If we can believe in a God that we can't see to save us, then we can believe that the same God will do what he says he will do and therefore we can wait with patience. We can be patient with ourselves and with others. The fruit is in us if we are a child of God; we just need to use it!

Some of us might not want to nibble on this fruit, but to take a big chunk out of it! Sometimes it's hard to hold your peace, but we have the ability to do so with the help of Holy Spirit living inside of us. Not to mention that our savior Jesus Christ himself is the prince of peace! We can activate that peace in any circumstance if we choose to do so.

Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Have you activated the fruit of joy in your life? Are you joyful only when things are going good in your life or can you still have joy when life is giving you lemons?

Let's talk about the fruit of the spirit Love! Have you done a "Fruit Check" lately to make sure your fruit is still operating properly? Has your fruit gotten rotten? Are you walking and talking with love? Let's talk about it.

What kind of odor are we emulating when we walk into a room? What scent are we leaving afterwards? When people mention your name, does the mention of your name leave a sweet smelling aroma? Let's talk about it! 

When is silence golden? When we are tempted to say something that we know will hurt the other person, silence is definitely golden. But what about when God is silent? Do we still think silence is golden or do we get bent out of shape when it seems like God isn't speaking? What goes on in our heads when God doesn't say a mumbling word? (Like the old folks would say, Lol!)

How many of us have some "What If's" in our lives that caused us to regret something we said or done? What if I had listened more and talked less? What if I had been more patient? There are a number of reasons we have regrets, so what are some of yours? But, know that God doesn't want us to live a life of regrets and He has a way out for us.

I share 5 principles I learned during my journey of grief. I learned some "Before" things that made a huge difference in how I was able to persevere. We should always be prepared in advance...count the cost so to speak before...stay tuned.

For some of us, "Happy Mother's Day" may not be so happy. Just know that God sees you, He understands and He has not left you alone to deal with the hurt...He has left you a Comforter in the person of Holy Spirit. 

How does our faith hold up in times of disappointments, grief and challenges?  Do we know the word yet do not apply it to our situation? Without faith it is impossible to please God is what Hebrews 11:1 tells us.