With that being said, in order to understand why we suffer, we must understand why God suffered on the cross. We’re created in God’s image. So, we must look at his image of suffering to understand our own.

Habits use a different part of the brain than making decisions. Therefore, when you begin, it is not a choice, but once it is recognized, you can choose to quit it at that moment. Sometimes what will help is simply asking a friend if you do it all the time.

So Shockwave had to find something to focus on to remind himself why he shouldn’t let his anger take control of him. I made it be that he wanted to protect the innocent, his family

“feels” good to us is what we should pursue, and if we continue to chase after it, it will consistently make us happy. But the truth of the matter is that feelings and emotions aren’t real, and they also come and go, never being permanent.

There are many parallels we can draw between this coach’s dedication to building a strong foundation for long-term success and our lives. Whether our goals this year are to improve our physical or mental health, dive deeper into our relationship with God, or achieve a major dream, we must approach them differently.

I never really considered joining a gym. Earlier last week, I woke up knowing that I needed to do exactly that. God was leading me to it.

"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops, and your religious act like religious." Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Behind you, a “Honk! Honk!” from a car is heard followed by a teenager yelling these words: “YOU’RE AMAZING! HAVE A GREAT DAY!” A big black van with yellow lettering that says “You’re Amazing” zips past you with someone hanging out the window waving and smiling at you. For the first time all day, a real smile breaks out on your face. Suddenly the walk home in the cold doesn't seem so bad.

I miss my first-born daughter in a way no one else could possibly miss her. My relationship with her was unlike anyone else’s, and the void in my life and in my family feels so vacuous at times and it’s a very lonely and isolated place to be. The disbelief that the accident actually happened and resulted in Anna’s instant death washes over me again and again. How can it possibly be true?

There were so many things to look forward to in becoming a missionary, such as traveling, ministry, social skills, and job experience. But the thing that was always on my mind when discerning coming was being part of a community.

I learned to take the focus off me. I was afraid of messing up, stumbling, mispronouncing words, and embarrassing myself. I was standing up to read the Word of God and all that I could think about was myself.

Shame is not truth. Truth is giving it to God and accepting the mercy that He longs to give us. Truth is choosing to let go of shame.

If you work out, think about making your workout a Prayer Workout for someone who is struggling. If you want to work out but lack motivation, then try a Prayer Workout and do it for someone else.

If you got injured, who would you be then? If you got kicked out of school, who would you be then? If your family disowned you, who would you be then? Any of these things we typically associate ourselves with could quite honestly be stripped of us at any moment. Even our name!

Healing and forgiveness can’t happen by yourself. I was trapped in depression, isolation, and loneliness until I took the risk to let someone in. For 12 years, I didn’t tell anyone what I had been through as a young girl.

I honestly thought that it was because when we did pushups or squats, I was always the first to fall. So every time I would mess up, Justin would say to me, “Christian on the line, SPRINT!” I would have to run.

So, I was thinking about this random idea: what if it was my purpose to die? What if the main reason I was put on this earth, besides to glorify God and get to Heaven, is to die?