An Enlightened Heart

NOVEMBER 28TH, 2022      |    We are not always good at seeing situations clearly or as God sees them. In our hearts, we can be quick to judge, assume, blame, excuse, and more. It’s crazy how we think we can know someone’s story well and we just don’t. Seeing circumstances and situations with spiritual eyes requires a lot of prayer and listening. Maybe the person who cut you off in traffic is headed to the hospital. Maybe the woman with a scowl on her face is shattered and broken from loss and confusion. Maybe the leader who you [...]

A Fractured Identity

NOVEMBER 27TH, 2022      |    Family and friends, schools and campuses, as well as clubs and churches are infectious grounds where individuals, both young and old, can sadly pick up distorted impressions about themselves. People’s opinions, unrealistic demands from others, or forces trying to mold a person into someone he or she is not meant to be, can disfigure one’s self-esteem and hinder the ability to recognize and celebrate one’s own uniqueness. To a degree, individuals who battle with negative self-image issues struggle to accept not only themselves, but others. Their distorted views of themselves lead to self-rejection [...]

How to Increase Your Joy

NOVEMBER 26TH, 2022      |    On a scale of 1 to 10, what has your joy level been lately? Has it been registering in the lower digits? If so, perhaps it’s time for you to reach beyond yourself and bless someone else. Here’s an acronym for the word JOY—Jesus, Others, You. Jesus – May the “JOY of the Lord” JESUS be “your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV). Others – “Love OTHERS as well as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:39 MSG). You – YOU “are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that [you] would [...]