Have you been feeling like you are being pulled in a different direction? Maybe in your career, where you live, or even a relationship.  Is what you once loved doing now feeling mundane? Then you my friend are being called out.  

We are about to enter 2022.  To say these last couple of years has been daunting would be a vast understatement.  During this season many have found themselves at a stand still.  Some have felt stuck, lost, and confused.  Many for the first time in their lives.  That can be a scary place to be.  

Personally I know I when covid hit (aka the world stopped)  I felt like I was in a state of limbo.  I knew what I was once doing (education) no longer felt right for me.  I use to love my work. I could not wait to get to see my  students everyday and I would be so excited of what the day would bring.  What new adventures would come and new things we could discover.  Then slowly ( or so...

Have you been struggling through a bit of a rough patch? Does it feel as though, lately, you’ve been down on your luck or that life just won’t give you a break? Sometimes when we’re up against hard times and we are thrown into difficult situations, it can feel as though the universe isn’t on our side. It can be tempting to just throw in the towel… to give up and resign ourselves to the negativity that has entered our lives. 

Whenever you hit a rough patch in life, it can seem like the problems you’re confronting are unique to you and that the whole world is closing in. It might be that you are struggling to find a way out and just can’t see the light of hope anywhere when the going gets tough.

Thankfully, although you might not see it, there is always hope. Nothing lasts forever—not even bad times—and doing things like remembering why you started in the first place and practicing using your courage muscle are just a...

We think of weakness and strength as opposites. To be strong is good and means to be without weakness. To be weak is bad and means to be without strength. Most of us want to be thought of as strong. We are concerned that people won’t think highly enough of us if we show our weakness.

What if I told you this mindset is the furthest thing from the truth? Paul was seemingly a strong man with a fruitful ministry. His ineffable visions of heaven strengthened him to endure much hardship and motivated his extraordinary labor for the gospel. He had seen the glories of where he was headed and could say, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). But Paul did not boast in the details of his visions. He refused to boast in his strength, but boasted only in his weakness. Paul wanted people to think highly of Christ alone—to see his power.

Embracing Weakness

Paul embraced suffering. His inability to rid himself of the “thorn” (whatever it was)...

Today stillness can be hard to come by. There’s just so much going on. So much noise both inside and outside our brains. So many tasks on our to-do lists. At least several screens within reach. Although there is safety in that, we might also be passing on our chance of growth and blessing.

But stillness is still possible. It too is within our reach whenever we need it. You can cultivate stillness while walking on a busy street, while chaos swirls all around you.  The key is to create an intention of stillness — to have some intentionality about how we’re carrying ourselves in a given moment — and to focus on what is within our control.  

You might physically slow down by sitting, slowly walking or even lying down. You might reduce external stimuli in your environment by lowering the lights and turning down the music.  Stillness is powerful. “Being still is like replenishing the stores. It allows us time and space.” It...

I’m sure you can think of a time when you were lied to, betrayed, fired without explanation, forced to let go of something you did not want to loose, or when someone you loved said goodbye to you without your notice. We don’t always get to choose our new beginnings. And because of that we can understand how scary and devastating a new beginning can be.

A new day, a new year, a new job, a new life, a new relationship, a new start. They all come to us without permission, in the best and worst way. They barge in our front doors with the beautiful promise of second chances and new potential and unexpected opportunity. They also come with heartbreak because new beginnings nearly always follow endings.

What makes a new beginning so difficult?

One thing that makes it so difficult to start something new is that we don’t really know where to start. Of course the possibilities are endless. They are infinite. But that is part of what makes it so difficult to know exactly...

The past year has been the most difficult most of us have seen. Many of you are fighting the biggest giant you’ve ever faced. You feel surrounded on all sides by the enemy. You’re fighting to save your children, save your marriage, save your home, save your business … and it feels insurmountable. 

This season is calling some of us to be like David, a giant slayer. Giant slayers are submitted and disciplined; they’re upbeat and positive. Giant slayers are the same character in the darkness as they are in the light. They see trials as training rather than trouble. Your perspective has to change. You’re never going to bring down your giant complaining about every little battle you’ve had to fight. If we want to face our giants and win, we must learn to be ourselves and use what God gave us.  To be giant slayers we must be determined and focused on the reward. And lastly, giant slayers take authority over the enemy they face....

May is mental health awareness month.  If this past year has taught us anything it is to pay attention to the importance of good mental health.  It usually comes as a shock to others when I tell them I have suffered from high functioning social anxiety my entire life. Their responses are normally “you look so care free/relaxed, you do not act like you are anxious, or you seem like such an extrovert.”  These statements are true.  However what you do not see is the battle raging on in my mind. 

What Does "High Functioning" Mean?

Hearing "high functioning" may make it sound almost as though this kind of anxiety is a good thing, that it somehow makes it easier to do things or be successful. That's not quite right.

When "Functioning" or "high functioning" is included in a diagnosis or the name of a condition, it relays information about the kinds of people that have it and the ways in which it impacts their day-to-day lives. People with these...

Based on the title you might be wondering what I am going to speak about.  In order to answer that question I must first start from the beginning.  We have entered May and many of you know that it is mental health awareness month.  As I took inventory of where I was in my personal mental health I had to admit I was struggling.  I had been having so much growth the last few months that acknowledging I was having a difficult time was a hard pill to swallow  

Life was throwing punch after punch my way and before I knew it I was beat down.  It seemed like it all happened over night, but in reality it took weeks.  During this time I continued to implement all of the tools I had learned in the previous months to keep a healthy mindset.  It was not that these tools were not working. It just seemed like something else was missing. It was like all of a sudden everything I had been doing no longer seemed worth it.  I wanted more.  I...

A few weeks ago I was struggling in my mind and spirit. I was wrestling with the fact that I did not think I was far enough along in my journey. Yes I had made progress, but not enough. Feelings of needing and wanting more started to rise. This has always been a battle for me. Not the question that I am enough, but am I doing enough. My mind continually plays the scenario that I should be further along in whatever I am working towards. That means I must harder and longer hours.  I am sure many of you can relate.

 One morning as I was meditating God kept giving me the word established. I had been praying for strength to be able to and be more, but He kept sending me the word established over and over.  I finally told Him that He was misunderstanding me.  I am not praying to be established I am praying for the ability to do more.  He quickly responded with the answer no.  And then said why do more when you are already  established.  At this...

Have you ever had the realization that there is a greater purpose for your life than that which you are currently experiencing?  It’s not that your life is bad right now, nor that you’re unhappy or discontent. It’s more of a feeling that you’re not quite fulfilled. This is when you are starting to realize that the vision you have for your life does not meet your reality.  It can be a difficult place to be.  I call the space where you are waiting on your vision to manifest your now.

The now can be a lonely and daunting place to dwell. You are in a state of limbo. You can see, touch, and taste where you are wanting to go(aka your next), but you are dwelling in the now of your reality.  

Although you know it’s not about being focused on where you’re at, it can be interesting to stay in the space of where you want to be, while living your current life. Especially when time is going by and it...