Today I was challenged by a happenstance swipe up on facebook. 

I have a love/hate relationship with social media…it helps in so many ways. It also hurts in so many ways. People can share things that are life-changing and life-giving and then there are those that spew vile acid, some even on those they claim to love. It can provide important insights into people’s realities and it can be an easy mask to hide behind. It can provide a glimpse into truth and it can manipulate and twist the truth so it’s unrecognizable. 

Like everyone, slowing down to actually read words takes effort and time and I almost missed it. But I didn’t. 

I happened to see a post from one of my friends and the web of shares and likes and comments is thousands of people deep…but I went right to the source. I searched “Alex Cravens” and saw his original post…and this is what he wrote: “Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but be hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions den. He know David could handle Goliath. He know Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenges they face in their life if they trust in Him. He created them specifically for it! Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this. Just some thoughts from a dad who is rocking his sleeping baby and thinking what a crazy day it has been in our country.”

What an incredible and hopeful challenge. And it so speaks out what is in my heart. With all of the trauma I’ve experienced in my own life, I know the nearness of God in the depths, I know His goodness even in the mess, I know His grace in the pain and I know His mercies endure forever. May I model this for my girls and empower them to walk boldly into each step.

Today I…
Sunday: Learned
Monday: Chose; said yes/no to
Tuesday: Loved
Wednesday: Prayed
Thursday: Was challenged by/to 
Friday: Am grateful for 
Saturday: Saw grace in

*Post 1012

Neverland :: 1/7/18 :: Post 130

Round 5 has sucked. I’m at day 5 and haven’t slept, I’ve thrown up (or dry heaved) more this round than the others, and my resolve is crumbling away…bit by bit. 

I find myself pissed tonight. I loathe this chapter of my story. I don’t care if there is purpose. I hate that I (and my family) have to go through this. It doesn’t matter to me tonight that I’m almost done…cuz I’m really not. 

I know emotions are temporary. I know circumstances are, too. 

I know it won’t always feel like this. 

But tonight, I wanna scream and curse and throw things. I want to be magically lifted out of this story. I want to find the escape route to Neverland and never return. 

Ugh :: 1/7/19 :: Post 482

Tired. This day was rough. And I get so annoyed fighting with my chemo foggy brain. Ugh. 

No post for 1/7/20