Most of us need that space where we feel safe and at peace. But sometimes our circumstances, whether by choice or destiny, land us in a place without our props of comfort.

I don’t know about you but I can periodically find myself in a cranky mindset.

Perspectives can be tricky when the aim is to discern truth. Some other synonyms for this are angle, slant, viewpoint…you get the idea.

This is how the Word of God works. The simplicity of its truth, whether heard in a few words or many, lands upon the heart of someone open to receive this little seed.

Does it seem like the walls are closing in with all the daily announcements of new and strange occurrences?

Have you ever thought about where the idea of gift-giving originated?

If we take the time to reflect a bit, we can always find something to be thankful for and pass it forward to others.

Why does it seem so hard to have a steady middle-ground no matter the emotional forecast?

Deep down everyone really does know that something just isn’t right within. We can feel it—our discontentment, our fears, our anger, our distrust, our resentments, our insecurities, they are all so obvious.

Can you remember what shattered you? Do you know what I mean? That moment in childhood when you intuitively knew you weren’t in Eden anymore?

As I flip through the pages, year after year, chapter after chapter, of my life, this name for God, El-Roi (the God who sees me), becomes more obvious and demonstrable.

She knows about the remedy but she’s been numb so long that she fears the pain of feeling, so afraid to take the risk.

It’s one new birth at a time in this Garden. It’s not a lifestyle; it’s a heart change.

What are they saying in their beautiful language of song? Do they have some knowledge that cannot help but pour forth at the break of a new day?

It is so refreshing to breathe in deeply from this sacred breath of his. So, calming. So, reorienting. So, needed.

I love this relatable image God gives us through adoption— of how we come to be a part of his family.

Far too often I need these divine intrusions to remind me who he is, that this life is not just about me and the mundane temporal moments of my days.

Life is full of choices. We make them every day. Some are minor and of no consequence, but some are major and affect not only us but those we love.

In my humanity, it can sometimes be hard to trust that a God I cannot see will oversee all my concerns. I wish I could look into His eyes. I wish I could feel the comfort of His physical presence and hear His voice.

You are precious to God. The cries of your heart are precious to God. Be encouraged. Be strong. Battles are being won, and your answers are coming around the corner.