Laughing together heartily at the same thing forms an instant bond.

His Name will never fall. His Name will never be defeated. His Name will never be reduced to rubble. A tower that’s stronger than any man-made fortress and large enough to see from a distance, even if we’ve lost our way.

It's not where we've been that matters to God. It's who we are becoming in Him.

Wherever you are spiritually, whatever you have been through emotionally, you are already wrapped in the Lord’s embrace. Held by nail-scarred hands. Enfolded in the arms of One who believes in you, supports you, treasures you, and loves you.

Fun is temporary at best; it's risky, even dangerous, at worst. Joy, on the other hand, was mystery I couldn't seem to decipher.

Laughing together heartily at the same thing forms an instant bond.

Hard times are purposeful, meant to refine and redirect us. They're not arbitrary or random, and they're definitely not cruel.