn and think us ignorant, and others may seek to silence us as we share the truth of God. We must always remember that Christ was no stranger to suffering. His suffering saved us from eternal death; likewise, we will experience suffering when we follow Him. Suffering reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus who molds and fits us for the paths we are called to walk. Suffering leads us to put our hope in Him, and in Jesus, we have the Light of the World that sets us apart in a dark world that desperately needs a Savior. Jesus brings a sweetness into our suffering when we lean fully into His love. He is all we need. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 NLT
I thought of a childhood memory when I read “continual feast” in this scripture. Often
our favorite memories involve food or is that just me? Summertime for me as a child
meant a road trip to Mississippi to visit my paternal grandmother. We confidently knew
we would be greeted with something warm on the stove and a table filled with pies and
cakes. This would be every day of our visit. Her kitchen felt like a banquet that never
ended.
Proverbs 15:15 puts two drastically different lives side by side. This verse reminds us
that how we see life has a lot to do with what’s happening in our hearts.The New Living
Translation uses the word “despondent.” A despondent person is defined as someone
that often behaves as if their situation, or someone else, has total control of their story.
Despondency or discouragement can often look like an inward sigh that says “this is just
how things are” or “nothing will change”. This inward distress shows up in how a person
lives and speaks. Every day seems to be a “bad day.”
I thought about Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. A cloud seems to follow him around
while he says things like “oh well” and “it probably won’t work anyway.” Then, on the
flip side, there’s Tigger, who bounces into a room full of hope and energy, even if
nothing around him looks all that exciting. It’s the same Hundred Acre Wood. Same
weather. Same world. But Tigger has a totally different mindset and he’s wearing an
entirely different pair of lenses.
This verse is such a good reminder that joy is an inside job and so is hopelessness. It’s
like a crime show where the twist is that the thief was inside all along— someone
trusted, someone no one suspected. Sometimes the thing robbing our peace is our own
thoughts, fears, or expectations quietly convincing us that today is just one more
struggle.
So, what do you and I do when we realize the thing stealing our peace and joy might be
coming from inside? We let God into it. We let Him speak truth to those despondent
thoughts that say things like “nothing’s ever going to change”, “just another bad day”, or
“why expect anything different today?”.
Like David we self-reflect— “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?”. And
then we make a decision: “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my
Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11)
It doesn’t mean everything around us will suddenly be perfect. But it does mean our
perspective can shift. We don’t have to live like every day is just one more thing tosurvive. With God, we can start to see hope again. And with a heart that has hope, even
the hard days begin to feel a little lighter and the table looks a little fuller.
I understand now why as a child my grandmother’s kitchen left such an impression on
me. It wasn’t just the food… it was what else was offered— it was the joy, the love, the
invitation. Her table was a reflection of her heart. God is still cooking up goodness, and
His daily invitation is to “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…” I live out in the country in the Upstate of South Carolina. Summer is lovely here- there’s abundant sunshine, blue skies with mountain views & rolling hills all around.
Everything is green and something is always blooming. Right now tiger lilies beautify the road sides & the hydrangeas and gardenias are really showing out. A half mile down the road, our good friends farm- they have everything from cows to eggs to strawberries and my personal favorite- white peaches.
Most people have a garden- my Daddy has a huge one! All this real, local produce has me thinking about spiritual fruit. It is probably because of my Sunday School class. Each summer we combine a few classes and participate in a group study.
This summer we are focusing on the FRUIT of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. These two little verses pack quite a punch, don’t they? I’d love to share some of the things I am learning during this summer season of refreshment.
First of all, the fruit of the Spirit is FULL and complete. Did you notice that it is F-R-U-I-T singular? Prior to this study I thought about them as the F-R-U-I-T-S plural. I thought of them separately as things that I could work on, with some incomplete and some achieved and some that weren’t “me”. But really they are all part of God’s character.
He possesses them ALL effortlessly and all at once. I am realizing that I cannot try harder to be more loving or more patient etc. God causes these changes in me as I trust and live for Him. He brings about this fruit in its season, just like those strawberries that I love to eat each May!
Next, the fruit must be FRESH! We must spend time examining our hearts. This time will inevitably show sin and/or relationships and areas we need to work on. Sin stops up our relationship with God and essentially rots the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. We must confess and repent to prune (see John 15:1-8) so that we can continue to grow and produce fruit.
Lastly, we need to FOCUS on the fruit. Where can we look? There are several places- your Bible, your prayer life, and how you are ministering to others. Don’t let that Bible get dusty this summer! Continue to read and pray and learn. Seek Him. If we don’t spend time with God, how can we expect Him to challenge our progress? Who can you share one (or all) of these attributes? Who needs to hear about Jesus?
I get so busy and distracted especially during the school year. I know I miss opportunities He puts right in front of me. Maybe we can use the slower pace of the summer to adjust our outlook.
I hope you enjoy your summer and all the fruit it brings. Try not to be discouraged. Paul offered the Philippians this reminder “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.
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