In my weakness, I am blessed beyond measure.

Years ago I read a book that changed my life and changed my marriage. It is called Equipped to Love by Norm Wakefield. I picked it up off of my bookshelf and read it again recently. It's just one of the books that I go back to again and again. There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't think about those truths revealed by the Spirit that are written out on the pages of that book. Some days I choose to follow the truth when I am reminded of it, and well, there are also the many times that I face those same truths but I choose to fulfill my flesh. Like I said though, it was life-changing for me. It changed the way I viewed being a wife, being a parent, a friend and the child of my own parents. It changed the way I prayed for myself, my husband, my kids, my family and my friends.

As I read through it again this week I know full well that the Lord was confirming every pain in my body to be an opportunity to allow His love and grace to sustain me. Every pain is a huge blessing in my life! It is a chance to experience His love in a deeper and more intimate way. Every challenge is a beautiful opportunity to strip off my ugly self and focus more on Him.



When one of my kids (or all of my kids!) has one of those days when they test every patient bone in my body... I am blessed beyond measure, because during those times I am provided an opportunity to rely more on Him and submit myself to Him as a vessel to show His love to my kids. I get a deeper, richer glimpse of His love!



When I am faced with the way someone judges me in my situation, telling me that I need to change something in my life so that I may not experience the pain or "have better health" or "less stress"....I am blessed because it is an opportunity to rely more on Him. I will not be disappointed by what others think of me. I am only following One Spirit. One voice.





When I face the choice of being disappointed by any situation in my life or any person in my life, I will choose praise in knowing the One who has ordained all things and has the power to move mountains, change hearts, change nature, and eliminate pain and suffering.

I will delight in the fact that He chooses to allow pain in my life, because it blesses me with an opportunity to experience more of Him, more of His love.

I can rejoice in this because without His love I am nothing.

Nothing.

Those people and friends in my life who truly encourage me with His Words point me to my Savior. Those that He has placed in my life that seem to discourage me actually draw me on my knees to pour my heart out to my Savior even more. Because of them I can meet with Him, allowing Him to move in my life and in my heart.

In times of rejoicing, I am reminded of my Savior- for He is the giver, the author of all things.

In times of pain, sorrow and confusion I will look to my Savior-

for He is the Giver and Provider of all things.



No, I don't have the strength or the understanding to type out words like this every day. Sometimes I get so lost in the pain or in the frustrations of this life that I lose my Focus on the Spirit. I lose focus on Him, on eternity. I get lost in my self.



I am just thankful that He continues to grace me with every opportunity to know Him more.
I had three days of virtually little to no pain. I will praise him for those days as well as today when I face pain, because somehow, in His incredible Love and knowledge,

He knows that today, the pain is just what I need

to know Him

more.