faith

We can be told to “just have more faith” or even pray for more faith, but there are also specific steps we can take to help strengthen our faith.

“Faith is on the rise,” reports The Guardian magazine, “and 84% of the global population identifies with a religious group.”

Nothing seems more undesirable than hard times and unanswered questions, but God always has a plan and purpose for these moments in his children’s lives.

Disappointment seems like the gateway emotion to a lot of worse ones: bitterness, anger, depression and more. By that logic, God wouldn’t want Christians to experience disappointment. Why expose us to what only breeds bad things in our hearts?

The only problem is that Jesus regularly disappointed people.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV).

In her 2011 book, Ellen DeGeneres said, "…the key to happiness is being happy by yourself and for yourself. Happiness comes from within. You have the power to change your own mindset so that all the negative, horrible thoughts that try to invade your psyche are replaced with happy, positive, wonderful thoughts."

In an age of social media confessions and “tell-all” memoirs, we must ask ourselves what true vulnerability is and why it’s important.

In the opening lines of the Beatitudes, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

When we’re making major life decisions or are faced with a huge change, planning our next move can be challenging.

David Brinkley is credited with having once said, “She took a leap of faith and grew her wings on the way down.”

The following is a beautiful letter written to us by a grieving mother.  The testimony she paints is a of daughter’s utter faithfulness to God despite severe disabilities.  The mother’s letter has been slightly edited and abridged: