"Our Grand Adventerous Trip!!"

So, I've been meaning to write about David and my adventure recently to The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I just haven't taken the intiative to do it. My Blogs are written to encourage, give hope, give light, as well as to entertain. I wonder does sharing a Blog about an amazing trip fill any of that for anyone? Maybe....hopefully. I guess that's why I've put it off.
So here's hoping . . .

About 2 weeks ago, give or take a day, David and I had the opportunity to take a trip. And this trip came about because David was not paying close attention to the man on the other end of the phone conversation. As he was booking reservations for another trip we took, the man on the other end talked him into committing to a timeshare spill. Yup....just give us two hours of your time and look what we will give you! Um...yeah.
Regardless of THAT part of the trip...we had the most amazing and wonderful time!! So sit back and come along and enjoy our trip with us won't you. :)

Tuesday morning came bright and early - we saw the sun rise as we traveled - something I never see. Such an awesome thing to see how God orchestrates this world He has created! As we traveled, we saw many weather conditions. The chart topper of the day - RAIN. As I mentioned in a previous Blog, rain seems to be the order of the day when we are making a big trip. In fact, there was a stretch of 145 miles of almost solid heavy rain at one point....never seen anything like it. Even our cell phones were sounding off the Emergency Alerts of flash flooding! I decided not to tell my Mom how our drive was going until the next day when all was well....much better that way. :)

So God washed our little Green Ark safely into Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at 11:58pm, after traveling all day for 17 hours! All of 950 miles!! What a trip! As I've said....David loves to drive and I love to ride....but 17 hours IS a really long time.

Wednesday morning was upon us and guess what else was too? RAIN. This was the day that we had planned to hike. Our options were to stay in town and decided on a show or activity there OR go ahead with plan A and hike. Plan A it was!! We traveled to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Rain or not we were determined.

Once in the park, the Ranger was surprised, when David told him we were going hiking, due to the rain. I would say most of all the people there, at that time, were there to only go on the car tour of the historic "Cades Cove" loop. O we were too....but hiking was in our agenda as well. :) We like to be different.

Below, is some of our first sights of the park. How little did we know that those sights would only become much more beautiful the farther we traveled and hiked!

We entered the "Cades Cove" 11 mile loop. This National Park was once a home to many early settlers long ago and there stories and homes have been preserved through time. History is a chart topper for David and I!

There were stops along the loop that you could get out and walk up to the homesite. Many cars were passing that opportunity up due to the rain. Not us! That just meant I got to try out my new raincoat my sweet husband bought. I didn't understand WHY we needed to buy me a raincoat before we left home on this trip.....and now I did! He's so good......

He also made sure we had stay dry hiking clothes and hiking boots.....which all came in so very handy! :)

This was the home of the very first white settler. He lived there 200 years ago! Can you even imagine being the very first white settler on a giant mountain?! We were the very first settlers of our cul-de-sac almost 19 years ago....I'm thinking this was just a littttle bit different. Ha!

And on we traveled......



Next stop? One of my favorites! Old churches and graveyards! Of course!

Someone had a really NICE green Camaro there...I'm just sayin'. ;-)

I found these old tombstones to be interesting. They were so old no writing was visible whatsoever. But they represented a life that was once here. A life that was loved by another.

And on this mountain....if you weren't Baptist then you were Methodist. Here lies the Methodist.

 We arrived at our destination of the day and set off for our much anticipated hike to Abram's Falls! Two things to see 1. the great and mighty falls. 2. BEARS! What an adventure to run into such a wonderful creature!! But first, it was lunch time and my David had prepared a wonderful lunch. He found us a wet log to sit on....but he covered it first with a blanket....and then he fixed our lunch. It was the most delicious peanut butter and banana sandwhich I had eaten. We also had fruit, chips, cookies, and coke. Couldn't have asked for better!

Now....we were ready!

We walked across these streams and the water was AWESOME!



The sights were becoming that much more beautiful with each step we took! But what waited ahead would even be so much more!

Along the way, I took various pictures of plants and flowers I found.

I did this also in memory of my dear Auntie....who also loved to take pictures of flowers along the way of life. :)

And after a hike of one hour and thirty minutes, straight UP a mountain, we arrived at the mighty and majestic Abram's Falls! Absolutely powerful as well as gorgeous!!

It may have not been the tallest waterfall, but it certainly was the most powerful. It had more water rushing over at greater speeds and power than the others.

Yes....it was worth the hike in everyway!!

As we came down the moutain, we got to encourage a man on his way UP the mountain. I had written about this encounter in my most previous Blog. "we were on our way down the mountain and a man was hiking alone up the mountain. He was growing weary from the hike and wasn't so sure his efforts were even going to pay off. He questioned us as we were in passing saying "Is there really a waterfall ahead?? I keep going and can't find it!" We both assured him "Don't stop now, you're almost there! It's just a little farther ahead. Keep going." Later....as we had taken our time coming down off the mountain, we see this man once again. He was SO HAPPY! I asked him "Did you find it?" He excitedly replied "YES! and my friends are never gonna believe I did this! But I got proof....there was a girl there and she took a picture of me on my camera!!!" It was so awesome to be able to encourage this man to "Keep keepin on!" when he could have easily given up and not reaped his awesome reward! In much of life we can apply this mentality - - one step at a time. And in that one step at a time, you know what happens? You get closer and  closer to all that God has waiting for you ahead!! We know that our ultimate reward will be when we see Jesus' face and he wraps his arms us around us welcoming us home! But there are many "rewards" here on this earth as well. Keep keepin on, my friend. Don't stop....you're almost there!"

While on the way down the mountain, I got my hiker husband to stop and pose. Something he doesn't care for, but was pretty darn sweet about it.

The temperature was only 60 degrees, and amazingly it was NOT cold at all!! This girl would have been freezing to death back at home....but thankfully not so here! We noticed that even though we had kept a good pace on the way up the mountain as well as on the way down....we STILL got passed! We chalked up with the assumption that.....Texans must just be plain ole slow. They take their time to take it all in I guess. Ha!

Although, we weren't "fortunate" enough to see any bears....dad-gum-it!! I did take a picture of a picture of one!

We returned back to our car and resumed the car tour of "Cades Cove". We got to see some more beautiful history.



After our tour, it was getting late and dark. We still had to come the rest of the way down the mountain. As we twisted and turned through the paths of the mountain....it began to get dark and foggy and raining again. It made for another nice adventure! :) Back in town....we ate at Big Daddy's Pizzeria << very GOOD! with Baskin Robbins for dessert! Yummy!

The next morning, Thursday, we were off for another hike. Today's hike would be an "easy" hike. We found sunshine after leaving house 3 days ago....Yay!!

Such beatiful scenery we encountered! If only a camera could truly capture it!!

And we arrived to the beautiful Laurel Falls!!

 Note to my Mom:: Don't look at this picture. Or the next one.....

Still keep your eyes shut.....

Laurel Falls was absolutely gorgeous!! And now it was time to come back down the mountain.

I love him SO VERY MUCH!!!!

Mom, the true Mountain Woman!!

Now it was time to get the 2 hour presentation back in Gatlinburg.

Note to self: I do NOT like 2 hour time share presentations and find them HIGHLY a GIANT waste of our time. But we did what we had to do and it was done.

While in Gatlinburg, we found ALL the many tourists!! It was far too crowded for our liking and left quickly!! Back to the mountains for us!!

We were headed to our last and final hike to the waterfalls. This would be Grotto Falls.

I love some of the beautifully twisted and mountainous paths we traveled by foot to get there.

And finally we were there!! It was so freaking AWESOME to actually walk behind this waterfall and stick my hand in the powerful water coming so forcefully down!!!

Ok.....I can NO longer continue this Blog.

There are more stories to share to finish up our grand adventures, but my computer is totally UN-cooperative. You see....I've been working on this Blog for a continuous 5 1/2 HOURS. No lie. I'm ending this Blog and will finish it ......later. I'm pooped!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading thus far!!!

"I Went to a Strongman Competition!!"

Yesterday, David and I had the opportunity to go and watch a "Strongman Competition". Our daughter, Savannah's, boyfriend was in it. It was quite interesting to watch. The human body can display such amazing strength in unbelievable ways! These men, young and old alike, were phenomenal! I do well to just carry a full load of laundry, in the basket, upstairs!!

There were different levels represented: Masters, Light Weight, Novice, Middle Weight, and Heavy Weight. And there was six events required to participate in: I'm not going to try to guess at the names of those. I'm sharing a picture of Savannah and Taylor and the 5 of the 6 events he paritcipated in.

A funny insert:: I had to tell my Mom, when she saw these pictures, that No Taylor did not tattoo his face. Haha! Rather he has a signature look at each competition and this helps him to stand out and be remembered.

Taylor did very well and placed 3rd in the Middle Weight division! YAY!

As I thought about sharing this Blog, I could see how this competition related to life itself in different ways.

1. All men were strong, but not all men had the same strength.

We all have strengths, but not all of us are strong in the same areas. Does that make one better than the other? No, not at all. 

2. It wasn't always about the strength that was required, but rather about the technique.

If the technique was wrong, often the strength didn't matter. Your approach/ways/technique to handling life matters more than how strong you may view yourself. One example:: How do you handle stress in your life? Is your first resort to handle it the best way you can yourself -OR- to seek God and his grace, his guidance, and his help to help you with it?

3. The men pushed themselves farther when given encouragement.

We all need encouragers in our life. Whether they be a spouse, a parent, a friend, a teacher, a grandparent....and the list goes on. God plants those people in your life to spur you on....to go farther....don't give up.....keep trying.....you ARE going to get there!! David and I recently had the opportunity to go on a beautiful trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. While there, we hiked to 3 different waterfalls. These hikes were NO easy walk in the park....in fact it was downright exhausting (but great excitement too!). On one such hike, we were on our way down the mountain and a man was hiking alone up the mountain. He was growing weary from the hike and wasn't so sure his efforts were even going to pay off. He questioned us as we were in passing saying "Is there really a waterfall ahead?? I keep going and can't find it!" We both assured him "Don't stop now, you're almost there! It's just a little farther ahead. Keep going." Later....as we had taken our time coming down off the mountain, we see this man once again. He was SO HAPPY! I asked him "Did you find it?" He excitedly replied "YES! and my friends are never gonna believe I did this! But I got proof....there was a girl there and she took a picture of me on my camera!!!" It was so awesome to be able to encourage this man to "Keep keepin on!" when he could have easily given up and not reaped his awesome reward! In much of life we can apply this mentality - - one step at a time. And in that one step at a time, you know what happens? You get closer and  closer to all that God has waiting for you ahead!! We know that our ultimate reward will be when we see Jesus' face and he wraps his arms us around us welcoming us home! But there are many "rewards" here on this earth as well. Keep keepin on, my friend. Don't stop....you're almost there!

As I shared earlier, we all have many strengths and all they all vary from one another. But just as we all have strengths, know that we all have weaknesses too. Never use your strength to look down on another brother or sister who may not share that strength. For you may be the very one God uses to encourage and lift them up to be all that they can be. And as we all know....the tables can turn and we too may find ourselves needing the strength of another to pull us up. For it is by God's grace that we are who we are, where we are, and all that we are.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

Psalm 28:7

Trust in the very One Who is your strength and shield.

"Slam the Door....HARD!"

What DO you do when the past comes knocking?

Do you answer it curiously? Do you resolve that THIS time you can handle it, and answer it knowing your strength will see you through? Do you answer it hoping no one else will know?

 -OR-

Do you slam the door shut, knowing NO good will come of it whatsoever?

I want to share something very personal with you regarding myself. Why? you may ask. Because in ALL things and through ALL things...I want God to be glorified and lifted up! And....because I want to encourage YOU to know that you're not alone in your struggles. There is HOPE !

This past weekend a voice from the past came calling. No, it wasn't a voice inside my own head, but rather a real voice. A voice I had NO desire whatsoever to associate with. And to let you know - I absolutely, positively chose the option mentioned above of slamming the door SHUT knowing NO good would come of it whatsoever! But, after I did.....fear began to creep in. Fear of things from the past that had been overcome through God's grace and healing, somehow resurfacing again. Fear of why was this voice even contacting me. Basically....fear of fear. As my heart was racing and I nervously prayed, God began to calm me. I read my Bible, and prayed, and wrote out memory verses, and wrote out God's promises, for the next two hours until my husband got home. I can testify to you that God was my anchor to hold onto during that time. He held me in his hands.

Upon my husband arriving home, I began to nervously unfold the evening to him, really not being sure of how he would react. Have I told you that the very character of God Himself has been placed inside my loving and dear husband? This beautiful gift, of someone more than a husband, is beyond describing what a true blessing he is to me. God knew in the beginning, before time ever started, who this girl would need in her life.....thank you God, with the most sincerest thanks. My husband not only listened to me pour my heart out, but also lovingly reassured me each step of the way<<<just as God did/would. He then prayed out loud for me. I did ask him if he would and he very willingly agreed. That is such a strength and one of the truest blessings to hear your spouse pray out loud for you. I encourage you to do it!! One of the things David prayed was that I would view God as the Father that He is - protecting his children, not letting anything happen that was not allowed for our own good. (A sidenote here: the next day at church, we sat behind a family. I watched the dad with his young daughter of about 7 or 8. He always kept his arm around her while standing or sitting. It was a beautiful picture of what our Lord does for us. Except I believe He holds us in his strong arms and carries us closest to his heart. But He never, ever lets go.)

To keep it clear and focused here - - God and God alone is the One to bring me through any of life's hurts, fears, shames, regrets, pain. He needs no help at all. My total dependence IS on the Savior of not only my salvation, but also my Savior Who lifts me from my problems of everyday life. God's beautiful grace is sufficent for me. I thank Him with a full heart for being enough for all my life's needs. 

And I know that He has also given me a help mate to walk with me through this life. To encourage me, to calm me, to hold me, to love me just as I am. Again....the very character of God. 

I don't want any confusion of someone thinking I esteem David as the one to get me through everything. 

I want to bring God's Words into this Blog. For my words can be taken as "O that's great and nice for her - - but what about me?"  So, it is for all those "me's" I share the following verses. May it bring God's encouragement and strength to your heart.

Psalm 55: 16-18 "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battles waged against me, even though many oppose me."

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from ALL my fears."

Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

Psalm 31:1 In you O Lord have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame, deliver me in your righteousness."

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 31: 14-15 "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say You are my God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those that pursue me."

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

These are some of the verses I have been committing to memory and using them. I strongly encourage to memorize verses if you are not. It helps in such enormous ways! In fact it is essential in two parts of wearing the full "armor of God"......the "shield of faith" and the "sword of the Spirit". Try it!! You will be glad you did!

Some others - -

Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by who we cry Abba! Father!"

Mark 5:36 "Don't be afraid - just believe."

Romans 8:37 "We are conquerors through him who loves us!"

Jeremiah 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds declares the Lord."

Jeremiah 30: 10-11 I inserted my name and you can do the same - "Debby will again have peace and security and no one will make her afraid. I am with you and will save you declares the Lord."

Exodus 14: 13 "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. Verse 14 - "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Lamentations 3:22 "Because of the Lord's great love we are NOT consumed, for his compassions never fail." 

Isaiah 41: 10 My most favorite verse in the Bible - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Before I end up quoting the entire Bible to you....I will stop for now. God's Words are just SO powerful and SO full of HOPE !! They are what we base our everything on.....hope, peace, joy, comfort, faith, trust, victory, freedom, ....... and the list goes on.......

And not only has God given us his Words through the Bible, but also through song! Friend, I also strongly encourage you to listen to christian music. . . for it uplifts the soul in so many wonderful and God honoring ways!! It truly has been such a source of encouragement and strength for me in my life.....and to think there was a time I had NO desire to listen to it at all. Thank you God for bringing me thus far.

I know my Blogs get long-winded....but please allow me to share through song also. . . 

Darlene Zschech with Israel Houghton : "In Jesus' Name"

"God is fighting for us. God is on our side. He has overcome. We will not be shaken. We will not be moved. Jesus, you are here - carrying our burdens, covering our shame. The resurrection power of Christ is alive in me and I am free! In Jesus name I will live, I will not die. I will declare and lift you on high. Christ revealed and I am healed. In Jesus name God is fighting for us. Pushing back the darkness. Lighting up the kingdom that cannot be shaken. In the name of Jesus enemy's defeated and we will shout it out."

A song I've never heard until this past Sunday sung by a person I've never heard as well. But, it spoke volumes of God fighting for us - not being shaken - he carries our burdens - covers our shame - and HIS power is alive in me!!

Forever Jones - "Hold Me Still"

"You said don't worry bout your future daughter. Just think about the things that matter. So I won't magnify the small things anymore. I'll only glorify the Father. Cause you hold me still. When the waves around me began to build, I'm in your hand. Though it's sometimes hard to stand. You have made my heart and you hold it still. So, don't involve yourself with useless chatter, just talk about the things that matter. And when you feel the world around you shatter, just lift your eyes up to the Father and he'll hold you still. Oh, I see the waves - I'm not afraid. I see the storm - I'm not shaken. I feel the world quake - my ground is stable."

Another song of strength, through the Father, when fears, doubts, worries try to come. He holds us still. No matter what - trust his strong arms around you, child of God.

A very favorite artist of mine - Mandisa: "Overcomer"

"Whatever it is you may be going through, I know He's not gonna let it get the best of you. You're not going under, cause God is holding you right now. God is the overcomer in you. <Yes I changed up the words a tad because I'm NOT the overcomer, but rather HE is the overcomer in me!> Just take a breath, don't forget to hang on to his promises. The One who overcomes death is living inside you. Fix your eyes on the One who holds your life. For there's nothing he can't do."

God overcomes in us what we cannot do for ourselves!! Thank ya Jesus!!! Nothing consumes and nothing overwhelms....because we hold onto his promises.

Just one more song!!!!!

Chris Tomlin - also a favorite - "Our God!"

"Into the darkness you shine - out of the ashes we rise. Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, He is higher than any other. Our God is Healer and awesome in power. And if our God is for us then WHO could ever stop us? And if our God is with us then WHAT can stand against us?" My answer-- NOTHING!

Nothing formed against us shall stand......period. For God IS stronger, greater,  and higher than any other!! 

Friend, as I said, I know my Blogs are long, but there is just SO much of God's goodness to share with you!! I could keep listing song after song as well as verse after verse!! And along with Chris August, I will sing to you - -  "I will sing about your love, I will shout it to the sky. I will tell of what you've done, when the people ask me why I live my life this way - I'll say that I am unashamed of You!! For what your grace did and what your grace does!!"

And THAT, my friend, is why I share.........

"Dear, How Long Is This Going To Take?"

My sweet husband is redoing a bathroom.
Nothing really spectacular about that for a story now is there? Although, I do think he IS spectacular and doing a wonderful job!

This particular bathroom has taken him at least 2 months to give his labor of love on. And shall I say....the work continues. In the beginning dear husband thought this project would take no more than 2 weekends to complete - - little did he know.

Carry on dear, for there really is light at the end of the tunnel!!

As I watch him work diligently on each project through completion, I think of God and how he works in our lives. We are individually each a project of God. Each area is a unique work of God. We trust him to form us into the very man/woman of God he has chosen us to be. With that said, there are times that God decides to take his time in the molding process. Instead of a short 2 weekend project, it becomes a lengthier one.

There are many areas of life that God is shaping daily. Our faith, our trust, our hope, our character, our obedience.....and the list goes on. In some areas he works quickly. In others, painfully slooow. But his timing is perfect always. There are times that we call upon God for healing from grief, loss, pain, discouragement and his answer is - wait on me, trust in me, hope in me. "Wait on the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Ps. 27:14. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5. "Those who hope in me will not be dissappointed." Isaiah 49:23c.

Maybe you have prayed for your children to have their eyes opened, their hearts softened, their wills brought into submission of living for him. And it may seem the more you pray, the further they drift out into this world. Does it hurt? You BETCHA! Is it discouraging? Absolutely! Does that mean you give up on God answering your prayers and delivering them? Ten million times over - a strong and absolute.....NO! what it does mean is that we keep on believing God's Word; never being moved away from it by what you see or feel. And as you stand firm, God's power is being developed in you. The fact of looking at your prayers and knowing this is God's will for your children's lives, and being unmoved by what you see or do NOT see- makes you stronger in every sense of the word.

I know that - "Deliverance comes from the Lord." Ps 3:8. I know that - "He rescues and he saves." Daniel 6:27. And I also know that - God uses his power to change the areas in my children's lives, and my own, that desperately need his touch. "Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outsretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17. I know that - God's timing is perfect and lacking nothing. Think of Abraham and Sarah who were promised a son. God required a whole 25 years to pass before that promise was fulfilled!! "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." Hebrews 7:15.

And so my friend....whatever you are waiting on God for in your life - deliverance, hope, answers, strength, know that God hears, God sees, God knows. His answers will come in HIS timing. For we serve a faithful and trustworthy Lord God Almighty.

And just as I wait patiently on my loving husband to finish up what he has started.....I wait on a loving Father who will finish what he has started as well! "He who began a good work in you (or your children) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6.

"Hey Did You Know?!"

Hey did you know that God is a God who sympathizes and identifies with our weaknesses and suffering? In Hebrews 4:15 it lets us know that. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin."

God really made this verse stand out to me yesterday as our pastor shared the real meaning of what it's saying. I am no pastor, but I will try to put into words what I learned through this message. . .

When we hear this verse it can almost seem cold in a way. . . as if God is seated on his mighty throne in Heaven looking down us with our pain, sickness, struggles and says "You poor thing. I see you from way up here and you look miserable. That's a pity. Not sure what it's like, but I will say a prayer for you."
But that's not it at all!

God came to earth as Jesus himself and has lived YOUR life. Some may say well he's never been married to my spouse or had my children to deal with. . . and this list could go on. And although those could be true statements, that hasn't stopped him from having every single feeling you have, every single thought you have, every single challenge, every struggle, every fear, every doubt, and even faced the same temptations you have. He lived through it ALL as a human here on earth.  He knows. He is not some distant God who is unable to identify with all that we have ever been through and will go through. Let me say it again. . .He has lived YOUR life.

God not only knows, but he even gets in our weakness with us when we are experiencing the pain, suffering and struggles of it! He feels it with us and doesn't just leave us on our own to figure it all out! How amazing is it that we know he doesn't just know. . . but he feels it along with us?! He feels sadness, pain, fear, lonliness, rejection, worry right along with us.

The second part of the verse "but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin." lets us know this >> God has lived our life and he aced it! When he walked here on earth and was faced with all matters of fears, doubts, worry, struggles, challenges - he made the right decisions. He made the right choice, took the right path, chose the way that led to righteous living, freedom. And as the verse said he was without sin - he led a sinless life.

So in understanding all of this we see that: 1. God sees our struggles. 2. God came to earth and lived your/my life....feeling every pain, sorrow, doubt, fear, worry. 3. God gets in our struggles with us NOW. 4. In living and knowing, all the while living a sinless life,  he is able to navigate us through them and out of them!

God gets you and me, my friend. He understands. He isn't someone removed from knowing all the pains and struggles of our life here on earth. Trust him to navigate you daily through this journey of life. Draw near to him. If it has been awhile since you have, it's never too late to do so. If you have made wrong choices in life, God was/is with you in those times and he can and will lead you out of them. No life is ever too wrong, too distant, too messed up to turn to God and tell him "I messed up. I need your help."

O and an add on here: God not only shares and feels our pains and weaknesses, but he also shares and feels our JOY, our VICTORY, our HAPPINESS, our FREEDOM right along with us as well!! So rejoice in and with him today!

Thank him for not only knowing, but leading us through too!! :)