My spiritual growth didn’t come easy. I tried to reason my way out of every opportunity God gave me to get to know Him better. In the beginning, I asked Him to reveal Himself to me. Gradually, I began to recognize His presence in undeniable coincidences. He placed people with words of wisdom in my path and kept me safe from those… “that could have been me” situations. My love and dependence on God have grown deeper with every confirmation of His presence I’m able to recognize, as long as I am seeking him.

    

Trusting God doesn't just happen the moment we meet Jesus. I wish it did. After losing my mum and sister to cancer and then being diagnosed myself I needed a way to trust God when I didn't feel like it. Slowly I discovered God wanted to help me. Like the father who prayed "I believe, help my unbelief" I prayed "I trust, help my lack of trust. I'm not sure You're as good or trustworthy as I've always believed. Help me." And He did. If you're struggling to trust God or feel your faith "should" be stronger, try asking God for help and see what happens.

   

A life worth living has to have a purpose worth living for. Discovering your purpose is a journey that takes time. Give yourself permission to take that journey with God as your guide. Learn to unravel your heartache to find peace. Discover a hidden talent that you haven’t utilized but brings you joy. Open your heart to take chances on loving yourself as God loves you. Experience His joy in everyday life. And most importantly, cultivate a deeper relationship with God. Because isn’t that the most important journey of all?

   

On days when I feel overloaded with work and ministry responsibilities, I recall the Old Testament story of the widow and her oil. She had a limited amount of oil in her jar, but God multiplied it and filled dozens of empty jars to meet her needs. I'm like the widow; I have a limited amount of strength, wisdom, and creativity for the tasks before me. I envision each task like an empty jar. I bring them to God in prayer and ask Him to fill them with His strength, wisdom, and creativity, and He answers.