Winter never lasts forever...

My heart is hurting tonight.

Not for myself, but for those that I know who are hurting.

For the wife facing her husband's cancer diagnosis.

For the mama and daddy who's baby is fighting to live.

For the person fighting depression and anxiety.

For the woman who battles loneliness.

For the ones who wonder if God has forgotten His promises to them.

For the mama who fights a daily battle to not be overcome with all that she needs to do, 

all that she needs to be.

For those in the middle of a financial crisis.

For the one who's child has turned away from the God he was raised to love and serve.

For some reason, I'm feeling your pain tonight and I'm carrying it to the only One I know who can help.

I felt that He wanted me to tell you that winter never lasts forever.

He's the one who promised that as long as the earth lasts there will be planting, (spring), and harvest, (fall), summer and winter, day and night. (Genesis 8:22)

I've been in a winter season that I felt might never end before...

a long season of trial and testing that I wasn't sure we'd survive.

But, one day, I started to see the signs of hope, like the daffodils that are even now beginning to poke up through the soil in my yard.

Sure enough, my season of winter eventually turned into spring.

Can I encourage you to begin to look for the signs, the signs that your spring is coming?

In the middle of your dark days of winter, look for the signs of God's presence, His goodness,

look for the signs of life, of hope.

Give thanks instead of giving up.

Spring will come friend.

Winter never lasts forever.

That's a promise.

***************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#4199-#4224

1-13-14-

-my Hub's being such a good dad and papa-

him watching the grandkids, cleaning her house, 

(or supervising the grandkids to help clean up the house),  

and buying our daughter flowers when she had to go to the ER with possible gall bladder issues

-her being fine and her pregnancy and baby is well

-spring flowers at the grocery store

1-14-13-

-my mother-in-law's teacups

-another layer of healing

-a beautiful winter day for a run

-(in)courage group leaders spree cast

-talking and praying with my co-leader/friend

-a text from my missionary brother

-praying for a friend via Facebook

1-15-13-

-trying to jog while pushing youngest granddaughter in her stroller

(I jogged her to sleep!)

-picking her big sister up from pre-school and seeing her playing with some other little girls

-a really good conversation with the hubs

-a great deal on some necessary car maintenance

1-16-14-

-foggy mornings

-blue skies in the afternoon

-pink roses, juicy orange oranges, color!

1-17-14-

-an invitation to meet our oldest daughter and her family for lunch

-coffee after lunch at our youngest daughter's Starbucks

-watching On Golden Pond snuggled up with the Hubs

1-18-14-

-frost on all the rooftops as I look out the upstairs window

-our church's leaders all pulling together when one person is hurting

-God presence with me as I cleaned house and prayed

1-19-14-

-during church the Hubs sending me and another couple over to the home of someone who couldn't come to church to pray with them

-lunch with a new family from church

-on the drive home from church, blue skies but a perfect ring of clouds at the base of Mt. Hood with the top of it's snow covered peak peeking through

gratefully yours,

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