Addicted.

BJ and I have learned to be very creative when it comes to making sure we get some alone time or should I say time to eat our dinner at a reasonable pace. (Not shoveling our food down because our little munchkins are demanding our fullest attention) On our way home from church the other night, we decided to swing by and grab some fast food. Instead of taking it home we parked in the parking lot and ate our food while the little munchkins slept. We have done this a few times. It's like a make shift date and we love it. We started talking about our day, what's happening in our worlds and I said something that sounded a bit bizarre.

Addicted.

"As crazy as this might sound, I'm almost addicted to going through trials. Every trial has made me better, stronger, wiser. I am not the girl I was when we first got married. I am not the girl I was when we moved to North Carolina. I am not the girl I was when we got pregnant, moved to Cali or even the same girl a few days ago. I almost don't even recognize her." Those were the words I spoke to BJ that night. He and I began to talk about how much we have grown and how much we have learned. We realized that growing and learning doesn't come in the good times, but most often in the hard times. These trials and hard moments have now become BLOG material and to be honest it feels pretty weird when I don't have some crazy story to share with all of you. So I guess you can say, I am addicted to the hard times. Not that I desire hardship but instead I embrace the hardship that is inevitably coming my way.

Relentless.

I realized that I was not a crazy person for thinking this way. John Bevere, one of the world's most influential leaders, authors, and speakers came and shared with our church about being relentless. He spoke about how conflict and hardship will happen. That trouble is inevitable. He encouraged us to embrace a positive attitude towards adversity. I know, it doesn't really make sense does it? He described it as a paradigm shift we need mentally. Just as a tree becomes stronger through wind or a body builder adds more and more weight to lift in order to build muscle, you and I should view hardship as an OPPORTUNITY to become better!

Allow.

God knows where He is taking you and He knows what we are going to need, who we need to be in order to truly be successful and able to handle all that He has for us. He values you and I that much that He will allow us to go through the storms of life, knowing that we are capable of being victorious. I tweeted a statement that God gave me the other day as I was running, "God didn't send the storm, He allowed it. Not to break you, but to make us stronger."

Better Me.

I don't know if you are in the middle of a storm, if you have just walked out on the other side of a storm, or if you are getting ready to walk into a storm, but I want to encourage you today that God has not authored it, but allowed it, knowing that He has given you every tool you need to overcome it! It might not feel exciting or worth it, but I promise you it is and when, (not if) you walk through it you will be stronger, wiser, and better. I don't want to be the same person I am today three years from now. I want to be a better me.

Do I sound crazy? I am sure I do. How have you viewed or do you view adversity? I would love to hear your thoughts.


TRUTH: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way"- James 1:2-4

DARE: Embrace a positive attitude towards adversity.