​Recently I've been thinking a lot about how we have to walk through lessons and seasons more than once.  It's a shame we don't learn all we need to learn the first time we encounter a lesson. Like children, it seems that we need constant reminders and experiences that help us re-learn the lessons He needs us to learn. 
We spend so much of our time fighting the season we’re in, or apologizing for our struggle, wallowing in self pity or depression, and going to great lengths to cheer ourselves up. 

What if we decided to embrace where we’re at, and to trust that God put us there for a reason, and if we really do trust Him, then we can find joy in any season. What if we stopped apologizing for the rough time we’re having, and started being honest with ourselves and those around us, and just said “I’m struggling, but God is good”. What if we stopped feeling ashamed for the difficulties we’re facing, like it’s an indication of how in control we are, or how ‘good’ a person we are, and held our heads high and decided that if God is asking me to face this, He has something good to do, because He is good. 

The Word of God talks about how what we focus on we become, we begin to resemble.  If we're not careful our hearts can become a polluted pond rather than this fresh wellspring of life.  It's amazing if we really think about it.  Can you picture this, thinking about and picturing Christ and thanking Him for who He is and just stay there for a few minutes.  This very act begins to change us.  Isn't that incredible?  We focus on Him, and suddenly our hearts start to soften, we begin to feel joy springing up inside of us.  We are being transformed, intentionally.

It must be intentional.  We are surrounded by hundreds of distractions daily, and we've been told right here it is our responsibility to do the guarding of our affections of our heart, what we chase after, long for, seek, think about, and especially what we allow our eyes to see. 

I'd like to challenge you, and I plan to challenge myself as well to intentionally and purposefully watch where my attention may go.  The more your heart dwells on and focuses on the lover of your soul, the more you desire to focus your attention on Him.  He's doing the work in your heart.

Be that one that refreshes and gives life to others, even in the every day.  

​Creator/Founder
Community of Christian Creatives, LLC

​​Watercolor artist, author, wife, lover of plants and the outdoors, daughter of the King of Kings. 
​She is a community builder on Instagram @communityofchristiancreatives and continues her artwork at @mistyleacreations.  Her book Love Letters of Jesus, which can be found on most online stores and her website, is the story about how God healed her of severe childhood diseases and is a testimony to God's goodness through the struggles.

​The world will tell us that we have a right to be right, a right to be heard, a right to be known.  A right to so many things, but especially a right to have our own opinion, but that isn't what the word of God says. ​Right here, it says, "And do not rely on your own opinions.  With all your heart rely on him to guide you."  I can tell you, I've fought to have my own opinions on so many things in my life, but that didn't really end in a lot of satisfaction, at least not that long. 

​I can think of the times when I let go, and leaned entirely on the Lord and waited for Him to lead me, and those times are a marker.  In those times, I have not only had perfect peace, but I have felt his heart, his love, his acceptance, his pleasure in who I am.  I felt close to him. 
Some have asked me how do I make decisions in business, or on social media, etc. and all I know is that for there to be peace and joy in it all, to be able to love and see what He's seeing, I must let go of what I expect things to be and trust Him, totally.