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I’ve failed as a mother. My child’s out of control behavior is my fault.

I just can’t seem to control my weight and regain a healthy life and habits.

I feel like a failure.

I’ve missed the mark on homemaking and organization, and feel inferior to other women.

God loves me, but seems far away and distant.  How can He possibly help my situations here on earth?

Friend, if you feel as though I’ve read the last page of your diary, and you wonder how I know you inner thoughts, it’s because I’ve been there too.

These past few months, after our son was diagnosed with a behavior disorder, I’ve been battling depression. Satan has whispered these lies to me while in the darkness and I’ve felt alone, lost, and defeated.

Somewhere along the way, I started buying into these lies and I clung to these falsehoods instead of God’s truth.

Wracked with worry about the future and overwhelmed by the day to day, I let go of God’s control and put myself in the driver seat of my own life.

Somehow amidst the grief, I forgot how His love provides strength, hope, and comfort in my darkest hour, as He’s faithfully done many times before.

Somewhere along the way I stopped managing my life and let my situations manage me, living distracted by my troubles and shortcomings.

And that’s exactly what Satan wants from each one of us this year.

He wants us to live defeated and feel as though we have nothing to offer the world.

He wants us to feel dejected and hopeless, so we live victimized by our circumstances and won’t have healthy relationships.

He wants us to believe that we are trapped by chains of darkness and that living defeated is all we will ever know.

He wants us to be too terrified to change, and think that it’s impossible to start again.

He wants us to live distracted by our troubles and the trappings of this world; neglecting our relationship with the Lord.

Friend, YOU, exactly as you are, are a crucial part of God’s plan.  He has molded you and fashioned you in His image; you are not a mistake, and neither is your situation.

No matter how hopeless life seems, God has not forsaken you and is still in control.  And while it seems as though His guidance is gone, He has never left your side and is faithfully with you in all circumstances.

When those feelings of darkness come and you doubt your worth, remember that God determines your value; not man, not feelings, not setbacks, not situations, but GOD.

And in those seasons of helplessness, when you can’t find the strength to stand on your own and fight another day, trust that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will fight for you.  He will give you the courage to face your issues and the ability to live a life surrendered to Him and in His perfect peace.

Don’t let Satan defeat you this year, but trust that God has already given you victory in His Name.  Live empowered by His grace and the Great Exchange, where He traded His life for yours at the cross.

Believe that He has given you mercy and grace for your shortcomings, and the ability change your ways and thought patterns.

Having battled the darkness myself, I know how hard it can be to believe that the storms of life will pass and that change is possible.

Join me on journey of healthy steps towards lasting change this year.  Together may we find strength in God’s grace and mercy as we make lasting change in His Name.

Using the program Grace Goals, I’ll be making small steps to new habits (#smallstepsnewhabits) and trust that God has given me the self-control and discipline to start anew.

I’ve already started working through Grace Goals, and my spirit is refreshed as I trust God with my situations while taking action towards new habits.

I’ll be sharing my experience and what God is teaching me, but isn’t it time you experience God’s presence and lasting change for yourself?

Join me on this journey and let’s work through this program together for accountability.

 Follow me on Facebook to stay connected to other believers taking this challenge and for daily encouragement.

I can’t wait to see how God uses this program for His glory and to defeat the trappings of the evil one in our lives. Together may we not give Satan a foothold in our lives this year and stop living defeated by his lies.  With God, ALL things are possible!

Have you ever experienced a season of depression and how has God brought you out of the darkness?

What actions work best for you when you need to change?