Category Archives: Encouragement Challenge

Having a Hard Day?

Oh there are days like this aren’t there?

Days when you want to curl up and forget about the world around you!

Life has been hectic, to say the least, around here recently. God is so good and has blessed our business, but we are crazy busy.

There are days when I walk away from the office wondering how we will get it all done…..and yet somehow we do.

Today I looked at our calendar for the next two weeks and just shook my head…there will not be enough hours in the day.

And my instinct can be to get stressed and throw up my hands.

Instead today I just said a simple prayer.

That God would give us the wisdom, strength and time we need to do a good job for all of our clients.

And while the prayer doesn’t immediately change the number of meetings or deadlines we have, it does give me a right perspective.

Each day we are given an opportunity and we have a choice at how we are going to respond to it. (<==== Click to Tweet)

We can look at a hard day, or a busy day as negative or we can seek to find the blessings, even if they are small.

Yes our calendar is full and there is so much work to be done…..but thank God that the calendar is full and we have so much work to do!

It is all about perspective!

On those difficult days, pray that you would have a right perspective. Pray that God would show you the blessings if you are having a hard time seeing them.

Give the impossible to Him and watch and see how He makes it possible. (<==== Click to Tweet)

And remember that this too shall pass….

Praying for your friends, in this difficult season of life you may find yourself in, please know that God is with you!

On a side note, how incredible was it that there was so much buzz online yesterday around Holley’s newest book that is available for purchase?! “You’re Going to Be Okay” is a wonderful book and I will be posting even more about tomorrow…and there may just be a fun giveaway involved too!! Come back on tomorrow for all the details!

Joining Holley Gerth for a weekly dose of encouragement in 2014! Want to join in the fun and be encouraged as well? Find some amazing posts here!

Photo Credit: zevaeros

You Are Not Alone – A Battle Cry!

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Once again I had another post written in my head – but God had other plans….

If you haven’t seen it yet, there is a post live today by my friend Christine, over at the God-sized Dreams website.

She is taking a stand, grabbing her marching orders, and pressing forward and she isn’t going into battle alone.

We are in a war.

A war for our souls and it is ugly.

As I step out in faith and write here, as friends step out and do the same, we have been under attack.

The enemy is afraid.

We, with our voices united, sharing all that God has done in our lives, are a threat.

Have you felt it? The attacks on marriages and our children….

And the enemy is cunning and whispers lies to me all the time.

“Who do you think you are sharing your faith, when your life is usually one big mess?”

I hear it….and sometimes I believe the truth in that statement….because who am I?

I was asked many months ago to write a post about marriage for another blog. I was going to write about respecting your husband…something I don’t do well, but that God is working on in my life.

And wouldn’t you know the weeks leading up to that time I was the most disrespectful and rude and angry towards my husband…..and the post went unwritten. I heard the lies that I was a failure and I didn’t have anything to offer and instead of sharing about God’s continued and redemptive power in my life, I stayed silent.

Well friends, we can’t stay silent any more!!

We must stand together and fight! Yes this is a war, a battle raging against us but WE ARE NOT ALONE!!

Maybe you feel it today, the weight of your sin.

Well it is time for some freedom – that weight is not yours to bear any longer. Christ took the punishment for your sins and mine when He sacrificed His life on the cross.

He doesn’t want us to live in bondage any longer….oh the enemy does, but if we are living fully in Christ we must live as free people!

Christ has overcome!

We are not alone in the battle – God is with us every step of the way!

Holley shares this in her new book, out next week, “You’re Going to be Okay” …..

“Defeat is not your destiny. You belong to the One who overcame even death, and that means there is nothing too difficult for him.”

We belong to Him. We are His chosen people. We are strong and courageous, even when we don’t feel it because He gives us strength!

My friend, whatever battle you are waking up to today….know, trust, that you are not alone in the fight.

God is with you and I, along with many others, are putting on our armor and preparing to march along side of you to victory.

This is our battle cry – WE ARE NOT ALONE!!

Joining Holley Gerth every Wednesday, dishing up some love and encouragement for you! Hop on over and join in the fun!

Also Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee and #TellHisStory

Photo Credit: Playing Futures

You’re Beautiful – Just as You Are! {A Letter to my daughter}

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Dear Sweet Karlena,

You have just turned three my sweet girl and I can hardly believe how much you continue to grow and to change. You are a joy as the final addition to our brood of boys and we can’t imagine life without you in it.

Yesterday your daddy and I were at Walmart and he stopped to look at some purple nail polish, wondering if we should buy it for you. My heart melted knowing you would love it and your daddy was wanting to treat his pretty princess.

You are beautiful my daughter.

You are lucky to have hair like my sister Beth ;), I thank God for that every day (and I may never let you cut bangs either – just saying!) And even though you refuse to pull your hair back most days so we can see your eyes, you my girl are beautiful.

Your kisses make my day and your singing makes me smile. You are beautiful – just as you are!

There are days (ahem) that you can be a bit, shall we say, sassy. But we love you girl!

I hope that you always remember how much you are loved and how beautiful you are.

The world may try and make you feel like you aren’t good enough. You may go through an “awkward” phase like I did, but never forget that you are beautiful, just as you are.

I hope that I can always be there to remind you that God made you in a unique and beautiful way. With gifts and talents special to you.

To tell you that no matter what the world says, God’s view of you is what matters. And what would He say?

You’re Beautiful sweet daughter – Just as you are!

Always grateful to be yours,

Mom

I am linking up with Holley for the 2014 Encouragement Challenge – will you join us and help spread the encouragement love?!

You Are Loved

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I love the picture above. Our photographer Heather captured it this fall when we had our pictures taken. When I see it, I see my sweet little princess and her daddy.

What you might not see in this picture that I do, is how fiercely independent Karlena is.

Oh ya’ll (I know I am not Southern..but this is a ya’ll moment for sure!) she is only 3 and it is so bad!

She will only let me help her on HER terms.

If I ask her to hold my hand because it is icy, she runs ahead and shows me she is fine.

She insists on peeling her own Halo oranges…even if she has to do so like this to avoid getting juice squirted in her eyes…

Nope she doesn’t need my help, unless of course she does and it is her idea – but you get the point!

And tonight as she stomped into the door after work, carrying her own bag and declaring that everything was “mine”….I had a glimpse into what God might see in me at times too.

I shouldn’t be surprised at her behavior, because haven’t I done it myself so many times?

“God I’ve got this….it’s MINE”.

“No I don’t need to tread slowly because I am going to be fine”

I race on ahead and when I slip and fall….well I wonder where was God?!

But as frustrating as Karlena can be at times, I love her fiercely too.

How could I not love her – look at her!!

And when I look at her in her pretty, purple, princess dress I imagine that is just how God sees us. Beautiful. (<==== Click to Tweet)

You see even though God knew we would sin and throw fits, we would run to unsafe places and act disrespectfully….He loved us so much that He sent His ONLY Son to die on the cross for our sins.

That ya’ll, is love 😉

So today I want you to remember how very special you are. How much God loves you, fits and all! (<==== Click to Tweet)

John 3:16-17 “¹⁶“For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

I am joining Holley Gerth today for her Encouragement Challenge. If you need an extra dose of love hop on over and read even more encouragement!

Encouragement for the New Year

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Photo Credit: QuotesEverlasting

As I sat down to write this post, hopefully the first of many, to offer a little encouragement here in the mid-week, I started to think of a word that would do just that.

Capable is what came to mind.

ca·pa·ble

adjective \ˈkā-pə-bəl, in rapid speechˈkāp-bəl\

: able to do something : having the qualities or abilities that are needed to do something

: skilled at doing something : able to do something well

How many times have you reminded yourself of how very capable you are?

If you are anything like me you may focus on all the little failures in your life, the reasons you aren’t capable and forget to look and see how amazing that you are.

Each of us was created with talents and abilities. Some of us have a nurturing spirit, others a gift for writing or singing, others are organized and some wildly creative.

While none of us are perfect, we are each capable of making a positive impact in the world around us!

Today instead of focusing on what someone else is doing better than you are – start by naming one thing that you do well.

It can be hard to name our strengths. But it is a good exercise and we need to remember that when we use our God-given capabilities, we are honoring Him.

So today I want you to say out loud – I am capable.

Every time a lie creeps in to tell you that you are not good enough – respond with “I am capable. God created me that way and today I will celebrate all He has done in me!”

And then start living in the freedom that reality will bring you. It might not be easy at first, but I promise it will be worth it.

Because you are worth it!

I am linking up today with Holley and joining Coffee for Your Heart – 2014 Encouragement Challenge. Join us each Wednesday as we dish out some love to one another.