Hope & Faith

A young woman shared some profound advice that is a helpful reminder whenever navigating one of life’s many storms. Her words are about something simple but powerful that we all need to remember to do in times of crisis. Watch the video to hear what she has to say about enduring a difficulty, and the one thing we can all do that is likely to make a big difference.

We live in a hectic, chaotic world. People are constantly moving, going from this appointment to that meeting to this practice. It may seem that stopping and catching your breath is entirely out of the question because we’re in such a time crunch.

Now, in addition to all that chaos, add smartphones, which makes things like social media within our grasp 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those apps and platforms are likely to do nothing but lead to even more anxiety and pressure. Living in such a frenzied, hurried state does not give your mind and body much time to relax and recuperate.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Taylor Alesia reminds everyone about the importance of taking and finding rest. She calls it one of the best weapons Christians have when dealing with and navigating storms and valleys.

“So many Christians minimize the weight of this, and it’s something that we need to do weekly, guys,” she said. “Whether you’re in a storm or not, this can’t be underestimated, and it’s the power of rest.”

She adds that finding rest may look different for some people. Perhaps it’s about getting completely away from social media for 24 hours or avoiding people for a time.

Her advice is spot-on. The Lord knew and understood the power and necessity of rest, so He established the Sabbath – one day a week on which we are to rest, worship and concentrate on God.

According to her YouTube page, Taylor aims to use her “platform only for the glory of God.” She adds that she hopes her channel will “encourage and build up the next generation to be bold for Jesus.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

In an interview with Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson discussed Jesus, forgiveness, and mercy. The award-winning actor and filmmaker also talked about his views on the afterlife and why he is a person of faith with the popular podcast host.

Human beings are flawed, imperfect and fallen creatures. The Bible, in Romans, makes our fallen, sinful nature completely clear when it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We’re all sinners and in need of forgiveness, grace and mercy.

However, it’s because of those flaws, stumbles and imperfections that Mel is a believer and a person of faith. In a clip posted on YouTube, he tells Joe that when confronting his problems and imperfections, he came to the point where he understood he was unable to change himself.

“And I mean, I don’t think it’s any secret that I am flawed in the fact that I am by nature born an alcoholic, right?” he said. “I did drugs, I did alcohol and there was nothing that could stop me from doing that. Nothing. So, I was really kind of on, you’re on a downhill run. So, I regard the fact that I was able to appeal to something greater than myself to help me and actually stop me from doing that. I think that’s a miracle.”

Later in the clip, Mel mentions what he regards as the best thing about being a Christian and a person of faith: human beings do not have to continue living in sin.

“And the beauty of believing is that, even for your transgressions, you can be forgiven, and you can be redeemed,” he said.

Before the clip ends, Mel adds that Jesus Christ came to Earth and showed everyone how to obtain forgiveness and eternal life.

“I believe that God sent His Son down to tell us, ‘OK, I’m going to ransom you people from your fallen nature, and I’ll give you a roadmap on how to do it,’” he said.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.”

A woman addicted to drugs, contemplating suicide and facing jail time finds hope and life in Jesus Christ. She shared her powerful testimony about Christ’s life-changing and life-giving love, forgiveness and grace. Watch this video to hear how Christ’s love and mercy saved and completely turned a woman’s life around.

The world is a lost, cruel and broken place that is inhabited by many hurt and struggling people. Those individuals are searching for something, anything, to make the heartache and pain cease. Sadly, for many people, the hurt and pain may get so bad that they see no other alternative than suicide, taking their own lives.

In a video posted on YouTube, Cristina Baker explains how she was in such a situation. She, who was trying to “numb and escape the pain” of her past, started using “every kind of drug I could,” she said. She continued using drugs, and then, one evening, she was pulled over by a police officer. Cristina had a large amount of drugs in her vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. She was arrested.

After posting bail and getting out of jail, this did not solve Cristina’s problem. She was still dealing with incredible pain and hurt from her past, so she made plans to take her own life. But God had other plans for Cristina.

"So, I’m sitting at my desk, and at the very moment I'm contemplating taking my life, this man taps me on the shoulder and says to me, ‘I have a word from the Lord for you,’” she said. “How could he have known what I was just contemplating in that moment?”

Cristina adds that this mysterious messenger starts reading from the book of Jeremiah, specifically Jeremiah 29:11. After reading that verse, which mentions God’s plans for our lives, to give us hope and a future, he asked her a critical question. Did she want to accept Christ as her personal Lord and Savior? She did and felt instantaneous relief and comfort.

“The boulders I had been carrying around for 20-plus years of my life, it was like somebody came and picked it up off of my shoulders,” she said. “The chains were broken instantly.”

Even though Cristina had turned her life over to Christ, going to jail was still a real possibility for her. However, God had another miracle in store.

After she spoke to the district attorney, Cristina’s lawyer received a yellow piece of paper. It was an order of dismissal. The charges had been dropped, and she was free to go.

“I was guilty,” she said. “Everything that happened that night I was guilty of, but yet He came in and wiped it clean and I walked as a free woman, and that’s what the cross has done for you and I. We, through the cross and the blood of Jesus and the power of His blood, have been forgiven of all our sins – past, present and future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, said the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

A pastor shared how God used his weakness to bless and help someone in need. His personal experience demonstrates the power of God and how His strength shines through our weaknesses. Watch the short but moving clip about how even weakness is a strength when God is involved.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Thanks to Google, we can look up any fact, figure or question in seconds and get the answer. The ability and potential to learn and acquire knowledge on basically any topic imaginable are all around us.

However, no matter how much time we spend on Google, we’ll never have all the answers. Human beings are limited in what they can do and do not and will never know everything. This is also true for pastors.

In a clip posted on YouTube, pastor Andrew Greer shares that he felt out of place in particular conversations early in his ministry. He mentions one particular conversation for which he spent so much time preparing, hoping to provide this man with the correct answers.

When the moment arrived, most of the pastor’s preparation went out of the window. He did not have answers or solutions to what the man was dealing with or going through at the time. Instead of offering advice and solutions, he spent most of the conversation just listening.

But then something happened.

“He told me afterward what he was most grateful for,” the pastor recalled. “He told me, ‘Dude, thanks so much for listening. You just let me talk.’ He goes, ‘Most people want to give me answers. They just want to, like, kind of fix it.’ He’s like, ‘It was really nice to just be able to talk.’”

It was a powerful example of what God is capable of, even in our weakness. He can use our weakness as a strength to bring glory to His name.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble.’ Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.”

One man traded his golden years for parenthood in a beautiful adoption story. Emilio initially thought his time parenting small children was over, but he made a surprising and heartwarming decision. Check out the short but sweet video of how Emilio became the adoptive father of a 3-year-old girl.

All children deserve loving and caring homes. They want to be somewhere where they feel safe, secure and have peace of mind. Sadly, though, many children do not have this, having been born into less-than-ideal situations and circumstances. Many children have never experienced love, safety, security and peace.

Foster care and adoption are of the utmost importance, offering children a chance, some hope and a future. Emilio, a retiree and father of three grown children who recently moved to Florida to enjoy his golden years, completely changed course and is now the adoptive father of Kiana, an adorable little girl.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Emilio admits that Kiana was only supposed to be with him for a month. However, things quickly changed.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine giving her back at this point,” Emilio said.

Kiana is over the moon about being adopted and having Emilio as her father.

“When I first got adopted, it was so amazing,” she said. “It’s like, really, I love him so much, like so much, like so much, like so very much.”

While choking up, Emilio explains that in the time Kiana has been with him, he has seen a dramatic change in her personality and demeanor.

“And I’m about to tear up because,” Emilio said before Kiana interrupted him.

“I was like so scared and shy,” Kiana says

“She was, you know, in a really bad space,” he said.

Emilio could have sat back, taken things easy, and enjoyed his retirement. But instead of doing that, he is giving a young woman a much-needed safe and happy home full of love and happiness.

Matthew 9:37 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”

A loving and selfless daycare worker gave part of her liver to one of her former students. The woman stepped up in a big way and helped to provide a 5-year-old young man with a second chance. Check out this unbelievably touching and moving story about kindness and love.

Educators are a special and influential group of people. They are in vital, crucial positions. Every single day, they touch and influence young lives. What they say and do in the classroom will impact generations to come.

Yes, teachers are there to impart knowledge on subjects such as reading, geography, history and mathematics. But in addition to the facts and figures they share with the youngsters in their class, they are also in a position to demonstrate love and kindness to those little ones.

Teachers regularly give of their time and talent to help their students. A clip posted on YouTube tells of a daycare worker who literally gave of herself to save a former student of hers.

Ezra, a sweet young man who, because of complications at birth, needed a liver transplant. To try and find a living donor for her adopted son, Ezra’s mother turned to social media. She posted a message on Facebook informing everyone about the massive need.

Carissa Fisher, Ezra’s former daycare teacher, saw the social media post and got to work trying to determine if she was a match. As the clip mentions, she was a perfect match. Soon enough, both went under the knife, with Carissa giving 5-year-old Ezra a part of her liver.

Carissa said the decision to give a part of her liver to the youngster wasn’t a hard one to make.

“I guess, for me, it wasn’t really a decision,” she said. “It was something I kind of knew I was going to do. I mean, how could you say ‘No’ to them?”

What an unbelievable act of love.

Hebrews 13:16 “But go on doing good and giving to others, because God is well-pleased with such offerings.”

An inspiring young woman has overcome multiple life-threatening health issues. Enduring one of the horrifying ordeals and scary situations she has had to face would be too much for most people. Check out the video about this resilient and persistent young woman who cannot wait to begin helping others despite everything she has gone through.

Life is rarely, if ever, a fair experience. We all have problems and unpleasant circumstances we’re presented with at one time or another. These situations are typically painful, can be devastating and often result in grief and sorrow. However, we all know individuals who, for whatever reason, seem to be given what appears to be more than their fair share of difficulties and struggles.

Caroline Laubach, a Pennsylvania college student, is someone who has faced several massive, frightening health problems. According to a video posted on YouTube, Caroline, who is disabled, was experiencing enormous pain, making it difficult to breathe. It turned out that the young woman, at just 18 years old, was experiencing liver, kidney and heart failure.

She badly needed a heart transplant, but then, days before she would go under the knife, something else started to go wrong. She suffered a spinal stroke reportedly caused by a machine pumping blood to her back that restricted her airflow.

At that point, Caroline said doctors told her family to start making final arrangements.

Thankfully, Caroline was able to receive a much-needed new heart. But her health struggles did not stop there.

She was later diagnosed with cancer.

“It was on my left tonsil. It was on lymph nodes next to my heart. It was in my upper GI, lower GI and my bladder wall,” Caroline said.

According to the YouTube clip, this incredibly strong and inspiring young woman who had already been through so much managed to defeat cancer not once but twice. Now, she is not letting anything stop her from fulfilling her dreams and goals. She is pursuing a degree in nutrition and an occupational doctorate.

“I can’t wait to just start helping other people,” she said.

Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength.”

A pastor discussed finding and experiencing peace during the storm. He talked about how it is somehow possible to have peace through some of life’s most difficult situations and the only source of that inexplicable peace. Watch the video to hear the preacher’s powerful and moving thoughts about having peace during the storm.

Life is not always a fun experience full of roses, rainbows and nonstop laughter. In fact, it will be quite the opposite on many more occasions than we’d like to admit or think about. There will be many trying, difficult times during our time on Earth. Those instances will test our faith, perhaps even stretching it to its limit and beyond.

However, even when we’re hurting and experiencing intense grief and uncertainty, peace is still possible. In a clip posted on YouTube, one pastor highlighted a verse in the New Testament from the book of John about having peace during hardships.

“This is what it says in the book of John 14:27 it says, ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.’ Isn’t that true? ‘So don’t be troubled or afraid.’”

Next, he takes that verse about the peace that surpasses all understanding and applies it to our lives and experiences.

“See, the people who go through difficult situations and still have peace that they’re getting from God, it’s because it’s not contingent on the situation,” he says.

Finally, the pastor highlights a young woman who suffered a horrible, devastating injury that left her paralyzed, making her life immensely more complicated. He then mentions everything that she went on to accomplish following her injury and demonstrates how she found peace amid her struggles.

“All of this was done by this dear woman, who by society’s terms should have no peace, and yet she had peace beyond understanding,” he said. “That same God and that same peace is offered to all of us today.”

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Russell Brands shares how God is the only one who can transform addicts’ lives. The actor, author and podcast host shared insight into how God’s transformative power is the only thing that will help those struggling with addiction. Watch the video to hear what Russell says about people with an addiction and God.

The world is broken and lost, full of people who are hurting and struggling. Sadly, some people have been gripped and entrapped by addiction, having their lives overtaken by those powerful habits and cravings. Whether drugs, alcohol or something else entirely, addictions can and will destroy lives.

However, in a clip posted on YouTube, Russell states there is hope for someone struggling with addiction. Having dealt with substance abuse problems himself, he explains how God is the only one who can change an addict’s life.

Speaking from experience, Russell knows the feelings and thoughts going through someone’s mind who is struggling with addiction.

“Every addict feels that they are dirty and that they are worthless and that they are broken,” he said. “Every addict I’ve spoken to feels like, ‘If you knew me, really, you would not like me. You would not; you wouldn’t be able to love me.’ Every alcoholic, addict I know does not trust people. ‘In a very deep level, I do not trust you. You will let me down. You will break me and betray me.’”

Later in the clip, he adds that there is only one solution and answer for someone in such a terrible, horrible state.

“And If when I’ve, even now thinking about that and feeling that the only thing that could relieve us of our dilemma is God,” Russell said. “God can and will if He is sought.”

The Bible mentions that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We’re all sinners. None of us deserves His love, mercy, grace and forgiveness, but He continually offers them freely to all who call upon His name.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble.’ Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.”

Anthony Hopkins is marking nearly 50 years sober by offering advice and sharing hope with those who may be struggling with a similar problem. The award-winning actor recognized the important milestone in his life by informing other people who have issues with alcohol that they are not alone and help is available. Watch the short video to hear Anthony’s important message.

People are not perfect—far from it. We all have issues and problems and have made our fair share of mistakes. We’re all sinners, and everyone has fallen well short of the glory of God, as the Bible states. Luckily, one – Jesus Christ - offers forgiveness, grace and mercy. He even has the power to break addictions.

In a clip posted on Facebook, Anthony, a recovering alcoholic, has now been sober for 49 years. He says that while drinking, he realized he was in “big, big trouble” because “he couldn’t remember anything, and I was driving a car drunk out of my skull.” He knew he needed help.

He says that he proceeded to reach out to a group made up of people like him, individuals who have problems with alcohol. Now, in the nearly 50 years since he’s been sober, Anthony says that he’s had “more fun these 49 years than ever.”

He then proceeds to talk to people who may be having trouble with alcohol, telling them that there is help available and letting them know they are not alone.

Later in the clip, he reflects on his life and career.

“Anyway, I got sober, and sounds a dull word,” he said. “But I’ve had a wonderful life. They still employ me. They still give me jobs. I’m going to be 87 in two day's time. So, I’m celebrating my long life, my unexpectedly long life.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble.’ Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.”

TODAY host Savannah Guthrie discussed God’s unending, amazing love and her faith journey. She shared some powerful thoughts and insights about God, His love, being a parent and the importance of faith in her life. Watch the video to hear what Savannah says about these topics and others.

Talking to people about God and faith isn’t always easy. While Christians are called to witness and share Christ’s message of love and hope with others, it’s much easier said than done. When considering bringing up faith or God in a conversation, there is an ever-present fear that you will be rejected, dismissed or even mocked.

Now, discuss faith and God in front of a television camera and millions of people watching at home, and there is a lot more room for ridicule and mockery. However, those fears have not kept Savannah from discussing God and her faith. In a clip posted on YouTube, the mother of two discussed those subjects, sharing some insightful thoughts and comments.

A big part of being Christian involves having faith and trust in Him even when we may not understand why this or that happened. However, everyone experiences doubts or has questions at some point. Savannah has some straightforward but powerful advice for those experiencing doubt or questions.

“But I don’t think it is a mistake, and I don’t think it is a lack of faith to grapple with those doubts,” she said. “The number one thing I say is, ‘Bring those doubts to God. Bring your whole self to God. He’s not afraid of our questions.’”

Later in the clip, Savannah mentions that she has gone through difficult periods that have caused her to question and even blame God. But it was in those trials and heartaches that her faith and trust in God grew. She adds that while circumstances on Earth may cause us to become angry with Him, our thoughts and feelings toward God will never impact or change His love for us.

“And what I learned is it doesn’t matter how much we think of God,” she said. “It does not matter what we think of God. It doesn’t change how He thinks of us. It does not matter. It does not change how He treats us.”

God’s love is unending, knowing no bounds or limits.

“His love has nothing to do with our thoughts of Him,” she added. “It has nothing to do with our actions – good or bad. It has nothing to do with who we are. It has everything to do with who He is.”

Before the clip ends, Savannah stated that when she became a mother, she started to realize and understand God’s love for her.

“Because it’s the closest, I think, we’ll ever come to understanding how God relates to us,” she said. “Because a mother or father’s love for their child is unconditional. Again, it doesn’t matter how they act. On their worst day, your love is not any different for your daughter.”

1 John 4:16 “And we have seen and had faith in the love which God has for us. God is love, and everyone who has love is in God, and God is in him.”

Brandon Lake has shared an uplifting and encouraging message for anyone hurting and struggling. His powerful words are meant for those who are going through a difficult time and feel like the entire world is against them. Watch the short clip to hear Brandon’s moving words.

Life is a truly wonderful gift from the good Lord above. However, that does not mean our time on Earth will be nothing but rainbows and roses. In fact, it can often be the very opposite. Of course, anyone who has been alive for any period of time knows this all too well.

Christ never promised us an easy experience or that we’d never encounter hardship or difficulties. Jesus Christ was perfect, and He was tortured and crucified. How could we ever believe or think for one second that life would be easy when Christ did nothing wrong and He was put to death?

In a short clip posted on social media, the popular Christian musician, while speaking directly to the camera, mentioned how he knows some people are going through less-than-ideal, miserable circumstances.

“So many of you guys are going through hell,” he said. “You’re going through the hardest season of your lives. I’m speaking to you.”

After acknowledging that some people are undoubtedly dealing with troubling, heartbreaking, and painful situations, Brandon offers some heartfelt advice and encouragement.

“If you’re going through a really hard time, just remind you, honestly, as much as you don’t feel it, like, God is with you,” Brandon said. “He’s for you. He has the best plans for your lives.”

Later in the video, Brandon offers even more hope and encouragement to the hurting and brokenhearted. He summarizes one of the most popular verses in all of the Bible: Jeremiah 29:11.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Patricia Heaton shared how God used her career struggles to change and adjust her priorities in life. The Everybody Loves Raymond actress discussed her early acting career and how the Lord used her struggles and failings to redirect her concerns and goals. Watch the video to hear how Patricia’s early struggles as an actress led to a massive change in her life.

Hollywood is not a place typically friendly to people of faith. However, Patricia Heaton has never shied away from talking about God and sharing her faith. In multiple interviews and posts on social media, The Middle actress talks about God and how her faith influences her life and career choices.

During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Patricia talked about her early struggles as an actress. In the clip on social media, she mentions that she was in New York City for nearly a decade, and nothing worked out for her. It even got to the point, she reveals, that she became mad at God.

“And I was so angry at God,” she said. “And I was like, ‘You put this in me, and you’ve shut every door. What is going on?’”

Later in the clip, she mentions that something came up that led her to Los Angeles. In California, she made a significant discovery about herself that would ultimately change her life.

“I got an opportunity to go to LA,” she said. “I had this huge sense of peace that I had never had before. And I realized that I had been making the acting career the center of my life. And you know there’s only one thing that can be the center of your life, and that’s your faith.”

At that point, Patricia understood the reason and purpose for her early career struggles.

“I wasn’t doing that, and I think God was withholding everything until He was the center of my life and not the career.”

As Patricia wisely adds in the clip, careers come and go; they do not last. She also mentions that “you have to know that the purpose of your life is glorifying God with your life, not glorifying yourself.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

A community has come together to show love and support for a business owner after a shocking attack. Residents of a city in California did what they could to help a local business owner after he was the victim of a brutal assault. Watch the video to hear how people generously donated their time and talents to help one man and his business.

There is a lot of hate, evil and darkness in the world. Watch five minutes of any national, 24-hour news broadcast or quickly scan any social media platform, and you’ll come to the same conclusion. Unfortunately, people have the capacity to inflict massive amounts of hurt and pain upon one another.

However, while sin has and does corrupt and destroy everything it touches, some good can still be found in the world. A clip posted on YouTube tells the story of how some people came together to show love and support to one man and his small business after he was brutally attacked.

Mr. Lee, the owner of a Sacramento, California, donut shop, was attacked while working early one morning. The video states the business owner sustained a wound to his head, landing him in the hospital. Eventually, Mr. Lee developed a blood clot and had to have emergency surgery.

Mr. Lee is on the mend following the surgery, recuperating and progressing nicely from his injuries and surgery. However, as Mr. Lee is away from his business, several volunteers have gotten to work, and helped to give the donut shop a little tender, loving and caring.

“Freshly-painted store, new faces here, new equipment in the back,” Isaac Gonzalez, the organizer of the volunteer effort, said. “We hope it’s just a really good example of how much we love Mr. Lee.”

But fixing up his business is not all they volunteers are doing.

Volunteers have raised $18,000, some of which has helped to spruce up the business. The clip states that some of that money will also be given to Mr. Lee.

Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.”

A pastor shared some truly insightful and powerful comments on God’s timing and our ambition and drive as a society. Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell mentioned how and why God’s timeline is always best and why sometimes having extreme ambition and drive is not always good. Watch the short video to hear what the pastor had to say.

It's been said that time is money. Our society follows that old axiom with much passion and zeal. Everyone knows what they want, and they want it now, immediately, and without even the slightest delay. If there is a momentary pause or delay, someone else is getting ahead of me, or I might not have the newest, biggest or best of something.

Most people today, without a doubt, think that way. However, as most Christians have likely already discovered, God does not operate and adhere to our timeline. He has his schedule, and it may not always align with our desires.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell mentions God's timing during a conversation with Christian recording artist Lecrae. He also explains why people who want things now are often entirely wrong. His insight and wisdom come from his personal experience and struggles.

“Some of God’s goodness is to tell you, ‘Wait,’” he said. “Cause that’s like one of our young kids asking us for a car, and you 10. I got the means to give you that car, but if I give you that car at 10, you’re going to kill yourself. Now, you come back and ask me for that car at 17, you’re a little bit more mature. You can handle that.”

Later in the clip, the pastor mentioned what change he believes would serve our current generation well.

“And I think this generation would do itself good if we get delivered from being hyper-ambitious and we focus more on the walk with the Lord,” he said. “And we stop seeing all these things as the reward. I remind my churches as often as I can, Christ is the reward.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.”

Many of us tend to judge our most intense or unpleasant emotional responses which only increases their intensity by piling on shame. In this episode, Dr. Allison Cook talks with host Carol McCracken about her latest book, I'm Not Supposed to Feel This Way, how we can gain healthy emotional distance when we feel overwhelmed, and options for dealing with toxic people. 

This is a word I received from the LORD concerning revival. Please watch and listen. God Bless

Singer-songwriter Olivia Lane shared some powerful words about faith and feeling God’s presence in our lives. Her comments are insightful, uplifting and helpful to anyone and everyone who may be struggling with a similar issue. Watch the video to hear Olivia’s wonderfully insightful thoughts and comments on faith and feeling God’s presence in your life.

Christians want to feel and hear God’s presence. We should all want to know God’s will and purpose for our lives. It should surprise no one when someone seeks out His guidance and direction. In fact, that should be a request we make of Him regularly.

However, it can become frustrating when we feel like we aren’t hearing or feeling His presence or getting His guidance. It can get to the point where it feels like He’s not hearing or possibly even ignoring our requests and prayers. But that’s not the case, and Olivia Lane shared some insightful and powerful reasons why.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Olivia talked to individuals who feel as if they have not been feeling the Lord’s presence or guidance in their lives. She mentioned something she learned “very early in her faith journey that changed everything.” It was something her boyfriend, now her husband, said to her at the time.

She told him that for the longest time, she believed she felt God’s presence. Then, for whatever reason, she felt as if He “left the building.” The response she received is something we can all apply to our lives.

“He turned to me and said, ‘Olivia, faith is not a feeling,’” she recalled. ‘Faith is a choice. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen, which means we can have confidence in things that are unseen, God, who is unseen.’”

She ends the video by sharing more about faith, trust and hope in God.

“See, feelings are fleeting,” she said. “Faith, in the moments where God is silent, is necessary because He’s growing you. Silence does not mean absence. God is just maturing you.”

Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will be searching for me, and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart.”