I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Other Side of Grief
Can anything good come from grief? From mourning a deep loss? From weeping over a profound heartache? Even from grappling with your own sin?
While grief is an unavoidable part of life, no one likes to grieve. But in the second beatitude—a series of promises Jesus made about God’s Kingdom—Jesus said this:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 ESV
No one can appreciate rain more than someone who’s lived in the desert. No one can value food more than someone who’s truly been starving. And no one can know God as their Comforter like someone who’s desperately needed comfort.
Unfortunately, death, decay, and disappointment are a part of this world. But even in our sorrow, suffering, and shortcomings, God stands ready to comfort us—in unique and meaningful ways that only He can.
The Holy Spirit is often called the “Comforter,” as well as “Helper,” “Counselor,” or “Advocate.” But regardless of what He’s called, it’s always who He is. Even in our grief, He’s always a God who has our best in mind.
And so, how does God comfort us? He does this through His Spirit, through His Word, and by working in and through His people.
Do you have the eyes to see how He’s pursuing you? Have you opened your heart to His comfort?
If you are a follower of Christ who is mourning today, remember: Jesus Himself promised that you will be comforted. He’s always good, He’s always faithful, and He’s right here—ready to help.
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something.
Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building a career, or amassing possessions. While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation were so great that nothing on this earth could compare to doing His work.
Paul said that nothing in his life mattered as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission of ...
