I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Cling to Our Jesus

When we are going through suffering, pain, loss, tragedy, trauma, it can seem like there is no hope, no way past this pain, no end. And maybe one of the worst feelings of all is feeling like we are alone. I am intimately acquainted with all of these emotions; all of these feelings. I know what it feels like to be in the waters of grief. A friend of mine explained grief this way, “Grief is like waves; sometimes the waves are low and just tickle our feet, but other times the waves are so high that they nearly drown us.” When I lost my son to SIDS, the waves of grief were relentless. Some days, I could only manage to whisper His name through the tears. But even then, I knew I wasn’t alone. What do we do with all these overwhelming emotions and the ache of feeling alone? We call out to the One who walks with us. Call to the One who bore our suffering on the cross. Our Jesus. There is a song called Our Jesus, by Amanda Cook (link below). In the chorus she sings, “Oh, how gracious is the God who came to us

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I Choose Today to Recognize Good

Good ideas, good food, good days, good…. Do you ever wonder where all the good comes from? Scripture tells us where good comes from, when it states, ”Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…“ James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬a ‭NLT‬‬ Barnes’ Commentary talks about goodness within the context of this verse, he states,  “…where it can be regarded as good as a whole and in all its parts. The general sense is, that God is the author of all good. Every thing that is good on the earth we are to trace to Him.” Even when everything around us seems to be bad, evil, or not going as well as we had hoped, there is always good. How can I say this when I’ve experienced such tragedy and trauma in my life? Because I have seen it first hand, and God also promises it in His Word, ”And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In those times, and those since, I have intentionally looked for good. And when something good happens

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I Choose Today my Abba Father

The churches in our area have partnered up with the county to host guests who need a warm, safe bed during these cold winter nights. On one such night when it was our churches opportunity to host, my husband and I were able to be hands and feet. During dinner, we had the opportunity to hear some of their stories. One gentleman was regaling us with stories of his youth; how he was a sports phenom of his day. He was making the papers, setting new sports records, had college offers which would set him up for life. During the course of the evening we spent with him, he kept talking about he had life by the tail when he was young. When asked what changed the trajectory of his life, he said drugs. But then, through further conversation, he tearfully explained his reason for his pain; what hurt he was trying to cover through the escape of drugs. He explained, with all of his games he had in high school, all the accolades he received from everyone at school, in the community, with college coaches, there was something missing; someone missing. You see, his dad never came to one

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I Choose Today to rejoice even though

Habakkuk lived in a time with a lot of challenges where it seemed like God was either not present or not loving. But yet, he chose to rejoice as he sang, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will REJOICE in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” Hab. 3:17-18 Even though the circumstances of God’s people seemed dire (and it was), Habakkuk chose to rejoice in the Lord. Drawing a parallel from Habakkuk’s unwavering joy in the midst of adversity, I found myself facing a profound test of faith when my 5-1/2 month old son tragically succumbed to SIDS. No explanation, no signs, no perceivable reason. Did I ask God why He took my son from our family? Yes! But honestly, if God Himself came down to tell me all the good things He was going to do because of Bobby’s death, it wouldn’t have made sense to me or been a good enough reason in

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I Choose Today to live abundantly

Don’t miss the opportunity to live an abundant life because of your trauma. In the days, weeks, and months after my trauma, I can honestly say I did not have any joy, nor was I living a life of abundance. I was in survival mode. I was surviving, not thriving. My focus was on my loss. Who could blame me, right? Up to that point in my life, I had experienced a great deal of trauma: being abused, abandoned, belittled, marginalized, and having innocence stolen. God had brought me through those times, and I was beginning to thrive in a life that was finally good, more than I could have asked or hoped for. I was experiencing joy and abundance. That was until that morning in early June when I woke up to my worst nightmare. In the time following this traumatic morning, once the fog of despair and grief started to lift, I had a choice to make. I had to choose if I was going to continue to live in survival mode or if I was going to thrive with an abundant life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

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