Did you know that monarch butterflies have much to teach us about God’s miraculous sustaining power? Amazingly, of all the butterflies God created, the monarch butterfly is the only one that can make bird-like migrations every year, flying some 2,500 miles from north to south for the cold winter months. In an article called, “The … Continue reading Step 11: Renew Your Strength in the Lord
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." —Isaiah 43:18–19 When the Lord called Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land, He … Continue reading Step 9: Let Go of Your Past and Embrace Your Purpose Today
To remain free from anxiety and fear, we need a mature faith. One that will stand through trials and storms. Rock-solid faith built on a sure, eternal foundation. What if we have placed our hope in something that can be burned up, used up, broken, or removed? Or perhaps, our faith is dependent upon our … Continue reading Step 7: Rebuild Your Identity and Secure Your Faith in Christ
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” This is God’s promise to us! Are you believing and trusting in one moment, and in the next doubting and afraid—still easily knocked down by waves of fear? Maybe you’ve experienced a breakthrough from the grip of anxiety and … Continue reading Step 6: Experience Perfect Peace in God’s Presence
Surrender and breakthrough go hand in hand. First we surrender, then we experience breakthrough. But what if you’ve gone through all the steps, surrendered everything you can think of—and yet true freedom feels just out of reach? I know the struggle feels overwhelming, and you’ve been fighting the good fight. You feel the chains of … Continue reading Step 5: Believe—Jesus is Your Chain Breaker
I stared at the kitchen counter and sink stacked high with last night’s dirty dishes. Peeking into the dishwasher, I breathed a heavy sigh. It was full of dirty dishes, too! Quickly, I walked away to keep myself from becoming irritated by the mess, but there was no escaping my growing frustration. In the family … Continue reading Step 3: Take Captive Every Thought: Fear Is a Liar
Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying, "change is the only constant in life." When we consider all the moving parts of our lives—like homes, jobs, physical appearance, numbers on the scale, the amount of money in our bank accounts, the ebb and flow of the stock market, relationships, personal interests, responsibilities and commitments, … Continue reading Learning to Ride Waves of Change
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). As a young twenty-something, I had so much to look forward to. I was a newlywed, and just getting started in what looked … Continue reading Hope in the Midst of a Health Crisis
How often do we go through something new and challenging, and forget that God—who was with us to help us through before on the hill—is still with us now in the valley? The Bible reminds us, in 1 Kings 20, that God is indeed God of both the hills and the valleys. And in fact, … Continue reading The God of the Hills and Valleys—is LORD Over All
I'm in a season of waiting. Of believing I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land I've been diligently planting seeds in, and cultivating, for the last five years. Maybe, you are too! While the rains have not yet come from the Lord to cause the ground to produce abundant fruit, God … Continue reading When Believing is Seeing