Andrea O. Freeman

43 today. I remember years ago thinking, "I wonder what my 40s will be like?" I recall asking my Dad on his birthday a couple years ago, "How does it feel to be ??" to which he replied, "Well, I don't know, how's it supposed to feel?" He shrugs it off like no big deal, it's just another birthday. It isn't that he doesn't care, but he puts what matters most into perspective. All my life, I have tried to consider at regular intervals (some of those intervals may have occurred a little further apart than others) what's most important to me? What am I doing right and what could I be doing better? At some point after hitting my 30s, I found myself feeling this deep sense of responsibility. Responsibility for my family, for my community, and to weigh carefully with every day of this life we are granted, how can I be a good example and a wise steward of what God has given me? He gives and He takes away, so how am I handling that? ...

I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength. True contentment is the result of a heart committed to the risen Lord. This is learned, not something that comes naturally for any one of us. The normal, natural state of humanity is discontent and quiet desperation. It takes a powerful, spiritual presence to transform anxiety into joyous satisfaction. Philippians 4, The Voice Translation When is the last time you took a moment, took some length of time to thoughtfully and carefully consider how much you have learned from a particularly trying time in your life? I learned from a very young age, as I grew into a young adult, and considered what life would hold for me in a career, marriage, family….there is an art to handling things with dignity, humility and patience. I learned this from my Dad. I’m not putting him on some pedestal here, just acknowledging his influence to view life as an opportunity at any given moment, to st...