My mission is to provide you with inspiration and encouragement to live everyday to it's fullest. I do this by sharing the simple things in life such as recipes to the most difficult of things such a life. We all know life is a struggle and many days a balancing act, but I am here to inspire you to do it well. Everything I write about is designed to inspire as well as encourage you to be a "better" you that you can be. Everything I share is raw and real. I do not cover up or sugar coat what I write about. This would benefit no one. My goal is for you to walk away feeling uplifted and encouraged after leaving my page. Lastly, I am here to remind you that you are… enough and beautiful… just the way you are.
Are you waking up exhausted physically, mentally, or emotionally, from a hard week?
It is my prayer this encouragement will serve as a means to refresh you and remind you no matter how difficult or stressful life might be that you are special and important.
No matter how beat up or unimportant you may feel, you are not!
No matter how unappreciated you may feel, you are not!
No matter how insignificant you may feel, you are not!
No matter how unworthy you may feel, you are not!
My friend, you matter more than you know!
God made you special and He didn’t make any mistakes.
Big Hugs to anyone who needs one today.
If you would like a safe place to land to vent or share or cry out I am here.
Just leave a comment below and I will read it. If you wish to leave it personal, I will not make it visible.
I want to send out a note of encouragement to those who may be struggling during this time of celebration.
As the holiday season comes to a close and we approach a new year, often times the pain we are holding now, we take with us.
There are many who are:
Experiencing health issues and are in the hospital
Fighting against complicated health issues
Struggling financially
Grieving the loss of a loved one
Lonely
Lost
Suffering with PTSD and other emotional disorders
These problems do not discriminate because of a holiday season or a time of celebration nor do they automatically go away.
But, be encouraged my friend!
God sees you.
He sees your pain. He is drying your tears. He is calming your fears. He is healing your body. He is healing your heart. He is meeting your every need!
Here is an encouraging verse to cling to today.
“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.
Psalm 75:26
Hang in there and know you are not alone. God has not abandoned you or forsaken you, instead He is holding you and is strengthening you.
I wanted to remind you there is power and strength in “hope”.
I recently realized the strength, power, and encouragement in the words grace, mercy, and faith, but hope tends to be neglected.
I recently felt God nudging me to share this story with you since He rejuvenated us with the power and strength of “hope”.
My daughter has struggled with a health condition that she was born with. It took me years to get the doctors to listen to me to get her the treatment she needed to live a relatively “normal” life, but it was not easy. It took the power of determination and perseverance to get her a treatment plan that worked for her.
Unfortunately, something changed this past January and her condition took a turn for the worse. She called me on my way home from work with fear in her voice that something was wrong and this is not something she does.
With all of her medical conditions, fear is never something she displays because she has a strength that only God created in her to gracefully deal with everything she battles.
So I took her concern seriously. I took it so seriously that I had her contact her primary care doctor who referred her to a specialist, who was not able to see her in a reasonable amount of time, so off to the emergency room we went.
The emergency room was not able to offer her any assistance and referred her back to the specialist.
This was when the waiting “game” began. As the months passed her problem did not go away, but her faith began to waver during this trial.
The pain began to overshadow her faith because no one was helping her.
She went through two appointments that were a waste of time. She was not able to get a new diagnosis or treatment plan, instead she was told she needed to wait an additional six more months. This was a very discouraging and defeated day for her.
This past October was when she finally got another appointment because I got tired of seeing her suffer in pain and began fighting for her, yet but again.
Do not underestimate the power of a mother when she fights for her children.
She was thankful, but yet nervous and apprehensive to go to it, as every appointment before now ended in great disappointment.
I wasn’t able to attend this appointment with her due to Covid 19 restrictions, so all I could do was pray for her and the doctor she would be seeing and be available for a face time call if they needed to talk to me so she went to her appointment alone and called me after it with a very upbeat voice on the other end.
God answered my agonizing prayers because she had a great appointment with a doctor who finally took her new condition seriously. He did not need her to go back to the very beginning of this problem because he had already done his homework and research.
My friends, he gave her hope. He gave her a new treatment plan and this plan will include a new diagnosis of what has changed as well as a new plan with the hope to give her a life without pain again.
Do not underestimate the strength of “hope”.
HD Benson
God truly was in control over this appointment. She has help now and for this I am excited to the point of tears.
We learned a valuable lesson in how hope is critical to our existence. When you loose hope, you begin to loose faith. This is what creates hopelessness (which we hear about more often).
Once you loose the strength of “hope” you loose a lot.
Today, I want to call attention to the strength of being hopeful brings and the weight it holds.
Are you struggling with something in your life?
Be encouraged my friend. I am sharing with you the gift of hope.
God sees your pain and your struggle. He has not left you, just like He didn’t leave my daughter. He wants you to feel hope in your situation and be encouraged this hope will replenish the faith you may have lost and may be struggling with now.
My friend, it is my prayer today that you will receive the same peace we received when the strength and power of hope was revived in my daughter’s situation.
I am offering hugs and prayers for those of you who may be experiencing the same struggles in life.
You’ve got this! Hopeis being renewed for you as well!
I hope today is one that is full of sweet blessings and the making of sweet memories.
I am, however, mindful of the many who are struggling despite it being a holiday.
If you are one who is struggling, I will send up prayers for you.
If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, I will pray for you.
If you are feeling lost and lonely, I will pray for you.
If you have a heavy heart, I will pray for you.
If you lost your job, I will pray for you.
If you have family you can’t spend time with, I will pray for you.
If you have a Service Member who is not home or is deployed, I will pray for you.
If you have a loved one working today, I will pray for you.
If you have a sick loved one, I will pray for you.
Today is a day of mixed blessings and emotions for so many because life, although it is beautiful, can still be messy no matter if it is a holiday or not.
I have a challenge for everyone, whether it is a wonderful day or whether it is one that is difficult.
Seek to find your blessings today.
“… Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
So what are you thankful for?
Let’s share our blessings. I am looking forward to seeing your responses.
Sometimes being a mom… is having to do the tough stuff when you don’t want to.
It is having to give your child 4 shots worth of infusions after she already experienced 40 shots in her head earlier in the day.
Sometimes it is showing up for them when you are so tired you can’t fathom taking one more step in the day.
It is sacrificing your career because you decide their education is more important to you than what you set out to do for yourself.
Sometimes it is holding them when they are hurt or sick.
Sometimes it is falling on your knees in prayer because you are desperate to help them when no one else can.
Mom’s, when you begin to doubt yourself and your ability to be a “mom”, stop yourself and give yourself the grace to know that no matter how hard the day is or how hard the “season” you are in is, that God sees you.
He knows your heart. He knows your pain. He drys your tears and He gives you the grace to get up in the morning to see that it is a new day.
Remember, no matter how bad today was or how tired and frustrated you may be, know you are making a difference. Know God made you to be the “perfect mom” to your children and it wasn’t by accident.
As a result, He will bless you with the strength, knowledge, grace, and wisdom you need to raise them.
Big hugs mom as you start your day or you are ending your day.
As I got up exhausted this morning, I strolled to my kitchen, only to be reminded God’s blessings come in His timing and not in mine.
Are you struggling in an area where you just keep praying over something in your life and you have been waiting for an answer or a direction?
Be encouraged by His words:
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
My friend, I encourage you to not give up. God is hearing you. He hears your desperate pleas. He knows your fears and frustrations. He is wiping your tears away while He is holding you in His arms.
I am sharing some words of affirmation with you today.
“ You Are Amazing!”
HD Benson
There are so many of you who have been carrying a lot of stress. Whether it is from the pressures of work, being isolated with the pressures of working from home, teaching your children, or being a caregiver to your aging family or sick family members.
No matter what has you stressed, feeling anxious, or even fearful; today I am taking a minute to remind you, “That you are Amazing!”
If you are feeling less than this, give yourself the same grace you give to others when you see them struggling.
During this difficult time it is easy to forget there is power in positivity and forget to focus on things we should be thankful for, so today I want to briefly focus on these.
The Bible reminds us the importance of being thankful;
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
Now think about the powerful words, “in all circumstances.”
The Bible does not say in certain circumstances. It doesn’t say in good circumstances. It says in “all” circumstances.
All too many times we can find things to be thankful for when life is going easy, but when times become difficult, it is easy to forget this concept.
During difficult times we become consumed by fear and anxiety and allow those dark and heavy emotions to run our hearts into the ground. They take away the ability to see the positive and encouraging things in our life. They rob us of our ability to the thankful of even the simple things in life.
Today we are going reclaim those pleasures that may have been robbed from us. Today we are going to list five things that bring us joy and thankfulness.
What are just five things that bring you joy and peace and what are you thankful for?
Here is my list of five things I am thankful today…
1. Hearing the sweet birds chirping outside my windows. So many times in the busyness of life, I don’t think we take the time to hear them. But in the quietness of my morning I heard them this morning. It was a sweet sound to my soul.
2. Whether church was closed down or not, I would not have been able to go due to trying to get over my bronchitis. So I’m thankful for the technology that offers our church service to be viewed online in the quiet of my living room.
3. I am thankful for the time, that I don’t normally have to “rest”. I have been sick for 3 weeks and have not had the opportunity to rest until now. Had we not had this shut down, I would still not be able to rest, but when life has forced you to stay home, I am choosing to be thankful for it. I am determined to rest to get over this ugly cold.
4. I am thankful for the school we work at. My daughter and I received news that the school has figured out a way to pay their part-time staff for 2 weeks with the hopes of getting us closer to the end of this quarantine period. This truly touched my heart because they did not have to try to figure this out, let alone find a way. This was a huge blessing to us.
5. Lastly, I am thankful for all the spring that is in the air. I love seeing the trees dressed in their beautiful pink and white blossoms. Their is something inspiring by seeing all this new growth coming back to life. It inspires me to clean up my home and my property and make it fresh and clean again.
Let’s rejoice together in those blessings. Leave your list below in the comments.
Is it everything you hoped for and are blessed to have or is it one you didn’t foresee having?
Consider this thought today,
“Your life is whatever you focus on.”
Shadonna Richards
As I observe my surroundings and watch the people around me, I see a lot of pain.
I see people struggling with relationships, work, finances, health, and children.
I know even for myself, pain has had a huge impact in my life.
I know the pain of strained relationships and that of finances not being enough. I am reminded daily of the pain of watching my daughter fight a battle within her own body and the destruction it is trying to have on her.
However, today I want to encourage you that life does not have to be the focus on all you struggle with.
We have the power to change our focus. We have the power to retrain our thoughts to where we focus on more positive things instead of the negative ones.
This strength is coming from our God, who knows every single detail of every struggle and battle we are facing.
Ask Him today to help you retrain your thoughts and your focus.
Ask Him today to strengthen your heart and to refocus your thoughts to where, instead of focusing on all the things that are difficult, to instead, focus on the blessings.
My Friend, my challenge to you is to retrain your focus and look at areas in your life where you are happy and find contentment instead of focusing on things that bring you heartache.
Once you fall deep in a pit of despair, it is hard to refocus on the positives thoughts, but it is my desire that you take one step at a time. Look for one thing you can be grateful for and one more and one more.
This will enable you, over time, to begin to see and focus more on more positive things, thus giving less power to the negative ones.
I challenge you to begin this practice today if you are struggling.
If you already focus on the positive things in your live, way to go! I am super proud of you
Welcome To My Page 