Category: General

Since we are bound by time here on the earth, it’s hard for our human mind to comprehend the word “eternity.” I feel like it is one of those things we won’t fully understand until we are in the midst of it. Even though we have to wait to fully experience what eternity means, we can have an eternal perspective here on earth. This is a way of thinking that focuses on what is lasting and eternal, rather than on what is temporary and earthly. In Colossians 3:2, Paul states we need to “set our mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Easier said than done, right?

I have to admit, I was having a hard time with this topic. Even after a lot of prayer and asking the Lord to speak to my heart about what it means to have an “eternal perspective,” I felt like I had nothing. No nuggets of wisdom, no scripture references, no life stories to share. What I did have was a lot of self-doubt, worry, and frustration about various things in my life. Romans 8:5-6 says that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. The Lord revealed to me through that scripture that my mind had been so focused on worldly things that my worry/self-doubt/frustration was becoming louder than the peace the Spirit (Jesus) brings. My focus had slowly shifted from an eternal perspective to that of a worldly perspective, and that needed to change.

The Lord also revealed to me, through my children, that having an eternal perspective means we shift our focus from “self and the now” to “others and the future”. I was at home with my kids and it was one of those days where time was limited, but I really needed to get some things done. As those days usually go, there were constant interruptions from my kids (asking for snacks, needing school help, fixing arguments, etc.) The frustration was getting real, but God spoke to my heart and said, “They are what this is all about.” It’s about people, relationships, and sharing Jesus with others. It’s like making an investment for the future, but instead of investing money for worldly gain, we invest love. We love others and share with them the love of Jesus, so that hopefully those seeds that are planted will grow into a relationship with Him. I have heard a quote several times that says the “only thing from this life that we can take with us into eternity is other people”. That thought is so humbling to me! It is only through Jesus that anyone is able to be saved, but he does use us to show His love to other people.

It can be so hard to have an eternal perspective when, every day, this life reminds us that we currently live in a broken world. God is so good to guide us, though, when our focus begins to shift. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to love on others-whether that is a stranger at the grocery store or the children in our home. I happened upon a shirt the other day that says, “May heavenly things constantly interrupt our earthly things.” I loved the way that was worded, and that idea has been on my heart ever since. It is something that I pray will happen in my day to day. I am hoping for many opportunities for eternal investments! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2025. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2026!

“So don’t worry about tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” – Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Life is full of uncertainties. In my life, it was moving across the state following my husband’s job. We face seasons of joy and abundance, but we also endure trials that shake our faith. In those difficult moments, it’s easy for me to fall into fear, worry, and to give in to loneliness. Yet, Jesus reminds us that our Heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide for us each day.

The world tells us to have a plan for everything; each move brought us to a new city with the promise of stability for him, but uncertainty for me. We have left friends, support, and family to begin in a town where, for the first few weeks, we must have directions to our own house.  In these times of need for literal directions to know how to navigate our surroundings, we can feel the most alone. However, faith teaches us to trust, even when we don’t have all the answers. Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”

While this did mean I needed to be responsible for the items within my control, such as household, job, and church attendance, I was reminded that my ultimate security is in God, not in our circumstances or location. When we release our worries to Him, we make room for His peace to take over. He never fails to provide opportunities, people, or provisions when we lean into his understanding, rather than relying on our own.

Matthew 17:20 (MSG), “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”

For our family, faith is not merely about having every detail and aspect of life neatly arranged; instead, it is about placing our trust in the One who possesses all understanding and wisdom. When all else has failed, showing up and being present in moments with others from school to church has brought clarity when the path is foggy. Embracing the beauty of taking small, deliberate steps of obedience has strengthened each nugget of faith.

The deliberate steps for us have always started with unified prayer. Whether it’s just the two of us or groups of friends or colleagues, there is power in seeking Him. We have also found answers in the Bible, without knowing the next steps on our journey. Right before we were stationed in Odessa, we had been reading about provisions in the desert during the Israelites’ journey. We were both immediately blessed with jobs, found a church, and joined a marriage ministry that filled holes in our marriage we never knew existed. We still credit many of our current marriage practices to that time and the need to lean heavily on God, because He saw us through that season of literal and figurative deserts.

 As I dare to step out in faith, I discover that God meets me with His boundless power and unwavering provision, guiding me through unknown terrain. This was a great comfort when we arrived, since Odessa was a far cry from the lush trees and lakes we left in Austin and the piney woods of Houston. While the number of times you start over and step out may never come naturally (or at least it hasn’t for me), understanding God’s purposeful plan offers comfort.

Even when the turpitude of life remains obscured, trust that God is illuminating the way forward, revealing the next step for you to take. Each act of surrender to Him becomes a thread woven into the larger narrative that He has in store for us. No matter what season you are in, remember that God is faithful. He sees you, He loves you, and “He is working all things together for your good” (Romans 8:28, MSG).

Choose today to walk in faith, not fear, and watch how God moves in your life above and beyond your wildest expectation.

We want to thank Kate McCandless for sharing this post.

It seemed like every year around Christmastime, my mom would remind my siblings and me that “it is better to give than to receive”. I believe she was teaching us that precept at a young age because she wanted to remind us that Christmas was not just about getting gifts, but the true joy was in giving gifts as well. As a youngster, I really didn’t believe that theory at all. However, as the years have separated me from my youth, I have come to realize that my mom knew exactly what she was talking about. 

The joy of giving is indeed a special feeling. There’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing the look on my grandkids’ faces when they open a gift from me. Or the joy I receive leaving a basket of goodies on my neighbor’s front porch. I believe that God allows us to experience that joy so that we might become more generous in our giving. 

The Bible clearly encourages us to be generous with numerous scriptures that set the standard for helping others. Proverbs 21:26 tells us that “The righteous give without sparing.” Without sparing means that we are giving generously. 

Another verse that comes to mind is Deuteronomy 15:10, “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” It’s like a circle. We are blessed to be a blessing to others. When we use our gifts that we were blessed with to bless others, God can and will bless us in return. Then we will have more blessings to use to bless others. Isn’t that neat?!

Generosity offers us an opportunity to also be grateful for what we have. Through the blessings that we receive from the Lord, we can and should thank Him for all He’s given us.

2 Corinthians 9:7 reminds us that “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving should not be done begrudgingly or out of guilt but should be given in accordance with love for others. Love is what matters most. Verses about giving remind us of the reality that without love, even giving all to the needy is fruitless. It’s important to give with LOVE and to be motivated by care and compassion for others. 

It seems there are always more opportunities around the holidays to become a generous giver. If you are looking for a way to give generously this Christmas season, here are a few ideas:

1. Dress a live doll – this is sponsored by the Junior Service League in Plainview and benefits children who need Christmas gifts.
2. Salvation Army – there are always “bell ringers” at Walmart or United. Any monetary donation is appreciated.
3. Give an offering to the local church. The Bible tells us that we should bring our “tithes and offerings” meaning that an offering is over and above our tithe. The local church has ways throughout the year where they can bless families in need. 
4. Give of your time at a shelter or a food kitchen. Giving doesn’t only mean financially. Your time and talents are a huge part of giving generously. 
5. Do something kind for a neighbor. Rake leaves. Help take down Christmas lights. Bake cookies. Anything you can do out of love is a blessing!
6. Keep that generous giving going all year long! It doesn’t just have to be at Christmas!!!

Give it a try! I promise that if you give generously, you get much more in return. So, during this Christmas season, I pray that you have a generous spirit and realize it truly is BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

I’m not a gift-giver by nature. Not that I don’t love to bless someone with a gift if I think about it, but it’s honestly not my love language. I would rather spend time with someone or tell them how much they are loved than give an actual gift. Even during Christmas, I much prefer gifting experiences to my children rather than a wrapped present. Thankfully, my husband loves to give gifts, so we have a good mix of both during the holidays.  

Being generous can come in many different forms. When you hear the word “generosity”, what comes to mind? I used to only think being a generous giver had to do with giving money. However, the more biblical definition is a selfless, sacrificial giving of one’s resources-including time, talent, emotional support, hospitality, and treasure-out of a heart of gratitude for God’s own generosity. It isn’t so much about how much money you have to give. It’s more about having a heart that is willing to give in whatever way the Lord has blessed you with and then responding in obedience when the Holy Spirit asks you to do so.

When we show others gracious generosity, we are modeling the ultimate gift giver: Jesus Christ. During Jesus’ ministry on the earth, he continuously gave beyond what anyone ever asked him to. One example is in Mark 2:1-12 (also in Matthew 9:1-8 and Luke 5:17-26) when Jesus not only healed a paralyzed man but also told him his sins were forgiven! He gave more than was asked or expected. There are many other occasions throughout the gospels where Jesus gave healing when it wasn’t even asked for. He saw the true needs of the people He encountered and met them without hesitation.  

Generosity is a huge part of God’s character. God is so generous that He gave us Jesus, His only son. Jesus then gave His life for us on the cross so we could have eternal life with Him in heaven. He hasn’t stopped giving even today! The Lord’s blessings are continually being poured out over us, and it is not dependent upon what we do. We didn’t earn any of it; He does it out of love. The least we can do is show the same love and generosity to those around us. It’s not always easy, and it often requires some form of sacrifice on our part. When God calls us to give generously (whether with our time, money, skills, etc.) we must be willing to die to “self” to serve others and show them the love of Jesus. 

My introverted self likes to be in my own bubble. For a long time, it was way outside of my comfort zone to go pray or visit with someone when I felt the Spirit tugging on my heart to do so. I can remember several years ago when I was struggling with this (but didn’t have the monetary means to generously give either). Did I get a free pass on giving because I was shy and didn’t have the money? Not at all, but I guarantee I tried to make that excuse. Praise God for spiritual growth and maturity! Even in our lack, God provides ways for us to bless others. If you feel called to do so, go pray for a friend, pay for a stranger’s meal, or give your time to help someone with a project today. We don’t have to “have it all together” or make a certain amount of money to be gracious, generous givers. It’s all about showing others the love of Jesus. 

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

There was a season in my life where I felt more dead than alive. I was depressed from decisions I had made, and continued to make, and effectively choosing to walk away from grace. I dragged dread with me everywhere I went. I look back now and see the chains that were holding me down, but at the time, I couldn’t seem to break free. 

I had plenty of people in my life who cared and loved me fiercely. They tried to help, to understand, but there was an invisible wall they couldn’t break down to get to the hurt. They would try to speak wisdom into my life and fix the issue that was making me miserable, but I held back from accepting it. I had no idea of my worth or my identity. 

I had always been told that God our Father was a gentleman and would never push any decision on his children. I see the graciousness in that now, but at the time, it made me angry. I wanted out of my situation, but I wasn’t willing to surrender my fear. The fear and anxiety had become a comfort. It was a presence I was used to and familiar with. Letting go of that and moving into freedom scared me. 

I had a breaking point one Sunday evening when my godmother, Jenny, came up to me after a service. I felt so dejected, ashamed, and alone with my situation. She had been a constant presence in my life, praying and waiting patiently for the Lord’s timing to make her move. That evening, she came and reminded me of my worth, my identity as a daughter of the King. It seems so simple, but it was a transforming moment. Holy Spirit began to show me that after all I had done, and not done, that He was good and gracious and he had not given up on me! From there, Jenny and others in my life began moving at the Holy Spirit’s calling to show me how events in my life had led to strongholds that needed to be broken off me. They pointed me toward my savior, His grace and mercy, and were his hands and feet. They had been filled with his gracious generosity, and they shared that with me. It was life changing. 

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” Psalms 103:8-13

May we, as women of God, remember to listen to His calling and share his gracious generosity with those He has called us to minister to.

We want to thank Christian Greer for sharing this post.

Generosity is more than just giving; it is the overflow of a heart transformed by God’s love. Gracious generosity reflects not only the act of giving but also the spirit behind it. When we give with grace, we mirror the very character of Christ, who gave Himself for us.

Gracious generosity is giving freely and joyfully, without expecting anything in return. It’s about cultivating a lifestyle of kindness, compassion, and selflessness. This kind of generosity flows from gratitude for what God has done in our lives.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

There have been so many times when my family and I have been on the receiving end of gracious generosity. Before I married, I needed a place to live, and a kind, gracious family opened their home to me. They poured into my life and gave me the spiritual foundation I still live by today.

Many times, while we were  in full-time evangelism, our family was taken care of by people who provided meals, shared fellowship, and welcomed us like their own. Friends spent time with us, gave us a place to rest, and never asked for payment. They even gave us medicine when we needed it—at no charge. This reminded me of the truth in Proverbs 11:25: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

There were also times when others helped us in practical ways. We were given automotive parts when our truck broke down while traveling with our trailer. Again, this generosity came at no cost to us. These experiences showed me the blessing of Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Through it all, God always provided—often through the graciousness of others. These moments have taught me to live by Romans 5:8, which declares: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because God has been so generous with us, we can best honor Him by doing the same for others.

Gracious generosity is not measured by the size of the gift, but by the heart that gives. Jesus reminds us in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

When we give with open hearts—our time, our resources, our care—we are living as reflections of Christ. Let us choose to live each day from a heart of graciousness and generosity, trusting that God will use our giving to bless others and glorify Him.

We want to thank Janie Keller for sharing this post.

Give your thoughts and your time to God. This is something I have really been working on the past couple of years. I felt myself in the busyness of life growing distant in my relationship with God. I was attending church and serving, but I found myself not reading my Bible as much and not praying like I knew I could. I wanted to find ways to get more connected to God, so I joined a Bible study, to really dive in and deeply understand God’s word better. I changed the music I was listening to and started to begin my day with worship music and positivity. I began praying more and talking to God. I began to share a daily Bible verse on social media in hopes it would help or reach anyone who needed to see it and feel God’s love. I felt a change when I began to give my time and effort to the Lord again. In my study of the book of John, I learned how simple it is. God just wants us to give Him our time. He gives us so many opportunities and chances and wants everyone to come to Him; what an awesome God!!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” -Psalms 107:1

As parents, giving our time to God is not only beneficial for us, but it flows down to our children. Nothing makes you prouder as a mom than seeing your son stop and pray for someone without being prompted or asked to. My daughter recently told me I was her third best friend. After being slightly offended for a few seconds, I swelled with thankfulness when she told me her first two best friends were God and Jesus.

Thanks is defined as an expression of gratitude. Recently, as I was in the midst of a very difficult couple of weeks, I found myself stressed out and exhausted to my core. I finally laid in bed one night and broke down in tears. I could not even find the words to pray, but I found myself just telling God thank you!! I had so many reasons to be mad or discouraged, but I found thanks in all God’s glory and what He was doing, even through the most difficult times. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” After my prayer, I could feel God tell me that it’s going to be ok, and I felt such a weight lifted off of me, because I knew He had heard my prayers and was already going ahead of me and taking care of it all. No matter where you find yourself today, find something to be thankful for. I promise God is thankful for you.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.” – Psalms 100:4

We want to thank Jamie Austin for sharing this post.

Thanks and giving are two concepts that should be easy for any Christian to understand, right? We give thanks to God our Father for all the wonderful blessings in our lives, but how do we react when things are not going as well? Are we still thankful? Are we still willing to give to others so they can see the love of Jesus?

When l was asked to write this blog, l was all ready to put what I had to say on the page and talk about the holiday season and why everyone should give from their hearts and blah blah blah, and God said, “No, that is not what I want you to say. I want to speak to the women who feel broken and lost, who are having a hard time in this season being grateful and giving from their hearts, just like you used to be.”

A couple of years ago, Chris and I were really struggling financially, and we were in a place where being thankful for what we had was the last thing on our minds. We had a two-year-old, and we wanted to do all the fun things with him, but unfortunately, our bank account said, “Think again.” We decided to get creative with our “dates” out with Connor. We would have a backyard cookout, picnics in the park, anything that would make a memory and didn’t cost a dime. One Saturday, we decided it was a beautiful day to go to the park and have a picnic and let Connor feed the ducks. As we were discussing what to eat and how the price of how much everything had gone up, we found our way to Popeye’s, again, having a picky two-year-old that would only eat chicken and mac and cheese. The chicken was great, but the price was ridiculous. Chris and I continued to complain after we paid for our meal and headed to the park. Did God not provide? Should we have been thankful that we had the money to get ourselves something good to eat? Yes, but we were not.

At the park, we enjoyed our lunch, and we had enough biscuits left to feed the gophers and ducks. It was a beautiful afternoon. As we walked down the sidewalk, I noticed an older gentleman digging in the trash for our leftover food. Up until this point in my life I had been very sheltered and had never seen a homeless person, let alone someone digging in the trash for food. My heart was broken and instantly I heard a soft, still voice say, “Have I not provided for you and for him?” As a family, we walked over to the gentleman, gave him the box containing our extra food and some cash, and let him know that God loved him and was watching over him.

As we were walking back to the car, I was so upset with myself for not being thankful for the simple things that we take for granted in our lives. We had the money to pay our bills, go out to eat, take our kid to do something fun. We were not the Joneses, but we were comfortable, and yet, we were still complaining that it was not enough.

How do we remember to give thanks to God and give from our hearts when we are in a season of lack or sorrow? We pray to our Father, who knows our hearts and our situations, with humility and grace and have faith that He works all things out for good. Reflect on the Father and His amazing love for you and the many times He has walked with you through the valleys and climbed to the top of the mountain with you.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” 1 Chronicles 6:34

Give Him thanks every day! Not just for all the good things in your life, but for the trials and tribulations as well, because that is how we become closer to HIM! Seek Him, trust Him, for He loves you. Jesus is the ultimate proof of how much He loves us. So, remember, even when we are broken and bruised, we always have a reason to be thankful and give thanks from the bottom of our hearts.

We want to thank Randi Cason for sharing this post.

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

For most of my life I have been anxious! Queen of the “what-ifs”, but I have learned to give thanks to the Lord in all things. Before, I would always ASK the Lord for everything, and if I had time, I would thank Him for what He did for me. A godly man spoke over my husband and I a few years ago that in our later years of life, we don’t really need much of anything, so why not spend most of our prayer time thanking God for all our blessings. This was a revelation for me, and I have changed my prayer life by thanking Him first, and if I have time, I ask Him for things. The good thing about this is I don’t seem to need much by the end of my prayers.

 ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

This was a hard-fought battle for me. I know a lot of you know that I came from a very poor family, broken home, and a spirit of poverty hung very heavily over my home as a child. We didn’t have much, so MY money was very precious to me.  When I became a Christian and was told I needed to give 10 percent of MY money to God…really?! I had been living paycheck to paycheck for many years, so let me tell you the way I learned the lesson of giving to the Lord cheerfully.

During our building campaign at Harvest when we were planning to buy and restore the old Kmart building, we were given the opportunity to give over and above our tithe for a 3-year commitment. I was giving, but somewhat begrudgingly in my heart. That spirit of poverty had become a spirit of selfishness. But I was learning that ALL that I have belongs to God, not just the tithe. 

We were asked to pledge what we felt we could to our building campaign.  Of course, our expectations were pretty low. After all, they said “what we felt we could give.” When we filled out the form and wrote the amount we had agreed on, I felt okay but felt that it was going to be difficult for us. We did pray about it. Later, we got a letter in the mail from the church thanking us for pledging. When we read the amount that was on the letter it was considerably more than we had agreed on. I knew that we didn’t write that amount. Maybe it was a typo?

But what do you do? We didn’t feel we could call the church and say there was an error. So, we earnestly prayed and told God that if that amount was what we were supposed to give, He would have to help us. We really had to surrender everything to Him and repent for our selfishness. 

Let me tell you the best part of this story. We continued to surrender to God daily. We had 3 years to pay this pledge off, and can I tell you that we paid it ALL in about 2 years as we continued to give our tithe faithfully? But there is more. We kept asking God to guide us in our finances to become debt-free. We sold the house we were in at the time, bought a new house (to us), and in a couple more years we paid off our house, car, and all other debts we owed. We were debt-free, all praise and glory be to God. We did not do anything but surrender and obey. God did the rest. Looking back, I believe with all my heart God put that amount there on our pledge. 

At times when that spirit of poverty creeps back in, I remember what God did for us to teach us about giving with a cheerful heart. I repent and give thanks to Him.

Now that we are in another building campaign, we are still trusting God to help us give as much as He wants us to, and we know He will bless our giving.

Rejoice always.  Pray continually.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Thank You Jesus for loving us so much!  

We want to thank Debbie Crosby for sharing this post.

November is normally the kickoff month for the holidays. Many people look forward to gathering with friends and family for Thanksgiving dinners, watching football, and starting their holiday shopping. It’s a time when people like to count their blessings and be more intentional about giving thanks. However, for others, it’s not a time of joy but rather a time of sadness, loneliness, or financial struggle. It’s easy for many of us to give thanks when things are going good in our lives, but what about when things aren’t going so great? We are quick to feel defeated and giving thanks may be the last thing we feel like doing. Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. You may be wondering, “Well, how can I be happy, pray, and give thanks to the Lord when I’m going through the storm”? Although this may seem like a daunting or even impossible task, God wants us to do it. He wants us to see a beneficial purpose to every trial and have an inward sense of joy and peace that only comes from him. 

About 12 years ago, before I had given my life to God, I was a complete and total mess. I had no purpose in life and no sense of direction. I was just living to have a good time. Well, my lifestyle finally caught up with me. I went to court and just knew in my heart things were not going to go in my favor, and I had to suffer the consequences of my selfish and senseless actions. I had to endure the hardest trial I ever faced in my life: incarceration while pregnant. Yes, you heard me right. By the time I was sentenced, I was 6 months pregnant and had to serve a 9-month sentence, which meant I would have to have my baby in prison. It was a hard pill to swallow. I felt every emotion possible rolled into one. I had no idea how I was going to survive this. How was I going to leave my 2 older sons behind, but also bring my baby into this world alone? It was at this point in my life that I had reached rock bottom, and the only place I could look was up. It was during this storm that I surrendered my life to God and said, “God, I don’t know what’s going to come of this, but I trust you”. What should’ve been the scariest time of my life turned into a season of peace and trust. It was during this trial that I developed an intimate relationship with the Lord and grew closer to Him than I ever had before. Right after I had my son, I was accepted into a program where I got to keep my baby while incarcerated and learn life, parenting, and recovery skills. This was literally a blessing in disguise. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned it for good. When I was released from the program six months later, I came back home, reunited with my family, started attending church, got baptized, married my husband, finished my degree, and began my newfound life in Christ. God gave me a purpose, a sense of direction in life, and most of all, gave me beauty for ashes. It was in this trial that I learned to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in ALL circumstances. I want to encourage you ladies to do the same because in the midst of the storm, we may not always see the bigger picture, but we must trust that God is working it all out for our good and for his glory. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”. James 1:2-4

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation“. Psalm 100:4-5

We want to thank Angelina Alvarado for sharing this post.