Some years are definately better than others! We may struggle to get through a health crisis or the loss of someone close... We may struggle financially due to unexpected medical bills or the loss of a job...  We may struggle with ourselves and the descisions we need to make on a day to day basis.
The truth is friend, WHATEVER you are struggling with, GOD IS RIGHT THERE BESIDE YOU!

I stand in faith believing  Psalm 9:9 ~ The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. You too can claim this verse in times of trouble as He is our refuge and longs to help us if we only seek Him!

This very ministry came about as I struggled with a debilitating illness after the birth of my son. I went from being a very active individual, teaching aerobics, weight training and riding bicycles to a hospital bed and then a wheelchair for quite some time.  This was my second bout with Spastic Quadrepledgia as it had happened just over 8 years earlier with the birth of my first child. Through this struggle,  I knew that this time  my attitude needed to stay positive and that it truly is the JOY of the Lord that is my strength. As I started speaking to others, I was amazed at how His Joy opened up so many opportunities for me to encourage and minister to them with confidence. It was at that time that I felt the Lord calling me to be not only an encourager  , but a friend to those women around me. I started talking to friends and family and seeking God's direction for my life and His ministry and would stand firm (and you can too) on Proverbs 16:3~ Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
I have and do commit this entire ministry to the Lord and have seen the blessings that He has given through it. I am so thankful to Him for all that He has done for me and how He gets me through each day. I am also so very thankful for the awesome family &  friends He has brought into my life,  (More about all of them in later blogs!)  and for His calling upon this rather wacky kind of girl who loves Him so.
Tell me... Are you struggling today and don't know what to do? Take His advice in the following verse from Philippians 4:8 ~ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  If you do this, you will start thinking differently about the things that are not going well in your life and discover ~  The joy of the LORD is your strength.~Nehemiah 8 : 10 NIV ~
 
Choose to walk in VICTORY friends! It is not always easy, but we can cheer each other on and lift each other up in prayer.

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing”  (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV)

How many of us are seeking love and acceptance today? I have heard and been singing this scripture for years, but never really took the time to listen to exactly what it was saying to me. As I read it, the first part always stands out and I know that God is with me and has saved me, but when I look at the statement "He will take great delight in you" I start to think of what that really means for me.  I know that when I feel loved and accepted for who I am, it gives me great joy and contentment. To know that God delights in me is so amazing... I am not perfect, nor does He call me to be, but yet right here in this scripture, my heavenly Father tells me  He delights in me and then goes on to say He will rejoice over me with singing! Oh what a wonderful feeling!
Now, whether or not you have had parents who have embraced and encouraged you in your life, know that you too can take great comfort in the fact that your heavenly Father takes great delight in you and will rejoice over you with singing. We are ALWAYS LOVED, ALWAYS ACCEPTED and ALWAYS HIS BELOVED CHILD! Isn't God good?!

I received this some years ago from my sister when I was going through a tough time in my life and it really made me look at the health issues that I was facing a bit differently. Now,if you are like me, (even though I prefer hot chocolate) you will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.  Blessings to you today!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her into the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and did the same. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see."
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked,'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you allow God to help you change the situation? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
The good news is, that no matter where you are today... We don't have to handle anything in our own power. God, in all of His glory will give us the strength we need to be the coffee bean. Follow Him Girls, HE KNOWS THE WAY! May we all be COFFEE!  Tell me about some of the things that are happening in your life! Love ya friends!

Being rather new to the blogging world, I thought I would start out with sharing a little bit about one of my favorite Bible verses... Jeremiah 29:11 reminds me that I don't need to worry about what I will do tomorrow, if I will have what I need or even if my family will be cared for. Nothing is left to the imagination as the verse states boldly and plainly "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Knowing and claiming this promise sure takes the pressure off because I DON'T need a plan of my own, I only need to be willing to follow God's leading, and through that obedience, I am assured prosperity and hope. At times I have tried to create my own future and gone my own way, but it never works out. Thankfully, when I come to my senses and choose the direction the Lord has for me, I get right back on track and things go much better. If things are NOT going so well for you today, why not let God take over the planning process? It is time to claim Jeremiah 29:11 and the prosperous future that God has in store for you! I am not saying it is always easy, I am saying GOD IS GOOD and faithful to His promises He gives His children.