LIFE 04 | when you're drowning

hello all.

i started this off with some pictures of a baby, and the title was 

"GIVE 04 | we are God's people"

it was in my drafts for awhile, and i decided to start on it.

but once i got started it went in a whole different direction and i decided GIVE wasn't really suiting what i was writing. therefore i guess this is becoming more of a LIFE series...that okay? i hope to change it up with give series some, but this is what's happening today. 

^from last spring^

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the world is so corrupt. have you ever just got so discouraged with how people are today?? you know, instantly offended by nothing except the fact that you're a Christian. and the other sad thing is how any people call themselves Christians, but it's obvious by how they live that they aren't. 
i used to think that the word 'fanatical' was a good word. a word to explain how bold Christians were. but when it's said in hatred, it quickly became something that didn't sound so great.
we've been going through some really hard things. things that make us question if it's worth it. sometimes i feel like i'm drowning, in tears, confusion and sorrow. i pray for strength and understanding, and that satan would be bound and blindness would be lifted.  in these last few weeks, satan has become more real to us then ever before. 
the good side is that we haven't quite lost hope. we don't know what will happen and so many people are praying that i couldn't count. i know this sounds like a mess to yall, but tbh that's just what it is. i don't want to explain everything on here right now, but maybe one day i will. please pray that God's perfect will would be done in our family. <3
one thing that is really neat to me, is how un-relying we are on God, therefore, it takes a catastrophe, hard times, etc for Him to truly show Himself to us. this is when we must rely on Him and learn to always rely on Jesus. 
okay..now that that's laid out, i though i'd share some things that have been helping us through this. 

• Remembering who God is. yeah yeah we all know that God is...God. right? but we tend to make up a god in our minds, to fit what we're going through, etc. if you look in the bible (esp psalms!) you'll find that God is also.."immutable, merciful, refuge, ruler, infinite, loving, wrathful.." and dozens more!! we must know who God is to survive in this world.
• Reading + praying daily. surround yourself with accountable people. people with the same goals and hopes as you..to draw closer to God. 
• Cry. don't hold your emotions in. don't go straight to anger when life falls apart. just let yourself be held. 
• Take care of yourself. it's so easy to just be consumed with your grief/worry. drink healing tea and take a bath. it'll help you feel refreshed.
• Don't hold your peace. this one is really hard for me. i tend to just not talk bc i'm afraid of what the response will be. but the night that i first sobbed about this mess, was the night i opened my bible and the Lord directed my eyes to a verse that said, "Be not afraid, and hold not thy peace." tbh i can't even remember where it was, but i knew that i need to say what i'm feeling. 
• when you feel like what you're going through is worse then the apocalypse, aliens taking over the world, war, and everything else...you are not alone. God knew this would happened and has prepared divine encounters, divine friends that will help you through. 

Please don't be afraid to ask for prayer, friends. It is the most important thing in the midst of dark days.