Faithfulness Over Perfection I was at lunch with some friends, and one asked another, “If you could go back to who you were a year ago, what would you tell yourself?” They answered, “Not to rush and feel like I have to learn everything at once, but to take my time and take it all in.” I thought about that answer because it is so true. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and think we have to learn everything right away, and when we don’t, we get upset with ourselves… well, a

God, What Am I Missing? Have you ever had days or even weeks where no matter what you did, nothing seemed to go right? Your conversations, your kindness, your actions, your choices — nothing seemed to work out. I have become so frustrated with myself because it seemed like no matter what I did or said, I was misunderstood, not fully heard, or something else entirely. I knew I had to be the problem because everyone around me seemed to have no trouble communicating. Those are t

Simple Living, Deep Faith I grew up in the city limits. I went to college in Oklahoma City, and I always thought I would live downtown in a high-rise apartment. God had other plans. When I moved back home and my husband and I got married, we lived in an apartment in our town — not downtown. When we started looking at houses, we focused mainly on the city, though we were also open to something on the outskirts. But we ended up building our house 15 minutes from the nearest tow

Making Way for God Through the Trials We know what comfort feels like, but I think we truly know, feel, and remember every trial we have faced because those are the moments that shape us. Those trials reveal the areas in our lives where growth and change are needed. Life will always have trials and conflicts, but it’s how we handle them that reveals our growth and character. If you want to find out where your weaknesses are, just wait for a conflict or trial to arise. Isaiah

This month, we are spotlighting HIS Ministries, a ministry in Santa Fe, Texas, that is working to overcome the obstacles rural residents of Galveston County face in accessing much needed resources. Founded in 1991, HIS Ministries exists to share God’s love by providing compassionate assistance to individuals and families in need throughout the Hitchcock and Santa Fe communities. They meet both physical and emotional needs through food, financial support, spiritual guidance, a

Fall On Your Knees It was about 2003, and I was going through a growing period in my walk with the Lord. I had rededicated my life back to God in 1999, this time with a full understanding of what that truly meant (I was 7 years old when I got saved). God saw where my heart was headed, what I was relying on, and what I was giving my attention to, and He took it away from me. I needed that jolt. It was through that stripping away of people and things that I found myself despera