It's All Around You If You Are Willing To Look!

I am a "word" kind of person. Don't know if this has a name or something but I've always loved words. I see a blank sheet of paper and I get happy cause you can do so much with it....write a letter, a poem, a song, a story, a prayer request, make a list, draw a picture...it's a way to let your imagination loose! Sometimes I find myself reading the dictionary..well...back when I had more time to spare lol. I wrote alot of poetry growing up and even tried to write songs. I loved English class in school (a subject my husband dislikes it very much) and when I come across a word I'm not familiar with...I rush to the dictionary to look it up. I would actually do this while studying since I am in the medical field and we can across alot of big words....I would get all A's in college and let me tell you...actually knowing what these words meant has alot to do with it. There are some words that just make me smile such as: Victory, Imagination, Perseverance, Purity. Maybe it has to do with their very positive meaning but I just love them! One of those words that make me smile is ENCOURAGEMENT! I've loved it since I first heard it. Actually the Lord revealed to me through a Bible study that I have the gift of encouragement which made alot of sense to me!

I looked it up on dictionary.com (here I go again rushing to a dictionary..except it's online now lol) and this is what it says:

praise, support, boost, lift, endorsement.

Encourage = to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence

Many times when I've felt a lil blue, I've asked the Lord for encouragement. He always finds a way to send it to me through His Word,my husband, my family, a friend, a picture, nature, a song, a letter, Facebook, an email, a text...some how He always rescues me and lifts my spirit up! The other day I was cooking and felt a lil overwhelmed mainly because I know I am doing my best to be a good daughter of the Lord, wife, a good mommy, a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend...but have kinda forgotten about myself. I think alot of moms can relate to me. I always knew that I never wanted to let myself go and that doing the things I love such as read, scrapbook, watch good movie, spend time with family and friends bring me joy but somehow I was beginning to feel as if there was a littler less of "me" each day. Satan always finds a way huh? BUT does He succeed? Well let me tell you that God quickly rushed in like He always has and ENCOURAGED ME.

I was in the kitchen making dinner for us. My husband asks me to bring him the sour cream so I decide to open the brand new sour cream for him and voila....check out what I see:



The sour cream my friend....yes the sour cream had this just for me. I wonder if God was hungry at the time lol. Incredible..who would have thought and in bright colors...He wanted to make sure I didn't miss it. But that's not all folks. After dinner I go back in the kitchen to get a paper towel to wipe the table and yet another message from the Lord.




(the second one is kinda blurry but it says: "there's a whole lot to be thankful for if you take the time to look")

He knew I would check out the butterflies! And they say there's no God:( He even knows what we're passionate about....I love butterflies! I am in awe my friends. The Lord is simply incredible and His love for us is real, genuine and everlasting. I am willing to say that He hurts when we hurt because I know He smiles when we smile! My goal is to make Him smile every day!

I want you to know that the Lord encourages us everyday in so many different ways...that is..if you're willing to look!

Sing for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted. Isaiah 49: 13

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Matthew 11: 28

Leave It All Before His Throne....I did and found freedom!

About a year ago, I was sitting down doing my devotional and quickly realized that God was really trying to get through me. I had no idea how heavy my heart felt while dealing with infertility and other issues such as the news that my grandfather's health going downhill quickly. The entire devotional that day was dealing with my heart on a personal level. I tried to continue reading but couldn't do it anymore...I broke down. I couldn't stop sobbing, I was feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, everything seemed like a big blur. It's always harder to move forward when the future is unknown huh? But I realized that I had done all I could on my part to be strong and that now God wanted me to fully surrender to HIM! Honestly, many times I felt that I couldn't do much to alleviate the situations..all I could really do was pray, trust God and be still. God decided to have a heart-to-heart with me that day. I closed my devotional book and poured out my heart to God....I was completely transparent with Him. I was real and held nothing back. Boy did I sobbed that day. I pretty much bowed before His throne and surrender everything to Him. I knew this is was He wanted from me because many a times I had no control over situations I was "trying" to fix on my own. After about an hour and a half of nonstop praying/sobbing I felt the kinda of peace I felt the day I rededicated my life to Christ..the kind of peace only the Lord Almighty can give. I literally felt the weight being taken off my shoulders and I was once again able to breath a breath of fresh air. I felt like a brand new person ready to conquer the world. God filled my thoughts with beautiful scripture and filled me once again with strength and hope to move forward! Funny thing is....all this happened while my husband was mowing the lawn in the backyard. God took care of the loud lawnmower and my husband didn't even noticed. It was just God and I......every else became a blur. I knew that everything would be ok and that God would begin to do great things. BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Later on that day as I washed dishes, I felt the need to look out the window and couldn't believe my eyes.....all the way by the back fence was a beautiful pink flower...one I'd never seen there before. I quickly asked my husband if he had planted any seeds back there and he said no. I pointed out the flower to him and he couldn't believe his eyes. I then looked at him with a big smile and said, "I know who put it there...God..babe..God is with us and everything will be ok". He smiled and agreed. I was so amazed that I couldn't stop admiring the flower from the distance. I starred at it through the window and smiled through my tears because I knew that this was God's way of letting me know that He was right by my side no matter what! As I continued to contemplate on it I told myself, "maybe this is God's way of letting me know that He's going to bless us with the baby we've been praying for , the way He blessed Hannah and that our baby will be a baby girl!!! And now, a year later, I am carrying the baby He so lovingly promised us......a baby GIRL! It gives me the chills to see His Majesty, His Power and His desire to fulfill our dreams!

I want you to know that:

* God hears your cry and truly cares

* God has great plans for your life

*If you surrender EVERYTHING and I mean every bit of you to Him....amazing things will begin to happen

* God is always there...you just have to take the time to see Him

*No one can take away the special encounters you have with our Lord...they are real and they are yours to keep forever!

* God honors humility and honesty..."the weak will become strong"

*God created you and knows you like no one else ever will....He knows what makes you happy!

This is what I saw through my window:

This is my precious pink flower from God in all her beauty:

(She wanted to sleep and the tech kept waking her up)

(She kept covering her eyes hahaha)



(look at my hand)

NEVER STOP BELIEVING, NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP YOUR EYES FIXED ON THE LORD AND HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH!!!!!