RA?! What is this? Overcomer

My life came to what seemed a crashing halt in 2011.  RA is the acronym for Rheumatoid Arthritis and let me tell you it isn't fun for anyone.  It doesn't have an age either.  I've even meet teens that fight this fight.  Well today, and many others but today I feel so accomplished/overcoming, I biked 4.32 miles in 32 minutes with my younger two children.  Nervousness kind of trickled in, thoughts of defeat crossed my mind; I even told my oldest to be on stand by if she needed to pick me up.  45 minutes later I arrived in the door with a smile on my face and a congratulations.

Today, RA doesn't defeat me, I defeated it! RA is just another something that tried to steal, kill, and destroy me, but today it didn't.  I am victorious because Jesus is my healer, He allows me to overcome, and gives me strength to continue the good fight and give Him glory.  Today He gave my children hope and a future that their mother is a fighter.

Lord God, Thank you for loving me.  Giving me the strength to fight this journey you have called me to endure.  There are such sweet times, Lord.  You are the creator of the heavens and the earth, You are the healer of all and create us to be "good". God you are my Prince of Peace, my Lord of Lords, my everything.  Without you I am nothing.  Thank you for placing EVERYTHING in my life for a season and I pray Lord that I will rise to the occasion and glorify you in all of it.  I give you my life, the body you created, the mind you formed, and the soul that is like a potter's clay.  In Jesus' name-Amen  

Saying Goodbye is so Hard

Tonight, I received a phone call from a new friend.  She is new to me from here in Florida where we moved to last year.  As I reflect our conversation, it brings back the memories of a year ago to me and some tears.  This friend, though we had some rough patches, opened her heart and home to our family when we had no one but each other.  She helped us navigate through these new waters around us, so that we can find people of like mind.  We prayed for one another, and shared our hearts together.  Our children played with one another, watched movies, cooked and baked, attended 4H together, and enjoyed co-op together. Just in this short time, we have experienced life.  I mentioned rough patches, because we dealt with some heart things.  As she said tonight, Satan didn't want us to be friends.  He knew that we would pray for one another, keep each other accountable, and sharpen each other as we did life.  We, as Christians, worked through and prayed through these things-to overcome what Satan had intended for evil and give God all the glory.  The tears are in memory of another special time I had for 9 months before we moved with another family, which was much the same.  But this time, I am joyful in the sadness.  Joyful because this new friend is following the Lord in the journey He has for her.  The sadness is because selfishly we would like all the people that we love to stay near us, and never move away.  He reminds me of his promise: "Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.  Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you." Jeremiah 7:23

Friend, thank you again for sharing your life and making our move more bearable.  I pray that it may go well with you, as you obey your God and Father.

Lord, I lift up my friend to you.  I ask that you bless her more than she could ever imagine.  I pray that I hear of your testimony as she follows your will.  Abba Father, protect her from the evil one and keep her strengthened by your word; surround her by your people and give her peace, joy, and love.  Thank you for allowing her in my life for this short time.  In Jesus' name amen.