Do you ever have a song that speaks to your very core? The song may change from time to time and vary upon each season of life… it could be of praise, thankfulness, or despair, but it shouts your “anthem” for that specific time in your life. Sometimes this “anthem” is what God uses to carry you through these murky waters if you need an extra boost, and sometimes it is a heartfelt “thank you” for all He has done in your life. Whatever it is, music is powerful, inspirational, and emotional… and for me right now I seem to be LOVING and leaning onto the powerful words of the following song. I am reminded to lay each dream, burden, and gift down at God’s feet. I feel so very weary in this battle, and I am fully relying on my “King of this Fight”. I am learning to TRUST, TRUST, TRUST when the mountains in my life are not moved. I find that my mantra… so-t0-speak is that I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but HE DOES. I don’t know where my family will be next, but HE DOES. I don’t know what treatment or better yet healing looks like, but HE DOES!!!
I sing this part especially over and over again and again and again:
“Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood.” -He has been through it all… He knows… I will stand on Him, my firm foundation!
“Trust In You”
By: Lauren Daigle
Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You seeI’ve tried to win this war I confess
My hands are weary I need Your rest
Mighty Warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You’re by my sideWhen You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
Hang onto His hope dear ones… Place your trust in Him alone… and sing your heart’s anthem out at the top of your lungs with the windows down- it does your heart so good! 😉
I’ve been having some rough days since my last post and though I have wanted to share another post… I realized today that my heart simply needed some encouragement! So, I wanted to share this sweet and powerful saying with all of you in hopes that it would encourage you like it does me every time I walk past it in my home! I loved it so much, I bought it last year from one of my favorite little shops House of Belonging!
His GRACE is sufficient… I so often add up where I have let my kiddos down, what I wasn’t able to get done in my day, or that I couldn’t get off the couch to make dinner tonight… but His Grace… it’s always here for me! I can drop everything I worry about, feel ashamed about, or have doubts about at His feet and let it all go…
2 Corinthians 12:9 says this: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Stay tuned… I am going to share my treatment plan soon, as well as lots of the reasons behind why I have chosen each piece of the protocol!
Brace yourselves as I am NOT a pretty “cryer”! I mean it… and I don’t like others to see me cry at all, EVER. It is something I am working on though because crying does help me feel much better afterwards instead of holding it all in… Sooooo, I encourage you to both watch this short video that resonated deeply with me, and to also bear with me while I emotionally share with you about a man whom has seen far too many of my ugly cries, yet stands by my side still.
12 and a half years ago I married my very best friend. I know you’ve all heard that saying before… but for REALZ… I did! We have had a wonderful marriage, full of gobs of joys, three kiddos that stole our hearts, adventures along the way, great blessings, and a lot of medical/ health/ financial hardships too. Instead of sharing about all of that right now, I wanted to focus on this man that I’ve been blessed to share all of these moments, whether good or not so good with!
Matthew 19:6 ESV So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
*Please know this is not a pity party… merely information you need to know to understand how blessed I am by my hubs love, and most importantly to bring a reminder of what God meant when he said “a lasting covenant.”
I have had two different people say that they cannot believe that we are still married or that they don’t know why Cory has stayed with me through all of these not-so-pretty years…. I remember both times very well. The first time was in one of my doctors’ offices and I was honestly shocked. That thought had NEVER ever crossed my mind. The second time was much more personal as it was someone who knew us very well. However, both peoples’ thoughts were very wrong and are quite disturbing when you think about them.
When my hair quit growing, started breaking off, getting very thin, and he can now feel the extensions when he runs his fingers through my “fake” hair: He reminds me what real beauty is.
When my weight has been out of my control because my body isn’t functioning right: He still wraps his arms around me.
When my skin is blotchy, broken out and aging rapidly and we can’t figure it out: He doesn’t look at me any differently.
When doctors told me I was dying two different times: He held my hands and prayed. Together we waded through the scary possibilities.
When I can’t get out of bed in the mornings: He puts on his “Super-Daddy” cape and gets the day going.
When my health bills cost us a house or two: He kept his eyes on our Savior, woke early every morning and worked diligently to provide for our family.
When I need held: He holds me.
When I need a shoulder to cry on: He offers both.
When I can plan the perfect day: I pick HIM… hands down… HIM. HIM. HIM.
Two main things stood out to me in this film…
The First is this: I know that Cory realized when things were very bad health wise for me and I couldn’t do much easily, he chose NOT to take the tasks away that were dear to my heart when it came to being his wife and our kiddos mom. Instead he would assist me whether I saw it or not in an effort to ease the strain on me while still allowing me to feel like I was caring for the four most special people in my life! This was a completely selfless gift that he gave. It would have been much quicker and simpler for him to just do it all on his own, or not worry about doing it at all. But he cares deeply for my heart and that is right where I needed to feel his love.
The second is this: I ALWAYS want to be his “partner” and not his “patient”. This is a VERY real feeling that any of you who have been through health issues beyond your control will resonate with. Of course I want and need to be taken care of… but I need to feel needed and wanted in our partnership just as much as I ever have if not more now.
Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Coaching Hayden
I still struggle with this feeling at times. It is an area that the enemy uses against me for sure. I will always be Cory’s partner… his partner in life, love, adventures, laughter, tears, and anything else we get to live out together. However, when he has to pick up the pieces that I can’t carry; I can buy into the lie that I am just a burden, job or patient to him. So, I am still working on fighting off this lie… because it is simply that: a big, fat lie!
You see, Cory is a man of his word. He made a commitment to the Lord. To me. We made this together and living it out is our only option. There isn’t the “easy out button” that when I get ugly, sick, or frustrating he can’t press it and be done. He lives his commitment out each day. This may not have been a smooth-sailing decade plus, but it HAS been beautiful watching his love for me!
Ecclesiastes 9:9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity: for that is your portion in this life, and in your labor which you take under the sun.
He is the most dedicated, committed man I know. In standing by my side, holding my hand and always choosing to love me, he is an example of Christ’s love. He is a living example to our kids of what a devoted husband, and gracious daddy is and I can wholeheartedly say that I am more head over heels in love with this hunka-heaven than I have ever been before!
~Sincerely Dani
Babes, you have stolen my heart many, many times over by how genuinely you love on me. I am humbled by your devotion to our marriage. I admire how tirelessly and so very hard you continually work to provide for our family. I cannot thank you enough and am honored that you chose me to walk through this joy-filled, ugly-crying, crazy, scary, amazing life with. ~ Loves, Your Girl
“Living It Out” is going to be the theme of the Beautyfull Mess Blog for a while, or at least as long as I can see right now… We all live something out, and I am excited to share with you about the very things that have become my “IT”!
What is your “IT”? I would LOVE to hear from y’all on what yours is… let’s make this a conversation and help each other live out these important things that make each of us tick.
For these last five + years I have constantly been telling our kiddos, my husband, and mostly myself these very words: “LIVE IT OUT”! It is these very words that speak my hearts’ cry, passion, and love. These three words are powerful. They have the ability if followed through on with a heart tethered to Jesus to speak life, hope, love, devotion, and commitment. By living IT out… we can choose to:
Live out our faith in Christ.
Live out His love to our neighbors.
Live out our commitment in marriage.
Live out our devotion to raising our kiddos for the Lord.
Live out a passion. (sports, music, etc…)
Live out convictions. (without legalism- extremely important)
You get it! The “IT” does not only apply to Christianity. This “IT” can be found in anyone by finding what makes you tick… we all have “IT”, we all need “IT”, sometimes we just have to find “IT”. And I desperately pray that yours too will be sought after in our Savior. The very One who made each of us and yearns for us to keep our mission deeply rooted in Him.
For me personally, finding most of my “IT” was simple… but as this world seems ensued in evil, violence, sexual immorality, divorce, lack of commitment to almost everything, and an overall weakening of all convictions where black and white are now blurred into a giant “gray-land”… my “IT” is all the more important! Knowing what you stand for, believe in, and why is crucial. It is not only vital for yourself, but for your children, grands, and others looking to you as a role model.
P.S. The Pratt house is working on the best way to have these three words beautifully inscribed above our front door… I want each of us to look at them, think on them, tap them as we leave and live them out each and every day!
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“Living It Out” is going to be the theme of the Beautyfull Mess Blog for a while, or at least as long as I can see right now… We all live something out, and I am excited to share with you about the very things that have become my “IT”!