As the noted physiologist Harold G. Wolf puts it, "Hope, faith and a purpose in life, is medicinal. This is not merely a statement of belief but a conclusion proved by meticulously controlled scientific experiment.

We must stop setting our sights by the light of each passing ship; instead we must set our course by the stars. GEORGE MARSHALL

At the heart of sin lies a lack of trust that God intends the best for us.

To the question Do I matter? Jesus is indeed the answer.

Hold your own plans loosely and stay ready to submit to His. Consider them to be more important, more desirable than anything you could dream up on your own. He has come down to you with intentionality and purpose because He loves you and knows that you are never more secure than when you're in His will.

We think we know what we want. In reality we should want nothing else but to be completely in line with His desires for us and His purposes in our generation. So we must resolve to let God be God on His terms, not ours.

You always thought you knew where you were headed. But now your life's been interrupted, and these personal goals, hopes, and trajectories are being asked to take a backseat to what God uniquely has in mind for you.

And I know without a doubt that God planned the chance for you and me to get together like this too—to unite through our passion for prayer. In fact, He whispered to me about you at that very first Bible study. I didn't know it then. But I see it clearly now. It's you. You're the one He had in mind.

It is a privilege for us to look at circumstances and discern God's involvement in them. To recognize them as more than mere happenstance but rather God's own detailed design and plan. To see that He is allowing us to cooperate with Him in bringing life from death, growth from loss, testimony from tragedy.

Making sense of God's call is not a prerequisite for following it. His Word and His promises are enough.

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, chin nestled in my hands, to see what God is going to do. With my children. With my husband. With me—a regular, everyday woman choosing to surrender to a life interrupted.

Never think that the circumstances in your life have nothing to do with God's will. They have everything to do with it!