"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.]

Can I be honest for a moment? Sometimes I just wasn't in the mood to throw my hands up in the air and praise God. I would have a really bad day, and everything had been going wrong that could possibly go wrong! I would have rather crawled under a rock and throw myself a pity party. And, that accomplished what, you ask? Nothing. Exactly.

It took a long time for me to realize that amazing things happen when you praise God on your mountain-tops, but you praise Him even harder in your valleys.

Paul and Silas are the perfect examples of praising God during their valleys in Acts 16:25-34 {...}

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

As a Believer we all know that Bible Studying time (also known as, quiet time with Abba) is one of the most important times of the day.

Over the past few years I have changed up how I study to get a more in-depth study, or if I was in a hurry; just enough fuel to keep me running through the day. It's not about how much your in your word, rather how much word is in you. There is a difference between reading the Bible and studying [meditating on the Word] the Bible, and then actually living it out; applying it to your daily life.

Today, I want to share with you the different methods of Bible studying that I have used, and some have been shared with me. Some worked for me, and others didn't, but that doesn't mean they won't work for you.


[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.]

It is that time of year again where we find ourselves setting goals and making resolutions that, according to Statistic Brain only 8% are successful in achieving. I will be honest with you. I use to make diet resolutions every year and by the time February came around losing weight sounded foreign to me.

This past year has had its ups and downs. It was a year full of busy seasons, quiet seasons, and wilderness seasons (a lot of these). This year, instead of resolutions, I have chosen to make commitments to myself and God. I want to share them with you in the hopes that they will help you start off the new year right.

1. Commit to forgetting your failures.

Paul gives us the best advice for this in Phil. 3:13-14, "Forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus." Don't let last years failures hold you down in the new year. The more you continue to dwell on the past, the longer it will keep you from moving forward into where God is leading you. Choose this year to be the year that you stop being chained to your past and past failures.

[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.]