Have you ever walked through a season that you thought was going to be full of joy and turned out to be a season of disappointment? Yeah me too. I found it's often hard in those moments to recall God's character and my identity in him. Doubt floods my mind and I begin to question my purpose. I begin to place blame and ask why. But then I realized that during those times of disappointment if instead of blaming God I turn closer to him, my focus shifts. My focus begins to stay eternal instead of what's happening right now. I begin to see how he's leading me and that he really does have good plans for me.
Read MoreI get it. Trust me I know how hard it is to want something and wait for it. I know the heartache of praying desperately seeking God to answer that prayer and it still not happening. I know what it's like to be so close and yet still so far from your next season so the waiting continues. I know what it's like to see everyone else making progress in their dreams and getting the things that you're praying for and not understanding why it's not your turn yet.
Read MoreMaking friends can be difficult, especially as we get older. When we were in school there were endless ways to meet people and find a friend group. I quickly learned after graduating from college that it was a lot harder to find a good group of friends. I also realized if I wanted to find friends, it was going to take some work on my end. I knew that my life had changed drastically and I now needed to be more intentional with who I decided to surround myself with in this new phase of life. As a natural introvert, I was slightly terrified at the thought of going outside my comfort zone to make new friends. I heard about small groups at my church and how my life would change in the context of relationships. I figured it was the best chance I had at finding friends in a new city with knowing hardly anyone.
Read MoreI've been studying the fruits of the spirit more recently and I find it so interesting that a lot of the fruits that I thought were feelings are more than that. When the feeling is lost sometimes in the midst of life we have to choose these different fruits rather than just feel whatever the roller coaster of life has thrown at us. I've also learned that as we seek God and live a life devoted to him, these are the fruits that we will produce with our life and be able to withstand life's many curve-balls.
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