We all have situations that make us feel afraid. But “toughen up” is the last thing I think any of us should do. Fear is pretty humbling and I think humility is the correct posture to assume. Not that we are to bow to our circumstances but to the God who is actually handling all of our affairs in the background.

Just a gentle reminder to all of us that when Jesus purchased our freedom with his last, ultimate, sacrificial act, he really meant it. It does not come with strings attached. It does not come with performance reviews. You are free.

It’s not lost on me that we are wrapping up our Sound Mind series at the same time I have been challenged in my own mind. But It’s been a reminder that we practice our faith, we practice surrender, we practice gratitude, so that it’s there when we need it. It becomes our second skin, the way we interact with God and others.

Writing, even briefly, is one of the best ways to apply the truth we read and hear. It's one of the ways that revelation comes to us. And being a steady person who weathers the regular storms of life with grace and confidence requires a mind regularly exposed to and examined by God's truth.

The objective is to give yourself an opportunity to stop and absorb what God is doing in your life. If you’re not sure what God is doing or saying, that’s an even better reason to practice reflection regularly. It’s like tuning in to a radio, turning the dial a little this way and that, to hear the still, small voice of God that gets drowned out in our own thoughts.

Each of the 8 primary emotions comprises other emotions we experience. But it’s helpful to figure out the root emotion underneath what we are experiencing.

What do emotions have to do with our spiritual lives and wellbeing anyway? Well, everything. God made us multi-part - body, soul, and spirit. All of these parts are interconnected and make us fully alive. Emotions may often feel like a burden to us, but they are a gift from God that enable us to experience our lives in a complex way. They also help us to connect with God and others at a deep level.

Sometimes we become convinced we can force-feed gratitude into our own brains, and we feel guilt when it doesn’t happen. We ask ourselves questions like, Why am I not happier? I would like to take a different approach with gratitude that I hope will help you to set aside any guilt and to chart a path toward a more natural (not forced) experience with joy.

One of the ways we get rooted in truth and uproot the lies is by meditating on God’s words. Whatever He says about you, you should be saying about yourself.

What I feel certain of is that the seeds we sow in good times will feed us in the bad ones. Stress will come, but even then our lives will preach what we have practiced. The stress will only bring to light what has been invested in our souls.

We are so used to living this busy and stressed out that we are numb to its effects on our bodies and minds and relationships. To add insult to injury, many of us still don’t feel like we’re doing or being enough. This is a good time to remind ourselves that it’s okay to do less. That God doesn’t lay heavy burdens on us but leads us in peace.

Doing life well, without a lot of angst and hand-wringing, requires some thought and planning. It requires that we stop and take a hard look at why we do what we do and how to proceed in a way that honors our time and honors God. There are a few keys to have a peaceful, intentional life as a parent, instead of being perpetually exhausted and stressed out.

Regardless of which holiday activities and decorations we choose, Jesus can be daily on my heart and mind. But it’s not easy, to remember Him in the busyness. I get caught up in ridiculous decisions. I get hectic and frantic, and He gets squeezed out. This season, let’s put the bringer of peace front and center.

It can be hard to believe in renewal in a dry, crusty season of life, living in body that doesn't defy gravity, in a world that thrives on chaos. And yet that is God's nature and his promise to us. What looks like dried up and worn out in our lives is just a new season in the making.

I don’t remember running off with the circus. Yet some days feel like riding a bareback horse around a ring in a tutu, or at least what I think that would feel like. I haven’t worn a tutu lately. This is our circus, friends. The good news is that we don’t have to succumb to the chaos around us. We can find stability right in the middle of it.

As a talkative person and a writer, I place a lot of value on output. Speaking is easy. Listening is harder. But God has been speaking to me lately about being quiet. About listening well. About guarding my heart. They haven’t been my favorite conversations honestly. But I know they’re necessary.

Life is chock full of mundane moments and we get to decide how to interpret them. They will either be the worst for their lack of entertainment or they will be my our because we get to live them.