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I'm so glad you came back to visit here again. Today, however, we will embrace a VERY different sort of topic. So stay close. Please! I don't want you to miss this one and the seriousness of it all.
If you're new here. Welcome! It's always good to have "new" faces sitting here around "the table". I know nervous jitters can find their way into your heart and mind and I just want to put that at ease. Hopefully they'll go away and not come back. I want you to just sit back relax and enjoy that cup of coffee you're holding in your hand. Grab a (mini) Pecan Pie Muffin while you're at it. The recipe will follow at the end of the post.
She honestly is one of my most favorite Christian authors. Anyway. Back in the late nineties, this Karen and a friend of hers sent out an invitation, around Christmas time, for a special evening: a "Mom's Night Out" - planned for maybe twice a year. Each attendee was to bring their own mug (for coffee or tea) and muffins were the only other thing there for refreshment. As it turned out - there were over nineteen ladies in attendance the first time. It quickly grew to a monthly event with now over ninety moms on their mailing list, representing ten different churches and of many ladies who don't even attend church.
Karen encourages woman to start their own chapters... and so this is mine.
So far it's been a ton of fun. I've met many new "faces" through their thoughts and interaction by way of comments. I want it to be, for you, an environment of calm, laughter and a feeling "free to participate" by sharing your thoughts and comments.
Pass the word along. We'd love to have more of you participate. Stay. Savor and/or enjoy the time together, as we gather.
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Well. Today is special. Special for me in that I can really relate to the topic that will be shared today. I've been here (a few times) and maybe you have too. If it's lengthy to read - I do apologize. I just wanted it to be as real as real could be. I just hope you'll stay close and really hear from my In Real Life (IRL) friend
Kelli. Kelli kindly agreed to share her "testimony" today... about a path she has been called to walk. Certainly, not an easy task. I think you'll understand why I say - stay close.
Stand by.
And please share your thoughts and encouragement at the end of the post with your comments following the read.
Each comment will nominate you for a chance to win a two-fold giveaway today.
This is VERY, VERY exciting.
Here is my friend to share with you now.
Hi, I’m Kelli and I have a little blog called Learning As We Go. I’ve been married for 15 years to my
husband Andy. God has blessed us with 2
boys. Collin is turning 12 this month
and Britt is 7. I’m a real-life friend of Bevy’s and feel very honored to be
asked to guest post on her blog today.
My life has been a pretty normal one. Might even be classified as boring, although
I’ve had my share of ups and downs. One
of the biggest struggles in my life happened one morning in church. I was
completely normal one minute and the next began a year-long debilitating battle
that I now know as anxiety/depression.
Up until my diagnosis I thought anxiety was something made up. Something the doctor told you you had when
they didn’t know what else was wrong with you.
Anxiety was for people who were crazy.
And that wasn’t me. And anxiety
was definitely not for Christians.
But, as it turns out I knew nothing about anxiety. Even now, almost 3 years later I still feel
as though I don’t know anything about anxiety.
What I have learned is this.
Anxiety is very real and many, many people battle with it. I soon found out that I was not alone. People whom I never expected had dealt with
anxiety or depression at some point in their life, or were always dealing with
it. I also soon found with whom I could
trust my “disease” with. There are some
who just don’t understand and sadly they likely never will. That also means that dealing with anxiety and
depression can be a very lonely road.
For me it seems likely that my anxiety will never go
away. There are days I feel as though I
am strapping on my “back pack of anxiety.”
On those particular days, quite frankly, I get so tired of it. I don’t want to be dealing with it. I want to feel normal again, and like I don’t
have to worry through life anymore.
At times I find myself questioning why God has allowed this
to be a part of my life. I may never
know the answer to that question and it’s not mine to know, but what I do find
is God has given me peace through this battle.
I’ve learned so much about His love for me because of my anxiety. He never once left me and I always felt His
presence with me. Still do.
He has opened my eyes to see others and their lives with a
new perspective. I’ve learned that you
just don’t know what each person is dealing with in their lives. Therefore, we must show compassion to
them. And this was huge, but we must not
be silent. We shouldn’t be afraid to
talk about our struggles, or to offer a kind word or prayer when a friend is
struggling. I am so very glad God
brought people into my life to help me through this battle. I received cards and countless kind words
from people in my life who truly cared and were praying for me.
During the debilitating days of my battle I really wanted to
know that God was with me and hadn’t abandoned me. So, where else to find God but in His
word. I started a journal of verses that
God used to speak to my heart. There
were so many verses. So many. This post would be too long if I wrote out
each, so I’ll share pieces of my favorites.
I hope you will take time to read the whole verse. His words are amazing.
Psalm 56:8-9 You keep
track of all my sorrows...collected my tears...When I call to you for help this
I know: God is on my side!
Psalm 103:13-14 The
Lord is like a father to his children...For he knows how weak we are.
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are new every
morning: Great is thy faithfulness.
I Peter 5:7 Give all
your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
II Cor. 12:9 My grace
is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Heb. 6:18-19 We have
fled to take hold of the hope offered to us...we have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure.
Phil. 4:6-7 Don’t
worry about anything; instead pray about everything...then you will experience
God’s peace...
John 14:27 I am
leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give you...the world cannot
give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Isaiah 43:2 When you
go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through deep rivers...you will not drown. When you walk through the fire...you will not
be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
II Tim. 1:7 For God
has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-discipline.
I could go on. I have
more written out. What I’ve learned in
seeing these verses and so many of them is that God knows we worry. He knows we live in fear. We are human.
He just wants us to give it to Him and lean heavily on Him for each day
no matter what.
Unfortunately I had to learn that the hard way. Truth be told, it is a daily struggle for
me. I like to have things in order, be
in control of things, but the reality is we have absolutely no control of our
lives. What I do know and find so much
relief and comfort in is knowing He has the control. Who better than the One who loves us the
most.
So, here I am nearly 3 years later. Still taking pills to help my anxiety. Still learning about God and His love. Still learning about anxiety. And still realizing I have so much to learn. Still taking it day by day and sometimes
minute by minute. Still hoping and
trusting that someday I can find relief from this debilitating disease. But knowing with all my heart that God is
with me each step of the way.
Kelli. BIG HUGS! to you and thank you (sincerely!) for sharing this raw testimony with all of us. Hard. But in it's entirety you've given the Lord glory due to Him. I think more then we know, there are other moms at home, moms in the work place, single women, married... old or young...who, we all can relate at times to the ups and downs. Some "seasons" more prolonged then others. I know I certainly can relate to this.
Recalling the time I heard a knock on the door of my home. It was probably around two years ago or so, by now. It was a knock, I did not want to answer. But I could see who it was on the other side. It happened to be this same gal - my dear friend Kelli. I had been in the midst of a really dark season and what I now know to be a state of depression. But at the time, I had no idea what was happening to me. I needed to try and get out of the house more. I was encouraged to go and had just decided to start attending
MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers), which was probably one of the most encouraging things I could have ever done. There I met Kelli and many other beautiful faces (of friends) I either already knew or at least recognized.
Actually, I already knew Kelli - way before MOPS, because we had worked together at our local Christian Bookstore for years. But on this day, in particular ....
As I welcomed in her in ... she knew something had to be wrong. We talked, I cried... and well, that was the first time I
ever knew she was going through something very similar. Because she could completely relate and she understood. Thanks be to God - mine lasted only a short time. At least at that point. I still have my days ... but it isn't anything prolonged... and (too) life changing. But, it has made me walk with more of an open eye to the many others who might be going through a similar time in their life.
This is why I'm really excited about the giveaway for today. Kelli talked about receiving cards from folks, thinking of her, who were loving enough to care and express their thoughts and who were willing enough to let her know.
She also talked a bit about using a journal to write out her thoughts and write down verses of God's Word that would continue to hold her and carry her onward. Blessing her soul.
Today's Giveaway is Two-Fold.
I have two other real life friends who have agreed to share of their time and talent to accompany this post today. My IRL friend Lindsay, (newly online) from
paisleyjanedesigns.blogspot.com and
paisleyjanedesigns.etsy.com has agreed to donate four beautiful
hand made cards. They come as a set. Beautifully embossed and designed. They are blank on the inside. Perfect for sending someone you know a note to say - "you're thinking of them", etc.
My other IRL friend,
Becky, from
Seasoned with Salt - Etsy Shop, has graciously agreed to donate a (removable) fabric covered composition notebook/ journal. Again, a beautiful gift as this is a handmade item as well.
**On a side note. Becky, willingly is up for making and taking special/custom orders. She does more then make journal covers.... check it all out via her
blog and esty. Her contact information is made available there.
The giveaway will extend until Wednesday evening, closing out around 10:00 pm, EST. The winner will be posted on Thursday of this week. Each comment will grant you an entry.
***
And, now for that delightful recipe.
Pecan Pie Mini Muffins
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans.
2/3 cup butter, melted (no substitutes)
2 eggs, beaten
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and pecans, set aside. Combine melted butter and beaten eggs. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 340* for 15-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Remove immediately to cool on wire racks. Yield: 2-3 dozen. (The yield depends on how many pecans you use, I suppose.)
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So, what did you think of today's topic?
Be honest.
Are there seasons in your life when you walk this road and nobody knows or seems to care?
I know that this wasn't an easy or much desired topic to share, but the Lord was really impressing it upon me that there are more out there then we'll ever know...who walk this path... alone.
Every. Single. Day.
If you can identify here today, or have any thoughts or words of encouragement, or you just want to say a (write out) prayer here in the comment section, that would be wonderful.
Please join in, "around the table"... as sisters and friends... loving and serving one another.
I love you all, my dear friends and readers. Thank you again for stopping by.
