{"id":696,"date":"2019-01-28T14:35:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T14:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glitterandgraceteens.com\/?p=696"},"modified":"2019-01-28T14:35:20","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T14:35:20","slug":"power-to-the-weak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/?p=696","title":{"rendered":"Power to the weak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201c<\/em><\/strong>He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the\nweak.\u201d Isaiah 40:29<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Empowered Jesus Girl only 2 weeks away, I am\nencouraged by this verse, \u201cHe gives strength\nto the weary and increases the power of the weak.\u201d Isaiah 40:29.<\/em> This past\nweekend has been rough on my family. My oldest son, Carson who is 5 years old,\nwas diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday morning. We spent 2 \u00bd hours at the Doctor\u2019s\noffice and I dreaded the germs that we were exposed to. As a mother of two,\nwhen I walk into a Doctor\u2019s office, everything I see looks like a germ. My \u201cgerm\ngoggles\u201d turn on and one by one I see them creeping all over the room. When I\npick up the pen to sign in my kids, I think about all the sick people that\npreviously touched that pen. When I sit down and hold a clipboard filling out\npaperwork, I once again worry about the patients that touched that same board.\nAs my two sons reach for a magazine, I jump up and stop them before it\u2019s late,\nyou know there are germs on those things! I seriously turn into Ninja-Mom\ntrying to protect my kids from the evil germs everywhere! Don\u2019t even get me\nstarted on bathrooms and waiting room chairs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But…I am only human and I can\u2019t protect them from\neverything. Even if I keep them from touching everything in the room, every\nbreath they take contains germs that I can\u2019t even see. Germs give moms\nnightmares is what I\u2019m saying. Think about it next time you reach for the handrail\nat the mall or press a button on an elevator that thousands of people have\nalready touched. What are you exposing yourself to? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, this blog is not supposed to be about my \u201cgermophobic\u201d\nself. Instead, it\u2019s meant to be a reminder that we are not in control of\neverything. There are dangers out there that we can\u2019t even see. Even moms can\u2019t\nprotect you from everything around you. Beyond germs, there are forces in this\nworld that I can\u2019t fully protect my children from. There are people that will\ntry to lead ym children astray, television shows that will entrap my kids with\nlies from the devil, and evils that I don\u2019t even know how to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Ephesians 6:12,\n“For our struggle is not against\nflesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the\npowers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the\nheavenly realms.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible tells us to always be on guard from the\ndevil\u2019s schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cStay alert! Watch out for your great enemy,\nthe devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.\u201d\n1 Peter 5:8<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Christians, this world is against us. After all, if\nyou had no interest in Jesus Christ and never served Him in any capacity, why\nwould the devil waste his time on you? The devil is going to attack anyone and everyone\nthat serves the Lord. This is not meant to scare you or discourage you from serving\nGod, instead, it is meant to remind you that you are not in this alone.\nAlthough this world is against you, God is always with you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave\nI not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not\nbe dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua\n1:9<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I prepare for Empowered Jesus Girl, I must admit, I\nam under attack and your prayers area always greatly appreciated. A friend of\nmine told me the other day that she admired my confidence and strength in the\nLord, but on the inside,  I was\nstruggling just as much as she was. Every day I have to renew myself\nspiritually by seeking the Lord for guidance, trusting Him, and knowing that He\nhas a plan that I cannot see. There are days that I feel like the devil is\nthrowing darts at me. Some of the darts are darts of anxiety, fear, and doubt.\nWhereas, other darts contain sickness, weakness, and lack of confidence. It\u2019s\nbeen said that \u201cyou are your worst critic.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just last week, I published my first book, \u201cBut God\nHad a Plan.\u201d Shortly after receiving the first 75 orders, I started realizing that\nI had basically just published a portion of my diary. My book is a 60-Day\ndevotional that is filled with personal experiences and positive impacts that Jesus\nChrist has had on my life. I am not proud of every battle I have faced, but I\npray that the fact I have overcome my battles with Jesus Christ, will encourage\nand strengthen other young women. My book will be available at Empowered Jesus\nGirl and on Amazon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My self-doubt and anxiety increased as more and more\nbooks sold. Not to mention for 3 weeks straight I battled with formatting and\nediting my book then found more errors after they were printed \u2013 so I had to go\nback to re-format again and again. I\u2019ve come to terms with the fact that if you\nfind mistakes in my final copy, just take them as reminders that I am human. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empowered Jesus Girl is only 2 weeks away on February\n8th<\/sup>, 2019. With it being at my home church, East Pickens Baptist, I\u2019m\na little nervous about speaking \u2013 especially right now \u2013 because right now I\nhave no voice and I don\u2019t know how that will work with speaking to a bunch of\nteenagers. Sunday, my youngest son and I went to the Doctor as well. On top of\nCarson having pneumonia, Asher has a double ear infection, and I have an upper respiratory\ninfection. Altogether, it has been a rough weekend, but I know where my strength\nwill come from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Doctor Friday, even with a fever of 103, Carson\ntold the Doctor that he was hulk and he could defeat anyone except for God. The\nnurse looked at him and said, \u201cYou\u2019re right, you can\u2019t be stronger than God\nbecause He is the One that gives you your strength.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At night, my anxiety increases, and I feel weaker and\nmore insecure that I ever have. God has used music to help me find peace each\nnight. There are hundreds of medications out there to help people sleep but only\nJesus Christ can give you the calm that will lull your heart to rest. At night\nwhen I start to panic, I\u2019ve started singing…not out loud because that would freak\nmy husband out and not be a peaceful calming sound…instead, I fill my mind\nwith praise and scripture. As I start to stare at the ceiling and struggle to\nsleep, I quote the scriptures that fill my mind and sing the songs that bring\njoy to my heart. Shortly afterwards, I fall asleep…I promise it works better\nthan counting sheep. I\u2019ve never understood the sheep deal, but praise and\nprayer will always help you through hard times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The battles we face that other people cannot see\n(worse than the germs all around you) are the ones that we can only fight with\nJesus Christ. Utilize His word, encouraging music, and uplifting friends to\nfind peace and get the rest you deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cHe put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of\npraise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.\u201d\nPsalm 40:3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to Lauren Daigle\u2019s song, \u201cYou Say\u201d for further\nencouragement when you feel weak need His love and power to lift you up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\nkeep fighting voices in my mind that say I\u2019m not enough
\nEvery single lie that tells me I will never measure up
\nAm I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
\nRemind me once again just who I am, because I need to know (ooh oh)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\nsay I am loved when I can\u2019t feel a thing
\nYou say I am strong when I think I am weak
\nYou say I am held when I am falling short
\nWhen I don\u2019t belong, oh You say that I am Yours
\nAnd I believe , oh I believe
\nWhat You say of me
\nI believe<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nonly thing that matters now is everything You think of me
\nIn You I find my worth, in You I find my identity\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n