So Peter… walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Matthew 14:29-30 (NLT) When you think about it, every day you have reason to laugh and reason to cry. If you think hard enough, you can find things to be grateful for and just as easily find things that make you angry or sad. What do you focus on in life? If all you think about is what is going wrong, that awareness makes molehills feel like mountains. The truth is, you tend to create more of what you focus on. For example, Peter only continued to walk on the water as long as he stayed aware of, or focused on, …

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NLT) Let’s pretend that today you were going to spend the entire day doing all your favourite things. How do you feel? Now, imagine if you found out that you were going to have a terrible car accident instead. How would your feelings change? As human beings, we feel what we are aware of. Now, it’s true that Holy Spirit is with you every moment of every day. But if you are not aware of His presence, you won’t feel the peace and love that accompanies knowing He is there. Many Christians feel like orphans—abandoned and alone. It’s unfortunate, since the only reason they feel this way is because …

Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die… But I trust in your unfailing love… I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. Psalm 13:3, 5-6 (NLT) Many of us hide behind masks in life to cover up our hurts and insecurities. But as Christ followers, we need to be real. We don’t need to become so transparent that we bare our souls every time someone asks us how we’re doing. On the other hand, if you’re going through a hard time and a friend is concerned, it makes no sense to put on a happy face and pretend. Good friends can tell when you’re lying anyway, and they will likely …