Do you ever feel STUCK? In 2000, I began looking for answers to some tough questions in my life. I'd searched high & low and finally conceded to search the promises found in the Bible. Those promises have sustained & guided me through the loss of a parent, the struggle with anxiety & depression, the loss of a valued relationship and so much more! I've found joy amid the pain. And, I want to share it with you!
Today... I'm going to try very hard to CHANT THE BEAUTY OF THE GOOD. Real life isn't a picnic. Neither is real love or... real "almost anything" But, today I am encouraging YOU (and me) to shout out about the BEAUTIFUL GOOD to be found around us. In the words of Emerson:
"Don't waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good." ~ Ralph W. Emerson #quotes
Last year... was especially a hard one for me. As a matter of fact the first half of this year hasn't been a lot better. We've experience loss, illness, death, injuries, sadness and a lot of trials! I'm reminded that my story isn't that unique when compared to the stories of others. LIFE is hard for all of us. The price of deep love might feel as though it will kill you. But, those feelings are usually just the "painful middle" in what will turn out to be a beautiful story. I'm a daughter, a spouse, a parent and a grandparent. My parent is aging and experiencing challenges that often seem surmountable. My grandchild has faced and will face many situations we had hoped would never happen. And... my children aren't really "children" anymore.
SIDE THOUGHT: Did anyone else out there think that when your child turned 21 that the biggest part of your "parent job" would be over?
Well, I guess it is... the "parent job" is pretty much over by then. But, the love for each child never diminishes. The hopes & dreams you had in your heart as you held your infant have grown & flourished. You still hurt when your children hurt. And, their pain is no longer a skinned knee or bruised elbow from falling while playing. Their pain can be from loss of a job or a failed relationship or an unmet goal or a dreaded medical diagnosis or... The list of things which we cannot protect our loved ones from goes on & on & on. How do we cope with that? What about the times when we can't really share what our family is going through out of respect for our loved ones? What do we do when our involvement is no longer desired from those we love? Life is full of times when we find ourselves "waiting on the porch" again to see an answer to unanswered prayers? Once again I find myself...
I'm finding myself at a loss for words... and the funny thing is... it's okay... Finding myself in the midst of Him, beyond the music - beyond the noise Word of God speak; pour down like rain; washing my eyes to see Your majesty Be still and know that You're in this place... Please let me stay at rest in Your holiness... All that I need is to be with You and in the quiet to hear Your voice... Word of God speak; pour down like rain; washing my eyes to see Your majesty Be still and know that You're in this place... Please let me stay at rest in Your holiness... I'm finding myself at a loss for words... and the funny thing is... it's okay!
Five Minute Friday, 21 June 2019 The word: question For the past 18 months, I've been battling a huge question... "Where were you in all of this God... when things started to unravel." For the first time that I can remember in my adult life, I've been thrown by a situation which occurred that was in direct violation with what I felt was the Lord's will. I did everything humanly & spiritually possible to make sure that I felt the Lord's hand upon this situation since mid 2012. And... I had a total peace about what was happening & what I felt was God's will to happen. But then... in late 2017, it began to unravel. The process was pretty fast... but, felt like it stopped time. During that time, I continued to pray for the will of the Lord - feeling & believing that I knew what that was. But, when all was said & done... things didn't work out as I had hoped, prayed, desired...
"Where were you in all of this God..."
Though my world was shaken... and continues to feel unsteady, I am not giving up on the faithfulness of the Lord. I am trusting that He sees down the road and that He is at work in all of this. BONUS: A great video from Mercy Me and exactly how I have felt...
God is always present, always at work, so there are no God-forsaken situations, only situations that have been forsaken by His followers. God is answering our question with another one,
"I’m right here; where are you?'” ~ Mark DeVries #quotes
HOW DID I MISS POSTING THIS ONE :D New beginnings are on the way in 2019... Saying good-bye to 2018 and looking ahead to 2019! Giving thanks for family, friends, faith... and more!
This has been as especially tough year for "mrs. stuckinindiana". There have been changes that were NEVER anticipated. There have been times of disbelief and denial. There have been questions about what God had spoken in the past years. There were questions about what the future would hold... what the past has meant... AND there have been QUESTIONS: Is this anything that is specific to only me... mrs stuckinindiana??? NO! Life holds disappointments & hardships & confusion for all! How do we walk the days ahead? We must walk as if we are CONFIDENT in the HOPE of a brighter tomorrow. Because... we are CONFIDENT that tomorrow will show us that GOD wasn't surprised by what happened... and that God has been planning ahead for this... HIS HAND IN ALL OF THIS WILL BE SEEN! Nothing that was ordained by Him is forgotten... nothing that has been blessed by Him will be un-blessed! He is working for the BEST for each of us! Here are a few posts shared by us from https://www.facebook.com/stuckinindiana/
Have you ever looked back on a long period of time(12 months or more) and said to yourself.... That was the WORST YEAR EVER! Have you ever been so very certain of something to only watch it implode in front of you? Have you cried out to God and earnestly pleaded for what you felt deeply was His will - something of which you believed to be His will all along. Have you cried out to Jesus... for Him to restore what was broken... for Him to show up mightily on behalf of hurting loved ones... for Him to soften hardened hearts & heal injured souls? I was brought up in a "Christian" home. And, by that I mean... a family who walked the talk... a preacher's family where a daily, personal relationship with the Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) was taught and lived out. The choice for me to be a "believer" was more so for my family in my younger years. But over time, I came to understand, choose and grow into my very own personal relationship with Christ. Over the years I've experienced a peace that passes understanding through my faith (Philippians 4:7)... in times of death, disappointment, illness, hurt, loss of relationship, rejection, fear, and more. * I walked the road of cancer with my father believing fully that at any moment God would heal Dad's earthly body and feeling the perfect will of God as I sat by my dad and heard his body let out it's last breath. It was a very hard year. But, in the end, my heart knew that what had happened was in God's perfect timing. * I was lied to and betrayed by a person that I felt would always be a huge part of my life. It was years before I saw what a blessing that rejection had actually been for me & my future. * I've lain awake many a night wondering about the safety of a dear, loved one. I've cried countless tears over the choices and their consequences from decisions made contrary to what I would have suggested. I've felt bullied, badgered & belittled for my feelings & faith in many of those times. I'm still waiting for some of those things to be resolved. But, I believe that they will. * And, I could go on... My story probably isn't any different than most others. However, I've had the peace and assurance that God was at work in all situations... working for the best --- our best! Often that peace has been painful. I'm still confused about how certain things turned out. I still wonder if some of my prayers are being sent up in accordance to His will or just to heal the pain I experience. Each day is a new beginning of trusting & believing that it will all be fine, in the end. So, for those out there who have had similar thoughts to... Worst Day Ever... Worst Week Ever... Worst Month Ever... WORST YEAR EVER, know that you are not alone in those feelings. Be encouraged that sometimes things are falling into place when you are certain they are falling apart. A scripture that I cling to is...
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT http://bible.com/116/rom.8.28.nlt
Some songs that have helped in times of struggle -- in the past year especially...
Five Minute Friday, 21 June 2019
We must walk as if we are CONFIDENT in the HOPE of a brighter tomorrow. Because... we are CONFIDENT that tomorrow will show us that GOD wasn't surprised by what happened... and that God has been planning ahead for this... 
