Plans for Good

I am so blessed to be a part of and a leader for our MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) group this year.  Side note: this is a national group & if you're able, I highly suggest you find the closest one to you & get involved!  These fun, genuine, hilarious, supportive ladies have enriched my life beyond measure over the last year and a half.  Thank you!  

Earlier this week, I sent the email to our group recapping last Friday's meeting, but our prayer requests and personal situations as a group were weighing heavy on my heart, so I decided to start my email with the message below.  As this week has gone on, God laid on my heart that it's not just our small group of women, but every wife, mom and woman out there (& even men for crying out loud) who need to know this promise of hope.   Whoever is listening (reading) out there, I want you to know, this message is for you too...  

I am genuinely praying for each and everyone of us (and our loved ones) to Be Brave and not lose faith that God has plans for good, to give us a future and a hope.  He says if we look for Him wholeheartedly, we find find Him. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)  

Our sermon at church was based on this scripture this past Sunday, and the point that stood out to me most was that no one ever talks about the verse before (Jeremiah 29:10) because it puts a bit of a damper on v.11  "...after 70 years... I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised."  WHAT?! 70 years?!  But honestly, this gave me MORE hope... No matter how long our season of waiting to see that light at the end of the tunnel, God is still there and His promise remains.  Just a few verses before (4-7), He says to make a home where you are - plant gardens, multiply... do not dwindle away.  God truly convicted me here... Over the last couple years (coincidence that's about the time The Kraze was born? maybe, maybe not), I've said "When things get better" or "If only" far more times than I care to admit.  God puts us in our situations according to His perfect will (which many times I don't understand) & expects us to make the most of it and never lose sight of who is in control and to continue living with a grateful heart anyway!

It's a message many of us have heard time and time again, but you never know who needs to hear it (again) today.  So share it!

Hey!  We're all in this together.  In case you missed this awesome video floating around, (I need something engaging to make people want to visit & revisit my blog right?!) this is a call to 'no judgement' and to lay off each other (this goes for all women, don't you think?)  It's obviously geared toward moms, but come on ladies, we ALL need to have each other's backs.  #sisterhoodunite