Parent Teacher Conference and a Display of Nifty Uniforms
The students at Anija School are excited and proud to show off their colorful uniforms and backpacks. As parent-teacher conferences take place, families and educators collaborate to develop new avenues of learning for children. Thanks to the teachers at Anija, our students can be proud of both the large and small milestones in life.
For many people who have experienced hardship, the word power can feel complicated.
Power may be associated with control, harm, or being overpowered by circumstances or other people. Some have learned to believe they have very little power at all — that life simply happens to them, and they must endure it quietly.
Underneath that belief often lives a quiet question: Do I have what it takes to keep going? Can anything in my life really change? Am I strong enough to overcome what I’ve been through?
This is why the identity truth "I am powerful" matters and why it’s so important to understand what it truly means.
At Kids Alive International, this declaration is never about dominance, force, or self-reliance. It is about strength rooted in Christ — strength that restores dignity, builds resilience, and empowers a person to live fully.
What “I Am Powerful” Really Means
Scripture offers this grounding truth:
“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
This verse does not promise unlimited ability or effortless success. Instead, it points to a deeper reality: true power does not come from within ourselves alone — it flows from Christ.
To say “I am powerful” means recognizing that God provides strength where weakness once lived. It means acknowledging that the ability to persevere, resist temptation, heal from the past, and live with hope comes from Him.
This kind of power does not erase struggle — it sustains people through it.
Let’s Reflect: When you think about strength, do you picture self-reliance — or dependence on God?
Power That Heals, Not Harms
Many people affected by trauma have experienced power used wrongly — to control, silence, or hurt. As a result, power can feel unsafe or unfamiliar.
But the power God offers looks different.
God’s power:
Restores rather than dominates
Strengthens rather than shames
Protects rather than exploits
Brings life instead of fear
At Kids Alive, this truth is seen when individuals who once felt powerless begin to rediscover agency — the ability to make healthy choices, set boundaries, and believe change is possible.
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)
Power in Christ helps us become who we were created to be.
Let’s Reflect: Where have you learned to associate power with harm rather than healing?
Strength to Overcome the Past
Being powerful in Christ does not mean pretending the past did not happen. It means the past no longer gets to define the future.
Through Christ’s strength:
The past can be faced without being relived
Temptations can be resisted without shame
Healing can begin without rushing
Life can be lived with freedom instead of fear
This is the kind of power that leads to abundance — not in possessions or ease, but in peace, purpose, and restored identity.
Let’s Reflect: What part of your past feels hardest to believe you can overcome — and what would it mean to invite Christ’s strength into that place?
Living From Christ-Given Power
When people begin to believe they are powerful in Christ, their daily lives begin to shift. Not because everything becomes easy — but because they are no longer walking alone.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
This identity often shows up in everyday choices:
Saying no to what harms and yes to what heals
Persevering through setbacks with hope
Making choices rooted in truth rather than fear
Continuing forward even when growth feels slow
These moments may seem small, but they are powerful. They reflect a life learning to draw strength from God instead of striving alone.
Let’s Reflect: Where might God be inviting you to rely on His strength instead of your own?
Holding On to What Is True
“I am powerful” does not deny weakness or struggle. Instead, it reframes them. It reminds us that weakness is not the end of the story — it is often the place where God’s strength is most clearly revealed.
Each time this truth is spoken, remembered, or practiced, it builds resilience and courage. Over time, it supports renewal of the heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Identity work is slow. But it is sacred.
For those who want to explore this truth more deeply, Kids Alive International offers free resources designed to support reflection and growth:
📘 Renewing Identity — exploring core identity truths that foster healing and restoration 🌿 Rooted Values — understanding how identity grows into everyday values
Each resource invites readers to continue the journey of becoming — grounded in hope, strengthened by grace, and confident that through Christ, they are powerful.
For many people, the word family carries deep emotion.
For some, it brings comfort and safety. For others, it carries loss, distance, or pain. And for many, it is a mixture of longing and caution — something deeply desired, yet hard to trust.
Beneath those experiences often rests a quiet question:
Where do I truly belong?
Who will care for me?
Am I allowed to take up space here?
This is why the identity truth “I am a child of God” matters so deeply. It speaks to the human need for belonging — not as something to earn, but as something lovingly given.
Welcomed Into God’s Family
Scripture offers this promise clearly:
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
This verse tells us something essential about God’s heart. Becoming a child of God is not a reward for good behavior or spiritual effort. It is an act of grace. God chooses to adopt, welcome, and claim His children as His own.
To be a child of God means belonging to His family — fully, securely, and permanently. It means being given the rights of a son or daughter: the right to love, care, guidance, protection, and relationship.
Let’s Reflect: What emotions surface when you hear that God invites you to be His child?
What a Good Father Provides
For those whose experiences with earthly parents were painful or inconsistent, the idea of God as Father may feel unfamiliar or even difficult. Yet Scripture consistently reveals God as a good and loving Father — one who does not abandon, neglect, or harm His children.
A good Father:
Protects — offering safety and refuge
Provides — meeting needs with care and faithfulness
Guides — teaching what is good and true
Corrects with love — not to shame, but to grow
Stays present — even when His children struggle
God’s fatherhood is steady and compassionate. His love is not withdrawn when mistakes are made. Instead, He draws nearer, inviting His children to learn, heal, and grow.
Let’s Reflect: Which aspect of God as Father feels hardest — or most hopeful — for you to believe?
Our Purpose as God’s Children
Being a child of God is not only about receiving love; it is also about becoming who God created us to be.
This growth unfolds over time, shaped by relationship, trust, and grace.
Our purpose as God’s children includes:
Learning to love others as we have been loved
Reflecting God’s kindness, mercy, and faithfulness
Growing in character and truth
Participating in God’s work of healing and restoration in the world
This is not about perfection. It is about formation — becoming more rooted in love and less driven by fear.
Let’s Reflect: What might God be inviting you to grow into as His child right now?
Growing Together in God’s Family
God never intended His children to grow alone. When Scripture speaks of God’s family, it also speaks of the Church — a community of believers learning how to live as brothers and sisters.
Being part of God’s family means growing alongside others:
Practicing patience, forgiveness, and humility
Offering encouragement and receiving support
Learning to belong, even when relationships feel challenging
Discovering that faith grows best in community
At Kids Alive International, this truth is lived out every day: healing and growth happen in safe, loving relationships — not only impacting a single child's life, but extending into their family unit and reach entire communities.
Let’s Reflect: Where has God placed you to grow alongside other children of God?
Holding On to What Is True
“I am a child of God” does not erase hardship or loss. But it offers something unshakable beneath it all: a secure place in God’s family.
Each time this truth is remembered, spoken, or practiced, it replaces fear with belonging and isolation with connection. Over time, it becomes a foundation that supports renewal of the heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Identity work is slow. But it is sacred.
For those who want to explore this truth more deeply, Kids Alive International offers free resources designed to support reflection and growth:
📘 Renewing Identity — exploring core identity truths that foster healing and restoration 🌿 Rooted Values — understanding how identity grows into everyday values
Each resource invites readers to continue the journey of becoming — rooted in love, shaped by grace, and grounded in the unchanging truth that they are children of a good Father.
Few words are used as often — or misunderstood as deeply — as the word love.
For some, love has meant safety, care, and tenderness. For others, it has been confusing, conditional, or even harmful. Many have learned to associate love with obligation, performance, or pain.
Because of this, it is important to begin with a clear truth: Love does not originate with us. Love begins with God.
At Kids Alive International, love is not treated as a feeling or personality trait. It is understood as a reflection of God’s character — something learned, practiced, and grown over time as people encounter His perfect love.
Defining the Depths of Love
Scripture gives us a clear picture of what love looks like, not in theory, but in action:
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” — 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)
This description is not merely an ideal to strive for. It reflects the heart of God Himself. God’s love is steady, gentle, and strong. It does not rush, manipulate, shame, or harm. It is patient. It is kind.
God displays perfect love by meeting people where they are, extending grace instead of condemnation, and remaining faithful even when others fall short.
Let’s Reflect:When you hear this description of love, which word stands out most to you — patience, kindness, humility, or gentleness? Why might that be?
Love Takes Action
God’s love is multifaceted. It cannot be reduced to a single action or emotion.
God’s love:
Protects — creating safety and boundaries
Forgives — without minimizing harm
Corrects — not to punish, but to restore
Perseveres — even when trust takes time
Honors dignity — in every person
This means love is not permissive, passive, or enabling. True love does not ignore wrongdoing or tolerate harm. Instead, it seeks what is good, true, and life-giving.
At Kids Alive, love is practiced through kindness and gentleness, and through forgiveness that leads to healing — never at the expense of truth or safety.
Let’s Reflect: Which aspect of love feels hardest for you to trust or practice right now?
The First Step: Learning to Receive Love
Before love can be practiced well, it must be received.
Many people struggle not because they lack love for others, but because they have never experienced love that is patient, kind, and secure. God’s love meets this need first. It reassures, steadies, and heals what has been wounded.
Receiving God’s love often requires unlearning false beliefs:
That love must be earned
That mistakes cancel belonging
That gentleness is weakness
God’s love says something different: You are worth loving because you are made by Me.
Let’s Reflect: What makes it difficult for you to receive love without fear or conditions?
How Love Takes Shape in Everyday Life
As you grow in understanding God’s love, it begins to shape how you live and relate to others.
Love shows up in daily choices:
Choosing patience instead of reacting in anger
Practicing kindness even when it costs something
Forgiving without forgetting the need for wisdom
Treating others with honor and respect
These practices are not signs of perfection. They are signs of formation — evidence that love is being learned and lived out over time.
Love grows best in community, where people learn to practice patience, forgiveness, and gentleness together.
Let’s Reflect:Where do you see opportunities to practice love in small, tangible ways today?
Holding On to What Is True
Love is not something we generate on our own. It flows from God — steady, patient, and kind — and shapes us as we receive it.
Each time love is practiced in healthy ways, it pushes back against fear and isolation. Over time, it becomes a foundation for healing, trust, and restored relationships.
Growth in love takes time. But it is sacred.
For those who want to explore this value more deeply, Kids Alive International offers free resources designed to support reflection and growth:
📘 Renewing Identity — exploring core identity truths that foster healing and restoration 🌿 Rooted Values — understanding how identity grows into everyday values
Each resource invites readers to continue the journey of becoming — learning to receive God’s perfect love and reflect it with patience, kindness, and grace.
