Category Archives: Following Christ Has Changed My Life

What If Your Troubles Are Hidden Blessings

imageI found a beautiful song that helps everything make so much sense.  It is called “Blessings”  The music is absolutely lovely, but the words are priceless and speak miles and miles of wisdom.  I hope you get to listen to this song and that it will bless you as much as if has blessed me!  This person who wrote the lyrics, Laura Story, she gets it!  She was there. Her dream marriage came under fire as she and her husband battled for his health.*

As for me, I spent years angry at God for all the heartache and physical pain in my life. I felt cursed and I blamed Him for it.

In Matthew 17:20   Jesus said, “ I tell you, if you have faith as small as a tiny mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

This verse greatly frustrated me because I know Jesus doesn’t lie.

I had faith the size of coconuts,  yet the mountains weren’t moving.

And, everything–even ordinary things, just seemed impossible! Continue reading

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Filed under A Broken Childhood, Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Hope, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Poetry, Seeds of Inspirations, Single Parent Struggles, Writing and Author Stuff

God Redeems Blunders

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This small image carries an amazing amount of truth!  And it is too important not to share.

I found this image on Facebook

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Seeds of Inspirations

Shout Out to the Lord

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Let us all shout out and sing

Let bells of God’s majesty ring,

As we find comfort under His wing,

We worship our Lord and our glorious King.

As Darlene Zschech says in her song “Shout to the Lord”, there is non like Him!

Found image posted on Facebook

By ~ Elizabeth Yalian 2013 ©http://hiseyeisonthissparrow.com.

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Filed under Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Just for Fun, Seeds of Inspirations

Growing Pains

You know that feeling of resistance we naturally get when we are required to step outside our zone of comfort, to push further, strive harder and move past stagnation?

Much like when the momma bird pushes her young to the edge of the nest.  What is that youngling thinking?

“Momma’s off her rocker!”

“She’s trying to kill me!”

“How could she do this to me?”

That little one, paralyzed by fear, becomes frozen as momma gives the final shove.

Down, down it goes until finally it gets this crazy notion to flap its wings… flap, flap, flap… Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Loss of a Child, Single Parent Struggles, Writing and Author Stuff

“I Just Love Them,” He said.

I sat on the couch with my legs pulled up to my chest much like a child would sit.  God was sitting next to me, with his arm around my right shoulder.  My other shoulder was tucked in the crook under his arm.  My head rested on his chest.

We sat like that together for a very long time.  I had the reasoning of an adult, but felt completely protected and cherished, as a child should feel in the arms of a loving daddy.

I wanted to stay there forever and feared breaking the moment, but I just had to ask.

“God, how can You stand it?  All the rejection, from people all around the world?”

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“Everyone doesn’t reject Me,” He said, “you didn’t.”

“But, there have been so many people throughout time.  Millions and millions!” Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Seeds of Inspirations

Give me Jesus

imageIn the morning, when I rise

In the morning, when I rise

In the morning, when I rise

Give  me Jesus Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Poetry, Seeds of Inspirations

He Never Promised Us A Rose Garden

I have been a prodigal.  Saved at the age of 19, but without further mentoring or Bible studies, I tried to be a follower of Christ on my own.

I continued recklessly living my life, making poor choices as I had before.  On a rebound from a hurtful breakup, I became pregnant at 22.  The responsibility of a baby, straightened my life, but I had a ways to go.

I did not want my daughter to grow up like me, never knowing what her father looked like, so I worked at keeping a relationship with her father. Apparently, I worked too hard, I became pregnant again when she was eight months old.

We got married, but deep in my heart I knew it was a mistake. I had the naïve notion everything would work out once he saw what a good wife I could be.  Immediately after our marriage, my gut feelings were confirmed.  I made a horrible mistake. Continue reading

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Filed under A Broken Childhood, Awed by His Love and Grace, Child Abuse and Neglect, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations, Single Parent Struggles

Celestial Comfort For The Broken Hearted

Though I can honestly say I rarely run out of a topics to write about, I was not sure what to write about today. I looked at my list and this story stood out.

As I have mentioned before, my life has bounced from one tragedy to another since childhood, to the point at times all I had left to hang on to has been my faith in the living God.  And that, by the skin of my teeth.

What I am about to share is an odd story, perhaps some will even doubt my sanity, but as God is my witness, it is as real as I am sitting before my keyboard today.

After all, isn’t our God the God of the impossible, the unexplainable?

Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everydayliving, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations

Providence For A Hardened Heart

It was in the mid to late 1990s that I had the worst financial struggles as a single mom raising three teenagers alone.  I had no family support, and an ex who refused to pay child support.  I worked multiple jobs, yet still could not fully provide for my family.  One winter, the temperature dropped to the single digits.  My teenage son, who normally, proudly walked around in shorts and a T-shirt in the winter, begged me for a winter jacket to replace the one he had long outgrown.

I was far behind on paying my utility bills. The credit cards I relied on to buy groceries, gas, or sometimes pay utilities were full.  One evening, overwhelmed with the desperate situation, I tearfully sought out God’s help in spite of the anger I felt towards Him over our drastic situation. After several years of extreme poverty, I saw no relief in sight.  I was physically exhausted, mentally spent, and spiritually tired of God’s silence. Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Seeds of Inspirations, Single Parent Struggles

Will You Only Be Remembered By Your BIG BUT?

imageThis gorgeous hunk of flower blossomed in my front yard, but I almost missed it.  It was too heavy to support itself, and ended up faced down, nearly on the ground.  The peony’s rich color seemed almost artificial, especially because of its size, nearly seven inches in diameter.  Its wonderful fragrance was unbelievable.

I usually try not to bring garden flowers in the house.  They just don’t last long.  Earlier this spring, I made myself a beautiful bouquet of fragrant, purple lilacs.  Within minutes, my counter top was crawling with tiny black bugs.  Yikes!  I wasted no time getting that bouquet out on the porch.  I carefully examined the peony before I even thought of cutting it.  Not a bug!  The flower pedals felt soft, cool, and somewhat squishy; in a good sort of way. Continue reading

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Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everydayliving, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Seeds of Inspirations