Jesus is Truth – As We Celebrate Pentecost Sunday!

Did you know Jews were celebrating the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) on the day God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers? The Feast of Weeks was an agricultural festival at the end of grain harvest, 7 weeks after Passover, celebrating the first fruits of the harvest. In God’s perfect timing, He sent the first fruits of the permanent and powerful presence of the Holy Spirit to live in Jesus’s followers. This enabled them to powerfully witness and work for Jesus all over the world, as seen throughout the book of Acts.

Acts 2:1-9  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter then gave a powerful message about what God did through Jesus’s death, resurrection, ascension, and gift of the Holy Spirit. He called for repentance of sins, receiving Jesus’s forgiveness and baptism. Then, those who believed would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand believed Peter’s message that day! Peter made it clear the Holy Spirit’s presence was for all those who believed (Acts 2:38-39), which includes you and me!

The day of Pentecost reminds me that Jesus’s spiritual presence is always with me through the Holy Spirit that lives inside me to guide, comfort, convict, instruct, empower and bring peace. I am never alone and never without the Holy Spirit’s help!

What encouragement does Pentecost and the Holy Spirit’s presence bring to you?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Preparing Followers (2/29/24)

Happy Leap Day! Just as leap days help us stay in sync with the seasons, the Holy Spirit helps us stay in sync with God’s truths. Without him, we are left to flounder in life with an incorrect worldview.

Jesus opened the disciple’s eyes to see so many misunderstood truths of God. Just before his death, he promised additional help, through the Holy Spirit, for further understanding about God’s plans.  

 

John 16:7-11 ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

 

The Advocate (Holy Spirit) convicts people about their sin, rejection of Jesus as God’s Son, inability to earn a right standing before God, and the reality of God’s just condemnation of those who reject Him. There are absolutes – God’s absolutes. We don’t get to choose what is right for us, God does.

 

Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure with new revelations about the Holy Spirit’s work! He also prepares us! Can you think back through your life and recognize how Jesus prepared you for various challenges, situations, relationships and jobs? Will you jot it down in a journal or share it with a close family member or friend, giving glory to God?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Giving Perfect Love Gift (2/15/24)

 

I didn’t realize when I took this picture that it looked like a heart! The kids spent hours one snow day last year building a huge igloo! I thought it was an appropriate Valentine picture.

With Valentine’s Day yesterday, what’s the best love gift you’ve ever received?

 

I think the Holy Spirit is the best love gift we could ever receive here on earth! He’s permanent, never wears out, never stops working, can’t be stolen, can’t be damaged, is always in perfect condition, is always ready and has full power!

 

John 14:15-21         ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

Jesus commands us to love him and keep his commands. He also gives us the means to do that through the gift of the Holy Spirit! The indwelling Holy Spirit enables believers to lovingly obey.

What is your and my relationship with the Holy Spirit? Does He live within you? What evidence is there that the Holy Spirit lives in you and me?

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God through the Holy Spirit (3/16/23)

Remember how angry Naaman was??? I think the Holy Spirit humbled him and he listened to the advice of his servants.  

II Kings 5:14-16 ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

¹⁵ Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

¹⁶ The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

I think God used the frustrations in Naaman’s life to prepare him to understand who the Living and True God is! Now that Naaman is healed, he does truly acknowledge God and gives God all the glory!!!

How might God be using the Holy Spirit in your life to humble you through a frustrating situation? Like Naaman, let’s allow God to change our anger into humble submission to His will, even when what He asks us to do doesn’t make sense.  

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God is With Us in Tense Conversations

I’m guessing I’m not the only one that has stressed over potential relational conflicts. As I anticipated various scenarios with one particular person I would see over Thanksgiving, I prayed for wisdom, ways to calmly speak, what actions to take, etc. God helped me stay calm and quiet the first interaction with this person, but the second one ended heated!  

 

As I was crying and praying in my room that evening, I flipped open my Bible study and read most of Matthew 10.  

 

Matthew 10:16-20 16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 

 

It seemed God planned the timing of the Bible study passage just for me and my situation!!! He’s so personal! I hadn’t been arrested or flogged physically, but maybe verbally. He reassured me that He would be with me in future conversations. I didn’t need to worry, but could prayerfully trust and follow His Spirit’s lead.  

 

As you and I anticipate other tense conversations, we can look to God for His help and presence, especially when we’re witnessing about Him!  

 

Alice 

Thursday Devotional - Pressing Questions

What is the one thing you want to know right now? Do you have a pressing question or dilemma?

Right before Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the disciples had a pressing question.

Acts 1:4-9            ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

The disciples wanted to know if Jesus was right then going to restore the kingdom to Israel! He didn’t directly answer their question. He didn’t answer it the way they wanted, but gave them far more than they asked! He gave them what He knew was best for them to know right then. He does that for us today.

I’ve had several pressing questions over the years. After our miscarriage and years of infertility, Joe and I wanted to know if we were to have children, when, how, etc. God didn’t answer all those questions at once, but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit gave us what we needed to know for the next step.

           

God provides what He knows we need to know (and not always what we want to know).

What part of your and my life is confusing right now? If we are seeking His direction and desiring to follow Him, He will give us what we need, when we need it. We can trust His purposes and plans. He will prepare us for the next step, just as He did the disciples!

Alice

Freedom In The Spirit

Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:15-18

Reading God’s word can be convicting.  There are many times I will read something, and have a strong visceral reaction towards it.  I begin to ask myself, “Is this the flesh rebelling or is my heart in the wrong place?”  I reflect as if God is trying to teach me a lesson that will take an amount of time for me to learn.  Spiritual growth is supposed to be this way.  You feel uncomfortable, and you must start stretching it out testing it to get comfortable.  Then there comes a level of thankfulness as it sinks in.  Then as I write my a devotion based on it, I pray that God guides me to say the right things and not lead me and those who would read it wrongfully.  It is then that I can feel God’s Spirit begin to awaken, and it flows within me.  Before I know it, the words flow freely, and my confidence in what God is impressing on me sinks in.  My heart is filled with His love, and my mind and soul are free from hesitancy and inhibition.

Embracing God and His word is true freedom.  In a discussion with a good friend of mine, I was able to share a bit of my faith discussing The Greatest Commandment.  As I shared the lessons from it, I could see the glow coming to their face.  This was a great feeling as I did not worry where I was or who might have heard me.  It was just the conversation and the words God impressed upon me to say.  There are lots of things that cause us to think of words God would wish us to say yet somehow never make it out of our mouths.  Sometimes it is prudent to not say anything particularly as it may be harmful.  However, we must be able to discern the difference between prudence and fear.  Prudence is obedience to God much like patience.  Fear is a tool of the devil that prevents the best God puts in you to come out.  To combat this, we must be courageous as courage is the opposite of fear, and we know this much through God’s word.  Think of the many times Joshua was encouraged where the phrase “Be strong and courageous” was repeated to him multiple times (see Deuteronomy 31 & Joshua 1).  The more courageous we are, the freer we become, and it is this freedom Paul speaks of in the verses today.

Jesus Christ died so that we would be free from the bondage of our sins.  The love He showed is certainly far above anything we could imagine.  However, all because we cannot fathom His sacrifice does not excuse us to be meek followers unwilling to share His love, grace, and wisdom with others.  Don’t let the fact you are not Jesus inhibit you from being like Him.  Remember the words of Paul when he said, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”  Be willing to share what God places on your head, heart, and soul with others.  What message has God placed on your heart today?  What is the one thing God would want you to share with others?  My prayer is that on this Independence Day, we celebrate one of the greatest freedoms we have; the freedom in the Spirit of The Lord.  Amen, and Happy 4^th of July everyone!

Thursday Devotional - Sister Confirmation

Continuing from last week…

After coming home and finding out Sarah asked Jesus into her heart, I was thrilled! There was a part of me, though, that was somewhat skeptical about what she understood. I wasn’t sure how much rejoicing to do until I saw evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in her life.

Then, after reading books before nap time, Sarah asked if we could pray. We pray together before bed, but not usually before nap. Sarah hadn’t ever initiated a prayer time before. So, it was confirmation that the Holy Spirit was indeed inside Sarah and beginning her sanctification (ongoing  process of being made holy and set apart for God’s work)!

Later the same day, for additional confirmation, I overheard her singing her own made-up song “Jesus is inside my heart!” She often sings, but it’s usually a song she knows. So, that’s when I started crying tears of joy at her new life in Christ, praising God for His work in her life!!!

As Paul prayed for the Romans:

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

I pray for God to continue to fill Sarah with His joy and peace as she trusts Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray this for all of us!!!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - "Little" Prayers

Last week I mentioned how I lost our temporary paper license plate on a Saturday, with no way to replace it until we could get to the Secretary of State on Monday. So, of course, we prayed about finding it. After our first trip looking, James said something about God not helping us find it. I said God definitely heard our prayer but may not have thought it best for us to find it.

Then, Sunday night after the kids were in bed, I decided to go for a jog. Joe suggested that I run down the street where I lost the paper license plate. As I was running, I told God we didn’t “need” to find the paper, but it sure would be nice! Turning onto the street and coming up to the first house, guess what was in their ditch??? Yes, the paper license plate!!! I praised God most of the rest of my run!

In hind sight, God had me go for a jog and had Joe suggest a different route than normal. He cares about the big and small things, just as Jessica shared a couple weeks ago when God helped them find the lost check!

As I was reviewing some of my Romans memory verses this week, several of them tied into my recent experience.

Romans 8:26-34 ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:26-34

How are you and I encouraged knowing God is at work in a situation that seems hopeless?

How are you and I challenged and motivated knowing God is always for us and Jesus is always interceding?

God helps us in prayer, answers both big and small prayers, and is always there for us!  

Alice

The Guiding Light

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Matthew 5:14-16

Earlier this week, I was emotionally ‘lost.’ I received some distressing news regarding an incident at my daughter’s school, and it left me at a loss for words.  There was a wide range of emotions that I felt unsure which was the correct one.  Ultimately, it got to a point where I just had to fall on my knees and pray to God.  “Why was this happening,” I asked.  How could I see Him amidst all that was going on?  There were lots of questions, and yet, I had no answers.  Ultimately, I just started walking forward trusting in Him, and with each step, I felt God was with me.  With each word I spoke and direction I went, His spirit dwelled in me, and where there was once doubt, a renewed confidence replaced it such that those nearest to me felt the same things.  It was as if He guided me forward, and through His light, it showed His light to those around me.

When we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, He provides us with guidance to walk where others will see Him through us. In today’s verses, Jesus speaks of those who follow Him as the light.  Some might jump to a conclusion asking, “How can I be the light when Jesus is the light of the world?”  They are of course referring to John 8:12a, and would only have gotten half of the story referring to Jesus being the pathway to eternal life.  However, once we were given the gift of grace through Him, we too were given a ‘light.’  This is not only referred to by Jesus here but also in the beginning of Acts saying, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (1:8) The importance of this is very simple.  We are given direct power through the Holy Spirit to not only connect to Christ but also be His representative in the world.  Thus if we trust in Him, our steps are guided by Jesus Christ himself, and those who know Him will see it through our actions, words, and deeds.  This is the light Jesus speaks of, and we should feel empowered filled with the confidence knowing He is with us every step of the way.

God gives us authority to act on His behalf. This does not mean we substitute ourselves for Him (i.e. being His equal, judging others, taking out vengeance, etc.), but instead, we are to be living examples of Him.  The Apostle Paul said, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8) Thus, let us take this light given to us and let it shine for all those near and dear to us to see.  What is God prompting you to act on?  How can you trust God more to walk by faith?  My prayer is that we trust God to be our guiding light for others to follow that same light.  Amenl

Thursday Devotional - Condemned or Not Condemned?

We can’t ever be good enough or meet God’s expectations. We are born sinners, sinful and condemned. That’s why God sent Jesus to live the perfect life we couldn’t. As the perfect human, He paid for our sins to save us from our condemned state.

John 3:16-18       For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The only way we won’t remain condemned is by believing in Jesus’ work and letting His righteousness cover us. He then gives us the Spirit to help us live the life He intended us to live!

Romans 8:1-4      Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

How are you and I submitting to the Spirit, allowing Him to rule our minds? What areas of our mind do we still need help to give over?

Let’s praise God for His mercy to save us from condemnation and live in freedom by submitting to the Spirit!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Certainty

Very few things are certain in this life. As much as I would like to assure James and Sarah that we will always be a family, I can’t guarantee that.

The other day James said he thought he was going to live with his former foster mom forever, but he is living with us. Then, he said he wondered when he was going to go live somewhere else, but he lives with us. He seemed to be verbally processing things and answering his own questions. At the end of his discussion, I told him we planned to be a family and stay together for the foreseeable future. I wanted to reassure him without promising anything I couldn’t guarantee. I CAN guarantee that God will take care of him!

As Jesus reassured His disciples right before His departure, He guaranteed certain promises. As we read last week, one was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Him the disciples could experience joy in all situations. Here, Jesus promised that no one can take that joy away!

John 16:20-22         ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

What trouble or uncertainty are you facing? Do you believe Jesus can turn your grief into joy? As Kent talked about yesterday, through the Holy Spirit we have access to everlasting joy that no one can take away! Are you and I living in that reality? God’s promises are the only things that are certain.

Alice

Our Journey to Adoption, Part XIV - Instructions

When James and Sarah came to live with us, we all had many adjustments to make. They also had lots of new house rules to learn!

Remember to take your shoes off.

Only eat at the kitchen table.

Wash your hands before and after meals.

Wash your hands before playing the piano.

Be quiet while the pastor talks.

Keep the water in the tub.

Keep your hands off the widows and mirrors.

Only play with toys.

We tried to remember to word as many things as possible in a positive way. Instead of always saying “don’t take your drink out of the kitchen” we would sometimes ask something like “where does your drink belong?” However, we were still constantly giving them instructions and wondered what was too much! They hadn’t grown up in our house to learn all these things gradually along the way over the past 2-3 years.

As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples He had lots of instructions for them (see John chapters 13-17). Unlike us, He is all wise. He knew how much the disciples could handle at once and what instructions He would wait to give them via the Holy Spirit later.

John 16:12-14         ¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

We now have access to the entire Bible filled with God’s instructions! The Holy Spirit guided the prophets and apostles to write down God’s love story for us so we could know how to have and enjoy an intimate relationship with our Creator.

How well do you and I value God’s instructions? Do we pick and choose which ones we think are important? Or, do we seek to understand them all, knowing they are for our benefit and protection?

Psalm 25:8-10         Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Alice

Friday Devotional - Is It Best Jesus Left?

Jessica is out sick today and still doesn't have power back, so please pray for her! I am posting a devotional in her absence...

Have you ever wished you lived during the time Jesus lived on earth?  Have you ever thought it would be easier to make decisions if you could ask Jesus questions face-to-face rather than having to rely on the Holy Spirit?  I have.  In the following passage, though, Jesus tells His disciples that it’s better to have the Holy Spirit inside of them than for Him to remain on earth with them.  

John 15:26-16:7  ²⁶"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. ²⁷And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.  ¹"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. ²They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. ³They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.  ⁵"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' ⁶Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. ⁷But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

I love how Jesus was so careful to prepare His disciples for His departure (John 13, 14, 15, 16, Acts 1, etc.)!  They certainly didn’t remember it all, even though Jesus waited until right before His death to tell them most of these details. However, as Jesus promised in John 14:26, the Holy Spirit would remind them of everything He taught. 

Jesus also warned the disciples of times of suffering (vs 2).  He was specific, yet promised to provide the Holy Spirit to be with them through it all.  This reminds me to be so thankful for the Holy Spirit!  There will never be a day I need to feel alone because He will always be with me until the day I do join Jesus face-to-face!  

How well do you and I value and use the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Alice

Our Journey to Adoption, Part XII - Premature Peace

On June 17^th, the day before we were scheduled to get permanent placement of the kids, I got a text from the current foster mom about schedule conflicts with transferring the children. My heart sank as I wondered if they were changing their minds about transferring the kids. I wrote back and offered to pick the kids up that afternoon if it would help! After several texts back and forth, it was agreed I would meet them at 4:30 pm that afternoon!

As my sister said, children often arrive at an unexpected and unpredicted time and sometimes premature! We can think we aren’t ever ready for the drastic change they bring, but as we rely on the Holy Spirit inside us, He gives us what we need when we need it! Plus, getting our kids a day early gave us premature peace that the current foster family wasn’t going to change their mind and keep the kids.   

Jesus gave premature peace to His disciples. A few hours before Jesus was arrested, He gave His disciples wonderful words of wisdom and peace (John chapters 13-17). They had no idea they would need this a few hours later.

John 14:25-27 ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Whether we know or have no idea about the challenges we are about to face, we have access to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and peace. He can help us choose to not be troubled or fearful. How will you and I allow Him to train us now so we can have premature peace? Then, no matter what personal, professional, physical, or parental challenges come our way, we can continue in peace, experiencing the permanent peace Jesus offers!   

Alice