Our environment influences us. It impacts our health, our personal progress, and the way we function. It deeply affects our growth; educationally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A healthy environment enhances life. We, as believers, are created to thrive in grace. We have been given the gift of living in God’s grace. Even in an imperfect world, can we still live in an environment of grace?

Many of us spend our lives regretting things we’ve done in our past. Regret has a way of turning yesterday into a place of residence. It keeps replaying old scenes, old failures, old words spoken in anger, old opportunities missed. We often begin to believe that life would be different if only one chapter had been written another way. But regret is a poor architect. It can examine the ruins, but it cannot rebuild the house. Regret looks backward and asks, “What if?” Grace looks forward and asks, “What now?”

We don’t all have the gift of evangelism. But we do love Jesus and we want to spread the truth of God’s grace in whatever way comes naturally. Which causes us to wonder about something. Do they want to hear the good news or the bad news?

When I was a little girl, it seemed every time I was happy or hopeful, something – or someone – always ruined it. I think it began with my mother. She didn’t intend for that to happen, but it did. She had her own struggles growing up, and they deeply affected me. I learned not to get too happy because I expected the other shoe to drop. This was my attempt to protect myself – from hurt, and especially from disappointment.

There are many things to be afraid of. Fear is a very important emotion; it is our survival mechanism. I need to know when to get into the storm shelter, I need to know that when I’m driving too fast or reckless I could do a lot of harm to myself or to others. I need to know when I’m in dangerous or violent circumstances. We should be afraid of power without restraint. The list of things we should be afraid of is extensive.

Our last week of grace stories from these new friends:

Guillaume Roy - Quebec Canada

Cory McCammon - Indiana

Avery Prevette – IT - Ohio

Stefan Lauer, originally from Germany

John Gildein – Valparaiso, Indiana

Ron Sutton - Juvenile Case Manager - Fredericksburg, Texas

More wonderful people with encouragement for you from the conference:

Scott Wolfe - Executive Director of InYou Ministries - Roebuck South Carolina

Zach Rasmusson - ZR Ministries - North Port Florida

Kyle Jenkins - Dallas Texas

Todd Laczynski - Indiana

Maddy Lawson - New Haven Ministries - Sioux Falls South Dakota

We are members of Network 220 (named after Galatians 2:20) which is an international network of more than 110 churches, counseling, and training ministries throughout the US and beyond. Every year we look forward to this conference and hearing the grace stories of those in attendance. You are going to love them, too! This week we introduce you to:

Jess Hays - author, speaker, & podcaster – Dallas, Texas

Vernon Terrell - co-founder of Exchanged Life Center - Blackshear Georgia

Michelle Terrell - co-founder of Exchanged Life Center - Blackshear Georgia

Jackie Wilson – engineer - Detroit Michigan