Becoming a Butterfly

Hi loves! I apologize for falling off the planet for several weeks, I've just been going through a weird spot in my life the past few months. I'm at a place where I need to make some decisions on some things & honestly, I'm really unsure of what to do right now. I feel so confused with my VA Business because I don't seem to be attracting my ideal clients and to be honest, I really miss working a normal 40 hour work week instead of putting in 80 hour weeks on my business to try to make it perfect, not to mention I would like a dependable income. I was so frustrated yesterday that I ended up taking the day off today to just let my mind rest and do some praying.

I honestly love what I do everyday but I don't love having to market myself (I'm an Introvert so I hate hate talking about myself!) & the need to constantly update my brand. I think the worst part is how much time it consumes from my life and I feel like I don't have time to spend time with God like I want. I had people try to give me advice, recommending me go back to school, but this confusion doesn't come from not having enough knowledge because God knows that all I do all day is read & take classes/webinars constantly. And I've done the college thing already, believe me!

I think the problem is that I have always been the one that works behind the scenes and serves others. I don't like being on the front line and the center of everything; it's just not what I love. I really would love to work for an amazing company that offers great benefits + perks where I can continue to work from home. I don't know if it's just me wanting to hide in my cocoon and maybe God is wanting me to step out into the spotlight or if it's just not meant for me. I hope that I find the clarity that I need soon.

Speaking of cocoons, today I was listening to worship music & organizing my Pinterest boards when my eye caught this image of a butterfly. It brought my mind to the process that butterflies go through in their stage of life. First, they are born and then they form into a caterpillar where they lose their skin many times as they grow. They increase in size up to several thousand times before the next step (which sounds painful). Next they turn into a pupa (chrysalis) which is the resting stage and lastly they become a beautiful butterfly!

If you look at it spiritually; it looks like this:

First, we are created by God and are in the cocoon stage, then we are born and then we go through the growing stage thousands of times (life). This can be quite painful, being stretched beyond the point that we would like at times. After that, we get to a stage of rest (thank goodness for this stage) After growing to the point where we need to be, we reach the stage of becoming a beautiful butterfly!

When I started really thinking about it, it made me think back on my life and that's in nutshell what my life has looked like. I've gone through growing moments to where I am stretched and stretched to my breaking point. I can definitely relate to Job of the Bible. For the past five years especially, I have been through so many tests + being stretched in a way that I have never been before and I've held strong to God through it all. Forming into a beautiful butterfly is painful and it isn't pretty in the beginning stages. Have you actually seen larvae up close? Not pretty at all. But it takes time to form into a beautiful butterfly; it doesn't happen overnight.

Lately, through songs, quotes, sermons, I've had God giving me words to just hold on, that restoration is on it's way. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (I heard these words the other day at the end of a song that I was listening to). I literally just prayed & cried listening to it over and over. I know that God sees my heart and that I have been faithful to him through everything and he will reward the righteous!

I'm getting ready to emerge into a beautiful butterfly soon; just you wait and see! A lovely thing about butterflies for me; is that my husband is really the person that introduced me to the beauty of butterflies when he took me to Callaway Gardens at the age of 19 and I fell in love with them! I have always said that I should have been a butterfly because they live in the warmth, float around & drink the nectar of flowers and fruit juice. What a beautiful life.

Anyway, I expect to be back here soon to share some amazing blessings with you guys because God never goes back on his promises! Blessings + love to all of you!

What are you going through right now that you are praying over?

Getting Ready for Restoration!!

Wow, where do I start?! So much has been going on and the hubby and I have been working insanely crazy to the point of exhaustion. We are both in need of a much needed break; but before we get to that, let's talk about what we were able to accomplish the past week!

Past Week Accomplishments: 
>> I have been picking up limbs and sticks for an entire week from Hurricane Hermine
>> Ordered 18 tons of dirt and helped hubby with filling dirt for our concrete drive for the garage
>> Hubby framed out and dug for the well house and the garage drive
>> Cleaned Roof
>> Cleaned Deck
>> Ordered Propane
>> Ordered Tub Tool
>> Ordered Lawn Mower Blades
>> Ordered some healthy food items, drinks on Amazon and Jet
>> Ordered a Kate Spade iPhone charger (when our electricity was out, I really relied on my back up chargers! Plus, they are great to have while on vacation & there is no access to an outlet)
>> Hubby cut wooded area
>> Purchased a new Ryobi weed trimmer- amazing!
>> Ordered a replacement Keurig + some kcups
>> Picked out our new Kitchen Backsplash- Natural Color Hexagon
>> Booked Hotel for Beach Stay! ( I'm so excited for some R&R, including some delicious seafood, beach, reading books & shopping!)

I have to tell you, something is going on behind the scenes and God is working!! This scripture keeps showing up on my Pinterest, Facebook, etc and I wanted to share. I read it aloud to the hubby and felt God's presence around me. God has seen the struggle that my husband and I have gone through for over 5 years now. There were several things that Satan stole from us but I have been diligently praying for restoration and for God to bless us with seven-fold what Satan has stolen from us.

I really don't discuss our problems or things that we go through with anyone or share via social media- that's why I have my blog so that I can safely write here. I hope that writing about the things that I go through, will somehow help someone else and at the same time, allow them to see how prayer works and how good God is!!

We have been through so much throughout these past 5 years when all we had to depend on was God, when everyone else walked out. We went through losing our dog of 15 years, losing half the money on selling our home, losing half of a salary that we were accustomed to, my husband losing his Father, his job. We had to work a hard job on the road for almost 8 months and it was not easy, but we worked hard and trusted in God for our future. We went through struggling with almost 8 months of unemployment- literally, no one would hire us. It got to the point that we didn't know how we were going to make it but God got us through until the last few dollars and he performed a miracle and I got a great job and soon after the hubby did as well!

God has been beyond good to the husband and I throughout the years. It has been a struggle for us, but it has made us depend even more on God to get through things. I have watched him heal our dog when he was completely paralyzed, I have witnessed being on our last few dollars and he deliver us with jobs and money, I have watched God help us financially when things have gotten rough. But I don't complain that we have gone through any of these things. Yes, we lost money on our home, yes, we don't have the same financial lifestyle that we had before and we have had to make sacrifices but God has taken care of us every time!

Everyday, sometime during the day I go on a walk up and down our drive and I talk to God about what is going on in our lives and I pray over our future. I pray mostly about God restoring what Satan has stolen from us. I watch my husband every day, diligently work even though he deserves more and is meant for greater things, but he never complains. My heart hurts for him and I pray over him daily for God to bless his future and for him to be successful and be in the favor of God. One thing that I really love about my husband is that he is extremely intelligent but he is never boastful or proud about it.  In this day and age, that is extremely rare. I have been watching God bless us in the past few weeks about some things that I have been praying over and I know that he is working on our future. The hubby and I talk about things that happen and we both know that it is God working! Right now, I couldn't be more excited for our future and the blessings that are on the way!

What are you praying/trusting in God for today?

Trusting in God!

 

Hi lovies, hope your week is going well so far! I'm still trying to get adjusted after being back from a week long cruise. I've been busy trying to catch up with things and to be honest a little overwhelmed with life.

Lately, I have been listening to sermons while I work during the day and noticed that the same message seems to keep coming back to me. I have seen it on social media, quotes and listening to several sermons. I know that it's God speaking to me and I wanted to share in case this speaks to you or maybe you're going through a similar situation.

The message that I have been receiving is"Stop worrying, God is working everything out." I won't go into details, but I have been going through some difficult things in my life- this specific trial is something that I haven't been through before and it's been really hard and has caused me to stay awake nights worrying and being stressed. It's gotten to the point to where I worry and think about it constantly. I have even had several anxiety attacks to where I have had to calm myself down so that I could catch my breath. I have been praying more and trying to turn it over to God. I just can't do this on my own- I need God to take over. I have been worrying too much, when I should have been praying more and trusting in God to take care of things.

I'm not saying it's easy, especially when you feel like your life is out of control and you work so hard and help others yet still your life is a constant struggle. It's really hard to sit back and watch people who take advantage of others and it seems like life is going so amazing for them. That really frustrates me and makes me want to throw in the towel and quit. Why can't the kind and giving people be rewarded? Why does it seem like the ones that are dishonest and take advantage of people and are full of greed get rewarded? It's something that I struggle with understanding.

All I know is that I have to continue being kind, lifting up and encouraging others. I will continue to love and help those less fortunate and the broken in spirit. It may not seem like it right now, but God is busy behind the scenes working things out for me. I just have to keep trusting in him and know that the plans that he has for me, are for good and not evil. Plans to prosper me and give me a hope and a future. I don't know the exact plans that God has in store for me, but I will continue to trust in Him. I have followed God for most of my life and he has never let me down. I love and adore Him because he has looked out for me my whole life and has been there with me when everyone else walked out the door.

I hold on to the faith because I have witnessed countless miracles from God. I have witnessed our dog, Roscoe, when he became paralyzed and depressed for 8 months, later begin to walk and play like a normal dog again. I watched God deliver my husband and I out of bondage in situations where people were taking advantage of us and place us in a much happier & healthier situation. I have witnessed having extreme health issues and God restoring health to my body. I have witnessed a child that was having traumatic emotional issues receive healing, with extreme prayers for bondage's to be broken over him. I have been a part of all of these miracles; some I prayed for days and some took years to come to pass. But every time, God came through on his promises.

I love being a prayer warrior for God and helping others receive deliverance and healing. God is good all of the time and I will once again trust in him that he will work everything out for me as well. I have faith that I will be back soon with a testimony of victory and deliverance! So stay tuned :)

And we know that in ALL things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Are you going through something and need prayers? Let me know and I'll be happy to lift you up in prayer.