Happy Sunday and welcome to Day 12!  After you enjoy your morning with your family at your favorite House of Worship take time to enjoy your all-time favorite movie.  I don’t know about you but I always have a hard-time picking just one!  I have a few for each season of my life.  How about you?

Happy Saturday and welcome to Day 11 of your challenge.  As you enjoy time with family or friends take advantage to bake your favorite dish!  Yes, you may cook all the time, but you are making what someone else likes….today treat yourself to you favorite!  Share below what you will be making:-).

TGIF and Welcome to Day 10 of our challenge!  Today, take a few minutes to send someone you care for a card in the mail.  With social media and technology making up most of the way we do things, it’s nice to receive a nice surprise in the mail.  Think of one or five people to send a card to today!

Hello There!  Today, leave you stress and worry behind and grab onto a new mindset along with a fun pair of earrings.  Let your earrings be a reminder that today you are going to think and react differently to things that you allowed to bother you yesterday.  You got this…now which earrings will you dare to wear today?

Today’s challenge is really easy!  Take a break today and pick up the phone and call a friend.  Now, I am not talking about the friend that you talk to everyday but a dear friend that you haven’t talked with in a while.  Will you commit to calling at least one friend? Welcome to Day 8 of your challenge….you’re doing great!

It’s Day 7 of our challenge!  This afternoon or at some point this morning sneak away to slowly enjoy a good cup of coffee, tea or whatever is your favorite drink.  The point is to slow down and really enjoy it….don’t rush through it.  So, tell me…. What’s your favorite drink to enjoy?

Welcome to Day 6 of your challenge.  It has been proven that a short nap can refresh and revitalize your mind.  At some point today look to take a few minutes to nap or close your eyes and mind in a quiet place.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

God, what is wrong with me?  Why do I feel like I am going through a desert but unlike the Israelites…I feel all alone?

Have you ever gone through times where you feel all alone and distant from God.  Moments where you yearn his presence, a word of encouragement or just a bone of sorts to let you know that He is there

My family and I had been visiting a church in Miami were I desperately wanting to connect at some level—any level.  We knew that living about 40 minutes from the church would be a challenge but we didn’t expect it to be this difficult to connect.  I invited women out to coffee, dinner and anything so I can get to know them to no avail.  We would go out, have a good time but no follow up.  We attended this church for over 2 years and later left because we moved even further north.

The saddest thing is that no one even noticed that we left.  As a side note: I feel that the larger churches are somehow missing the intimacy and connection of the smaller church (not all…just the ones I have experienced).  They do try by creating “Life Groups/Connect Groups” however, people are not really taught that a life group is more than meeting for 1 hour once a week—they are missing the doing “life” piece.

When I was growing up we would call it a church family because we actually did life together.  We were there for each other…during the celebrations and during the tough times. Families would intentionally do things together like lunch after church, beach day together, dessert nights, potluck lunches and movie nights.

Really doing life together…not the Facebook version.

These moments of loneliness can make us feel like we are living through an emotional desert.  Our soul is thirsty for a drop of affection, a drop of connection and even a simple eye contact with someone.

We are all looking for someone to care!

My friend, I think it’s important to acknowledge this thirst.  We can’t tend to something we don’t acknowledge.  Loneliness is a real thing.  In the past couple of months we have witnessed two celebrity suicides.  I don’t know these celebrities and what their life was like when they decided that it was better to end it all.  However, I do know that this is not what God’s plan was for their lives.

First, I know that God loves each one of us!  As a mother, I can’t imagine giving up one of my daughters to save humanity from perishing, but yet, God made that decision for you and for me.  If that doesn’t prove his love then I am not sure what does.

Secondly, His word is full of promises and I believe in these promises.  One of my favorites is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The enemy wants us to doubt what God’s Word tells us but as his children we need to stick together and support one another during all times.

My friend, yes I do believe that I am still in the process of navigating through the desert but, the difference is that I am now embracing and enjoying these intimate moments with God.  Marshawn Evans Daniels states in her latest book Believe Bigger “God allows us to enter desert seasons not to discourage us, but to detox us. He removes the God substitutes—all the things and people we instinctively and habitually turn to to get filled up?”

Isn’t that an interesting perspective?  What we may have thought was rejection from people—even God’s people—may have been God intentionally cleaning your inner circle and soul. Let that settle in for a moment.

Here are some questions for you to ponder—How has this experience may you different?  Are you using this time to embrace what God is teaching you or are you using it to complain and feel sorry for yourself?  Let me remind you that no one with a victim mentality made any real and significant breakthrough in their life.

Today, let’s have the honest conversation with God.  Let’s embrace this season in our lives by trusting and believing that God is in control of it all and knows exactly what we need because great things come after we have survived the desert!

My friend…take a moment and Just Breathe.

Until next time,

Silvia

Happy Sunday!  There is something marvelous about God’s creation and the reminder of His existence each and every morning.  This morning take the time to enjoy your beautiful sunrise or sunset knowing that you are loved and cared for!  Enjoy Day 5 Challenge.

As women we tend to go for the same colors and styles that we are accustomed to but today’s challenge is to have fun.  Step out of your comfort zone and paint your nails a fun color.  I know you can do it.  Welcome to Day 4!  Tell me what color will you use today?