So many of us live life in the rear view mirror. We give our attention to what has passed, wishing we had shown up differently, only to find that by the time we come back to reality, we’ve already missed another opportunity to show up well. What if instead we spent each waking moment asking how we will live like Jesus, and not just wishing we had been more like Him?

God chose David from humble beginnings to lead his kingdom. Don’t doubt what God has in store for you!

Here's the rub: When we drift away from Jesus, we drift into trouble -- anxiety, selfishness, jealousy, lust, materialism, insecurity. If you've looked around and realized, "Wow! I've drifted away from Jesus… I mean, I see and feel the evidence of slippage…. " Stop the drift! Step back into the joy of your salvation!

Jesus could – and sometimes does – answer our questions. But what He truly desires is just a conversation. Because in conversation, He leads us and guides us, doing the transforming work in us. All He desires is intimacy and trust.

Your life and mine will also be forever changed when we stop looking to solve problems on our own, and cease trying to create our own purpose, and, instead, focus on the ONE who IS the problem-solver and IS the purpose-giver.

This broken, painful world will toss you in waves, winds, and storms that may seem unsurvivable and it may feel like you have tumbled completely down the mountain. But my dear friends, Jesus is right there with His hand extended ready to carry you through anything.

Be on fire because you prioritize the inner workings of God in your life. Be on fire because the Holy Spirit is alive and well, waiting for a willing vessel to use on the earth. So, stand firm in the faith that brought you to the foot of the cross. My prayer is that we will bring back that first love fire for Jesus.

Where is God inviting you to open up your hands and surrender?

Today, if you're wondering why you have not moved beyond some heartbreak, or some loss, or some tragedy in your life… let me offer you some helpful guidance from one who learned how to live with grief in a way that it did not paralyze his life… but it deepened his life.

A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a young woman. She said “I don’t know why God keeps giving me all of these trials.” To which I replied, “Are they trials, or are they temptations?”