There are a lot of unrealistic expectations for what it means to be a mom in 2019 that can make us feel like we are failing, even when we’ve given everything we’ve got.

The choices we make in life either bring life, joy, and happiness, or they bring pain destruction and death (Deuteronomy 30:15). Some of the most important decisions that we make in life are the ones that we make when we're suffering or in pain. Jesus tells us that if you are human, you are going to experience pain hurt and suffering (John 16:33).

Often times when our parents or authority figures try to give us advice or speak wisdom into our lives, we ignore or reject it. However, we often find, later on in life, that the advice they gave us was right. But in the moment, we thought we knew better and chose not to follow it. We see the same thing happen with Jesus and the disciples. Jesus has a “Dad Talk” with his disciples to try to explain some things to them about how to receive all that God has for them. Here is what we can learn from the words of wisdom that Jesus gave his disciples.

All of religion is performance-based, it’s about us searching for grace. But the resurrection is about grace searching for you and me. Jesus showed himself alive for 40 days because he wants us to understand that he is the way, truth and the life. He who puts his faith in Jesus will never be put to shame. The eternal message of Jesus is life.

The power of living to the max is in recognizing the power of being in the present. Being in the precious present is a spiritual experience-- the mind cannot grasp it. We're not human beings trying to be spiritual; we're spiritual beings trying to be human.

There are some things that only God can do in our lives, and we will never walk in those things until we align our will with God's. Salvation is a free gift, but spiritual growth is optional. There are things we have to do in order to see spiritual growth in our lives.

The fruit of the miracle is that his family believes in him and experiences his glory first. Often in our world, our family gets our leftovers, not our best. Jesus is getting the confidence, the buy-in the surrender of his family before he begins his ministry.

Before God created a person he created a place. God created the Garden of Eden before he created Adam and Eve, and then he put them there to steward the place. Places that God has put us are places God is entrusting us with to steward. Are you in the proper place that God has designed for you?