Internal Battles Doesn't Equal Defeat

Good morning everyone! It's only Tuesday, unfortunately, but it is one day closer to our three day weekend (if you have one, that is). This morning, I have to say, I'm pretty tired. My husband is on call this week at the University so that means calls at one and three o'clock in the morning because for some reason college kids are destructive. Well most of them are, anways, with the exception of a few like me. Needless to say I got little sleep, and my husband got less than that, so prayers are appreciated if you would care to send one or two our way.

I haven't had the chance to blog anything the last few days. My weekends are usually slam packed and I rarely get on the computer at all. Then Monday.... well we will just say it was Monday and anything that could have went wrong, definitely went wrong, and on top of it all I didn't feel well. I made it through, however.

I'm not sure of my mood today. I want to say I'm super happy and everything is great, but I can't. I'm not complaining; God is still good and I still love my life. However, I've been having a rough few days just mentally battling some things I thought I was over, and I'm fighting hard to get back to that content stage. I won't go into details, because it's personal, but I wondered if anyone else had their own personal battles that you felt you were over with, but they just popped back up recently, and now you are wondering how to seriously overcome it?

If you are, I'd like to encourage you (and myself). Life, in general, is never easy. Happiness is mostly a choice, not a chance of fate. It isn't based on everything being perfect and easy. Even those you would think have it all, aren't necessarily happy. Right now, though I feel like I'm in an emotional kind of chaos, I'm holding to the promises God gave me. He will never leave me, nor forsake me. He wouldn't give me more than I could bear.  He loves me and his grace is abundant. God has granted us so much, it would be silly not to take advantage of the resources he lends us.

I wish I could tell you that the battle will be over soon, that you don't have to fight this for long. However, I'm finding that their are things the devil will always throw in your face and torment you with. Somedays you will feel like you have the victory over it, and then one day out of the blue it is thrown in your face how much things still bother you. That doesn't mean YOU are defeated, however. God never said life would be easy. He never said living for him would be easy. Some of the convictions he places on you will not be easy. He always said it would be worth it, though.

I don't know what you are going through today. I don't know if you have your own inner, personal demon like I do that sticks up its ugly head at the most inconvienent times. If you do, I would like you to remember that it will never have victory over unless you let it. You give it victory when you let it steal your joy and faith. I could find a lot of things to complain about, especially within the last few days, and to be honest I've probably had more of a pity party than I should have. However, it is in those moments that you have to fight the hardest. Be encouraged. Realize life is too short to stay in the defeated, unhappy mindset for too long. Even Paul admitted to not being happy all of the time, but he did say " I think myself happy", meaning he made the decision that no matter what state he was in, what situation he was going through, he would be happy. You have the same choice! Be happy, and I pray that whoever reads this will be encouraged and have an amazingly blessed day!