Hello, friend! Are you ready to begin your journey toward greater joy? Join us for our Summer 2023 Book Club-Style Bible Study. We're reading "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy" by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. This book challenges and equips us to live a life of gratitude.

What is gratitude? Gratitude is a choice. It is a decision to focus on the good things in our lives, even when things are difficult. When we choose gratitude, we are choosing to be happy and content. Why is gratitude important?

Gratitude has many benefits, including:

• Increased happiness and well-being
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved physical health
• Stronger relationships
• Increased creativity and productivity

On May 19, 2023, at the age of 72, Pastor Tim Keller passed from this life into his eternal home in Heaven. Trusting in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, Pastor Keller met his savior. Keller's life ended following a long and courageously-fought battle with cancer. When I read the news of his passing, I immediately began recounting the many books he had written. Some of these books had a profound impact on my life and Christian faith. I wondered how many others his writings have affected in such a way.

Tim Keller was a gifted communicator. He had a way of making complex theological concepts understandable and relatable. I like that. I need that! ​Keller was a pastor at heart. He wrote from a place of deep compassion and understanding. His goal was to help people grow in their faith, and certainly, many of his books accomplished that goal in my life.

I don't know if you've ever walked through the valley of despair, friend. But if you haven't, you probably will someday. Maybe you are right there right now. Maybe today, your journey finds you in the valley. There's hope there!

I was once walked in the valley of despair, and who's to say I won't walk there again someday. What I found in that valley was 5 ways to pray. Today, I want to share those 5 ways with you.

When I am emotionally overwhelmed by a loss, I long to lean into the everlasting arms of my Heavenly Father more than ever. He is the greatest Comforter, and He knows exactly what I’m feeling and what I need even when I can’t express it myself.

Sometimes, though, figuring out how to express what I’m feeling through prayer helps my heart to heal. Words are powerful things, and finding the right ones to tell God about my sorrow can help me heal.
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Recently, many people I care about have gone through seasons of loss. These losses come in many different forms.

• Loss of a relationship
• Loss of an unborn child
• Loss of health
• Loss of a job
• Loss of a loved one

Back in January of this year, my husband, daughter, and I packed all of our belongings into storage and moved to Hawaii as my husband oversees a project here for work for most of this year. While we miss our family, friends, and church on the mainland, we have loved being here and feel incredibly grateful for this adventure! It has been a wonderful opportunity to live in a such beautiful place. But, it has also been a time where we have been pushed out of our comfort zone and stretched, especially culturally and spiritually. 
 
We thank the Lord that we so quickly found a church family here in Hawaii that has warmly welcomed us and sought to love and serve us as we have transitioned to island life. Our pastor here recently finished a series on Godly habits that has really impacted the way I think about spiritual disciplines. ​

If you are following along with us, over in the private Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group, you know... You know we're about to enter 52 days in the book of Psalms on April 29, with this Bible reading plan and devotional. If you're not already following, you can join the Facebook group here.

Last year, we did a unique thing as we journaled our way through the book of Psalms and recorded the prayers of David. I now have a journal packed full of 52 prayers I can go to at any time. This was so popular that we now have a stand-alone version of these 52 days in Psalms. I'd love to share that with you today! I find Psalms to be another book, like the book of Proverbs, that seems to be timeless in its wisdom. In the book of Psalms, you will find chapters applicable to every person and every season of life. For that reason, Psalms is likely the most popular book of the Bible.

Have you ever sat down to watch the news or read the headlines and ended up just turning it all off because it is so depressing?

There is so much evil in our world today. The world, the flesh, and the devil make it very difficult to see avenues of victory in our Christian lives amongst all the evil.

Instead of focusing on the depressing nature of our world and the evil contained in it, may I share with you today some hope?

John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue share the following ten encouraging truths in their book Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. These truths are meant to aid believers in their life to seek victory over evil instead of giving in to despair and defeat. Let’s look at these truths and draw some applications for our lives today!