Grace is not the absence of the struggle; it is the presence of protection.
Contrary to popular belief we do not just stumble into our decisions. Every emotion is connected to a thought and those thoughts produce action.
Instant gratification often results in long-term disappointment. The many broken promises I have made to myself have created wounds I am still discovering. Growth occurs when we confront our personal experiences and how they've changed us.
Just because you help others doesn't mean you never need help yourself. Doctors can catch colds. Lawyers can be sued. Police officers can call 911.
Keep the Promises You Make to Yourself.
Until we forgive ourselves, we will always see ourselves through the shattered pieces of the dreams we can no longer have. Nothing can be seen clearly through broken pieces: no future, no hope, no faith, no love is capable of being seen properly until we admit that we are driving on a flat tire. We have to stop believing that just because we are damaged we are irreparably broken.
We are all imperfect and no one is without flaws. And fortunately, ministry is not about leading people to ourselves, it's about leading them back to the One who saved us. How tragic…that we often allow the image of perfection to cloud the need to show where His strength is made perfect in us.
Despite the many tears that threatened to dilute it, your faith did not dissolve. Your heart is still pumping. Your pulse is a sign that this world needs you.
When you're a teenager - How do you determine what being a Christian looks like, if you're not willing to be as transparent as the realty TV world we live in? If we are to make it easy for others to find God, we must be more diligent about sharing our stories, openly and honestly.
The relationships that don't work teach us to value the ones that do. Be thankful for the people who disappointed you. They've taught you to value the people who stood beside you.
In the end our greatest regret isn't that we were hurt. It's living with the reality that we allowed pain to change us. There's still time to evolve. Don't stay where heartbreak left you.
Do not compare your growth with anyone else's. The only person you are competing with is who you were yesterday.
Don't be so locked into what everyone else around you thinks, you should become that you limit the destiny on your life.
My potential isn't limited to your opinion. My ambition doesn't require your permission. I plan to succeed with or without your attention.
It doesn't matter who you used to be. All that matters is who you're willing to become.
Shedding excuses is a discipline that must be practiced with our thoughts, communication and action. There is only room for language that declares: I will!