Words have the power to encourage.

As far back as I can recall, worrying has been what I did. Somehow I began to feel as if I worried enough about my health that I had it under control when in reality I had not experienced enough of life yet to know how little control I had. Until Valentine’s Day of my junior year in college when my life as I knew it was about to be thrown the fastest curveball I had ever seen.

Did you know that trees work together, protect each other, warn each other of danger, and share nutrients? Like a tree tells us that the same way a tree grows and manages tough times is the same way we grow and cope with challenging situations.

I began this year feeling emotionally drained and scatterbrained.  Last year was hard on all of us and for me it was a true test of choosing joy and living encouraged no matter what.

Have you ever said that you were going to take “a leap of faith”? Although the phrase isn’t in the Bible, the idea of following God in faith is certainly Biblical, and there are times we may feel like we’re taking a leap. It doesn’t mean we are stepping out into the unknown; it merely means that we trust God.

I believe that God is good all the time and all the time, God is good. But can we be real for a minute? Everything in life doesn’t always feel good. There are times when the situations we are facing seem unbearable and just saying “God is good all the time” doesn’t make you feel any better.

This is a moment in time where the depth of our belief in this scripture is being tested. I truly believe that even though it may seem like our way of life has come to a screeching halt, God is still in control. He has not forsaken us. We are not doomed.

God is with you, even when bad things happen. Yes, He allows bad things to happen for a greater purpose. Personally I’ve had a lot of bad things happen to me, but I’ve also been extremely thankful that I haven’t experienced some of the bad things that others have. And even in the midst of some of the horrible things, I can see how God has been faithful, brought me through those experiences and never left me.

You know Him. You love Him, but in every relationship it’s important from time-to-time to go back to the beginning - to remember why you love them, what they mean to you, what they’ve done for you, the things you’ve been through together and to daydream about what your future holds.  Sometimes you need a fresh start, even with God.

I’ve always considered myself a Christian…but if I’m honest I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ until my late 20s. I realized that I had never read the entire Bible cover to cover for myself. I’d just read the snippets we recited together in church…

Generosity is one of many godly traits associated with Christians. We give because we desire to help others and because so much has been given to us through forgiveness, grace, and redemption. We associate generosity as an act of kindness, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit. But, have you ever considered generosity as an act of faith?

Loving, patient, powerful, faithful, creative, glorious--these are just a few of the attributes of God. He is multifaceted, complex, and unknowable. And the mission of our lives is to discover new angles of who He is.  But what if I told you we were missing something huge? In this post, we’ll explore the nature of God and its mind-boggling implications for us as Christ followers.