Sick, Blessed and Amazed

I am feeling a bit under the weather today, and I'm not surprised. The enemy has thrown out all the cards lately........ family issues, money issues, marriage issues and now sick. But, I'm not giving in. I have a lot to do today and I'm just praying that God would let this medicine kick in and I would suddenly have some super powers!! But quite honestly, I feel like rolling back to my bed right now. I hate being sick and I hardly ever get sick, but Kennedy and Hope are sick too, and since we are the three amigos, we're together a LOT, I'm not surprised.

Last night I got the biggest blessing in my e-mail box......a donation from someone who supports me!!! This woman is so awesome and God has just blessed with with a bright bubble all around her! If she reads this today, it was my confirmation to continue to press on, I have been SO discouraged from this attempting to raise money for it, but it just was so incredible! I wasn't feeling well, I felt discouraged and then BOOM, God blessed! I pray that other's would feel led to join in this effort, $5, $10, $25.......everything is a such an encouragement to me. I don't want to sound desperate, but I am desperate for God. I am desperate to be in His will and I know that He has been calling me into this for a while. And He will provide, I know He will.

Our Sunday school women had Women Praying for Marriages last night at my sweet friend's house. I was SO nervous because about 2:00 pm between changing a sick Kennyboo's diapers all day and Hopie running a fever of 103, it was a crazy, non-focused day. But I had spent a good amount of time preparing the lesson while right around that time, the Holy Spirit said, "This isn't what you're supposed to talk about tonight." And I said WHAT???? But God provided me with all the tools I needed and it came together very quickly. I wasn't sure and I felt so inadequate to talk on the subject of conflict last night, but I did.

Here is a little recap of all we talked about:

Conflict God's Way
1. Have Faith! We cannot trust ourselves, our emotions are going to get us every time! Turn to Him and remember that you can do all things through HIM who gives you strength, even have conflict.

2. What if the other person won't change but I'm willing to? Stay firm with what God tells you to do! Trust Him, OBEY and walk with his leading. HE WILL GUIDE YOU. But YOU have to obey.

3. Pray together! It's really hard to be mad at the other person when you are in prayer together!!! "Couples who pray together, stay together"

4. Show some Love...we read 1 Cor 13! Love IS a lot of things!!

5. Divorce and Separation is NOT an option!! Once you make this commitment in your mind, you don't go there again! Yes, the bible does give us "a way out" in an adulterous relationship, but seek God's will for your marriage, He hates divorce and HE will give you the strength to overcome ANYTHING in your marriage!! Avoid thinking or saying thoughts that go along with this topic, "I wish I never married you."

6. 1. Repent when you have wronged the other person, admitting your mistake is a huge step! 2. Apologize, just say, "I'm sorry". Not "I'm sorry you feel that way" suck it up and say you are sorry. 3. Pray for forgiveness, ask God to cleanse your heart from what you did and help you to not do it again!

7. Seek Help......if all these steps don't work, seek professional help from a neutural person! Someone who is not biased towards one way or the other.

*It starts with me, It's standing up and saying, "Now with me." Drawing the line and saying, "I will not go there in my marriage." It takes boldness, commitment and prayer, these are the only ways we are going to be able to be successful with this incredible responsibility God has given us, our marriages.

The ladies were just great, we had a lot of good talking and being "real". Opening up is hard to do, but there is so much freedom in it! There is so much freedom in taking off our masks and saying, "Guess what, It's not all peachy peachy for me either." We can learn from others and truly draw closer to God when we begin to tell others "our story". And we all have a story, we all have ways that God has worked and done incredible things in our lives!! However inadequate I felt and how I felt like all I did was talk in circles and I was just so nervous, I pray that God used what he showed me in a great way. It's hard to switch things up at the last second, but it was truly what God had said, even though I know it's a "no no" to do that!!

Well, I'm freezing so I'm off to find a blanket and tea. Poor Hopie, I hear her coughing in the other room and the Kennyboo is being awfully quite too. Thanks for reading today, leave a comment if you have anything to add to this! You know I always love to hear from you all!!