This was God’s way of taking me gently by the hand and giving me space to just be His. The truth is, I needed rest. I needed time away to listen to all the things I usually am too busy to hear.

It’s easy to worship when life is good, but it takes grit to go to Him in the depth of depression when your heart is overwhelmed with grief. But what I found is when I bring God my praise in the wilderness, his presence becomes my greatest peace.

God knows we are going to get anxious at times, so he gives us ideas to help us through.

In a world of 3-second sound bites and meme theology, we need God’s Word to keep us grounded and growing, able to avoid distraction and discern truth from deception.

Life can be complicated, but reading the Bible doesn’t need to be.

This is my practice to overcome worry. It doesn't change the situation in the moment, but it changes my mind in the moment. It settles my heart rate. It allows me to breathe in deeply the love of God.

No matter what I’m navigating – from everyday challenges to dealing with an actual crisis – worship takes me away from my troubles to the feet of Jesus.

This verse came to mind one day as the prayer alarm rang, like a monastic bell calling me to task, to find my sustenance in the bread of life. He was the one that could help me not just survive, but thrive, on that day.

I write in my journal every day. It helps me see God in both big and small ways. My list, stacked like a tower of stones, helped me remember how the impossible became possible. It gave me hope that with God’s help, we can face any crisis.

My life may not look exactly how I’d hoped, but there is still good to be found here. Capturing those moments of contentment and joy help me stay grateful even when my circumstances are less than perfect. It reminds me that God has goodness for me every day.

When your eyes open for the first time in the morning, do you immediately roll over and pick up your phone? The way you start your day can have a big impact on how the rest of your day unfolds.If God is truly first, it’s important to start every single day with Him.