I {Mandy} have had some interesting conversations lately.

I have come in contact with 3 different women who all have struggles-and who doesn't, really?

But the interesting part was, we all felt very alone in our struggles.

And the even more interesting part was: What these other women were struggling with are things I am struggling with.

And as we shared with each other these things (said in casual conversation, not necessarily a soul-baring, intense meeting), we realized we weren't alone.

The details were different, but the basic struggle was exactly the same.

And I know I've read this, heard this, and even said this before, but it's SO VERY IMPORTANT to acknowledge that WE ARE NOT ALONE.

We all struggle with the same underlying issues:

• Fear/Anxiety
• Worry for our children/our families
• Marriage difficulties
• Health issues
• Insecurity/image issues
• Fatigue from being a mom (okay, not everyone is a mom, but all those who are moms struggle with this from time to time)
• Relationship struggles
• Pride
• Motivation or lack thereof
• Finding balance in life
• Work issues
• 
  

And the list goes on and on....

While knowing we are not in this alone does not fix the problem(s), it CAN at least let us know we are not on an island. Sometimes just knowing that someone else has the same thoughts and fears as we do goes a long way to reassure us that ours isn't a problem with no solution. We aren't the ONLY ONES on this planet who feel this way. And, hearing from someone else going through whatever it is we are going through can help as far as learning new ways to cope with/deal with the problem.

Also? When I had this situation where I bared my soul to someone (unexpectedly) we ended up both crying together about the struggle we shared (and didn't even know we shared!) and then we prayed together. We were reassured. Our issue wasn't solved, but we knew we could rely on each other for support. And holy moly...how awesome to pray together:

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-21)

And let's look at the Message Version because I am such a big, fat fan of the Message version:

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” 

(Matthew 18:19-21, MSG, Emphasis mine.)

"My Father in Heaven goes into action."

Oh man!!

And I think that is so important--relying on and praying with and for one another. Because when I am struggling with something, I want Jesus busting into the Throne Room and interceding on my behalf. Amen? I want Him right there, on the spot, present in my current circumstances! He is telling us in Matthew 18 that if 2 or more are praying in His name, HE IS THERE.

And better??

The Father GOES INTO ACTION.

Let's soak that in for a minute.

The Man who walked on water, fed 1,000s from a few small fish and a couple of loaves of bread, healed blind men and raised people from the dead...is there. Is Here. With us.

And more?

God is GOING INTO ACTION. For US

We can't ever forget that. We can't give audience to the thought that we are alone. 

Because what better way to divide the church than to listen to the lying whisper in our ears that says "You're all alone. No one understands. You'll never get out of this place. There's no hope."

Sometimes, being locked up in my own head, thinking and re-thinking and re-thinking my same old thoughts only serves to solidify those thoughts in my brain. And I dwell and obsess on the very things I do not want to be thinking about.

That is outside of what Christ tells us to do. Instead:

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." (Phil 4:8. MSG).

And what an excellent and beautiful harmony is Christ's people who work in accord with one another and who support each other!

Let's make a conscious effort to think about the best--and not the worst; the beautiful--and not the ugly; and to praise--and not curse.


Heavenly Father,
It is so easy to dwell on all the things that trouble us or bother us rather than filling our minds with beautiful, noble and true thoughts. Please fill our minds with Your Truths and guide us in sharing those Truths with others. Lead us to be a bright spot of someone else's day and allow us the transparency to be real with each other...so that we all know we are not in this alone. We have each other, and--most importantly--we have You. We praise You for all you bless us with every day. Please continue to bless us with community. Please remind us on an hourly basis that You are here and You are in action for us. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

I, Annice, am a 36 year old Stay-at-Home Mom of 4. My husband and I have been married for almost 13 1/2 years. We have known each other for 21 years. Our oldest turned 7 in August, she is in first grade. Our second oldest is 5 1/2, she is in Kindergarten. Our third oldest is 3 3/4, he will be 4 in December and is currently in Preschool. Our youngest turned 2 in May and is not in school. Three years ago, while our oldest was in Preschool, the Lord laid it on my heart to begin Homeschooling. In August of 2012, Vine & Branches Schoolhouse was started. In July, I became an Independent Consultant for Thirty-one. My life, like most other women out there, is very busy. 

Hello, my name is Annice Oxford and I am a work in progress. Every aspect of my life is under construction. Philippians 1:6, Paul wrote: "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." I am SO thankful for this. He, my Lord and Savior, began many good works in me, Wife, Mother, Teacher, Consultant, to name a few. Works that will continue to be perfected until He returns! I DO NOT have to be perfect now, neither do you. This broken and sinful world we live in will tell you otherwise. Look at the cover of almost every magazine out there. Look at the cast of upcoming movies or TV shows. Look at musicians or listen to their songs. Perfection, or societies distorted view of it, is everywhere. To me, perfection is of the Lord. It is a continual, ongoing process...something I am working toward. NO ONE in this world is perfect. There has only ever been one perfect being...Jesus. 

I have struggled with postpartum, have had issues come up in my marriage, dealt with anxiety, have wanted to just throw in the towel and give up, have a hard time making girl friends....etc. 

Philippians 2:3 says, "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

I had a both, this past weekend, for Thirty-one at a Community Day. God had His hand in that entire day. The few days leading up to it, all I did was complain and question why I was going. When I got there and started setting up, the reasons were revealed. Next to me was the sister of one of my Bible Study leaders, who was there alone too. She and I talked and helped each other out when needed. Behind me was a man with his two young children. The Lord revealed to me things about myself through this man that cut me deep. Also, I was able to talk to many different people and enjoy some time away from my children, which is definitely needed from time to time. The weather was rainy, so we all shut down early. That was a blessing, because I got to spend some time with my family that I didn't expect when I left that morning. 

The main thing that really impacted me was purchasing a bracelet that was in support of a 10 year old who was recently diagnosed with Cancer. It made me rethink the purpose of my business and how God is perfecting it, and me. It broke my heart. It's painful to see a 10 year old with Cancer. Knowing that God has a purpose for that, makes it a little easier to handle. God just wants you to accept Him, know Him and love Him. He has great plans for each and every one of us.

Heavenly Father,

Lord I pray that You will show Yourself, to at least one person who reads this, that doesn't know You. Wrap Your loving arms around them and comfort them. I pray for Madi. Give her strength to endure all the tests, treatment, and days in the hospital. Open her heart to You. Be with her "Army" that is fighting alongside her. Lord, only You know the purpose of her sickness and the result that will come. Be with all the ladies out there that read our blog. Comfort them and give them strength to talk to someone if there is something weighing on their hearts. In Christ's Holy Name I pray, Amen

The box arrived right before Christmas.  It was innocent enough - a large moving box with nothing on it but a simple note to say it was for my family.  We don't know when it was delivered or who left it, but it was just there...sitting on our doorstep pleading with us to open it.

My parents brought it into the kitchen, and I {Ginny} stood nearby as they opened it.  My young eyes grew huge as I saw what was inside - toys! games! stuffed animals!  I excitedly dove in and made discovery after discovery of brand new things to play with. 

We never did find out who sent that box, but whoever did made a forever impact on me that day.  That was my first experience with a sprinkle of kindness.  Someone had gone out of their way to make my family's Christmas special.  They spent money and time to love my family, and what they may not realize is that that one small act inspired me to continue on the tradition of anonymously sprinkling kindness over the lives of others.

My husband was raised by amazing parents who taught him to be giving and generous to others.  As a result, he too, has a heart for helping others.  We absolutely love making the day of someone else.  And we love doing it anonymously.  Although it is hard sometimes because we never get to see the smiles or see the reactions as they receive the gift, there is something exciting about knowing that we made someone else's day a bit brighter without needing a thank you.

Lately, I have spent some serious time studying The Sermon on the Mount.  A couple of verses that really inspired me to write this post today are found in Matthew 6:3-4 "When you give to the needy, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  Then your giving will be done secretly.  Your Father will reward you.  He sees what you do secretly." 

Friends, today, I would like to encourage you to make the day of someone else a bit more special and to do it anonymously.  Do you know someone who is having a rough day, week, or year?  Is there someone around you in need, and you can help do something small to lift that need, if even for a day?

Here are some things to inspire you that you might be able to do today:

* As you go through the drive through of Starbucks, ask to pay for the person behind you.  Tell the cashier to tell them that you just wanted to bless them with God's love.

* Send a gift card in the mail (of any amount) to someone to brighten their day.  Maybe it is a practical gift card or something just for fun.

* Leave freshly picked flowers (or ones from a store) on a car in a parking lot - especially think about leaving them on the new mom parking spots!

* Have your children make cards of encouragement (or drawings) and leave them in the front doors of homes of those you know need it.

* For a date night, take the money you would have spent on dinner out and a movie and give it to a person in need.  Every year, we do this with our Valentine's Day meal.  We take that money, give it to a family that God put on our hearts, and instead of going to a pricey place for dinner, we go to a fast-food restaurant and enjoy a meal for under 10 dollars!

I would love to hear stories of how others have blessed you with anonymous gifts of kindness.  Or perhaps, they weren't anonymous, but unexpected, and they made an impact on you.  Share your story in the comments below, and you may inspire others to do the same for someone else.  Let's sprinkle the world with kin dness.  You never know which person or child will be impacted to continue the tradition like I was with the simple box left on my family's doorstep.
B
Blessings,

Ginny

Update:  Within hours of me posting this blog, the craziest thing happened! Here's the story: Katie's special needs preschool is in an office building and every day, after I pick up Katie, the girls dash down the hallway to visit their friend Carmen, who works in an office down the hall. They always ask her to snap her fingers for them and she does it every single day with a smile. She wrote on her Facebook page about how much joy their daily visits bring her. One of her friends who works for the Cultural Trust in Pittsburgh saw her post. The woman called her and told her that she wanted to give the special little girls free tickets to the autism-friendly performance of The Lion King. She then blew Carmen away by telling her that she wanted to also include tickets for all of the families of the children who went to Katie's preschool. I had no idea when God inspired me to write this blog this morning, that I would be on the receiving end of one of those sprinkles of kindness I just written about!