A Heart of Thankfulness (Thanksgiving Throwback)

 Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. The fun of the moment is having the ability to stuff your face with as much food as you can without a care in the world. ( I love my mom's homemade turkey gravy and pour it over almost everything on my multi-sectioned plate.) 

    All laughs placed aside, this year has been devastating for a lot of families. The world has weathered countless storms as a whole; our surroundings are delving deeper into places of evil unrest and division as the days continue. 

We are instructed and encouraged to be grateful for each passing moment and to live with an appreciative spirit for every bit of goodness that God gives us; those small acts of provision that we so often take for granted. 

We live in such a world of entitlement.  Learn to live patiently in the moment and be grateful for time spent with family. Leave the world outside for one day, taking the time to savor His precious blessings. 

Always remember to keep a heart of thankfulness. 

"I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." (Psalm 9:1 KJV) 

Give Thanks For Your Rest

 Be thankful for your rest"....

Those words have truly resonated with my heart ever since listening to them for the first time during a recent Wednesday evening church service. 

I have SO much to be thankful for. I have held such wonderful peace in my heart and mind for so many weeks now....I am immensely thankful for the rest that Jesus has given me. 

I am grateful for the little normal everyday things in life such as waking up at 6 AM to watch the sunrise; to have the opportunity to enjoy a morning nap if one is needed. 

To care about my home and to love the space I'm in, to find joy in every single part of my day.....is a tremendous blessing that I will never ever take for granted. 

It is still strange to think of how different my days were at one point. I love to write. I love to tell stories. I love serving Jesus. I couldn't imagine living without Him. 

The blog pulled me through my darkest of days. It came into my life when I really needed something to keep me going. It was therapeutic. It gave me joy (and still does when I know that He puts a thought on my heart.)

Jesus has brought me through so much personal tragedy and my story continues on with so many blessings to praise Him for. My mornings are often a time of reflection; as memories come to mind, I can't help but be moved to tears because I am not only reminded of where I was....but also of the love He holds for me. 

It was every experience I ever had that led me to this wonderful place of peace. Every wound, every wrong turn, and all the blessings in between.

Everything had its purpose. 

I think He sometimes uses storms in our lives to grow our appreciation for the little things that we would normally take for granted. I have always been thankful for my story....

And now, I am even more thankful for my rest. 

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13)

The Remedy of Salvation

There is always endless beauty to be discovered as the seasons truly begin to turn; to me, nothing is prettier than those wild and wonderful West Virginia fall months.

As much as I am loving change at the moment, I'll admit that I'm just the same as everyone else. We can all be such creatures of habit. However, it can be quite the interesting experience to uncover an all new way of living. 

While in the process of placing this message together, I couldn't help but think of those who are finding themselves to be helplessly empty; those who are in desperate need of the remedy of salvation.

So many in our world today are experiencing deep-rooted devastation in the midst of an aimless search for purposeful fulfillment and a place of rest for their weary souls.

Those temporal sort of remedies that exist in the world will never reach down below the surface of the heart; none of them could ever provide the sort of peace that radiates from within.

Only Jesus has the power to do that. The condition of your heart is never surprising to Him. 

It's scarily simple to appear all put together on the outside, while living in the midst of chaos behind closed doors.

There's always an opportunity for a new beginning through trusting in the remedy of salvation; by placing every ounce of your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

There are so many who are reluctant about living the Christian life; lamenting that they won't be good enough to live it, or that surrendering their current lifestyle would be much too difficult.

Knowing Jesus and living for Him is never about being good enough. He loves you in spite of your mess and He wants nothing more than to help you claim victory. 

We all need Him each and every single day.

Life was never meant to be lived without the sort of love and guidance that only He can provide, and choosing to do so will leave you with an existence that's both imbalanced and uncomfortable in the long run.

You will be left as someone who spends every day feeling completely unsatisfied and terminally empty.

Making the decision to trust in Jesus will be the best choice you will ever make. He will completely change your life in the most beautiful way.

All you have to do is ask Him into your heart. Let your life become one that is worth living. Make it count for the cause of Christ. 

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

I Will Praise Him (A Life Update)

 Hey there! 

I'm quite uncertain as to how to begin this post; so much about my life has changed all in the span of three and a half weeks. It has been the most wonderful blessed whirlwind of an experience and I'm slowly adjusting to a new and unfamiliar sense of normalcy. 

Some of you know that I was officially diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome in March of 2020. (It is a common endocrine disorder that affects women of childbearing age and results in hormonal imbalances and fertility issues.) 

My health began rapidly deteriorating in the spring; the situation only continued to worsen throughout the summer. A CT scan in May showed cysts on both ovaries; with the addition of constant fatigue, hot flashes, abdominal and pelvic pain, debilitating brain fog and irritability...it all made creating anything an impossible task. 

I was placed on an all new treatment at the beginning of October and it has completely changed my existence for the better. 

It was discovered that I had been dealing with low progesterone and estrogen for quite some time; the mental health aspect of it all began as early as my freshman year in college.

After so many years of unnecessary struggle...my hormones are finally experiencing perfect peace. 

My heart is SO thankful for the love and care of Jesus.

 I am never deserving of His wonderful mercy, nor His grace; yet He has shown so much of it in spite of how human I always am. 🙌

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him". (Psalm 28:7)

-Jesus will be your greatest source of strength in times of weakness. 

-A wonderful haven of refuge in the face of uncertainty.

-A powerful shield of protection in the midst of an unrelenting storm. 

All you need to do is trust in the Lord and He will help you.