I know many of us might be carrying an extra load of worry, anxiety and fear right now. Especially as we face so many tough situations, changes and unknowns. Sometimes it’s easy to choose to rely upon our own strength rather than upon God and His Word. If you’re anything like me, then you know that we can often forget that God can handle ANY problem. Or perhaps we think we can do a better job handling the situation ourselves. Either way, when we choose to lean on our own understanding instead of God's promises, we are placing ourselves, or the overwhelming situations we are facing, "before" the Lord.

Here we are again...September 11th. 20 years ago, on this day, I got the phone call that I had dreaded getting all night long the night before….”Tammy, we found Trent.” He was about 100’ below the water in Jamaica’s Blue Lagoon, still hanging onto his underwater scooter, and it appears something had struck him on the back of the head while he was free diving. And he didn’t survive. He didn’t make it. He was gone.

Life is full of movement. If we are moving, we are living. Yet movement can also be exhausting—physically and mentally.

In some ways, movement can be paralyzing. We can feel stuck because though we're moving all over the place it might not seem like there's any real direction or meaning behind it. We know we're moving, but we wonder if we're really getting anywhere.

Finding Joy can be a challenge for alot of people. Especially during a year long pandemic when nothing has been normal. But when I talk about joy, I’m not doing so from the perspective of a bubbly person who never seems to have a bad day or questions WHY! Many of us think that joy means feeling good all the time. That’s impossible! Even for those who are naturally upbeat and optimistic, that’s impossible.

Life is full of broken dreams, heart ache, challenges, mind blinding circumstances and plans that feel like they keep falling short. It can feel at times like we’re living in the wilderness of self-defeat with different shades of pain and numbness. For many, we lose the hope to believe in the place called tomorrow or a new beginning.

In spite of these difficulties, God’s word stands solid as an anchor to take you to your promised land. God does not want you to remain where you are if you're feeling hopeless.

There’s probably no deeper sadness that ever comes over the mind than the idea that we are all alone in this world. That no one cares, that no one sees us or hears us, that no one is concerned about anything that might happen to us, especially if we’re hurting and in pain.

Waiting on God has two really important components. A complete dependence on God AND a willingness to allow Him to decide the terms, including the timing of His plan.

While we wait, some times we have to hold on tight and some times we have to let go. But we must always do so with hope filled expectation and trust, knowing that God is not making us wait just to see how long we can “take it.” But there are times I believe God delays His answer, and we will wonder why He seems so reluctant to intervene in our situations.