Align with the Divine

My life has been a rocky road for the last 4 years and during this time I decided to lean into God's goodness and grace.  I have also lamented, "Why me, when I have been so faithful?  Why do you still give me these burdens, Father?"  God reminded me that His presence here on earth is real.  On my darkest day, when I had no hope, no energy, and no sleep, I left my work depleted and completely drained.  As I was leaving, I ran into a colleague I had not seen in months.  He asked me how I was and right there in the middle of the hallway, I began to cry and tell him my story.  Well, I truly believe God sent  him to me that day because his words gave me hope.  I still call him my guardian angel. That day was the start of my healing.   So many other times God has put people in my life who share the pain I had, or people I can give comfort to because their story is my story.  God works through people.  So He will send people your...

 "Do not be afraid." 365 times these words are written in the Bible.  One for every day of the year.   Coincidence - I think not. Everyday, we are reminded not to be afraid and yet we still fear.  Why?  We live in a world where evil still exists and we don't need to look too far to see it's work.  Just turn on the news, listen to your friends who worry about the economy or food prices, listen to strangers complaining about others .  Doom and gloom seems to be everywhere.  But there's one question we need to ask ourselves. Are we filling our minds with evil or are we filling our minds with God? Many years ago, I chose not to listen to the news because it filled me with fear.  I am particularly sensitive so bad news really affects my well being.  As a school counsellor, my students' stories sometimes fill me with sadness.  For the sake of self care, I made a conscious decision to avoid the media.  Watching the news made me f...

 Do you remember when you were little and it was your birthday?  You were so excited to celebrate with your friends.  You anticipated fun, delicious food, lots of laughter and pure joy.  And that same feeling of anticipation came on Christmas morning, when you couldn't wait to see the surprises under the tree. What if I told you that God wants us to wake up each morning with that same excitement and anticipation?  What if I told you that God's miracles will be revealed when we believe and anticipate them? In my years of darkness, I had a hard time believing in God's miracles.  I was stuck in grief and sadness.  Slowly, as I prayed and leaned into God's grace, I began to see His miracles.  At first, they were small miracles.  The sun came out after weeks of rain, the traffic moved quickly when I needed to get to an appointment, my children and I shared a funny moment in the kitchen and all laughed out loud.  Slowly, I began to see God w...

Lately, I've been thinking about Judas.  Here is man who followed Jesus for 3 years, lived with him, heard his teachings, and witnessed His miracles.  Yet, his claim to fame is his betrayal of our Saviour.  How is it possible, being exposed to Jesus' divine light, that he could turn away and ultimately betray Him.  Was it fear? Was it the influence of Satan?  Or was it his love for money and power.  Most puzzling is that he betrayed Jesus with a kiss, which at that time was sign of deep respect and brotherly love.  How hurtful it must have been for Jesus to be betrayed in this way by a loving member of his Inner Circle.  The Bible accounts that Satan entered Judas at the Last Supper (Luke 22:3).  Afterwards, Judas was "seized with remorse" (Matthew 27:3) when he realized that Jesus would be crucified.  Overcome with guilt, he gave the money back to the temple authorities and hanged himself.  A tragic ending filled with hopelessness....

Perhaps you are facing a storm right now in your life and you are feeling hopeless.  Maybe this challenge is too much to handle and you can't see a way out.  I know.  I understand.  I have been in the midst of many storms and have felt this burden and hopelessness.  As the storm is raging, this feeling of defeat looms. We all face challenges in our lives.  Losing a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, the ending of a marriage, being a victim of abuse, struggling with mental health or addiction.  Whatever your challenge, whatever your storm, God is near.  In fact, the bible states: The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged .”  Deuteronomy 31:8 It is in the eye of the storm that we must lean into God, remembering His goodness and His light.  When we are facing a storm, there are three things we can do to help us through it.  In time, the pa...

 I am a BIG fan of the docuseries The Chosen.  It is my favourite depiction of the life of Jesus.  Throughout the episodes an underlying theme of LOVE transcends.  After being a Christian for decades, I finally understand the true purpose of our lives here on earth.  Here it is.  Our only purpose as a Christian is To Love.  Yes, so simple.  Yet for many of us, so difficult.  In my personal experience, whenever you sit in the power of love: loving people, loving yourself, loving your work, loving your life.  Then and only then, will God's power transcend.  Love is the only answer.  It is the only way to heal a broken heart, to mend a broken relationship,  and to heal yourself.  In fact, it is the only way to bring miracles, God's miracles, into your life. People underestimate the power of LOVE.  Love is by far the most powerful way of creating change in your life and the lives of those you love.  Often, our f...