Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) I sat in the parking lot, thinking of the last time I was in this infusion center.  I smiled thinking of the woman I met that was undergoing chemotherapy. She was fighting her second battle.  Her hair was gone; she wore her bald proudly, beautifully.  Her personality was spunky, and we talked and laughed so much it made an hour seem like ten minutes. They say first impressions…

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One of my favorite quotes is, “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” These words are so powerful. Far too often I am too involved in my own world to pay attention to what others must be going through. My thoughts are consumed with nothing but myself. I worry what others think of me, what they say about me when I’m not around. But in all reality people do not think or talk about me nearly as much as I worry about them doing these things. And this is because everyone is fighting their own…

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I’m unsure who should be credited with coining the phrase, “Haters Gonna Hate”,  But I hear people use it all the time: in the grocery store, at school, even at church! Everyone has critics in life.  But these “haters” have taken it to a whole new level.  They voluntarily and intentionally try to bring harm to another through their words or actions.  For some reason, these individuals have become desensitized to the feelings of others. These days, it’s too easy to hide behind a computer screen while wreaking havoc on even the least suspecting victims. Maybe you lost weight or even put on some weight recently and someone…

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Recently, I was given the task to look for pictures of myself for an upcoming article I will be featured in. The editor asked for a picture of myself when I was younger or at a vulnerable point in my life, and a picture of when I accomplished something amazing. She said, “having some additional pictures gives readers some insight into your past and present.” I am a photo fanatic, so, of course, I knew I would not have a hard time fulfilling this request. Many times, I have looked through old pictures of myself, past vacations and holidays over the years; usually, I just…

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I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by a marriage and family therapist for the past fourteen years. Mentoring is a huge understatement and is probably only a euphemism he uses to soften the fact that I’ve actually been receiving free therapy all this time! Meeting with professionals like him would normally cost a truckload of money, so I’m very thankful he’s never sent me a bill. If he did, I’d probably owe him at least twenty thousand dollars—no joke. Through hundreds of our unofficial counseling sessions, I’ve gleaned at least five key aspects of dating that are relevant to…

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For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) Recently I was spending some quality time with my toddler son and decided to take a brisk walk and enjoy nature together. As I was walking with him, I thought about the pains that we go through as human beings on this side of life and it made me think of a boxing match. Usually when people think of boxing people like Muhammad…

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There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18) Recently God has placed on my heart, the fact that I’m a professional hoarder of my feelings and emotions. By that I mean – since childhood, I’ve learned how to suppress my fears, hurts and pains instead of fully facing them. Now I do know that during certain times, suppressing my feelings was good in ways of helping me to be strong, but I’ve been doing it…

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No person is one-dimensional. Actually, there are three views of every individual: the view that God has of us, the opinions that others hold concerning us, and the perception we have of ourselves. Each of these is quite important. God’s Image … of Us First, let us consider the divine vantage point. This is the assessment that is accurate in every detail. The Lord does not observe people merely outwardly, as humans tend to do; rather, “Jehovah looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). The Lord “knows the hearts of the children of men” (1 Kings 8:39). As the godly…

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Praying for unsaved loved ones is one of the most important things we can do as Christians. The Christian walk, if done correctly, is a mighty struggle. It shouldn’t be easy and free of tension and inner conflict. To be in this world and in His word and Will can and should be a challenge. We have to be constantly working on making ourselves righteous and Holy and acceptable to our God. To show our love for Him, we must be obedient to Christ (John:14:23).  As Christians, we are called to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).. We…

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Let’s get straight to the point: I WANT TO GET MARRIED! Yes, I said it, and it’s not a secret. I was that girl who grew up under an awesome example of a Godly marriage; My parents. The point is I’ve always wanted to get married. Here is the thing though; I wanted marriage more than I wanted to know God. You see, I love God and all of that, but I loved the idea of marriage even more. I would stalk young married couples via YouTube and social media. I would spend hours looking at Instagram and Facebook posts…

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“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12) Nowadays it’s almost impossible to be content because we always want the new things out. The new phone, the new outfit, the new make up, everything new. We don’t necessarily NEED it, but we WANT it. Life is never enough, we always want more and we always think that we need more. It’s kind of funny…

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