"The Tide Always Comes Back"... by Joel Osteen

Although it's not quite 2010, by the time I get this created and posted it probably will be. As part of the kickoff for the new year and the new decade, I have made a decision to start my own blog. I'm not sure if anyone will read it but it's a great way to journal my life and all the many blessings God has provided to me.

Some of you might be thinking why call my blog The Tide Always Comes Back. Well those of you that know me, you know that I love to read Christian self help books and one of my current reads is the new Joel Osteen book titled "It's Your Time!"

Joel made a reference in the book to a story about a man that bought a painting and I'd like to share it with you. After reading it then it is my hope that you will understand why I selected this title for my personal journey.

" A friend told me about an executive who had an interesting print hanging in his office. It depicted a large rowboat stranded on a beach. Two oars rested gently in the sand, with the ocean at low tide twenty or thirty feet behind it. The boat looked too heavy to drag, too big to move. It was just stuck there in the sand.

The picture wasn't a thing of beauty. It wasn't inspiring. In fact, it was depressing. Here was this boat created for the water, a very nice boat made to dance on top of the ocean waves, stuck there in the sand. But at the very bottom of the picture was a small caption that gave meaning to the otherwise unremarkable picture. It read..."The tide always comes back."

With that simple caption, the print took on new meaning. When the tide returned, that stranded boat once again would find its purpose. It would return to the place it was meant to be.

My friend told me the executive once had gone through a great disappointment. He didn't think he would ever be happy again. Then he saw the painting at a small antique store and bought it for just a few dollars. Every time he looked at it, he said to himself "The tide is coming back!" That print spoke faith in his heart. The caption gave him hope that things would change in his favor.

Here my message... God is breathing new life into your dreams! You will feel the wind of His spirit lift your sails once again. "

The last couple of years have been a struggle for me personally ~ financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc so when I read this it was like a light went off inside me. I realized that this was a time for me to grow in my faith more than ever. I've relied so much on God to take care of me and my children while being unemployed for six months and then returning to work making less than half of what I was making. I've relied on him to heal my body while recovering from my torn Achilles and the suffering from my hernia. I've relied on him to strengthen my relationships with my family and friends while I climbed out of the pit that I found my life in. I relied on Him to bring joy back into my life with a lifetime companion of which he brought me to Chris. And the moment I read this passage in the book I could hear God declare "It's Over child! Start Living again!"

So my new life motto is.... "The tide always comes back. " Many things are on my "To Do List" and now I'd like to see as many tides as possible from around the world. I'll post my journey here.

And for any of you that might be reading this right now that is faced with adversity or struggling through their own tough times, please remember.... Faith is not believing that God can, it is knowing that He will.

My friends....I'm going to dance on top of the waves once again! Come join me!

"We live by faith, not by sight."..... 2 Corinthians 5:7