“I think I can…I think I can.”  Remember the story of the Little Train That Could.  This morning that story just popped in my head as I thought about this morning’s blog.  This morning I was thinking of living a life of Encouragement…NOT a life of Discouragement.  Sometimes we are our greatest obstacles.  I know I am guilty of this.  I will start a new project or get a bright idea in my head and at first I’m all gungho.  I have that “I know I can do this” attitude.  But as things progress I hit obstacles or things get a bit tough on me and all of a sudden I get discouraged and start believing there is just no way.  When I started writing my book I was so fired up and excited.  I had this I KNOW I CAN attitude and I was so encouraged to write.   But then as I began writing chapter after chapter I started to get all these negative thoughts overwhelming me.  Here I was writing on a topic that I felt like, WOW how can I do this?  Who will read this?  What if no one likes it?  The same thing happened when I started this blog.  My mind began filling with so many negative thoughts that I procrastinated, over and over.  I cried one night at the computer because I couldn’t think of what to write anymore.  I started crying to God and I started praying.  I kept asking Him why ME?  Why this book?  Why not the other two books I had already started?  Those were more me.  But as I sat in my office with the worship music playing, crying like a baby, God spoke to me.  God filled me with peace and comfort.  God showed me this was what HE wanted me to do.  HE had faith in ME and He started to reveal to me that I didn’t have to be perfect, without sin to write this book.  This book is about my journey with HIM…and in that journey lessons would be learned.  God revealed so many things to me that night and the next chapters were written.  Now i’m at my final chapter of the book and I will meet my goal I set January 1st.  But my plan wasn’t God’s plan.  God encourages me every day…with daily lessons and experiences.  I encourage you to live your days encouraging yourself and others.  Don’t live a life of discouragement.  Believe in the gifts God has given to you.  Believe in your talents and skills.  Believe that no matter how difficult things are, God will give you the strength, knowledge and wisdom to successfully accomplish your next task.  I encourage you today to trust in God with all your heart and believe in yourself.  I know you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

XOXO…Ileen

Psst…God Loves You

‘Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9