The Little Things

We so often want a grandiose change, something sudden, awe inspiring and pivotal but surprisingly enough, some times the greatest change is in the little things that cause a big tipping point. I remember when I was younger, I thought of how amazing it would be to be like samson from the bible, a superhero, someone with massive strength! You daydream and imagine, thinking of all the cool things you would or should do. Laying down in a field of dreams and just chuckling at different ideas that pass through your mind like clouds dancing across the sky on a windy day.

As you grow up you realize that some amazing things can happen by dedication, courage and determination, not to say that God doesn't do miracles in any way but we are held with gifts and each according to His plan, now the question is do we bury them and do nothing or do we cultivate them, tend to them and watch them grow. I began training extremely hard after my stroke happened and learning to do everything over was no small task and by God's grace I overcame and am overcoming huge obstacles. Currently I'm training five days a week and seeing a huge improvement but not without blood, sweat and tears. The profound thing is this, even in my weakness I was determined, focused, purposefully pushing forward no matter what; little by little I've come to the point I'm at, and it is paramount. I look back and realize that I've done what seemed literally impossible and what has taken root is more than strength in muscles but rather strength in character, in diligence and fortitude. Now that's a change I would never take back...
I faced a lion of improbable victory and came out the winner and so can you by God's grace.

The Challenge

Life is a challenge and so many times we struggle with sudden change but change can easily become a catapult for something new and exciting. The greatest issue can easily be the fear of the unknown, wondering if that very change I good or bad. You could easily have a 100 people with the same circumstances and yet you will always have one who deals with that set of challenges in an amazing way, they see the change that initially felt fearful and made it into something inspirational, they see it as an opportunity instead of a huge obstacle waiting to crush their hopes and dreams. The difference is in the mindset, in how you approach the difficulties, the unknown.
When I had my stroke I had to learn to read, write, walk and talk again and it was deeply life changing and when faced with every daily challenge I had to decide will I rise above it or will I cringe and hide from life. I chose the the former and the struggle was honestly brutal but in the end I found a much stronger man. I became a deeper person with roots that reached much further into the grounds of courage, faith and hope! We may not have the luxury of an ample amount of ideal choices when dealing with adversity but we can have an amazing perspective and or hope in dealing with adversity and that is where healthy change can occur.

Grace

Grace...

The beauty of grace is far deeper than we can imagine, it's a lifelong journey of seeing and enduring through life's choices, trials, the valleys and the mountain tops. We See things in the moment, maybe even when we reflect on the past but it's always foggy through the eyes of humanity.
God speaks to us profoundly and with depth of love when He tells us to walk in our weakness, endure in our suffering, because in our suffering God is glorified and we are humbled. Pride is buried quickly in our struggles and that lense of cloudy muddy perception quickly fades and we begin to look more fervently at the light when it breaks through the clouds; like a lighthouse we become far more dependant on where God wants us to go and less on where we want to be.
When we see the light with joy and with reliance we begin to celebrate the destination, the journey, God's wisdom is always far better than our own. In the end our weakness is His testimony to a loving Father, an amazingly gracious giver of hope and victory. The light always breaks through the darkest storms...

Some Destinations

Some destinations are just worth the fight!

We can often lose the focus when hardship is in

our view, when we only see the valley or the long

road ahead; God always has a plan and in the end

it's beautiful beyond compare.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
                                                                                  Genesis 50:20

Whatever we face, no matter the trials, God will turn it around

for His glory and we can rest on that perfect plan. His love writes our story each and every day.

From This Moment

   There I was, standing before a simple pathway. I had often walked and jogged that same route with ease and not a care in the world, now I was standing there with one leg shaking and quivering and one arm doing who knows what and words and thoughts had melted like wax; I felt a war was going on inside my head. Yes this was the hill that suddenly became my mountain, just after the stroke everything seemed almost impossible to overcome; miles and miles away.

   I quickly looked down at my feet, the very feet that brought me everywhere without any complications, there I was fighting for every step, every moment, every dream and trying to silence every single nightmare. I took the reigns of my worries and doubts and laid them before God and said "I'm here in this dilemma and you are a God of miracles, so make your miracles happen in every fear I face!" I held to those very thoughts and pushed and pushed my way through. Whatever we face, the beautiful thing is this, God is always bigger than our biggest fears, our biggest trials, adversities and our tears. He always has a plan, sometimes it's among a haze, a fog of war but God is the lighthouse and He is ever faithful.

We can have comfort in knowing that whatever was meant for evil, God can make it for His good. Now I'm doing public speaking, demonstrations in martial arts as well as creating art, poetry, photography and much much more. Never let go of God's promises, He is faithful and true...

Lions Den

When I faced my stroke,

there were many times I couldn't speak,

express my thoughts,

move or understand

but I knew one thing,

I was facing a circumstance for which I could only simply be still and let God do what He does best, turn hungry circumstances of potential great loss into a victory for which only God can be glorified. That is truly what He has done for me :) Just trust Him and keep on praying, keep on living the gospel message and let God do the impossible.

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.

Under A Thousand Tears

   Sometimes we bear the weight of our deepest fears in silence. We put on a brave face and all the while we cry on the inside, we break into pieces, thinking, pondering, wondering if anyone knows our pain and do they really care. The bible says this in Psalms

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
                              Psalm 34:17-19
     The comfort we receive is in this very thing, that God is ever attentive, He is ever prepared to easily overcome anything we are enduring. He promises that He will deliver us out of all our afflictions. The great joy we receive is in knowing that God stands by His word, even to the cross! His mercy is ever enduring, ever compassionate and full of love and joy. We have hope because God does exactly as He promises and has never failed, His record is 100 percent perfect and He knows exactly everything there is to know about you and how to make all things new in His perfect grace. So take hope in this very thing, you are loved and that love that is so profound that it causes us to soar above the impossible, to do the very things we thought would leave us in the dust of weakness. God delivers! God Heals! God Restores! God Renews!

 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
                               Isaiah 40:31

Take The Step

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

When I Am Weak

                      It has been my greatest inspiration for poetry, artwork, photography and everything else I do, my stroke broke me and God healed me in ways I thought would never happen. He brought me confidence when my flesh was weak, He brought me faithfulness when faithfulness in friends could not be found, He restored my courage when no courage could be seen. My faith is in His devoted love and His perfect plan.

For The Call

   

     Today is one of those days, the kind of day that when you wake up you just feel thankful. You wake up and you realize that God in all His wonder and grace, somehow made your life amazing not by what you can do but rather what God can do in it. A moment comes and goes without distinction sometimes but when there is love it soars through the skies of joy and when we suffer pain or loss we drudge through the mud and mire of hurt. It's inevitable, change is always happening but it's when we are in our darkest moments that we see an even greater light of hope, it's because of it's sheer brilliance when in darkness we wander that it becomes so precious, so paramount, so inspiring that it leaves an indelible mark that can spur us onward and upward.
     When I woke up this morning I had that very feeling, that type of praise to a God of wonder and absolute faithfulness. I had realized that through my stroke, my learning how to read, write, walk and talk that God made that mark, that profound statement in my soul that said "I will never leave you or forsake you!" and that is what He did. He prevailed over my suffering, He conquered over my doubts, He triumphantly showed is everlasting love over my hurts and pains and today I am doing things that once were deemed impossible because I have a God of all possibilities.
     No matter what you face you can face it as long as God is the rock by which you stand or crawl or what have you, you are not alone and on His strong promises you are victorious.