Last night while my boyfriend was preaching to his youth group, he made this statement: It’s okay to be dependent on God. It was such a simple sentence, but it’s been weighing on my since he said it last night. You see, I love the feeling of independence. I love being self-sufficient. And I love knowing that I can take care of myself and figure things out for myself.
Read MoreSeveral years ago, I was talking to one of my friends about her new fiancé. She had just gotten engaged, and since I’d had a front row seat to watch their relationship unfold, we spent the afternoon recapping God’s faithfulness and provision by bringing this amazing man into her life. At one point in the conversation, my friend made a statement that really stuck out to me. She said, "Kristen, I can say with full confidence that there’s no way this relationship would have ever happened if the Lord’s hand hadn’t been in it.”
Read MoreSoon after the miracle of Jesus feed the 5000, Jesus and the disciples found themselves in a similar situation in the midst of 4000 hungry men and their families. Not surprisingly, Jesus once again provided in amazing ways. But before He did, His disciples questioned how Jesus could come through for them in the same way. After having just seen Jesus feed more people with less food, they still asked "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" (Matthew 15:33).
Read MoreGod so clearly reminded me of on that hot afternoon in Jerusalem is that there’s absolutely nothing more I can do to prove that I was worth all of the horrible things Jesus went through. I can do everything right for the rest of my life, or I can make every mistake in the book, and He will love me no more and no less. This is not a merit based relationship. This is a relationship that God wanted so badly that He was willing to sacrifice what He loved most to get it. And I’m so grateful that He did.
Read MoreI often think about the kind of wife I want to be. I think about what I want my life to look like once I have a husband and kids and dogs and a house - a whole family of my own. When I start thinking about these things, I get so excited. I am filled with expectation of what that time in my life is going to be like. And then I get on Instagram…
Read MoreI recently heard someone ask the question, “If you knew God was holding your hand every step of the way, what would you do and where would you go?” It was a question that stopped me in my tracks, because for a while, I had been operating out of a mindset of fear and hesitation. I was dealing with a lot of worry and uncertainty as there were some big changes happening in my life, and I was scared of what those changes were going to bring.
Read MoreSomething I’ve struggled with over the years is putting a lot of stock in what other people think of me. I’ve always been concerned with making sure people like me, that I get along with others, and that people have a positive perception of me. After all, who doesn’t want to be liked? Who doesn’t want other people to think and say nice things about them? We all want those things, right?
Read MoreFar too often, we believe that if we could just get the one thing we want, the one thing that everyone else seems to have, we’ll be happy and content. But as we ask, or even demand, that God give us what we want, we’re basically saying that He isn’t enough to satisfy our wants and our needs. That’s exactly what the Israelites communicated, that God wasn’t enough for them, when they demanded a king like every other nation had.
Read MoreHave you ever gotten your hopes up for something, and then you ended up being disappointed and let down? If I had to guess, you probably have. But if by some miracle you’ve escaped that not-so-great feeling up until this point, trust me, it’s coming. I’m not a pessimistic person. In fact, I’m usually the optimist in my group of friends. But even I, the girl who always believes there’s going to be a happy ending, understand that disappointment is just a part of life.
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