Lessons from a butterfly
EXCERPT: "Susan Monk Kidd wrote in When the Heart Waits, "To incubate means to create the conditions necessary for development." Such conditions include darkness. Kidd states that darkness is crucial to the process of incubating a new form of life, for it to grow and emerge. Even babies are incubated in darkness in the womb while they wait for birth. Therefore, waiting in darkness does not have to symbolise a terrible process. We can be grateful for this period because this darkness has created conditions necessary for our development and growth. "
Welcome to wherever you are
EXCERPT: So wherever you are in life right now, it is not for nothing. God is with you wherever you go and can use you wherever you are.
Living life
EXCERPT: "Life is a gift worth living…how you decide to live it, is your gift to yourself."
encouragement and perseverance
EXCERPT: People may tell you often that something is "not possible" or that "it will never work out." These are earthly terms. With God's terms, anything is possible. Through God, you can do anything through Him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:1
Choosing joy
EXCERPT: "Does having joy mean that you should never be sad or mad? No! There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a temporary state of emotion that expresses your enjoyment and satisfaction with your current circumstances. True joy is found when you know that despite what your circumstances are, there is something inside of you that is stronger than the mountains you face."
GROWING FROM PAIN
EXCERPT: "When you experience pain, think of them as growing pains too....because through suffering, we build our resilience, our endurance, and our strength."
getting back up again
EXCERPT: "I am not just speaking literally about getting back up on our feet. Look at Christopher Reeves - the man who played Superman in the original movies. After an equestrian accident, he became a quadriplegic. But he was able to "get back up again" with his spirit of hope through his struggles, and continued to be an inspiration for many."
A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
EXCERPT: Troubled waters present uncertainty, doubt, fear, anxiety and the unknown. Sometimes when a friend needs us, we can be a bridge for them because we also have wounds and therefore can sympathize and understand what they are going through. We can be a bridge from a heavy heart to a lighthearted smile, from doubt to hope, from anxiety to peace.