How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice (Part 2)

Out of the ashes of my life came God’s beauty.  Grab my hand as I take you to the Cross to show you the great and mighty things that the Lord has done.  “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.”  Jeremiah 33:3

If you haven’t read Part 1 of How to Lose Your Dream Home Not Just Once, But Twice, you can read it here. 

Although for many months our situation looked bleak, let me remind you of something:  the Hand of God is never bleak! 

God did many miracles during that time of our lives.  (You can read my post here called, Uncertainty in Difficult Times when my Beloved was rushed to the Emergency Room last October)

In this post I want to tell you about a full week in the month of December that I like to refer to as “The 5 days of Christmas”.  Each day as I opened my door, it was one unexpected miracle after another.

• ·       On the first day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Two sisters in the Lord came by our house unannounced.  They came bearing gifts and singing a Christmas carol. They left us with some candy treats and $100.00.  God’s faithfulness: money for groceries.
• ·       On the second day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Dear, old friends came by to drop off several boxes of their old household items for us.  They thought we could sell the items on Ebay or Craigslist and receive the profits.  In addition to the smaller items that they gave us, they informed my Beloved that if he was willing to spruce up and fix some broken items on their old van and then sell it, they would give him 50% of the profits.  We were grateful for their hearts. God’s faithfulness:  The next day we sold some items and my boys got new shoes!
  
• ·       On the third day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:   Some new friends asked if they could stop by and see us.  “Of course, I said, we would love to spend some time in fellowship with you!”  God’s faithfulness:  They showed up with wrapped presents for the boys and a card for my Beloved and I.  Guess what was wrapped in those boxes?  Yep, Legos!  Is God cool or what!  My Beloved opened the card and inside was cash totally almost $1,000!  My eyes filled with tears.  I couldn’t believe how gracious and generous this family was towards us…they hardly knew us!  Later my boys told me they saw the money and their eyes welled with tears too!  Jesus was providing for us and my young boys were starting to see the Body of Christ at work.
• ·       On the fourth day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:  Our dear, old friends came by again and told us to keep all of the proceeds from the van when it sells.  God’s faithfulness: They also handed us an envelope filled with $400 and said that it was from one of their friends that we had never met.  Our sweet friends told their friends our story and God put it on their hearts to bless us.
• ·       On the fifth day of Christmas this is what Jesus did for us:   Some dear friends gave us a gift card worth $500 to shop for much needed necessities for our family.  God’s faithfulness:  shoes and clothing.

When I think of Christmas now, I can’t help but be reminded of God’s faithfulness to us. No amount of money in our bank account can teach us, nor our children, of how great and faithful our God is.  "There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.”  Deut. 33:26,27

Every present under the tree came from someone else.  My boys said it was the best Christmas ever!

Now here's the part of my story where God emerged as the main character of my life.  

Page after page, month after month, His story for my life was unfolding, yet during this time, I could not read most of the language that Jesus was writing in.  The language that I understood was called:

• ·       Heartache
• ·       Disappointment
• ·       Self-Pity
• ·       Uncertainty
• ·       Fear
• ·       Doubt
• ·      Throne-horder (that’s my new word!)  Here’s what I mean by that.  Jesus is the one who is seated on the throne, being that He is the King of Kings and all.  He is in control of every situation, including your life and mine; the good, the bad and the ugly.  But unfortunately there are times when I want to scoot Jesus off of His throne, and that is when I become a ‘throne-horder’. There may be days that I nudge Him ever so gently with my rear or days when I even ask Him very kindly if He could move over just a bit so I can have a seat.  I am most certain that I stepped on the train of His robe a time or two, as well.  Now, the Lord is a gentleman, He won’t make a fuss. 

That’s just what happened.  I sat on my throne and ruled my kingdom.  Now, I ruled it a little bit differently than most kings because I wasn’t harsh nor mean towards others. Instead, while I sat on my throne I was filled with all the things listed above, even while I believed in the Christ, the Son of the Most High God.  My perspective was wrong and I wasn’t listening to the Lord’s language as He wrote my story.

It wasn’t until a year later that the Lord taught me a new language, and I would have to say, IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and well worth the heartache and pain in order to hear it!  

This language is known as:

• ·       His Presence
• ·       His Faithfulness
• ·       His Sovereignty
• ·       His Miraculous Hand (Watch me daughter and I will show you many great things)
• ·       His sufficiency (and not my own)
• ·       His grace and mercy
• ·       His plan for my marriage to be stronger than ever
• ·       His spiritual gifts that He has chosen to give me
• ·       His desire to want to use me
• ·       His shaping of my children’s character
• ·       His perfect plan for my life

While I was reading this story, even though I had a hard time understanding most of the language that God used, there was one thing I did understand, and that was who the main character was.  It was me!

After I finished reading this story, however, I realized that God was and is the main character.  He is the leading man and star of the show.  Oh how I wished I could have read that language when I first started reading the pages of this book. I think my life would’ve been easier if I just had a different perspective.

For now, my book/story is not over.  Hopefully as more pages unfold of my life, I will get out of the way and let God take center stage; so He can be lifted up for all to see. "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  John 12:32

My encouragement to you dear sister:  When you face trials and tribulations, move off the throne and let God take center stage of your life as well.  You won’t regret it!

 

Were you encouraged by what you read?  Become a 'follower' or subscribe to The Alabaster Jar where future posts will be emailed directly to you. 

 

 

 

Sleeping in the Boat with Jesus

Do you ever get tired of living in the ‘storms’ of life?  I know I have! I have been asked that question often by other women and what I have tried to do in my own life is learn to sleep in the boat like Jesus did when He was in a storm.  (Please know that by no means am I always successful in resting in Him, but it is something that I try to be intentional about.) 

Let me explain what I mean about sleeping in the boat like Jesus.  In Matthew 8:25-26, Jesus calms the storm as the disciples start freaking out thinking they are going to die.  “Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”  Matthew 8:25-26

I freaked out just like the disciples did.

So here is our Savior sleeping in the boat during a storm.  He is not fearful, nor anxious.  Jesus is not panicking, nor is He worried or concerned; in fact, He is so relaxed about the entire situation that He is taking a nap, on a boat, in a storm!  As I picture in my mind Jesus and the boys in this scenario, I can’t help but smile thinking about the situation.  I wonder why on earth would the disciples be screaming, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”  Don’t they know that Jesus is the One who controls the waves? “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.”  Psalm 107:29  I mean, after all, He IS the Savior of the world and the Creator of the Universe! “Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”  Colossians 1:16,17 (Actually, no the disciples didn’t know who He was.)  “So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27  (I guess after reading that verse, I shouldn’t be so hard on the boys.)

As believers, if we have been in the storms for any length of time, we are probably very aware of the above verses.  But let’s look further into this passage to see exactly what Jesus was doing with the disciples. 

Jesus had a destination in mind.  Don’t think for a minute that He just decided to go on some afternoon boating trip with the men because that was not the case.  Nor did He have plans to go sightseeing like a tourist when He got to the other side either.   The Lord had a plan and a purpose for that trip.  He knew exactly what He was doing when He got in the boat to cross that sea and He knew that the storm was coming as well. “He stirs up the sea with His power, and by His understanding He breaks up the storm.”  Job 26:12   Not only was He taking the disciples to the other side, but He also had business to take care of while He was there…His Father’s business, that is.  “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.”  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Matthew 8:28,29 

Let that sight sink in for just a moment.  Not just one, but two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce!  Can you even imagine what was going through the disciples' minds?  One minute they think they are going to die because they might drown from the raging storm at sea and then the next minute they are staring at the faces of two demon-possessed men!  Hmmm, why I think that is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, don’t you?  (sarcasm noted.) If I had a day like that, I'd be mentally and physically exhausted, plus it would send me over the edge.  I hope the boys at least had the chance to stop off at Starbucks before they headed back into the boat!  (I have a tendency to be an emotional eater and a nice decaf, iced mocha would bring me lots of comfort! Although we all know Where the True Source of Comfort comes from.)

Wow, we think we got it bad with our trials…imagine having a day like that!  (Please note:  the Bible does not mention in this passage how long it took the disciples to get to the other side.  It could have taken more than a day.) 

As the boys witnessed all that took place in those instances, you know their faith in the Messiah must have increased. God does the same with us as He takes us through trials.  He performs miracles in our own lives all the time and He is wanting us to trust Him more and more.

The Lord has you in His boat as well and He has a course mapped out for you too.  He has a destination in mind.  Perhaps you are in the midst of sailing the ocean sea right now and the storm that you are in is raging or you have reached the other side and now you are dealing with even bigger issues.  But just like the disciples, Jesus was always there with them and He is with us as well. 

It is calm in the eye of the storm.

My encouragement to you when you are faced with those huge waves is to learn to sleep in the boat like Jesus.  You are resting in the promises of the Word of God and you are putting your complete faith in Him even when things look like they can’t get any worse. 

Here's comes the unfortunate part: it is called human nature. It is much easier to look at our circumstances rather than to look at the promises found in the Word of God.  I know, because I did just that the other day!  I freaked out like the disciples did.  

Here’s the story of how I woke Jesus up and started screaming asking Him to save me!  (If you haven’t been following my story, you can read it here at, Are Trials Really Good for Us?)  

We had just gotten a call from the real estate agent representing the Bank and she said the Bank is offering us some cash to move out of our house in 30 days.  Did I say I freaked out?  Because I did and I slept only 3 hours that night!  Seeing how we are cash-challenged right now, it was great to hear that the Bank was going to offer us money to move out, but in the meantime, we do not have any money to pay for the first month's rent and a deposit for a new place.  We needed money before we moved out AND we needed to find a place that would rent to us!  Our situation looked bleak.  The next morning I headed off to church to serve for VBS and while there I saw my dear friend and I told her of the news.  Then I cried.  I knew Jesus would take care of us but I couldn’t keep my eyes on Him and I was having such a difficult time resting in Him…I kept trying but the waves of my storm looked enormous!  

Over and over in my mind that day I would remind myself to sleep in the boat like Jesus and here were my thoughts: 

“Don’t worry.” 

“The Lord will take care of it.” 

“He will show up and help us.  I don’t know how, but I know He will.”  

"He is the Miracle Maker." 

"Get my eyes off of the situation and go serve Him."

“Keep my mind on Him.”  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  Isaiah 26:3

That was my spirit-talk that morning. That was me trying as best as I could to sleep in the boat with Jesus during my storm.  If I didn't do that I would have crumbled. Most likely I would have left the day of serving in VBS so I could serve myself, or should I say, cater to my feelings of worry and anxiety; which produces nothing except more doubt.

That morning friends prayed for me. “Call on me in prayer and I will show you great and mysterious things that you do not know about.” Jeremiah 33:3 

Later that day Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves of my storm!  (Hello people, that’s less than 24 hours of God interceding on our behalf!)  The Lord moved incredibly quick and calmed the sea.  Maybe because He knew I was tired of sailing in shark-infested waters for so many years and I was now becoming sea sick!  It's a beautiful story of God’s hand of faithfulness.  The Miracle Maker showed up once again.  (You can read more about the Miracle Maker here at, God is Bigger Than Our Credit Score.) 

Oh, why did I worry? Hadn't He shown me enough miracles that I needn't not fret again?

Here's some application for you:  

Trust and faith were being built in the disciples' lives that day when they were in the storm.   Jesus reveled to them Who He was when He calmed the sea.  (He wasn't just another one of their fishing buddies, nor was He just a good teacher...He was showing them that He was the Messiah!)  The disciples needed to see that, because later they were faced with even more difficulties when the encountered the demon-possessed men.  One of the reasons why Jesus took them through those things was so when He left this earth the disciples would testify of all that Christ had done.  He was preparing His boys to go out and preach the Good News and build His church.

Trust and faith are being built in your life and mine as we go through the storms as well.  Jesus reveals Himself to us when He performs miracles in our lives too, but some miracles that we experience are unfortunately attached to our storms. We need to be reminded that Jesus is our Savior and Messiah so we can go out and share the Good News and build His church while we are still here on earth, because that, my friend, is our purpose in life.  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." John 12:32

When I have more time to write I will share with you how God moved in our lives.  But for now, I have some packing to do!

Learn to sleep in the boat with Jesus, 

I am linked up with

Not All Mothers and Daughters Get Along Part 2

Welcome back.  If you missed part 1 of this post you can find it here at, Not All Mothers and Daughters Get Along.

I will never forget that day.  The day when my mom hurled insults and made accusations towards me and my husband.  I was not hurt at the time, I was ANGRY!  How dare she say those things.  Well, I was ready to fight, again... and momma taught me best!  But now I was saved and my heart was to be the light and show my mom how wonderful life could be with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.   So I made the decision to pray instead of fight. (So, for all you fighters out there, that is generally a much better decision.)  During this fit of rage as my mom is screaming at me (at the mall and now in the parking lot; I decided it was best to cut our shopping trip short!) I prayed.  I specifically asked the Lord to give me His words to defend the Biblical upbringing that my son was receiving and the Godly marriage He blessed me with.  This is what He said, "Keep your mouth shut."  What? I said to myself.  What do you mean Lord?  I should be defending what the Bible has to say and the reasons for our decisions.  Again, I kept praying for the words, but He gave me none and quite frankly I was bent out of shape about that!  I did not understand why the Lord did not come by my side and speak through me.

As I drove her home, she made a piercing statement, "Jolene, where do you find all these losers."  She stabbed me in the heart with her words.  My Savior, My King and My God handpicked my husband specifically for me.  The 'Great I Am' gave me a gift that I was (and still am) so undeserving of.  "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine."  Song of Solomon 6:3  I gently said to her, "You need to stop speaking."  There was silence in the car.  

I was at a defining moment with my relationship with mom and these were the scriptures that went through my mind, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."  Genesis 2:24   "And let the wife see that she respects her husband."  Eph. 5:33  I had a choice to make.  Choice #1- the easy choice.  I can pretend that what my mother said was no big deal.  In time, those hurtful things would get swept under the rug because after all, that's how things generally happened with my family, plus, our relationship would stay intact.  Choice #2- the hard choice.  A threat was made that my son could be taken away from me.  On top of that was the complete disregard for my husband, our beliefs, and the way we wanted to raise our son in the Lord. 

Spiritually and mentally it was a no-brainer.  I was going with Choice #2.  Why would  anyone allow someone in darkness make decisions on behalf of a family who lives in the light?  One word:  Emotions.  I did not want to lose my mom, but neither did I want to live in fear over that fact that I might lose my son based on some false accusations, nor was I willing to have my mom 's opinions of darkness come between my husband and I.  In a moment it was like I was being asked to take sides.  Either I stand with my mom so I could continue to have a relationship with her or stand with my husband and the promises in God's Word.  Well, I am 'one' with my husband so there were no sides to take on this one, plus, I am a daughter of the King.  I would be lying to you if I said it wasn't painful to stand on those Biblical precepts and truths, but it was right. The tears came down my face immediately.  The relationship that we finally had was now torn apart.  "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"  2 Cor. 6:14

As I dropped her off, I let her know that I loved her but I could not have her threaten my family, attack my husband and our decisions, nor could she insult him.  I had drawn the line and I had established boundaries.  I was hoping she would be respectful of them...she was not.  The relationship was gone and I cried myself to sleep for many, many nights.

Now, do you remember earlier in the story when I prayed to the Lord to give me the words to say to my mother?  And He told me to keep my mouth shut? Here's why.  About a week or two after the incident, I got a phone call from one of my brother's saying he heard that mom and I got in a fight.  I smiled to myself and I thought about when the Lord told me to shut my mouth.  Here was my response.  "I did not get in a fight with mom.  Mom was the one who did all the fighting and yelling." Because I heeded the words of the Lord, I did not get into a heated argument with her.  I did not feel convicted by how I conducted myself.  I had peace, which was the by-product of obedience.  Oh, if only I could be obedient more often!


Although I established boundaries for my family, unfortunately my mom was not willing to respect them.  I soon gave birth to my second son and I have to admit, I was really heartbroken over the fact that  she was no longer in my life.  My boys did not go to grandma and grandpa's house to play, even though they lived within walking distance from my house.  We did not attend family gatherings nor were they at birthday parties and celebrations for my children. 

I often prayed to the Lord for restoration.  He had me write letters to her even when I did not want to.  Soon she became ill and I visited her, bringing flowers and such.  She informed me then, that she did not want to see me if she could not see my children, yet, she was unwilling to be respectful of the way I was raising my family.  I knew how the manipulation worked.  I was raised in it and therefore I would not allow her to undermine all that God was doing in my life, my marriage and in the life of my children.  

I would see me Dad often but he walked out of my life about a year later on Christmas Eve.  I then turned to my husband with tears coming down my face saying, "My biological parents left me and now my adoptive ones have too." 

Days, months, and years went by.  I would call on holidays, and her birthdays and asked her if she had a change in heart and the answer was always no.  My brothers would then get on the phone and attack me and my spiritual beliefs and then I would eventually hang up in tears.  


I paid a price to follow Jesus Christ, but Christ paid a price for me as well.  My mom is not the enemy in this story, Satan is.  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12  


Because I am God's child, "I know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28  I clung to that verse for 5 years and on my youngest child's 5th birthday, God restoration my relationship with my mom and she met my son for the first time.

Perhaps you don't have the best relationship with your mom, please know that I feel your hurt and pain . In fact, as I sit here typing these words tears are rolling down my face.  You are not alone.  Your Father in Heaven will bring you comfort, peace and healing.  Show your mom the love of the Father as best you can.  Continue to pray for her and your relationship.  Remain hopeful that God will touch her heart.  "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:2

How to Become a Born-Again Christian

Heaven and Hell are real places.  Every single soul here on earth will spend eternity in either one of those places.  Eternity is a very long time, in fact, it is FOREVER.  "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

Where would you like to spend the rest of your life?  I hope you choose Heaven.  

So, you might be wondering how do you get to Heaven?

Believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.  He came to earth to die for your sins and rose from the dead three days later.  Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and give you a new life.  Make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.

The Bible says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  Romans 10:9

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Phil. 2:10,11

You can pray this simple prayer and you will know that you got right with God today.  When you die, you will have everlasting life in Heaven. 

Sinners Prayer:

Father, I know that I am a sinner and that Jesus died to save sinners.  Jesus died to save me.  Cleanse me from all my sins and give me a new life.  I will follow you from this day forward.  

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.  

Welcome to the family of God!  I encourage you to find a Bible-believing church where you can grow in your walk with the Lord.  Plus, spend some time on The Alabaster Jar  to find more ways to grow as a Believer in Christ.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16,17 

Remaining Hopeful When Life is Hard

Don’t you just love getting new things? I know I do. I especially love getting new clothes, shoes, accessories…pretty much anything new now that I really think about it. To me, this past Easter was a reminder of newness, a renewal or a rebirth, if you will. Resurrection Sunday is a day when old things have passed away. Your sins are forgiven and you are washed white as snow because Jesus Christ CHOSE to go to the cross for your sins and mine. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I can’t help but feel renewed in my journey as a Christian woman, wife, mother and teacher. With that being said, this past weekends’ mountain-top experience is over and I am back to the reality of my life; the pain, the creeping fear and doubt that cloud my thoughts, unexpected trials, and of course, the mundane….which I think is sometimes the most difficult for me to experience. Yet, I long to hold on to ‘the mountain-top’, the place where I feel so close to Christ and His presence along with His power, unconditional love, forgiveness, grace and mercy. I realize I can always be in God’s presence, but sometimes I make poor, flesh-filled choices or I allow the enemy to rob me of what God is wanting to do in my life.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Galatians 5:17

It is easy for me to experience the Savior when I am focused on what He did for me. My mind was stayed on Him as I thought about what He endured for me over two-thousand years ago on Good Friday. My eyes were fixed on Him as I pondered all that He was willing to subject Himself to just for my sake. I waited with anticipation for Easter Sunday as He overcame the grave and had victory over Satan. "He is risen", I whispered to my heart. I am forgiven. He loves me. He cares for me. He will protect me. He will provide for me. He won’t leave me. HE DIED FOR ME and He willingly went to the cross so we could spend eternity with Him.

Below, is a similar picture to the one I have hanging above my fireplace in my living room.  It is smack-dab in the center of my room so I can stare at it. I have it framed and adorned with a scarf and tassels, and above it, I have placed a crown of thorns.  I purposefully placed it there to remind me of what to dwell on when I will face days of discouragement.  This is the scripture that is written on it:  

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."

Matthew 28:6 

What joy this Blessed Assurance gives,

"I know that my Redeemer lives."

Job 19:25

Peter and John Running to the Tomb (1898)
Eugene Burnand
Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Now, my picture did not give the reference for the scripture, "I know that my Redeemer lives", so I looked it up and quite honestly I was so shocked to find that the reference came from none other than my favorite writer: JOB! (sarcasm noted).  I could not believe it.  I have starred at this picture for YEARS and the verses written on it have always ministered to me.  When I look at that print I see hope in the eyes of John  as he is running to the tomb and in Peter's eyes, I see sadness.  (In the replica print we purchased, a note was written by the artist stating that he purposefully tried to paint a look of sorrow on Peter's face because he denied the Lord.)

Now you might be asking yourself why did I get so excited when I learned that it was a verse from the book of Job...I'll tell you why.  We are new in Christ, right?  We prominently celebrate Christ's resurrection each year at Easter, right?  His resurrection brings us hope, correct?  Tell me what first comes to your mind when you think of the book of Job?  I'll tell you what comes to my mind when I think of that book:  tears, pain, heartache, long-suffering, depression, despair, etc.!  As a disciple of Christ, I have read the book of Job several times and 'Hope' is NOT the first thing that crosses my mind when I read.  That poor man, he went through some tumultuous storms and deep waters, yet, right there in print, we can learn from one of the masters of sorrow, Job himself, and find hope in our Redeemer.  What a testimony!

If you are in Christ, you are a new creation today. Reflect back to this past weekend and bask in your Glorious Savior’s resurrection regardless of your current circumstances.  We all have pain in our lives, what is yours?

• Struggling to make ends meet because of the poor economy?
• A difficult or broken relationship?
• Physical diseases or ailments?
• An unsaved loved one?
• World-wide disasters?

The trials and hardships in one’s life can be endless and can make us feel like we will always walk in the ‘valleys’.  Remember the words of Job, "I know that my Redeemer lives." Job 19:25

Yes, we are new in Christ, but as we get back to our 'day in and day out' lives that are filled with difficulties remember that we have hope because of His scarred-filled hands.

So, when your life is hard, how do you remain hopeful?  What are some practical tips and ideas you use to keep your eyes on the Lord?  I would love to hear from you!