Kindly, Kayla

Hi friends!

I’m FINALLY back with another blog post. Happy 2025! I hope your year has been great so far. It’s almost officially Spring, my favorite season, and I am so excited. 

In this blog post, I will share a small recap of my 2024 and share something big that I have learned from it. I hope this post encourages you. Let me know in the comment section if this helped you or if you have had a similar experience. I’d love to hear from you!

To be honest, 2024 was a tough year for me. From getting COVID for the first time, to getting diagnosed with TMJD, all while starting graduate school, I found myself feeling down quite often. I felt like God had forgotten about me and left me to suffer alone. But even though I felt those lies from the enemy whispered in my ear, I decided to continue to lean into God instead of retreat, and what I’ve learned has been life changing. I continuously felt God urge me to take a step back from being online so that I could hear what He is trying to teach me in this season, and I want to share some of that with you. 

Unfortunately, suffering is a part of life here on Earth. Bad things happen. All over the Bible, there are scriptures that talk about WHEN you go through trials, not if. But that’s exactly why we have Jesus to rely on. We don’t have to take things on, on our own. What matters most is our outlook and our trust in God during these times. Two scriptures have been my lifeline this season:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect. That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-3 ESV

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 ESV

I choose to be joyful during this trial. Why? Because I know that this is producing good fruit in me, and that God is working things out for my good. You may be thinking, how is this trial good? How on earth is this bad thing that’s happening to me benefiting me in any way? Our definition of good is different than God’s. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. God wants us to be like Christ! Through our trials, we get to become more like Christ who was all too familiar with suffering. 

“3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5 NLT

God is also showing me His glory during this time of suffering. Last May I started experiencing symptoms of TMJD, and this May I will be done with my treatment. God has already brought so much healing to me. When this started, I could barely get soup down, and just yesterday I ate a burger!!! I choose to believe that God is not finished with me yet, and I will be healed. I believe that it’s already done in the Spirit and I’m just waiting on it to appear in my physical body. I have so many friends, family, and church members praying for me through it all, and I know that my God is a healer and a prayer answerer. 

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:3-5 ESV

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 NLT

God has strengthened my faith and refined my character in a way that I do not think would be possible without this suffering. He has made me more content and thankful, increased my empathy for others’ sufferings, more prayerful, more inclined to pick up my Bible instead of my phone, and more excited about HEAVEN!! 

I know all of this is easier said than done, and trust me, I still have my sad days. And that’s OKAY. Throughout the Psalms you can read how people cried out to God in their times of need. It’s okay to feel upset and sad, take it to God and I promise He will comfort you. 

Now, I want to share with you some helpful and practical things to do when you go through hardship:

1. Read the Bible, DAILY.

This is the most important part of this list. Reading the Bible every day will help you get the daily bread that you need for each day as you walk through this season. Do this, even when you don’t feel like it. Start with a couple of verses if this is challenging for you. Doing this will help you stay encouraged. The Word of God is powerful and ALIVE!! (Hebrews 4:12) It can give you the strength and encouragement you need to keep going. A study published in the Journal of Religion and Health found that regular Bible reading was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. (Granqvist et al., 2010). So, here are some verses to meditate on in hard seasons: 

“Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.” Isaiah 30:20 NLT

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10 NLT

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 NLT

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30: 11-12 NLT

I highly recommend reading Psalm 30 in totality, it is so encouraging!

2. Listen to some encouraging songs.

Here are some of my favorites that kept me going in this season:

Seasons Change -Antoine Bradford & Shua
Breathe – DOE
For Myself – Jonathan McReynolds & Chandler Moore
Yeshua (Live) – Jesus Image
Well, Well, Well – Maverick City Music & Song House
Seasons – Madison Ryann Ward
Secret Place – Duane Caleb
more than everything – Sondae
Smooth – Jonathan McReynolds
Abba- Ryan Ofei (feat. Ahjah)
God Will Work It Out- Maverick City Music & Naomi Raine
Same God – Elevation Worship (feat. Jonsal Barrientes)
Thanks In Advance – Evan Ford & Evan and Eris
MIRACLE WORKER – Forrest Frank & Tori Kelly
Firm Foundation (He Won’t) – Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore, & Cody Carnes
Come Through- Duane Caleb
God Still Heals – DeWayne Woods
Hold On – Tye Tribbet & G.A. 
I Choose to Worship – Wess Morgan
They That Wait – Fred Hammond (feat. John P. Kee)
You Know My Name (Live) – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Just Want You – Travis Greene (feat. Jordan Connel & Chandler Moore)
There’s Hope – India Arie
God is Good – Jonathan McReynolds
Temple – Ryan Ofei & Madison Ryann Ward

3. Get in Community, Do Not ISOLATE!

Unless God has told you otherwise and has you in an isolation season, please make sure that you are attending Church and spending time with other believers. I believe that God works through people and these people can pray on your behalf and speak encouraging words and life into your situation. They can also help take your mind off your hardship and help you feel God’s love for you tangibly. God has encouraged me through people A LOT during this season. I am so grateful for my family, friends, and church members for being there for me in this season. I thank God for blessing me with you!!! You know who you are!💞💞

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10: 24-25 NLT

4. Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray and PRAY!!!!

Pray to God. Pray that God will heal you and bring you out of this. Instead of wondering why this happened, pray that you won’t miss what He may be trying to teach you in this season. Because of Jesus, we have direct communication to our Heavenly Father. Let’s not take it for granted. 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

I believe that God is using this for my good and HIS glory! Because of this test, I now have a testimony. Someone out there one day may cross my path and need to hear my story, and this could encourage them greatly. This could be encouraging you greatly. I may never know why this had to happen, but I thank God for this trial, because it drew me closer to Him. Thank You, Jesus, for continually calling out to me, continuously urging me to come to You, and I pray that I would continue to step out of the boat in faith. 

This was a longer one, so thank you for reading.

You are loved beyond measure.

Kindly,

Kayla ♡