How many of you have heard that saying? All of you I hope! It’s an expression to depict how we interpret or see things that are happening in our lives. Are you a glass half full, or half empty kind of person? Do you see the positive side, or the negative side? I can tell you that I’m pretty bad about looking on the bright side. There have been a lot of things in my life that I had little to no control over. In turn, I believe it made it harder for me to have hope and optimism in times of hardship. But what does this mean for me as a christian? What does this mean for you?

As believers in christ, we surrender ourselves to him, and lay our trust in his hands, and our sorrows at his feet. The only way we can possibly see the glass half full, is with trust, and faith. Trusting Jesus is so powerful. Have you ever experienced a moment where your mind was completely and totally at peace? That is what trusting Jesus brings me. Peace. Life is so hard in so many ways. How do we keep a positive outlook on things going on in our life, and why is that important? Here’s how and why. We know that God has brought us this far. He has blessed you in more ways than you may realize or understand. He woke you up with life sustaining breath. What greater gift is there than life? It’s important that we remember these things during troubling times. Losing hope can be dangerous to our motivation, and our defense against the enemy.

Jesus is all powerful. There is NOTHING he cannot stand against. When you go through life, remember that focusing on the positive side of things, and remembering what HE is capable of, will be your strongest source of motivation in the midst of everything else.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Psalm 40:4

What is faith? What does that word mean? “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1. As humans, who sin and fall short of the Glory of God, faith is one of the most important means of defense against the enemy. Why? Because without faith, we are far more susceptible to the lies of the enemy.

As I have mentioned several times in previous posts, this world is full of sin, heartbreak, loss, and just out right evil. How do we overcome these things? What do we do when we’re tired? What do we do when we’ve endured too many attacks from the enemy? This is where faith steps in. When we’re tired, wanting answers, and needing a source of hope, faith is what keeps us going. Without faith, where does our hope come from?

In the last few months, I’ve struggled mentally and emotionally. Lost in the memories of a life I once had, while trying to overcome the struggles of the life I have now. It can be exhausting. There are so many things we struggle with on a day to day basis that can drain our motivation, or our drive to keep going. Do you wanna know something crazy though? The ONE thing that has brought me peace, has been my faith. Believing that God is the one making the moves, gives me peace that it will work out for the better. He is the one amongst the chaos that silences my anxiety, and relieves those depressing feelings.

As my old youth minister once taught me, Jesus is the comfort in the chaos. He calms the waters. Praying to Him, and seeking comfort in Him is the biggest source of peace, and the strongest weapon against these things that we struggle with on our own. The best part is, no matter who we are, or what we’ve done, he loves us. We are never “not good enough,” for Jesus. He sees us, and he hears us. So I encourage you to pray and seek comfort in him in times of hardship. Faith is a powerful remedy.

Let’s talk about our faith. For those of us who grew up in church, one of the many things we were taught, was that NOTHING is impossible with God. He makes a way no matter the circumstances. In todays world, we rely on science. Whatever can be scientifically explained is what we classify as “real.” Whatever is declared scientifically possible is possible in general. As Christian’s, we know that with God, that isn’t always the case.

Our God is a God of miracles. Let’s not forget that. On that note, when you pray, do you think to yourself, “I know it’s unlikely but can you…?” I’m guilty of this. I question God’s ability to move within my life, without even realizing it. When Jesus fed the five thousand, many were wondering how he could take such a small amount of food and feed so many, but he did it anyways. Why do we do this? We do this because as humans, our minds are trained to explain everything with logic, or scientific explanations. Throughout the Bible, God is full of miracles that we would deem impossible. Even today, he brings the dead to life. He is all powerful. Next time that you bow your head, finish by saying this, “Father I know you can, and if it is your will, It will be done.” Don’t question his ability to make things happen. He isn’t called God for no reason. Have FAITH.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today we’re gonna talk more about faith. We’re gonna talk about “choosing our chains.” Let’s dive in…stay tuned and bear with me! Philippians‬ ‭1:12-14 says, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
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When we deal with situations in our life where the circumstances are outside of our control, our greatest desire in most situations is to be in control. To have a say so on the outcome of the situation. The apostle Paul was in chains, and he prayed to the lord and the lord sent him an earthquake. Our praise breaks chains. Chains break when praise arises. Addiction, struggle, fear,shame, regret, pain, whatever chains are holding you down, shatter in praise. The apostle Paul wrote a book from prison about joy and freedom. He reminded us that he was in chains FOR CHRIST. He wasn’t blaming Christ, he wasn’t chained BY Christ, but FOR Christ. It was his CHOICE to see his chains as something God can use.

We all struggle with things. Mental disorders, physical impairments, financial problems, those are chains. We don’t like them, we don’t want them, but are we asking how God can use them? We are praying for him to take them away, but he is using them to show the world who HE IS through US.

We have some choices to make. Small choices, big choices. The enemy is smart, those little choices, will be your downfall. The enemy will put those small things in your face. That choice today can be your chain tomorrow. Choices turn into habits. You become what you repeatedly do. The enemy knows this. When you become what you do, it turns into your identity, that of which you struggle to separate with Christ. You can’t hear him or see him even when you know he’s there. Those “little choices” have put you in chains. Do you now understand how the enemy puts you in chains by convincing you that “little choices” don’t matter? So what do we do? Paul decided he was no longer a slave to sin. He said “because of my chains, God is glorified.” He flipped it. He did what the enemy could not predict. Instead of allowing his chains to keep him captive, he gave God all the glory for it.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we all have purposes. We have callings. Do not allow the enemy to hold you captive from his callings. Allow God to break your chance. Fall into his grace, and give the glory to him. “Who the son sets free, is free indeed.”

Well, I figured I should share what’s on my mind this morning. “It’s been too long” I thought. I came to share with you something that lies heavy on my heart and mind. And that is holding on to hope.

As I am about to enter a stressful time in my life, I have hard times seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That can be a common occurrence for some of us. I have had a good last few months. Slowing down to enjoy life, because I finally could. Now? I’m beginning to find myself with that struggle again, not seeing the light. However, one of the things I love about our creator is that He says,”no child, the light is here. In me.” I put myself where I am. It was my own choices. Even knowing that, He stills sees me and hears me. He stills shows me that light.

I struggle so much with having patience. It’s one of my biggest flaws in my personality. I’m not a fan of waiting. I’m not a fan of enduring hardship, most of us aren’t. This is when we have to remember that God is faithful, God will provide, and God loves you no matter what. He tells us to have faith in him. When your in a storm, trust that he will calm that storm. Hold on to hope.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Some of you may have heard this analogy a time or two. Say I’m holding a 20 dollar bill. Or a 100 dollar bill. I ball it up, and stomp on it. Most of us will still use that bill. Why? Because it hasn’t lost its value. We are broken, bruised, damaged, and imperfect. Yet our father in heaven still chooses to use us. We are loved, and valued.

This world can be a hurtful, harsh, cold place to live. There are so many struggles we come to face. We hurt, we sin, we fall. Yet God still continues to love us. We tortured Jesus, we beat him, mocked him, and crucified him. Instead of seeing us as no longer valuable, as a hopeless case, Jesus said, “father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” There is no word an any of the many languages that can describe his love for us. So why believe the enemy when he says we are not enough? Why do we stray away from God when we sin? Why do we feel ashamed? I’ve come to struggle with this. For a while, I lived in sin. I was ashamed of myself. I prayed less, I went to church less, in fear of judgement. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and felt that I wasn’t worthy of His love anymore. But just like that bill of currency, It doesn’t matter how you fold it, manipulate it, change it, it still holds all of its value. We are created in the image of God. There is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us. He is here to stay. When satan tells you your imperfect, that’s okay. We all are, but don’t believe for a second that you are less valuable, or that God cannot use you. You are enough, you are still valuable, you are still loved by the one who’s love matters most.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh goodness, I’m a ball of emotion on a Monday morning on the bus ride to one of the last days of school before Christmas break. Last night my church held an event, playing a 2 hour long film called “The Chosen.” I strongly encourage you to watch it. Gods presence in that room was well known.

A song played called “Gratitude.” When I tell you, in my 16 years of life, I’ve never felt such raw emotion. This is a milestone for me. In the last 4 years, I’ve experienced depression in the harshest way possible. Coming back from it, I couldn’t help but feel numb to everything and everyone. It was very hard for me to deal with the loss of my mother and great grandmother, who raised me the entirety of my life. Feeling Numb to your emotions makes it very difficult to deal with them. That includes truly going through the motions of grief. My life has been significantly changed and I’m finally coming out of that numbness. That means picking up where I left off, and finally dealing with that grief. It can be very mentally challenging. Last night though, that song came on and reminded me that God loves me SO much. He hasn’t turned away from me the entire time. I’ve felt so distant but he’s always been so close. I’ve never been physically emotional about my love for Jesus. I’ve always had it, but never felt an overwhelming experience of Love and hope. Last night was something I’ve never felt before in that magnitude. God is truly doing things in me, and my life. Because of what I’ve lost, I’ve always feared what comes next. I now can finally say I believe that whatever happens, it’s according to his plan and there is a bigger picture. One of the things about our God, if your heart is hardened, he will break it to get to you. In the most loving way. Just as Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a feeding/drinking trough, he coddles our heart. He loves us and holds us close.

I’m saying this from a few years of experience, God will move in you, in unimaginable ways if you allow him. And for some of us, even if you don’t allow him too, he will get to you anyways. His love for us is beyond the human capabilities of understanding. We have used so many words for it, but even then, none truly will ever do it justice. I long for the day where I can experience it face to face, along side my mother and great grandmother. My great grandmother, as many of you know, was a strong and God fearing woman. So as much as I mourn her loss right now, her faith brings me peace. She’s where she has always hoped to be.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Throughout our every day lives, there are so many things that weigh us down when we allow them too. I’ve said this before, I’ll say it a million times again. Mental health is so important. Taking care of yourself mentally is vital to living a positive life. Some of us learn this the hard way. Coming from the other side of it, all I can do is be grateful that the right people came in at the right time, and that God took me out of a really dark place before it was too late.

Here’s where it gets a little less dark. When your in this constant place of anxiety, depression, stress, or even regular problems like finances, your not alone. He brought us this far, he has provided. I’ve never been abandoned or left by myself, if I was without God, it’s because I walked away. Just to grace yourself with his spiritual presence is a huge comfort. Surrender yourself to him. Surrender your hurt, your problems, and your pain. The biggest mistake I made as a depressed teenager that was constantly experiencing loss, was allowing myself to drift from my faith. Now? He has my heart. It’s all in his hands. I won’t say that I’m not still stressing, or getting anxiety in certain situations. Those are human feelings. However, it’s far better than the alternative. Feeling completely numb to emotions I know I should feel, or feeling overwhelming emotions, when instead I can just remind myself who’s in control, and pray for strength. The lies that you tell yourself in those dark times like, “This will never end.” Or “I can’t do this anymore.” are straight from the enemy. Stomp on him and push forward with the bigger picture in mind. This will not be where you are forever. This is not who you are everyday. This is not who you will be. You are NOT fighting this alone. Give it all to Jesus.

“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.””
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭20:4‬ ‭

I’ve always been in church, so prayer is supposed to be a habit I’ve already adapted. Even still, I have to remind myself. Stopping in the midst of chaos is just one of many ways to show Jesus that your listening. Not only that, it’s relieving to take something heavy out of your hands, and place them in his. This should always be our source of relief when being overwhelmed. We all have chaos in our lives at one point or another. Between your career, family, and ministries, stopping to pray for peace is very important.

Once again, I find myself guilty of this, BIG TIME. I am a “go, go, go” person, I’m always planning in my head, hoping things will go according to my own plan. Some of you are like me. We know God doesn’t work that way. You would think I would’ve picked up on this, and dialed back to let Jesus take control. However, I am human. So here’s an idea, let’s get ourselves in the habit of stopping to pray. Relieving ourselves of all of the stress, anxiety and all the other blah blah emotions that come with chaos. I’m challenging you today, tomorrow, and hopefully daily, to stop at least once, and say “Jesus, I’m feeling (however your feeling), please take this off my shoulders.” This will work! There is one more thing though! The last step is to believe he will answer your prayer! Trusting him is the source of the peace that comes with giving your burdens to him.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So many times I find it to be misconceived that being baptized and simply saying “I believe God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save us of our sins.” Is all there is to being a Christian. *Buzzer sounds* Wrong. There is so much more.

“True belief in Jesus is at the heart of a relationship with God.”

We all know the verse, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16, NKJV

Begotten means that he is equal in substance with the Father, and they co-exist eternally. But he dwelt with us. He is fully God, and fully Man. Having a relationship with him is an essential part of salvation. People cannot believe for you, and understanding what others believe isn’t enough. We have to see for ourselves, and seek him ourselves. Fully engulfing ourselves in his presence, and free of distractions may allow us to connect spiritually. Understand that connecting spiritually, and just saying Christ died for you, are far different. Yes Christ died for us. He did so, in order to tear the veil between us and God. We no longer have to make sacrifices or go before a high priest to communicate with our Father in heaven. The whole point was to bring in a relationship with Jesus.

Having a relationship with Jesus does well to give me a stronger conscience, and a finer line between right and wrong. It allows me to have a different kind of peace and hope knowing that it’s not all in my hands. This means praying, and spending time when you can, to surround yourself with his presence. Relationships are a “two to tango” situation, and it is always worth the dance.

It’s been a hectic thanksgiving, so don’t go crazy on me for this late post! In the thanksgiving season, food and family are some huge parts of thanksgiving. However, for people like me, and so many others, giving thanks is the biggest part of it. Not always having an easy life has been a big reason for this. Im gonna start by saying I’m thankful for the pain. I know I sound crazy, but this pain I’ve experienced, is what makes me living proof of the unconditional love of my creator. I am my own living proof that God exists. My brokenness carried me to Jesus. Isn’t it crazy how your life can be all over the place in so many ways, and simply trusting Jesus can be the greatest source of peace and hope? I’m so thankful we have a creator who doesn’t take all we have done, and say we don’t deserve him. I’m eternally grateful that God put the strongest, most God fearing, Jesus loving woman I’ve ever known in my life. She showed me what the love of God was, and made sure I didn’t ever forget. She taught me the importance of consistency in your faith and surrounding yourself with other believers to flourish in your faith. She also taught me the importance of showing others who were lost, that she was sure her creator was capable. Despite the cards I was dealt, I will be eternally grateful for the love of Jesus, and the love my grandmother gave me. I will not let my story be told without giving the Lord any credit for the outcome. So thanks again Jesus.