And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

Growing up I memorized Bible verses in Sunday school, and because of my age I didn’t fully understand some of the passages. For example Psalms 23 is filled with illustrations that I wrongly thought only a shepherd in ancient times could relate to. The part, ‘even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil.’ I wondered why would anyone willingly go through such a horrible place?” More than thirty years later,  I am now a husband and father, and having gone through so much already, I understand the meaning. Each day poses new challenges that we cannot avoid. I realized that God’s presence in our life is not the absence of trouble, but that God is our peace, our rock, our strength, even in the midst of all our storms. That’s why when things around me don’t go as planned, I don’t panic but maintain the mindset that God is in control and He will stand with me through all of life’s trials