and counting...

Excerpt from her journal 2/28/10,

Lord,

I Thank You for giving me the ability to take it one day at a Time and Worry is No Longer my weakness.

Thank You for teaching Me to Give everything to You, to Rest on Your Promises and to Live by Faith.

Thank You for Bringing Me to a New Higher Level & Teaching Me to Fully Depend on You.

Thank You for Teaching Me to Listen and Discern your Voice and for the Future Plans you have Laid out for Me and My Family.

In Jesus Precious name, Amen.

Expect A Miracle

3 months...

Taking the Initiative Against Depression by Oswald Chambers

Feb. 17, 2012

Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5

The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.

Just a daily reminder to arise and eat. To do the simple things, do not scorn the little things. This goes out to everyone who feels like they've lost hope, arise and eat! If you ever feel down, remember...

Expect a miracle daily. (:

-Liana S.

Growing Pains

I'm ony 19 years old, yet life feels so tough. Why?

It’s so easy to focus on the things I lost. My family’s home, my mom, close friends, strength and inspiration… yet I seem to forget that God can give, but He also can take away. And in all circumstances, I have nothing else left but a thankful heart. I still thank Him for giving me what he did, even if it was for a short time. It’s hard, but there is nothing left to do but continue forward.

Nothing will ever replace what was lost. A mother’s wisdom. A friend’s shoulder to cry on. A home’s warmth and comfort. The memories made are endless and will always remain. This may be the toughest thing to swallow. But it’s not over. Dark times serve a purpose. Reality hits hard…but life is still a gift. Hoping to use my experiences as a way to uplift and help others who will go through the same struggle.

Love your parents because as much as we think they won’t grow older, they do. Cherish your friends because you never know when you’ll lose one. Make the most of being in school because tuition will only go up from here. Push through, be patient and work hard with getting into classes despite if you're wait-listed or not because the ones who are determined enough to get into a class will surely get into it. Be thankful if you live at home because you’ll miss it once you leave it. Work hard if you have a job because it will definitely pay off later. Forgive others as He has forgiven you, and most of all, forgive yourself.

The pain I feel from losing people only motivates me to love others more. I’ll cherish what I have now, so that whenever it leaves me again, I’ll proudly say that I made the most of what was given to me.

"So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. "

~ 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 (The Message)

Good morning, everyone!

I'm not sure if it was last night or the night before when I was laying in bed thinking about music and BAM! I realized that I might've not shared this song! Which would be quite a blunder on my part since during my Mom's month long journey at the hospital, this song helped sustain me and many of those around me. So how could I not share it? Be blessed!

Thank you, God that we are alive today.

Expect a miracle and have a beautiful morning!