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Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start. Each day is a new opportunity to rise and choose Jesus.

Almost every morning, as I transition from sleep to waking, I say, “Good Morning Jesus.” I call on Him when I wake up with a pit of anxiety in my stomach. I call on Him when there is a heaviness on my chest. I call on Him when I wake up afraid and worried. I call on Him when the sun is shining and all feels right and I call on Him when the darkness looms around every corner.

I am sitting here at my dining room table this morning, bible open reading about David. I am captivated by his taking down Goliath against all physical odds. I started a post yesterday about fighting our giants, and I planned to finish it this morning. But when I opened my computer, I see that I haven’t written since July 31st and I scrolled back over my last few posts. They share a common theme: calling out to Jesus in despair.

I thought over the past weeks and especially this past one, and realized that I may be in what I am labeling a “Job season.” Of course when you compare, Job had it much much worse. He lost everything as bad report after bad report came his way. Devastating losses that would render most crippled and unable to function, yet alone Bless the Lord. And although I don’t know anyone who has experienced the level of losses that Job did, I think of Job whenever one bad thing seems to be followed by another and another. And one of the treasures that Job leaves for us is that we can continue to Praise the Lord EVEN WHEN all seems to be crumbling around us. And our continued faithfulness to the Lord will be seen and heard and noticed by Him who sees us. Job chose to praise God even when he lost everything.

It’s been a tough year for me, and I just keep on fleeing to Jesus. Right in the midst of deep tragedy, loss, struggle, and bad news, I have also experienced peace, comfort, and encouragement from God. He will never ever leave us or forsake us. And when you call on the name of the Lord, He bends down to listen.

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So, I won’t run down the entire last year for you, but may I give you a glimpse into a few recent events? I think I shared that I came home from vacation in July and got really sick. I was in bed and didn’t leave the house for 2 weeks and when I still wasn’t recovering, I went to the doctor to find out that I had pulled a muscle from coughing so badly. It took almost 3 more weeks before I felt recovered.

Just as I was coming up and feeling the sunshine, some struggles I’ve had with one of my children became intense and I was crying out for a miracle from heaven for him. Then, my cat got into a scuffle with our new dog Lucy and jumped over the fence and didn’t come back home.

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I am sharing all of this because I felt like everything was crumbling around me. You know when you tell Jesus that you literally cannot take one more bad thing. That’s when I think you know its a Job season.

So this past Monday morning, I was driving to work and gripping the steering wheel with both hands and telling Jesus, “I trust You Jesus. I trust You Jesus. I trust You Jesus. ” This is my go to when things gets desprate. I cry out and remind my soul that my trust in Jesus still stands despite what I see.

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And…. when you say you can’t handle one more thing, that one more thing usually comes! And for our family, it did. My husband Chuck was diagnosed with Covid. The three littles and I were quarantined at home with him. Chuck isolated himself to the back of the house, and we stayed on the other side. Our oldest two had not been exposed because they were at their dad’s house, so they just stayed there.

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This meant that the kids and I would miss the first day of school, the whole first week, and more. Chuck was feeling really sick and I was worried. We kept the worship music on in our house and pressed on.

While we were home, Nia was swinging in the backyard and got stung by a bee near her eye. I iced it down, but the next day her eye was scarily swollen and off to the ER we went.

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Friends, at this point, I was almost numb from the bad news. But God. He stands as our anchor and steady strength through times of trouble and turmoil.

Today marks my 40 birthday, and I am home and still quarantined. It will be a quiet day, but I feel amazing. I feel hope breaking through the struggles. I feel my faith rising up. I tell my freinds all of the time that when things get really bleak and the enemy seems to fighting hard, the breakthrough must be close.

In my next few posts, I am going to write next about how to look the giants in the eye and battle with the Lord on your side. How to stand up even when you may feel fearful or all odds seem to be stacked against you. You have weapons and they are mighty and able to pull down strongholds of despair, hopelessness, trauma, loss, weariness, and anything that comes against you.

And may I share that Chuck is feeling much better, Nia’s eye is healed, and my kitty cat came back home!!

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Not all is resolved, but if God is for us, then what can possible stand against?

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Here’s to 40! May the Lord break through and break up the hard parts of my heart and continue to work in me and through me to shine the light of Jesus!

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Friends, I am so thankful that we serve a Father who cares for every detail of our lives. He sees our tears and our weary hearts and He will not leave us in our distress. Call on Him today and let Him refresh your soul. He is faithful and He will come to your rescue!

He abundantly restored Job and He is a God who continues to restore, redeem, and return what the enemy has stolen. If you are in a Job season or coming out of one, be encouraged. God’s promises STILL stand over your life. His plans for you are good and to prosper you. Lean on Him and let Him give you rest. Praise His name in all seasons.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Let us be a people so filled with faith like Job that we bless Your name in ALL seasons good or bad. Let us proclaim Your goodness from the mountaintops and the valleys. Let our praises drown out the noise of the bad reports. Lord, we praise You as our Lord and King and Savior. Thank You for being the Lord of all seasons!

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings!

Vanessa Lynn

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And a cute puppy picture because who doesn’t smile at puppies?! This is Junior my 3 month old goldendoodle puppy who reminds me of God’s goodness after loss.

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