Looking for an easy button..

Everyone focuses on that day when life gets easier.
Even as children we start to look ahead.. to when things will get "easy"
lower stakes
more reward...
Easier.
Why do we strive for just that?
Why do we think we can't be happy until life gets EASY.
Why do we think that life will EVER be easy....

Why do we think that specific things will make life "EASIER"
more money
better job
more friends
better friends

What if life doesn't get easier...
What if life IS about the struggles.. what if that is "just life"?
what if life is just a series of days that sometimes seem easier and sometimes seem harder

I think we should work for the day that we realize that what we strive for..
is to be HAPPY.
NOT for things to be easy.

Strive for the day when you finally realize that....
There WILL be hard times
There will be days when you don't want to get out of bed
You heart WILL be broken
You WILL be let down
You will be disappointed
You will encounter people that do nothing but bring you down
You will be taken advantage of
You will treated like less than you are worth

And it will be hard
BUT it won't kill you!
.... through all of those things
all of those struggles
You grow stronger, you get smarter
And you finally realize
WHAT REALLY IS IMPORTANT.

YOUR HAPPINESS!!!!!!
and you can only have that - when you allow yourself.

A friend sent me this quote today:
 "Everyone you meet comes with baggage.  Find someone who loves you enough to help you unpack"

Surround yourself with people who love you
Surround yourself with family and friends and loved ones that are there for you....
not just looking for life to get easy.
Find the people that will hold your hand and give your their shoulder for when times get bumpy
Find the ones that will help you unpack.

Some might read this and think it's depressing, to admit that life never gets easy.
I however,  hope you find comfort in this.....
Because there is a relief in it all.
There is relief in knowing that you don't have to FIGHT to make things easier.
Instead you get to LIVE every day for what it is.
The good, the bad, and the ugly
And KNOW that it may not be easy today, but tomorrow it just might be.
Know that you don't have to FIGHT to prove anything or win any one's approval

You just get to LIVE.
And that my friends.... is easier when you aren't constantly TRYING to make it easier!
Stop waiting for things to get easy and just....... LIVE

I am very thankful for the lessons I have learned (most the hard way)
And I am very thankful that my life HAS NEVER been "easy"
It's been set into motion just as it should
And in the end, I can say that God has surrounded me with people who "help me unpack" when ever I need it!
LIVE
LAUGH
LOVE.
That is all.

Reason for the pain...

Everybody struggles and has pain. EVERYBODY!! God recycles and redeems the pain the very moment we use our experience to help someone else through their pain.  I read this from a pastor's facebook page that I follow and it was like a million light bulbs went off all around me!!  :)


Divorce.  
What a painful word.  
What a painful experience.  
And it happens every day all around us.

Some simply because people literally look at marriage as a trial run these days.  Some people literally take it so lightly that going in, they think, if it doesn't work out - well I'll just get a divorce and start over.  No big deal.
But some of us... some of us still think of marriage as the ultimate commitment of love here on earth.
Some (few) of us wait and search and fall in love thinking this is IT for me.  We give our hearts completely to the one we plan to grow old with.
And sometimes... we get hurt.   Sometimes, well... we simply pick the wrong person to trust our heart to.  OR, maybe we give our heart... loving and caring and having faith that we are on the same path and have the same goals and we believe that that person loves us just the same.
And sadly... sometimes things change.
And when they change... or we feel deceived, there is nothing you can do to take that back.
When the one person that you think will NEVER hurt you, acutally HURTS you... you may not stop loving them, but you have to face the fact that the path that person has chosen is no longer the path the two of you chose together.


I don't belive in divorce... as a general rule.
But when I say that I simply mean, I do not believe that it should be used as an escape for when the going gets tough.
But I do believe that when you have walked down a road with someone who no longer puts your future as a couple as a first priority - sometimes.. well... there is no other option.
When living right in God's eyes and upholding vows that you took together is NO LONGER the priority, and trust and hope and love are treated as though they mean nothing anymore, I don't believe God's blessings are placed upon someone who chooses to purposely keep traveling down the path of pain and turmoil.
I don't believe that God intends anyone to stay in a relationship where you are continually beaten down or abused or taken for granted in any way.


And for that reason, my divorce hit me hard.


But when I read what I read tonight - It just gave me light.  It showed me purpose.
Do I think that God PLANNED and PURPOSED me to walk down an aisle with a man I loved just to end up divorced.
No.  I do not.
BUT I do believe that God uses EVERY experience that we go through to not only bless us, but to also bless those around us.
I do believe that no matter what you are going through... no matter how bad the pain; turning that around to use for good in His name is the ultimate gift and redemption that He gives us.


And for that reason..... I can lay my head down at night and truly sleep.
for that reason I can KNOW that God uses me every day.
He makes me stronger by bringing me through trials a stronger better person  (someone please tell God I'm strong enough....ha ha)
But more importanatly I believe he uses me EVERY day.
He uses things I have been through... the thoughts, the feelings, the emotions, the experience, the "live and learns" to shine light to all those around me.


And for THAT - I am thankful.
And for THAT - I am at peace.


I can let go and I can move forward with what is in store for me next.
And I can do so proudly and confidently  :)


Will I marry again?  who knows
But am I ok either way - Absolutely!
Why - because I know God has plans for me and he'll use me for whatever His will is, and as long as I know that - I know I will be blessed  :)

On those weak days.... Lord make me strong.

Some days I’m weak
But, some days I’m strong….

Some days I know
all the right things to say
But some days I struggle to know
what to feel

Some days I feel like all the world is right
and everything is as it should be
But most days I’m impatient
and nothing moves in the time that I think it should

Some days there is no one,
with a single right word…
But some days all you have to do is speak
and I’m reduced to my knees.

Some days I bask in a life
full of sunshine…
But sometimes I’m overcome,
because it’s mostly just gray.

Some days I get discouraged
and overwhelmingly let down
But then I’m reminded
life can only be as good as we make it.

So on my weak days,
When I’m scared and feeling insecure
I simply turn to you to be reminded….

We choose to add sunshine
We choose our own colors
And we choose to be surrounded by joy in a life
That is a gift that is ours for the taking

And the one simple thing
That makes the bad days seem better…..
Is simply to know
that when I feel weak in a world full of chaos
I rest in your hands and it's THEN I am strong.