Hey everyone, Kelly Givens here. I want you to think about a little word with some big

implications. Stress. I don't have to say much more for you to start thinking about all the ways your life feels stressful and overwhelming.

In fact, I bet one of the reasons you listen to your daily prayer is because it's a calming way to connect with God amidst the stress of life.

If that's true, then I want to recommend our latest podcast to you.

Breathe, the Stress Less Podcast.

Our host Bonnie Gray guides us through the effects of stress and gives us scripture-backed methods

of restoring calm, reducing overwhelm, and deepening our intimacy with God.

You can find Breathe a stress-less podcast on Life Audio.com

or by searching your favorite podcast app.

We'll also have a link in the show notes. Check it out and let

us know what you think. A prayer for finding the good, your God.

Isaiah 45.3.

I am constantly amazed at the profound truths God

has tucked into the simple things of life. Pearls are formed when a piece of grit,

sand, or shell is trapped inside an oyster.

The oyster protects itself from irritation

by secreting anachious liquid that surrounds the irritant until it eventually becomes a pearl.

In other words, that which begins as an annoying irritant eventually becomes a valuable treasure,

the same is true in life.

The greatest treasures in my life are products of the darkest times of my life.

A battle with clinical depression stripped away years of fear and doubt leaving me with a new identity

in Christ and a ministry I never thought possible.

...