His life was totally out of control. And it had never felt so right.

Faith is what holds us together. It's our foundation when the world is shattering around us. It's the belief in a bigger picture. A bigger reason. It's the hope that we have when we realize we are not enough.

The mystery of free will versus predestination. You're going to tie yourself up with that one, Mona. Either God is in charge or He's not. We can go round and round about the origin of evil, but the buck stops at God. The question isn't who causes something to happen, but rather, whether you see the outcome with His eyes or yours. Whether or not you trust He's got it all in His hands.

Lord, I know You're the only one who can make my dreams come true." Mona forced herself to surrender the next words. "I give You this dream, and all others, right now into Your hands for You to handle however You see fit.

God's promises don't depend on your feelings. They depend on his Word. Stop relying on yourself and let God use you how he wants.

Because life didn't just come with better . . . it came with worse, too. A worse that God could have fixed, perhaps, if she'd let Him, so long ago. She hadn't wanted to take the risk of a broken heart. Of getting hurt over and over again. But wasn't that the nature of love? Risking betrayal? Forgiving? Wiping the slate clean and starting over? Wasn't that the nature of God?

If I believe that God has a plan for my life, then there are no mistakes, no regrets, just moments that God carries me. Moments when I'm forced to trust him.

Never go to war without God, Riley. Only when you belong completely to him can he truly use you.

Instead of telling yourself you can't have the happy ending, why don't you let go of all your dreams—and your fears—and let God show you how it ends. He's the master of happy endings—let him figure it out." She

He's the author of dreams. And He's not a trickster. He doesn't give us a dream only to yank it away and laugh.

You've always spent your life looking forward, the destination in mind. But faith is stepping forward without knowing the destination.

When your heart's desire is the will of the Lord above everything else, then life loses its threat because His love will carry us through every situation.