Tag: christianity

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka7 Comments

Flowers come in every color, shape, and size that one can imagine… but, when the weather changes they die, leaving little or no trace of their presence.

The bible speaks on more than one occasion about how, if God takes such care in their details, how much more precious we are to Him. I mean, after all, we are all made in the image of God, by God, and for God’s pleasure.

If God didn’t love us so much, why would the bible say that He is a jealous God, wanting nothing more than for us to believe in Him, follow Him, love Him, and walk in paths of His righteousness?

All those glorious flowers that spring up in such breathtaking arrangements, wilt and die off without a thought to Him that gave them life… and yet, in each new season, God brings them back again, with such loving faithfulness.

Whenever my eyes come to rest upon a delicate and lightly scented flower, it is a constant reminder of how much my Lord values me… me! Why?

I have sinned many times…

Many times have I been sinned against…

Sometimes, forgiveness between humans is there and sometimes it is not…

My childhood was torn from me, violently… I have to lay that down on the alter, each and every day!

I tore my three children’s lives apart, when I divorced their father… I have to lay that down on the alter, each and every day!

Why on earth does He tell me I’m forgiven, loved, and of use to Him… each and every day? And, He does this faithfully, for me… little ole me… the one that I just told you about. The woman who was abused as a child, became a runaway, became a Christian, became a wife and mother… only to become an adulteress! I single handedly destroyed my daughters lives, and I shall bear it all the way to the gates of heaven. Why does He want me?

Why? Because God chose me before the beginning of the world… because He knew what was to come… because He knew I would be abused, knew that I would run, knew the very day I would commit my life to Him, knew of my marriage, children, several affairs, divorce … God knew that I would be an adulteress… He knew!

And, here I sit typing to you this morning, still breathing, still getting up and dusting myself off again, and going back to the one place that answers that why I was just asking… Scripture! God tells me why He chose me, on each and every page that I read… it’s all there!

One just has to look. Reading is fundamental, as they say.

Wait, what?

Wiwohka3 Comments

Happy Monday, everyone! It’s me, Lilly! Now that we’re all home from our summertime travels, I’ve started some online courses to teach me how a true journalist studies and writes. I want to be writer, you see, just like you. If I’m to become a better colonist, I mean columnist, I have to start somewhere. So Mee-maw says I can do my practicing here, on Mondays… well, at least for now.

Thankfully, I love to read, because there’s a great big world of words out there to learn. I do alright for the most part, but sometimes, it gets quite confusing for such a tiny brain. But I’ve been told that it’s not my size that counts, but how well I use my brain. I’m learning the art of reading, one page at a time.

Let me tell you about the morning I’ve had, thus far, in my reading and writing adventures…

Have you ever been reading a thing, and suddenly notice that a particular word you’ve read seems like it might be spelled wrong? You read it once more, and then again. You keep going back to look at the word, because you’re certain they meant something different.

So, what do we do when this occurs? Any reader worth their salt would never presume to know more than the original author. That’s bad form, I think. The right thing to do when encountering a wordage dilemma, is to grab a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus, if necessary.

Sometime, during this last weekend, I came across the word endued while reading scripture. My brain began arguing that the word should have been embued, imbued, or even endured. Strange, I know. It was like giving a mouse a cookie, that word! Or an ant…

Off to Google, I went, but that was more of a rabbit hole than I was prepared for. Not only couldn’t I find the passage I’d just read it from, but when I asked the computer where to find that word in scripture, it never gave me any verses that were near the place I’d been reading.

Anyways, I ended up spending nearly an hour this morning, just comparing spellings, translations, and the definitions that were attached to them, just so that I could understand which meant what!

Check this out…

Did you mean: embue vs imbue vs endue

AI Overview

Imbue means to saturate, instill, or inspire something with a quality, emotion, or belief, like a sponge soaking up water. Endue (or endued) means to provide or endow someone with a quality or ability, like a person being endowed with rights. Embue is an obsolete and incorrect form of imbue and should not be used. 

Here’s a breakdown of each word:

Imbue

  • Meaning: To deeply affect or permeate something, often with an emotion, quality, or color, as if soaking it throughout. 

Origin: From the Latin imbuere, meaning “to dye, wet, or moisten”. Examples:

  • “A feeling of optimism imbues her works”. 

“The new leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi”. 

Endue (and Endued) 

  • Meaning: To give qualities or abilities to someone or something. The past participle, endued, means to have been provided with these qualities.
  • Origin: Influenced by the Latin induere, meaning “to put on”.
  • Examples:
    • “The workers were endued with the spirit of camaraderie”.
    • “They were endued with the rights of a citizen”.

Embue 

  • Meaning: An obsolete form of imbue.
  • Usage: This word is no longer in common use and should be avoided. Stick to the modern form, imbue.

So, what have I hopefully learned, here?

Well, aside from the cheeky response about not using the spelling embue, I do think I may have learned the difference between endue and imbue. I believe that one means the feeling, and the other means the actual quality, itself. Now, I said that I believe it to mean this, but the jury is still out. If I were you, I wouldn’t put all your money on me.

Besides, I sometimes feel like those literary rabbit holes are more trouble than their words… I mean worth!

Thursday Thoughts…

WiwohkaLeave a comment

Thought #1 – It’s finally happened! Last night, I actually said out loud that I thought a vegan donut sounded good!

Thought #2 – If I’m eating oatmeal with oat milk, do I refer to it as oatmeal with milk, or Oat Oatmeal?

Thought #3 – How many puppies can I fit in a tiny home? Maybe some are built with a puppy pullout. Hey! I thought of it first, here! Maybe I should go on Shark Tank!

Thought #4 – Wouldn’t it be funny to see your local metro bus with flashy lights, loud music, and those suspension lifter’s on the tires? The kind they put on souped up tiny lawnmower cars? I know that we’ve all seen em bouncing through the intersection on a Friday night. If metro tried to do that, the passengers would all be car sick!

Thought #5 – I know babies only see in black and white, at first. But what about their dreams? If I read a story to my unborn granddaughter, will she dream in color?

Thought #6 – I want raisons in my oatmeal, today. Do I want them bad enough to get dressed and walk down to the store and back?

Thought #7 – That’s twice that I’ve ended up on a thought about oatmeal. It’s crazy how much of our brain is always focused on foods!

Thought #8 – My daughter is getting married tomorrow. I wasn’t invited.

Thought #9 – Forgiveness is eternal, but consequences… those are like ripples in a pond. They must play out until they reach the sandy shore’s of one’s life. I shall wear my choices with as much grace as I can. May God be with her and our son-in-law, as they begin their journey as one! I pray that God extend his umbrella of coverage over them and our soon to be born Sugar Plum… not my will, but thy will be done, father! Amen

Thought #10 – Man! I just realized that if I feel depressed… I can’t even binge eat Ice cream, anymore! Not Fair!

Thought #11 – I want to try dry brush painting, again.

Thought #12 – If I ever get a puppy again, I’m gonna take my new baby to one of those groomers that will color and cut the dog’s fur to look like Tigger, from Winnie The Pooh!

Thought #13 – Learning to forgive is a really good way to learn about being unforgiven by another. Walk a mile takes on a whole new meaning, when it comes to the act of forgiveness.

Thought #14 – God wants me… just the way I am, with all my hurts, scars, sins, mistakes, broken dreams, and bridges on fire!

Thought #15 – By the time I get to thought #15, my heart, mind, and spirit have all met upon shores of peace, resting beneath one so much greater than myself! He is the author of my faith, the healer of my heart, and the One who calls me His own! By the grace of God, I shall rise from the ashes of my own failures to walk beneath my king all the way Home, hand in hand!

Desperate…

Wiwohka4 Comments

I was about to do my usual Tuesday Tinkering post this morning, when this song began playing on my headset, stopping me in my tracks!

Only moments earlier, I’d been putting the pretty touches on my prompt response from last year, which speaks on what brings me peace. Then I moved on with my morning, feeling accomplished with my archive theft.

Then this song began to play, and it dawned on me that she was singing my feelings about where I get my peace from. It brought it all home for me, all over again!

We humans are so forgetful of how much we need God on a daily basis, in each moment. I can easily get distracted from things of importance, almost as if I just assume God will cover me, catch me, and/or make a way.

I can fall into the lazy category of entitlement. Oh yes! This quirky little cookie creator can find herself accidentally letting the screen door hit God in the face because I forgot to hold it open for Him! Truthfully, most of us pray the hardest and most humble when the chips are down, or we’re in the depths of our own painful trials. I think the adage “out of sight, out of mind” sort of sums it up! I didn’t say that it happens to folks all the time, it’s merely an easy mindset to fall into, that’s all.

I’ve been struggling, of late, in the whole peace department, if I’m to be fully honest! It’s amazing how much nutrition plays into our mental, and yes, spiritual well being. When I don’t feel well, it takes all my effort to focus on anything else. This is where the lazy entitlement comes into play. My prayers turn inward, and far more whiney than I’d like to admit. I expect God to just take care of all the people on my heart, while I watch Netflix and play on my phone. I let daily distractions draw me from studying the word. It isn’t long before I realize that my peace is gone.

Fortunately, God doesn’t let go of my heart for even a moment! Even when I forget to think of him, He remembers me! And, it’s far better to listen when God whispers than when you can’t hear His voice, at all! If I can’t hear God speaking in the quiet, then it means I haven’t been listening.

This song was His way of reminding me, I think, about how I want to always find myself thinking about God! For Him, I want my heart, mind, and soul to always remain Desperate!

Having water in the desert…

Wiwohka1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
How important is spirituality in your life?
View all responses

Saying that spirituality is important in one’s life seems uncomfortably broad to me, personally. Nowadays, referring to spirituality can go in many different directions. I’ll answer the question from the perspective of a child of God.

In honesty, I live a spirit-filled life every single day! It’s a very deep and intimate relationship with my maker, God himself! He is my comfort when I am sorrowful, my strength when I am weak, and eternally faithful to sustain me, in all things.

It’s kind of like traveling through a desolate and parched land. Know where your water sources are, if you wish to survive the sands! I’m fairly certain that water flows throughout the desert, deep underground. It’s there, but the traveler must know where to find it. After you’ve traveled to to those sources enough times, their location becomes embedded in your muscle memory… you just remember.

As far as my actual spirit-filled life, the bible is one of my water sources. That muscle memory I just mentioned? In this instance, I’m referring to my brain’s ability to recall a thing I’ve read and/or learned… you know, use it or lose it! Then there’s my prayer life, which is my source of sustenance, peace, grace, forgiveness, and so much love… I’m in the presence of my creator!

As for that spirituality part of the prompt, I am filled with the Holy Spirit, which is part of God’s spirit, sent to dwell within this vessel. It says so in the bible,

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

Anyways, that should answer the prompt in an honest and honorable manner without dragging things out for hours. I could, you know!

Because I love you, I’ll settle for handing out cookies instead…

He calls me His own…

Wiwohka6 Comments

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
View all responses

What follows is something I shared back in 2017, and wasn’t originally a response to this prompt, at least I don’t think it was. At first, I was going to title this response “Beautifully Broken” and share a poem that I’d written last February but I quickly changed my mind when I saw this old entry. While it was a distance down memory lane, I believe that it still carries some deep truths.

I know that we all, at some point, ask ourselves the question, “Who am I?”  The easy answer would be to look at the past and add up all that we have done to date.  I am sure that  if I were wealthy with a following of friends that adored me, I might feel quite accomplished.  I suppose it would be easier to justify mistakes and costly losses, reassuring myself that it has made me who I am so it was worth it.  How much money would it take for me to be OK with that last comment?  How many friends would it take for me to not feel regret over any hurts that I have caused due to my selfish mistakes in life?  I am not saying that I want to walk through my life in misery over my past failures, but they are there all the same, always floating in the shadows, seeking to pull me down into the depths of despair.  Being a human with faults and imperfections embedded in my nature is quite daunting, and yet God sees me as a precious treasure…go figure.  Rather than dropping a rock on my head, He lifts me up, and always seeks to reassure and encourage me with His grace and mercy.  It seems that my brokenness and failures are where God teaches me the most about who I am.  He does not seek me and love me because I am so good, but rather, because I recognize that I cannot do anything without Him.  I am not expressing my feelings to teach some big lesson, nor am I judging anyone else who may have an easier life than mine; I am simply sharing my heart in regards to my relationship with Christ.  I am on a journey of self discovery and what I have found is that Who I am is Christ in me.  I have accepted that I cannot do anything without Him.  I have spent nearly 50 years trying to do it on my own strength and have left a path of mistakes and regrets that I will carry to my grave.  But the difference now is that I do not carry them alone, but with the strength, forgiveness and love of my Heavenly Father, who walks before me, behind me, beside me and often carrying me.  Who am I? I am Redeemed, Reborn, Renewed, Forgiven, Cherished, and a Child of the Risen King!

While my favorite thing about myself is belonging to one much greater than I… my cookie baking skills are rather impressive (virtually speaking, of course), wouldn’t you say?

You do seem to come back for more, so at least they aren’t terrible. I’ll admit they might sometimes come with hair, feathers, or a bit of fuzz off the floor, but still.

Truth be told, I think that’s where the magic comes from…

Walking by faith…

Wiwohka4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What fears have you overcome and how?
View all responses

It seems like wherever we look these days, there are plenty of things to fill us with fear. Wars, famine, worldwide environmental changes, and constant political battles that carry unavoidable fallout!

My point here, is not to cause you more fear or discomfort than the prompt has already done, but to reflect on how easy it can be for one to choose a fear to write about, talk about, or simply obsess over.

Forget that! I don’t know about anybody else, but I have a whole lot of other things to put my energies toward… other than to sit and think about things I have no control over. Fear is a nasty beast to battle with and trust me, I’ve had some real doozies!

Honestly, I quite trying to use my own strength to fight my fears, and instead, began walking by the strength of another… One much stronger than I!

For some, trusting in another can bring any number of fears to the table. This world is filled with dangers, pitfalls, and paths we wish we didn’t have to travel along. One life, one chance to walk through it, and with no guarantees! It’s like a recipe for disaster just waiting to be created, right?!

I don’t know about any of you but I don’t plan on spending my remaining years hiding in fear over things… no thanks! Besides, I can’t begin to recount all of the times that I showed up to a fight with faith on my side, only to find out that fear was nothing more than a bully… and never even showed up to the battle… what a coward!

From the place in life that I’m currently at, I’ve come to adopt an old fashioned saying,

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. we have only today, let us begin.” Mother Teresa

I can learn from what has come from my yesterdays but I cannot undo them…

I can think on tomorrow, plan for tomorrow, and expect for tomorrow, but it isn’t here yet. No amount of fear about any of the possible outcomes will do me any good, really. Yes, fear can have it’s place in keeping us from common dangers, accidents, and/or hairbrained ideas about drinking the acid out of a car battery… just sayin! I think today’s prompt is referring to obsessing about something that frightens us, whether it’s founded or unfounded. At least that’s my understanding, but I could be wrong.

Whatever your fear might be, everyone has to choose a method for dealing with, overcoming, and letting go of that which does not bear good fruit. Personally, I have chosen to walk by faith in God. That’s how I choose to live!

No, I haven’t come to a magical place where I don’t experience fears or doubts, just in case you were at all wondering. I’ve just been working towards giving my fears to God, trusting that I am in his capable hands. The giving of those fears is the easy part. The part that’s not so easy? Well, that would be NOT taking them back just to worry over them some more… I fall for that more times than I care to admit!

I guess that’s why I say that it’s a walk of faith… a walk, a journey, or lifelong adventure, if that sounds better. We all know that Life changes, and our fears will change from one day to the next. Success is determined, not by the obstacles one encounters along the way, but by the way in which one overcomes said obstacles!

Overcomer is a powerful word! The actual definition on Google is as follows,

someone who prevails despite facing opposition, difficulties, or weakness. Essentially, it’s a person who successfully overcomes challenges and emerges victorious. This can be seen in various contexts, including personal struggles, spiritual battles, and overcoming societal obstacles

I went a bit further and looked up what scripture says, according to Google:

In the Bible, an “overcomer” refers to a believer who, through faith and perseverance, successfully withstands trials and temptations, ultimately achieving victory. This victory is not just a one-time event, but a continuous process of resisting the world’s influence and living a life aligned with God’s will. 

As everyone knows, you should not only cite your sources but also check at least three differing sources for comparison, confirmation, and clarification… so I did just that!

Above, there are two offered from the internet, and below is from my own bible. I use an NIV translation but you can use any you wish. There are a number of references in scripture using this word but my favorite is in the book of John:

“In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I shall do just that! I will walk by faith in the words spoken by my lord, so long ago!

Cookies?

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka12 Comments

Have you ever wanted something so much that you can’t stop thinking about it? It consumes your thoughts, your dreams, and gives you a motivation that you didn’t know you had. You scrimp and save, make numerous sacrifices to afford the time, money, and anything else required to prepare for said thing. It might be anything from a vacation, a new car, or even a baby!

Unless you are very wealthy and/or were born with a big ENTITLED badge sewn on the left cheek your bum… there’s usually a vast distance from start to finish! I think sometimes we watch too much television, where they make it look like a walk in the park to become ALL THAT!

The last time I checked, there weren’t any badges on my bum nor do I carry a purse full of cash, so I’m looking across a vast canyon that’s deep and wide. In our particular situation, it’s somewhat like looking up from a very deep well. There’s a sensation of being slowly pulled upward, while sitting in a bucket that’s still half full of murky water.

Discovering such a great distance between that first rescue bucket and the really solid dry land needed has been a bit of a shock. Truly, it was ignorant of me to assume that we could get from homeless to successful overnight, just because we have keys to an apartment. When they hand you that so-called GOLDEN TICKET… you’re on your own!

When we were circling the drain, all I could think about was getting my books published and quickly leaving all the bad memories behind. Pipe dreams, I know, but it helped. Not only is it NOT so easy, but now that I’m here in this moment, I’m not even sure if it’s in God’s purpose… at least, not right now!

The program we are in does NOT allow for my husband or I to make any money while he is going to school. If any money is made, we stand to lose much or all of our housing money. No one tells you what to do for any actual dollars needed for things, outside of food stamps that only cover food. It makes me wonder how many people fail to ever recover, due to this little flaw in the system. We’ve actually found just about every flaw, crack, or hole in the system to fall into, which is why it took us nearly two years to get housing (the last six months was the homeless, homeless part.

In the end, I don’t care what president holds office… the system just needs to be fixed… for the people! That’s us, the feet on the ground, the workers, the farmers, the builders, the caregivers… the human souls that keep this country afloat with our hard work, our bloody and dirty hands, and our truly beautiful hearts!

This is the very reason that I rely on GOD alone, above any and all government! The only reason we are here, in this very apartment, had God stamped all over it! No government policy or case worker made that one person change their heart and allow us in… that was GOD!

With that being said, I still find myself wondering what now? Why did God put us here, and what is the next step? What if I step out in faith and start throwing manuscripts out there, only to find that I was the only one who believed in their value, you know? Yep! This loudmouthed frog, Chatty Cathy, Wiwohka Wonka, and redeemed woman of faith has doubt, just like everybody else. My journey toward eternity is just that… a journey! It’s how I intend to get there that will count. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to see God as our father. He faithfully carries us through our entire life, teaching and loving us through good, bad, right, wrong, darkness, and light.

It doesn’t matter if my steps go off track, if my faith is weak, or if I simply feel unsure about my next choice…

GOD IS WITH US!

GOD IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, FAITHFUL!

GOD WILL ALWAYS LIGHT THE WAY FOR US!

It’s not about whether our choices are the right ones, the wrong ones, or even the refusal to decide… it’s about looking up, getting up, and continuing forward in faith, hope and love!

If I’m to be fully honest about why any of this is even being written down and shared with others, it’s to remind myself!

Thanks for listening… hugs

Monday Musings…

Wiwohka5 Comments

As I sit staring at my screen, the desire to offer up a list of my usual Monday Messages is there, but beyond that? Well,I got nuthin.. nada!

Thankfully, the daily prompt kicked me in the bloomers, what with the whole productivity thing.

Fortunately, we’re settling into our apartment nicely, after such a long time in the wilderness, so to speak. One would thing that I’d have a list that’s longer than my arm of all the things I can, and probably should be doing now. I do… but it makes my stomach hurt when I begin reading it.

Perhaps it would have been better to keep a shorter list. Maybe I should have made a rolodex of things during our ordeal, so that my thoughts would be more organized now. I didn’t! Does anybody do that when they’re in the middle of lifechanging events? Unless one is naturally OCD, I highly doubt many would keep such lists.

Besides, once we get to the other side of something difficult, the list wouldn’t really help us as much as one would think. You’re far different than you were before it began, so the list isn’t for you anymore… it was for the person you used to be.

So, now what do I do? No list! No DIY how-to video is going help! Ya, ya, ya… I can easily slip back into the rhythm of a clean house, cooking, baking, and errands, no problem. But, beyond those things, I guess I feel sort of lost at sea, so to speak!

When I saw this mornings prompt it made me laugh. I laughed because the answer I’d been searching for has been staring me right in the face, all along. Just last night I prayed that God would give me a purpose!

It took so long to get here, I truly don’t have a clue what I should be doing now! Sure, I could write the second volume of my fiction series, but haven’t yet started. I aught to do more with all of my little Barnyard shorts, but as most of you are full grown adults, it’s not really meant for WordPress anymore. That would mean going to YouTube with all the babes, but I’d be doing it by myself… alone. I want to write, not produce… I’m a storyteller, not a publisher! Besides, at the end of the day, is it what God desires?

I’m not saying that God is disapproving of anything I write, but am I putting it before His purpose for my life? I can still write stories, as I’m confident that God blesses the work of my hands. My dilemma is that right now, I can’t tell what I should be doing, which is making me feel very nonproductive in every direction.

Don’t worry though, for God has me firmly placed within his hand! In the deepest part of my soul, I hear God remind me that faith calls each of us to walk forward in His calling, even if we don’t know all the details.

Also, I do believe that I’m well established in His purpose, whether I know it or not! Even when I feel lost, or adrift within His purpose… He promises me that I’m in it!

While I may currently be at the don’t have any details part of my journey, I walk in faith, believing that when God asks a thing of me… He always, always, always provides what is needed to be of service!

Til I know more of what God desires for my path, I’m gonna just wing it with the writing. If I write too much about all the babes, the barnyard, or high seas adventures, so be it!

Besides, when have I ever done anything plain or ordinary? That would be boring…

How will I…

Wiwohka3 Comments

The question isn’t why… it isn’t when, who or even where. I’ve been thinking on this, of late. Whenever a person goes through troubled waters, so to speak, a great many of those questions occupy their mind. Unfortunately, those questions don’t often see a viable answer.

Sometimes, maybe the real useful question to ask is “How?” I realize that it’s a rather unusual one word question, but if you think about it, all the other questions were also one word queries.

Since I tend to spend most of my time on the water, with a good many stretches of rough rapids and storms, I finally got sick of all the other questions, as they never really do me any good until after the fact.

This time… I’m finding a breakthrough!

This time… How?

How will I hold?

How will I rest?

How will I stand?

How will I exercise my faith?

How will I use all that truth I’ve been reading about?

How will I reflect my trust in God?

How will I express all the peace, hope, love, faith, forgiveness and generosity of heart that he has been creating within me?

How will I bend the knee?

How will I lay before the throne?

The One I believe in has been working on my behalf from the beginning, so it’s not a question of when, where, who, or why for me any longer, but how…

To answer the how,

I will hold with grace…

I will rest in complete peace…

I will stand tall…

I will share my faith with you, by speaking of all my journey, whether it is calm, harsh, beautiful, or painfully ugly…

That’s the only way that I can reflect my trust in Him…

My stories and journal entries are how I express all the good fruits that He produces within my heart for you…

I will bend the knee to the God of ages, surrendering to His rule and authority over my life, no matter where I must go, what I must endure for however long I must endure it, and regardless of why!

How?

How can I think this way, say these things, and actually stand in the face of this overwhelming mountain? I’ll tell you how…

The power of surrender, that’s how!

All that my Creator asks of me is surrender to his will, plan and purpose… and I show my obedience and complete surrender in all those HOWS… just sayin!

When you are in the darkest moments of your journey, remember…

Hold, have peace, stand tall, speak only that which is good, edifying and hopeful, trust in the one who gave you life, and no matter what, always remember that your stories are important to others… you are important! Life’s gonna do what it’s gonna do, so we have to choose who we want to be as we get through it… or better yet, how we want to get through it!