Bad Days Are Still Good

Sometimes, when I have a bad day, I just long for it to be over. I pray to God, asking him to let it pass by quickly so I can just go to sleep and put the day behind me. I dread those type of days, as most do, and will for them to not occur. But the truth is, bad days come. Fire and trials and pain come. And every day, even the bad ones, were created by God.

Even on the bad days, we can remember that it is a day the Lord Himself has made, so we can rejoice and be glad in it. With each day brings new possibilities, new promises, and new opportunities to make new choices.

And even a string of bad days, a month of bad days, a year of bad days - they are days! They are life! They were created by God! This means there is a plan for these days and a hope for these days. If a new day comes it means life has continued and there is more to do and learn and grow.

In the spirit of transparency and honesty, I find myself in a particularly difficult season. I feel like I have been drowning in bad days. But I'm not dead yet, so I know God has a plan and purpose for this season. I can rejoice in that and in my creator, knowing He isn't done with me yet. I have hope knowing this truth. What about you?

New Books from Stephanie May Wilson!

Have you ever had anyone in your life that has inspired you? You look at their life and love and heart with not jealousy, but great admiration and longing for growth? Stephanie May Wilson has been that for me. I've been following her life journey since October of 2012 and have been so poured into from her ministry to young women.

In December of 2014, I published a blog post reviewing her book, #TheLipstickGospel. I published that blog to reagannash.com a few months later. Her story is one of a heart-wrenching breakup, an inspiring study abroad trip, her adjustment back into the "real world," and her first (and accidental) mission trip. She is authentic, hilarious, and inspiring in retelling her life-changing conversion to Christ.

Now, she has written a devotional and a prayer journal to follow, and it's being released SOON on JULY 10!! Keep your eyes peeled for its release so you can take part in the sweet and gentle transformation of Stephanie's story.

Love you all and always grateful to offer resources for growth! The #LipstickGospel is definitely one of those resources, y'all!!

Strength on the Mountaintop

There have been times in my life where I have felt like I was on top of the world. I have climbed mountains, trekked through forests, swam across rivers, and hiked through canyons. I have taken solo trips across the country and laid peacefully under the stars. I have finished a yoga class and felt proud of my body for its ability to stretch, bend, and move.

In those times, I am reminded how good God is for that blessing. It is in my weakness that His strength is made perfect. It is He who created the mountain, the forest, the river, the and the canyon. It is he who created the earth across which I have travelled and the stars at which I have marveled. And it is He who created this body: these muscles, these bones, and this skin that holds me together. I am honored to be a vessel through which He moves. I am honored to be a participant in His awesome creation.

I know that God moves in me. How is He moving in and through you?

Worthy

None of us are perfect. We are all flawed in all kinds of ways. I look into my heart and I see flaws in the way I feel and react. I look into my head and see flaws in the way I think and process. I look at my body and see flaws in the way I look and move. But you know what? I am still worthy.

I am worthy of respect. I am worthy of love. I am worthy of safety. I am worthy of honesty. I am worthy of compassion. I am worthy of connection.

My life has inherent worth. And so does yours. If you need proof, take a look at the Scriptures that tell of a story of a God who sacrificed his life so that you and I can experience our own life.

So here is a little reminder that yes, you are flawed. But you are also worthy.

Enough

I've been struggling a little bit, over the last four weeks or so, to believe this. I have felt a little too unworthy, a little too broken, a little too tired. When school piles up and my husband is a thousand miles away, it's easy to start to shrink back.

I had come across this idea, that "I am enough," and spent a good deal of time contemplating the meaning of it. I sure don't always feel like "enough," especially when the season is a little too dry and windy for my comfort...

But tonight I was reminded again that I am enough. I am broken enough, tired enough, weak enough, and flawed enough to let God shine through. His power is made perfect in my weakness, after all, right? 

And more than that? HE is enough. And He is reminding me of that tonight. He's telling you, too, "I am enough. I am enough. I am all you need. I am the strength in you. I am the power behind your steps. This is all you need. I am enough."

Trust in Him tonight, dear friends. Trust that when he says, "I am enough," that He is telling you the truth. And trust that you are enough to let God work through.

God, tonight I declare that YOU are enough.