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Perseverance // Praise & Shine

The life of a sea turtle is a fascinating journey. The female will spend close to 30 years at sea before returning to the beaches where her life began. With her powerful flippers, she excavates an egg chamber in the sand, depositing a clutch of approximately 100 eggs, and then covers the pit with sand before returning to the sea. 

The eggs are alone and face many risks. The nest may be flooded by the tides causing heavy mortality. Eggs face the possibility of being crushed or consumed when predators raid the nest. 

After at least seven weeks, the hatchlings emerge from their nest. Each hatchling is less than 2 inches long and only weighs about one ounce. As soon as they emerge, the hatchlings make their way to the ocean. The journey is long and treacherous. Until they are in the water, hatchlings are at a high risk of being eaten by predators. Once the hatchlings reach the sea, they begin a journey that will lead them across the entire Atlantic Ocean. 

There may come a time in our lives when things look bleak with a lack of progress. Before we emerge, we may feel stuck under the sands of our circumstances, like we can’t do anything. Everything may seem dark. Maybe we have already faced many trials, just like the hatchlings before they emerged. But we must persevere. We can’t stop there. We must stay hopeful in those times because once we emerge our path will become clear. 

In the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell, there comes a time when we reach our lowest point. We can go no further as the person we used to be. It is at this point that we are forced to change. To become greater than our past self and to emerge stronger and new. 

When the hatchlings emerge, their direction and purpose is clear. When we are faithful in the process, we must believe we are moving towards a definite goal, even though sometimes we are unable to see movement or direction. God has a wonderful future for us. “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. All we must do is be faithful in His process and believe that God’s promises will be fulfilled in His time. 

“…consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

I Choose You // Praise & Shine

Ephesians‬ ‭1:3-10‬ are some of my favorite verses in the bible because they tell us how God loved us and chose us even before the world was formed. There has never been a time in all of eternity when God did not know us. God doesn’t choose us because of our righteousness; we become righteous through Christ Jesus because God chose us. Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one comes to me unless the Father draws him…”

God created in us a desire to know Jesus. You are chosen! Because of this, you can live with assurance. Assurance that what God started, He will finish. It’s by the grace of God that we have the assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus personally paid the price for our sins so we may live again with our Heavenly Father.

Never Enough Time // Praise & Shine

How do you spend your day? Do you throw yourself into a seemingly chaotic routine, rushing from place to place and chore to chore? And at the end of the day, do you feel like all busyness accomplished real work and made a real difference?

If you are like me, you can probably relate. I always find myself busy with something. The truth is, unless we are spending our days structured around the purpose God has established for us (Ephesians 2:10), we haven’t accomplished anything.

As Christians, we strive to live lives like Christ. Do you think Jesus spent his days rushing from one task to another? The answer is no. Jesus never tried to justify how He spent His time, nor did He attempt to make excuses for any aspect of it. Jesus lived His entire life without relying on the approval of others. He sought to please His heavenly Father and do what God asked of him.

Likewise, Jesus was never in a hurry. The Bible is filled with many examples of Jesus slowing down and, in prayer, doing everything with intention. He was never stressed by His day, and He only did what was truly important.

So, if you’re like me and you feel like your life has gotten completely out of control, take some time to reflect and evaluate how you are spending your day. Ask yourself, what am I doing? And is what I am doing vital to fulfilling God’s purpose for me?

When we take the time to prayerfully consider what God expects of us, we may need to make some tough choices about how we spend our time. Make changes to reduce your stress and workload while getting the most of every second you are gifted. Ask God to reveal what is truly important and pray for the Lord to help you be wise in the way you spend your time.