Category Archives: Personal Growth

Getting Through this Season of Rainy Days

Rainy Days

It’s a dreary, rainy day as I sit here and write this post. I am definitely one of those people who is affected by the weather. On sunny days, I feel ready to work hard and get a lot accomplished. A rainy day? Not so much. I have learned to appreciate rainy days, though, because it helps me enjoy the sunny days so much more.

But sometimes, rainy days are just depressing. Sometimes they make you feel sad and discouraged. So here’s my encouragement for today. It comes right from Eeyore, from Winnie the Pooh.

The rain has to stop falling eventually. At some point, the rain will stop, the clouds will roll back, and the sun will come out once again.

A Season of Difficulty

You may be in a difficult season right now where it feels like the rain just won’t stop falling. You need the sun to shine, but all you see are rainy dreary days. That’s a difficult place to be, and my heart goes out to you. You have no hope that things are going to be okay. Maybe your heart is broken, and you don’t feel like it’s ever going to heal. Maybe you’re in a season of depression, and you can’t seem to move past it.

Sometimes life knocks us to our knees. It’s during those times that we need God the most, yet it’s often the hardest time to find Him.

If you’re are in a difficult season right now, I want to encourage you with three simple reminders.

1. God Loves You

It’s so simple, yet so often we forget. Let me be the one to remind you that God loves you. He loves you for who you are, not who you want to be. The flaws and imperfections that you see are what make you special to Him. He created you perfectly, and you bring immense joy to Him.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Psalm 139:13, 15 MSG

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:33 KJV

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 KJV

There is no greater way to know that God loves us than to remember He gave His very life for us. Paul also reminds us in Romans that absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. His love for us is so powerful that there is nothing that we can do or anybody else can do to remove His love from us.

2. God Is For You

In the midst of hard times, it is so hard to see that God is for you. In a time where everything seems to be against you, it’s hard to see that God is working for your good. During difficult times in my life, I have the hardest time believing God is for me. He feels so far away. It doesn’t feel like He’s doing anything to help me.

It’s during these times that Satan whispers to us that God is giving us “what we deserve.” He leads us to believe that God is punishing us, that He doesn’t care about us or what happens to us. These are all lies. We need to focus on truth instead. The truth is that God is working in every detail of our lives to bring about His plan for our lives.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Psalm 18:30,32

3. God Hasn’t Forgotten You

This is usually what I need to hear the most in trying times. So let me be the one to remind you of this truth today. God has not forgotten you. He knows exactly what you are going through. He sees the hurt and the pain and understands the confusion, the doubt, and the fear. You may feel that He is so far away but know this. God is acutely aware of what you are going through. He hasn’t left you to go through this on your own. He reminds us of this truth in Hebrews.

…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 KJV

God has promised that He will never leave us. When it feels the darkest, when it feels like God is far away, remember that God is with you.

One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of the disciples in a storm. Mark 6 gives us the account of the disciples being stuck in a storm. They were on a ship when a ferocious storm came upon them. It must have been really bad because these were seasoned fishermen. They were used to being out on the water. Whatever they saw in the storm terrified them.

Jesus comes to them in the midst of their storm. Then he steps into the boat with them. Jesus didn’t leave them to suffer through the storm alone. No, He came to them in their darkest hour and stepped into the boat with them.

That’s how I know God hasn’t forgotten you. In the midst of your storm, He will come to you and step into your storm with you. He may not make the storm stop, but He will keep you safe in the midst of it.

The Rainy Days Will Eventually Go Away

The rain will stop falling eventually. You will come to the end of this difficult season. At some point, the clouds will roll away, and the sun will shine brightly once more. Until then, remember that God loves you, He is for you, and He hasn’t forgotten you.

Book Suggestion

A great book to read during this season is It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa TerKeurst. If anyone has a reason to complain and feel like God has forgotten them, it’s Lisa. She shares her story openly and with vulnerability in her book. I promise it will encourage your heart.

Moving Forward

If you have just come through a difficult season, you can find encouragement in my post- 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season.

Remembering What Makes America Great

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white hand and black hand holding American flag — Photo credit: cottonbro

God Bless the USA Video

I was reminded yesterday of what it is that makes America great. Matt showed me this youtube video yesterday of an arrangement of God Bless the USA. It was amazing and brought tears to my eyes. Our family gathered on the couch to watch it on the tv. Even the kids sat quietly as we watched it. It was such a good reminder for me. Our nation has been so divided, and it’s easy to focus on that.

Remembering What We’re Celebrating

This weekend is a good time to remember just what it is we are celebrating. We celebrate our freedom as a country, as the United States of America. People say that they’re ashamed to be an American. That shouldn’t be. We get so focused on the negative that we forget to look for God’s blessings. God has blessed this country. We have so many freedoms that other countries don’t have. If we focus on all the negative, we will fail to see God’s goodness and blessing.

When we do that, Satan has us right where he wants us. Satan wants us divided. If we can fight with each other, treat people unfairly, and forget to love those around us, then Satan can waltz his way in and destroy our homes, our schools, our churches, and ultimately our nation.

What Makes America Great

Let’s remember what makes America great- its people. All of us together is what makes America great.

A Nation’s Strength

William Ralph Emerson

What makes a nation’s pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

black hand and white hand holding small American flags — Photo credit: cottonbro

Celebrating Each Other

So when we gather this weekend with friends and family to celebrate, let’s not forget to thank God for the freedoms He’s given is. Let’s not forget to say a prayer of protection around our armed forces. Let’s spend a few minutes being thankful for the men and women who have given their lives for our great country. But most of all, let’s choose to celebrate each other. We are the strongest when we come together. Let’s celebrate our family, friends, neighbors, church family… the people we do life with.

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post- Love Is Still the Answer.

Finding the Rainbow

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Rainbow across the sky — Rainbow from date night

Date Night

We saw an incredible rainbow last night after we picked up the kids to go home from date night. I am just like a little kid when I see rainbows. I always have to stop and take a picture. We had to stop and get gas, so I was able to take a picture. The rainbow stayed with us most of the way home. We even saw a double one a few times.

There’s something about a gorgeous rainbow in the midst of a storm. It always reminds me of God’s enduring promises and faithfulness.

The Forming of Rainbows

There are no rainbows without gray clouds and rain. You won’t find a rainbow on a sunny day. A rainbow can only be seen when it’s raining and the sun is shining. The darker the clouds, the more brilliant the colors of the rainbow shine. Only God could show us beauty in the midst of a storm.

I think maybe it’s God’s reminder to look for the beauty in the storms of life. Life can be difficult. You may be going through a difficult time, but there is a beauty that can only be found in going through a storm. It’s knowing and feeling God’s presence. It’s a feeling you don’t get any other time than when you’re in a storm.

Maria Goff, in her book, Love Lives Here, says, “What I think God does is to allow each of us to go through difficult times to show us His presence through it.”

Finding the Beauty in the Storm

Wherever you’re at right now, choose to look for the beauty. You may be in the midst of a storm. The skies around you may be dark and cloudy right now. You may feel so far away from God, but if you look carefully, you can find the rainbow. It’s the presence of God. He hasn’t left you. He is right beside you. Look for Him, and you will find Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:13, 14a

He may show up in a Bible verse you read that reminds you of His great love. He may show up in a song that touches your heart. Maybe He will show up through a friend who gives a hug and cries with you. It may be He shows up in a rainbow, a reminder of his presence. It may be fleeting. Maybe it’s just a moment, but know that that moment was from God. It was a beautiful moment and it was just for you, nobody else. Bask in it and be reminded of all of God’s goodness, beauty, presence, and promises.

Rainbow over a field — Double Rainbow over Valley Forge Park

After the Storm

If you are just coming out of a season of storms, here’s some encouragement for moving forward. 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season

Love Is Still the Answer

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After weeks of quarantine and finishing homeschool, we decided it was time for a vacation and a trip across the country. So I have been offline for three weeks. I didn’t know when we left what was coming and that it would be probably the worst time to take a break from social media and blogging.

finding love in a group of mixed people — Our small group on the day of Matt’s book launch

Our Growth Group

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture at this time feels that way. This picture was taken at our house back in September. Every Tuesday night (aside from COVID), this group meets at our house. It’s our growth group or small group. We started as strangers and have become a group of tightly-knit friends. We have had candid discussions about so many topics. We’ve had good times as a group and endured losses as a group.

In this group, we have lost two grandpas, two dads, a mom, an uncle, and a baby. We have walked through those hard times together. We’ve listened and prayed for each other as we’ve lost jobs, changed jobs, and experienced hardships. We’ve also celebrated the birth of two babies, new jobs, new homes, new businesses, book launches, birthday parties, and so much more together.

We are a mixed group of black and white who are simply choosing to do life together and loving every minute of it!

Life Is Messy

Life isn’t always neat and clean. It’s messy. I think that has never been clearer than in times like these. We want our lives to be a neat picture where everything makes sense and looks good, but that’s not reality. The reality is that life is hard. It’s confusing and absolutely heartbreaking at times.

We live in a broken world with broken, sinful people. We can focus on all the evil and wrongdoing around us and be discouraged, disillusioned, and disheartened. Or we can choose to do what we can to make this world a better place.

Love is Still the Answer

We can choose to love others the way we want to be loved. Jesus told his disciples a simple truth that still rings true today. Jesus told his disciples, “People will know you are a follower of Me when you choose to love other people.”

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way, I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34,35 MSG

If all of us would choose to simply love those around us, we could do our part to bring change. Loving those around us includes our neighbors, the mailman and garbage guys, the post office and grocery clerks, the employees at the local fast-food restaurants, people in our church, our family, and friends. We must simply choose to love all the people we do life with regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or socio-economic standing.

Does that fix everything, no. But it would be a start in the right direction!

Matt’s Message

My husband, Matt preached a message two Sundays ago that was all about this topic. He does such a better job of addressing the issue than I do. You can listen to that message HERE.

Our Trip Across Country and Our Week at the Beach

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family picture — Picture of our Family at the Beach House

We are finally back home after a trip across the country to Colorado and a week at the beach. It’s been a whirlwind these last several weeks for our family. We left three weeks ago to drive across the country to visit my parents in Colorado. After being stuck at home in quarantine and working hard on projects, it was time to cut loose and enjoy some vacation time as a family. (Warning- Picture overload coming!)

Our Time in Illinois

On the way out to Colorado, we got to stop in Illinois to visit my sister and her husband for a few hours. It was Memorial Day, so we had fun celebrating with them.

Fun with sparklers — Sparkler fun at Aunt Katie and Uncle Brad’s

Our Time in Colorado

view of the Rockies — View of the Rockies from my parents’ neighborhood

Then it was off to beautiful Colorado for a week. We had a wonderful week with my parents. It was different from our normal vacation because of COVID, but we still had a good time. We got to go up into the mountains and found a few stores that were open in the area. We also got to see extended family and spend some time with our great Grandma. We were sad to leave.

parents at breakfast — My parents enjoying the brunch we had with extended family

grandma and grandkids — Picture with Great Grandma before we left town

Our Time in Kentucky

Too soon, it was time to head back towards home. We got to stop in Kentucky on the way home to spend a few hours with my older sister and her family. I am terrible at taking pictures and only got a few of the cousins in pictures. The kids had fun catching up with each other and were sad to leave the next morning.

cousins hugging each other — Cousin love with Meya

two cousins — Malachi with his cousin Nate

boy sitting in recliner — Our cousin Jace

Our Incredibly Long Trip

We drove and drove and drove and finally made it home. We spent a total of 52 hours driving and drove through a total of twelve states for our trip across the country! We took the northern route going out and the southern route coming home. We were so thankful for God’s protection for all those miles we traveled.

girls sleeping in the car — Madison was such a good big sister, letting Maggie and Macey sleep on her.

Our Trip to the Beach

When we got home, it was time to unpack, do church, then pack for a week at the beach with Matt’s family. We had a great week in Ocean City. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed spending time together.

kids playing in the sand — Cousins having fun in the sand

girls hugging each other — Maggie with her cousin Jade

Finally Back Home

So after the whirlwind of the last few weeks, we are so happy to be home! After all that fun, it’s time to get back to work! I am happy to be back blogging and writing. I have a book releasing in just a few weeks. So it’s crunch time for me.

Resources for Encouragement

If you’re looking for some encouragement during this time, I list several resources for encouragement in a recent post- My Meltdown this Week and My Reminder.

Family, Quarantine, and House Projects

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These last two months at home have been such a good reminder for me that family is so important, and I need to constantly work on my relationships with each of my kids and my husband. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be right now to be quarantined with people I can’t stand.

The sad thing is, we’re often hardest on those closest to us, usually the people we call family. I know that I tend to be hard on my kids. Sometimes I get into a repeat cycle of noticing all the things they do wrong and forget to notice the good things. Then my kids do something that completely takes me by surprise. That happened to me this week.

Projects Outside

We needed to get cement work done on the sidewalk in front of our house. We had put it off for a while because we really didn’t want to mess with it, but we finally decided it was time to get the work done. So on Thursday, Matt’s brother, who works in construction, came over for the day to help us.

We spent Thursday morning tearing up the sidewalk, digging out dirt, putting in rocks, and eventually pouring cement. Because we were on a roll, we decided to tackle the other projects we had been putting off. So we also stained the back deck and began working on leveling the ground in our backyard so we can eventually get a pool. Cue my happy dance!

Endless Hours of Work

All that cumulated in hours of hard work digging and transporting wheelbarrows full of dirt, rock, and concrete. We pushed hard all day. I couldn’t believe how hard my kids worked. Every time I stopped and looked around, all four of them were working hard. We worked from eight in the morning to eight at night.

At one point, I was too tired and sore to keep working. I had almost finished the deck but just couldn’t do any more. There was one big patch left that needed to be done. I took a break and went inside to grab some water and sit down for a few minutes. Then I headed back outside to help. I couldn’t face the deck, so I went out front of the house to help with transporting wheelbarrows of dirt. When I came to the backyard again a little while later, I was completely shocked to see my two little girls had finished the deck by themselves! I couldn’t believe it!

Remembering What Matters Most

Sometimes I am so hard on my kids that I forget, they really are good kids. I am really blessed to be their mom. Are they perfect? No. Do they drive me crazy sometimes? Yes. Do they fight and bicker constantly? Yes. They’re not perfect, but neither am I.

Working together as a family reminded me again that when it comes down to it, family is what really matters. It’s family that you are going to come back to time and time again. We spend more time with our families than with anybody else in the world. It would make sense that we would invest more in those relationships than we do into any other relationship. Sadly, it’s usually just the opposite. We most often take out our frustration on those closest to us.

It takes sacrifice and an enormous amount of love and patience to continually be kind and loving to those who live with us. But when we do, the payoff is huge. What’s the payoff? Stability, security, a sense of belonging, love, peace, and a sense that everything is going to be okay. It’s everything we want our home to be filled with.

Hands-Free Mama

A great book that deals with this subject is Hands-Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford. I read it a few years ago. She teaches soul-to-soul connection with your children. It’s an inspiring and uplifting read that challenged me in this area of paying more attention to my children.

If you want more encouragement on this topic, read Finding the Good Happening in Front of Our Eyes.

My Meltdown this Week and My Reminder

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picture of mom and daughter — My daughter, Maggie and I

My Meltdown

I hit the wall this week. I’ve been doing okay with staying home and life being crazy. I’ve continued to homeschool my kids each day. I’ve kept up with my writing goals and the work I need to accomplish. I kept telling myself, “It’s okay. We will get through this. It’s not much longer.” Then I saw that my part of the world is not going to open until June, and that’s when I lost it. That’s when I had a meltdown.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel like I could do one more day of this quarantine. I wanted everything back to normal like right now! I felt like I was going to go insane!

I spent about three days in this state, totally discouraged, frustrated, at the end of my rope. I didn’t feel like homeschooling or doing my work, I was frustrated with my kids, and felt overwhelmed with life. I kept asking God to help me snap out of it. I finally made myself sit down and think about what was really bothering me and making me so frustrated. I finally was able to pin it down. It was the fact that I didn’t see an end in sight.

Choosing to Focus On Today and Avoid the Meltdown

God brought to mind a lesson I thought I learned about two years ago that I needed to be reminded of again. I needed to be reminded to just take it one day at a time. Just focus on what I need to do today to get through. If I would have remembered that, I probably could have avoided my three-day meltdown. Once I let that thought take root, I finally had peace for the first time in three days. God calmed my heart. I focused on what I needed to do that day and let everything else go.

I didn’t think about the beach trip that we missed because of the Coronavirus. I chose not to think about the fact that I couldn’t be in Illinois helping my sister and her family pack so they could move to Kentucky. I decided not to try to figure out when and how we would reschedule our trip to see my family in Colorado. I pushed thoughts away from trying to figure out when we would be able to have church again, when I would be able to go to Barnes and Noble or the library or the park again, and took a deep breath and just focused on today. Because something I learned but had to remind myself of again is that in the midst of a difficult time, the best thing I can do is focus on what I need to do to get through today.

Our Season of Difficulty

About two years ago, God took our family through a difficult season. You can read more about our story in a post I wrote- 5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season. Matt and I have spent a lot of time talking about what God took us through. We think it’s not a coincidence that God took us through a season of testing and great financial difficulty about two years before Coronavirus would hit. God knew our friends and family and those we minister to would be hit with financial difficulty, job loss, layoffs, reduced pay, frustration, fear of the unknown, and more.

I read a verse in my morning time this week that I feel like sums up where I am at personally after that difficult time in our lives.

As you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet. Psalm 86:17 MSG

I have quickly fallen in love with this verse. I feel like He has gently but powerfully placed me back on my feet. I’ve come through the other side and can offer help and encouragement to those who are in a difficult season right now.

5 Reminders to Make It Through a Difficult Time

When I look back on that time in my life, I think about these five things that helped me to make it through. I needed to be reminded of them again this week.

Just take it one day at a time. Don’t look at tomorrow, next week, or next month. Just focus on making it through today.
Don’t make any big decisions right now. Now is not the time to make major life decisions.
Keep up with your morning time routine, or start one if you don’t already have one. Read my 3 Quick Tips for a Successful Morning Time to get started with a morning time routine. My morning time routine of Bible reading, praying, and journaling was the single most important thing that kept me sane during that difficult time in my life.
Hold on to hope. Keep believing that God will get you through this time because He will. If you lose hope, you lose your ability to make it through.
Write down at least one thing every morning that you are grateful for. During hard times, we lose focus and our bearings on reality. Writing down something every day that is good in our lives is a way to keep us grounded.

The Danger of Walking Away from God

“It is when life is just happening that we are in danger of walking away from God.” from my book, The Hidden Pain: When You Fear God is No Longer Blessing Your Life

If we’re not careful, it’s times like these that we can find ourselves drifting away from God. We’re not attending church, we can’t meet with our small group, our routine is off because we are working from home… If we’re not careful, we will walk away from this time finding ourselves far away from God.

To keep that from happening, we have to choose to stay faithful today. We just have to make it through one more day. Soon enough, we will be on the other side looking back. We will see how God carried us through this difficult season and we stayed faithful during the midst of it.

Resources for Encouragement

books and journals — A few of my resources

If you are looking for a book to read while stuck at home or need a journal for your morning time routine, check out my Amazon Author page for my books and journals.

Being at home and separate from family and friends can make even the most non-people person become lonely and discouraged. Matt and I have created a free ten-day devotional called You Are Not Alone: Discovering the Presence of God in the Promises of God. You can get a copy of this free devotional HERE.

Struggling with Depression During this Time

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older sister helping younger sister ride her bike — Maggie helping Macey ride her bike

I took this picture this week. This is a picture of my six-year-old (Maggie) helping her four-year-old sister (Macey) ride a bike. Every time I see this picture I smile. Why? Well, first of all, because they aren’t fighting… but that’s beside the point.

I smile because it reminds me that everybody needs somebody to come alongside them when life gets rough, and I think right now most of us could use somebody to do that for us.

The Perfect Recipe for Depression

This week, I want to come alongside the person who is struggling with depression and having a hard time making it through this time at home. For people who already struggle with being depressed, being stuck at home for weeks on end away from friends, family, church, work, etc. is a recipe for a disaster. Not all of us struggle with depression, but for some, this is a really serious thing.

I talked to two people this week who are struggling really badly with depression. My heart goes out to you. I get it because I’ve been there. You struggle just to get out of bed each day. Each day is a drudgery; you don’t feel like you can take another day at home. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone your family. Each night, you fall in bed exhausted, only to wake up feeling just as tired. You’ve lost your ability to smile and to see any good or feel any hope for the future.

Feeling the Shame of Depression

To make matters worse, because you can’t do more, you feel shame. You go to bed each night feeling ashamed. The shame of not being what you need to be for your family feels like it’s going to bury you. You know you should do better, but you wake up the next day feeling the same way. Your children push you over the edge, the house is a mess, your husband doesn’t understand, and that all piles up and just makes you feel more guilty. It’s a horrible cycle, and you don’t know how to break the cycle.

I want you to encourage you with this.

For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Psalm 103:14 (NLT)

God knows how weak we are. He knows you and how he created you. He knows what you struggle with and how hard this season of life is for you right now. Don’t shame yourself. That just makes matters worse. God remembers that we are weak. That’s why he comes alongside us and makes us strong.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. II Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)

Choose Not to Compare

You scroll through social media and see someone who, because of extra time at home, has cleaned and organized every drawer in their home and has a picture of the inside of their perfectly organized refrigerator and pantry. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to remember to take a shower and keep your kids alive. You don’t know that person’s circumstances; just like they don’t know yours. Don’t compare yourself. Paul reminds us not to compare ourselves to each other in Galatians.

That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. Galatians 5:26 (MSG)

Choose to Do These Two Things Each Day

If you can, choose to do just these two things each day. They could make a huge difference in your day.

Get a shower and get dressed every morning. I’m not saying clean your house, make three home-made meals, make your bed, organize your kitchen… just get a shower and get dressed. Being clean and dressed for the day can make such a difference and help you feel better about yourself.
Spend a few minutes praying and reading your Bible. For this season of life, keep it simple. Read at least three verses of something encouraging. My advice would be the Psalms. Psalms 16, 18, 23, 30, 46, 91, 100, and 118 are all good choices. Then spend just a few minutes praying and talking to God.

Breathing Life into Your Soul

If you want to do more than that, here are a few ideas. Choose something that breathes life into your soul.

Take a walk. Get some fresh air and feel the sun. Just being outside can lift your spirit.
Get out of the house. Go through the drive-through at Starbucks and get a coffee, or get a sandwich from somewhere. Give yourself a reason to get dressed and out of the house.
Plan a vacation or a special day away for when the quarantine is lifted. Give yourself something to look forward to.
Take a break from social media. You may need to totally remove yourself from the temptation of seeing what others are doing during this time.
Listen to encouraging, uplifting music. This gets our focus off of ourselves and on to God. Music can really encourage your heart.

In seasons of difficulty, you do what you have to simply endure. Do what you need to get through this time. Life will get back to normal, eventually. You will make it through. Just take it a day at a time. Let God’s grace carry you through this season.

Free Bible Study

Matt and I have created a ten-day devotional called You Are Not Alone- Discovering the Presence of God in the Promises of God. You can download the free devotional HERE.

For more encouragement, read a post I wrote when I was struggling with being discouraged- Stay Faithful Because a New Season is Coming.

**If you are really struggling with severe depression, please reach out and get the help you need. There is no shame in that.**

Release What’s Holding You Back?

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balloons released into the sky — Photo credit: Thomas Peham

I got my first one-star review on one of my books this past week. It was on Goodreads. Thankfully, there were no words with it, just the rating. In the past, that would have crippled me from moving forward. It did bring me down for a little bit, but then I remembered that it doesn’t matter in the long run.

The key to keeping your fears and shortcomings from holding you back from accomplishing what God wants you to do is to turn those shortcomings over to God. Paul understood something about this.

A Shortcoming to Stay Humble

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! II Corinthians 12:7 MSG

God gave Paul the gift of having an incredible vision of what Heaven was like. It would have been easy for Paul to get a big head and preach about his vision rather than about Jesus. Paul tells us that God gave Him a handicap to keep that from happening.

We’re not sure what that handicap was exactly. We just know that Paul said it kept him constantly aware of his limitations and his dependence on God.

Removing the handicap

At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. II Corinthians 12:8,9 MSG

Paul says he didn’t see the handicap as a gift at first. He prayed three times, asking God to take away his handicap. God chooses not to and instead gives him words of encouragement. God tells him, “I’ll give you grace and my strength to endure.” God tells him that His strength works best in weakness. Listen to Paul’s response.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. II Corinthians 12:10 MSG

Somehow, Paul found a way to appreciate the shortcoming God had given him. He began to see that his handicap consistently threw him at the feet of Jesus. Then Jesus would give him the strength to accomplish his mission.

What Holds Me Back?

What kept me back for the longest time was two things- my perfectionism and fear of people’s opinions. Let’s just say, being an author and a blogger is the perfect culmination of those two fears! The hardest thing I do each week is click publish on my blog post and push send on my email blast.

A book that I highly recommend if you struggle with pleasing people is Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen.

I can either let those fears and struggles stop me from moving forward to do what I know God wants me to do, or I can pray and ask God for the words to say and the courage to be able to say it.

Then I push publish and put my post out there. I upload my book to Amazon and surrender the outcome to God.

What’s Holding You Back?

Do you have something that you struggle with and it’s been holding you back over the years? Could it be that the very thing you think is holding you back is the ticket to you moving forward? God is simply waiting for you to release that weakness to Him, so His strength can fill you.

What are the common things that keep us back from feeling like we can be useful to God? The following comes to mind: other people’s opinions, our weight, finances, our looks, personality, a disability, a child with special needs, mental health, instability, anger, our job, feeling unlovable. There are so many things that keep us back from believing God can use us.

Change How You See Your Shortcomings

Maybe it’s time to start seeing that thing that is holding you back as a blessing. That weakness or thing you don’t like about yourself is the very reason that you will continually return to God for His strength and help. Then, filled with God’s strength and power, you can move forward to accomplish what He has for you.

It’s time to release that attitude, thought, fear, or shortcoming. You’ve spent too many years compensating for it and trying in your own strength to make it work. It’s time to see that handicap as a blessing. Let it drive you to your knees. Once you’re there, call out to God for his help and strength. Then rise up and get busy doing what you know God wants you to do.

Start that Dream

Go start that business. Write that book you’ve been pondering for years. Turn that hobby into a business. Start that degree. Sign up for the art class. Set up a shop and begin selling on Etsy. Start a blog. Find a way to get that nonprofit going. Get started with your podcast. Start freelance writing. Get your first customers for your photography business. Stop letting your fears and shortcomings hold you back. Release it and move forward! For more ideas and inspiration, read Start Pursuing Your Dream and Dreaming Big Dreams.

Finding the Good Happening in Front of Our Eyes

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My Trip to the Grocery Store

Finding the good in life right now seems difficult, but it can be done. So funny story for you… I went to my grocery store this week. When I got there, I had to wait in line. When it was finally my turn to go in, I needed to grab a shopping cart. The employee in charge of telling us when we could go into the store was standing directly in front of the carts. I looked inside the store and saw there were no carts except for the ones my buddy was standing in front of. So I moved towards the carts and asked, through my mask of course, “Can I grab one of these carts?” He literally jumped away from me and fell against a trash can to get away from me, like I had leprosy. Then he told me demeaningly, “Yes, but you’re supposed to stay six feet away.” I really wanted to just stand next to him and go, “BOO!”

I walked inside my store and saw that in addition to only letting a few people into the store at a time, they now have one-way aisles and security officers running the line for checkout. I think maybe it’s a little overkill, but that’s just me.

God’s Goodness

Things are so crazy right now, and if we’re not careful, we can find our place on the crazy train. We can get so focused on all the negativity around us and get discouraged and frustrated. We have to remember that God’s goodness endures continually, even in the midst of difficult times.

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Psalm 52:1 KJV

Finding the Good

I’m reading The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart. I read a sentence in her book today that caught my attention. “It’s as if we’re designed to notice what’s missing rather than being delighted by all the good happening in front of our eyes.” I thought about this in reference to Coronavirus. This epidemic has caused even the most positive people to become discouraged and frustrated. So I spent a few minutes and made myself find the “good happening in front of my eyes.” Here’s what I came up with:

We’ve had more family nights.
I’ve had more time to write.
My kids have spent more time playing together outside.
We’ve been on the receiving end of generosity during this time.
We’ve been able to give to others during this time.
This time has brought us a renewed appreciation for our family and friends.

Just thinking through each of these put a smile on my face and gave me encouragement to keep pushing through.

game night as a family — Family Game Night

girl with sunglasses playing game — Because playing with sunglasses is so much better!

Finding the Sweetness Worksheet

Take just a few minutes today to look for the good happening around you. It will encourage your heart just like it did mine. I have created a worksheet for you to be able to download to find the good right now in your own life. You can download that free worksheet HERE.

If this post was an encouragement to you, check out my post: Can You Really Find Hope in a Crisis?