Friends, I am going to start out my first blog of 2023 asking for forgiveness! You may have noticed last week, or you may have not noticed, depending on your week after Christmas climate, but I took a pause, actually a much needed re-set for my weary soul. I did not write my blog last week.

Some people book a flight to Hawaii or lay on a beach in the Bahamas.

Not me! My soul if refreshed, recharged and reset when I spend quality time with My People!

The ones who could care less what I look like in the morning, who ask nothing of me, but allow me to love them my way! The ones who don’t second guess my actions or motives, but always give me the benefit of the doubt. The Ones who love to move and have fun like I do, and eat healthy at every meal so we can indulge in baked goodies! The Ones who care when I am down and hurting and do everything in their power to bring me back up! The Ones who buy me the perfect gifts every time because they know me so well! The Ones who eat “healthy“ popcorn with me at night and laugh in all the same places as I do in the movies we watch together! They are the Ones who love me dearly and defend me fiercely all the time when we are together and when we are apart. They are My People, my husband, my children and my grandchildren. They are my gifts from God, my priceless treasures. I do not deserve them, but I thank God and praise Him for them!

When I am with them my heart and spirit is filled to overflowing! My soul is refreshed and re-set and best of all I am re-focused on God and His purposes! 

They do not coddle me, they love me hard, they hold me accountable and they accept me for who God has made me to be!

I am loved, accepted and challenged by each and every one of them! They are My people.

So, please forgive me for not writing a blog last week, but the week after every Christmas, is a week I treasure to restore from the past year, and get reset in my spirit for the year to come! It is not easy for My People, who are committed and busy, to carve out a week of time to spend together. But after Christmas is over, our family has an opportunity to sacrifice a week of time to spend together. I could truly not receive a greater gift!

Jesus had His people too. He got away with them when He needed to refresh, reset and recharge!

“Then Jesus said, Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”  Mark 6:31

“Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone.”  Mark 9:2

TRUTH BOMB

RESILIENCE COMES WHEN WE RECHARGE WITH JESUS!

If Jesus needed times to refresh, restart and recharge, then who am I to think that I don’t?

Jesus loved all people and he lived and most importantly, died for all people! But He still had “His people,” those closest to Him, who allowed Him the refreshing that His spirit needed to keep going.

This has been a very hard lesson for me to learn! But one that I feel God has been impressing upon my heart for a very long time. I do not like to place limitations on my self. But the truth of it is… I have many limitations!

My favorite scripture says it all…

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13

I have quoted this verse over and over for many years! It is become my mantra! But I misuse it when I think it is in my own strength that I keep going! It is only in the strength of Christ Jesus my Lord that I am able to accomplish anything at all.

I am strongest of all when I am relying on His strength!

This past year of 2022 was a rough one! God got my attention and caused me to pause during the last week of it, focus on Him, refresh and recharge with “My people”, and reset my focus for this new year of 2023!

I’m ready! I have asked Him to show me The focus he wants me to take in 2023! I believe He has given it to me.

RESILIENT IS MY WORD AND PUSHING FORWARD TRIUMPHANTLY WITH HIM AS MY STRENGTH IS MY FOCUS!

Will you join me starting next week on my BLOG for a series on resilience? I can’t wait!

I do not know what your year of 2022 was like. But I do know that God wants you to excel in resilience in 2023!

Let’s do it together!

Speak Truth Love