I know it has been quite awhile since you have heard from me. I have been quiet as I have been processing and going through the loss of my dear mom. She passed away on March 24, 2018 and life has been a bit of a whirlwind both leading up to her passing away and since then. The pain and difficulty of watching her suffer and the weeks leading up to her graduating to heaven were tiring and hard. It was a relief to see her get to leave this earth and all of the pain in her body, and get to be in paradise where there is no more pain or suffering. Jesus has promised us that He has gone to prepare a place for us where there are many mansions and no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has in store for those that love HIm. This gives me so much hope and peace. She is rejoicing and singing and laughing. She is having the best days of her entire life right now in the place she longed to be, her real home.

This past Mother’s Day weekend, I did miss her so much, and I miss her everyday. The void is real and my heart aching wishing she was here with my family is very real. I am allowing the Lord to gently lead me on a journey of renewal of my heart. I trust Him to take me into the future with a healed heart and not in pieces but stronger than before because of His amazing love. I believe He has me on a journey to restoration of hopes and dreams as I lean into Him during the difficult moments and ask Him for help to restore me. I have experienced His grace, peace and joy so strong during the last 5 weeks, but I still need more. Day by day I pray and ask Him to give me grace and mercy and fill me with joy. I need Him desperately. I honestly don’t know how people go through life with all of its unexpected difficulties without having a loving Father God to run to. I can’t imagine life without Him, my best friend, and my constant companion. He alone can satisfy the gap inside me, the binding up of any brokenness my heart has experienced. He alone has the ability to comfort and heal.

I recently spoke about a book called Unshakable Trust by Joyce Meyer on my podcast interview on Real Talk with Rachael. If you haven’t gotten that book yet, please go get it right away. Let this be on your summer reading list to strengthen your core. I am constantly in the process of giving Him my pieces and asking Him to mend and heal and put broken pieces back together. The really awesome thing about God is that He loves to do that for us. He actually has true understanding and compassion for the things we go through. When Jesus was on earth, He knew what it felt like to ache and need HIs Father to strengthen Him and give Him courage to believe in His Father’s plan. I feel like we all need strength and courage to believe God, take Him at His Word, believe that He is good, and believe that He is for us. This is what trust is all about. Even when I can’t see, I will choose to trust. Even when my emotions are screaming, I will choose to believe Him. Even when I don’t understand everything, or feel like I have questions that are unanswered, I will choose to have faith. God has said to us that it is impossible to please God without faith. He has called each of us to walk by faith and not by sight. So, today, I choose to put all of my confidence in Jesus alone, to truly trust Him to carry me through to the other side. I will declare with my mouth that He is good, He is preparing me, He is strengthening me, He loves me, He is for me, and He has great things in store for me. He alone knows it all, and I can securely rest in His ability to take care of me.

I pray that these words have washed over your soul like a cool refreshing rain. I pray that you would receive the encouragement from your Father today as He tenderly whispers His affection for you. He can’t wait for you to run to Him today with whatever unexpected thing has come into your life. Maybe you are on the mountaintop today, but the uncertainty of the future and what all is next is the area that the Lord is asking you to give Him today. Open up your heart and welcome Him to fill you with all of His presence and goodness. He is so willing and ready to bring us healing and freedom in every area as we lean into Him in total confidence and trust.

I have attached the podcast to this blog in case you didn’t get to listen to it yet, or you would like to pass this along to a friend to encourage them today.

You are not alone and He is with you!
Real Talk on Anxiety & Expecting Blessings in the Midst of Difficult Seasons