His Eye Is On The Sparrow...

     God's timing is perfect. Not only that, His ways are perfect. His love is perfect. His thoughts toward us are perfect. I spend so much of my time feeling incredibly undeserving of His love. And yet, in my feelings of unworthiness, He reveals Himself and His heart toward me. I want to share what happened one day last month and I hope that it will minister to you right where you are.
     May 7th, 2020 was a beautiful day for a walk. After having knee surgery on December 31st, I am a bit ashamed to say that I had not really done much in the way of exercise. So, taking it slowly, I thought I would begin walking again. I don't know if I will be able to run anymore, hopefully someday, but walking is a good start.
     As I was coming up a hill I could see something in the road that looked a bit like a curled up leaf. As I got closer I saw that it appeared to be a bird. I was about to walk right past where it was, but could not stand the thought of walking past the little crushed body. As I approached her, I didn't really see any  movement, but thought I would check to be sure. She was laying on her side and I gently prodded her to see if she was alive. To  my surprise, she was!
     The road that I was on is a side road where people tend to drive pretty fast, and I was almost positive if I left the bird there she would be hit again fairly quickly. What else was there to do? There was not a question in my mind... I picked that little sparrow up and walked over to the grass. At first her mouth was hanging open a bit as if she was in shock, but when I picked her up she grabbed my fingers with her little feet. She seemed okay other than being a bit stunned. I didn't know if she would be able to fly, if anything was broken, if there were internal injuries, or anything else.
     There was a line of trees planted along a fence, but she didn't seem quite ready to simply be left in a tree. I was not about to leave her on the ground, as I feared she would end up back in the street or a meal for another animal. I waited a few minutes, but she still showed no inclination to take flight, so I decided to take her home and nurse her back to health. I began to walk towards home with her snugly nestled in my hand. I stroked her back with my thumb, and she was calm and restful. I was already messaging with my mom about how I was to take care of her when I reached home. As I came towards a field edged by the woods, the scent of honeysuckle wafted towards us on the breeze. The little bird perked her head up, as if someone had placed smelling salts under her nose. Suddenly, she simply flew from my hand into the woods and I was so happy for her I could have cried!
     You may read this story and wonder to yourself what the big deal is about the life of one little bird, or maybe you think it was a waste of time trying to save her. But, I know that my Father was teaching me that day. For years I have sung the song, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," and loved and believed the message of those lyrics. I have heard Luke 12:6, that says, "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God..." My Lord was showing me that day that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.
     I walked up the road and found that little sparrow at the precise time she needed help, at the perfect time to save her from danger. If I had walked through earlier, she would not have been there. If I had waited longer, it may have been too late. If there had been traffic right then, I could not have gotten in the road to save her. So many factors had to line up perfectly in order for her life to be saved. God was reminding me that the life of that little sparrow was important. He showed me how much he cared for even that tiny bird.
     And yet, bad things happen. Life hurts. People hurt us. People pass away. Not every bird gets saved from harm. Not every child gets healed of cancer. Not everything in life has an easy fix, but God loves us. God is unchanging. We live in a fallen world. We live in a world filled with sin, hurt, anger, bitterness, sickness, and disease. But there is a Savior who loves us completely, who made the ultimate sacrifice that would last for all of eternity.
     Perhaps you feel the same way I so often do...unworthy, inadequate, like I don't measure up. Perhaps you feel that your problems are too big for God, or that God would help someone else and provide for someone else, but not for you. I'm here to tell you today (as I sit here and remind myself as well) that he cared about and loved that little sparrow, and there is nothing in your life that is beyond His reach, nothing you are facing that He does not care about. Bring your petitions to Him. Pray hard for your answer. Trust the Father that loves you to take care of you even more than He took care of that little sparrow that I found on my walk. Read His word and run after His heart. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. He loves you and He wants nothing but the very best for you.

Unique and Rare Art...You, That Is.

     As a mom, I remember those first moments when my children made their appearance in this world and took their first beautiful breath. It was a time of wonder and a time of awe; to think that God created these amazing human beings and allowed me to be their mom - purely overwhelming.

     Also as a mom, to hear these beautiful children of mine at any point in their day degrade themselves as ugly, fat, stupid, dumb, disgusting, etc., hurts my heart more than I can describe. If only they could see themselves through my eyes...

And there it is...

  If only we could see ourselves through God's eyes.

     When I was much younger, I felt the pressure to be thin, to be pretty, to look a certain way in order for others to like me or approve of me. I felt that if I didn't look the right way, then I wasn't the way I needed to be. I have always had a strong drive as a perfectionist, and in college this drove me into my first experience with a full-blown eating disorder. In the years that followed, I struggled off and on with the same thing, always rooted in that continued drive for perfection and the need to get approval from other people. 

     What I failed to really comprehend, even though I knew it deep down, was that there is only One that I need to worry about pleasing, and that is GOD. There is such a difference in head knowledge and really, actually believing something. I knew the Word, had heard it all of my life, but believing that I was actually fearfully and wonderfully made...well, that was another story! 

     I think now about the many times I have run myself down, talked bad about myself, insulted my body or the way I look, complained about my crooked teeth or whatever else I didn't think measured up; and as I think about all of those terrible things I said, I am ashamed because I know it grieved the heart of my Father.

     My cousin, Shelley, shared a really great post on Facebook a few days ago, and I would like to share a bit of it with you:

"I was in the car yesterday. A long ride, so I had a lot of time for reflection. Boom, it hit me. I have felt so negatively about my body for SO long. I hide it. I make fun of it. I make excuses for it. So, of course it's going to react with pain, weight gain, fatigue; it's reacting to how I feel about it..."

     WOW. What an eye opener. The Word of God says that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. I would never want my kids to feel about themselves the way I have felt about myself. I do not like to hear them talk about themselves in a way that describes them as any less than who God has created them to be! 

     Well, about a week or so ago, my mom brought me a shirt that she had ordered for me from the Tennessee District Assemblies of God Women's Movement, and it is absolutely beautiful. It is not just a shirt, but a beautiful reminder. It is the truth of who I am in Christ. You may not be able to read the words well in the picture, but it says, "valued, worthy, cherished, chosen, adored," all in beautiful golden lettering. I put that shirt on today and had my daughter take a picture of me in it. This is me. Just me. No filter. No airbrushing. No girdle. No Spanx. Perfectly imperfect me. 

     Today is a new day, a fresh foot forward, and a wake-up call for me. As I struggled with a friend recently over standing in the middle of a picture instead of on the edge so that I couldn't be seen as well, I realized that is no longer who I want to be. I want to show the love of the Lord to everyone, but it is not up to me to please everyone. For one thing, that will just never happen. But, just as I want my children to see the value that I see in them, I accept the value that my heavenly Father has placed in me. I am a priceless treasure to Him, as are you.

     So the next time you see me, I may have lost weight, and I may not have. My focus is to be the healthiest me that I can be, to be a good steward of this body and the life that the Lord has given me. My focus is to reach people for the cause of Christ, to tell them that Jesus loves them with a love they cannot even comprehend. 

     So go ahead. Take a look in the mirror. Look yourself in the eyes. Now, instead of rolling your eyes or cringing at what you see, say to yourself, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Take the words that are on this shirt and tape them on your mirror, paint them on your wall, write them in your journal and post them by your computer at work, but most of all, remember, that you are Valued, Worthy, Cherished, Chosen, and truly Adored. You are a child of the most High God, a child of the King.

     

What's It Worth?

     "Runner's high...is it real? Exactly how far do I have to run to actually reach it?" These are the thoughts I found myself contemplating after another grueling workout yesterday evening. I get excited the most before the workout, and then feel absolutely punished afterwards!
     I have never been a marathon runner or a 5k runner like my son and daughter. Noooo, I am more of a "burst" runner (if that's a thing - if not, it is now). I start out walking at a good, even pace, moving towards power walking, and then I start choosing landmarks as my goals. My starting line might be a light pole, a crack in the pavement I see ahead, or the edge of a field coming up. I choose my starting point and then imagine as I reach it that springs vault me off into a perfect run. I imagine this because the reality is far from that.
     So far, I have done my running bursts on flat, level areas or I take full advantage of downhill stretches. Running uphill is tough. Don't believe me? Give it a try this afternoon. It is rough! Yesterday, for some reason, after a full day of work I came home and got partway through my workout and I decided to run UP a hill I was on instead of waiting to get over it. I began to run and I was able to do it! It was difficult. It was painful. I worked hard to keep my breathing steady and I pushed forward. I was overwhelmed with excitement as I drove myself up that hill, willing myself to get to my next landmark...an adjoining street. I almost made it! I did have to stop for just a few seconds, and then I took off again until I reached that point.
     I felt such a huge sense of accomplishment from those few minutes in my workout. Did I achieve runner's high? No, I didn't. Does it exist? I am beginning to doubt it. But, what it showed me is that I CAN do it, and that if I continue to work hard I WILL do it.
     Our mindset is such a vitally important thing. And this applies to all areas of life. If we feel defeated, we are defeated. The bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. His word also says that we are overcomers through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of our testimony. What words are coming out of our mouths? What thoughts are we allowing to pervade our brain? Are we speaking words of life over ourselves, over our families, over every situation we face? Or are we speaking death, word curses and discouragement?
     As I headed towards home yesterday, I honestly was exhausted and was slowly melting onto the pavement, and suddenly I began to speak life to myself. I began to say, "Strong legs, strong mind, strong body, (etc.)" over and over as I walked and ran. I began to speak life and encouragement to myself (because oh, did I need it!) as I headed home.  
     The same thing applies to every situation in our lives. What is your health worth to you? What is your marriage worth to you? What is your family worth to you? Your ministry, your job, your friends, and on and on the list goes... Everything that is worth having is worth fighting hard for. There are a lot of times we have to run uphill, as well as a lot of times that the road is rough and full of potholes. However, every single day we have the opportunity to speak life and blessing and encouragement over those we love, over our health, over every aspect of our lives.
     One thing I know for sure that is real when I run is when I get my "second wind." My dad used to try to explain that to me when I was younger and I never understood what he meant until I experienced it. When it feels like my lungs cannot get the air they need, I keep going and breathing evenly, and suddenly it is as if they open up and I am refreshed with oxygen once again.
     When we speak life and victory over the situations we face, instead of allowing ourselves to slump over on the side of the road and give up, we get that second wind. When we give those things over to the Lord and let them go into His hands, He strengthens us and He carries the weight for us. Suddenly, problems don't seem so big when we realize that our heavenly Father who loves us is holding every detail right in the palm of His hand. Suddenly, we can breathe again. Suddenly, we find peace and contentment in Him.
     Ask yourself today how you have been facing things in your life. As a victim or a victor? Now ask yourself again those questions from earlier. What is your health worth to you? Your marriage? Your family? Etc... Everything worth having is worth fighting for. Always remember that. Speak life, speak love, speak God's promises and God's truth. We need to run our race as a child of the King. Even if we stumble, fall, or have to walk for a little while; get back up and keep running that race, keep moving forward, and keep pressing on toward a closer walk with Him.

The Tree of Life

     It has taken me a few days to get this post together, and I'm still struggling through it a bit in my mind. Here we are, beginning a new year - 2017, and my mind is racing with all that lies ahead. I don't have resolutions that I have made, but rather, goals that I have set for myself to make this year different and better. The past year certainly had some wake-up call moments for me - some huge reality checks that reminded me just how precious every moment really is.
     Back on August 12th, I lost one of the very best friends I have ever had...suddenly, unexpectedly. She was a little less than a year older than me, and had been 42 for less than a month when she passed away in her sleep. We lived close together, and our daughters are nearly the same age and are friends as well. I expected that we would be little elderly ladies someday out shopping and drinking coffee together, and acting like we were completely crazy...as we always did. It just goes to show how little I really know.
     Our youth group from church went to a conference in Gatlinburg this past weekend to bring in the new year worshiping the Lord and hearing His word. One of the bands that was there was one that my friend and I had seen in concert a couple of years ago, and was one of our absolute favorites! I saw a video from the conference on New Year's Day, and it was a clip of that band as they sang going into the new year. I was so broken thinking about how our daughters were celebrating the new year together at the conference, but she was no longer here to celebrate with us anymore.

     For her 42nd birthday, I gave her a bracelet that said "God" in the shape of a heart, because she loved the Lord so much. I also gave her a Ginger Snaps ring with a Tree of Life snap. She was so excited about it and said it made her cry. When she passed away, her daughter told me that she wanted me to have that ring, and after the funeral she brought it to me. 

     That ring has become such a precious treasure to me. When I wear it, I am always reminded of my friend. Every time I see it, I think of her, and what her friendship meant to me, and I also think about what that tree means to me.
    
     There are so many great analogies of trees in the relationships of our lives...branches and roots...family trees, etc. For me, I see that we each have a tree that is our life. It begins small, and grows not only up, but out. The roots go deep, building a firm foundation of love of family and trust. As the tree grows taller, it also grows stronger. We experience so many things in our lives, good and bad. The good builds us up, while we have to face the bad as well - either allowing it to weaken us or strengthen us. We continue to build relationships and have experiences as we grow older, and the tree's branches grow wide and long and full, healthy and beautiful.
     But, as it is with life, seasons come and seasons go. Some of the branches dry up and die, then break off of the tree and fall away. However, as it goes through these changes, the tree continues to live and grow.
     As I look at my special ring while I type this, I am so thankful for the time I had with my friend. I'm thankful that I had the chance to pray with her, to worship with her, to attend church with her, to shop, hang out, laugh, exercise, watch our girls play basketball, celebrate birthdays, and do so many other fun things with her! I am thankful for the heart-to-heart conversations that we had, for the times we laughed so hard we were crying. I'm thankful for each phone call, text message, social media post, and gift that she took the time and care to give.
     But this is really what I am trying to say in all of this... Enjoy every moment. Don't waste time on petty things. Love people. Really LOVE people. Be genuine and compassionate, kind and generous. Give of yourself. Don't hold back when it comes to telling people how you feel. Let them know they are loved and appreciated and cared for. We never know when the time will come that we will not get another chance. One day it will be our last day, so live to the very fullest now. Be all that God has called you to be. Don't wait until tomorrow. Today is the day.

Life Without the Microwave

Microwave ovens are very handy contraptions. We can use them to cook food, reheat food, warm up hot compresses for aches or injuries, boil water, melt butter (or chocolate), make popcorn, and so much more! So when the moment comes (as it will) that the microwave gives out, it can be slightly inconvenient. We are a family that eats leftovers after I have cooked a meal, so when my husband went to get the mashed potatoes out from the night before, or the spaghetti, or any number of other foods, suddenly reheating became a big ordeal.

We have become accustomed to being able to have something almost right at the moment we think about it, maybe not instantaneously, but close enough. We are very spoiled because of this appliance that gives us what we need so quickly for the most part. And so, it has been a huge adjustment for us not being able to use it.

I started thinking about how we try to fix the problems in our lives with a microwave mentality. We want this or that in five minutes or less. We want our children to act right in five minutes or less. We want our friendship mended in five minutes or less. We want our marriage repaired in five minutes or less. We want our finances to be perfect in 30 seconds or less!

Is this realistic thinking? Has our first world mentality affected the way we deal with this reality called LIFE? We expect things to be exactly the way we want them right this moment, without putting the work into it that is actually required.

If we want our finances to be better, we must budget and be responsible, and not spend beyond our means. If we want our children to behave, we must teach them and discipline them in love and with wisdom. In order to have the very best of friendships, we must be the best friend that we can be, without expecting anything in return. And if we expect to see the best in our marriage, we must be the spouse that God has called us to be. This last one is a whole other subject that would take too long to get into on this post, but I will say this…when we love and respect and honor our spouse, it will make all the difference in the world in our marriage. When we lift them up and encourage them, let them know daily how much they mean to us, and give them our time and attention, we are not only honoring the person, but we are honoring God by following His instruction.

These are only a few examples of the plethora of things that we deal with daily with our microwave mentality. The last one I want to talk about is our relationship with God. So often, instead of talking to Him all through our busy days and lifting Him up with our worship and praise, we wait until there is a crisis in our lives to call on Him in desperation. Instead of seeking His will in our lives on our knees in His presence, we wait until we need something and then begin to cry out to Him for help. God is not some cosmic microwave, where you push a button and everything is fixed in a few seconds. Our Father wants our time. He wants our love. He wants our whole heart. I do my best to give my own children what they need and want, but it completely melts my heart when they love on me and want to spend time with me. If the only time they ever spoke to me was when they needed something, I have to say that would hurt. Unfortunately, we seem to not realize how it hurts the heart of God when we don’t give Him our love and our time. He knows we are not perfect better than anyone because He made us, but He also desires to be close to us and He desires communication with us – not just us talking to Him, but listening to Him. He is our heavenly Father, and He desires relationship with us. He didn’t call us to be “religious” people; He called us to be followers of Christ. He called us to be the church. We cannot do those things if our walk with Him is based on this microwave mentality with which we treat so many other things.

Today, take a moment to really think about how you deal with the things in your life…with people, with problems, etc. Ask yourself if you have been treating everything in your life with the microwave mentality. And most importantly, make a change. Sometimes life without the microwave is what we needed all along.

What Lies Beneath...

This is a hard subject to talk on, but one that I feel strongly led to write about. I sat down to write what was on my heart yesterday, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Sometimes, it can be very hard to find where to start, and it’s easier just to pack away what is on my heart than to pour it out.

I’m about to say something brutally honest. So before you get offended, please hear me out.

Are you ready? Have you braced yourself?

Okay, here goes… None of us, and I mean NONE of us, are perfect. Not a single one of the humans on this earth are without flaw; not you, and certainly not me. Did you fall in the floor from the shock of what I said? Most likely you were not shocked at all because, let’s face it; we all know that we are a very long way from perfection. We don’t lie when we look in the mirror and say to ourselves, “Hey, you! You in the mirror…you are absolutely perfect!” Okay, so maybe there are some narcissistic people that might say that…

The truth is that we all have issues, have all made mistakes, and are all a work in progress. We had a pastor visit our church a couple of weeks ago that talked about how we are all under construction. When I went to kids’ camp as a child, our theme one summer was “Kids Under Construction.” This is the truth of who we are as followers of Christ; we are continually being molded and shaped into the image of our Father. We seek daily to become like the One who saved us and gave His all for us.

Why then, do we feel the need to wear a mask and be fake as we go about our day? Why then, do we feel the need to hide behind a façade? The meaning of façade is this: “The image that a person presents to others.” A façade is not who we truly are, but how we wish to appear. I’m not saying that if we are having a bad day, or someone hurts our feelings, that we should go around falling in the floor crying about it, but why do we feel the need to wear the mask that says (untruthfully), “I have it all together?” It seems that this is especially true in the Church. Our youth pastor’s wife made a comment this past week that the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” is not something that will work with God. He sees through to the core of who we are. We can fake all we want to, but He doesn’t see the mask we wear. He sees what lies beneath it.

I put up a post on social media this week about needing a safe place, a place where we can be real. But sometimes we don’t have a safe place. Sometimes we don’t feel that there is anyone we can talk to about what we are struggling with, what we are discouraged about, what or who has hurt us, or how we may have messed up. I have a friend that always says, “Loose lips sink ships,” and another friend posted a meme today that said, “Be careful who you vent to. A listening ear is also a running mouth.” This is why we have such a hard time finding that safe place…we feel that we just can’t know for sure once we have taken our mask off that the person who sees what lies beneath that mask won’t run and tell everyone else how flawed we are. We have a hard time with trust. It’s often said that “ministry is a very lonely place,” and this is one of the reasons why…we so often pour out what God has put inside of us for others, but then feel that there is no one we can trust there for us when we need them.

We, as Christians, as followers of Christ, should be completely trustworthy. When someone bares their darkest parts, areas in which they need prayer, or just needs to talk things out privately, we have to prove ourselves worthy of that trust. The only One we should share with is the Lord as we lift them up to Him in prayer. We each need a safe place, so we should always treat others as we wish to be treated in matters of privacy.

There are times and seasons, however, where we may no longer have a safe place, or may not have found that place yet, and what we have to understand is that GOD is always that safe place. He is our shelter. He loves us more than anyone has ever loved us, and He only wants the very best for us as we seek His face and follow after His heart. We have not attained perfection, but we strive for it daily in Him. Each day, we should be doing our very best to live pure and holy lives as we walk with the Lord.

I heard a song this week by a group called Skillet that really pulls the mask off in a very real and truthful way. It’s called “Monster,” and talks about how we so often hide what is inside because we don’t want people to know who we really are when no one else is around. If you don’t like this band or the music, just please give credence to the message they present as they reach young people for Christ.

“The secret side of me I never let you see,

I keep it caged, but I can’t control it

So stay away from me, the beast is ugly

I feel the rage and I just can’t hold it

It’s scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls

It comes awake and I can’t control it

Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head

Why won’t somebody come and save me from this? Make it end

I feel it deep within, it’s just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I hate what I’ve become, the nightmare’s just begun

I must confess that I feel like a monster.”

 

I know that this has been a long post, but it is vitally important. What is hidden must be dealt with. If you have a dish of old food on the kitchen counter, you can spray air freshener all you want to, but all it will do is mask the smell. Eventually, the rotten, moldy food must be uncovered, thrown in the trash and taken out! We can continue to wear our masks day in and day out, and the people we come in contact with may never know the difference; but God sees through to our heart. He always knows the truth, and He loves us enough to not want us to stay in that shape anymore. Masking what is inside can lead to depression, anxiety, fear, hopelessness and despair. Uncovering the deep wounds and allowing them to be healed will bring restoration and peace, forgiveness and hope. It’s time stop covering up what lies beneath, and allow our Savior to shine His light into those dark places. It’s time to find our safe place in Him, throw our masks aside, and allow Him to shape us into His glorious image.

Stillness

I have felt a heaviness resting on me lately. It’s been like a weight resting on my shoulders day in and day out. There was not really any particular reason for it, although a few things may have contributed to it along the way. It just wasn’t anything I could really pin down. I would pray, worship, seek the Lord, and was still feeling the weight. Teens these days would say I had a case of the “feels,” or that I was “all up in my feelings!” And, maybe I was…well, definitely I was.

Have you ever experienced this? It’s that feeling that you’re walking outside on a beautiful sunny day with a dark cloud hovering right above your head everywhere you go. You try to wave it away, try to ignore it, put on a smile and go on, but it just won’t go away.

God has been doing miraculous things in my life, in our family, our church, and in the lives of friends. And as wonderful as it would be to live on that mountaintop, it is not reality. I’ve always heard it said that you are either going into a trial, in the midst of a trial, or coming out of one. So, you are either going up the mountain, you’re on top of the mountain, or you’re descending from it. There is also the possibility that you are going around it, trying to avoid it! I know that because of what God has been doing in my life, it is inevitable that opposition will come from the enemy. I know these things, and yet, still was walking around feeling defeated.

Since I am armed with this knowledge, the question becomes, “How will I overcome this?” I can smile all day long and walk around like nothing is going on, while complete turmoil is roiling on the inside. I can put on my mask and pretend that I have it all together. OR, I can draw near to God, knowing that when I do so, HE will draw near to me. I actually posted something on social media this week about this very subject; not because I was preaching it to anyone else, but because I needed it for myself. I know that when I’m going through something like this, the only answer is to press into His Presence, to delve deep into His Word, to renew my mind daily so that I will be transformed from that “darkness” I’m trapped under, into His glorious light! Darkness cannot remain in the perfect love and holy presence of God.

Then this morning, I woke up and felt the Lord drawing me to Him. Not just to go sit on the couch and read my bible or to put in some headphones and listen to worship music; no, he was calling me into the quiet place, into the stillness and peace that can only be found in Him. I didn’t make my coffee. I didn’t fix breakfast. I went and grabbed my bible and my daily devotional, and headed outside. I really felt that I needed to go out and sit under a tree in the middle of the yard and read. I didn’t know why at the time. But when the Lord draws you, it is always the right choice to obey, whether you understand or not.

I went outside and opened up my devotion first, and began to read about God drawing us to Him in the quiet of the morning. He was confirming to me exactly why He had wanted me to go outside. I needed to get away from all the distractions, all of the noise of everyday life. I was not interrupted as I read my bible and spent time with the Lord. I was not pulled this way and that. I was in the quiet place with the Lord, in that place of restoration and healing, that place of joy and perfect peace. I was in that place where darkness cannot hide and where the clouds must lift. In stillness, the weight lifted. As I knew that my Savior and my Redeemer wanted that quiet time with me this very morning (and every morning), that He loves me so much that in every moment of my life He is holding me close, I felt the weight lift. As I sought His heart, I felt the weight lift.

We don’t have to walk around defeated. We don’t have to feel beaten down and discouraged. We don’t even have to be anxious or depressed, not knowing the reasons why we feel that way. He has made us MORE than conquerors, and in Him we are able to overcome through the blood of Jesus and through the word of our testimony. If you are trying to wave away your dark cloud today, don’t try to do it in your own strength. Find stillness in that quiet place, the secret place of the Most High, press into His Presence and find peace in the midst of your storm.