Our Angel, Taylor

I'm sure some of you who know me and have been following, have been waiting on this blog.

Here as we wait
Seek Your face
Come and make Your throne upon our praise

On Memorial Day, we just happened to be in Greenville, FL, which is about half way between our home now, and where we grew up. We we had just left my Great Uncle's funeral when I got a text asking what was going on with Taylor (my best friend from school). I had no idea what this person was talking about, which immediately made me worry. You see, when I moved to Elba, AL in second grade, Taylor was one of the very first people I met. We immediately clicked and have been almost in-seperable since. She was "my person". She knew EVERYTHING about me. There was nothing that we didn't know about each other. So when I hadn't heard from her, but someone was asking about her, that meant they literally meant something was wrong with Taylor. Not her parents, not her husband, but her. As I'm trying to process and not completely go into freak out mode, I call her phone only this time her mom answered. At that moment they weren't sure exactly what was going on, but they knew it was her liver and she was in an ambulance being transported to UAB. I am so thankful for where we were that day, and that I was able to ride back with my parents to Alabama. My best friend needed me, and I knew I needed her.

Here in this place
Have Your way
The moment that we see You, we are changed

It was a long week, which felt more like a never ending rollercoaster, as we all prayed diligently and tried to fight for Taylor. There were so many ups and downs, but we really thought and believed she was going to pull through. She fought so hard and gave it her very best, but her body was just too tired. On Thursday, we heard the words that no one ever wants to hear about their daughter, wife, niece, cousin, best friend, or loved one. She was gone.

Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
In wonder and surrender we fall down

There were several times during the week when I told God the exact words Taylor told me on January 6th... I wish it was me. She doesn't deserve this, and it's just not fair. And it seemed like every time I would say or think that, I would hear Taylor's voice. She was younger than me by almost three months, but she was always trying to protect me, and I have so many stories of her doing just that. She holds a special place in my heart and life, she's always been there for me.

Show us Your glory

Show us Your glory

Let every burning heart be holy ground

She was one of the very first people I called when I found out I was pregnant all three times. She's the person I would call or text when I was having a bad day or just needed to vent. She was the person I talked to almost all night at Christmas, when I was having a major breakdown because my baby girl wasn't here for her first Christmas. She's the person who I used to ride around town with for hours just to listen to music and do something. She's the person I built snowmen in a foot of snow with, because we didn't know if we would ever see "real" snow.

Here, not by power
Not by might
But only by the cross we come alive

We were each other's Maid of Honor. She not only knew, but acknowledged all three of my children, and was their Aunt TayTay. She was there for me and was one of the first people to hold Aiden after he was born. She was the only person, besides family, who came to see us the night we found out we lost Olivia. She is the only person besides my parents and sister who I called to tell we had also lost Aila. And if she didn't have to work and I hadn't told her no, she would have been right by my side then too. She saw and knew me at my worst, and loved me anyway. She was a huge part of my world for over 18 years. We may have been separated by distance, but that never changed our relationship. We were constantly texting or sending snap chats to each other.  We often joked that we knew each other better than our spouses knew us. That was just us. We were so much more than just friends, she would often tell me that I was the sister she never had, we just had something special.

Here, we're undone
Overcome
By heaven's love revealed before our eyes

When you face death and loss, you see things differently. In 25 years, death has visited me a lot. I told myself that 2017 was going to be a year of change and new beginning, but a few days in we got hit with more death. You never imagine losing a child or a best friend. Even after losing our girls and getting hit with the most unexpected, I would have never imagined losing Taylor as well. I don't know why it happened, and have often questioned why her. The sting of death never changes, no matter how many times you face it.

When I was on the way to Birmingham, AL on Tuesday, I was in constant prayer. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew that God was in control. I was so anxious to just get there and for her to be ok. I told God over and over how much I needed her in my life, and that she HAD to be ok for me. When I was about 30 minutes outside of Birmingham, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me. In that moment, I felt God saying that Taylor was going to be ok, that He had her, but it was followed by a command. There was something that I had to do, not only for Him, but for Taylor. In my human mind I thought that meant that Taylor was going to be healed, that she would literally be ok. As things progressed, and she started declining, I felt God reminding me of what He had spoken to me. It wasn't until after she passed that I really understood what my mission was.

Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
In wonder and surrender we fall down

Had we not gone through what we went through almost exactly a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this thing that God was leading me to do. I wouldn't have had the courage to pray out loud in the Chapel and plead for Taylor's life with her family. I wouldn't have had the strength to pray the prayers I knew needed to be prayed in those delicate moments. I wouldn't have understood it.

Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
Let every burning heart be holy ground

On the way home, we were mostly quiet, but I told Chase what God told me. I then told Him something I never thought I would say... "What if this is the reason and purpose for Olivia and Aila's life?" Without them, I would not have gotten it. I would have missed what God was saying and I would have missed my purpose for this moment. This is the same thing he said to me earlier this year, when we visited friends who had just lost their son, but I didn't want to hear it then. I needed to see and come to this realization on my own. Their life is my ministry and it has a purpose.

Chains fall
Fear bow
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything

With death comes pain, fear, anxiety, and hurt. It's in these moments that we have a choice to make. I was asked shortly after we found out that Taylor was gone, how I still believe with everything that I've been through and now this. In that moment, I honestly didn't know how to answer. I was blunt. I was honest. I simply said, "I have no choice, but to believe." If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. I couldn't live with the sting of death without God. I don't understand why this happened, and I don't know when (if) I will. However, I do know that God works for the good of those who love Him. He has a purpose and a reason. We may never understand it on this side of Heaven, and while I'm still learning to be ok with that, I trust Him. We have to make a choice; we can get stuck in the cycle of asking why and questioning God, or we can fix our eyes on Him and allow Him to heal us.

Lives healed
Hope found
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything

In Matthew 14:22-33, we hear the story of Jesus walking on water, I'm sure we are all familiar with this scripture. The other day, Chase brought a few key points to my attention that I have never paid attention to before.

"Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"   Matthew 14:28-31

I.e. allow yourself to be drawn in two directiondoubt?”
I.e. allow yourself to be drawn in two directiondoubt?”
We often think that doubt was the reason Peter began to sink. Actually, it was when he began to take his eyes off of Jesus. When I take my focus off of the "story" and focus on the details, I feel like this scripture is talking about me... It's when I take my eyes off of Him that I feel like I am drowning in pain and fear. It's in those days that I feel like my world is crumbling around me. All I need in those moments is to fix my eyes on Jesus.

"Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

If we want to know that He is God in our lives, we must let go of everything else we are holding onto and place our focus on Him. This has been and is one of my biggest struggles; just letting go of the anxiety, the fear, the pain, the control, and letting Him take over. God intends to reveal Himself as a good Father and draw us to Him, in the midst of our brokenness. We have to be willing to give it to Him and meet Him there, in our messy, broken life. Often times we (especially myself) try to be everything we can to avoid the pain and suffering in our lives. We pretend to be ok and fake it, but in the pain there is a sweet, unexplainable encounter with God that is ONLY found in the suffering and pain. Be brave and confident in exposing all to God. He is ready to help you through.

"It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed."  Deuteronomy 31:8

Christ has 'gone before us' which means that He has already worked out the end of your story, and it has a good ending! The pain is not the end. There is always victory on the other side if you walk through it with Him.

"Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk. For I lift up my should to you... in you I take shelter."  Psalm 143:8-9

I have kept coming back to this scripture for a little over a week now. Every time I open my bible, I read it. God has been using it as a tool to speak to me, and to bring my focus and attention back to him. Although it says 'morning'  every time I read it, I read it as 'mourning'. So what is it saying? The term Cause me means to not only externally make me see, but also to reveal it internally by the Spirit; to feel and perceive it, to have a sensible experience of it. Lovingkindness means tenderness, goodness, mercy. In the morning means speedily, quickly. I have been reading and praying this over my life since I read it a few days ago, that I would be able to see and feel God's goodness in the mourning. That He would just reveal Himself to me, to Taylor's parents, to her husband, and to all of her family. That His goodness would bring comfort and healing to us all.

Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
In wonder and surrender we fall down
Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
Let every burning heart be holy ground

I know without any questions asked, that one of the first things Taylor did was grab our precious angels. I can just imagine her holding and loving them both for me. One day we will all be reunited, and what a wonderful day that will be! 💕

https://youtu.be/xU771D5AYWE

We are raising money to start scholarship in honor of Taylor's life and legacy. If you feel led to give and help us reach our goal, I have included the link. If you scroll down to Coffee County, you will see the link for the Taylor Creel Stinson Scholarship.

https://alumni.ua.edu/…/contribute-to-alumni-chapter-schol…/

The Why...

If you're like me, when you hear bad news about 5 million thoughts run through your mind. When we heard those awful, unforgettable words that Olivia no longer had a heartbeat, I was heart broken. I didn't know how to comprehend how this had happened. I had 5 million thoughts that ran through my head... Why? Did I do something to cause this? My body was supposed to protect her and be a safe place until she entered the world. Could I have prevented this? What did I do? I immediately assumed it was my fault. Even though in those first few words, the doctor told us, that often times there is no reason, and you never find out why, I still wanted a reason, a why...

After they gave us a few moments and told us the plan, the Dr. told us that they would check the placenta and umbilical cord to make sure there were no visible signs as to why this happened. He also wanted us to know that we may never know... When she was delivered, she was perfect. The cord was not around her neck, there were no knots, nothing was wrong. So, my last hope was there would be a sign in the placenta. The placenta was still attached so we knew that, that was not the cause. This is a common cause, especially when you are Pre-eclamptic or a prior history of Pre-eclampsia.

When I finally delivered the placenta April was there with us, and with my last ray of hope, I asked her did she see anything. You could see the look in her eyes, she knew that I wanted a reason. But she said there was no signs of anything being wrong. She reassured me again that this was not my fault. There was nothing I could have done to prevent it.

The blame game is a very easy one to get caught up it, especially for me. I am an over-thinker. I over analyze and get myself worked up over nothing. But in this situation it was different. During the time of us being in the hospital, one of the conversations I had with my mom and Chase was that we wanted to know why. They both kept reassuring me that it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help but to go over the past few days with a magnifying glass over-analyzing every little thing. Did I pick Aiden up, our very big - 30 pound 1 year old, and hurt her? Did wearing Aiden in the Ergo on Thursday night cause me to cut off her oxygen? Did I take something I wasn't supposed to take? It may seem crazy to some, but I literally went through every detail. Had I missed something that I did? I told them both that we wanted and planned on having a big family, how can I have a big family or have any peace about having more kids, if I don't know what caused this.

When Dr. Logan came in, on her day off I might add, she reassured me that there was nothing I did once again, and promised that she would do everything she could to see if we could find a cause. And she did...

Dr. Logan told us that we could come in for our postpartum check up when we were ready. As long as I felt fine, and their were no obvious complications, it was ok to wait. We waited about a week and a half, before we called to set up the appointment. I didn't think it would get to me like it did, until we were called back. Amy took my vitals like always, but this time, with tears streaming down my face. When we went back to the room to wait for Dr. Logan, I composed myself and was ok. Originally we were going to let Aiden stay with my sister, but I decided that morning that I wanted him to go with us. I knew that he would be a "distraction" for me. If he was there I could worry about him, and not have to think about everything else. I'm so glad we took him! I probably would have been 100x worse, if he hadn't been there. Dr. Logan came in and talked with us for a few minutes, and told us that she was pretty aggravated. The postpartum nurses forgot to do the blood work she ordered before discharging us from the hospital. So, none of the lab results were in. She had explained to us in the hospital, that in some cases like mine, they have found that there is a gene mutation that can case things like pre-eclampsia, miscarriages, and stillborns. Since, they didn't do the lab work then, she gave us the option to do it now or at our 6 week appointment. She explained that it would be 10-12 vials of blood, so it could take a while. But, we wanted to know if this was our answer, we wanted to explore every possible cause. So, we decided that we wanted to go ahead and do it now, especially with the chance that we could be moving in a few weeks. 

Thankfully, the lab nurse was able to hit my vein on the first try, and I was actually bleeding. I have TERRIBLE veins. It has always been a struggle getting blood or IVs. My veins are small, very deep, and don't like to bleed. So, this was a big accomplishment. ;-) About 10 minutes and 11 vials later, we were done. 

Aiden was getting restless, so Chase took him to the car while I finished up, and checked out. I was doing fine until I got to the check out counter. I asked her could I go ahead and set up my 6 week appointment now. She asked why I needed to come back at 6 weeks, and then asked did I have a miscarriage. My heart dropped. All I could say was, a stillborn. She just told me to call back to schedule when they call for my test results, so I left, of course with tears in my eyes. It was the first time I had actually said the words, and it took everything I could not to loose it right there. I held it together, and didn't breakdown like I thought I would, but the sting was still there. It was hard walking in knowing that I should still be pregnant, this was the week I was supposed to be doing my glucose test, but instead I'm there for a postpartum check-up.  Even though it didn't seem like it, I was proud of myself for holding it some-what together. However, when I got in the car, it was a different story...

Dr. Logan called me a week later and told me the words we needed to hear, but didn't want. I have a gene mutation that puts me at a higher risk for blood clotting, especially during pregnancy. She explained that this can cause pre-eclampsia (like Aiden's pregnancy), miscarriages, and stillborns. Usually, this doesn't affect a pregnancy until later in the first or second trimester of pregnancy. 

I still didn't know what it was and what all it meant until a few days ago, August 16th: Our 6 week check-up.  I have Serpine 1/PAI 1 (Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor) 4G/4G. This gene inhibits fibrinolysis - the process that prevents, and aids in the break down blood clots. 

Dr. Logan explained it to us, and told us the steps in preventing something from happening in future pregnancies. Of course, I went home and did more research on it, because that's what I do. I wanted to better understand what it is, and know as much as I can about it. Basically, because I have this gene mutation I'm at a higher risk for blood clots all the time, but during pregnancy that risk steadily increases. At week 20 the chances of blood clots is double that of a "normal" woman, and those chances are tripled at full term. If a blood clot occurs during pregnancy, it cuts off the babies oxygen and nutrients, resulting in a miscarriage or stillborn. 

So, what does this mean for our future and the future of our family? I have to take a baby aspirin a day for forever basically, which makes me feel like I'm officially getting old. And, when we are ready for it, I will have to give myself a blood thinner shot daily once we get a positive pregnancy test. Doesn't that sound like fun?!

While finding all of this out gives us closure and some peace, it didn't make me feel better, like I hoped it would. Before we found out that this was "it", I just assumed that finding out would take away some of the pain. That it would help me cope, with what happened, and stop playing the blame game. We have our reason as to "why" medically this happened, but we still don't know "why" it happened to us. I don't know "why" I have to deal with all of these issues with my body. Why do I have to deal with endometriosis, when I'm not pregnant, and now the worry of blood clots? 

It is so easy when you are hurting and vulnerable to just get down in the pits. To feel like it's one thing after another. While we got the answer that we hoped, a reason, it just didn't make things better. I'm still learning to cope with all of this, and understand that God is sovereign. He knows what's going on. He sees my pain, my worry, and my fears. He is holding us up, whether we see him or not. 

I still have moments of guilt, because it's still my body. While I know that there was nothing I could do to prevent this, it doesn't take the hurt away. My body is supposed to be a safe and secure place for a child to grow and develop. In this case, it was the opposite. {Not so} Ironically, my devotion the day we found out that this was indeed the cause happened to be on guilt. I have felt so guilty in this process. Even though, I know that there was nothing I could have done to prevent what was going to happen, it doesn't change the guilt. I keep asking myself, "What if I would have known that I have this mutation before her heart stopped beating?" Then I think to myself, that I could have stopped it. But, that's not the way things were meant to happen. If you believe in the sovereignty of God, then you have to believe that He is sovereign all of the time. He has a purpose, a reason, a will for everything that happens. 

Through all of this, my mind keeps replaying the story of Job. If you are like me, and were raised in church, you have probably studied Job about 500 times.... Again, {not so} ironically, I did a blog on Job a while ago. Job went through so much, but still praised God. His faith never wavered. Before Job went through all of the devastation he endured, he was already known by God. God knew what was going on, even before Job. He saw it all before it happened, but God also knew what the future held. If Job was faithful, the other side was more than he could have ever imagined it to be. 

In another book I am reading, Mending Tomorrow, the author talks about how life is all about responses to the questions that are thrown at us. We can either choose to respond in a positive way and move forward, or the opposite. There is no doubt that life is going to throw us questions, our question was "how will they respond to death." While your question may be a different, we should all strive for the same response... To turn to Christ and choose to trust Him. James is very clear on how we are supposed view trials, with great joy (James 1:2-3). In the beginning, this seems like an impossible task, but if you are truly leaning on God, He will begin to work on your heart. The author explained, that turning negatives into positive responses, doesn't mean that we are turning negative situation into a positive one, it just means that we are choosing to respond in a way that creates a positive result. We can choose to fall into the pit or we can choose to trust God. One of the hardest parts for me has been letting go and trusting God. There are moments where it has been easy, and other times that I feel like I can't let go. In these moments, I have to choose which response I'm going to make. 

There is nothing that happens to us that catches God by surprise. He sees beyond where you and I are today, and will help us move forward. This give me so much hope and peace for our future. I am clinging to Him and His promises, and so far He hasn't let me down. He has gone above and beyond. In the past month, we have experienced so much yet God has been faithful every single step of the way.

Olivia Grace has changed us in so many ways, and we like to think she has been helping God show up big time in our lives. ;-) I can't even begin to list all the things that we have always hoped for, but never imagined would happen, that have. He truly is the God of miracles. 

Doubt, Doubt, Go Away...

     Have you ever felt as if you are the only person in the world who struggles with doubt? We all struggle with doubt at some point in our life. I am currently reading three books, and one devotional. Ironically, all of the chapters and my daily "devo" for the past two days have been on doubt and having confidence in The Lord. Now, some people will call this a coincidence, but for me it is God speaking directly to my heart. There are so many times that I doubt what God is telling me, not because I doubt God, but because I doubt myself. When we allow to doubt to creep in to our lives, God can't use us to his full ability. We are putting a limit on His power and promises. There are several reasons we doubt, this is one of the main ways the enemy get to us.

     One reason that we doubt ourselves is sin. The devil will use our past to tell us we are unworthy to be used by Christ or that we just aren't good enough because of what we have done. When Christ Jesus was nailed to the cross, His blood not only paid for the sins we have already committed, but also the sins we will commit. 1 John 2:2 says "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." Ephesians 1:7 states, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." God sent his son to die on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven. When we become saved we get a clean slate to "start over," our former sins are not held against us.

     Another reason we doubt ourselves is self-doubt; the lack of self-confidence. Self-doubt blocks the promises of God's power to change us. It keeps us from believing that things can get better, and convinces us it is not worth the bother to try. According to the dictionary, self doubt is the lack of confidence in oneself and one's abilities; a feeling of having no confidence in your abilities or decisions. To many times we go along tossing our confidence in the trash without even thinking about it. James 1:6 says, "But when you ask, you must believe, and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

     The last reason we doubt ourselves (that I am going to hit on at least) is uncertainty. Uncertainty is the unknown or questionable. It creates a huge shadow of doubt that follows us. Think of it this way, it's about four P.M. in the middle of July. You walk outside to get something out of your car when you notice your shadow. Your shadow is much bigger than the real you. No matter what you do, your shadow follows you, you can't escape it. The shadow of doubt is the same way. Our doubt is bigger (overpowers) our confidence, the only way to escape it is to face the light. God's design for us is not to be stuck in a cycle or living in the shadow of doubt. There are many times in our walk with Christ that our faith is tested. Most of those times call for some uncertainty. We have two choices when faced with uncertainty, we can either have confidence in Christ or we can begin to allow doubt creep in. Matthew 6:34 states, "Therefore do not worry (doubt) about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Doubt and hope can not coexist in our hearts at the same time. The God of all hope is calling you out of the shadow of your doubts so that you can live with a confident heart!

     The first step to living with a confident heart is for us to recognize the power we give to doubt, then stand up to it and claim confidence is ours through Christ. This process can only happen if you are willing to be honest with God and yourself. Lean on a trusted friend or mentor to help keep you accountable in the processes of claiming your confidence. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."  God desires us to have confidence, all we have to do is ask! God declares with confidence, things can change. In Mark 9:23 Jesus states, "All things are possible for the one who believes." Belief is having confidence that God is able. Beyond believing in Him, God wants us to believe Him! He desires for us to believe Him by relying on the power of His words and promises and living like they are true no matter what our feelings say. We can be confident that if we are praying God's word that we are praying God's will. Believe that He can do what He says He can do.

     God applies the same power to our need that He extended when He raised Christ from the dead! (Ephesians 1:18-23) God wields incomparably great power for those who choose to believe Him. Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God works for our good, He will not cause us harm. We can have full confidence in God, that He will never do anything or lead us anywhere that is going to harm us. There will be times we are challenged to have full confidence in God from one season to the next. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 states, "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in  ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God." Hebrews 4:15-16 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We are able to approach the throne of God, not because of we do, but because of what Christ Jesus did! Because of Christ's sacrifice, we have been given the right and the privilege to come before God in complete confidence. Christ understands our weaknesses, he faced all of the same tests that we do, yet he did not sin. If we approach the throne boldly with confidence, it is there that we will receive His mercy and grace. We are not to approach the throne of the Almighty cowering in fear or behind our sins, weaknesses, or mistakes; but in great boldness, with confidence. And we come knowing we will receive His grace and mercy. When we approach the throne in weakness or fear, we are allowing the enemy space in our time with God. 

     God is calling us to believe Him! He is calling us to put our confidence in Him, to truly rely on and have faith that He is able. Hebrews 10:35 says, "So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward." Matthew 7:20 states "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith (confidence in God) like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from her to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Faith is having complete confidence or trust in someone. God wants us to have complete faith and confidence in the things that we pray for. Don't be so safe in the things you pray! Declare your needs and wants before the Lord. He longs for someone to be bold, relying on Him in confidence that He will come through. 

     Without faith it is impossible to please God! Faith is confidence, therefore without complete confidence in Christ it is impossible to please God. The most monumental leap we can take toward our freedom from doubt is the leap to our knees. Begin to cry out and confess your doubt to God. Pray his word, this is one of the most life changing ways we can learn to live in the security of His promises. You will be amazed at the things that begin to take place in your life when you believe God with complete confidence! 

• Lord God, please help me to be like Abraham who, by faith, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8) Help me not to miss future blessings because I refuse to go to a place with you that I've never been before. 

• Father God, help me to be self-controlled and alert. My enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Help me to resist him, standing firm in the faith. I can be assured that other believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8)

• Oh Lord, according to your wonderful word, this the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:4-5) Help me to see that faith is crucial if I am going to be a victor and an overcomer.