The road called life has so many ups and downs. Even as Christians, God has never promised us a perfect life, or a life that is free of heartache. Sometimes life can leave us bewildered, discouraged and desperate to get off what feel like an endless rollercoaster. I heard a quote this week that said, "When you can't see God's plan, trust His heart." So many times in my life, I have been puzzled as to what God was up to in my life. Having several miscarriages was certainly not something I thought would be a part of my story. Losing my mom when so many people were praying for her healing, caught me completely off guard as well. I remember getting the call that she had unexpectedly passed away and I cried out to God to help me make sense of it all. As I put the Christian radio station on, the song "God is in This Story" was playing and I found so much reassurance and comfort. Even when we don't see it, God is working. Even when we can't feel God's presence, He is always working behind the scenes. His ways are so beyond our comprehension. This is where trust comes in. ~ We have to trust Him. ~ In 2 Corinthians it says, I will walk by faith even when I cannot see. As humans we see such a small part of the BIG plan that God is orchestrating and weaving together for us. My mom's second anniversary of her passing is coming up. Last year on the eve before her one year anniversary of when she went home to be with Jesus, I was crying out to God. I asked for comfort, answers and strength as I continued to mourn this terrible loss. In my dreams, I felt Mom at my side, bringing me comfort and she sang right in my ear a beautiful little Sunday School chorus we used to sing as kids. I had not even thought of it or heard it in years. It is called God is Good to Me. The lyrics go like this... God is good to me. God is good to me. He holds my hand. He helps me stand. God is good to me. It was like Mom was RIGHT there. I awoke knowing that God had allowed that very special moment for me. I felt comfort and peace knowing even though I don't always understand, God is still good to me and He has not forgotten me or abandoned me in the hard times. ~ I can still trust Him, even when He doesn't let me in on His plans for me. ~ I imagine there are many of you going through tough times right now. I do not claim to have all the answers, but can let you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you and is always working behind the scenes in your life. It takes time for things to come to fruition, and the way we think or see situations turning out is not always the best or right outcome for us in the grand scheme of things. I am right there with you. I will hold space for you as you walk through your heartache and questioning time. Just know that when you can't see God's hand, please trust His heart. He has the WHOLE world in His very capable hands and that certainly includes YOU! Dear Heavenly Father, There are so many things we don't understand. When heartbreak and struggles come our way, it is ok for us to be disappointed and confused. You can handle all of our feelings. Help us to trust You regardless of the way we feel. You are the SAME God as always and You WILL NOT FAIL US. Please help us to remember that and trust You completely. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: trust, trust in God, prayer, God's plan, unexpected loss, grief, God in in this storyCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
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This is the "Year of Joy" for me after a long time of grief and loss. By "Year of Joy" I mean that I am determined to find joy anywhere and everywhere I can. Let me tell you, when I am on the lookout for joy, joy honestly shows up all around me. It is EVERYWHERE! Joy was very plentiful in my little corner of the world recently. Follow me on a journey, as I share where joy showed up BIG TIME for me this week. Joy in the Classroom!Joy was in my classroom this week when I received this picture from a very sweet student. It is her and I eating ice cream. It is my first picture of the school year and it has a special spot on my bulletin board and in my heart. I literally laughed out loud when she gave it to me because it is such a cute picture! She was grinning from ear to ear when I told her how special it was to me. Joy in the Drive Thru!Joy showed up in the drive thru this week when I tried McDonald's new chocolate brownie muffin. It tasted EXACTLY like the chocolate cake my mom used to make. She is no longer with us, so eating this delicious muffin feels like a hug from her. Sure made me smile! Joy on TV!Most days, as far as TV goes, I find that I am often channel surfing in frustration. It seems there is NEVER anything good on TV but this week, I hit the jackpot! I watched America's Got Talent and viewed the golden buzzer performance of a very special contestant. Watch below and try not to laugh! You will enjoy this. Trust me! Joy at the Theater!MAMA MIA! Here I go again talking about JOY! My daughter and I are HUGE ABBA fans! This week we went to an ABBA tribute band concert called ABBA Revisited. It was amazing. We got our groove on, sang at the top of our lungs and even got to go up on stage for the grand finale of you guessed it, DANCING QUEEN! It was amazing and something we will remember for a long, long time! Joy at the Garage Sale!I have been trying to really get in shape this year and I found for myself and my daughter two pairs of high caliber wireless headphones for $2 each! They work great and will come in so handy at the gym or around the house when I want to listen to music. What a deal! I was so happy! In Proverbs 17:22 ~ it says a merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. When you actively search for joy, it helps you have that merry heart that the Bible speaks of. We all need more joy in this world. I encourage you to become a joy seeker. Trust me, if you do so, you will never look at life the same and so many little things you will recognize as blessings and opportunities to truly enjoy your life. Tuck that in your heart today. ❤️ Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you that although our daily lives can bring so many things, there is still so much joy around us. Please help us to see the blessings, and wonderful things that come our way to encourage us, edify our spirits and make us smile. We need more of those types of things. Thank you for working those special moments and experiences into our days. We are so grateful. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: joy, joyful heart, seeking joy, look for the good, gratitude, a merry heart is like a medicineCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
Who here likes to wait? Chances are that none of us would raise our hand on that one. Why? The reason is that waiting for things, especially important things is just plain hard. Where it gets especially hard is when you are waiting for a big dream, a special prayer request or a deep heart's desire to come to fruition. Having to wait with no answers or resolution in sight can be so painful and heartbreaking. I remember so vividly when my husband Phil and I wanted to start a family, I mistakenly assumed that when we were ready the babies would just magically appear. This was so not the case. I was unaware that I had a progesterone imbalance at that time and it sadly caused me to miscarry twice. We had our nursery ready but it remained silent and empty. We kept trying, and waiting and trying and waiting, yet only heartbreak and emptiness filled the pages of our journey to parenting. Everywhere I looked, there were pregnant women, babies, and baby showers. Commercials for diapers would cause me to tear up. I remember one evening sitting in our nursery crying with Phil and saying "What if having children is not part of our story? I can't even go there!" My husband refused to even entertain this and together we cried and prayed for a baby - again. Well I am happy to share that being childless was not in the cards for me. Today I am the proud mom of two amazing kids, Tyler and Shannon. Everytime I look into their eyes I feel God's grace reflecting back at me. They are an answer to my prayers in the flesh. I am blessed beyond measure. I don't know your story. I have waited many times on God for important things I needed and desired in my life and have felt the frustration and heartache in the waiting times. God has a heavenly timeline for each of us that often does not align with ours. This is where trust come in. God has our best interest at heart and in Psalms 37:4 it says ~ Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. If you are waiting on God, I understand. My heart goes out to you. I have been there. I am here for you. I will stand in prayer and agreement with you. Please reach out. It would be my honour to lift your requests to our Heavenly Father. Your requests are important. God doesn't let his kids down. He just often has a bigger, better plan that for now we can't see. Trust Him. Tuck that in your heart each day. ❤️ Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that even when we are waiting, you are right there with us. You see our struggles and challenges and you are working to assist us, yet it often takes time. Help us to be patient with the process and learn to trust you more. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: waiting, waiting on God, patience, hard times, God's timing, answered prayers, faithCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
Well I have the first week of school under my belt as an elementary teacher and all things considered this week has gone quite smoothly. Week one is in the books! Woo-h00! With a big construction project underway at my school, there had been concerns as many old routines had to be changed to accommodate the job site. Thankfully though, every day just got better and better with the new routines and everyone finding their stride. I am so thankful to have a career where I have an opportunity to mentor children every day and help them grow into the unique and special people that God has designed them to be. Children have always been where my heart finds a home. They never cease to make me smile with their cute and innocent ways. A new student from the Philippines this week introduced himself to everyone and very proudly said “I’m Asian.” This was quite obvious, yet I am very pleased that he was so proud of his nationality, as he should be. ![]() I read a book this week called What I Like About Me. It is a beautiful book with pop-up pictures and things to touch celebrating all the differences that people have. The kids were highly engaged with this delightful book. One of my favourite things about the book is that it has a mirror on the last page. I love going around one by one and putting the mirror in front of each of the kids. Seeing them light up with their little toothless grins, warms my heart. They like what they see and they are proud to see their reflection. I can’t help but wonder, when does that all change and why does that all change for so many or us as we age? When did it all change that we no longer like what we see in the mirror? Sadly we live in a society that seems to daily convey, especially on social media, that we are not thin enough, cool enough, rich enough or somehow acceptable as we are. The Bible says in Psalms 139: 14 that we all are “fearfully and wonderfully made” God designed each one of us with a purpose first and then created each one of us to fulfill that purpose. Noone is a mistake or unworthy of God’s love. I told my students these words this week and I say the same to you my friends. Everyone is PERFECT just the way you are. You are unique. You are who you were meant to be. You do not need to change a thing about you. I said these things because I believe this is a message they need to hear loud and clear. I then said the only thing that ANY of us may need to change, are the choices we make on a daily basis. No matter what age, we need to strive to make choices that will get us to be the best version of ourselves. At times we truly need to ask ourselves when making choices if participating in this activity will get us closer to where we want to be as a thriving and happy person before deciding. Kids generally seem to have it right. When we are younger, we are just more accepting of ourselves. We need to get back to that as we are often our own worst critic. Remember my friend that even when you feel down and feel like you are not valuable. You are somebody’s EVERYTHING and you are priceless in God’s eyes. Tuck that in your heart today! ❤️ Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the beautiful reality that we are all unique and created differently for a reason beyond what we often see. Each one of us is here for a purpose and I pray that you would help us grow to be more like you each and every day. In Jesus' name. Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: self esteem, fearfully and wonderfully made, celebrate you, celebrate differences, God's masterpieceCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
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