Courageous & Kind

"The Lord Almighty says, "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25 

Our God is the Source of all rest and refreshment! Whatever you are facing in this day, come to Jesus in prayer and give Him your burdens and blessings. We have a God who hears you (Psalm 34:17) and loves you (Jeremiah 31:3). When we are worn out and weary from the things of this world, we have the choice to come near to God, and give Him the cares and concerns of our hearts. He is the Lord Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth (Genesis 1:1), and He holds the future in His hands. 

Psalm 66:20, “Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me.”

God hears your prayers and loves YOU! We know this because the Bible tells us so. The Bible is a testimony of God’s never ending love and faithfulness.

• God works everything out for His good: Romans 8:28
• God will never leave you nor forsake you: Deuteronomy 31:8
• God can do more than we think or ask: Ephesians 3:20
• The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Advocate: John 14
• What people mean for evil, God can use it for good: Genesis 50:20
• The story of Joseph: Genesis 37–50
• God loves you: 1 John 4:9-11
• Nothing can separate you from God’s love: Romans 8:37-39

Jessica Kujawski is a military spouse, mama to three, and school teacher turned world explorer! Jessica and her family have been stationed all over the world from the Carolinas to California and Japan! In this interview, she recalls how God has placed the “right people at the right place ” at every single duty station. Each time the Marine Corps has moved her, God has given Jessica and her family the right neighbors for that new city, the right church for a community of Christian encouragement, and the right mission and focus for her time and talents for that season of life.

Jessica encourages us to trust God’s faithfulness and look for His provision in our lives. When we asked Jessica about her favorite Bible verse, she said Romans 8:28 has been a theme verse throughout her life , “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  

Colossians 1:3, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”

We thank God for you when we pray because we have heard of your faith! YOUR faith encourages us and we are praising God for YOU! 

Now is the time to pray for our people! This episode teaches us how we can pray using Scripture, and we're asking you to join our C&K team in committing to making prayer a part of our daily lives. 

Prayer makes a difference. It is powerful and peaceful! Prayer honors God and the people in our lives. Let's pray! 

Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" 

Today we are here to remind you: God is worth the Wait!

Whatever waiting looks like in your season, God is there with you. He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). He will never forget you either! God hears your prayers.

Waiting can often make our hearts weary, but God can make our hearts strong (Isaiah 40:31). He gives us supernatural peace in the wait (Philippians 4:6-7), His timing is perfect (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and He will work everything out His good (Romans 8:28).

1 Thessalonians 5:24, “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”

God's faithfulness is the foundation of our hope! Our faith and hope as Christians hinges on this Bible verse: “The One who calls you is faithful.” Our God is faithful to keep His promises. He will right the wrongs, and one day He will restore all things.

How do we know this? We have the Bible, God’s Holy Scriptures, to teach us and tell us about His faithfulness. An Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

Whatever you are waiting on or hoping in, know the Lord is faithful. His plans will come as He is THE great Sovereign God who reigns over all. Trust in His promises of the Bible and let scripture strengthen your faith.

John 16:33, “Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In a world where war rages and evil runs rampant, God gives us His gift of peace and promise that He has already overcome this world. His good defeats evil. His light defeats darkness. His harmony defeats discourse. His love defeats heartache. His healing defeats sickness. 

Jesus told His disciples to “be courageous” in spite of the troubles they would face. Take heart! Stand firm in the truth and faithfulness of God’s promises. Have courage in this world to live out your faith. The ultimate battle has already been won by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. When you face trials and sorrow today, be encourage that Jesus is with you and has already fought your battle. Keep your faith that God will keep His promises and one day right all of the wrongs!

Colossians 1:15-17, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Jesus Christ is the beginning Hope. He was there in the beginning of time and is here now holding all things together. He is our future Hope as well. When we sing the children's song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, God does have the world in His hands.

No matter what is going on in the world, God has you! He is over all things, He is Sovereign, and He is Lord. Nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38). Praise the Lord today as He is holding all things together for you and this very moment. 

Romans 8:26: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

God hears you. He hears your big prayers, your small ones, the awkward or unspoken ones, the long and the short ones, the recited and rehearsed ones, the written ones, the scared ones, the confession and repentance ones, the praise ones, the simple ones, and the ones in the middle of the night or during the day.

The Lord has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit so that as a Christian, you may have direct access to the throne of God where you will find His love, mercy, and grace. Whenever you are unsure of where to start or how to pray, simply begin. Tell God what’s on your heart, and the Great Helper & Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will intercede for you.

Shenise Gilyard is a physician and radiology resident who hopes to serve God and people through her work. Shenise shares her story of overcoming obstacles and barriers in her journey to becoming a physician, and reminds us to lean into what God has called us to do.  

When faced with criticism and challenges, she shares this truth: "I know I’m qualified and God called me to do this despite what others may say." We hope you will do the same! When God has called, He will equip and encourage.  

Psalm 57:7, “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!”

When life is especially hard and things seem uncertain, God is still worthy of our praise. Even though it can be difficult to praise God and thank Him for the good things in our lives when everything seems wrong, we encourage you to offer up a sacrifice of praise. Entrusting your heart and hope to the Lord. 

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." 

In a world that demands so much of us, God tells us to set our focus on Him, so that He can then provide everything else that we need. When we set our hearts and minds on Christ, it opens up space in our lives to allow the Lord to take care of everything else. It doesn’t magically make all of our worries go away, but it does place God is the highest position of our hearts and gives us hope for the future. A future with Him in heaven where everything is perfect and right (Revelations 21:1-8).

1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for you." 

This is a reminder that God cares about all of the things you care about. The worries, wonders, anxiety, concerns, problems, troubles, and issues in your life matter. The big things and the little things - God sees you and He cares about you. The God we serve is the Great I AM, the Almighty, the Alpha & Omega, the Creator of everything visible and invisible; nothing is too difficult for Him.

Take a moment to tell God what troubles your heart. Write a prayer to Him and give Him the burdens that your heart, mind, and soul bear. He is our God who promises rest and refreshment for the worn-out and weary.

1 John 3:18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

It’s time to stop simply saying we love and care with our words, but show we love and care by our actions. We love because God loved us first and God is love (1 John 4:7-12).This practical and Biblical concept to be applied to all areas of our life and we are called to be the Messengers of the Good News of the Gospel. Let’s encourage one another to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Hope is calling and commissioning us to be examples of light and love!  

Isaiah 60:19 "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

There will come a time when we have no need of the sun or moon for the glory of the Lord will illuminate everything and Jesus Christ will be the light (Revelation 21:23). What an incredible thing to look forward to as Christians! We have a hope for the future and an eternity filled with God’s love and light complete without darkness or evil. All things we wish for in this world. God’s light represents life, goodness, peace, purity, truth, holiness, and love.

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." 

The God we serve made the heavens and the earth. His glory and power is revealed to us every single day. From the breath in our lungs to the gravitational pull of the earth, He is the great Creator, the great Scientist, the great Artist and Musician. Why would we think that He wouldn’t be great or strong enough to take on the burdens of our hearts?

Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, Lord.”

When life gets hard and heavy, we don’t have to be consumed with the heartache of this world. We may grieve and our hearts may ache, but we can stand firm in the promise that there is more to come; good will beat evil, all that is lost will be perfected and restored; and that Jesus is in heaven eagerly anticipating our arrival. (John 14:1-7)

Psalm 33:20 "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield."

When we place our hope in the Lord and in His promises of the Bible, it strengthens our hearts to get through the difficult and disappointing parts of life. God supernaturally fills our hearts with peace and joy, and gives purpose and perspective to our lives. Whatever it is that you're going though take a moment to pray to God, asking Him to be your Help and Shield as you face the day. 

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" 2 Samuel 7:18

"Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory." Romans 5:2

We have a hope that lasts beyond this world. It’s time to let someone know that joy, hope, healing, and forgiveness have a name: Jesus Christ.

"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you, LORD." Psalm 56:3

Today is the day that we name our fears. The big ones and the small ones; the reasonable and the ones that make no sense at all, the ones that have happened to us and the ones haven’t and may not at all or ever. ⁣
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It’s also the day we declare to trust in the Lord as our God. He is Sovereign and He is good. Nothing is too difficult for Him and He promises to be there with us (Joshua 1:9) every step of the way. ⁣ 

Amanda Skawski and Alissa Giangregorio are friends who met years ago the first night of Women’s Bible Study. When Amanda bravely shared her story of infertility with the small group, Alissa excitedly interrupted to say, “Me too!” and a friendship was built from there. These two mamas each share their testimony of God’s faithfulness through the journey of motherhood, infertility, special-needs children, marriage, friendship, and a love for family and friends.

The COURAGEOUS & KIND Verse of the Week! "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalms 119:105

The COURAGEOUS & KIND Verse of the Week! "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

The COURAGEOUS & KIND Verse of the Week! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 

Mental health is at the forefront of many conversations and everyone seems to be searching for the best wellness plan on the market. At The Courageous & Kind Project, we believe the best way to fight the fear and worry is with Scripture, God’s holy and infallible Word. 

Moriah Axtell is a wife and mother of three who has an incredible story of faith and redemption. She and her husband live in Missouri after many moves and several years of service with the Marine Corps.

This episode Moriah talks about a rebuilding and a renewal season of life for her family and marriage. She recalls when God gave her the strength to stay and bravely fight for her marriage when the world gave her permission to run. Throughout the interview, Moriah gives great practical advice about establishing boundaries to protect our marriages, ways to be intentional about weekly in-home date nights, and ways to promote transparent communication.

Meet Angel! Angel Bentley is a now stay-at-home Mom and military spouse on the move. Last year she made a big move across the country from southern California to southern Georgia. This summer, she's moving again!

Her family is packing up and headed back to California on another set of military orders.  If you asked her, she's right in the middle of a "toddler" season of life where her mission field is her home. She's working hard to raise two kids who love Jesus and love others; and serve God, her family, and her country faithfully. 

In this episode, Angel encourages women not to give their hearts away to the empty promises of this world. She defines a courageous and kind woman as one who trusts God even when she faces resistance. 

Meet Casey! Casey is a California born and raised woman who embodies words like "rad" and "cool" as she lives out God's love.  She's a graduate of UC Davis, former college athlete, surfer, community and church volunteer, and craft brewer in San Diego.  

Casey talks about learning to love herself the way God loves her.  She wants to love (and like!) herself for who God has created her to be — not a perfect woman, but a women who bears the image of God.