Birthday Surprise! It's Denise.

Happy Wednesday and Thanksgiving Eve! Today's post is from my cousin Denise. She is no newbie here, you can read her 2012 Birthday Surprise HERE. Praying that the promises of God that Denise shares, may be engraved in your heart and and ever present help in time of need. God bless YOU! 

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You are not alone 

Have you ever been in a crowd of people and felt completely isolated? It's that feeling where you are physically present but no one notices.  I have been hearing this topic from a several people lately. They tell me how they feel lonely, like they don't have any friends, like no one cares but they are constantly surrounded by people. My normal response is, "I know exactly how you feel." 

I spent most of my life feeling this way.  I dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression as a teenager.  I became a Christian once I was in college and Jesus changed my life forever. Most of my fear went away but even as a Christian, there are still those moments where the devil tries to take hold.

I go into these random moments of depression where I feel lost, like I'm in a deep pit and I'm sinking and I can't ever get out again. I have traveled across the country, to the other side of the world even, but nothing is as sad, scary and dark as this place.  

As a Christian, I recognize that there is no reason to stay there. I have a mighty God who loves me unconditionally and will never leave me. Sometimes I wonder why God allows me to go back there again and now I know that it's because, when I get out of it, I love Him even more and cling to Him desperately. 

I was reading Isaiah 60:20 the other night and this verse really encouraged me.  "Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end."

There are times when I feel like I don't even want to be on this earth. Before Christ, these thoughts were filled with despair, they were suicidal because I didn't understand what the point of my existence was. Now when I have these thoughts it's more of a longing and a hope that one day I will be in my real home with Jesus. 

"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." Hebrews 13:14 

So now as I wait for that glorious moment when Jesus rescues me from this cruel world, I have to make the best of it and live my life by honoring and worshiping him.  I don't feel so lost in the crowd anymore, because I know that my satisfaction does not come from humans, it comes from the Lord. 

Though I might still feel lonely at times deep down I know that I have someone who loves me unconditionally and is always by my side. 

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7 

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you." Psalms 9:10

So if you are feeling lonely or like you don't belong, instead of turning to people to fill that void, turn to Jesus, the only one who can satisfy you.   

"Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. Psalms 17:15 

Birthday Surprise! It's Priscilla

Happy Tuesday. Two years ago my friend Priscilla shared with us on taking leaps of faith, click HERE to read. Today she shares with us her greatest joy, being a mommy. A beautiful post this is and a lovely read for soon to be mommies! Without further ado, here is Priscilla. 

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Unconditional LoveThe word unconditional means not limited in any way: complete and absolute.

Jesus’ love for us is unconditional, He clearly portrayed that love to us on the cross. 

A mother’s love for her child is unconditional. It is complete and absolute just like the Father’s love towards us. A mother’s job is never ending, it goes on all day and all night. A mother has no vacations, no time off and no sick days. With each new day, a mothers love and responsibility will grow deeper and deeper. Motherhood is a blessing.
When I woke up on the morning of February 28th, I had no idea that my life would forever change. I was 38 weeks pregnant and I was going in for a routine checkup with my doctor before heading to work.

I wasn't ready for what my doctor was about to tell me. My blood pressure and weight had spiked up in the last week and I had developed something called preeclampsia. I knew I was swollen but I had no idea how serious it was. My doctor ordered me to go home, grab my bags and head to the hospital for an induction. I remember being so scared. I was crying and panicking because I wasn't ready, I still had 2 weeks left! I needed more time!

10 or so hours of labor later, at 11:52 that night, I was carrying my baby girl safely in my arms. My heart began to flood with feelings and emotions that I had never felt before. So much love, joy, peace and excitement. I have a daughter, I am a mother. I began sobbing. I knew that I had received the greatest blessing. I never wanted to let her go. I had so much respect and admiration for all moms, especially mine. I leaned over and gave her a tight hug and thanked her for bringing me into this world. I had so much love for my husband and so much more love for God. My heart was full! I felt that unconditional love.

The next few weeks were, by far, the most exciting and challenging. I was in a lot of pain, physically, but my spirit was so joyful and full of love for my little family. I was very sleep deprived but I didn’t seem to care. Things that were once important to me were no longer important. My daughter’s well being was at the top of my list.

On Thanksgiving day, my sweet little Abigail Ruth will be nine months old. These last few months have been the most rewarding and the most challenging months for me as a new mom. Moving to a new town when Abby was just a few months old, transitioning from being a working mom to being a stay at home mom, and being away from loved ones. To know that you are needed by someone 24 hours a day can be challenging, but I wouldn’t trade being a mom for the world. It is a huge blessing and a privilege that many cannot have.

My number one priority is to please God and to be a godly wife and mother. I want my daughter to live for Jesus.I pray that she accepts the Lord into her little heart and that she experiences His unconditional love and that she lives to please Him. I pray that she becomes a strong, God fearing woman. As crazy as it may sound to some, I pray for her husband. I pray that the Lord will send her a godly man who will love and respect her. Finally, I pray that the Lord will continue to give me and Pedro the wisdom and strength to raise our daughter in His ways so that she may honor Him in everything that she does.

Abigail Ruth is our gift from the Lord and I love her unconditionally. I love being her Mama and I’m so thankful that the Lord chose me and Pedro to be her parents. 

Priscilla and Abby

little Abigail Ruth "Abby"