Grief

There comes a time in everyone's life when we lose someone that we love.  My mom used tell me that nothing is certain in life except death & taxes.  I say that nothing is certain except Jesus, death & taxes.

I had just turned 19 years old when my dad passed away.  Since he passed away just before Christmas, it changed the holiday for me.  It was a sad time instead of joyous.  It remained that way until I had kids and saw the excitement in their faces on Christmas morning.

When my brother passed away, it was a pain like I have never felt before.  Then my mom passed away which brought more pain.  Sometimes it has been more than I can bear.

I share this not to make people feel sorry for me, but to show how the death of our loved ones ones can affect us.  The hurt is real.  There is no time table for grief.  Everyone grieves in their own way.

I know a few people grieving.  I pray for them daily.  I understand their struggle.  If you know someone who is struggling with the loss of a loved one, pray for them.  Send them a private message to let them know that you are thinking of them.  It will mean more than you will ever know.

Life Lessons

I bought a new shirt the othe day that says "Blessed by Jesus & Spoiled by my husband."  Most times I love being spoiled.  However, there are times when my wants get in God's way.  I fnd that when something isn't going my way, I often have to stop & try to think about what God's lesson is in that particular trial.  In fact, Romans 5:3 says "we can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we now that they help us to develop endurance."

So how do we stay positive and rejoice in troubled times?  How do we keep from automatically becoming that person that wants to have constant pity parties?  It's definitely not easy.

For me, I have to stop and ask God to show me the lesson I am supposed to learn.  Then I turn to worship music.  One of my favorite songs is "Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns.  I also love the song "Blessings" by Laura Story.  Both of these songs give me the ability to look at the situation with positivity instead of negativity.

Leave me a note telling me how you keep from becoming negative when it seems like trials are abundant.

Hope for Tomorrow

In a previous post, I stated that we shouldn't worry about tomorrow.  However, we can still hope & dream.  Hebrews 6:11 says: "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true." We should allow hope to bring us joy.

God is constantly working in the background.  He is making plans for our future and setting things in place.  We can go for years without seeing what those plans are, but once He shows us those plans, we can start to plan for that future.

God is slowly showing me the plan that He has for me and my family.  There is joy in planning the next steps of His plan.  There is a lot that needs to be done.  However, I am not stressing over any of it.  I know that God will work it all out.  He is showing me that when I say yes to His plans & give Him control that there is no need to worry or stress.

So as I look forward to what lies ahead, I know that there is hope for the future.