Don't be weary in well doing

Sometimes it can be so hard to not become weary. Especially when we think that something should have already happened, but it hasn’t happened yet. When we come to this place, the voice of the enemy echoes the thoughts in our mind. This is when we start doubting the Lord and thinking that our efforts are not making a difference. 

The Bible, however, tells us not to be weary in well doing. We can’t always see what God is doing or how He is using us to help someone else. But one thing I know for sure, His work makes a difference. It never goes out void. God always accomplishes what He meant to accomplish. 

2 Thessalonians 3:13 (KJV)

13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Therefore, we just have to trust Him. We have to follow Him and do the things that He puts on our hearts to do. God’s work is done in seasons. It’s not always harvesting time. So we can’t always expect to reap the rewards immediately. Doing God’s work takes time. 

I learned this in writing my books. I was focused on the rewards before I did the work. I wanted to be published and celebrate my achievements before the work was complete. This only increased my time in the writing phase and caused me to become weary. Once I sat down, with my heart in the right place, then I was able to finish the book pretty quickly. Then, once the work of creating the story was finished, I was able to move onto the harvesting phase and celebrate the blessings of God. 

Now, when I start feeling weary I ask God what season I am in. It helps me to understand and not become so weary. I also know that if I am working, then so is God. He has a plan for each season. Therefore, I desire to enjoy the work of today and to be content in the present moment. 

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Mentored by God

Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

What a blessing it is to know that we can call and He will answer. Sometimes I love to stop and think about how much my God loves me. This is a personal experience with Him. If we only knew all the times that He moved us out of harm’s way. All of the times that we got upset with Him because things didn’t go our way—even though He had something better planned for us. 

In my despair, I can call and God will comfort me. He takes care of my every need. I can’t even tell you the number of times that God has sent someone to help me with the very thing that I needed. I love how He takes the time to work with me. Writing with Him has been one of my greatest blessings. He doesn’t just tell me to figure it out on my own, but He helps me. 

I love it when He blesses me to tell a story. God has such a beautiful way of bringing it all around. He takes complicated things and makes them so easy. I don’t know how to help anyone. But God knows the need for each one of us. All I have to do is show up and be obedient and He will do the rest. 

It is such an amazing blessing to be loved by Him. I love it when I pray about something and then forget about it. Then, years later He answers my prayer and even shows me when I prayed about it. God doesn’t forget about our prayers. In the right time, He will answer each one. 

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I will trust you, God

God has a plan. Better than anything that I could imagine. 

Sometimes I just need to remind myself of this truth. Especially when life is not going as planned. When the troubles of life befall me and my disappointments and heartaches become so great that I don’t know what to do, I just need to remember that God knows exactly what to do. He knows my every need. Therefore, instead of carrying the disappointments and uncertainty around in my heart, I just need to surrender it to Him.

When we’ve done everything that we can do, then we just need to trust God to do what we can’t. If we could make things happen, then we wouldn’t need faith nor our amazing God. However, when it all seems to be going wrong and nothing works out as we planned, then we need to look for God. We can find Him in these moments. 

Perhaps, the reason it didn’t work out is that He is protecting us from an unknown danger. Or He has something better planned for us. Faith is trusting God even when we can’t see His plan. But in our hearts, we know that He will always do what is best for us. 

Today, I want to surrender my expectations and disappointments to Him. I want to wholeheartedly trust Him to take care of me and my family. While I can’t see His plan at this very minute, I know that He has one. And I want to go ahead and thank Him for working this all out to my benefit. After all, my God spoke the world into existence. 

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What it's like to live with a limb difference

Since April is limb loss/difference awareness month, I would love to share my thoughts about what it is like for me to live with a difference. 

Honestly, I don’t think about it anymore. I’ve stopped looking for the stares and listening for the whispers. My happiness or mood is not affected by how others treat me. It comes from within. I love and accept myself—just as I am. I don’t need validation or praise from anyone else. In the depths of my soul, I am grateful for my life and for all that my body does for me each day. 

For so many years though I hated my body. I focused on every flaw and magnified each one. Then one day, I had a mindset shift. Instead of focusing on my flaws and all that my body struggled to do, I decided to just love myself—flaws and all. Now I am able to see my scars in a different way. These are my battle scars. 

While the enemy tried to destroy me, he did not succeed. What was meant to destroy me, God has blessed me to use for good. Now, I use my story, with all of its hardships and struggles to honor and glorify my God. I no longer see myself as broken or harmed in any way. When I look at my life all I can see is the blessings bestowed upon me. 

Nothing is missing from my life. If given the choice to have my scars removed, I would decline because they have taught me how to be the best version of myself and how to help other people. My scars help me to be more compassionate. They shine a light to my Lord. 

While I may have not chosen my scars, I am grateful for them. It is the hardships in our lives that create the most beautiful stories. 

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Enjoy the little gifts

How many of us go through our days parched and empty, thirsting after happiness, when we are really standing knee-deep in the river of abundance? ~Sarah Breathnach

Have you ever noticed the detail in a single leaf or flower? When God created this world He created it so beautifully. The sad part is that we are often too busy to notice the small details. We hurry through our days and don’t take the time to enjoy the little gifts scattered throughout our days. 

Happiness occurs inside of us. The true joy that causes our hearts to bubble over and to spill onto others only comes from inside. While we may find temporary pleasure from things outside of ourselves, it doesn’t last. That type of happiness affects the brain temporarily, but it doesn’t affect our hearts. Therefore, it doesn’t satisfy us. And we are in constant pursuit of this type of fleeting happiness. 

But what if we just learned to enjoy the small gifts throughout our days. If this was our last day on Earth, how would you spend yours? Would you waste time or rush through it? Or would you savor every single moment? 

I want to learn to savor each moment of my life. Every day I want to live as if I am surrounded by God’s abundance because I am. I want to look for the blessings all around me and be grateful for each one. 

Life can change in an instant. Let’s use this knowledge to our benefit and change our lives for the better. Today, I encourage you to write it all down. All day long look for your blessings. Notice them. And then thank God for each one. This is how we find the happiness that our heart longs for.  

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The peace of God's love

The kindness and love that we seek from others are inside of us. We have the power to give ourselves the love and acceptance that we so desperately need. Other people can’t truly give us what we need if our hearts are not open to receive it. When we open our hearts, then God can come inside. His love can satisfy our heart and expand so great that it touches everyone we meet. 

God’s love is enough. It can make us feel like a new person. His love is so great that we want to share it with everyone. The day that the Lord saved my soul, He made me a new creature. He transformed me out of the darkness into His marvelous light. Therefore, I want to put aside my old ways and live my life for Him. 

The third chapter of Colossians is a wonderful example of how we should live for God. Here are just a few verses.

Colossians 3:12-15 (KJV)

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Oh, how I want the peace of God to rule my heart. Therefore, I need to allow the love of God, which is charity, to be above all things. Can you imagine how great our lives could be if we learned to love others and ourselves as God loves us? This is my goal.

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Love can move mountains

It can be so tempting for me to try to fix other people or to tell them all the things that they are doing wrong in their lives. However, I have discovered that this approach does not work for me. The moment I start pointing a finger at someone else, then I am really highlighting my own flaws. 

When I can humble my heart and truly take them to the Lord in prayer, then God will show me how to help them. Recently, I went through this. Every time I bowed my head and asked God to show me how to help someone, He always replied the same way. Over and over, He told me to just loved them. When we can love people, right where they are in their lives, then we can show them the love of God. Love can reach them when our words fail and come short. 

The best way for us to help other people is to live a good life in front of them. We can tell people all day long about the Lord and how to live for Him, but we need to show them by how we live our lives. 

The only person I can change is me. When I can stop judging others, then I have the compassion to love them. Love is what the world needs more of. So many people are hurting. We don’t know their story, nor the pain in their hearts. I want to be like Jesus. In the Bible, when the woman committed adultery and was going to be stoned, Jesus stood up for her. Yes, she had sinned. But His love covered her sins. Therefore, He did not condemn her. 

John 8:7(KJV)

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Every time I feel the urge to judge someone else, I need to remember that I am not without sin. Just because we sin differently doesn’t make my sins less. In God’s eyes, a sin is a sin. Therefore, I don’t ever want to judge someone else’s flesh. I want to leave that up to God. 

John 8:15-16 (KJV)

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 

While my flesh still tries to judge others from time to time, my heart desires to just love them. It’s a daily battle to keep myself from judging, but I truly desire to walk in the love and compassion of God and to treat other people as I want them to treat me. I would rather sit with those who are struggling and hold their hand than to stand and point my finger at them. Love can move mountains. 

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