The thought came to me like a bright exploding bolide. Its truth blinded me and shocked me at first but I knew it had to be. "Turn your life completely upside down, mix it up and trust God where the pieces fall!", the inner voice said to me. Alright, I'll take that challenge, I'll go forward boldly and not let fear stop me. Next thing I knew we had bought a house 3000 miles away.
Along this journey I have had numerous anxiety attacks and mini breakdowns. The physical exhaustion of packing, the grueling mental fatigue, not to mention the emotional currents all seemed at times to be too much to battle. Yet with each one I sought support from my Lord, my friends, my kids and my husband, and they all lifted me up, encouraged me and set me back on my path. I had allowed life to suffocate me, depress me and discourage me to the point where I just isolated myself from everything. I had become bitter, sad, fatalistic and joyless. Then, God sent the meteor into my soul and woke me up! I went from wanting to die to wanting to live!
God allows us to go through many things in life and His desire is to display His mighty love and power to us through those trials. Sadly, we choose so often to go our own way. We choose pity parties, selfishness, stubbornness, pride, anger, distractions, busyness, depression, discouragement.... We blind ourselves to His glory. Ephesians 3:20-21 states, "To Him (Jesus) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory." WE MISS OUT ON SO MUCH BECAUSE WE CHOOSE DOUBT OVER TRUST! He is able. Are you able to trust Him? Are you able to choose "the good part"?
I chose the bad part for way to long but God being the Master Redeemer, used all my choices to teach me and mature me. He didn't waste one opportunity and never gave up on me. He believed in me when I didn't believe in Him. There will always be ups and downs in life but I believe God desires us to find a happy middle. A place where we acknowledge the pain but take joy in His love. A place where we look at the good in our life but feel empathy for and serve those who are down. A place where we find rest and peace in His presence even when a storm is raging around us. A place where we walk beside Him, not anxiously ahead or fearfully behind.
I'M CHOOSING TO LIVE and I'm so excited! As fears keep jumping in front of me and saying scary things about "the what ifs" in life, I just say, "Get out of my way cause I'm coming through!" Each time I do that, each time I think positive rather than negative, each time I choose life, my physical body heals. I was crippled and now I'm running (figuratively)! How sad that I let my mind and my fears rob me for so many years. That's the past though and I don't live there anymore! All that stinkin thinkin effected my health and it's amazing to me now that by just changing my thoughts and choosing life....I'm feeling wonderful and my heart is filled with hope!
Beloved, it says in Proverbs that a happy heart is like good medicine. Choose forgiveness, humility, joy and love over holding a grudge or believing that someone actually wins when there is a test of wills. It's all a waste of time and life. Let Christ into your heart and mind and let Him change you into His image. It's the only winning solution....trust me. We can't do it perfectly but we can desire it and work at it. My husband's brother who is "special in needs" lives with us and his upbeat, happy, funny and positive ways challenge me daily to get over the small stuff and just smile instead! I was terrified at first to become his full-time caregiver but now I can't imagine life without him. It's like having a life size teddy bear who is always happy, thoughtful and funny. Our fears are just doubts in action, so don't fuel them anymore. Choose your attitude wisely because your mind-frame will set the stage for your life's play!
Psalm 84:5-6, Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord....As they pass through the Valley of Baca (the valley of weeping), they make it a place of springs.
Along this journey I have had numerous anxiety attacks and mini breakdowns. The physical exhaustion of packing, the grueling mental fatigue, not to mention the emotional currents all seemed at times to be too much to battle. Yet with each one I sought support from my Lord, my friends, my kids and my husband, and they all lifted me up, encouraged me and set me back on my path. I had allowed life to suffocate me, depress me and discourage me to the point where I just isolated myself from everything. I had become bitter, sad, fatalistic and joyless. Then, God sent the meteor into my soul and woke me up! I went from wanting to die to wanting to live!
God allows us to go through many things in life and His desire is to display His mighty love and power to us through those trials. Sadly, we choose so often to go our own way. We choose pity parties, selfishness, stubbornness, pride, anger, distractions, busyness, depression, discouragement.... We blind ourselves to His glory. Ephesians 3:20-21 states, "To Him (Jesus) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory." WE MISS OUT ON SO MUCH BECAUSE WE CHOOSE DOUBT OVER TRUST! He is able. Are you able to trust Him? Are you able to choose "the good part"?
I chose the bad part for way to long but God being the Master Redeemer, used all my choices to teach me and mature me. He didn't waste one opportunity and never gave up on me. He believed in me when I didn't believe in Him. There will always be ups and downs in life but I believe God desires us to find a happy middle. A place where we acknowledge the pain but take joy in His love. A place where we look at the good in our life but feel empathy for and serve those who are down. A place where we find rest and peace in His presence even when a storm is raging around us. A place where we walk beside Him, not anxiously ahead or fearfully behind.
I'M CHOOSING TO LIVE and I'm so excited! As fears keep jumping in front of me and saying scary things about "the what ifs" in life, I just say, "Get out of my way cause I'm coming through!" Each time I do that, each time I think positive rather than negative, each time I choose life, my physical body heals. I was crippled and now I'm running (figuratively)! How sad that I let my mind and my fears rob me for so many years. That's the past though and I don't live there anymore! All that stinkin thinkin effected my health and it's amazing to me now that by just changing my thoughts and choosing life....I'm feeling wonderful and my heart is filled with hope!
Beloved, it says in Proverbs that a happy heart is like good medicine. Choose forgiveness, humility, joy and love over holding a grudge or believing that someone actually wins when there is a test of wills. It's all a waste of time and life. Let Christ into your heart and mind and let Him change you into His image. It's the only winning solution....trust me. We can't do it perfectly but we can desire it and work at it. My husband's brother who is "special in needs" lives with us and his upbeat, happy, funny and positive ways challenge me daily to get over the small stuff and just smile instead! I was terrified at first to become his full-time caregiver but now I can't imagine life without him. It's like having a life size teddy bear who is always happy, thoughtful and funny. Our fears are just doubts in action, so don't fuel them anymore. Choose your attitude wisely because your mind-frame will set the stage for your life's play!
Psalm 84:5-6, Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord....As they pass through the Valley of Baca (the valley of weeping), they make it a place of springs.
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