Hello! Thank you for finding my blog. I’m Michelle Martino and I am a passionate writer and teacher. This is the place where I share biblical encouragement. I believe that we can discover God’s perfect, unexplainable joy in every circumstance. I wish we could meet over coffee and share our stories. But for now, this is a safe place to come as you are, to find healing and grace, and to have a friend who gets it.
Growing up, I was accustomed to suffering for a season. If I struggled, there was always a detailed plan or a time-sensitive goal, with hope at the finish line. I just need to complete these assignments within the next few weeks to maintain my GPA. To feel better, I just need to complete this workout in the next 30 minutes. In order to get some rest, I just need to make it through the next few hours of my shift at work. If I want to see my friend this afternoon, I have to finish my cleaning by 1 PM.
So when I entered an unexpected season of loss, I had no idea how to handle it. I marched into my counselor’s office one day, saying “I’ve been depressed for a month…and I’m not having it. I want to move on.” Unfortunately, that’s not how grief works. Healing doesn’t always have a timeline. Joy doesn’t always seem attainable. And hope can feel like a cruel wish that only comes true in fairy tales.
With Jesus, there’s another way. Yes, we have challenges to face and losses to grieve. But with Christ, we have access to joy and hope and peace because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). The more we seek him and his heart, the more healed we become.
In all seasons, I hope you consider the joy that God has offered to you. In suffering and pain, there is joy. In times of blessing, there is joy. Read about how I found joy while battling anxiety and depression in this post.in this post.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV)
In Scripture, we learn that trials – whether they be losses, heartbreak, or an offense – test our faith. Will we fully trust that God is who he says he is? Or will we try to depend on our own abilities? When we surrender to God, we persevere. We become a people who can testify that God is enough and he is greater than anything else. We become mature in our faith, providing living proof that, in Christ, we have all that we need.
The world loses its grip on us when we fix our eyes on Christ above. Would you journey with me to a place of healing and wholeness?
Consider the Joy 