If you are like me, then you have probably asked God, "What is going on? Why is all of this happening to me?" And most likely you have asked God than once. 

The truth is, God loves you so much. He really, truly, and genuinely wants only the very best for you and He has an amazing plan for your life. 

Suffering is inevitable for the believer.

We will all experience hardships. Trials and tribulations. Storms. Sadness. Heartache and pain. Loss. Jesus tells us in John 16:33;

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world."

But He follows by encouraging our hearts to, "be courageous! I have conquered the world." How amazing is that? If we are in Jesus Christ then we can rest in knowing that everything will work out. God's got us! Remember, that although life is not always fair, God is always just.

Have faith and trust that even in the most painful of circumstances, God can and will turn it around for our good and for the good of those around us.

If you are having a difficult time trusting God in your current circumstance, my prayer is that my 7 life verses will speak to your heart. 

Psalm 118:8-9 // It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 

Proverbs 3:5 // Trust in the LORD with all your heart...

Isaiah 12:2 // God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.

Isaiah 50:10 // ...Trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon His God.

Nahum 1:7 // The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

Mark 5:36 // "Do not be afraid; only believe."

Philippians 4:13 // I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.



What verses or promises help you to trust and abide in Christ during your hardest times?

When we think of how it looks to "surrender it all to God," we think of the term, letting go and letting God, right? And that is good and all, but oftentimes God will use our current circumstance to bring us to a state of surrender.

God wants us to not only surrender our situation to Him, but to surrender ourselves to Him. [Tweet this!]

If you struggle with surrendering it all to God, my prayer is that these steps will help you:

1. Ask God to make you willing. Oftentimes this is the most essential step. If it just that hard to find the willingness to give it all to God, then pray and ask Him to change your heart in that area. Ask God for a willing heart and mind.
   
   
2. Be aware of your enemy. Remember that this is exactly where Satan wants you. The very last thing he wants is for you to completely surrender every area of your life to God. Pray and ask God for wisdom and discernment  to be able to recognize your enemies lies.
   
   
3. Surrender it all, little by little, step by step. A lot of times we are hesitant to surrender all control with fear that we will have to make drastic changes, and honestly, sometimes we just are not ready. But God is so kind and loving that He will move at our pace. As long as we are obedient in what He asks of us, He will lead us through step by step as we go along. 

Remember, only when we move out of God's way, can He begin to move in our life. [Tweet this!]

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

Is there something you need to surrender to God today?

In the midst of our loneliness we often try to fill the desires of our hearts with the things of this world. But Jesus longs to fill our hearts with Himself during this season.

Even when you are feeling lonely, and feel as though you have no one, God is always with you. He thinks about you all the time. Do not give up on yourself, because God has not given up on you. It is easier to just abandon every relationship, because of all the past failed relationships. Doing this will only further discourage you and leave you feeling sorry for yourself. This is not what God wants for His daughters.

How can God help me when I am feeling lonely?

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

Growing up in the Catholic church one thing I always remembered and appreciated was the beautiful churches we attended. They looked imperial, with amazing stories woven in the walls and vaulted ceilings. But the one thing that always caught my eye was the classic stained-glass windows. When the sunlight shined through the panes of the glass a beautiful picture appeared and let out a mosaic symphony of colorful praise portraying parables and some of our great heroes from the Bible—most often Jesus. It was just glorious.

But have you ever looked through those same stained-glass windows at night? You don't see much. You might be able to catch a glimpse of each outline, but that is all.

The process to creating stained glass windows is quite painstaking, and involves soldering together individual panels of stained glass, sometimes in the hundreds. The pieces of stained glass are cut into various shapes and arranged, and the Artisan must have a good idea for how the window will look and feel when it is complete. The pieces are slowly attached to one another and then confined into a larger frame which will hold the window rigidly in place once it has been installed.

Did you know that our lives are like those stained-glass windows? Before we walked with Jesus, our windows [lives] were dark. But when we came to know our Saviour [the artisan], His light pierced through within each of His children and a beautiful picture appears with such brightness. He took the many broken pieces of our heart and soldered it together to create His version of beautiful. As we continue to grow in Christ, His light brightens, and our life's testimonies shine forth a rising beauty that intensifies through every test to testimony.

Can the people around you attest to the light shining through your life, especially when the storms hit?

When they look at your life do they see evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells inside, or has your sin and self-righteous heart created a soiled fabric that hangs, blocking His light from your witness?

Can they catch a glimpse of God's footprint's in your day-to-day conversations with your children, spouse, mother, or sister, friends. . . maybe even a stranger?

As we allow Jesus Christ to direct our marriages, our families, our relationships, and our lives, the result is a light that shines with such increasing power that every window around enlivens displaying a foretaste of what Heaven will look like.

Today, determine that you will live in God's brightness and reflect the Light in your life—that those around you will clearly see the testimony of your faith every moment they are in your presence.

The path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared] (Proverbs 4:18).

Let's face it, sometimes life is just downright difficult. Then you find that you begin to fear the uncertainty of the future. So what do you do? You worry. You worry about relationships, finances, health, our families, and the list goes on.

If you are like me—a "worrier" by nature—it is probably time to rethink the way that you think! By now you have probably formed the unfortunate and unhealthy habit of focusing too intently on negative aspects of your life, and focusing less on counting your blessings. 

This is not how Jesus wants you to live your life. He wants your burdens in exchange for His peace. He wants you to take your worries and lay them all at His feet...and leave them there. When you learn to worry less and trust God a little more you begin to experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. Not a interim peace that comes from taking a hot bubble bath on a stressful day (although it helps), or from a rather large glass of wine (not too bad either) after a viciously long work day. No. It is an indelible and abiding peace that can only be found when we relinquish all control in every area of our life and allow Jesus to lead. 

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

Do you feel like Jesus is holding out on you? 

Know that He has a great plan for you. You may feel like Jesus is holding out on you. You may feel like he is staying away during your times you need Him the most. I don’t know Jesus’ plan for you, but I promise you that His plan is bigger than yours or mine.Trust him.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. - Psalm 25:5

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! - Psalm 31:14-15

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! - (Psalm 37:7)

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

You are not the only one who has ever faced discouragement, despair, depression, uncertainty or has been perplexed as to why God did not work in your life in a certain way. You may be in the midst of God’s working and can’t see the big picture as He can. 

We can trust God's heart, even when we can’t trace His path. [click-to-tweet]
Today, I challenge you to open the Word of God and embrace these truths for yourself—they will offer you hope, peace, comfort and help to you over and over again! I Promise.
But you, God, shield me on all sides;You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain. - Psalm 3:3

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

"God, why do I have to go through this?"

"Why are you doing this to me? You don't understand how this feels."

How many time have we said these things in our lifetime? For me it has been plenty of times, and each time I was going through the motions screaming at Jesus that he didn't understand—I was wrong.

Jesus does understand what life is like for each and every one us. What we are going through, is nothing new to your Father. He has been through it all. He doesn't ask anything of us that He wasn't willing to do Himself, and He promises to be with us every step of the way.

Here are 9 reasons why Jesus understands what life is like for us:

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

As I read the passage, it reminded me of our relationship with God. He provides us with the necessary tools so that we can bear good fruit. We have bibles, churches, Christian books galore, sermons, etc. The verse that really caught my attention was Isaiah 5:2, it states the man looked or expected that it should bring forth grapes. This tells me that the man didn't tend to the vineyard to ensure it's proper growth. He just expected that it would bear good grapes. 

When we are first saved, we have a zeal, a burning passion to share Jesus. We do all the right things, say all the right things, and we are living our great Christian life in our great Christian box. Then something happens. The fire burns out, the zeal diminishes. Our flame that once was for Jesus, becomes a cloud of black soot. Why? Because somewhere in between we stopped tending to our vineyard. We stopped watering it, we didn't care for the hedge placed around it, therefore letting outsiders destroy what we had planted.

Oftentimes we as Christians want the blessings that come with having a relationship with God, but don't want to put in the work. We won't read our Word; we won't go to church; we have direct access to God yet we don't have a consistent prayer life. 

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

Many around the world are remembering Dr. Maya Angelou who passed away in her North Carolina home on May 28, at the age of 86.

As Maya Angelou's wisdom poured through our timeline, I decided to share the top 10 quotes.

1. If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.
   
2. A woman's heart should be so hidden in God, that a man would have to seek Him just to find her.
   
3. If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

Have you ever noticed how every time you have an appointment with your dentist you spend extra time on your teeth? I am sure you brush your teeth daily, but right before your dental visit you may find you even brush more than once before your appointment to conceal any evidence of the candy you devoured the night before, or since the last visit some years ago. You figure if you brush and floss a few times, the dentist will not even notice, right?

What you do not realize, however, is that no matter how many times you brush and floss before you make it to that dental chair; it wouldn't make a difference. They are dentists. They are experts in this field. As soon as the dentist takes X-rays of your teeth you soon are found out. He can see what is truly going on inside. Tooth decay, stains, gum disease, and more. 

It is the same with God. Sometimes we try to hide the decay in our hearts with good works. We may be harboring unforgiveness, anger, or bitterness towards someone, but we feed and love on the homeless all week long. Maybe, you are a husband who attends church twice a week, serves in ministry, and works hard to provide for your family, however, what no one knows is that you struggle with pornography. But, you hide it well, right? Wrong!

{Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

Cuffing Season is officially in full effect. This is the time of year when women and men everywhere give up their single status for cuffed up winter nights with a "cuddle buddy."

For the single Christian woman you know better than to take part in such worldly things . You are a woman of God. You are daughter of The Most High. You do not settle for random season flings. You only settle for God's best.

Urban dictionary defines cuffing season as: during the Fall and Winter months people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves along with the rest of the world desiring to be "Cuffed" or tied down by a serious relationship. The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.

So, how do you survive this cuffing season?

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

For the past three years my family and I were living in North Carolina. It was a beautiful place. It was where we got married, gave our lives to Christ—together, and where God began to truly work in and through us. It wasn't always easy there, but for the most part it was peaceful. It was comfortable.

Two months ago, God spoke to my husband and told him it was time to move back to Illinois. I can't begin to tell you the sadness that overcame me. The thought of leaving everything and just picking up and going back to a place completely the opposite of where I was. Back to a place where there would be no peace. No comfort. My heart was broken. I questioned God many times, "Why God, would you want this for me and my family?"

Why would God want that for us? Why does He remove us from where we are most comfortable and place us in the most uncomfortable circumstances? Because God did not create us to be comfortable. He didn't call us to a life of complacency. He created us to be used for His purpose. This is a world filled with so many that are lost. Many of whom are people that we love, our very own family and friends.

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]

I first heard of Brittni Ruiz by watching her testimony on XXXChurch.com. It had been flooding my newsfeed that day, and at that point I knew it was God.

All the years my husband had struggled with pornograpy had pretty much left a sour taste in my mouth when it came to porn stars. I had seen them as the enemy. I was convinced they were in cahoots with Satan himself.

I remember as I listened to Brittni's moving story, I felt an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach as I thought to myself, "Was this one of the many women my husband use to watch as I slept in the other room?" At that point I wasn't sure to continue watching the video, however out of obedience I continued.

As I got comfortable on the couch, I had no clue I was going to react how I did. Where was the Kleenex when you needed it? I wasn't even three minutes into her testimony — when I began to sob.

[Read the rest of this article at Whole Magazine.]