Trusting in the dark

It's so easy to trust in God when everything is going great, all our needs are met, physically, emotionally and spiritually; we seem to have it all together...UNTIL....

 an unexpected expense comes up, until sickness hits, maybe family problems, a child is showing rebellion, there's trouble in your relationship, your car breaks down....

Whatever the situation there are times when we just feel completely in the dark and alone.  That's not the time to give up, but rather....it's the time to trust in God.  Trust God to make a way when there doesn't seem to be a way, trust Him to restore and bring about a new hope.  Trust Him for healing, deliverance, for wisdom, discernment, salvation....

I'm not always the best at exercising my faith in the exact moment that a trial might hit...but give me a few moments, hours, days and I do eventually surrender my situation to the Lord.  He's the only one who has the answers and He really does care and desire to meet our needs.

Wherever you are today....turn your worries and cares over to God and He will illuminate your life with His grace, love, peace and understanding.  He won't ignore you...He's amazing like that.

#startingover15 #havefaith #inittowinit

I know who I am.

This song is running through my mind.  I love listening to #Israel Houghton's music.
There are some serious truths to this song...
I was broken and God healed me!
I was dying and you gave me life

Isn't that the truth?!  I thought my life would never know healing again.  You know the healing of a broken heart.  The healing of a woman who lost her identity after divorce.  The healing of a mom whose daughters suffered greatly and there was nothing I could do.  The healing of a loneliness.

I experienced lows I'd never known before.  I didn't identify with any group of friends or church - it had all been torn apart.  Then The Lord stepped on the scene, created a new mind, a new heart, a new hope within me and began blessing my life.  There were times I doubted and shoot there are still times when I wonder what God has up his sleeve but I know who I am!

Oh how He's blessed me...

I am His!  I am free!  I am covered by God's grace!  I am no longer a slave to the past!  I am chosen!

Wherever you are today - no matter the circumstance, God's love is enough to not only pull you through but to set you on a new path.  Just let go and let God!

#startingover15 #anewcreatureinChrist #godismyallinall

Fighting the battle

It's Thursday night...I'm sitting in the office, listening to the birds talking back and forth to each other...hearing the neighborhood dogs bark at passersby and the faint distraction of the evening news streams in the bedroom.  I'm home alone tonight - my husband is at a meeting - so I'm taking this time to reflect on the past few days.

I've faced some trying hours over this last week.  Just because the Lord blesses our lives with great joy, peace, happiness, successes and health does not mean we are immune to difficulties.  We have an enemy who roams about seeking whom he may devour and destroy and he will stop at nothing to tear down God's children - and use anything he can to do it.  I am so glad I have a God to turn to in those times.

As I called on the Lord in my time of need - He once again reassured me that HE is in control.  He loves and cares for the things I love and care for - INCLUDING me!  Please please please don't forget God loves you when you are in the midst of your trials.  That's the time when He thrives most...He wants to flex His muscles for us and fight on our behalf!  He wants to prove His strength, love, mercy and grace....He's truly the best man we'll ever know.  

Tonight before you close your eyes - take your need to the Lord.  Pray for your spouse, your children, your parents, your Pastor, your neighbors and your friends.  Pray for our government and our communities....Pray that God would protect us all in this time of need.

To each one of us who found ourselves #startingover15 at one point or another....may we learn to fight on our knees and turn the battle over to the One who never loses!

Writing with a thankful spirit - thanking God for every battle He's won!

Hope

Are you facing a difficult time in your life?  Do you have even a spot of hope?  If so, don't give up - give it to God.  God promises He'll never leave or forsake us.  Because it's in His Word, He has to do what He said He'll do.  He truly is incapable of lying to His children.

Life is cruel sometimes and people we love can be just as cruel but often times it's because they are fighting something on the inside.  Maybe they don't know what it means to trust and hope in something greater than themselves....don't try to change them or their mind, give them to God.  God is the miracle worker and He is so patient, gentle and kind...never will He lash out in anger, say things He'll regret, belittle or hurt you....He will only love, love, love you.  So place your HOPE in God.  He is there to see you through.

#startingover15 is just my way to share with you how God is with me and has been with me over the last 6 year journey and counting.
From one woman to many others like me....it's okay, you'll be okay.  We will be okay...just continue to place your situation in God's hands. 

I am what I choose to become

Reflecting on our past can sometimes be a good thing...but also hurtful.  I know I am not the only one out there with a past riddled with ups and downs, hurts and disappointments, life altering instances.  Nor am I the only one who's chosen to stand up and move forward.  It's not always easy for us to make the choice - but we must if we ever want to be more than the circumstance dictated.

Be in control of YOUR OWN life...not your spouse's, not your children's...YOURS.  Do you want to be happy?  You can be happy.  If you want to be a college graduate, BE ONE...don't let anything stand in your way - you choose your destiny.  Do you want to lose weight?  Make the choices for your own body to help yourself lose weight!  Don't wait for someone to help or encourage you - you've got to take the first, the second, the third steps and never stop - but you CAN do it!

If I'm learning anything in this life right now, I'm learning that I have wants, and basic needs that must be met for my internal happiness and I have to take care of those myself, regardless of my marital, career, friendship or parental status.  I have to find the way to fulfill those basic wants and needs all on my own - becoming empowered to do that - means taking a step in believing in what I can become!

Here's to all of us - men, women, married, single, widowed, young and old...it's never too late to choose your path to happiness!  #startingover15 with a new frame of mind!!

Forgiving without an apology

Forgiving without an apology - is the greatest gift you can...or shall I say, we can give ourselves.
It seems life has a way of throwing us into situations where this handy tool must be used time and time again - and we are better for it.

I have some very personal situations in my life that have caused some deep pain for not only myself but others who are very dear to me...we've all had our turn with sleepless nights, upset stomachs, hurt, confusion, brokenness...but one situation in particular has really caused some deep soul searching.  To ignore it, is foolish.  To act out in anger, foolish.  The only solution has been to pray about it.  There is nothing too big for God.  So with each action - we give it to God and forgive.  We love, we keep pressing forward trusting He has it all in control.  What we don't do is get so wrapped up in it that we lose our peace.

Today if you have something troubling you I encourage you to let go of it, put it in God's hands and forgive the offender.  You need peace in your life, just as I do.  Don't go around gossiping about it - take it to the Lord, your hurt is safe with Him.  In doing so, you will become stronger.

Each day is a gift and a new chance to begin fresh...#startingover15
Here's to forgiveness!!  May we all freely give and freely receive!!

Living with purpose

It's an incredible realization...to find your purpose.

Each of us have to search that out.  I don't believe we should be like leaves in the wind being tossed about and then left to be walked on.  I believe we should seek to discover...  Who am I?  What do I want to do?  How can I leave a positive mark on the lives of those in my reach?

So many of us spend years looking for ourselves.  We never quite figure out who we are or what we want to be until something major happens in our life.  It may be the birth of a child, the death of a friend or loved one, a marriage or divorce...whatever it is - it causes us to take a serious inventory of our life and decide if we really know and like who we are, and do we want to change?

For me - it seems like life has taken so many twists and turns that I've had to truly learn to look to God for my identity.  For years I was...Roland and Margie's daughter, Jamie.  Then I was Jamie Lynn, then I was Staci's little sister, then I was Jamie...or Stowell...then I became a wife...then I was Kaitlyn and Aubrey's mom... then I was single again and became a "single mom"....then I became a gramma....now I am my most favorite version of myself... I am Jamie Baker....wife of Greg, gramma, mom, friend...and daughter of the King of Kings.

No matter what happens in life - that's who I am!  I am blessed...I am favored.  No part of my identity can be taken from me, those titles will forever remain!!

My job is to love, encourage, support, create, pray for and cultivate good memories for the remainder of my years on this earth....What an incredible position in life! Such purpose!!

As we #startover15 let us remember if we have God on our side, love in our lives....everything will work out for our good!