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Grow Through What You Go Through

Grace MaeLeave a comment

🌱Grow through what you go through! 🌱

If you’ve been following me for any time now you probably know that I like to be 60768785_2257299101200538_3828098823301890048_otransparent and honest with you all. I like to speak what’s on my heart. ⠀⠀

Recently I’ve opened up with struggling a lot with life, health issues, my ministry, and writing. It’s scary to be vulnerable with you but I want you to see not just the good but the messy and hard. I don’t want you to think I’m perfect because God knows I’m far from it. I want you to know that I’m relatable and human just like you. ⠀
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I’ve had a few deep conversations with close friends and mentors lately. Each of them reminded me that it’s okay to feel like this. It’s okay to have fears and concerns. It’s okay to have doubts. ⠀
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What’s not okay is to let them hold me captive. ⠀⠀
Something that they reminded me is that instead, I need to think about all the good things that God has done and give thanks. Now, this doesn’t mean these thoughts are bad. It just means I can’t let them constantly consume me. Even when it’s hard I need to still give praise to God. ⠀⠀⠀

Every day God is teaching me something.⠀⠀
Every day God is showing me a truth.⠀⠀
Every day God continues to be faithful.⠀⠀
Every day God shows His unconditional love for me.⠀⠀
Every day even through the pain of my circumstances God is good. ⠀

I’m learning and growing through these trials and hardships. I’m learning to be open and honest with others. I’m learning that I’m not alone and have amazing support and community of friends. ⠀
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I don’t know what you are facing today. I don’t need to know. God knows what you are going through. I’m here to remind you that I’m praying for you. I’m praying that you continue to grow. ⠀⠀
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Grow in your faith and that through your pain, hurt, and fears cling to the promise that God is with you every step of the way.

Circumstances Don’t Define You

Grace MaeLeave a comment

Can I be honest with you for a minute? ⠀
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It’s so easy to get caught up in your emotions. I’ve been struggling with doubt lately.

You see if you know me, my relationship with JESUS means everything to me. Lately, my circumstances have been testing my faith big time.

I feel like I’m less of a Christian because I struggle with doubting what I believe.⠀
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52A20F32-E56A-4236-8562-617465948E9EGod, when is it my turn? ⠀
When will I see you answer my prayers? ⠀
When will I see you move in my life? ⠀
When will my circumstances change? ⠀
Are my prayers really making a difference? ⠀

The truth is I try to live the life that is pleasing to God yet I feel like I’m stuck. Health issues, singleness, watching others get answers to their prayers, and still nothing for me. ⠀

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in all of these thoughts that I start to doubt and wonder if they define who I am. ⠀⠀

My circumstances suck and are hard right now but I just gotta keep trusting even if I don’t want to. I can’t give up. I know there’s purpose and a reason for all this pain but it’s so hard to see the reason right now. ⠀
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I do believe God knows what He is doing. I met with my amazing mentor Casey yesterday for lunch and she reminded me that though it’s hard God does hear our prayers even when we don’t see the results right away. I’m so blessed to have her in my life to speak truth and love over me. ⠀
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God’s timing last night at anthem was so needed. During worship, I lost it and was crying and felt moved to walk to the side of the room. There was Deanna who I just hugged while I let it go and cried. She prayed with me, encouraged me, and reminded me that I don’t have to go through this alone. I love her so much and thankful that God used her in my life. ⠀
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Life may throw you curve balls at times, but when you go through the hard times surround yourself with people who will speak life into you, pray for you, encourage you, but most of all walk alongside you. ⠀


Don’t give up and even when you doubt keep trusting God. ⠀
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I don’t know what the outcome of my circumstances may be. ⠀
I may never get the answer I want. ⠀
I may never get my turn. ⠀
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I do know that even when it hurts and even when the pain is overwhelming God is good.

Mentoring Isn’t for the Faint of Heart

Grace MaeLeave a comment

Mentoring is an important part of life. It’s something that I feel like everyone needs. The idea of someone consistently pouring into your life that you trust to give you advice, call you out when you need it and just be there for you is amazing. However, let me just tell you that being a mentor isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it’s probably one of the hardest things to do that will stretch you and test your limits.

Now before you get the wrong idea, I’m all for mentoring and in fact, I am mentoring someone right now. While I really am passionate about it and pouring myself into it I keep finding myself constantly being attacked by the enemy. You see, anytime that you are doing something for the good of God’s kingdom, Satan will attack you and hit you where it hurts the most.

Spiritual warfare is real and dangerous! That’s a whole other post I could write about but for the sake of time and not to confuse you I will get back to my point. 

You see, there’s a difference between having a mentor and having a best friend. If there’s one thing that I have learned over the last month of mentoring it is this. Let your best friend be your best friend and don’t expect them to mentor you. Let me explain myself a little bit more. You might be thinking well I trust my best friend to give me sound advice and she knows me better than anyone. While that may be true, the problem is she does know you better and therefore can’t be neutral in giving you advice.

Now, this doesn’t mean you should ignore your friend’s advice it just means you need to be careful and also have a mentor in your life as well that can help you with making the right decision.

A mentor is supposed to be someone who:

  • is a role model
  • someone who believes in you
  • encourages you
  • available in times of crisis
  • provides accountability
  • promotes spiritual growth
  • helps you achieve goals
  • provides trusted counsel

These are very important parts of what a mentor is. It’s not an easy road or journey but it’s definitely worth it. Helping someone grow in their relationship with Jesus is great and honestly the best feeling in the world. Just don’t get distracted by the enemy’s lies and attacks. Anytime you are doing something to further the kingdom of God the enemy is right there waiting to attack.

Mentoring is a gift but it’s not for the faint of heart.

TRUST…Even in the Hard!

Grace MaeLeave a comment

Deep breath, it’s all going to be okay. I just gotta keep trusting. At least that is what I keep telling myself every day. This past weekend I attended my local IF GATHERING women conference. The whole theme was on trusting God. Can I just say that the messages of the speakers just hit hard with me and convicted me? Well, that was definitely the case.

Trusting God is something that I say all the time but am I REALLY trusting Him?  

It’s not always easy to trust God especially when circumstances are hard and you feel like you are drowning but it is always worth it to trust God. My own life has been filled with more hard, dark times than one 23 years old should have to deal with and still I haven’t lost my faith. Okay I lied, I’ve questioned it several times but haven’t completely lost it.

The words “am I trusting God?” really hit me hard and it made me stop and think. Wow, what a stab to the heart. I was convicted. You see I say that I trust God because I really want to but the question is am I willingly placing my trust in Him?

It’s not easy to trust God at times especially when circumstances seem to be shaking my faith to the core. Even when life hits me so hard I want to trust God but my own human side of me doesn’t understand why. You see when we are faced with hard, dark times and seasons of hard circumstances it’s so easy to ask God the question of where are you? I know from personal experience that I’ve asked this question more times than I’d like to admit.

One quote that stuck out to me was from Shantara McBride: 

Don’t ask God to agree with me but instead trust Him because He is asking you over and over again to trust Him. 

PROVERBS 3:5-6 tells us: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

You see, you have to know what is true in God but also what is not true. Galatians talks about how we can take the truth and alter it slightly and it becomes false. Sometimes the truth makes us uncomfortable. When it does, remember that you have to reject that the approval of people is greater than the authority of God.

TRUST in God! Get to know Him and all the truth He has to offer. Spend time with Him. Investing time spent with God is not easy but always worth it. You just have to believe that trusting God and His pursuit of us is worth it.

The bottom line to this post or story is this. I’m not perfect. I struggle with trusting God just as much as the person reading this. The only difference is that even though I do struggle and openly admit it I do know one thing.

WE SERVE A BIG GOD!!!! Even though the hardest times may hit and you don’t understand know that your feelings are valid. It’s okay to doubt and question. Just don’t stay that way. You have a choice and I pray you will choose to trust God. I know I am.

Read the Bible in a Year or Not?

Grace Mae2 Comments

One of the goals that I set for myself last year in 2018 was to read the Bible through in a year. I was pretty consistent and kept up with it until about March. Life happened and while that is still no excuse I fell behind and just got discouraged so I gave up. Fast forward to 2019 and I set the same goal again. This year I was determined not to get behind and really keep up with it. I even bought one of the chronological journaling/coloring Bibles to help me stay focused. Well, I managed to keep up for the first month despite getting sick with the flu twice. While it was good, I kept feeling like God was telling me to stop.

Now first off I’d like to say that I’m not out to offend or bash you if you decide to read the Bible through in a year. I think it’s great. Many of my friends do and I support that 100%. However, take into consideration the why behind reading it.

Are you reading the Bible just so you can say you did it and cross it off your list or are you reading the Bible to learn and open your heart to what God has to say and learn? 

My word for the year is INTENTIONAL! I want to have all the right intentions for why I read my Bible. I started feeling like I had to read my Bible just so I can cross it off my list. It was like checking off the box for the day. I wasn’t fully digging deeper and thinking about what I was reading. It’s kinda like just going through the motions because it was the right thing to do. That’s when I heard God speak to me.

Grace, I want you to stop trying to read your Bible through in a year. I want you to start reading it so I can speak and teach you. Stop and pause, write down what you are learning and all the truths I have for you that are in my Word. 

WOW, thank you for bringing this to my attention God! I want to read my Bible because I want to know you more and continue to grow not because I want to check it off my list each day.

If you are wanting to grow and really read your Bible to learn I am going to share with you a few practical tips of what I am doing in hopes that it will encourage you. While each of us will take away different truths from the Bible and what we read here are what I think will help you.

  1. Start with Prayer- Prayer is important and by starting with it we are asking God to open our heart, soul, and mind to what He has for us and how we can learn and grow from what we are reading.
  2. Journal – Be sure you have a journal or some sort of notebook or paper handy. As a writer I love words and by writing it helps me process. Write down questions, verses, or anything that comes to mind while you are reading and studying.
  3. Worship Music – I love having worship music playing in the background. It just helps set the mood. Music speaks to my soul and it just calms me down. Right now I am loving the new album Follow You Anywhere by Passion Music. It’s my jam and pretty much is playing nonstop.
  4. Coffee – Okay you really don’t need coffee but it definitely helps.

While I want to be able to give you 1-2-3 steps and tell you that if you do that it will be easy but I can’t. We are all on our own unique journey of faith. I would love to hear your thoughts about this topic. Feel free to comment or send me a message.