Words of a Belle

  Ugh . The three letter word that can turn a great day into a rough one. In fact, I woke up feeling that way today. I had so many plans this week. Good plans that didn’t just benefit me. I was so discouraged. Why now? Why not last week when I was already at home for most of the week? I’ve heard people tell me that it’s important to be careful with the words I use. In particular, the way I speak them because if I say something destructive it could tear someone down. On the flip side of that I have to remember that I need to speak kind words to myself, too. If I don’t I not only bring myself down but everyone else during the course of my day. So instead of getting mad at myself for things out of my control like getting sick I need to refocus and realize that even though a situation like that is a surprise to me that it isn’t to God. Yes, He created my emotions and feelings so that doesn’t mean I can’t be disappointed when plans change unexpectedly. However, it does mean that I need to

 Challenge issued! As I’ve been thinking & praying about how to spread the word, I’ve decided to challenge you to a 24 hr share the cause! (I hope it’s not a coined term, I just came up with it) 😉.  Here’s how it works:  Click the link st the bottom and under “share” copy the fundraiser link. Then, past it in your bio for 24hrs.  Lastly, write a post telling people about the cause & share it! Let’s show them some love ♥️ Below I’m pasting the fundraiser details so you can read them here as well.  Hi, my name is Josh Barker. I am George Hatcher's brother-in-law. I wanted to take a moment to share with you of a need that I have been made aware of. I have watched my brother go through cancer, chemo/radiation all while his daughter Angela has had rare heart condition that had required multiple heart surgeries. Unfortunately, she lost her battle with this condition back in April of 2021. As you can imagine all of this has taken a large toll on them financially. Although they

2021 has   been a year of learning for me. Learning to trust, learning to let go, learning how to grieve with Christ’s hope and learning how to have grace on myself while walking through these journeys.   It’s taught me that for the Christian, things seem to make the most sense when they don’t make sense to others. Because that’s when I lean on Christ more. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to cope. In fact, none of us can without Christ— He created us to need Him daily.  So whatever you’re facing, remember first and foremost that if Christ is in your corner you will make it through. I know people say He doesn’t give us more than we can handle, but the truth is He gives us what we can handle with His grace & mercy.  I’m so thankful for friends, family and a church that has been praying for us through all of this. Your prayers & support mean more than you know! 

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything lengthy. The past few months I haven’t to had much to write about. However, recently something has been coming up over and over in my devotions that I wanted to share.  Circumstances don’t always change but how you react to them can teach you a lot.  It can teach you what your strengths are.  It can teach you where you need to grow.  Additionally, tough circumstances show you that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed by a situation. In the psalms, we see that David doesn’t hide what he’s feeling. He’s real & honest about what’s causing him to feel fearful, worried etc. He wasn’t afraid to show his humanness.  We shouldn’t be either.  I know this isn’t something new, exciting or especially joyful — but it’s definitely worth taking time to think on. 

You might have set goals for the new year. Things you said you’d do every day or even one time a week. But here we are 2 weeks into this new year and most likely, you haven’t been able to be 100% consistent with some of those goals.  The way I see it, we can either dwell on the fact that things didn’t go exactly as we’d hoped, or use it as an opportunity to trust. Trust that even when we’re not 100% on track even when we try our hardest, God doesn’t change. Trust that sometimes, God has something better than what we planned.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart     and lean not on your own understanding; 6  in all your ways submit to him,     and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 

Play The Flute movie is one of the best I’ve seen. I’m not one to recommend movies but this is certainly an exception.  As I was looking for a new movie to watch, it had me at the trailer. I thought I had a good idea about what would be in this movie based off the trailer but it had many more surprising twists—By the end, I knew I had to share it with as many people as possible. So, I wanted to share it with all of you.  I personally encourage you to watch it with your family and/or youth group. It’s not only entertaining but leaves you with something to think about and something to act on. You can find information here:  Request Info - Play The Flute Movie

I get asked a lot why I volunteer for AIO.  I thought I’d write the long story here, as face to face I usually don’t have as much time to go in depth.  I’ve been listening for as long as I can remember. So much so, that I can usually identify an episode before a full 10 seconds are played. I would beg to listen to it as soon as I heard the car start. Although, what really sticks out to me, are all the times I’d listen to it before doctors appointments or during surgery recovery.  Many of you that know me, know I had a lot of health issues growing up. Specifically, unknown ones. Which resulted in more time at the doctors office than I could count. As well as pokes & tests I wasn’t fond of.  Odyssey always kept my mind off of that, as I loved the stories and the sound design that goes along with them. Every time I listen to an episode over again, I always hear something new!  I am passionate about allowing other kids and their families to experience what my family has with Adventures