I was in preschool and it was show and tell. I had forgotten to bring something so when my name was called I quickly went to the front of the room where I twirled and danced in an attempt to show off my dress printed with flowers. I wondered if anyone knew I had forgotten. Would I get in trouble for forgetting again? Maybe they wouldn’t notice. School was my great escape. At home there was too much to fight and worry about. At that time I was too overwhelmed at home with my dad holding a gun to my moms head to remember something as simple as to bring in a Show and Tell the next day. But I was showing up. I would still make it happen. While the class gave me my space to twirl and dance and be proud my teacher was annoyed. She chimed in with “Ashley you wear that dress all the time and you have already shown it at Show and Tell.” Ashley is what I went by for a long time. That is my middle name and it was easiest for my older sister to say. When I was in kindergarten I decided to start going by my first name because there were a few other Ashley’s in my class. However, my family still called me Ashley out of habit for a long time after. There I was in my flower print dress ashamed that I didn’t have anything new to share. Worried about what my family situation would be like when I returned home. I was disappointed that what I had was not enough. I felt rejected. I was confused because no rules for show and tell had been addressed up to this point and I still broke one. I was embarrassed because now a few kids were giggling. I never wanted to break rules. I have always been a rule follower. There was always safety in rules. If I didn’t break the rules I wouldn’t get in trouble. If I didn’t break the rules no one was ever disappointed in me. Before her input I was excited about my dress that was most likely a hand me down, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to get in more trouble.

Joanna Gaines has a similar Show And Tell preschool tragedy story that she shares in her book, “The Stories We Share.” I’m sure many of you can remember back to your preschool days when your show and tell was rejected and not appreciated by all. The truth is that we have all been rejected. Here I am today at 36 and I have faced rejection on a much greater scale than the show and tell tragedy of 1991. Let’s look back at rejection in the bible days. 

The woman at the well was rejected for her promiscuous lifestyle. (John 4:5-30)

The man with leprosy was rejected for his disease. (Matthew 8:1-14)

Joseph was rejected by his own brothers for being his fathers favorite. (Genesis 37-50) 

BUT

Jesus loved the woman at the well. He offered her forgiveness and grace and told her to go and sin no more. 

Jesus touched the man with leprosy and healed his disease . 

Jesus led Joseph to becoming king.

In every story you read from the BIble where someone was rejected you see Jesus extend love, grace, forgiveness and a future. He does not accept our sin but He loves us. He demonstrates His love by calling us toward Him and never pushing us away. Our sin does not take away His perfect will for our life. Our sin might cause a pause but when we walk in the forgiveness that Jesus so freely gave on the cross, there is still so much hope for our future. There are times we are rejected not because of our own sin but because of the sinful hearts in others. Like Joseph, Jesus will take you where He has called you regardless of who tries to stop you. Trust! 

As I twirled and danced in front of the class to show my flower printed dress, I believe Jesus watched me with awe. It didn’t matter to Him that He had already seen it. He wasn’t the least bit annoyed. He was proud to call me His. I believe that in heaven there is a video of the little four year old girl twirling and filled with glee and I can hear Jesus stop to cheer. 

When you stand in the middle of rejection, know that Jesus stands with you. When everyone is laughing, pushing you away, walking away Jesus is calling you toward Him and cheering you on as you walk in His love. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 NLT

I struggle to throw toys out when they are unfixabke. Crazy I know. I keep thinking that maybe I’ll find the missing part or ill be able to magically fix it in the future. However, I never do! I end up storing them in a bucket in the garage until I find the strength to just toss them.
This is your Tuesday reminder that God can fix anything. No no no! I’m not talking about the broken toys you have stored away at the top of your Childs closet. I’m referring to
the brokenness in our hearts and spirits. He can fix us. We are never too broken. He doesn’t store us away in a bucket until he finds the missing part. He is the missing part. He already has what He needs. He doesn’t struggle to throw us out when broken because He has already chosen to keep us in our brokenness. He has chooses to keep us because He has confidence that He can and will restore us.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…” Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

Edit to add: we do donate toys. We Dont throw out everything. However, I Dont feel right doonating a broken toy. For me it’s like saying “here have my garbage!” We donate toys that work and can be enjoyed.

A is for anxiety it 

Bubbles up in me

Cautious and full of 

Doubt scared of everything.

E is for the eagerness I have to be 

Free of all the 

Gloomy feelings and this cloud

Hanging over me

BUT

My Aunt once taught me that when

I’m filled with anxiety I can call on 

Jesus

 He will fill my heart with peace.

He always 

Keeps me safe. He has His angels watching over me. 

Loyal He 

Moves Mountains and He will 

Never Leave. With Jesus I can 

Overcome I am held in the 

Palm of His hands. He 

Quiets the 

Racing thoughts and gives me 

Strength to Withstand. When the 

Tears are making puddles that are tough to walk through. He drys the path 

Under me. There is nothing He can’t do. 

The fear anxiety and doubt may never 

Vanish away.

BUT

He is always 

Walking with me each and every day.

X all the worries deep inside of 

You. With great

Zest you can fight your anxious heart too.

His Favorite! 

Let’s be real. The real reason we take our kids trick or treating in the freezing cold is for the taxes we collect at the end of the night. You know? The candy taxes? My kids are always ready to pay up.  Surely I’m not the only one. It’s hard to pick my favorite type of candy. It’s a mix of recess, gum drops or tootsie rolls. Throw in a few milk duds and my halloween is made. All I’m saying is you can’t just have one favorite candy, right?

When we were kids my mom used to tell us individually that we were her favorite. She would do this one after the other and we would run to the other two declaring that we were the favorite only to find out we were all our mothers favorite. It was a tad bit disappointing but  she couldn’t just choose one of us. 

Neither can Jesus. When Jesus looks down from heaven He picks you. You are His favorite.We are each His favorite but there is no disappointing feeling in that. There is so much beauty in the individual love He has for each of us.  It’s hard to imagine because all of us are his favorite, but it’s not the same as my sisters and I all being my mom’s favorite. Jesus died for you. His love is bigger than a human kind of  love. Even as a mother or father you can’t love your child the way Jesus does. Think of it like this. If you were the only one on earth when Jesus went to the cross, He would have still hung there for you. That’s powerful. That means something. You matter that much to Him. He chose you and He will continue to choose you. 

As Halloween comes to an end, your kids begin to make candy trades and you collect your taxes don’t forget that while it might be an obstacle to pick one favorite candy, it is not difficult for God to pick you as His favorite child. The real question is, will you pick Jesus? 

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Broken Mirror (A Poem)

Broken mirror on the wall
Who are you to
Tell me not to stand tall?

Who are you to
Break me down?
I hear you laugh at each piece
Of me that hits the ground.

Broken mirror on the wall
Who are you to zoom in on all
My flaws?

Who are you to fill
My heart with shame
Keeping me from calling
On His name.

Broken mirror on the wall
QUIET!!!
I don’t want to hear you speak
You no longer have a hold on me.

Who are you, really?
Compared to the one within,
You have nothing on the one
Who shaped me with His hands.

Broken mirror on the wall
The pieces of me are in His hands
You thought I would be swept up
with a broom then so easily
swept away.

Oh no! You have me wrong.
My faith will not be swayed.

He took what you broke down
And buried me deep in the ground
His word and truth
Are my soil and sun
And now I am able to grow
Tall and strong.

Broken mirror on the wall
It’s time for you to see me stand tall
Not too long ago you
broke me down

You watched as the broken pieces hit the ground.

Broken mirror on the wall
There are no more pieces laying around.
You will not find me broken and alone
Because in Him I have been found.

Broken mirror on the wall
I am a flower
In HIs hands
I grow taller
My roots are stronger.

Who are you?
Just a broken mirror on a wall
With no reflection
To shrink so small.

Photo is not my own. It’s from upsplash.com
Poem is mine.

Tomato Throwers!

Have you ever really messed up? Chosen the wrong brand at the supermarket kind of messed up? Suddenly the term “failure” spins through your mind. Now you feel down, your life is over because “failure” was never supposed to be an option. When you sat out to go to the store, buying the wrong brand was not on your agenda. 

When we allow “failure is not an option” to be our mindset we are ironically setting ourselves up for failure. 

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

Psalms 40: 2-3 

I don’t want to sound like a hater! Gene Kranz is the one who first was known to use this phrase when preparing for the moon landing. Obviously failure in that sense was death. I get where this phrase came from. However, we have taken this phrase and allowed it to paralyze us and keep us from trying anything out of fear of failure. Many have failed in ways that have caused death. While we wish it didn’t happen it has. God is still there in even the big failures. There is so much stress in the ” failure is not an option” mindset.  Stress to be perfect. Stress to get it all right. Stress to impress. Stress to be the best. But what if you walk into the store and choose the wrong can of green beans? Do you just keep them or do you go back and exchange them, all the while knowing other shoppers will point and say “oh look he chose the wrong green beans” and call you a failure then launch tomatoes at you. Dramatic! I know! However, that’s been my story a few times. No one threw tomatoes at me but I have chosen the wrong direction in life.  Not everything I Thought i  heard from God ended up being God. I’ve made some pretty stupid mistakes.  Do you keep the wrong green beans just to avoid being labeled that scary word “failure?”  My personal opinion is to  own the failure and move on. 

Before my masters commission experience,  I moved to Houston to go to college because that’s what you do after high school, right?  It didn’t take me long to realize that I was in the wrong place. To give some perspective, my step dad drove me five hours, dropped me off, drove back home just to come back the next morning when I called crying that I made the wrong decision. I failed but my stepdad came back for me. He reminded me that this mistake didn’t make me a failure. He didn’t complain about the gas and hours spent moving me in and out again. He picked me up and asked, what’s next? 

I want to challenge the mindset that failure is not an option. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’ll fail at this but I’m gonna give it a go. Someone might get mad at me and others might cry if that mindset has been your go to for years. However, I believe it’s the wrong response to  life. How can failure not be an option when living in a world full of broken people? I appreciate the thought.  I can appreciate that we should give our best and give every opportunity our all but I can’t get on board with allowing the term “failure” to make people feel “done” in life. Failure is part of life. Wouldn’t it be better to have the mindset that failure is just a chapter and not the ending in your book?  Failure should remind us not to give up or give us a new perspective. Failure can be what pushes you to try harder or be better. Failure can change you and it can keep others from making the same mistakes you have made.  Failure opens doors to other options and opportunities to make changes that are more effective. Failure points others to Jesus because without Him our failures would ruin us. 

When first learning to ride a bike, Ellie fell off  so many times. At one point she finally decided to take a break and use a scooter. This girl is amazing at scooters, skateboards and rollerblades. After a season on the bike sidelines she decided to give it a go again and succeeded. Imagine if Ellie gave up on all riding toys because she failed at the bike? Imagine if she allowed the term “failure” to keep her from trying something new?   Imagine if instead of trying something else she just sat inside and cried. She would have missed out on the scooter life that she has lived so proudly. She would have never known how much fun the scooter is and how good she is riding it. More importantly she would have never had the courage to try the bike again because the term “failure” would have been the ending to her story and not just a chapter. 

While I don’t encourage giving up when life gets hard, making mistakes because you’re tired of trying or not even trying at all. I encourage finding beauty in every failure. If we are really going to say failure is not an option then we better not go after a dream that might fail. In every success there was a failure or two. No one is so good at what they do that failure is not possible. Here’s the thing, you are going to fail. The only way not to fail is to not try. I failed at basketball and then tried dance and drama and succeeded. I failed algebra badly then found I was better suited for another math class. I failed at illustrating stories so now I just write them. I failed at being the popular kid and have finally accepted at 36 that weird people are cool too. I failed at doing life on my own so now I trust in God. 

Listen, there are many failures I’ve had that people are thankful that I accepted as realization that I was trying to be someone who was not me. I’m definitely suited for singing in the shower and not on the worship team. I’m better fit for the kids ministry and not the media team. I’m not meant to sell knives for a living. I learned that the hard way. 

One of my Pastors destroyed His first church. FAILURE!!!!

He learned from it and now has a church that is very significant in his community. 

Walt Disney was  turned down by a newspaper company for lack of creativity. FAILURE!!! Now there’s Disney world.  

In the BIble, King David failed morally by committing adultery. FAILURE!!!  Still he became king. God still used Him. Why?? Because God can work with our failures if our trust is truly in Him. He can use our failures for His glory. 

Your failure does not have to stop you but it can launch you into His purpose. 

Don’t fail on purpose but more importantly don’t allow your failure to keep you from going forward. Maybe your failure wakes you up and points you on to where you need to go or maybe your failure pushes you to try harder or make some changes.  If you come to a place in life where you realize that you might have failed, don’t sit down and give up. Don’t get down on yourself. Don’t allow others to discourage you in that failure. Get with God. Own your failure. Don’t try to hide it. Let Him lead you. Allow Him to point you in the direction He is calling you so that you can live out your God given potential. If your failure is too big for you – seek help. It’s ok to need help. Seeking help is not a failure. It’s actually a big win. 

I’m so thankful that  my failures do not dictate my purpose. I will own my failures and I will  learn and grow from them. They have shaped me for the better and made me who I am. I will continue to fail but I will never stop giving up on what God has for me. So, can we all just stop acting like failure is not an option? We don’t live in a perfect world. The only one who never failed is Jesus Himself. Not every good thing is a God thing. There will be times that you must choose to walk away which will appear to be failure. But if you are walking away from  a good thing toward a God  thing you have not failed. You have only learned where you don’t belong. There will be moments in life where not failing is the only outcome you want but you will miss something and you will fail. God will meet you in your failure. He will come back for you like my step dad did many years ago for me. At the end of the day God is good. God is sovereign. God is forgiving. God has a purpose. God can use what was meant for harm for His good. God is good.Can we all just try to do our best, pick each other up when we fall and press on in Jesus? Can we stop throwing tomatoes at the shopper who chose the wrong green beans?  Don’t allow  the enemy to steal your future with condemnation from failures of yesterday.  No matter how hard we try, we sometimes still fail. God will meet you. He will show up and when he does, He will be the one shielding you from all the tomato throwers. 

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

“The Lord upholds all who fall; and lifts up all who are bowed down.” Psalms 145:14 

Photo is from upsplash and is not my own.

During worship I envisioned my molester knelt at the feet of Jesus completely surrendered to Him. He was completely broken before Jesus with his hands raised and face looking up to Jesus. Jesus reached out his hand pulling him to his feet and embracing him in a hug that was filled with forgiveness and mercy. I watched and listened as Jesus looked at him and said… 

“You are forgiven. Go and sin no more!” John 8:11 

In John 8 we read of the woman who committed an act of adultery. Her accusers brought her before Jesus expecting Him to show no mercy and to pass judgment on her. However, he spoke to the crowd saying that whoever was without sin should throw the first stone. Of course no one could do this as every single one of them had sinned in some way. Slowly, one by one the crowd dwindled as the people left. According to the laws in that time, this woman did deserve stoning. However, that is not why she was brought before Jesus. The religious leaders who dragged this woman to Jesus were only trying to trap Jesus into saying the law did not matter (John 8:6). They were unsuccessful and Jesus looked at the woman and said in John 8:11…

“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” 

You can read the story of the woman of adultery in John 8. 

It can be difficult to process every sin as equal. There are no levels of sin. One is not worse than another. However, I look at my molester and the human nature in me wants to say… 

He deserves no forgiveness! 

He doesn’t deserve heaven! 

He should be XYZ! 

If someone takes the life of someone you love, offering forgiveness is not as easy as it is to forgive the individual who flipped you off in traffic. Forgiving my molester for a long time felt icky. It didn’t feel right. The truth is I was never condoning what he did to me. I was simply freeing myself from him.  Choosing not to allow his sin to dictate the rest of my life. Oddly in that forgiveness came the desire to see him free and forgiven by Jesus. 

The sin of some embedded a deep root of pain and suffering. This is when we must remember that forgiveness is not for them but for you. Forgiveness sets you free from the ongoing life of pain and misery. Forgiveness allows you to let God bring beauty from ugly. 

No one sin weighs more than another to Jesus. Jesus gives each of us the freedom of choice. This means that people don’t always choose what is right and that causes pain and suffering for others. 

“For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.” James 2:10-12

There are consequences to our sins but when we ask for forgiveness and turn away from our sin He is faithful to forgive us. 

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 

I forgave the man who molested me years ago. I never told him this because for me I could forgive without any further communication. Nevertheless, when I envisioned him at the feet of Jesus there was complete peace and freedom from that night when I was 13. There is no anger or bitterness and to be honest I want him to experience the forgiveness of Jesus. I want him to be free from His sin and I pray I see him in heaven. Listen, we truly will be surprised by who we see in heaven. 

24 years is how long it has been since that night. I remember everything. What I was wearing. How cold I felt. The waterbed! Knowing this was not ok. My body was shaking so intensely as I fought hard to find the strength to ask “what are you doing?” “STOP!” 

God is good. He is faithful. He is my strength and what was a terrible moment in my life is now part of my testimony. 

When I am hurt by another’s sin the image of Jesus embracing my molester is what I want to see. Everyone who sins has the opportunity to fall at the feet of Jesus seeking his forgiveness and restoration. I’ve been at the feet of Jesus many times. Mainly on the account of my foul mouth. I want my heart to break for the sinner because I am not perfect. I don’t have the right to cast one stone. I’m thankful that Jesus in all His perfection is willing to look at me and say “you are forgiven!”

When I woke up this morning every ounce of me wanted to put on a shacket and leggings because fall is so soon. Instead, I put on a dress inorder to soak in the last few days of summer before the cold comes. I love fall. Not too much a fan of the summer heat but there really is beauty in the summer too. Sunshine, later nights, hours of swimming in the sun and traveling. There is beauty in every season. I’m reminded to be present and still in every season in life. Not just my favorite or the ones that are good. Even in difficult seasons there is beauty to be found. Keep that in mind in your current season of life. This season is not forever so find the beauty in it. 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

A Beautiful Fall!

Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness the lord will be my light. Micah 7:8

Ellie use to fall all the time. Now it’s Jay falling all the time. He has scrapes on his knees, bruises on his legs and marks on his hands from catching himself. Ellie has quite a few scars. However, no matter how many times he falls down he always gets back up. I can count on one hand (and not use all my fingers) the number of times Jay has fallen and we’ve had to go pick him up and wipe his tears away. It doesn’t happen often. It didn’t happen often for Ellie either.

Honestly, Jay almost always rises with a big smile and a loud laugh. Watching Jay continue to rise again and again brings this mama heart such joy. However, my heart breaks a little too. My heart breaks because I know the day will come, as he grows older and life happens that a hard fall might take place. A hard fall that he will have to fight hard to rise up from. I’m always praying For God’s protection, guidance and wisdom to keep Ellie and Jay from the falls in life but I’m not oblivious to the sad truth that the world we live in is messed up. Hearing Ellie talk to Jesus, and now Jay say the name of Jesus, I know that no matter what life brings they will both rise with His help. I know because of Him they will be ok because they both know in their heart that if they wait patiently He will show up to help them stand again. Ellie demonstrated this knowledge at a young age when she would say “I’m waiting for Jesus to heal my boo boo cause I prayed”.

PAUSE

There are times in life when we need to ACT while we pray. For example, you don’t have a job. Praying that God will find you a job while sitting on your couch eating potato chips might not be the best way to find a job. I’m not judging, Potato chips are life. Well actually I prefer cheeto puffs. Point: Pray that God places you in the right job interview and then go look for a job interview.

End Pause:

No one is exempt from the falls of life and no mom wants to see their child take a hard fall in life. However, the amazing and beautiful thing about the terrible falls that we experience in life is that God is always right there ready to bring beauty from them.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

He has a plan for each of us that no fall can break. When we choose Jesus and His way, the enemy never wins! We just have to be patient as he picks up the broken pieces of our hearts and puts them back together. Each time I watch Ellie and Jay rise from a fall to the ground, I thank God for all the moments they will continue to rise when they feel that getting up is impossible. In the meantime, I’ll continue to remind Ellie, Jay and you that Jesus will make every fall beautiful if we just continue to trust Him.

.

Have you ever felt like you were in a season of failure? No matter what you do you just can’t get it together, get it right, figure it out, move past it, or walk through it?

I’ve been in that season. The season where I continually feel like I’m failing as a mother, wife, friend, employee and child of God! Sometimes you just need a win. Am I right? Even if that win is as simple as a Stanley Cup. 

When I was in elementary school I won a ten-speed bike for having perfect attendance. That was also the year my mom held me back in Kindergarten because I struggled to read. In first grade, I had my poem entered into the school newspaper as a top poem but I couldn’t keep the math facts straight. In 5th grade, I won Top Dare Student for showing the most leadership and growth but it was also the year that my anxiety became uncontrollable and I laid awake until 3am most nights. In high school I made the dance team and that same year I gave myself a bloody nose doing high kicks on the field.  In a Toastmasters International Speaking Program, I won First place presenting a speech I wrote on The Storms of Life to 1000 people. That same speech I lost in the final round to a man with a puppet on his hand. I have had many moments of winning in life. Along with those winnings came failures. 

I needed a win recently. Most of the time I’m a very high spirited individual with a positive outlook on life. I tend to focus on all God has brought me through even in difficult moments. There are moments when I get in a rut. I cry, I feel angry and sometimes I feel like I have no purpose. Do you relate? A few weeks ago I signed up to attend the Bloom Women’s Conference at my church. I’m excited about all we will learn and discover about our purpose during that weekend. Part of signing up meant you had your name entered into a drawing to win a gift basket that included a Stanley Cup. I seriously said to God….

“I know this is stupid but I need this win!” 

I didn’t need the win for the material sake of it but I needed it for the hope aspect of it. I needed a win even if it was just from the luck of a drawing. I don’t believe in luck. I do believe in the hand of God. I simply needed to know that Jesus could still see me. I needed to know He was listening. I needed to feel not forgotten. I needed some sort of something to tell me to keep going when it all felt pointless. However, I was one of probably 300 women signed up. My chances weren’t high. 

But God!!! Somehow my name was drawn. I won! When I heard my name called I immediately felt God speak these words to my heart….

You’re not winning because you get it all right. You’re not winning because you know the next step to take. You’re not winning because you have it all together. You’re not winning because of your success or significance but you are winning because of me. Even in this tough season you continue to trust me to lead you. You haven’t given up. You haven’t shut down. You haven’t let all the different emotions consume you. You are not a failure. If only you could see what I do. You are winning because you are still trusting me and I promise that I got you.

Stanley and all, He has me. And He has you. 

I believe I’m supposed to remind you of that. Allow my win to be your win. God hears you. God can see you. You have not been forgotten by Him. He loves you!!! 

My heart was filled at that moment with continued confidence in Jesus. Before the drawing, I was sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself. You know that thing we women like to do sometimes? I was feeling sorry for myself and then I heard my name and immediately I Jumped up excited. I started another load of laundry and took out the garbage to the curb (that’s not even my chore but I did it with excitement). Then to top it off, I made burgers for dinner. I hate burgers but the point is I made them. I was filled with so much joy not because of a cup, although I’m pretty stoked about this Stanley but because I was again reminded that God is for me and not against me. When we follow Him and trust in Him completely we are winniigaining a victory.  Yes, even when life is still challenging and we don’t have it all together, Jesus is the reason we continue to remain in a winners mindset. That win was just what I needed to get up off the couch and continue trusting Jesus in every season. 

My reminder for all of us! 

You can trust Him. I know you don’t know what’s next. I know you feel lost in some moments. I know you are sad and broken. Your heart hurts and you are emotionally drained. But continue to trust in God He knows where He is taking you. It might not make sense today but when you are looking back tomorrow, next week or in a year you will see what God was doing all along. 

I pray this week all of you receive a win that gets you up off the couch and seeking Him.