Ok, I don't know if I would call it a milestone, per say, but let's go with it for lack of a better word...
Last month I turned 40. Where are my fellow 40-club friends? Would you consider that a milestone?
I guess to have survived this crazy ride called life for 40 years could be considered a pretty big deal. It felt like just another day, though my family and friends did make it very special for me (this is what happens when we are locked up to long, LOL)...
...but when you reach those (let's call them) mile-marker moments in life, it does cause you to pause and reflect, doesn't it?
For me, it was a moment of looking back and becoming so thankful for everything that God has brought me through. I felt myself being transported back into times in my life that were really hard, only this time I could see things so much more clearly. Having 'made it' through to the other side, I can now see exactly how God was using each situation as a way to grow me or help someone else. Maybe some day I will open up here and talk about all of it, but I can say with assurance had it not been for God's hand on my life I would not be where I am today.
Having God in your life, or rather committing your life to God's hands, does NOT mean that it will be free from trials, disappointments, heartache, sickness, or utter devastation... it does NOT mean that you will never hit rock bottom, be beat up, broken, or crushed...
It DOES mean that He will use every one of those instances to remold and reshape you into the person that He is creating you to be. Each time you are broken, He remakes you into something better. Each time you are crushed (seemingly beyond repair), He sweeps up the shattered pieces and the dust, breathes new life into them and turns them into something so much more beautiful than they were before. Not one piece is ever wasted.
The most beautiful part about all that, is that He will then cause your path to cross with the paths of others who find themselves in a place where you have already been. If you allow Him to, He will use you and all your painful past experiences to speak directly into the life of someone else... Him working through you to bless them.
"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:4
The crazy part about how God works sometimes, is that I believe He will cause you to walk through storms for the sole purpose of you then being able to comfort someone else walking through the same thing. It has nothing at all to do with you. Part of being a good steward over ALL the things God has entrusted to us, means accepting the good with the (seemingly) bad. God uses all things for our good and His glory, and sometimes for the benefit of others, they just seem bad to us in the moment.
I challenge you today, friend... whatever it is that you are facing right now... ask God to reveal to you how it can be used for His glory. Take the focus off of you, and look up. Maybe even take a minute to look around. Is there someone else who is facing a similar situation? Or is there someone else who has already come through it and they are stronger because of it?
#1 - There is someone out there waiting to comfort you, God promised it.
#2 - There is someone out there waiting to be comforted, God promised it.
Your situation either puts you in category #1 or is preparing you for category #2.
Embrace it.
Gather all the seeds that you can find right now... comfort, understanding, acceptance, perseverance, knowledge, love... and be ready to sow them into the lives of others... some seeds are only found in the storm.
Until next time... Blessings!
I am so glad that you decided to stick around!
Last week I promised you an awesome freebie, and I know you won't be disappointed!
Last week I promised you an awesome freebie, and I know you won't be disappointed!
-----//-----
While I am not an avid gardener, I do enjoy getting my hands dirty every once in a while. :)
There is something so symbolic about gardening, and I seem to draw so many analogies from the entire process.
Talk about stewardship, right?!? You have been entrusted with this teeny, tiny, little seed... that is LOADED with potential! Your job is to keep it from dying. No pressure!
Not only that, but as it grows, how you choose to nurture and tend to it will have a direct result on your harvest.
- You can't water it just once a week and expect it to stay hydrated.
- You can't feed it nasty fertilizer filled with harmful chemicals and expect it to be wholesome.
- You can't tend it a couple times a month and expect it to not get choked out by weeds.
You see, there is more to just keeping it from dying if you want it to actually thrive!
Are you thriving in life? If your answer is no, ask yourself why.
Are you being a good steward over your seeds?
I'm going to give you some time to draw your own analogies and maybe ask yourself some tough questions. How do those three points above directly relate to the garden of your life?
You are the seed; if you aren't growing, why?
Oh friend, we have so much to dig into over the coming weeks and months!
-----//-----
Now, let's chat actual gardening with actual seeds that produce amazing goodness!
Have you ever considered using essential oils in your gardening practices as a safer way of helping your seeds to thrive?
Things like weeds, pests, and bad harvests show up in every garden, every year. But I have your ticket to tackling even the hardest of seasons. I want to give you some tricks and recipes to keep up your sleeve that will help you succeed from the day the seed goes in the ground ‘til the day you harvest it.
Using essential oils in the gardening process will help you garden in a way that results in fruits and veggies that have been lovingly cared for in the most organic way. You can even achieve that affordably, sustainably, and without the use of harsh chemicals, friend!
Using essential oils in the gardening process will help you garden in a way that results in fruits and veggies that have been lovingly cared for in the most organic way. You can even achieve that affordably, sustainably, and without the use of harsh chemicals, friend!
To help you get started, I have this FABULOUS 11-page Gardening Journal that I would like to give you for FREE!
You can print the pages you need, and file the rest away for later. Use this over and over again each year as you plan out those tasks that will be profitable, make your list and check it twice, and utilize the safe, effective recipes provided.
You can CLAIM YOUR FREEBIE HERE and it will be delivered right to your inbox! PLUS, I will include the link for my FREE Gardening + Oils Masterclass that will give you insider tips to make your gardening experience pleasant and fruitful. If you are curious about non-harmful ways to keep your pets out of the garden, keep unwanted growers at bay, and how to attract more pollinators to promote plant reproduction, then this is for you!
Once you snag your journal, I would love for you to come right back here and drop a comment below letting me know how you plan to use it. Let's chat it up, and learn from each other as we go!
Until next time... Blessings!
Other ways to connect...
Hop over to my FREE Facebook Community where we dig deeper into each week's blog post...
Grab my FREE 'Guide to Stewarding Your Mind, Body and Money'
That’s where I found myself this morning so as I was on my knees getting my hands dirty, God was using this to teach me a lesson. I pray you find some value in it as well.
Read more...
If you are one who is wanting to be a become a better steward over your mind, your money, your body, your (you fill in the blank)... you may want to check this out and snag my free guide :)
Read more...
