Sharing Struggles

Recently I have been writing about my own personal struggles with fear. It was not easy for me to write about my own weaknesses and run the risk of being ridiculed. Instead, I was not prepared for the great wave of response from readers sharing their similar struggles and being encouraged by my words. 

These blogs have been a way for me to channel my struggle in order to help others who struggle in the same way. There have been thousands of views of my blog from people in Russia, China, Malaysia, Germany, Ukraine, Britain, Canada, France & Indonesia. In the body of Christ, we should be able to share our burdens and struggles with each other.  I have experienced a sampling of Christlike love in the feedback I have received.

Loving concern for each other becomes the evidence that we have experienced  His love!

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples” John 13:34-35.

 This picture was taken when I was driving

 through Arkansas in January 2010.

Conflict Resolution

 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

Every conflict between friends, families, etc.  boils down to one thing: self-centeredness. Children are so adorable as babies until the terrible two's come to play and it loses it's cuteness. How many adults do we know that seem to have never outgrown those toddler terrors? Disagreements come about because we so often are just thinking about ourselves much like a toddler. A toddler is only concerned with his own needs because they are the center of their own universe.   

So often, our solution to solving conflict is avoiding the people we’re having conflict with. We move out of the neighborhood, we change friends, we stop going to the same events that they attend. We figure that our universes can’t collide! But the right solution, the godly answer, to this problem is to bring the other person into the center of our universe.  

We don't teach our children to cut off their siblings when they are small? No, that would only cause emotional anger and pain but instead we teach them to forgive, make-up and be friends again.  

If we begin to put other people into the center of our universe, and they put us in the center of theirs, then there is unity! We miss out on so many blessings when we don't follow God's best for our lives.....

This picture was taken while walking on the beach November 12, 2012

Family

 Know your circle and make sure everybody in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes when you're not looking.  stevemaraboli.com

We are all full of faults and defects but we still want people closest to us to love and support us. In my own family we are very different and in my husbands family it is much the same. I'm pretty sure that describes every family because we are all so uniquely made. We are not alike and we each have been given different strengths and weaknesses. 

There are family members who may not understand or care for us but let's keep our daily focus on those who do love and encourage us. Pray for those who we are disconnected from and not take it personally. Today my sister n law and her little grand~girl made our day special; so today I am blessed by their love and desire to spend their day with us!

We can't make everyone love us but we can be grateful for those who do.....

“Let love be your highest goal.”

1 Corinthians 14:1a

This is a picture taken of my husband with his brother and sisters! 

Love