Merry Christmas! Happy Christmas!
We have all experienced different challenges over the past year. For some, it has been the loss of a job, the loss of health, the loss of your dreams, and sadly even the loss of loved ones. I pray that you will be given peace and comfort to lift you through it for all of you who have experienced this. I will continue to pray for you, honestly.
May you find hope and peace as a pinpoint penetrating the inky darkness of your trials. May that pinpoint guide you, and may it lead you to safe harbors—just as the stars did so long ago. I love you.
I also desire to share with you the joy I have felt despite 2020. The joy came as I chose to follow the pinpoints placed in front of me and not concentrate on the dark and negative space surrounding those lights. I was thrilled to see where this journey led me.
To be fair, no one has gone through this year without a few dark nights (we included—would you like the list? Hahaha). Sufficeth to say our darkness was thick and heavy: Scott had a stroke, lost some health, and almost died on Halloween. We lost jobs. We learned earth-shattering events had happened to our children. I was threatened by an individual who said I could never help others with their books, my books, or my message with the world. We had three windows shattered in our home, and our house flooded twice. (That’s all I’ll list for now. LOL).
Pretty dark . . . and yet, There was LIGHT! How? How was it possible? Pinpoints of Light were always there. I made a choice to focused on them. I know they are placed there by my loving Savior, my loving Heavenly Father, and that the Spirit whispers to me to look. When I look, I know that we are loved and guided by Him.
It all comes down to “where is your focus?” If you can only see the darkness, then it will continue to get darker and darker. However, if you see a pinpoint of light, are you drawn towards it? Will you follow it? Or do you dismiss it as not enough light to guide you?
Be brave; choose to step towards that light to see where it will guide you.
I learned four lessons over this year: 1) Trust in God, 2) teach my children about His love, and 3) love others in their hurt no matter the shock that is happening, and 4) hug and laugh more and more. Those four lessons have been transformational for me.
As a gift to you, I desire to share my testimony of Christmas—for I believe that a wee babe was born in the City of David, and His name is Christ the Lord.
I know that He is the Light and Life of the World.
I know that as I follow Him, I am guided to all of you.
I will shine my light forth and help to amplify yours to reach the audience you desire.
Merry Christmas!
Forever Shining,
April