Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I am the God of newness; never think I am finished with you...
"I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? Isaiah 43:19
This is something that has helped me along the way; I would like to share it with you. Today, I pray that you can take the negative in your life and turn it around for something good. Whatever it is that you've gone through, or that you are going through today. Whatever reason brought you to the place you are today as a single mother, there is always an opportunity for a fresh start as long as we breathe.
Summertime brings with it the thrill of dipping your tows in a pool of water, cool to the touch and refreshing to your very core. Ahh! Can't you almost feel it just thinking about it? There is nothing quite like being rejuvenated after feeling dried out and shriveled, whether we're talking about physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or even financially. Fresh is good; we love a new start because we love imagining how things could be better.
God finds great joy in providing the refreshment of a new start. He loves rebuilding, reforming, and re-creating, and he loves to see us get excited about the hope of new beginnings. With infinite power to do whatever he pleases, he is pleased to find endless ways to amaze us with his ability to change our circumstances and grow us.
He knows what you're going through, but more importantly he knows where he wants to take you and who he wants you to become. The God who made a path through the seas is at this moment creating a way for you through your present troubles; but he also is forming your character, refreshing it with his own.
Count on refreshment on the other side, but don't miss the signs of God at work between here and there. They are evidence of his delight in refreshing and re-creating you. He is a visionary who offers glimpses of his coming attractions if you keep your eyes poised on him, looking always for what he is about to do.
Only a God so gracious would give you constant reason for hope in the future while blessing you with the refreshment of his presence along the way. He is not finished with you. Stay close and see what he does next.
It is so hard for a single mom to think positive about all of this when she has been through so much. Whether her husband passed away, she was betrayed by infidelity, abused by her partner or even people in her childhood; whether she had an unplanned pregnancy. Being a single mom can be very overwhelming. All these things can bring bitterness, resentment and so much pain, that she cannot see past what she goes through in life.
I know that, because I have been there, and I have felt that way. It doesn't matter where we come from, our upbringing, economic and/or social status, most of us did not ask to be where we are today. And when life becomes so challenging that you feel like you have lost all strength and hope, it is easier to think about the problem rather than to think about the solution. But there is always a solution. Our children are our inspiration to move forward. They deserve a good and healthy life. Do you agree?
If you are reading this today, trust me, God is not finished with you. You were not created by accident. God can refresh you daily and show you many great things. You might not see it today, or even tomorrow, but with hope and faith in God, you will find the strength to move towards a better place.
Meditate on what it takes to plant and maintain roses. I don't have a garden, but I once met someone who taught me about this. The most effective way to make your garden grow and bloom is to learn how to plant and care for Roses. Roses can be expensive to both buy and grow, so making sure you have the right knowledge combined with the right tools is very important.
You might wonder why I'm writing about roses. Well, just as the roses, in order for us to grow and bloom, we need to learn how to rebuild a solid foundation in our lives so that we don't crumble down to pieces when life gets tough. And we need to learn to care of ourselves. If we don't do it, no one else will. What about God? Can't He do it for me? Of course, but He also respects our decision of taking the first step of faith. It is up to us to open the door when He knocks. He wants to show us what is missing in our life, but we must be willing to let Him show us.
Once you have planted the roses, it's time to learn how to take care of them so they flourish. It doesn't take a day or two to make the roses flourish as beautiful as they can flourish in a garden. Just like that, change in our lives does not become noticeable to us in a day, and sometimes in years. But if we do not give up, knowing that we can get through one day at a time, soon enough we will find ourselves in a better place. I know this, because "I'm not where I am supposed to be, but I am most definitely not where I used to be."
Provide water. A large rose bush may need as much as 10 gallons of water each week, but be careful if there is not adequate drainage. You should water overhead early in the day when the leaves have adequate time to dry before nightfall. This helps prevent black spot. We cannot survive on food alone. If you are not into reading the bible, I would suggest that you begin each day meditating on a list of good and positive things about your life. There has to be at least 10 things in your life that you can write down on a piece of paper. It might sound silly, but it is a helpful exercise that will water your soul, your mind and heart. It will motivate you. But most of all don't lose hope.
Weather and lack of nourishment can dry the roses. Sometimes you can see dry roses and leaves that must be carefully cut off so that the whole plant doesn't die all together. There are more things to be done to maintain roses, but let me just tell you this. Healthy things grow. Put your hope in God. Hope sounds good, but what is it really? What does it look like, practically speaking, in someone's life? Hope provides the soul nourishment we need to withstand intense pressure and stress, as well as trials and disappointments. Anything that feels like is weighing on us.
We might worry whether we'll make it through the dry times. Thriving seems out of the question; we are weary from the effort to survive. But hope looks beyond the exposed browns of here and there and dares to draw nourishment from God's supply. Hope sees refreshment and life in the midst of what it feels to be prolonged dry seasons. Hope is strength that doesn't wither beneath a furnace of worry. Hope hydrates your spirit, despite what you are dealing with today.
I am only sharing because I know this has helped me and things have gotten better for me. And maybe financially it will always be hard for a single mom to do it alone. But when we begin to heal inside and our problems are not our only focus, we can actually have internal peace, knowing that if we made it through one more day, we can continue to try. You can ask God to refresh you today with His love. You can ask Him to ease the pain and hurt you have from things that have happened in the past; He will answer. We cannot do anything about yesterday. But we have today to live, and what we do today, will define our future and will give us new memories for yesterday.
I pray that God will help you to live on hope in Him, trusting Him for health and wholeness deep in your soul during the dry times.
With love,
Your Friend @ Hope for the Single Mothers
This is something that has helped me along the way; I would like to share it with you. Today, I pray that you can take the negative in your life and turn it around for something good. Whatever it is that you've gone through, or that you are going through today. Whatever reason brought you to the place you are today as a single mother, there is always an opportunity for a fresh start as long as we breathe.
Summertime brings with it the thrill of dipping your tows in a pool of water, cool to the touch and refreshing to your very core. Ahh! Can't you almost feel it just thinking about it? There is nothing quite like being rejuvenated after feeling dried out and shriveled, whether we're talking about physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or even financially. Fresh is good; we love a new start because we love imagining how things could be better.
God finds great joy in providing the refreshment of a new start. He loves rebuilding, reforming, and re-creating, and he loves to see us get excited about the hope of new beginnings. With infinite power to do whatever he pleases, he is pleased to find endless ways to amaze us with his ability to change our circumstances and grow us.
He knows what you're going through, but more importantly he knows where he wants to take you and who he wants you to become. The God who made a path through the seas is at this moment creating a way for you through your present troubles; but he also is forming your character, refreshing it with his own.
Count on refreshment on the other side, but don't miss the signs of God at work between here and there. They are evidence of his delight in refreshing and re-creating you. He is a visionary who offers glimpses of his coming attractions if you keep your eyes poised on him, looking always for what he is about to do.
Only a God so gracious would give you constant reason for hope in the future while blessing you with the refreshment of his presence along the way. He is not finished with you. Stay close and see what he does next.
It is so hard for a single mom to think positive about all of this when she has been through so much. Whether her husband passed away, she was betrayed by infidelity, abused by her partner or even people in her childhood; whether she had an unplanned pregnancy. Being a single mom can be very overwhelming. All these things can bring bitterness, resentment and so much pain, that she cannot see past what she goes through in life.
I know that, because I have been there, and I have felt that way. It doesn't matter where we come from, our upbringing, economic and/or social status, most of us did not ask to be where we are today. And when life becomes so challenging that you feel like you have lost all strength and hope, it is easier to think about the problem rather than to think about the solution. But there is always a solution. Our children are our inspiration to move forward. They deserve a good and healthy life. Do you agree?
If you are reading this today, trust me, God is not finished with you. You were not created by accident. God can refresh you daily and show you many great things. You might not see it today, or even tomorrow, but with hope and faith in God, you will find the strength to move towards a better place.
Meditate on what it takes to plant and maintain roses. I don't have a garden, but I once met someone who taught me about this. The most effective way to make your garden grow and bloom is to learn how to plant and care for Roses. Roses can be expensive to both buy and grow, so making sure you have the right knowledge combined with the right tools is very important.
You might wonder why I'm writing about roses. Well, just as the roses, in order for us to grow and bloom, we need to learn how to rebuild a solid foundation in our lives so that we don't crumble down to pieces when life gets tough. And we need to learn to care of ourselves. If we don't do it, no one else will. What about God? Can't He do it for me? Of course, but He also respects our decision of taking the first step of faith. It is up to us to open the door when He knocks. He wants to show us what is missing in our life, but we must be willing to let Him show us.
Once you have planted the roses, it's time to learn how to take care of them so they flourish. It doesn't take a day or two to make the roses flourish as beautiful as they can flourish in a garden. Just like that, change in our lives does not become noticeable to us in a day, and sometimes in years. But if we do not give up, knowing that we can get through one day at a time, soon enough we will find ourselves in a better place. I know this, because "I'm not where I am supposed to be, but I am most definitely not where I used to be."
Provide water. A large rose bush may need as much as 10 gallons of water each week, but be careful if there is not adequate drainage. You should water overhead early in the day when the leaves have adequate time to dry before nightfall. This helps prevent black spot. We cannot survive on food alone. If you are not into reading the bible, I would suggest that you begin each day meditating on a list of good and positive things about your life. There has to be at least 10 things in your life that you can write down on a piece of paper. It might sound silly, but it is a helpful exercise that will water your soul, your mind and heart. It will motivate you. But most of all don't lose hope.
Weather and lack of nourishment can dry the roses. Sometimes you can see dry roses and leaves that must be carefully cut off so that the whole plant doesn't die all together. There are more things to be done to maintain roses, but let me just tell you this. Healthy things grow. Put your hope in God. Hope sounds good, but what is it really? What does it look like, practically speaking, in someone's life? Hope provides the soul nourishment we need to withstand intense pressure and stress, as well as trials and disappointments. Anything that feels like is weighing on us.
We might worry whether we'll make it through the dry times. Thriving seems out of the question; we are weary from the effort to survive. But hope looks beyond the exposed browns of here and there and dares to draw nourishment from God's supply. Hope sees refreshment and life in the midst of what it feels to be prolonged dry seasons. Hope is strength that doesn't wither beneath a furnace of worry. Hope hydrates your spirit, despite what you are dealing with today.
I am only sharing because I know this has helped me and things have gotten better for me. And maybe financially it will always be hard for a single mom to do it alone. But when we begin to heal inside and our problems are not our only focus, we can actually have internal peace, knowing that if we made it through one more day, we can continue to try. You can ask God to refresh you today with His love. You can ask Him to ease the pain and hurt you have from things that have happened in the past; He will answer. We cannot do anything about yesterday. But we have today to live, and what we do today, will define our future and will give us new memories for yesterday.
I pray that God will help you to live on hope in Him, trusting Him for health and wholeness deep in your soul during the dry times.
With love,
Your Friend @ Hope for the Single Mothers
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