Grief comes and goes.  There are days when you think you are over something and then, BAM!, a trigger shows you that you are not.  No matter what loss you have experienced, loss is loss!  Whether it's divorce, death, or the end of a relationship.  I am realizing that it's OK to feel loss from time to time, but it's not OK to dwell on it so much that it hinders your future.  I may not be completely over some of my losses, but I'm willing to address them and not overlook them.  Do what you must to deal with your loss.  Go to a grief support group, seek individual counseling, or whatever causes you to address and face your loss.  The length of the grief process is not important.  The fact that you grieve your losses is.  Finally, PRAY that God does the work in you that only He can do .

OK, I'm not perfect.  Inevitably I fail people.  I don't always say or do the right things.  Thank God that I don't rely on myself to make it in this world.  God sees me as beautiful, accepted, and loved.  In His eyes, I am a masterpiece.  He created my spirit, my personality, and my unique characteristics to be loved and accepted by those He desires to be in my life. 

Understand today that you are also a unique and wonderful masterpiece.  Don't fight who God created you to be.  If He wanted you to be someone else, He would have made you so.  By doing this, you allow God to shine through you and this enables you to fulfill the purpose He created you for. 

Last Sunday, when I went to write out my tithe check, I realized that I was making a conscious decision about trust.  Christmastime and the bad economy can easily cause a person to tighten the checkbook strings.  But at that moment, something in my spirit asked me if I really trusted God?  In a split second, my heart said, "yes!"  God has brought me through so many financial trials, that I have no reason to question Him.  Less than a week later, my car has died and I am in a huge bind.  I am waiting for an answer on whether my car can be fixed.  It's not looking good.  I don't have the money to fix my car, much less buy a new one.  So, I sit at home, newly sick with a cold, snow on the ground, no news on my car, and wondering, "how's God going to fix this one?"  I really don't know.  There's no skirting around the question, "do I trust God or don't I?"  I do.

Waiting on the Lord to come through with a job is like being a kid waiting for Christmas to come while it's still October.  You know it's coming, but you feel like it's NEVER going to get here!  The anticipation builds as the days go by.  I have been fortunate to have at least one job at a time most of my adult life, unless I chose not to work.  However, this past March, I was laid off during the worst economy of my lifetime.  Sadly, the world does not stop just because a crisis hits.  Bills are still due somehow. 

I am plowing through the job market with a steamroller applying for everything that I know I am qualified for.  However, despite the desperate time, I am going about things a little differently at this point in my life.  I am praying for the Lord to provide the RIGHT opportunity this time, not just any opportunity; one that will bring me closer to His purpose for my life.  I know it's so easy to give in to just any opportunity that knocks during such an economically challenging time.  But I am challenging you to take a different approach.  If I have to readjust my lifestyle, cut off the cable TV, downgrade my internet speed, or never see the inside of a spa again, what do I really have if I'm not in the will of God?  The bigger the crisis, the bigger the blessing and the greater the reward for trusting Him.  I'm looking at this time in my life as a time for God to really show up in a magnificent way!

For those who think this logic only applies to the job search, think again.
From My Heart To Yours

When your memories outweigh your dreams, you are dead.  You can't live your life in the past.  Jesus is not satisfied with the way we are and never stops asking us to step out in faith.  Go into the deep and cast your nets!  Step out of the boat!

When we isolate ourselves from pain, we isolate ourselves from God's grace.  Avoidance of pain gives us a fearful spirit.  Only in our weakness will grace rise up.  Only when we are weak does God get the glory through grace.  Grace = receiving what we do not earn.  Take hold of God's free gift of grace!

What do you do in a situation where you MUST make an important decision that could impact your life in very different ways?  The first thing you might do is plead with God to come down, look into your eyes, and tell you exactly the right thing to do.  But what if He's not speaking or, worse, you are not hearing what He's saying?  When you just don't know what to do and your spirit is in constant turmoil, this is what I suggest... DO THE VERY LAST THING YOU KNOW THAT GOD TOLD YOU TO DO until you have clarity about the next step.  Sometimes, this could mean going backwards in order to go forward.  But, dear friends, taking a step backwards is far better than leaping off a cliff into something that could alter your life in a negative way.