"I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me." ~ Philippians 4:13

  So many times we become discouraged and overwhelmed at what appears to be big problems in our lives. The truth, however, they become big problems when we(as Christians) don't give it over to God which evidently is due to lack of faith. When problems come into our lives, do we dwell on them or give them over to God. I could very easily become discouraged and overwhelmed with what is happening in my life right now. I mean, I grew up in a dysfunctional family. My parents divorced when I was little due to my dad being abusive to my mom, my sisters, and I.  Later on, when I was 8, my mom remarried to Eric, my step-dad, who is such a great blessing to have in my life. In the summer of that same year I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior at my grandma's V.B.S., but due to a not so great childhood, I couldn't really remember the day I got saved very well. Also, due to the fact that my dad's beliefs didn't really agree with mine completely, I heard alot of falsehood about what I should believe growing up.   
  Well, even though God blessed me with a great Dad like Eric, I had to deal with verbal abuse on a weekly basis from phone calls from my real dad. It was hard, it was. I actually tried to be strong on my own which didn't work of course, and well... I ended up having such worthlessness for myself that I truly wanted to end my life. However, praise be to God that my mom walked in the room when I was about to stab myself with the knife I grabbed from the kitchen. I ended up going to a mental asylum, which, I must say, is the scariest place I have ever been to. Kids were throwing other kids against the walls, cursing, and screaming at the staff; it was nuts. I cried myself to sleep that night, thinking about my life and well, I did something that I hadn't done in a while; I began praying to God asking for forgiveness and strength to overcome all of this. I also told Him that night, that if He gets me out of here that I would give Him my life to do what He wants with it.
  The next day, my mom showed up to take me back home. We embraced each other in a hug, crying our hearts out. God saved my life that night. I know 100% that if I didn't cry out to God that night, I would probably have ended up there for a year or two just like the administration woman said. But, thankfully, God is a God of second chances and I'm so thankful for that! So when I returned home, I came back with a different attitude. When my dad called me that night and started yelling at me for being so stupid, I cried again, but afterwards I just gave it over to God and I began to have this complete peace in my heart. When I got older, about 15 or so, my oldest sister, Heather got involved with the wrong crowd and well, she ended up running away to live with some friends of hers. She then began slamming our family and speaking lies about us. It was definitely hard to hear. When I was 16, my sister Justine started hearing voices and started talking to them. It got so bad that she ended up punching a window and trying to run into the woods to save a guy named Drew, who didn't exist. She then began accusing us of plotting against her to kill her. It was crazy! However, she truly believed it. She even went so far as trying to protect herself by hurting me. I was scared! I didn't understand what was going on; I couldn't understand. All I knew was my best friend was trying to hurt me. My parents didn't know what to do and ended up putting her in a mental facility to evaluate her so we could find out what was wrong. Turns out she has an anxiety disorder with schizophrenic tendencies, as the doctors put it. Meaning, her mind is in a fantasy world most of the time.
  During that same time, I began working full-time as a CNA at the nursing home as well as finishing my senior year. I ended up taking care of my grandpa as well cooking meals for him and cleaning his house before work. It was alot for a 16 almost 17 year old to take on, but I had to. As I began college at Pensacola Christian College, God allowed me to make some great friends. He also used that time to allow me to be a blessing to others. While there, two of my friends dealt with suicidal thoughts. I promised to keep quiet, but I couldn't keep quiet about something like that! I knew just how serious it was, so I told my dorm supervisor, who in turn got a hold of the the counselor, and well, lets just say my two friends got the help they needed and also got realization that someone also cares about them. During that same time, one of my other friends became very distant and well, I saw it as a cry for help, so I ended up making sure he knew someone still cares by sitting by him, talking to him, and continually praying for him. Later on that semester, I found out that he too was contemplating on the idea of ending his life, but then he said that I saved his life by just being there for him. I believe that God had me there that semester for a reason, I also believe that if I didn't go through the trials I went through, that I wouldn't have really noticed the needs of those that were right in front of me.
  During that semester, I was also able to counsel a friend of mine back home who was dealing with a dad like mine, and who got away from all the heartache and stress by drugs. If I didn't have a dad that didn't understand, and caused me so much pain, how could I have understood how my friend felt, or how really to go about counseling him. But, since I did know how it felt, I just spoke from my heart. Now, I'm going to college for Elementary Education and I'm minoring in Biblical Counseling, but I have no clue what God wants me to do with my life. I'm okay with not knowing though. I have complete peace, because I've learned throughout the years to cast my burdens on God and not allow fear to stop me from doing what I need to do. I could have become bitter or depressed, but I relied on God's strength to help me press on! And so can you:
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee:" ~ Psalm 55:22a 
"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts" ~ Colossians 3:15a
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," ~ Philippians 4:7
  God said that His peace passes all understanding. Meaning, that God's peace will allow us to stop worrying about what life throws at us. In Matt. 6:25-34, Jesus is preaching the familiar Sermon on the Mount. He ends Chapter 6 by discussing our lives and how we shouldn't worry.
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" ~ Matthew 6:25-26,30

  When we worry and stress about things in this world that we can't even control, then we are not really trusting God. Because our God is all powerful, all knowing, and always in control! Instead of making our lives worse by worrying about things that are completely out of our hands, lets just cast our cares upon God. Let's demonstrate real, true, genuine faith by simply giving our lives to God and simply trusting Him completely to supply all of our needs. That's how we will have God's perfect peace rule in our hearts! By giving God our burdens and worries and trusting God to take care of it. If we depend on God's strength daily then we can overcome all fear and obstacles that life throws at us. Let's give God everything today! And allow His perfect peace to rule in our hearts and minds.