“Against all hope, I will hope.  Against all fear…I will draw near.”  As I sing these lyrics from Christy Nockels, “Everything Is Mine In You” tonight, I start to feel comfort.  Today was a day filled with lots of challenges and not good ones either.  From the moment I set foot on the property at work till the moment I left, it felt like everything you can imagine was coming against me.  I was feeling so overwhelmed and frustrated and not to mention just moments from a complete break down.  But I couldn’t allow myself to let the day take over me.  I couldn’t allow the circumstances I was facing overtake me.  I’m not that person that has it all together.  I’m not the one that never suffers from a bad day or ever feels overwhelmed with frustration.  No!  I’m just like everyone else.  I have my moments.  I have diva moments.  I have moments of weakness.  I have moments where I just want to run away and hide from the world.  But in all the chaos and frustrations, I sought the one that would bring me the comfort I needed.  The morning had started with my cottage cheese with fruit literally flipping out of my hand face down on the rug in my office.  Now if that wasn’t a sign of something terrible I don’t know what is. But that was just the beginning.  By the end of the night before I could even take a bite of my tostada, it too flipped and fell over.  I just wanted to cry.  Not so much over the flipped tostada but it was like my entire day literally flipped upside down.  There was no rhyme or reason for today’s events.  But instead of crying over a flipped over tostada, I laughed.  I mean seriously what more could go wrong.  Today was filled with a chain of events that made my flipped over cottage cheese and tostado the cleanest part of my day.  I ended up working really late and didn’t make it on time for tonight’s Women’s Ministry Bible Study and by the time my husband came to the door, I just stood there like a lost sad puppy.  I needed my night with the Women’s Ministry.  I needed to be in God’s presence.  I needed Him to just hold me tight and take away everything this day had brought.  I headed to my office to do more editing and before I knew it, I was in God’s presence.  I worshipped Him with all my might, tears and all and felt the stresses of today melt away.  I felt His hug.  I felt His comfort.  I still HOPE for better days.  I am drawing nearer to God despite all the fear.  I am not allowing these circumstances to wipe away my joy.  I know tomorrow is a new day…a blank page…a clean canvas…a clear path and God will guide me to a better day.  I know that these kind of days won’t last and I will overcome.  When you feel at a loss for hope…when your cottage cheese flips over or your tostada, just know that it’s going to be okay.  Continue HOPING for a better day and continue Believing in God.  Seek Him first and know that He will lift you up to higher ground.  I love our God and how wonderful He is.  I didn’t get my time with the ladies tonight for bible study, but God gave me the peace and courage to write to you tonight and share with you how much he loves you.  He will NEVER let you down.  Trust Him like I am right now.  With all your heart.  He is the way…the truth and the light.  He will give you the strength you need when you are at your weakest.

XOXO…Ileen

Psst…God Loves You

“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.”  Isaiah 40:29

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31