Came across this on Pinterest and wanted to share. I love finding strength and courage in things I read. Makes you stop and think. Hope this encourages you!
By the way....
I feel bad that this year, we didn't really find time to be festive for Halloween. Other than my boys dressing up in costumes for their school parade, we just didn't get around to going to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins or decorating. So much is going on right now. But, there's always next year.
Hey y'all. Just wanted to share a little peek at my latest project. It was inspired by a dear friend. I think it's one of my favorite pieces so far and I cannot wait to share it with you. So stay tuned :)
Late Sunday afternoon, my family and I took a leisure walk by the beach and stayed to watch the sunset. I had been sick all week and wanted to enjoy time with my family. The weather was warm and breezy as it usually is sometimes in late October, which we call Indian Summer. The view of the ocean was so peaceful and serene as the waves were so unusually calm. The sun cast this glow that made the entire ocean look golden. It was simply beautiful.
As the sun lowered in the horizon, I thought about how the sun sets and rises every single day. We know that when night comes, that the morning is inevitably going to come the next day. It reminded me of two things. One, how some things in life areCONSTANT, even when a lot of things seem to change. Time is constant. The sun and moon are constant. The waves are constant. And it soon made me realize how so many times, through so many seasons that I've gone through, God's love has always remained constant.So whatever seasons I go through, I know that nothing can change His love for me. Secondly, I was reminded that every day is a NEW day. The moment the sun goes down, I have to try my best to leave my past troubles or worries behind, and start the next day with a new and fresh attitude that I can make it a better day. I know, it's never that easy to do and I may not always accomplish it, but sometimes when I stop to look at the world around me and the wisdom that comes from His creation, I can't help but to remember to live each day as if it were my last. I don't want to waste time, spending my life carrying unnecessary baggage or resentment. I don't want to keep questioning my past and continue to live in regret. I don't want to let life slip by while I'm too hung up on feeling sorry for myself or caught up in thinking 'what if' I did this or that. I want to enjoy my life regardless of the disappointments and mistakes that I or other people have made. Each day is a gift and I intend to receive each day as another chance to make better choices and become a better person.
We live and learn. And in everything we go through, we have a loving Father who "works everything out for good, according to His purpose and plan." Wherever the road leads me, I know that if I stumble and fall, I know that I'll find my way back on track again and the Lord will guide me where I need to go, because GOD'S LOVE IS CONSTANT.
[At the cliff side]
[Walk on water = step out in faith]
[Stay Gold]
[Shadows of Time]
[Colors of Heaven]
[Like the sun that rises and sets, His love is CONSTANT]
[PRECIOUS: A Father + Son Moment | My hubby & youngest son, Lucas]
Its been over a month since we realized the fact that it's time to sell our home and move. Most of my art supplies were already boxed up to get our home in order for the open house showings. I was dealing with so many emotions that I needed to paint and express it through art. It was a cold and rainy week, so it only added to my depression. But, in between those days I had caught a glimpse of a rainbow which reminded me of God's promise in the Bible, only to remind me of the promises He personally gave me a long time ago... So, I went and dug through my art box and got what I needed to create this page.
Rain.
So many times I forget how important it is for us to have RAIN. Rain makes things grow and washes the earth. Rain cleans the air and refreshes it. Without rain, there are no rainbows. :) To me, I relate it to the moments that I struggle with problems and go through trials. But, then how could I appreciate my blessings if I have never suffered grief or felt pain? If we had a perfect life, how can we be thankful for what we have? Could it be that God puts us in these situations where we're cornered by our worldly problems only to find ourselves in desperate need of Him AND to not take anything for granted? I believe so. At least, that's the pattern I've recalled in my past experiences. The times that I've been most vulnerable and broken, were the times that I felt the closest to God. He would show me in ways through loved ones, strangers, through unexpected places or things that I am loved and not alone in my suffering. I've also found what it means to exercise our faith, how to live a life of hope, and most of all, how to receive His perfect love. He promised us He would never leave or forsake us. I sometimes think to myself, "God, do you even care? Where are you when I need you, God?" But, as always He does come through. Just not on my terms or my timing, because His plans for me and His timing is always perfect.
Real life lessons are never learned the easy way, at least for me, it was always the hard way. If being shaken up by our circumstances causes us to stop and wake up from complacency and indifference, I know it's only because He loves me too much to allow me to live a life apart from Him. So when troubles arise and I'm stuck between a rock and hard place, there's only one place I can run to... to Jesus. As much as my stubbornness wants to tell me, I don't need ANYONE to fix my problems, I can do it ALL. BY. MYSELF.(Something my kids tell me all the time!) Ha! But, what do you know, I don't have all the answers and I don't exactly have all the strength to fight a battle that is bigger than I. So, if God is bigger than my problems and His power and strength is greater than mine, than I need to surrender it all to Him.
So although, I am still human and life will never be perfect, I have to choose each and every day if I'm going to trust in Him or give up, even in the most precarious moments. Rainy days are blessings in disguise and when it rains, I have to remember that I need the rain as well. I need to be tested and walk through valleys if I want to gain a heart of wisdom and increase my faith. And when the rain ends, I hope to see the growth in my life. When I've finished the test, I hope to see the rewards. When I've finished crossing the deep valleys, I hope that I'll reach the mountain top and have a clearer understanding of the big picture. Then, I can testify that GOD is GOOD, not sometimes, but ALL THE TIME. Most of all, I will know that I was never alone and that God's grace has carried me through it all, and it was only to get me to a better place and to become a better person.... Selah.
Here is a video that my dear friend, Juby(thank you Juby!), shared with me that has blessed me immeasurably. Listen to the words and take time to know that you are blessed, even through the raindrops and the tears:
"Blessings" by Laura Story
We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering All the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love As if every promise from Your Word is not enough All the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us When darkness seems to win We know that pain reminds this heart That this is not, this is not our home It's not our home
Just a quick drop in to let you know that I am still alive, though it feels like I've been striving to make it through each day...
I've been meaning to catch up with this blog and share the news that we are selling our home after a long battle, 3 years to be exact, with trying to modify our loan with our bank (CHASE). We did all we could and tried our best to save it, but to no avail, we discovered the harsh reality that they have not been able to assist us. With the lack of assistance and support, coupled with the overwhelming rate of persons facing unemployment and/or loss of adequate income, it's been a down spiral for so many people who have found it extremely difficult to keep their homes. Such a sad defeat for hundreds, if not thousands, of homeowners here in the depressed economic state of California. Over the last year, I've seen a large amount of so many homes for sale, pop up and down our neighborhood and along our street. Those days, I remember praying that our home would not follow their fate and that we would be spared from it. Unfortunately, sometimes our prayers are unanswered for whatever reason the One above has chosen to give us a different outcome...
Although it has been a very sad and emotional time for me and my family, it has also been a time of spiritual awakening and self reflection. I am learning to remain humble and to really appreciate what I have and who I have in my life, instead of finding security and happiness in material possessions. It seems like many of us, forget how temporary it is, one day can change everything just like that. Just like seasons can change in a single moment, we have no control over the changes that come, and sometimes they are hard to accept, but what can you do? You adapt to it and make the necessary adjustments to keep living until the next season. The real challenge for me is, just having to let go before I can actually move forward and accept the fact that these endings are just new beginnings to learn, grow, and mature. Who knows what the future holds, right? Just like Steve Jobs said,"We can't connect the dots looking forward. We can only connect the dots looking backwards."
The past weeks have been a struggle trying to maintain balance between the chaos and living as normal as possible. Day in and day out, my husband and I are burdened with facing the uncertainty of where to move to and finding the right home for our family. On top of that, we have a limited amount of time before this house is either purchased by another deserving family or sold at auction. You can imagine, the loss of appetite and sleep this has caused me. :( Our hopes and dreams in this house has literally come to an end. Yet, we feel a sense of peace that maybe this is His way of taking this burden away from us, only to give us something something BETTER.
On the other hand, I have been blessed by those who have showed us comfort and encouragement that we are not alone in this. In fact, I was encouraged to know that a few of my friends have gone through the same exact ordeal and now they are in a much better place. Their wisdom and understanding that they've experienced has given me so much hope for a new beginning and for a fresh start. As they say, "when one door closes, another one opens" and that is the one hope I have at this moment other than for my family to find a home before the holidays, where we can at least celebrate Christmas together as a family...
So, will you pray for us? Pray specifically that this transition of a new buyer and our search for a new home goes well so that my family, especially my children, will find the right home before Christmas. It would be such a blessing to us. That would be so awesome to end this year with that special gift and to be able to enjoy the blessing of a new home.
