From the Depths We Rise

Over a year ago, I saw a link to a site where they requested prayer for this precious baby girl fighting for her life. The words from this mom was heart breaking, but one thing pulled at me. It was simply her FAITH. I kept going backwards on her blog...they really need a start at the beginning button. I saw where she was a woman of great faith. A mighty warrior for our wonderful Father. She had already lost her husband, went ahead to have their daughter, the daughter her husband knew she would have. I remember praying constantly for this precious baby..pleading on their behalf...even my children knew we were praying for Baby Ellis to get better.
I have followed Sarah's journey since then. I continue to watch her Rise after life has given her some blows, but she truly praised him in the storm. I love watching Milo's and Ellis grow. I'm thankful she shares her story. When life deals a blow, I remember she continued and so shall I.

This book is like your good friend is sitting next you telling you her life's story. It's an easy read. One I couldn't read wo tears pouring. Tears of sadness
...tears of joy seeing God's hands in it all. You will read her life story of finding her husband. Her journey to become a mom...her journey of seeing her husband fight cancer..her journey of saying goodbye for now to her life's love...seeing her daughter born that her husband had already seen in a vision...her battle for her daughters life to wear she was handed her child to hold to pass away. Yet God is awesome and with faith of a mustard seed...we saw this baby astound doctors and live again. If you need a reminder of how Great our God is...read this book..follow this journey

http://www.journeyofsarah.com/

Living in a Hurting World - Be a Light! Encourage someone!

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


These are scriptures that I hold near and dear to my heart. Once again this morning, I came face to face with that we are living in a hurting world. People you think are happy and dealing with their hurts.. are really not.. This weekend the world lost a friend... a beacon of light.. someone that encouraged so many from children to adults.. Today a life was ended to early. Once again I am brought to realize how deep depression is.. how it really rips to the core of a person - a person that outwardly is dealing ok. Once again I think is there something I could had done to have reached a little deeper to this friend to help encourage or help them with their loss.. or just to maybe strengthen their faith. May through this battle, I remember to pray daily for God to open my eyes to those that need a hug, an encouraging word, or help. May he guide me better.. but may I ask more.. may I stop in my busy life and look, may I strive to draw closer to our Father.. the one that has come so that we may have peace. God has overcome this world. We are just passing through until we meet him face to face.. We all hurt.. We are in his world that is not made for us.. May during our battles we find the Joy & Peace that only HE can provide. May others see those that are in this battle and stop to encourage and uplift one another..

Friends

For starters, look at the word FRIEND, and think of the true meaning and those you have close in your life. Honestly if you stare at the word long enough, it looks misspelled. Ha!
We are currently doing a bible study with our small group about Community. It brings me back to the simple word ~ friend.
What do you consider a true friend? Who do you consider a good friend? When tragedy or stress hits, I believe a true friend is one that reaches out to check on you. A true friend just knows you and your deeper self (not the outer mosts of us), but they can pick up that, "hey I need to reach out and check on her."

I believe friendship is easier in our earlier years b/c we don't have the daily stress of family, children, bills, and the crazy life that goes with it. For me it is stopping my crazy life and welcoming a friend to lunch or coffee. Just chosing to pick the phone up and call my friend that lives out of town. Then I can honestly feel better about myself and the stress I thought I had. Friends are awesome. Friends should be like our 1st baseman - ready to help us go the rest of the way in life! We can't be like that garage door and hide behind our door and not share our life from our friends. We have to be open, honest, and raw.. The word "raw" has come up alot in my life today.. to be totally true to who you are.. share the best, the worst, and the stuff that we want to hold deepest to ourselves..

Here is to us praying that God brings the friends into our lives that we can partner up with and do life together!!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.Proverbs 17:17

Hospitality ~ How Often Do You Welcome Someone?

Fall is a great time! We look forward to the holidays, and everyone is a tad bit nicer than the earlier part of the year. Also, let's face it.. Life is BUSY! September chewed me up and spit me out! Once October arrived and a sermon on Stress.Less, I said hello fall! You won't get me down! One of my favorite bloggers does this October challenge to focus on family and prayer, I love it. I always bring my candle out on week 1. I'm pretty sure the blog link is tied to a picture on this blog. I simply love it and looking forward to time where everyone will look forward to spending extra family time!

Last night my pastor preached on a subject that is dear to my heart. Hospitality. To him it wasn't his favorite point and thought it was something everyone needed to hear but might not light a fire on some. I love it b/c it is something I focus on really just my personality.

Here are some of his points:
Hospitality is receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, and generous way. The word literally means "love of strangers."
Biblical hospitality is about making God look good, not ourselves. So don't let a messy house keep you from welcoming someone!

We are to show it not only to friends and family... but strangers.. fellow believers.. and the forgotten .. He even added those that suck the energy out of you.. You need to love even those.

We are to open our hearts, our lives, our homes, emulate the love of Christ, serve Christ by serving others, and bring glory to God.

1 Peter 4: 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13: Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

We all understand that this world is a dangerous place, but you never know what someone is going through. they might just need a smile, an offer to help, or a simple act of kindness. At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to try to cook a meal with a friend and have them over. Offer my home for a visit, even if my kids had destroyed it. I was an OCD person, but really if you have kids.. you survive and laugh at the mess. May we all find a way to help someone, show kindness to those people that society shrugs a shoulder at, show God's love.. there are so many lost souls out there. And from showing God's love, my we show our children to do the same!

Jesus Always Embracing Joy in His Presence

This given description is: "Sarah Young’s first 365-day devotional since Jesus Calling.

With scripture and new personal reflections, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Young, brings Jesus’ message of joy—for today and every day. Experience true joy—now and always.

Life today is full of difficulties—loss, sadness, fear. In the midst of these challenges, joy often feels impossible or out of reach. But Jesus has more for His followers than a life of striving, pain, and discontent. He offers life abundant, life to the fullest, life brimming with joy! Jesus Always, the new 365-day devotional from bestselling author Sarah Young, was written as part of Sarah Young’s exploration of the promises of joy in scripture. Written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to the reader, Jesus Always invites you into a new way of living—a life of joy.

Reaching out with joy-filled reminders from the Word of God, these devotions will intimately and gently connect you with Jesus—the One who meets you where you are. Draw near to Him in Jesus Always."

I love the book Jesus Calling. Friends will share certain days of it online and it just speaks to my soul. This book is doing the same! We need simple daily reminders that our focus should be on Christ. Our daily life becomes stressful and busy and it isn't what God intended. This small hard yet soft backed book is great to keep on my desk. Each day is given with the month and date, so if I do get behind, I find it simple to find one that is for today. Yet you know you can go back and read whatever you would like. I love how simple the message is and how there is a given verse that you can reference her wording. This would be an awesome gift book to someone to help inspire or encourage. I do recommend this book to everyone. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255