Trials and Blessings

I hear it often. People who would want you to believe that easy/prosperous is the direct result of you being in God's will. But when you read the Bible, you will see countless stories that prove otherwise. In fact, some of the most difficult things people faced were the times where God was most at work.

I think of people in the Bible like Martha and Mary, whose brother Lazarus had died. Jesus took their hopeless situation and did the impossible by raising him from the dead. I think of people like my friend Sarah, who lost her newborn baby due to a heart defect. She has taken a great tragedy and turned it around to fight for new laws and newborn screening tests so that others would not have to experience the same loss.

These circumstances were not a result of disobedience or not following God. We will all face difficult times, the Bible is clear about that... "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows..." (John 16:33 NLT)

Whether you are facing a tough circumstance or even an impossible situation, don't give in to doubt or discouragement. You might be right where God wants you...

Poised for deliverance

Poised for a testimony

Poised for a miracle

An Extraordinary Life

To be honest, there are days I struggle with the feeling of insignificance. And while I know that the role I have as a mom and wife has great significance, as I go about my daily routine, it can be easy to feel that I have traded in the "extraordinary life" for the ordinary one. And then my sweet husband comes along and reminds me that extraordinary moments aren't always the huge, tangible, in-your-face ones...

"While there will be moments of greater significance than others throughout our journey, there are little moments every day of our lives where the extraordinary is waiting to be tapped. Revolution lies just beyond what stares us in the face.

Today, realize that God has prepared you for “such a time as this”. Whatever “this” is, and wherever “this” takes you, engage in the extraordinary today. Be the revolution you desire. Act the change you have been hoping to see."

-Caleb Magnino
calebmagnino.com

Mary Did You Know - Repost

I was driving in the car listening to Christmas music on the radio, and the song "Mary Did You Know" came on. A standard Christmas staple, I've heard the song for many years but today, for some reason, the words not only reached my ears but into my heart...the heart of a mother. The lyric that says, "And when you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God" made me instantly think of my precious baby boy. I love kissing his face, chubby cheeks and all.

I wonder if Mary knew then, everything that was going to happen in her baby boy's life. She knew that he was going to be great and would do great things, how many other babies are welcomed by a choir of angels? But did she truly realize what Jesus would face in the end of his time on earth?

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)

This young mother would go from watching her beloved first-born child enter the world with great joy and peace, to watching her beloved first-born leave this world in agony and distress. As she watched his death, I imagine that her thoughts went back to the day he was born...holding her son in her arms, smelling his new baby smell, listening to him breathe. And now, all of her hope and love and life was up on a cross to die.

But it never did.

Jesus came back to life. Even in the midst of what she believed to be her greatest pain and suffering, that hope and love and life was now stronger than ever! Not only that, but it was also extended to the entire world. God had a bigger purpose for Jesus' life and death.

In the midst of your suffering, you can have hope and love and life...through Jesus Christ!! God sent His only Son to die so that our sins would be forgiven, so we would never be alone, and to know the meaning of unconditional love.

Mary didn't understand, but in her greatest loss, she received her greatest gift.

In whatever you are dealing with today, know that God has a purpose.

Busy Busy

"If you are feeling compelled to do so much that you are physically worn out, you may be driven instead of led. Remember, you have to come apart from a busy routine before you come apart yourself. You have to get away from everything before you come apart physically, mentally, and emotionally." -Joyce Meyer


This couldn't have come at a better time for me, especially in the midst of a crazy busy season. Many times, the things we call our "must-do's" are not truly essential, but are self-imposed. Take a break from the to-do list, from the running around, from trying to meet everyone's expectations (yours included), and find a place of balance and rest.