Book Review: Finding the Hero in Your Husband

Book Review: Finding the Hero in Your Husband: Embracing Your Power in Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery

I came across this book in recently looking for some counseling resources for wives. I have read various books for women/wives but most of them tend to either lean quite egalitarian or too heavily on the other end (I would even say they lean patriarchal even though they would ALL claim to be "complementarian" (I'm thinking of Rachel Jonkovic/Doug Wilson crew, but even some like Voddie Baucham and Martha Peace who are super respected in very Biblical churches I have found to be lacking in what I would consider a true Biblically-balanced "complementarianism"). In coming across this book, I was honestly a little skeptical at first - she's trained as a psychologist - and most of the time I find these types do not have a good balance (both Biblically/theologically but in also how this plays out in their counseling). However, she seemed pretty Biblical from my basic research so I gave it a try. To my surprise, I got through the first chapter and said to my husband "I think this might be the be the best, most Biblically-balanced book for wives I've ever read." On page 7 there is this quote: "A woman never marries the man of her dreams. She helps the man she marries to become the man of his dreams." More specifically, Juli goes on to say that God has given us power in our marriage to help our husband become the hero and man GOD wants him to be (not so much the one WE want him to be). 

Not only does Juli have a background/training in counseling and understanding complex human psychology but she has had a not-easy marriage herself. In addition, and maybe most importantly, she has a solid understanding of the teaching of Scripture on marriage. I also want to add, that Juli is VERY gentle in how she writes. For example, she doesn't presume that her readers automatically accept the Biblical teaching of "submission" and realizes there 1) has been a lot of flat-out wrong or mis-teaching of this topic even in the church, and 2) there is a Biblical balance. She also acknowledges more than once that abuse/serious sin issues are unique and require specialized counseling and help beyond the scope of her book. She is very honest with her/their own marriage struggles, where she's had to learn and grow and is very thorough in going through various topics. Her main focus is intimacy - which must involve a lot of things not just the physical side of things. For true intimacy there must be good communication, submission to Scripture, genuine love and respect, understanding, the ability to work through conflict, etc. From the need (and sometimes fear) we have about feeling safe and needing "closeness" in our marriage, communication, working through conflict, submission (what it does and does NOT mean), sex, the "big 3" conflict issues (fiances, parenting & in-laws), and more, and she walks you through Biblical passages, examples from he counseling experience (as well as her own), and practical steps/encouragement. There is SO many practical examples and advice of how you should love your husband well so that you are 1) loving him instead of putting him down, and 2) empowering him and not enabling. At this point in my marriage, our marriage is pretty good - but there were still lots of really good reminders and encouragements that I needed to hear. And she echo'd a lot of things I personally learned during a very hard season of our marriage.

I highly recommend this book to wives, or even women who are waiting or are soon-to-be wives. Biblically balanced, practical and SO inspiring and encouraging!

P.S. I'm currently working through another one of Juli's books which I will review when I'm done. If you'd like to check out her other books/resources her website can be found HERE. There's also videos/interviews she's done that you can find online.

P.S.S. Some might notice the forward is by Jackie Hill Perry - I will rightly acknowledge that her theology/viewpoints have been concerning lately, but I don't consider her endorsement of this book a concern.

"Being Elisabeth Elliot" by Ellen Vaughn - BOOK REVIEW

I finally got to reading this book! If Ellen Vaughn’s first book (“Becoming Elisabeth Elliot” which tells the first half of Elisabeth's life) was excellent, than this second part was something far beyond that. It was really hard to put down…. I for sure lost some sleep this past week being up reading. And I wept at the end. (I had a good idea/spoilers of the ending ahead of time, but still, I wept.)  I should also add that the only disappointing aspect of this 2-part biography was there were NO PICTURES! (If you'd like some, and a timeline of her life, here's a great resource: https://elisabethelliot.org/about/timeline/)

 

I so appreciate how Ellen wrote this book. Like Ellen, I am a realist. Like her and Elisabeth I know that those we admire should never be put on pedestals as (near) perfect saints. Like her and Elisabeth, I want the whole truth to be spoken, regardless of other people’s opinions/reactions. And Ellen modeled, “speaking the truth in love”.... although I know I could grow in that particular aspect - I am probably more like Elisabeth in that regard.

 

I left the reading of this book with two emotions. One was utter sadness at the ending of Elisabeth’s life and the wrong/hard last years she suffered… largely because her views on marriage/submission were rather sadly twisted (which caused her and many she advised harm). My heart broke so for her (and her daughter/family members who had to watch) as it does for other women stuck in similar controlling marriages (this is a passionate area for me, one I’ve written about and continue to speak out about). While submission is one aspect of marriage, while someone making you “feel like a woman” is great, there is so much more to what God’s design is. Elisabeth desperately wanted to feel secure, she missed the signs of Lars’ anger/control issues (although to give her some credit, so did everyone else around her), and she believed that a wife’s submission meant inferiority and being under a husband’s authority (which I agree Jim’s unintentional but unfortunate treatment of her during their early courtship contributed to - see the first book for more on that). Marriage was not intended by God to be authoritarian, even though because of sin, it often ended up that way. Marriage, as in Ephesians 5, is mutual submission, it is not one-sided, even though the wives’ submission is emphasized, and the husband's responsibility to love is emphasized. It is supposed to be mutual love, respect, submission, Christ-like giving, working together for the kingdom of God. Elisabeth, for her part, tried to do just that. But unfortunately, she married a man who actually wanted to control her, not love her like Christ. There are still abusive, controlling men (and women) in churches today. There are popular pastors teaching authority/submission imbalance in marriage, overlooking and even defending abusive behavior (even actual abuse that should be reported to the police), all the while teaching on “God’s grace” and “love for others”. If Elisabeth’s third marriage saddens and rather makes you angry that’s good… but pay attention to the fact that it’s still happening all around us. I should clarify here that I am a committed "soft" complementarian... I cannot reconcile the Egalitarian views on gender/marriage with Scripture. However, many "complementarians" are actually authoritarians or defenders of "Biblical patriarchy" so it's very important that we are careful and clear about what we mean in this area. For more reading on this topic, I highly recommend THIS series.

 

The other emotion I was left with after reading this book was still, a very great admiration. Elisabeth was human, she made mistakes… but still, I came away admiring her faith, her endurance through so much suffering, her commitment to what she believed, her willingness to “tell it like it is”. She spoke out about many things and was indeed rather a “seer” in her generation. Despite being married to a controlling false believer for the last period of her life, God used this season for her to write most of her books and influence thousands for Christ. Our suffering is never for nothing, and despite our/others' sin, God uses us. 

 

Elisabeth was a faithful servant of God who persevered to the end… I seek to learn from her, follow her example in some ways and to do better in other ways, and earnestly praise God for the good He did in and through her life. 

 

Book Review: Unholy Charade by Jeff Crippen

“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right

and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon

 

Incorrect interpretations of Scripture, no matter what Christian theologian may 

speak them, need to be treated as what they are:  false teaching. 

Poor interpretation must be corrected if we want to hold Scripture high. (-me)

 

Jeff Crippen (pastor, advocate and writer at https://unholycharade.com/) has written this very educational book on domestic abuse in the church. With the experience of nearly hundreds of interaction with victims (and abusers), Jeff reveals the Church-at-large’s arrogant ignorance of abusers and their damage to their family members all while wearing an effective mask of Christianity. He quotes extensively from victims (and some notable church leaders) proving the church-at-large’s weakness in this area to understand and help.

 

The Church (and I speak of the Church-at-large) does not take abuse in the church seriously. One reason is because we don’t want to believe there actually ARE wolves in our midst. Surely, not in OUR church. Surely, not THAT “nice” man who teaches Sunday School! But most people are also woefully ignorant of the nature of abusers – that they are people without conscience and extremely skilled at deceiving others. While I’m sure most of us have seen some news stories of a charming man who ruthlessly murdered his wife (or others), we don’t think (or want to think) that this kind of man could be part of our church – or even be in leadership! But the truth is that Jesus himself warned that this WOULD happen:

 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire…” (Matt 7:15-23)

 

Churches are also deceived by false repentance. We think that if someone SAYS they’re repentant and ACTS like it in the moment that they must be genuine. But the truth is that repentance is only really known by one thing: Fruit. And fruit takes time. It is false teaching to take the word of an abuser’s “repentance” and just expect the victim to “forgive and forget”. It is dangerous to rush reconciliation before we see evidence of true repentance. We not only may risk the physical life of the victim, but even more so, we put their emotional and spiritual health at risk.

 

Too many churches are also more concerned about their reputations than about dealing with situation. Abuse in the church looks bad, it’s far easier to just tell the victim to “submit more” “forgive and love him anyway” than actually help and deal with the sin of the abuser. Part of this is ignorance, but it’s a willful ignorance where they ignore the pleas for help and ignore the lack of repentance-fruit. I personally know several churches who were (or still are) either deceived or flat-out denied/ignored the plight of the victim, siding with the abuser and excommunicating the victim when she finally fled. Even when the elders were confronted with proof of abuse they have refused to apologize for the injustice they’d given. Instead of helping they tell her to submit in ways that she was NOT commanded by God to do, and to suffer unjustly. This is the total opposite of what church leaders are supposed to do. I have said elsewhere that those that don't deal with abusers are like the pharisees, here's what Jesus said about them:

 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth 

of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters 

of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, 

without neglecting the former.” (Matt 23:23) You “pile heavy burdens on people's 

shoulders and won't lift a finger to help”. (Matt 23:4)

 

Christians can also idolize marriage so that their focus becomes on “preserving the marriage” rather than seriously dealing with the sin and protecting the victim. They do not understand that in their desire to “preserve marriage” they are actually degrading marriage by continuing to validating it when the vows have been broken (and continue to be broken with no true repentance). Many Christians also have a false interpretation of Malachi 2:16 that is so often quoted as “God hates divorce”. This is a completely inaccurate translation. This inaccuracy is prevalent despite the accurateness of the ESV says: “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” Hating his wife and being “faithless” is exactly what an abuser is. This isn't saying he should divorce (or that she shouldn't divorce him). Even if he does not pursue divorce (usually an abuser does not as he wants to stay in control of his victim, plus that would make him look bad) he has broken the marriage vows to “love and protect” his wife. THIS is what it means to have a high view of marriage. While no one will love their spouse perfectly, the idea is that there is a genuine desire to love and do good to their spouse. Abusers do not have this, and over time the true of any “repentance” should be very clear – if we are paying attention.

 

Jeff gives lots of practical instruction on how to spot abuse, how to recognize an abuser, questions to ask to help you see through any façade, ways to help the victim, how to know if divorce is Biblical, and more. This book is a must-read for Christians, especially those in leadership who are called to shepherd Christ’s flock.  To ignore abuse is to ignore justice and mercy just as the Pharisees did.

 

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” – Detrick Bonhoeffer

 

 

May we repent of our blindness and arrogant ignorance in dealing with abuse victims within our walls. May we deal rightly with the sin of abuse, and not allow the victimization of others. May we set free the oppressed and show true justice to the sinner and the victim.

 

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause

of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isa 1:17)

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great,

but judge your neighbor fairly.” (Lev 19:15)

 

Some excerpts from the book: 

 

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Charade-Unmasking-Domestic-Abuser/dp/0692533222

Book Review: Devotedly, The Letters & Love Story of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot

Devotedly, - The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot, complied and written by their daughter Valarie Elliot Shepard.

Jim & Elisabeth Elliot are two of my heroes of the faith. I have been so blessed by their lives, sacrifice and story through the writings of Elisabeth. Their lives/her books have impacted me more than anyone or anything else (besides God and the Bible of course). Needless to say, I was SO excited when I heard about this book! Here their only child Valarie publishes never-before seen letters and journal entries of Jim & Elisabeth from the time they first became friends at Wheaton College in 1947, through their long-awaited wedding in 1953, and closes with them as a happy family of three at Valerie's birth in 1955.

Can God be trusted to write the story of our lives? Even more so, can He be trusted with the pen when it comes to our desire for love and marriage and family? The story of Jim and Elisabeth shows us that YES, He absolutely can! In their story there is struggles with singleness, there is loving someone and yet not feeling God's leading to pursue marriage, there is SO much waiting and patience.... but there is a beauty that is beyond what some of us have ever witnessed. Their story is one of faith, hope and true love. Not the fairy-tale, whirlwind love you see in the movies... this is a deep, eternal and holy love. All loves stories are different and we shouldn't compare too much - my husband and I had more of a whirlwind/fast relationship (only 9 months between when we met and when we got married). But this is a beautiful testimony to what happens when two people are fully surrendered to God and willing to wait on Him rather than pursue their own desires. It will be sure to bless and encourage your heart as you seek to pursue and wait on the Lord for the desires of your heart.

There were so many beautiful quotes, as well as poetry written by both Jim and Elisabeth (let me tell you, Jim was an eloquent writer!) it's hard to pull out just a few quotes for you.

Jim and Elisabeth dealt with a lot of people expressing "concern" or criticizing their relationship (they loved each other but were not in a formal relationship). But Valarie writes, "As long as God's will was uppermost in each of their hearts, they were under no obligation to explain themselves to anyone or give out the details of their prayer life and relationship dynamics." (p. 111)

"... the way for [Elisabeth] to love [Jim] best and most appropriately - most Biblically, she determined - was by more and more loving the Lord Jesus." (p. 47)

This was Valarie's favorite quote from her father, from a journal entry on October 28 1948: "Prayed a strange prayer today. I covenanted with my Rather that He would either do two things - either glorify Himself to the utmost in me, or slay me. By His grace I shall not have His second best. He heard me, I believe, so that now I have nothing to look forward to but a life of sacrificial sonship (that's how my Savior was glorified, my soul) or heaven soon. Perhaps tomorrow. What a prospect!" (p. 31)

And this is probably my favorite from the book:

"I can say, without any risk of overstating, much of my own decision to stay pure until marriage came from my mother's joy in telling me about their marriage, and about her and my father's determination to keep their promises to God during this time in their lives. They each ached for each other, as all lovers do. But as the woman, she understood well that she, even more than my dad, was the one in greater control over how much leeway they allowed themselves in touch and enticement. There is much wisdom on display here, amid much tension. Be inspired by it. This is an actual demonstration of God wanting His children's best and of His children believing - despite their passion, despite their feelings - that nothing, nothing, offers any substitute. Times may be different today, but this truth is not. And never will be." (p. 197, italics hers, bold added)

Be inspired brothers and sisters! Be inspired to live a life fully surrendered to God.

Reading List: October 2017

Sacred Marriage by Gary Chapmen

This is a great book for married, engaged or single. It has great foundational advice for how we should view marriage as Christians and how it is really all about our relationship with Christ. What does it mean to love another person when it’s hard? Are we willing to do that? Are we seeking to serve others when we don’t feel like it? Your spouse will be your closest neighbor, and someone who will on occasion frustrate or annoy you. What does it mean to love and serve and forgive and overlook faults? Are you practicing that now as a single person? Marriage builds your character in a way that only a very close, intimate relationship can, and it doesn’t come naturally. We practice with our parents and siblings and roommates. We practice by serving the church or others where there are needs – especially when it’s not easy or convenient. We practice by being open with others, sharing when we need encouragement, listening to correction. In all these things we are growing to be more like Christ – which is the ultimate goal of every Christian. God calls us to be faithful wherever we are, single or married, working in a business office, on the mission field, or at home. Marriage is to be sacred, because it belongs to God first and He must always be our first love.

Hitler’s Cross by Erwin Lutzer

On occasion I come a across a book that I believe every Christian should read. This I think is one of those books. Not only is it a fascinating account of how Hitler was impacted by and devoted to the occult and how this shaped his worldview, not only does it show us how he deceived and won over the church in Germany, but it’s a lesson for every Christian. Who is your god? Is it really God Himself, or is in the church as an institution, or is it the political party you support, or a person you think will “fix” societies problems. The people in Germany were in desperately bad economy after World War 1. They had been humiliated as a nation and longed to see their nation become strong and prosperous once again. Most Germans were passionate patriots, their country was everything to them. Even among the Christians the church and the state had equal attention and importance. Nationalism was pushed more and more, to the point where Christians were being taught that serving God meant serving their nation – no matter what. When Hitler first took over he did a lot of amazing things for the economy and for winning back of German pride. It’s no wonder everyone loved him, not to mention the fact that he had a rather frightening ability to win people over. As he moved to “befriend” the church but slowly take authority over it, many saw him as their “savior” who would deliver them from their humiliation and make their nation great again. Nationalism was more important than the Gospel – a Gospel that tells us we should not seek human glory but humble ourselves before God. A Gospel that tells us to love others and protect the weak. The church had already been leaning towards anti-Semitism – many liberal leaders were teaching that the Jews should be judged for their rejection of Christ. Thus, when Hitler started his campaign against the Jews, many “Christians” went along with it. The church had at best become weak, at worst apostate. Many in the church were not Christians, and many who were were not willing to choose God over the State. In reality, they were not willing to suffer. The books does tell us about some who did speak out for the truth, and while they did suffer, their faith was proven genuine and they were rewarded in Heaven. In the end, everyone suffered. Germany lost the war, their cities were bombed, many were killed. The only ones who really “won” were those who were willing to stand up for the truth, even if they lost their lives in the process.

This book was rather convicting. What do we Christians in America worship? Are we more caught up with “saving” politics or the nation than we are about honoring God and seeing individual’s saved? Of course we want America to have revival, to get back to her Christian roots, but this goal must never become primary. Our patriotism must be subject to Christ. No politician can save or reform America. God may use a leader, but it’s more likely that He has a different plan. Much of the church in America, like Germany, is liberal. It’s more concerned with society and politics than it is about the Gospel. The story of the fall of the Church under Hitler is a warning to us all. You should definitely read this book!

 Mike and I also just finished listening to the entire The Lord of the Rings trilogy on audio, which was fun!

Currently Reading:

I’m reading a book for with ladies from my church by Kevin DeYoung (Taking God at His Word), but haven’t decided what else to read next.

I’m Not Enough For My Husband

Don’t let the title of this worry you… my relationship with my husband is great. Actually, it’s wonderful. He’s incredibly sweet and thoughtful and loves me to pieces. But I’ve realized more fully the truth of something I heard/read before I got married, and that is that your spouse can’t fully satisfy you. Not really.

Don’t get me wrong, I find a whole lot of satisfaction in my husband (and vice versa), but our hearts were not designed to be fully satisfied in another person, they were designed to be satisfied in God. When he’s feeling discouraged or anxious I can encourage him, I can speak truth to him and love him, but ultimately his heart can only be brought to peace through his relationship with God. The same goes with me. When I’m struggling he is an amazing gift of God to me in that he listens and encourages and loves on me, but again, I can only really find peace and lasting comfort when I seek it from God Himself. It reminds me of this quote from Elisabeth Elliot: “Our hearts are lonely till they rest in Him who made us for Himself.” (The Path of Loneliness, p. 90). How many of us have been standing in a group of people, friends even, and still felt lonely? How many husbands or wives have lain next to their spouse and still felt like something was missing? Our culture speaks about finding “the one” or the person that “completes” you. The problem is that our hearts were never made to be completed by another person. We need relationship and fellowship with others, it’s true. And God gave the gifts of friendship and marriage to bless and help us in so many ways. But as much of a blessing as my husband is, he can’t forgive the sin I’ve committed or give me the strength I need to endure the struggle sin often causes in our lives. As much as I love my husband, even he is not enough to motivate me towards holiness all the time. Only Jesus can do that. Only Jesus can forgive me of my sin and change me. Only He knows the deepest recesses of my heart and is able to redeem my struggles and failures.

Don’t look for something in the world or another person to complete you, to give you what you need to change or be happy. You’re seeking something only God can give you somewhere else… that’s idolatry. It’s been said that people are wonderful gifts, but terrible gods. They can’t deliver what we are looking for and you’re only going to be disappointed. My husband isn’t perfect. He’s hurt my feelings and disappointed me. He needs Jesus just as much as I do so how I can look to him to fix me? Jesus has redeemed me with His own blood… He is the One who loves me more than my husband ever could, and He is the One who completes me and fully satisfies my heart.

I’m not enough for my husband, and he’s not enough for me, but that’s OK. God is enough for both of us.

A Newly-Married Girl’s Thoughts on Singleness & Contentment

I know.

If you’re single and reading this you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking “what does she know, she’s married now!”

I know, because I’ve totally thought that! I really do totally understand and in no way wish to minimize how you feel because I remember feeling a very similar way. And I hope this is encouraging!

I got married about 2 weeks ago at the age of 32. It was a pretty long wait. I say “long” because it was, (although I know other people who have gotten married a lot younger and say it was a long wait…  I really don’t think you’re allowed to say it was long until you’re at least late 20’s, but it still seemed long to them I'm sure). I also say “pretty" long because I have friends who are the same age as me or are older and are still hoping to be married. I greatly admire and respect them for how they’ve sought to wait on the Lord even in their deep desire to be married. And I know many people who suffer in other ways that I haven't... how I admire their faith and trust in God in the midst of so much difficulty!

Being married now and looking back, it’s true, singleness is really hard (and if you’ve read my blog you know just how challenging it’s been for me personally). But, it also had a whole LOT of sweetness. I had many blessings and experiences while single that I wouldn't have had if I'd been married.

But yes, I love being married. I love being with my wonderful husband who’s my best friend. But in all honesty I do remember thinking at one point before we were married “do I really want to do this?” ‘cause when you get married, you’re not your own anymore. All my money, all my free time (all my time pretty much), things like how much I slept in, how clean I kept my room, what I wanted to eat for dinner or buy at the grocery store – all these decisions would no longer me mine to make as I pleased. There was someone else to consider, a living breathing person with feelings (and good sense) living with me to make decisions with and to submit my desires to.

Hello marriage. Goodbye independence.

Is it worth it? YES, absolutely. But I’m just saying that it IS a sacrifice. And I’m saying, if you’re single, don’t take it for granted. Elisabeth Elliot wrote a lot about how singleness is a gift… and she experienced the hardship and the joys of it. I struggled to believe this as a single person, but I re-read 1 Corinthians 7 (where Paul talks about how single people are free to serve the Lord) recently as a married woman and it struck me in a new way. Truly I was much more distracted now; I had a husband to focus on and please. Before I could devote myself to God and to His people and I realized in a deeper way what a great gift that is! To be free and unhindered to serve, give, love… as a single person, I was a great gift to the Church! There are so many ways that I was able to serve that at the time didn’t seem important, certainly not exciting. But looking back and seeing all that God’s done in and through me it’s pretty neat! In my 12+years being a single adult I got to do a lot of amazing things! I went to college, got training in Biblical counseling, traveled various places, I lived for 2 short periods in Germany, went to Bible School for a year, interned for an amazing ministry in Colorado, took seminary classes and then went to seminary. And that’s not to mention all the great family trips, road trips with friends, summers at a Christian camp (this was the first summer I didn't go at all and it was sad!), and many opportunities to serve in my church in ways that other people couldn’t! There were so many things that I didn’t realize till later the great gift each experience was to me and to others involved. They have made me into the person that I am today. And they have helped to shape and bless others in more ways that I even know.

I’ve learned over the years that discontentment can come at you no matter where you are in life. Just watch “Mom’s Night Out” to see that (I could seriously identify with Allyson’s feelings even though I was single and didn’t have any kids). I certainly struggled with discontentment while I was single, and at times I gave in to it. As a result there were opportunities for me that I didn’t take advantage of. Moments where I could have served, loved, given and been a blessing but I was too distracted by what I didn’t have. In a recent sermon at my church we were reminded that this sinful world is discouraging, but even in the midst of that we ought to be pursuing joy in God and living the life He’s called us to to the fullest. Singleness is hard at times, but so is marriage. Friends, LIFE is hard! But it’s also filled with so many wonderful gifts!

All this to say, don’t disregard where God has you right now. Don't end up wasting your time focusing on what you don't have and miss opportunities. He has a great purpose for your life. You are a gift to those around you. He’s given you a life to live so go live it! Enjoy every moment you can but remember that lasting joy only comes from the Giver Himself. Put Him first and then enjoy life as much as you can!