there's always a reason to smile.

For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I am filled with the love of God, therefore I have everything to give.

God’s provision does not always come wrapped in your preferences.

Often we speak about love as if it is a feeling. But if we wait for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to love well. The feeling of love is beautiful and life-giving, but our loving cannot be based in that feeling. To love is to think, speak, and act according to the spiritual knowledge that we are infinitely loved by God and called to make that love visible in this world. Mostly we know what the loving thing to do is. When we “do” love, even if others are not able to respond with love, we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts.

Being gentle is like loving your enemies – people don’t expect it but it’s powerful rather than weak. Like loving those who don’t love you, being gentle in a situation where you are stirred to be angry or impulsive is not easy, but it is exactly what Jesus did. Sometimes gentleness involves holding back words, but often it is honesty and integrity. What gentleness isn’t is being a pushover or being too scared to speak your thoughts – Jesus had complete authority when he spoke and people listened to him.

a woman on a mission has no business being distracted by things like envy.

“It is hypocritical of us to neglect reading our Bibles, and then cry out in prayer as though we are hungry for God. Real hunger pushes us into the scriptures.”

If you love anything at all in this world more than God, you will crush that object under the weight of your expectations, and it will eventually break your heart.

As I have journeyed through the bible, I found myself asking questions. What did the people feel when they encountered Jesus? When they stared into His eyes full of compassion, love and mercy, what did their hearts say? When they heard His voice, what stirred in them? When they touched His hands, how warm was it? Or how did His disciples feel when Jesus told them that He is going to be betrayed, and that He is going to die? How did they manage to stay fine? How much will did they have in them to protect Jesus? And how joyful were they when they saw the Son of Man resurrected back from the dead and has come to have fulfilled the promise? I know for soon, that I too will be able to tell. Soon, when He comes back for us.