Those who say in simple surrender 'Yes, Lord,' emerge from the experience spiritually rich, and become a source of grace and encouragement to others who are hurting.

The Truth is that contentment is not found in having everything we think we want but in choosing to be satisfied with what God has already provided. The Truth is that those who insist on having their own way often end up with unnecessary heartache, while those who wait on the Lord always get His best.

God is sovereign, that is He is the boss. He is in control. He is the supreme ruler of heaven and earth for all of eternity. He is Lord. We don't make Him Lord. He is Lord. And joy comes when we acknowledge that He is Lord; we rest in His Lordship. We trust His sovereignty, and we surrender to it. That means that God has the right to give, and God has the right to take away.

I have learned that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways: I can whine or I can worship! And I can't worship without giving thanks. It just isn't possible. When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.

God can be trusted. He keeps His promises. He doesn't make any mistakes.

Christmas is all about surrender. It's all about the surrender of the Son to obey the perfect will of the Father and enter human history.

Bitterness grows in us when we fail to see the trouble and pain in our lives from God's point of view, and when our expectations of what life should be diverge from the reality of what life really is.