Tag Archives: hope

When Your Problem Isn’t Solved In 5 Easy Steps

Growing up, my favorite sitcom was Full House. DJ Tanner and I were the same age and we both had best friends who lived next door. Every Friday night at 8 P.M, I sat in front of my t.v. to see what was going on in the Tanner house. I watched DJ, Michelle and Stephanie grow up into adults and have all their problems solved in exactly 22 minutes.

Now I have a family of my own with seven kids ranging from 17-2. Life is busy in my Little Red House. Between preparing for high school graduations and potty training my youngest, those Friday nights seem like a life time ago. Life was simpler back then. With a turn of the dial, the TV was turned off and forgotten. Life was black and white.

Not anymore. Technology has made wondrous leaps and bounds. We can accomplish things we only dreamed about 20+ years ago. Facetime and smart phones allow us to connect with people on the other side of the world with one swipe of our finger. But, with this giant leap for mankind, comes much adversity.

I have had a heavy heart lately regarding the internet. I have been praying about and hiding from it. I stopped blogging. I pulled myself away from my online communities and focused on my work. What once was a girl who could pour her heart out on the keys daily, now was someone who didn’t even have the words to make a sentence. My blog page sat empty…

The truth is, for me, the internet turned into noise… static.

Loud static.

With every click, I ran across blog after blog, e-book after e-book, each one promising me something different. Each blog guaranteeing me a perfect home, marriage, meal, relationship with Jesus. 5 easy steps. That’s all it took. All I had to do was read it.

Fluffy words that made me feel good for only the moment, long, flowy sentences that were so pleasing to read but left me sadder and empty the moment I got up from my computer and turned to see the reality of life: messy kids, a shedding dog and stacks of to-do lists…

My kindle sits there full of catchy-titled, unread, $1.99 books – more things looking to fill my mind and steal my time….

So, I simply stopped.

I stopped reading blogs. I stopped writing mine. I stopped following my favorite writers and conversing with my blog friends. I turned down invites to attend conferences and broke all of my writing commitments. I stepped off the platform that was overcrowded with noise and left.

And then I began thinking… What if the enemy was using the very instrument that has been blessing us as a curse?

What if his goal is to flood our minds with SO much information, how tos and 5 easy steps that we have no time to sit and hear HIM!

What if the roaring lion actually disguised himself as a sweet, innocent lamb? What if we were actually looking to the internet more frequently for answers to our problems and not Jesus? What, if we as a society got so over-run with noise that we were not able to hear HIS VOICE?

And that is when my heart got heavy. That is where I was able to pinpoint why I was running. Because I know I was guilty of this too. Our life is so noisy that we can’t hear the one voice that will heal. The ONE voice that holds the answer, the only voice that matters: Jesus.

As I put down my iphone, I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had picked up my Bible. It was lost in the mess of my night stand… books I wanted to read and my latest Pinterest scarf project. Right there… right where I left it last… waiting for me to pick it up.

It felt so good to have my old Bible back in my hands again. Reading those words were like medicine to my hungry soul, a craving I didn’t realize I had until it was satisfied.

I was away from the noise of the world and I could hear Him again. There He was, waiting for me… patiently. And It felt wonderful.

“Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

Oh be careful little eyes what you see

‘Cause the Father up above is looking down in Love

Oh be careful little ears what you hear..”

Finding Peace in the Storm

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Life is hard. In recent months our family and our church family has dealt with a lot. Many of you are finding yourself in the same place. Overwhelmed. Grieving. Struggling. Tired.

I wanted to share with you something that has been on my heart in the midst of these trials. This comes from a place of deep trust in the Lord and in His ways. This comes from a place of faith in the midst of struggle.

I believe that peace is possible even in the most difficult of circumstances.

In writing more and more on my blog about depression, I have been so blessed to have conversations online with many women who reach out to me that have never talked about their struggles before. There have been those that are just waiting for God to heal them or are desperate for their life circumstances to change.

And here is the difference in the kind of peace I’m talking about, this kind of peace, the kind that surpasses all understanding, it can be found even in the most difficult of circumstances. We don’t need our circumstances to change to find peace. Because peace is a Person. His Name is Jesus.

Sweet friends, peace is possible no matter what is going on around us because we have a living hope in Jesus.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7

The Word of God is living and powerful and this passage is one of those times that I get a little excited about what we are learning.

A living hope! Did you catch that? Our hope is ALIVE, not dead. When something is alive it is still breathing, there is still a heart beat, there is still LIFE. This is the hope in us. INSIDE you and me is a living hope! This living hope is Jesus.

Friends, our hope is not in our circumstances. Our hope is not in the doctor’s report, how our spouse behaves or doesn’t behave, how our kids turn out, whether or not we get that new job, none of these things. When our hope is in these things, we will be disappointed.

But, hope in God never disappoints. He has our best interest at heart. Even though we may not like it, through the difficult circumstances He is forming us to His image. He is sanctifying, cleansing and purifying. If we can just hold onto Him through the storm, on that day when we meet Him face to face, all the tears and doubts and trials will fade away. He is preparing us for an eternity with Him and we can look forward to that day knowing that our every tear will be wiped away. No more death. No more suffering. No more sickness.

What if you’re reading this and you are thinking, that sounds great, but HOW do I find my hope and peace in Jesus and not other places?

Well, I can share some of the things that help me. I read a quote once that “hope takes practice” and I believe this to be true. {Edward Welch.} Sometimes we have to FIND joy, we have to COUNT our blessings, we have to PRACTICE hope. This isn’t a works based gospel, this is readying our hearts for the Lord to do His thing. This practicing hope is confessing and repenting and surrendering to the will of the Father. There is peace in surrender.

Finding Peace

Do not neglect the Word of God. I am so passionate about the Word of God, I share a lot about PRAYING His Word, memorizing it, meditating on it. Why? Because when our mind is fixed on Him, He fills us with His perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3

Breathe prayers. When you don’t have words because of your discouragement and suffering, just whisper breath prayers up to the Lord. All day long. “God, I need you…” “Lord, I’m desperate for You…” “God, You alone are my hope!” Speaking the gospel, even aloud, is very good for our hearts!

Don’t isolate yourself. As hard as it is, God, in His sovereignty, God gave us the Body of Christ. We were meant for relationships. Don’t stop going to church. Worship is a powerful thing. When we take our eyes off ourselves and place them onto praising Jesus, our problems begin to diminish. Also in this category would be the idea to get help if it’s needed. Don’t suffer alone. Often, in our shame, we don’t tell people we are hurting. You may even need to speak with a doctor. Don’t keep it all inside. We were made to communicate and give and receive encouragement.

Use reminders. We are human, we need reminders of God’s love and the hope He gives. Print off pretty verses, like the one below. Write on notecards and place them around your house. Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour, have it say “be thankful.” Whenever your phone alarm goes off, name 3 things you’re thankful for.

Free Scripture Printable

Just like you, I often need the reminder that CHRIST ALONE is my hope. I must stop looking in all the wrong places for my hope, my peace and my joy. He alone satisfies.

In Christ Alone TheBusyMom.com PDF

Trusting God When Life Is Hard

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Do you ever allow yourself to get carried away with worry? I sure do! It can be overwhelming trying to homeschool 3 children (one of whom is severely autistic and another who has Asperger’s), keep the house clean, get the laundry done, feed everyone, be a loving wife, take care of church obligations, and work from home. The list looks so long when I stop to think about it! Your list may look a lot like mine, or it may look completely different. When you are a wife and mother, though, it’s almost certain that your list is long!

Recently, I’ve had several days during which I was literally on the verge of panic. I felt overwhelmed, tired, stressed out, and had trouble focusing on any of the things I needed to do. When I feel that way, it’s hard not to question God. After all, God could change my circumstances if He chose to do so. He could cure my children of their autism and Asperger’s. (He could cause them to be a little more compliant while He’s at it!) He could bless us with more money so I could hire a housekeeper to help with the work. There are so many ways He could change things to make life easier for all of us!

For a long time, I couldn’t understand why He didn’t do something. But lately I’ve started to realize that I need to choose not to worry about why God doesn’t change my circumstances. I don’t think it’s wrong to pray and ask God to heal my special needs children or help me identify ways to help keep the house clean, but I do think I must stop allowing myself to become frustrated and unhappy when He doesn’t do it my way. In other words, I have to learn to truly trust God. To understand that, even though I may not be able to see past my current situation, God can. Not only that, but He will make sure that whatever happens works out for the best!

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

At times it is literally impossible for me to know how a certain thing can possibly work out for my good or anyone else’s. When something tragic occurs, it seems as if no good could ever come out of it. To be honest, I would never voluntarily go through adversity, but I know there will be times when these situations will happen anyway.

How can God use my daughter’s autism for good? How can God work it out for everyone’s best when He allows my son to have Asperger’s? And how can my inability to keep my house clean possibly ever work out for the best? Yet no matter what, I can know that at the very least God will use these situations to allow me to know better how to comfort and support others who are experiencing similar circumstances. And He can use these situations to teach me to rely on Him and not myself.

2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul wrote that “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

For now, I’m taking it one step at a time. I’m praying that God will help me obey and trust Him whether or not I understand what’s going on in my life. I’m choosing to remember that God will work things out for my good (and the good of my family members too). I’m choosing not to try to “help God out” by doing things my way. (That never really works out very well anyway, does it?) And I’m believing that God will honor my efforts to trust Him without question and that He will keep His promises.

What about you? Do you have trouble allowing God to be in control? Do you get depressed or upset when your situation is difficult? Maybe you can agree with me that God will take care of us. That He loves us. That He will do what’s best for us. If you’re in that situation and you’d like to leave your prayer request in the comments, please do that. I’ll be happy to agree with you in prayer that God will work each situation out for His glory and our good!

Grace for the Anxious Mama {Free Printable}

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A note from Heidi:
I really appreciated this post from Candace. Many moms suffer from anxiety—mine was diagnosed as “clinical” when I was twenty-one. I grew up in a home where we were always, always at “Defcon 7,” and I took my childhood anxiety with me into my adult life. I thought that being out of that environment would solve it—but by that time, fear was deeply engrained into my spirit.

This has been something I have had had to struggle with for as long as I can remember—but God has used it to teach me that He is a safe place. His Word calms anxious hearts and reminds us that fear is not from God. I love that Candace takes anxious moms back to the Word—because grace really is new there. We don’t have to live with constant fear and anxiety. God’s mercies really are new each morning.
_______

The anxious mama. Yep, that has been me more times than I’d like to admit. Worrying over silly things, worrying over big things. I didn’t use to think of myself as a worrier, but I realize I was just calling it something else, I think. My “worries” were usually fears over my kids’ futures, fears that I had ruined them, fears that I was messing up. Worry. Fear. They both go hand in hand, don’t they?

When I’m feeling anxious, the very best thing for me to do is spend some time with the Lord and in prayer.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

God tells us right here in His Word that when we are anxious and come to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. What a gift!! Dig in to God’s Word and your heart will fill up with His peace.

10 Verses for the Anxious Mama

1. 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”

2. Proverbs 12:25 “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”

3. Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

4. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

5. Psalm 27:1 ” The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? ”

6. Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come…”

7. Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”

8. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”

9. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

10. Psalm 91

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,

no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

How can these 10 verses help our anxiety?

My suggestions for you are to write these verses out on notecards and carry them with you, place one by the kitchen sink, memorize them one at a time, when you feel anxiety coming on, repeat one of them aloud, repeat it again and again. Meditate on the passage. Pray through the verse asking God for help. He will comfort you through His Word!

Print out this verse from 1 John and frame it, place it in your bathroom or by your bed as a constant reminder of His perfect love. Let this verse bless you and not condemn you. This verse doesn’t mean that if you fear you must not have the love of Jesus in you. God knows that until we meet Him face to face, we are human and in our humanness we stumble, fall and even fill with anxiety and fear. This verse gives me such hope because when I GO TO HIM, His love is perfect. I am not perfect, HE IS. For that perfect love to cleanse me, renew me, sustain me, I must be WITH Him. Spend time with Him today, dear ones, His perfect love will cast out the fear in your heart.

{Click on this PDF link OR the graphic to download your PDF and print!}

Perfect Love Printable PDF

Feeling Anxious and Overwhelmed?

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As moms, it can seem impossible to go a day without feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or worried about our families and children. I have a tendency toward depression, which lends itself to anxiety also…so for my personality it may be even more so drawn that direction. Regardless of our personalities, though, God’s Word does give us the answers to our anxiety problems.

God’s Word doesn’t give us a formula, it leads us to a relationship. There are no 3 easy steps to getting through anxiety and depression in our lives, but He gives us the grace of Himself in us. Christ in me, the hope of glory!

I believe that this passage in Philippians, one of my all time favorites, gives us one of the major keys to having peace in difficult times of anxiety. Does the Lord promise to take our problems away? No. Does the Lord tell us this life will be easy? No.

But, He does promise us Himself and His peace. And that peace, friends? That peace is beyond our understanding. The hardest moments of our lives don’t magically disappear…but that peace transcends anything on this earth that we can see, touch or feel.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

This verse gives us the key…do you see it? Prayer brings peace. In everything, everything, present your requests to God ~ with thanksgiving ~ AND THE PEACE OF GOD will guard your heart and your mind!!

Feeling anxious? Pray. Speak the name of Jesus if you have no other words.

Did you catch the other key to peace? First, we pray about everything. But, when we are praying, pray with thanksgiving.

Feeling overwhelmed with everything on your plate? Start by thanking God for every little thing you can think of.

Worried about your prodigal or sick child? Name aloud the things you can find to be thankful for. As you names your blessings, pray. Keep on praying. As you pray, He will fill your heart with His peace. That peace only comes from Him. That peace only comes when we spend time with Him. That peace comes as a result of our relationship, not a formula.

I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of trying to rid myself of anxiety as quickly as possible instead of turning to the one place where peace is promised. Getting rid of it is not always God’s plan…giving you peace in the midst of the struggle is what He offers.

Sweet friends, I’ve been so overwhelmed lately myself, this message is for me as much as it is for you. I hope you will join me in spending more time on our knees than looking for ways out of our circumstances.

Prayer and thanksgiving bring peace. That sweet, sweet fellowship with the Lover of our souls fills us up with peace indescribable. I’ve seen it in my own life time and time again. I know He will do the same for you!

Click over to my blog if you’d like to read more about my journey with depression.

The Storm

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We have been trapped in the house for days. In South Carolina, it just doesn’t snow…. but this week it decided to start coming down… and didn’t stop for THREE days! After endless hours watching the forecast, we prepared as best as we could for the days ahead. Stores were emptied of the typical bread and milk, cars gassed, batteries stocked and we all bunkered down in our homes.

Isolated from the rest of the world as the storm approached.

As the days went on and the news kept running I learned that no matter how much you prepare, sometimes you just aren’t prepared for what life throws at you.

How similar was this past week with other situations in life? You may see something BIG coming at you. You brace yourself as best as you can… but sometimes, no matter how well we stock up or bunker down, we can’t escape life’s curveballs.

My Pastor once said that the first step the enemy loves to do during a moment in crisis is to isolate you. Make you feel alone. Separate yourself from the outside world so he can begin to whisper lies in your ear…

And then he loves to convince you to keep it a secret…

” No one will understand…”

” It’s just that bad.”

” They will think I am weird..”

And the infamous…

” They will think I am not really a Christian if…”

But that’s exactly the opposite of what God’s word said.

That’s why Jesus stressed gathering together in prayer, in communion and in worship…

” LET US NOT STOP MEETING TOGETHER… BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER…” HEBREWS 10:25

There is POWER in numbers and POWER in prayer.

Mom’s, life is TOUGH!! Sometimes we don’t even get a chance to get back up before we are knocked down again from another blow. Life has a way of hitting us from all sides… all at the same time But Jesus already knew that. And He knew that we couldn’t do this life alone!! We need each other. We need our love and prayers and smiles…When the days are good…

and when the storms come.

The greatest part about the storm is that Jesus already knows the ending. He wrote the story and although we may never know all the reasons the storms come, this side of heaven, we can rest asured knowing that Gods got this. Our job is to continue to pray, trust and hold on cause sometimes life is a wild ride…

“FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU ” DECLARES THE LORD, “PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU A HOPE AND A FUTURE.” JEREMIAH 29:11

God doesn’t make mistakes, nor does he forget about you. He is working behind the scenes.

By the third day of the snowstorm, many people were left without power. Pipes burst, cars fell into snowdrifts but eventually the snow stopped falling. We thought that day would never come. My children watched out the window as the glaze of ice reflected the sun. We still couldn’t leave the house. unplowed streets made travel too dangerous….

And then the sun began to shine. Its rays came through my window and we all OOHHED and AHHHED so relieved to see the one thing that would bring us freedom. By the next day the streets were dry and we loaded our van to venture out. We were giddy. Cabin fever got the best of us. Apparently everyone else in town had the same idea… but that’s ok. We didn’t care. It felt great to be free. It’s hard to believe that JUST yesterday our hope of warmth was gone. Our world was covered in ice… then POOF, it’s GONE!!

It’s one of the great perks of living in the south…

Our “storm” was over. Our circumstances changed quicker than we realized…. and now it is just a memory… We look back on those three days and can see the good in being trapped…. we may even think it wasn’t as bad as we thought….

Either way, we got through!

Like in life, this too shall pass. The Sun WILL shine again and you can venture on with a smile…. just hold on through the storm.

XOXO

I’m Struggling {5 Practical Steps for Encouragement}

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I have struggled with depression off and on for 8 years now. It used to be that I couldn’t say the word “depression” out loud. There was no word for what I was struggling with. And if I did think it, I didn’t speak it out loud. There have been many, many things I’ve learned through this thorn that God has allowed, but one of the biggest is that when you bring things into the light that were once in darkness, it loses just a little bit of the sting. I’ve learned that speaking our heartache out loud allows the building up of the Body.

Today, I want to share with you some of the practical ways God has given me hope and joy in the midst of the struggle. I have to let you know upfront that I do not believe that we can snap ourselves out of depression. I don’t share these things as a quick cure-all. I share these things to encourage you. As one who has been there, struggling day in and day out, I know it’s hard, often impossible to bring yourself to do one.more.thing let alone something that might be good for you when it seems that all you see is despair.

If I can encourage you with this thought: ask God for the strength to do ONE of these things today. And tomorrow, you can choose another.

5 Practical Steps for Encouragement

Talk. Share your heart and struggle with someone. Sweet friends, this is one of the hardest for me, so I’m starting with it. When I am down or struggling, the last thing I want to do is talk to anyone. As an introvert, this is doubly hard for me. But, find someone you can trust, someone who you know to be an encourager in your life. {Along those same lines, you know who will bring you down. It’s ok to not spend lots of time with those folks! I promise!} You need a cheerleader in your life, someone who will speak truth into the darkness. Don’t suffer alone.
Get out. This is another hard one for this introvert. 🙂 But, almost every single time I *forced* myself to go to church when it was the last place I wanted to be, I was so thankful that I had gone. God meets us in our lonely places, busy moms. Go out for coffee with a friend. Go to a movie. Go browse a used bookstore. Go to the Target dollar spot. Just get out. It’s nearly always good for us when we feel so isolated and discouraged to get out into the real world.
Be healthy. Goodness, these all seem hard for me. 🙂 Take ONE step in the right direction toward a healthier lifestyle. You would be surprised by how much food and what we put INTO our bodies affects our emotions and our mind. Drink more water. Cut out the soda. Cut out sugar. The less grains I eat the better, for me personally. Get outside and go for a walk – even a short one!! Any of these *small* steps can make a HUGE difference!!
God’s Word. None of us really *needs* the reminder to be in God’s Word. But when you are depressed, when you see no way out, a few minutes in God’s Word can give you that little glimpse of hope back!! The other thing that God’s Word does for us is show us that our Bible heroes struggled just like we do! Read 1 Psalm per day, see the heart of David {a man after God’s own heart} as he cried out in anguish, yet never gave up his hope in God. If you spend any amount of time in the book of Psalms, I guarantee your heart will be encouraged.
Accept Help. Whew, I know I’m just throwing these impossible things out at you…I promise, once you try ONE of these practical helps, the rest will come easier. Be gentle and give yourself time. This one is pretty hard, too. For a long time I didn’t want anyone to know I was struggling, so no way would I have ever acknowledged that I needed help. By help, busy moms, I’m talking about letting someone watch your kids for the afternoon, let a friend bring you a meal, let your husband help with the housework, let your kids watch tv for the afternoon – I promise, they will be fine. There were times I could hardly get out of bed, and I praise the Lord that I am not in that place anymore. But, I know the desperate feeling. And, the Lord knows, too. He is faithful!! Sometimes He uses the people in our lives to bring us a spark of encouragement – allow them to do so! Be brave, call that friend and tell her that you just can’t do this on your own, ask if your kids can come over for a playdate. Let others in.

Busy moms, I know that when you are struggling, the last thing you want to do is one of the above. I’m asking you today to try. Today may not be successful. Get up again tomorrow and try again. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your walk with God. Cry out to Him – from your bed, from your floor, from your kitchen sink. He hears. He knows. He loves you dearly. Despite how lonely you may feel, you are not alone. Speak those words of truth to yourself. He is faithful.

If you’d like to read more about my struggle with depression, I’d love to have you visit my little spot on the web. Here are all my posts related to depression & encouragement for you.

**Disclaimer: I am not in the medical profession. I cannot begin to tell you what is best for you, I only share these tips as an encouragement from one who has struggled herself. I have been on medication off and on for years…the Lord has used medication in my own life to bring me through some very hard times. But, that is not His plan for everyone. Prayerfully consider, with your family and doctor, what may be best in your situation.

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love

Tag Archives: hope

When Your Problem Isn’t Solved In 5 Easy Steps

Finding Peace in the Storm

Finding Peace

Free Scripture Printable

Trusting God When Life Is Hard

Grace for the Anxious Mama {Free Printable}

10 Verses for the Anxious Mama

How can these 10 verses help our anxiety?

Feeling Anxious and Overwhelmed?

The Storm

I’m Struggling {5 Practical Steps for Encouragement}

5 Practical Steps for Encouragement