Life Ain't Always Beautiful

Gary Allan : Video : Life Ain't Always Beautiful

I know this song is an old one-but it really means so much to me....day by day the girls and I encounter new struggles. One minute we are good as gold, enjoying life, being happy, living like no tomorrow. Then almost instantly guilt hits our hearts...mainly for Sela and I-Sloane is still so young, it doesn't hit her like us...but it seems the minute we feel happy-guilt stabs our soul and we feel like we should be sad, not happy. We are overcome with emotion because we miss Marcus so much and we truly feel bad for being happy without him. I know these feelings are normal. I try to explain it to Sela-as I try to convince myself...Marcus did not want us to sit around wasting a single second being unhappy. He loved us so much. It truly hurt him to the core to sit here those last few weeks, knowing he couldn't "fix" things for us. Seeing his first born come home from school and hug on him and knowing he couldn't hug her back like she was used to. I remind Sela that he is healed in heaven and he sees us everyday. When we cry, he cries. When we are sad, he is sad. Spending 18 years of your life with someone, then having them taken away-is truly unbelievable. But I have learned from this whole experience, that none of us is guaranteed one single second on this earth. After Marcus passed away, I vowed to myself, that I would not waste a second of my life here on earth. I would LOVE with every ounce of my soul, I would not waste time worrying about tomorrow, what people think about me, or if the house is spotless....I will live everyday, like it is my last. I will be happy, I will love everyone with all my heart and I will make sure my girls are happy. It is the only way I can make it through this new life I lead.

Life Ain't Always Beautiful, but yes Lord, it is a BEAUTIFUL ride!!!!

Failure is not defeat..sharing from Daily Devotions 12:10-thank you Pastor Ron!

***My steps are ordered by God and I will do my best everyday to follow His guidance!***

The believer’s life is a struggle which the Bible teaches from the platform of victory. The person who is right with God will suffer many problems which are common to man, but the Lord will deliver him out of them all. In fact, the more a child of God is afflicted, the more he will multiply and grow. A righteous man may fall seven times but he will always rise again because it is the Lord who always gives us the victory and who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. No weapon that is formed can prosper against you and every tongue that rises to judge you will be condemned because this is a portion of your inheritance through Jesus Christ. Your steps are ordered of the Lord so that even if you were to fall you would not be completely cast down because of the Lord who will uphold you with His right arm so that none of your steps will slide. Failure is not defeat.

Prayer for Today
Dear God, bring back to my remembrance all the words which You have spoken to me and give me confidence to know You will never leave me and never forsake me so that I may boldly say, “If God is for me, who could be against me?”

Scriptures for Today
Psalms 37:23-26 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. (NKJV)
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (KJV)

Sharing today's devotional from "The Plain Truth 12:10" written by my Pastor...Ron Hammonds....

Every day I open this devotional, God has the perfect words I need :)

It is not the law that we bind ourselves and others to – but the Spirit...

The letter of the law condemns, criticizes, rejects, and kills but the Spirit of the law embraces, restores, encourages, and gives life. Law demands judgment while mercy frees us from the penalties and punishment of the law. When we judge ourselves and others by the letter of the law we often become harsh and set ourselves up to think and act as though we are policemen, judge, jury, jailer, or executioner. The law divides.
The Spirit of God is a spirit of mercy and we as God’s children do not bind ourselves to the letter of the law but rather to God’s intent … and God never intended to divide Himself from His children or His children from one another. Be merciful.

Prayer for Today
Father forgive me where I have been critical, harsh, judgmental, or condemning toward others and even toward myself. Show me Your mercy and teach me to be merciful toward others and myself as well. Help me to understand the Spirit of the law and not just the letter.

Scriptures for Today
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NKJV)

Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (NKJV)