1. Christ will always be my center. Period. He is always my number 1. When He is my number 1, nothing else in this world can touch me. I have always strived to make Him my number 1, but after all of this, I realize that as long as I keep Him number 1, I don't have to care what others think of me or what in this world can possibly harm me. No matter what happens in this life, He is always there and He will carry me through.In turn, because He is the center of my life, everything I do is with and through Him. I enjoy the things I love, but glorify Him and thank Him through and for them. Anything that could possibly compromise Him being the center of my life or take away from Him, I count out. Do I still slip up? Of course. But refocusing myself from time to time is always in order anyways. With Christ at the center, nothing will ever ruin me.(Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:31)
2. Nothing is impossible with Him. I repeat, NOTHING. I wasn't supposed to have my own child, and I did. I probably shouldn't have survived a 7-inch pulmonary embolism, and I did. I have a rare heart defect that faced tough odds back in 1986, but I overcame that. Why? Because HE did. Because nothing is impossible with Christ. He will bless you immensely if you just put your all into Him. I won't lie when I say that these things were a hard hill to climb, but beating the odds feels pretty good and I know that doing that myself would have ended in failure. Simply saying "I trust You, Lord" isn't always simple at heart. But when you truly believe He can overcome, things change. (Matthew 19:26)
3. Forgiveness is a must. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people hold grudges that last their lifetimes. Grudges are held against other believers, family members, non-believers, friends, etc. I see these people literally fall apart in character and spirit because they let one person's opinion or actions get to them so deep. Grudges, I have learned, never hurt the person you have them against, they hurt you. I have learned that life is too stinking short to live in such misery of a grudge, especially if it's against a family member. I have disagreements with people all the time and many I would love to just dangle over their heads, but I have come to learn that for the sake of my health and for the sake of the faith, I have to either admit I'm wrong or agree to disagree. I know there are the "non-negotiables" when it comes to the faith, but when you've beaten the dead horse over and over again, and the opposing party knows your stance on it and still won't budge (on an individual level), you just need to agree to disagree and move the heck on. Fighting about it constantly puts a bad taste in someone's mouth about how Christians really are. Grudges tend to get in the way of love. And speaking when you don't have love behind your words is just annoying. (ask 1 Corinthians 13) You don't have to accept a lifestyle, but sometimes you just need to back off if they know where you stand already.(Ephesian 4:31-32)
4. Humility is key. This ties in with number 3.When you let go of your pride and allow humility to soak through every situation and relationship, things end up going so much smoother. Sometimes, you need to count yourself as less before you can build others up - not in a demeaning, hate yourself kind of way, but in a "I don't know it all, and I need Christ to grow me" sort of way. Going into something with a prideful attitude turns others off. In my experience, working with people, no one wants to be approached with your "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude. Rather, they seem to respond better to a "how can I help you" attitude. Of course, in a fallen world, you will find people that take advantage of you and do everything they can to drain you of what resources you have. That is where the "God doesn't help those who don't help themselves"mentality could come in as helpful. Humility and strength is how Jesus taught, and it is huge in growing today. (Philippians 2:3)
5. Trusting in Him will bring you the best blessings. There was a time before Lucy came that I really questioned what God wanted me to do in the kids department. I struggled with not knowing if I should pursue having my own children or giving it up on the spot. I always had a glimpse of God when I thought about this, however. I can't really explain it, but it was almost a voice in the back of my mind saying, "Just trust Me". And let me tell you, it was the hardest thing for me to just let go and let God. The fact that I became pregnant so quickly though, was an indicator of exactly what God wanted of me. It is the best decision and the hugest blessing He could have ever given me, and without trusting Him, I wouldn't have Lucy. So when you question your next step, turn to God and allow His perfect plan to flow amazing blessings on you, because our plans may seem great, but His are far greater. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
6. We have no time to waste. This one is my biggest conviction, and perhaps my biggest challenge, but getting our faith stories out there to a world in desperate need of God's love is huge. Your life is short (trust me, I know), and any day it can be taken from you. It can be a living testimony to someone near to you, whether you know it or not. Your story is the most effective way of getting His love out there. Tell it and share how God has moved in your life. Don't let the "crap" that happens to you become a hurdle to your faith, but another chapter in your story and how Christ used it to strengthen your faith. The time is now. (Luke 8:39)
I thank you all again for your continued prayers and encouragement in my life. I hope that Christ can use me to be a light for Him, because He has sure used all of you as I have endured quite a year. Look forward with the tools He has given you, but don't dwell on the hardships of your life without using them to move ahead.
