My heart is very heavy this holiday season and I am consciously struggling with my emotions. But, God continues to send me what I need when I need it. This afternoon a totally unexpected Christmas card came through inter-office mail and inside was tucked a little bookmark which says...

"Believe...HOLD FAST...Hope...Have faith...Rest Assured. With God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26"

I so needed that today....but now I need a tissue too!

Please share how God has touched your life, if you'd like. We need to hear each other's encouraging stories.

God has been present in our lives in a very real way this year especially. My sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer in her brain, lungs, & liver. We've seen her weather this storm, but only because of the strength that comes from Him. Her battle is far from over, but God is faithful through it all.

This is an amazing story. Friends of ours have had difficulty having kids, but through medicine they were able to have two kids (both boys). They really wanted a girl, but was very happy with the boys God blessed them with.

They couldn't afford the procedures again, like they had with the two boys, so they began to pray. Well two years ago August, according to their prayer journal, they began praying that God would bless them with a little girl.

Two weeks ago they got a call from a family that attended the same church they used to attend. The caller asked them if they would be interested in adopting a little girl.

The rest of the story is amazing, you see about two years ago in August a young teenage girl had a baby girl, but decided she could not handle raising the child, so the baby went into foster care, and was passed around to a couple of families of which the last was going to adopt the baby, but the last week found out she has advanced ovarian cancer and cannot keep the baby.

The friend from the previous church heard about this and called out friends, who met the family and little girl and just fell in love with her. (She evan looks like the family). and have decided to adopt the little girl.

When looking through the paper work, they discovered the little girls birthdate was the exact same day as when they began praying for God to bless them with a little girl. The kicker is the girls name....you guessed it, Gracie.

This sounds like one of those internet e-mail pass along stories, but I swear it is tru. I can't make this stuff up. Isn't God's grace amazing?

What an amazing story DD! Just amazing how God answered their prayers in His own way.

Even with the struggles that I am enduring, I still feel very blessed with all that I have been given.

DD...That is such a fantastic story! It gave me goosebumps! I think it touched me very much because I have a friend that adopted a little boy earlier this year and I go to witness the journey and be one of her prayer partners through it all. God is good!!

DD- amazing story.
God is good. I guess I could tell you never give up faith even when you continue to struggle with yourself. It's how I survive right now.

I am made to think of the song that says "When you can't trace His hand...Trust His heart!"

Even in the struggles...He is the Lifter of my Head! Psalm 3:3

I've been on a 10 year roller coaster and so many times I was at my wits end. I used to question God and at one point, cut Him completely from my life. I refused to even think about Him anymore or beleive. But through everything that I've experienced over time, it's only brought me closer and closer back to Him. I didn't realize what was happening but looking back now...I do.
God loves me so much that he blessed me with trials and tribulations to show me that He is there and He will never leave my side. He will never give up on me. He will never stop loving me. He will ALWAYS be there. Without those things, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I couldn't sympathize or empathize. I would be lost.
God is good because He saved me. And, given the things I've endured, how could I turn my back on that? How could I not feel like I have purpose?
"To the world, you may just be one person...but to one person, you may be the world." You never know who that one person may be!!!