Pearl of the Day: Hard Places=Much Growth

 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

 Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I'm not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd's crook
      makes me feel secure. ~Psalm 23:1-4 (MSG)

How many people do you know who enjoy going through difficulties?  If you're like me, not too many. As a matter of fact, I don't recall anyone in my lifetime saying they enjoyed walking through hurt and pain. No one, that I know of, enjoys feeling pain, whether it be physical or emotional, because, well, it hurts.  Unfortunately, the likelihood of living a life without any pain, or hard places, is pretty much non-existent. We will all have pain and hurt at some point in our lives, but sometimes it feels like we have more than our fair share, doesn't it. 

Those painful things can come out of nowhere.....people may betray us and hurt us, relationships may end, loved ones may pass away, finances may take a turn for the worst, and people or circumstances may change.  Whatever the situation may be, it can be a struggle to walk out our faith during these hard times.

How can something that hurts so bad, work out for good?  I've had many days where I have struggled to understand how things could work out for my good.  When the pain and hurt was fresh, it was hard to think about anything good coming from it, but as time has passed, it has been encouraging to see the growth that has/is coming from these struggles.  It has helped me to see that there has been a reason for what I've gone through.  The pain has been great, but the growth has been greater.

I would like to share a few of those areas where I have grown through the hard places. These may seem like simple things to some, but to me they were major areas of bondage and struggle for me.

*I am valuable and loved.  No matter how other people treat me and no matter what they say about me, God sees me as a treasure. My worth and value come from Him, not other people.

*Always seek God's approval over man's approval.  I've learned you cannot please everyone all the time, and even if you could, you would be miserable yourself because you aren't living your life for you, but for others.  There will be times when God calls you to do something that no one else will understand. That's okay, do it anyway.

*It's okay to say no.  It's okay to stand up for yourself.  Having boundaries is a good thing.  I am not responsible for how others feel, think, act, or for what they say.  That is their stuff and I am not going to carry it.  I am responsible for me and my own feelings, actions, words, and thoughts.

*Walk in truth and integrity, no matter what anyone else is doing. 

*Don't try to pay back evil for evil.  God is well aware of the actions of others and He will take care of things in His way and in His time.

*Happiness is a choice.  The circumstances of my life do not determine my happiness, I do.


These are just a few areas I have grown in.  I have not, by any means, recovered and healed completely from the hurts I've been through in this season, but I am on my way.  I know God will continue to work things out for my good, because that's what He has promised.  I have not enjoyed the pain of this season, but I have come to the conclusion that the growth I've experienced may not have come through any other means, but by that which has transpired.  God knows what it will take for us to move to the next level He has for us.  The hard places may not be where we would choose to go to grow, but in my experience, it's been the most likely place for growth.

I don't know what hard places you've been through or may currently be going through, but please know my friend, that God is there too.  He does have a plan and a purpose for everything we walk through. The hard places will bring much growth if you allow God to work it out for your good.  How do you do that?  Trust Him.  Until next time my friends, be blessed!

The video is from a song called "Blessings", by Laura Story. I hope it blesses you as much as it does me when I listen to it. 

Fancy-Free Friday

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today." ~Dale Carnegie

Well it's Fancy-Free Friday again! Today I will be sharing another recipe with you, as well as some links to a few blogs that may be of interest to you.  I may sneak in a few other little surprises too.  The above picture was taken at a park where me and my two daughter love to visit.  I have always had a love for roses anyway, so whenever we go to this park I take lots of pictures of the rose gardens.


Frozen Pumpkin Mousse

Crust:
30 small gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used coconut oil, but you can probably use whatever type of oil you have)

Filling:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg (I used the ground nutmeg that I already had in my spice cabinet)
2 pints (4 cups) frozen low-fat vanilla ice-cream, softened

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. (I used a glass pie plate)

*Prepare crust: Combine gingersnaps and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add oil and pulse until well blended.  Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.

*Bake the crust until set, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

*Prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well.  Add ice-cream and stir until well blended. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust.  Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Let the pie soften slightly in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

My family loved this recipe! I hope you will enjoy it as well!

Pearl of the Day: Making a Way

 "If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful.  Christ cannot deny who he is." ~2 Tim. 2:13 (CEV)

Do you ever doubt that God will come through for you?  Do you ever think, "There is no way God is going to be able to make a way in this situation."  I have been there and done that, more times than I can count.  There have been so many times where something would happen and all I would think was, "Not again!"

Have you been there too?  Have you been to the point of actually feeling like you're just going to scream, or have a melt down, or pull your hair out, if one more thing gets added on top of the pile of problems you're already trying to deal with?  Things seem to go that way sometimes don't they.

The phrase, "When it rains, it pours" is definitely something I am familiar with.  Let me tell you about a time when it was "pouring" and how God showed up to make a way for us.

We live on a small farm here in the country that consists of seven goats and three horses.  It can get costly to take care of them, as far as feed, hay, and regular medical care, not to mention when emergencies come up.  There was a season about four years ago where it seemed like it was one thing after the other with one of our horses.  The one we kept having problems with was an old mare we had gotten as a rescue a few years before this.  Every time we turned around we were having to call the vet for an emergency visit because of things going on with this mare.  I think we called the vet at least five or six times over the course of year with this one particular horse.  Our finances were stretched to the max and we were paying for these emergency visits with our credit card.  If you've had any experience in getting in debt with a credit card, you know how quickly that can happen before you realize it.  We had decided shortly before all this stuff started happening with this horse, that we were going to stop using the credit cards so we could get out of debt.  Well isn't that the way it seems to go?  We make the decision to stop using the cards, and then we get hit with all of the situations with this horse.  I felt angry and frustrated because it felt like we could not get our head above water before something else would happen.  We were already struggling financially, so this situation just added more stress on top of what I was already trying to deal with.  I was at the end of my rope.  I remember one particular day, shortly after the vet left from another emergency visit, sitting on the back porch steps with my husband.  I sat there weeping, wondering how we were going to pay for this last vet visit.  We had asked the vet if she would just send us the bill instead of us charging it on our credit card again.  She agreed to do that and told us we could send the full payment in the mail after we got the bill.  Well, this particular vet is located in one of the surrounding counties, so we knew it would only be a few days before the bill would arrive.  I did not see how we were going to pay this bill.  We did not have any savings whatsoever.  We did not have extra money that we could count on to pay this bill.  We had decided not to use the credit cards anymore because we were only digging ourselves deeper and deeper in the pit of debt, so that was no longer an option.  As I sat there on the steps that day, I remember telling my husband, and God too, "Well unless God can make the money appear before Monday, I don't see how we are going to pay this bill!"  I was so angry when I said this.  I did not for one minute think God was going to come through for us.  I felt like He hadn't helped us so far, so why would He do anything to help now.  This was just one more instance where my stinkin' thinkin' was rising to the surface again.

Me and my husband were taking a marriage class with a group from a church we used to go to at that time.  At class that particular night, each person in the group was sharing something that was on their heart or that they needed prayer for.  When it was my turn, I shared about how I had been struggling with the issues with our finances and how we had made the decision to stop using our credit card so we could get out of debt, and how just that day we had one more emergency vet call for this horse, and I didn't know how in the world we were going to pay this bill because it was a substantial amount of money.  As soon as I got done sharing what was on my heart, another person in the group looked at his wife and she nodded her head at him, and he then told me that he believed God wanted him and his wife to pay that bill for us.  What????  Oh my goodness!  I am sitting here now with tears rolling down my face, once again, as I share this story with you.  I cannot begin to tell you how I felt in that moment.  I could not say anything, all I could do was just cry.  I could hardly believe what was happening.

God came through even when I had the wrong attitude and doubted that He would.  He came through even though I had no idea how He would do it.

It brings tears to my eyes every single time I think back to that time.  This couple God used to bless us by paying that bill, are some of the sweetest people I know.  They have such a heart for God and their obedience to Him is evident in their life.  What they did back then will never be forgotten.  I don't know if they realized what a difference it made in my faith for them to do what God told them to.  That has been a major memorial marker for me when hard times come along.

I look back on that time and remember that God was faithful.  He came through for us.  He made a way, where there seemed to be none.

As far as what happened with the old mare that had so many problems, we had to eventually put her down because the vet believed she probably had cancer of the liver.  She got to the point where she was losing weight and was having problems getting back up after laying down.  That was another tough day for us, but God was there to comfort and strengthen us as we walked through it.  I still miss hearing her whinny to me at feeding time, but I know she's not suffering anymore.

Please know my friend, that no matter what you're going through, even when it seems the darkest, God is there.  He will make a way in the desert.  He will come through for you.  I don't know how and I don't know when, but He will.  He has not forgotten you.  He is faithful.

Until next time my friends, be blessed.

Pearl of the Day: Hopelessness

 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. ~Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG)

I am reading a wonderful book called, Hope Being Gone by Cherie Hill.  I cannot begin to tell you how spot-on this book is for the season I'm going through, and have been going through for a while now.  I have underlined almost the entire book so far. That's how good it is.  If you're feeling hopeless and overwhelmed by the things you're going through, this would be a great book for you.  Here is just one quote from the book, "Hopelessness arrives at the most inopportune moments.  It doesn't care that you've got a job or that you've got bills to pay.  It doesn't appear to matter that your health is failing, relationships are falling apart, or you're in too much pain to even pray.  It doesn't seem to mind that you're already drowning in despair, as you struggle through the troubles of life.  Hopelessness comes, makes itself comfortable, and waits for us to demand that it leave.  If Faith doesn't return soon, Hopelessness may just be moving in for good.  But, it's just not that easy.  Hopelessness can drag conversations out and wear us down.  It's argument is compelling, and Hopelessness, in a twisted sort of way, becomes our friend.  Hopelessness even surprises us with it's awkward comfort.  With hopelessness around......we can give up.  We don't have to waste our energy trying.  We don't have to waste our time believing in anything.  Hopelessness gives us a great excuse as to why our life is falling apart at the seams, and we're resolved to watch it simply unfold without Hope and Faith.  With Hopelessness around, we don't see Faith much anymore."  I could go on and on, but I would highly recommend this book if you are going through a season of feeling hopeless.  I don't know about you, but when I am in the waiting season where I am struggling to hold onto faith and hope, it's so easy for me to make hopelessness a constant companion.  When things aren't happening in the time I want them to, when I can't see God doing anything to change certain things, or certain people, when prayers feel like they're only getting as high as the ceiling, those are the times when hopelessness whispers in my ear.  It tells me things that I want to hear in that moment......"What's the use?  Things never work out the way you want them to anyway.  He's not gonna come through for you.  Just give up.  It's been so long and you haven't seen anything change.  You're just gonna be disappointed.  He doesn't care."  It's a struggle to refuse to listen and agree with what it says.  These are the times when I have to push through and grab a hold of my faith, no matter how hard it is, because if I don't, all will be lost, and I've come too far to give in now.  I have to fight harder than ever if I'm going to get through this.  God is there whether I can actually see Him working or not.  He knows where to find me.  I haven't been lost in some unknown corner of the universe where He can't find me.  He is well able to take care of all that concerns me.  Waiting doesn't mean He has forgotten me.  For me to be still and know He is God, is one of the hardest things for me to do.  I always feel that I have to be doing something to help Him along.  He doesn't need my help.  He is more than capable of taking care of all the details of my life.  All He needs is my obedience, and to trust Him.  Do you struggle in these areas too?  Do you feel like hopelessness is trying to take up a permanent residence in your heart?  Oh my friend, you are not alone.  I want you to know that God is there and He is working in your situation, even though you may not be able to see anything changing.  There is a greater purpose for what you're going through than what you can see.  He is shaping you and molding you to accomplish all that He has in store for you.  Our plans and God's plans are usually not the same thing.  He has made promises to you that He will never leave and never forsake you.  He is not a man that He should lie.  You can trust Him with your heart.  I will leave you with one more quote from the above mentioned book that I hope will encourage you. Until next time my friends, be blessed.

"You may feel like He's shut you out, but what He's really done is "shut you up."  In your moments of utter helplessness, it's the hard places in life that threaten to destroy your faith.  It's those places of complete hopelessness where God will strengthen your faith in ways that you cannot imagine.  You want a way out---He's making a way through.  You crave comfort and He brings you to the Cross.  It's the place where God's greatest works are done.  Though our faith seems crucified, God's merely working out His plan.  He's working within us, dissolving our doubts, and whittling down our worries. He's "shutting us up" until all we can do is "look up."  He's growing you in unseen ways.  He's giving you faith feet.....He's building a bridge through your faith that will enable you to walk across the chasms of life.  Though your faith seems to be failing, it is really growing. God is strengthening your faith by asking you to walk upon it.  It is in your darkest moments that God is "proving you." God is proving you by shutting you up in the testing room of faith." 

Here is a link to Hope Being Gone by Cherie Hill:
http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Being-Gone-ebook/dp/B007U7JSUO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1339599563&sr=1-1&keywords=hope+being+gone

Pearl of the Day: You've Got The Power

 "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Did you know that you have control over your own joy and your own happiness?  That's right.  It's all up to you.  We sometimes think that our circumstances, or other people, control our happiness and our joy, but that's only true if we allow it to be that way.  Let me give you an example:  A few years ago a situation happened where some very hurtful things were said and done to me and my family that caused a tremendous amount of heartache.  The people involved never knew how much pain was caused by the choices they made, or by the words they spoke.  The situation that surrounded this incident was one of the most painful things me and my family have been through.  I carried those hurtful words around with me for a very long time.  I allowed that situation to affect my happiness.  I allowed that situation to take away my joy.  I even allowed that situation to affect my health.  You may be thinking, that's crazy, why would you do that?  I didn't understand at the time, that I could actually determine how I would let that situation affect me.  I had yet to understand that no one can "make" me feel a certain way without my consent.  I didn't know that I am not responsible for other people's feelings, actions, or words.  Other people do not have the power to make us feel anything other than what we allow them to.  Yes, other people can influence what we believe, but we have control of what we choose to believe, and how we respond to what we believe.  What you believe about yourself will determine how you handle situations that come up.  What you believe about yourself can cloud how you see and hear things, emotionally.  If you believe you aren't good enough, then no matter what other people do or don't do, you will always feel that way.  What you believe, is tied to how you feel.  It's not about how others see you, it's about how God sees you, and how you see yourself.  I had to get to a point of asking myself if I wanted to continue to live this way, or was I finally fed up enough to make a change.  I had to finally realize that it's okay to allow myself to feel the negative emotions because that's the only way to deal with them, but not to allow them to determine my happiness and joy.  I had to finally realize that I have no control over what others say about me and sometimes it's better just to walk away from certain situations.  We have the power to examine and change what we believe.  By changing what we believe, we can change our responses to situations and to others.  So, what do you believe about yourself?  Do you see yourself the way God does, or have you listened to a bunch of lies?  Have you allowed the situation you're going through, or other people, to determine your happiness?  We can't always control our circumstances, but we can control our responses, and how we choose to allow them to affect us.  Don't let others determine your happiness.  Don't let what others say about you determine your worth and value.  Aristotle said, "Happiness depends upon ourselves."  You've got the power!

Pearl of the Day: Sandpaper Moments

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." ~Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

I must tell you my friends, I was having a really hard time coming up with a post for today.  I just felt like everything that came to my mind had already been blogged about.  I wasn't getting anywhere.  I think I started at least three or four different times and ended up deleting what I had written.  After hitting a brick wall over and over, I decided to look back through my facebook page for some inspiration.  As I was scrolling through lots of posts, quotes, comments, and pictures, I came across some old posts from some people who are no longer in my life.  I found myself, once again, thinking of how much I wish things would have turned out differently in those situations.  Perhaps you've gone through a similar experience.  Maybe you've had a relationship that was severed with someone close to you, and you don't understand why things happened the way they did.  Maybe you've had a hard time letting go of the hurt, or maybe you're still grieving the loss of that relationship.  You are not alone my friend.  It's very difficult to let those people go that we cared so deeply about.  I believe God brings people into our lives for a greater purpose than just our happiness though.  I believe He uses other people as a way to sand off the rough edges in our hearts.  He can use those situations we go through to expose areas where we are not all that He wants us to be.  He can use those sandpaper times to launch us into a new level of understanding and growth.  Does it hurt to have the sandpaper treatment?  Oh yes, no doubt!  The sandpaper process, or the process of change, that God takes us through does not happen overnight.  It requires time and patience, and unfortunately, lots of sanding down, molding, and pruning.  It has taken me a very long time to finally understand that even in the painful, difficult times, God has reasons for allowing certain things to turn out the way they do.  If we are praying for God's will to be done in our lives, and we want His best, then that means we give Him complete control to do what He knows is best for us.  He knows our full potential.  If a relationship is not beneficial for us or is hindering our walk with God, then perhaps it's best to allow Him to move those people out of our lives, so He can get us where He wants us to be.  Perhaps He is also working in that other person's life to get them where they need to be too.  The work that God does in our lives is sometimes very hard for us to go through.  We can't pick and choose just the good things or the easy things.  There will be times when we will have to go through some difficult things because that may be the only way we will walk in victory and freedom in certain areas.  Even though I have grown a lot because of those situations, I still feel sad that those people aren't a part of my life anymore.  I still miss and love them.  If it's God's will for those relationships to be healed and restored then He will cause things to work out in His way and His timing.  If things don't work out, well, I choose to believe that's His best for me, and for them too.  Until next time my friends, be blessed.

Fancy-Free Friday

 The Lord says, "My thoughts are not like your thoughts.
       Your ways are not like my ways.
 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. ~Isaiah 55:8-9 (NCV)

Happy Friday to you my bloggy friends! I hope this has been a good week for you.  How do you feel about the changes I've made on my blog this week?  Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on that.  I hope you have been blessed and encouraged by the "Pearl of the Day" messages so far. There is one more change I wanted to share with you....Fancy-Free Friday!  Fridays on my blog will be a little different as far as what I post.  It won't be the normal devotional-type message, but something more relaxed and fun.  Today I am going to share one of my favorite pictures, one of my favorite Bible verses, and one of my favorite recipes with you.  The picture above was taken by my daughter, Taylor.  She absolutely loves taking photos of just about anything.  I think she does a great job at capturing the beauty of God's creation.  I will be sharing more of her pictures with you on my blog in the future.  The verse under the picture is one of my favorites because it helps me remember, in those difficult times when I just don't understand what's happening, that the way God works is sometimes beyond my understanding and above the way I would do things.  Just because He isn't doing things the way I would like, doesn't mean He isn't at work in my life.  And finally, the recipe!  You will absolutely love it!

Banana Bread-  (You don't need to worry with an electric mixer with this recipe.  It stirs up easily by hand.) 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed up ( I peel the bananas and put them on a plate and mash them with a fork)


I have also added raisins or chocolate chips to this recipe and it always turns out delicious. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. (If you don't have a big loaf pan, you can always use two smaller ones.)  In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar; mix well.  Add the salt, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and bananas, and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes.  I normally have to cook mine a little longer if I use the big 9 x 5 loaf pan.  If you use a smaller pan then it's best to keep an eye on it because it's not going to require the full 50 minutes.  You can check to see if it's done by inserting a butter knife in the center of the loaf.....if it comes out clean then it's done.  Cut you a big ole piece and smother it with butter!  Mmmm!  Enjoy!


I hope you will enjoy this recipe.  I absolutely love it!  It's from a recipe in Paula Deen's cookbook- The Lady and Sons, Too!  Here is a link to Amazon if you're interested in checking out her cookbooks.   http://amzn.com/0812965221


Have a great weekend my friends!  Until next time, be blessed!

Pearl of the Day: You Can Trust Him With Your Heart

"Trust- reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence."

Trust can be a very difficult thing for many people.  I include myself in this statement.  Our hearts and our trust get battered and bruised by the things we go through when someone breaks the trust we have in them.  Sometimes it literally feels like our hearts are being ripped out.  If you've been through a storm like that, you understand exactly what I mean.  Trust isn't something you give easily once something like that occurs.  Trust can sometimes take years to restore.  We pull back and withhold our trust because we don't want to take a chance on getting hurt again.  It's like a defense mechanism to protect the fragile state of our hearts.  We are afraid of putting our heart out there again.  Being cautious to trust again is not a bad thing, in fact, it can save you from being hurt needlessly.  Most of us base our trust in people by how they've treated us.  We want to know that they can be trusted with our hearts.  The problem comes when we withhold our trust from God because of the trust issues we've gone through with people.  I did this for many years.  I would trust God when things were going well, but as soon as something hurtful or difficult would arise, I would draw back and put that wall up again.  I had the misconception that if I went through difficult things then God couldn't be trusted to keep me safe and protect me from those things.  I thought, if He really loved me then I wouldn't be going through these painful things.  Thankfully, I have learned over the years that the things I go through are not an indicator of how much God loves me, or if I can trust Him.  The messed up ways that people treat us is in no way a reflection of God's love for us.  The love God has for you is much greater and much deeper than any love you will ever know here on this earth.  God can be trusted with every part of your heart and your life.  He wants you to trust Him completely.  People change, circumstances change, feelings change, but God never changes.  That right there should give us such a tremendous amount of comfort and peace.  You can trust that He will NEVER change.  We can rest assured that His love is unending and His mercies are new every morning.  God has promised to NEVER leave you, NEVER forsake you.  Now that sounds like someone I can truly trust with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Trust doesn't come easily for me, and to get to where I am today has been a long, painful journey, but my trust in the Lord has grown much more than I ever expected.  As I've learned to trust God more, I've also found that I am more willing to open myself up to others and trust them.  Trust is a foundational aspect of any healthy relationship.  If you're in a relationship where trust has been broken, please know that it can be rebuilt if both people are willing to work at it.  It won't happen overnight, in fact, it may take a while before it's rebuilt, but God can help you overcome whatever has caused this break in trust.  Open your heart and allow Him to start the healing process.  God has proven Himself to be most trustworthy indeed.  Will you open your heart and trust Him today?

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP)

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].  ~Psalm 9:10 (AMP)

Pearl of the Day: Hurry Up and Wait

 As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. ~Henry David Thoreau

"I will be so glad when ______!" (Fill in the blank)  Do you find yourself saying things like that?  I do that more often than I would like to admit, especially when going through a very long waiting season.  The longer I have to wait, the harder it is for me to keep a positive attitude because I start struggling with doubt.  It seems to be much more difficult to keep our attitude and our heart in the right place when we are walking through the dry, parched desert.  The longer we have to wait, the more likely it is that we will start doubting, and complaining.  We can sometimes be like the Children of Israel when God led them into the desert after Pharaoh let them go.  They started doubting God's faithfulness when things didn't go their way and they had to wait, which in turn led them to start complaining.  They actually wanted to go back to Egypt, back to being a slave, when they started getting tired and thirsty, when they couldn't see how things were going to work out.  When we can't see how, or we can't see when, we start feeling like God has forgotten us.  God has not forgotten you, my friend.  He knows exactly where you are.  He sometimes leads us into a season of waiting because He is doing something deeper than what we can see with our human eyes, or understand with our human minds.  God is faithful.  He will do what He has promised.  God didn't lead His people into the desert for them to give up and die, He led them there because He wanted to do something deeper in them.  He wanted to test their hearts to see if they would remain faithful, even when they had to wait.  Waiting is not easy, especially when we live in a society that thrives on instant gratification.  We want what we want, and we want it now.  I have learned, through much fighting and stubbornness, when I'm in a waiting season, that is when God is doing something greater than I could ever imagine.  God is working things out for my best.  He is doing a deeper work that requires time and patience.  It requires me to wait.  Will we stand at the shore of our "Red Sea" and wait to see God part the waters for us to walk through, or will we turn back and remain a slave to our doubts?  Will we choose to remain faithful in the waiting season, even when we feel doubt trying to overpower us?  Don't put off enjoying your life each day because you're waiting for a specific thing to happen first.  Rejoice in each day God gives you, even while you're in the waiting season.  Before long you will look back and see how faithful God was to work things out for your best.  Until next time my friends, be blessed! 

"Don't fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." ~Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)

Pearl of the Day: It's My Peace and You Can't Have It!

 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] ~John 14:27 (AMP)

I have a story that I would like to share with you about something that happened yesterday as me and my daughters were on the way to run some errands.  A little side-note before I get started: Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a very careful driver.  I take driving very seriously because not only could my own safety be at risk, but my two children as well.  I believe more people should take greater care while driving instead of acting like they are the only ones on the road.  Okay, I'm getting off of my soapbox now.  Back to the story.....As we were driving down the road, I came up on a white van, which was driving slower than I was, so I got in the passing lane.  Well, the next thing I know, this truck comes out of nowhere and is tailgating me as I am in the process of passing the van.  I have a huge issue with people tailgating, but I won't get into that right now.  That soapbox will have to wait for another day.  As soon as I got past the van, I put my signal light on to get back over in front of the van.  Apparently, I did not do this fast enough for the guy in the truck behind me since he gave me a certain hand gesture as he was passing me.  It wasn't a friendly wave either, if you know what I mean.  Okay, so my first thought was not, "Bless him Lord."  I was ticked!  How dare he do that when I didn't do anything to him!  I was minding my own business and he comes along acting like he owns the road!  Needless to say, I had my little fit for about ten minutes and then it was all better.  Isn't that how things happen sometimes?  We're minding our own business, when all of a sudden we are caught up in drama that we didn't even create.  We are taking on another person's stuff.  I have to remind myself in situations like this, that other people's opinions and actions are not a reflection of my worth and value.  What that guy did is not a reflection on me as a person.  He might have been having a bad day and he took it out on me.  Instead of getting upset and letting what he did bother me, I should have just let it go instead of taking it personally.  I allowed what he did to take away my peace and joy.  If we refuse to take on other people's stuff, this will save us a lot of unnecessary hurt and frustration.  Let's decide today to keep our peace no matter what other people say or do.  Just because they are having a bad day, or a bad attitude, doesn't mean we have to lose our peace and joy.  It's yours, hold onto it!  I think the next time something like that happens, I will do what my husband does, smile and wave!  Haha!  Till next time my friends, be blessed!