God’s Love – Wind Beneath Our Wings

Trusting God’s Timing Is Now

For those of you new followers who might not know the back story, I’m going to summarize the best I can to get you up to speed with what God has laid on our hearts and how I feel His timing has come! I pray you follow along and share with others so that we can continue to shine His light and blessings on those God sends our way.

It all started back in 1980, well it really started in 1975 when Mom had a nervous breakdown. The miracle though, and our mission, started in 1980 when she was miracously healed by God after 5 years of suffering. Ever since then, she knew she had to tell her story and share her experience. I got on board pretty quickly, but life got in our way and we fought God’s timing. Well, in May 2015, we published our first book, Signs from God, and in that book we shared Mom’s testimony along with many other stories about Signs from God. Then in 2016, I created this website and we’ve been sharing ever since. Yes, we’ve had some quiet times as well while life continues to lead us in different directions. God keeps pushing us back though, and as we get older and life slowly starts slipping away, we know this is still God’s plan and we both feel Him pushing us.

In the last month, my Facebook Group, Signs from God, has so many new followers that it is obvious God is leading these believers to us. In the past new followers would trickle in every once in a while, but lately it is like God opened up the flood gates and hundreds are joining! I feel like I did back in 2015 when He put all the right people in front of me to help me publish our first book. Now He is sending me all of you to help us spread the word and motivate us to do so much more.

He has also led me to my new Church, Quest, in Grovetown, GA where I’ve been a member for just about a year now. I met with two Pastors and the Director of our Women’s Group this month about starting my own Small Group. Yep, you got it, Signs from God! The plan is to meet for eight weeks and go through our book and discuss all the many ways God speaks with us. It’s been a dream for Mom and I to be up on stage sharing her testimony and our story and I really feel like the time is now and God is helping us spread the word and bless His chosen people!

An example of God’s love for His children happenned this weekend when a new member in my Facebook Group shared that he had HIV and is struggling emotionally. My Spouse saw it and posted some inspiring words of wisdom for him that actually prompted him to ask if he ever did online sessions. WOW! You see in our darkest hours, God is working even when we don’t see it! God is putting people in our lives for a reason that is impacting us beyond our wildest dreams. We just need to give Him our burdens and believe that He is working it all out for our good.

If you need help doing this, I highly recommend an app called the “One Minute Pause”. It’s a 30 Days to Rilsilient program that provides 30 days of two 10-minute self-guided devotional meditations for you to spend time alone with God giving your burdens to Him! It is life-changing!

The time to make a change is now! Follow along as we continue our journey blessing others by sharing our stories and God’s love. Please check out the rest of our website windbeneathourwings.net and our Facebook Group, Signs from God and share with your friends.

Uncategorized

We Hurt When Our Children Hurt

As parents we never want to see our children in pain and we would do just about anything to take their pain away if we could. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. We all have lessons to learn and battles to face. We had to learn the hard way and so do our children. The best thing we can do is continually remind them to turn to God for guidance and support. Afterall, we are all God’s children and He doesn’t want to see us in pain either. He wants us to go to Him with all of our fears and worries. He wants us to be close to Him. He loves us so much that He took on our sins and died to save us all. Then He gave us the Holy Spirit to protect us and guide us all the days of our lives. All we have to do is believe and trust in Him.

This Bible verse pretty much says it all. For when I look back on the trials and tribulations I have experienced in my life, I can recognize the lessons I learned. I can see how strong I have grown as a result of my sufferings. During those dark hours in my life, I now know that God was with me. He made His presence known to me through the many signs I’ve received. These signs give me Peace knowing that God is always with me and that He does want the best for me.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” ~ Romans 5: 3-5

Look back at some of your own trials and tribulations. Can you recognize where God was during those times and what you learned in the process? I’m sure you are much stronger too as a result. Was it easy, no way. Do you want your children to go through what you had to endure? Of course not! How many times have you said, “Learn from my mistakes.”?

We all want what is best for our children and want to see them happy. I pray everyday that my children are talking with God daily and learn to recognize their own signs from God. I pray that they become comfortable enough with sharing these signs with others because that is how we can help each other. Being vulnerable is how we learn and grow and realize that we are not alone. We are all human. We all make mistakes. We all feel pain and sorrow, but we can overcome our fears when we turn to God and give Him our burdens.

Faith Over Fear

Uncategorized

Coming Out The Other Side

Life isn’t always easy. God’s Will is not clear to us all the time, and it’s hard to see through those dark clouds that drift in and out of our lives. Yet, when we believe with our hearts that the sun will shine again and that God has a plan, it’s easier to see through the rain and fog. Like a blizzard, our problems can mount up when the wind blows, but when the sun comes out all of our problems melt away. You just have to believe that the sun will come out again; and when it does, things will be brighter than you ever imagined – just like the sun shining on a fresh snow fall.

All we have to do is listen in the silence to God’s soft voice. Keep our minds and hearts open to how He speaks to us. He speaks to each of us how we need to hear Him, and for each of us it can be different. Follow His lead as His Plan is the best for us. Should you make the wrong turn, He will find another way to get you back on the right path so that you do follow His Will for you.

Some people are strong-willed, and while they know in their heart that what they want is not God’s Will, they follow their own path and find themselves stuck or delayed in receiving all the blessings that God has stored up just waiting for them! Don’t be that person. Be the person God created you to be!

“Anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand” ~ Matthew 7:26

Uncategorized

Stay On The Tracks

There are times in our life when the path ahead is a blur. The fog sets in and we are blinded by confusion, frustration, and pain that hurts so deep we can not understand tracks where we are supposed to turn. I’ve felt this first hand, and I’m sure you have too. Sometimes God has to take us to our knees and break us before we remember that only He knows the way. It’s during our darkest hour where we turn to God and talk to Him, begging for His help because we know we can’t move forward without Him. What we need to remember during our conversations with God, is to take the time to listen to what He has to say to us.

It’s not a one way conversation. You might think it is all about you, but God knows the big picture and loves each and every one of us and wants the best for all of us. He loves us unconditionally, but He wants us to turn to Him, talk with Him, take the extra time to hear His soft voice directing your path. He wants us to ask Him for what we want and to believe it is on its way – if it is His Will! “If it is His Will” is the key point to remember here and where it gets really tough.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11-13

What we want, is not always His Will! Like I said, only He knows the big picture and how our desire will effect everyone and everything. So, when our desire is not His Will, we need to understand there is a reason and even though we may be temporarily suffering, we are also becoming stronger individuals when we rely on God’s love to get us through. For He is always with us guiding us, protecting us, and at times like this, even carrying us!

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” ~ Romans 5:3-5

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and reach out for His hand. Imagine His embrace. Feel His strength embrace you while you take another deep breath and open your eyes slowly. You will feel His peace as your shoulders drop and know you are loved! Practice this as much as you need and the fog will lift. The steps ahead will seem easier to take. Just keep your feet on the tracks that God has placed in front of you! He is giving you strength, endurance, character, hope, and eventually to a place of peace knowing that His Will is the best for everyone!

Look back at the struggles you have already lived through in your lifetime. He was there with you then. You survived, and you will this time as well!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Signs of a Life

With God’s Grace & Resilience

Signs of a Life – Part X

When you finally come out of the dark clouds and can see the sun shining brightly, your heart feels light and you begin to walk with a bounce in your step. Everything seems to be going your way and then you start to recognize how all of the puzzle pieces are coming together and it all starts to make sense. Everything you went through was for a reason.

For me, I am a much stronger person than I was three years ago. I have learned so much more about myself, my wants, my desires, and my needs. I have learned that I deserve more and that I am enough. God loves me unconditionally, and that’s the most important thing. He wants the best for all of us. Find a way to develop and grow your relationship with God. That means starting your day with Him. Be still in the quiet time and open your heart. Listen for that small soft voice in your head as the Holy Spirit guides you through your day. It doesn’t happen overnight, just keep talking with Him and trust that He is holding you in by the palm of your right hand.

The Faith that I have in Him and our relationship has grown so strong; it’s what gets me through every day and helps me when I do have doubts and concerns determining His Will for me. Right now, I feel like I am swinging on a high and God keeps pushing me higher and higher. So follow those signs He is leaving for you. Turn to Him when you are struggling. Don’t be afraid to pray big prayers. Ask and you shall receive. Trust in His timing and believe that everything you want is coming your way!

Coming out on the other side of those dark clouds is not an easy path. It is full of it’s up and downs and confusing paths that all seem to go in different directions. These paths sometimes lead you outside of your comfort zone. They may test your tenancity. You may also learn who your true friends are and those who are not. Just remember that only God knows what you’ve been through.

Only God knows the walk you’ve taken and the lessons you’ve learned. God knows your every move before you ever make it, and He knows the true story! Don’t let what other people think get you down! He sees and knows everything! People will judge you, people will talk. It’s normal and it’s to be expected because we are all sinners. Just be true to yourself. Ask for His forgiveness, and bless those who trespass against you. Love them despite their actions, just as God loves each one of us! Just as they do not know your walk, you do not know their walk either. Everyone has a story to tell. Many people hide their emotions by stuffing them deep inside themselves. The problem is that you can only stuff so much until it starts to overflow. When that happens, it starts to get raw.

When I was a kid, I always heard, “it will get worse before it gets better”, or “it will be better before you get married’, “every dark cloud, has a silver lining’….. Just hold on because it will get better! God has your back. Hold on because when you have your faith – you have everything! The best is yet to come! Just keep moving forward one day at a time! Hold your head high knowing the only love you need, is the love and respect of God!

Signs of a Life

No Turning Back

Signs Of A Life – Part IX

After that agonizing decision has been made and you feel totally at peace with it, do not turn back! It took a lot of work to get you to the point where you are now. Why would you want to go back only to start all over again?

I realize that this may not be a fix-all solution and everyone is different and every situation is different, but there is something to be said for your tenacity. Once you come to the realization that there is no turning back, you will feel like you can tackle anything! I so believe in signs from God and if you are reading this post, maybe this is just the sign He wanted you to see.

Remember my post last month when I asked God if that was all He could do for me when I asked to receive a heart shaped rock as a sign? When He put in my path that next rock, I was in awe! Literally breathless. All I could do was shake my head, smile, and thank Him! Only God can do something like that!

God can move mountains and He will make a way when you think there is none. We just have to trust and believe in Him. His way might not seem perfect to you, but none of us have an all-knowing gift of knowledge. We are not mind readers and we can not predict the future. What I do know though, is that God directs our steps and we need to trust Him with our walk. He’s brought us this far, so if you are having doubts, take a deep breath and ask God to calm your anxiety and guide you.

We can only see what we see and know to be true. God though, He knows everything. He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our steps before we take our next. He is the only one that has the crystal ball. That crystal ball is the gateway to happiness and living an abundant life. The key thing to remember though, is that it is not always just about us. You see our life touches many other people and there is a ripple effect. Every action we take creates a chain reaction and God knows the ending and where the next wave will crash. So we have to learn to always look for the good in any situation and try to look past our immediate needs and suffering. Look for the good that may have come to someone else as a result of your discomfort. Do not fear though, God will give you something even better in return. Even if you are unsure of what will happen next. Relying on God to direct our steps is the only sure way to get to our next destination – God’s plan for us.

Signs of a Life

When We Have Doubts

Signs of a Life – Part VIII

How many times have you made a decision, acted on it, and then started doubting your decision and yourself all together? Making some of our biggest life-changing decisions are very hard to do; painstaking in fact! We overthink about it. We cry about it. We talk to others and gain advice. We talk to God. We get counseling. We make our list of pros and cons. Despite all of the steps we take and the support we gain, we still doubt our decision. We wonder and question ourselves over and over as to whether this was God’s plan for us. Why would God let us go through such pain?

It’s the lessons we learn as we walk through these tough times that make us stronger. He is making us stronger and better individuals all the time. He tests our abilities and our weaknesses and then builds us up. What I’ve learned through this entire decision making process is simply to trust God. Yes, I’ve had my doubts; and yes, I’ve cried many tears. Through it all though, I did learn to trust God and listen for His small soft voice in my head. The hardest part was learning how to decipher His voice, your thoughts, and the devil that is always trying to bully us and gain our attention. It took me a while, but I learned that if my decision does not bring me a feeling of peace and certainty, then it is not the right decision. You see, God gives us peace!

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

In my circumstance, I had to give it yet one more try. Despite the many attempts in the past, broken promises, and yes, even lies, I had to give it one more try in order to feel at peace with my decision. Did that delay my progress? Yes, maybe a little but it left me feeling confident in what had to be done next. It allowed me to make my list of to-do’s and start crossing them off one by one and feeling proud of my accomplishments and confident in my decision.

I must say though, even after the dust settled, I still started doubting myself again. It’s a constant battle that we all must fight. When you are feeling that self-doubt, I encourage you to turn to God and He will help you get your heart back in alignment with His Plan and the peace He has in store for you will come. However you talk with God, whether it be silently in your thoughts, journaling, or spoken prayer, His hand is right there for the taking. You just have to reach out! Ask for His guidance, His strength, His love, His courage, His healing, His forgiveness; ask and believe it is yours!

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” ~ Mark 11:24

Signs of a Life

Do You Know Who Your Guardian Angels Are?

“Signs of a Life” – Part III

During my recovery in the hospital, I also learned that God is not the only one watching over me from above. When I was in and out of sleep after my heart attack, I went into a dream state where I saw three individuals sitting on a bench much like this one. Except, the bench was just above my bed sitting in the clouds and I could see many silhouettes of people, whom I believed to be angels in the distance. I could see the sides of the first two gentleman closest to me as they were sitting there just waiting. I recognized right away the first man was my father. He looked exactly like he did back in the 70’s with his long sideburns, yet he could not look down at me. The second man, a bit taller than my dad, was my stepfather. He was looking over my dad and down on me with such a loving, yet concerned, look. The third man, I could not see, but somehow I just knew in my heart it was my grandfather. That surprised me more than anything, because for so long I thought my grandmother was one of my guardian angels. Oh, I’m sure she’s still looking down and watching, but this would be the second time now that my grandfather has come to me in a dream just like this and the only time I have dreamed about him since his death.

There is something to be said about the power of three and this holds true for me as well. Three has always been my lucky number and a number I gravitate to. I love to give three kisses good night or goodbye – one is never enough! One night when I was so stressed out, I felt the presence of someone sitting on my bed behind me three times. It was as if one person sat down and got up, and then another, and then yet another. I swore someone was there; but every time I looked, there was no one. I was awake and it kinda freaked me out a little. Eventually, I just brushed it aside and thought it must be my grandmother checking in on me. After this dream in the hospital though, I now know it was my three guardian angels blessing me and letting me know everything was going to be alright.

Do you know who your guardian angels are? How do they show up to you? Some leave dimes, some show up as butterflies, feathers, hearts. Our loved ones find many ways to show us they are still among us and with us. Never fear for they are still very near! This dream I had in the hospital, it was very real and I no longer have fear of dying. I know my loved ones will be with me one day and we will all meet on the other side – the never ending journey with God!

Signs of a Life

God Has A Plan For Each Of Us

“Signs of a Life” – Part II

As I heard the nurse calling for the paddles, I remember screaming in my head, “God, I’m not ready to die!” The next thing I remember is grabbing at my face because I couldn’t breathe. As I came to, my nurse was getting off of me and so many people were in my room in a panic of chaos. It was then I realized I did not die, but now things really got serious and things didn’t look so good!

Over the next several days I was watched around the clock and I realized that God definitely had a plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11 eventually became a Sign from God and my favorite verse in the Bible.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

While God never promised us life would be easy, He did say He would be right there with us guiding us and holding us by our right hand. He did this for me that I am certain. There are times in life when God just has to take control. He realizes we need a break and sometimes forces us to do so! That’s what He did for me and I will be forever grateful.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10

Not only did I change through self-development, but my experience also helped change the course of how leadership at my job manages their projects and their teams now. If my experience helped even just one other person, it was all worth it! Since then, I am no longer intimated by anyone. I take life as it comes and know that God always has a better plan than I do. His timing is all that matters. If something doesn’t work out the way I planned, I am thankful that His plan will be much greater than I ever imagined. Trust me, I’m human and sometimes it does take me a little while to swallow my disappointment, but it doesn’t take long before God shows His hand and I am moving forward with much anticipation and excitement of what comes next in this journey with Him by my side!

Signs of a Life

It’s Not Worth It!!!

“Signs of a Life” – Part I

Much like many people, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’ve lived a stressful life. We all face stress. Stress comes to all of us in many ways and we all deal with stress and react to stress differently. For me, I thought I handled it really well. I was strong during the moment when I needed to be for me and my family, though when I was alone I would break down for moment of release. I would recover and do it all over again time after time. I thought I could handle anything.

As a young teen, I watched my mother suffer five years of her life through a nervous breakdown and never knew if my mom would survive that ordeal. Thank God, she did as God had a plan for her. He miraculously healed her when the doctors gave up on her. You can read about her miraculous healing in our first book, “Signs from God” that we published in 2014 and made available on Amazon. My mother has an amazing story, and while her story will always be a part of mine, my story has allowed us to expand our purpose even further. As you can imagine, watching your mother suffer something so traumatic as this, it makes you grow up fast and you have to learn how to handle that stress. This is where it all started for me at a young age.

At the age of 53, my stress level hit its peak and I broke! On April 27, 2016, I went to work like any other day, but this day I was managing a difficult project. In fact, one of the biggest projects my team had worked before. We were getting oversight from our upper management team and leadership and we were taking the brunt of the project’s failure due to issues outside of our control. I knew my team and I were doing everything we possibly could, but we were already set up to fail when this project was incorrectly solutioned. This particular day, I was in a meeting with someone that intimidated me so bad and I was so frustrated because he was not listening to me. When I am made to feel like my opinion doesn’t matter, I clam up. I think that is probably a normal response, and many people do the same thing. Some people might just brush that off and forget about it, but I let it fester, and over the course of several hours it built up so much that I found myself heading to the hospital to be checked out that evening!

The results were positive and they admitted me. I was there for ten long nights with lots more stress and anxiety to follow. Along with cardiac arrest, tests, and even a pump inserted up to my heart to relieve it from having to do all the work. This experience changed my life in so many ways. Some of which I will share with you in this series of blogs!

How do you handle your stress? Do you internalize it or do you release it? I’ve learned it’s important to understand your triggers. So give that some thought as we move through this series together!