The Ladybug

Tag: Hope

  • Loving the Stranger

    The Ladybug 32 

    Wednesday, November 12, 2025 

    Hello Readers!  Today I feel inspired to share a sermon I delivered approximately a year and a half ago at my local NH church.  However, this sermon seems particularly relevant to repeat, given that our country is currently struggling with a sinking economy, and many families are having trouble making ends meet.  Homelessness can quickly become a reality for anyone, anytime, and I have faced housing insecurity personally.  I also wanted to share this message because, while this sermon focuses on the homeless population, I believe that the spirit of it could also be applied to immigrants.  The atmosphere in the USA regarding immigrants is at best described as tense, and the way that they are treated by the people in power is downright despicable.  Therefore, I encourage you to imagine both the words “homeless” and “immigrant” in your mind’s eye while you read my words below.  God calls us to love, and you will find practical advice as to ways of loving marginalized groups among us if you continue reading!

    By: Gaelle McLoud 

    Sunday, March 17, 2024 

    Based on:   New Testament: Matthew 22: 34-40  

           Old Testament: Leviticus 19: 33-34 

    Message 

                Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.  Amen.   

    I would like to begin by highlighting from the first scripture reading for us this morning, Matthew 22: 34-40, the second commandment that Jesus gives: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  On the surface, this may seem like a simple commandment.  One might think, of course I love those around me, my friends, and my family, including my church family.  However, let us dig a little deeper.  What if your neighbor was smelly and dirty?  What if your neighbor was a drug addict?  What if your neighbor was living a life opposite to yours, a life you could not even imagine?  Would you still be willing to love your neighbor?  Today, I am going to focus on our neighbors who are homeless.   

                You might be wondering why I chose the passage from Leviticus this morning, and be curious as to the relationship to the homeless.  “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.  The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.  Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.  I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19: 33-34. The Leviticus passage refers to our neighbors who are, “aliens,” or, “foreigners.”  One of the Google definitions of foreigner is, “a person not belonging to a particular place or group; a stranger or outsider.”  Certainly, one could think of homeless people as not belonging to a particular place, and many consider them to be strangers and outsiders.  And yet, in Leviticus as well as in Matthew, God commands us to love them.    

                Here is how I began to love my homeless neighbors.  In early 2017, I started attending a new church located in Charlton, Massachusetts.  I prayed to God to direct me towards His will, and I felt a strong calling on my heart to minister to the homeless.  I thought about how I might get involved with mission work, and I remembered that my dad had been connected to a church called the Worcester Fellowship.  The Worcester Fellowship is an outdoor church located in Worcester, Massachusetts that meets every Sunday afternoon, no matter what the weather, to provide a Christian worship service, and brown bag lunches and men’s white crew socks to the homeless population.  Their mission statement is: Worcester Fellowship is dedicated to ending isolation by nurturing community and providing pastoral care. We welcome everyone, we are an outdoor church, we reach out to homeless and at-risk adults and we believe God loves us now.  I attended a Worcester Fellowship Service for the first time in the spring of 2017, and felt transformed and brought alive by the experience.  God’s love and light were palpable at the service.  I spoke to my home church in Charlton, and we signed up to begin donating brown bag lunches and men’s white crew socks to the Worcester Fellowship on every other month throughout the year. The pictures on the power point are of a Worcester Fellowship gathering on the common in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Christmas Eve 2017.   

                Many people think of the homeless population as set apart, and have trouble connecting to them.  However, anyone, anytime can become homeless.  There are many reasons for homelessness, including job loss, PTSD due to military service, or high medical bills that lead to eviction when one cannot pay their rent.  This could be you.  It was almost me.  Let me tell you a true story from my own life.  When I was quite young, 20 years old, I had dropped out of college due to health problems, and I had no money and nowhere to live except with my parents back at their home.  I faced the reality of becoming homeless, though, because I was not sober, and my parents did not want me to live with them when I was an active alcoholic.  I had to decide to try to get sober and attend AA meetings, or else I was on the streets.  I will never forget how close I came to homelessness.   

                In addition to my own experience with housing insecurity, I have learned a lot about homeless persons while volunteering with the Worcester Fellowship.  Here is a question for us to ponder: What can we as Christians do to show God’s love and mercy to the homeless population?  Here are three answers to that question that we can all employ when we interact with those who are homeless or disadvantaged.   

                First, show compassion.  One of the best ways to show God’s compassion to others is to simply listen to them.  Start up a conversation with someone who may be out of your comfort zone and listen to them talk about their life and their experiences.  This action will go a long way towards making the person feel loved.  Consider carrying Dunkin gift cards to offer to those who are begging when you see them. 

                Second, treat the homeless as equals.  Do not be afraid of those who are different from you.  For example, during a Worcester Fellowship service there is a time for the passing of the peace of Christ, as with many church services.  It is important to walk right up to your neighbor and wish them God’s peace and shake their hand.  When you see a homeless person on the street holding up a sign, make eye contact with them and smile and if they ask you for something, offer the Dunkin gift card you have been carrying with you.  God loves all His children equally, and we need to mirror that love. 

                Third, Christians must challenge societal norms that dictate that we must ostracize and exile those who are different and suffering.  Jesus set the example for us with the way he lived his life.  Jesus associated with tax collectors and prostitutes, in other words, sinners and those cast out by society.  Jesus healed and touched lepers, as well as saved and loved all of us, despite our circumstances.  Welcome those who are homeless and disadvantaged to your church, and pray for ways that you can improve their lives for the better.  One way that this church loves the homeless is by collecting money to purchase socks for them, and this gift can go a long way towards brightening someone’s day. 

                Jesus calls us to love each other, let us change the world one act of love at a time.  Amen. 

    Thank you for reading!  I have included the links for The Worcester Fellowship, as well as a local NH homeless advocacy group called Hundred Nights.  Please pray about how you may support them!  Also: The photos are from a Worcester Fellowship gathering in 2017, which is referenced in the sermon.  

    God Bless and Good Health, G. 

    Worcester Fellowship

    hundrednightsinc.org

  • Perfectionism Part 3: Body Image Ideals in America are Harmful 

    Dear readers, I am aware that discussing any aspect of body image can be potentially triggering, especially to those individuals diagnosed with eating disorders.  I, myself, was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at age 20, after starting to display symptoms in my late teen years.  Due to my own experiences, I will endeavor to make this article sensitive to those who struggle.  However, I want everyone to honor their own boundaries with the topic.  With that spirit in mind, let us start to talk… 

    One of the most freeing phrases that I ever heard during my eating disorder recovery journey was: your body is not a project.  I have always felt a great deal of pressure my whole life to micro-manage my appearance, especially my weight.  I used to wear heavy make-up, dye my hair, follow all the latest fashions of dress, and starve my body.  In the USA, women who identify as cis-gender females are placed under a huge amount of pressure to groom ourselves into oblivion, even to go so far as to consume diet pills and under-go plastic surgery.  There is an expected, and, frankly, un-achievable, ideal “look” that we must work towards.  Lots of money is poured into this industry of beauty and the pursuit of feminine perfection. 

    Well, now I am saying to it all: F*#ck You!!  My body is not a project.  I look the way I look, and as long as I am healthy, then I am satisfied with my appearance.  In my current world, after being severely ill for 6 and a half months, being healthy and strong in my body image is way more important to me than being glamorous.   

    In addition, I have had a shift over the last few months as to how I identify in my beauty image.  I would now say that I am more of an androgenous female than a typical cis-gendered female.  Some days I am glammed up and girly, while other days I feel comfortable in flannel, jeans, and winter boots.  The identity of androgyny allows for this flexibility, being somewhere in the middle, neither feminine nor masculine.  My studies at university allowed me to gain more exposure to the differing worlds of gender identity, and, after writing a paper on androgyny, I felt so much more connected to my true self. 

    I’m beginning to wonder why I have been spending the last 20 or so years trying to be thin and cute.  Why have I cared what society thought of me?  The dream of being the perfect model from the pages of a women’s magazine or following the latest wellness trend has not been making me healthier or more beautiful, it has been killing me.  As one of my friends said to me recently regarding the weight-loss drug craze, “It seems to be a sickness in our society that is unique to America.”  I am grateful for her honest assessment, and I could not agree more.  American wellness culture, and the corresponding products and medications that feed the system with millions of dollars, just harm the very humans they claim to be aiding. 

    So, I am choosing to be free from the trap of twisting myself up-side down to meet the societal beauty standards.  I encourage you to free yourself as well!  Wherever you are on the body-image road, whether you are struggling with disordered eating, or you are struggling with the pursuit of the wellness community, coined often as orthorexia, I invite you to take a moment to pause.  Think about what your goals are with your appearance and resulting health.  Are you simply chasing an impossible beauty standard?  Or are you investing heavily in a financial way to bring about a drastic figure change?  The only investment that I now believe is honestly worth it, and will bring about the most joy, is the time and energy to be healthy, happy, and authentically YOU!!  There is no reason to conform to any other standard or request from an industry that will not pay you back.   

    These revelations have taken me years to reach!  From wandering hospital hallways with a feeding tube up my nose to over-exercising, to starving and to binging, I have finally arrived at a moment of peace.  Just be where your body desires and forget what America might think.  You will be surprised how much mental room will be created in your head when you let go, and how much room in your wallet you will discover.  Bodies are meant to be all different shapes and sizes.  Food is meant to be joyful and shared, bringing friends and family together.  Exercise is meant to destress and strengthen, without pushing too far.  Try out a few of my radical ideas and see how much tension in your life will lift.  I hope my years of pain can be turned into something helpful for others.   

    To conclude, I would like to provide you with an example from my own life.  While I have been ill recently, I was told repeatedly by my doctors to be on bedrest.  But I kept pushing to be active and exercise, because I was afraid of gaining too much weight while “lying around being sick.”  Finally, I basically collapsed into my own bed and rested for 2 weeks.  I purposefully lay around, watched Netflix, and ate high-calorie and high-protein foods to strengthen my body which was hard at work fighting a serious infection.  Finally, after 2 weeks in bed, I emerged for a 1-mile walk.  Then, I rested.  Next, a 2-mile walk.  Then, I rested.  Testing the waters slowly to see how much exercise I could build up to.  I continued to eat whatever I wanted, especially if it was high in calories.  None of this was done with losing weight in mind.  Rather, I was hoping to gain weight, and re-grow some of my once thick curly hair and beautiful nails.   

    Take my words to heart, readers, and do not learn the hard way as I have.  Listen to your doctors regarding health and rest.  Do not put the demands of the un-healthy “wellness” industry first.  Get quiet within, listen to what your body needs, and act accordingly.  Beauty is fleeting, but longevity and happiness are true goals to live by.  With that advice, I wish you blessings and peace in your journeys.  Love, G. 

  • Perfectionism Part 2: My Truth and 10 Coping Skills for Depression

    I like to ask myself the question: How is it with my soul?  This is not a phrase unique to me, but one that I have heard from many religious leaders throughout my life.  Unfortunately, the truth of the answer to that question in my life is often messy.  Life is tough, and I find that there seems to always be a struggle.  However, there is another question I frequently ask myself that goes along with the first one: How do I want to appear on social media?  I VERY rarely tell the truth of the answer to question 1 when I consider the answer to question 2.  Social media seems to be too often a place for me to hide and deceive, rather than to be honest and raw.  No one sees the scars.  No one sees anything wrong.  I am perfect. 

                Well, today I want to pull the curtain back slightly and discuss a topic close to my heart which is mental health.  Yesterday, October 10th, was #Worldmentalhealthday and while I posted a nice photo and cute caption to my Instagram and Facebook accounts, I really was not sharing much.  Mental health has been a struggle for me since I was quite young, but the stigma surrounding it has often stopped me from dialoging openly about my experiences.  As I have shared on The Ladybug, my blog, I have been ill with a physical disease from a tick bite since mid-April 2025, and the journey to recovery has been a rough one.  What I have not said is the way this disease has changed my mental abilities.  Let’s talk about it.

                I have become extremely anxious and much more depressed since I got sick in April.  In addition, I have horrible bouts of brain fog and cognitive confusion that make it difficult for me to do my college schoolwork and do it well.  For the sake of this blog, I want to focus on talking about my depression.  I am extremely sensitive to medications for depression, and so, unfortunately, that line of treatment is unavailable to me.  I must rely mainly on lifestyle changes and coping skills learned in therapy to treat the symptoms.  This is very difficult.  I wish so much that there was a magic cure for the darkness that creeps into my mind.  I must thank my parents who have been Super supportive throughout my struggle, and my friends who have prayed for me.  God is Good, and I am not alone.

                While acknowledging the deep pain of difficult to treat depression, I also want to focus on all the many ways to attack this mental illness.  Here are some of the ways that I have been coping:

    1. Talking to a professional therapist and psychiatrist.  It is helpful for me to have an objective professional hear me discuss what is happening and support me with cognitive behavioral therapy sessions.  In addition, I see a Nurse Practitioner for extra support.
    2. Taking time to study the Bible and connect with God while journaling and listening to music.  This is my “Spirit Time,” and it sustains my soul with the light I need.
    3. Walks with the family dog outside in the sunlight, preferably through the woods.  Nature combined with gentle exercise can be quite healing.
    4. Looking at a relaxing magazine or loosing myself in a funny light-hearted book.  This changes my mental scenery.
    5. Not going on social media too much, and only remaining on sites that support my soul.  For example, I love ballet posts on Instagram, as well as inspirational Christian posts.
    6. Trying to keep eating and hydrating.  I tend to stop eating when I am depressed, and good nutrition is crucial.  In addition, staying sober, and only drinking favorite things like black coffee and matcha lattes is important!
    7. Talking!  I must not loose contact with those who love me!  I know I am not alone, and friendship and family, including church family, is a lovely tonic. 
    8. Writing.  You, readers, are a support for me as well, even if you did not know it.  I find a great deal of purpose through my writing, and typing away my crazy thoughts on The Ladybug, or the book I am currently writing, is quite meaningful.
    9. NEVER GIVE UP!!!  Putting that on repeat. NEVER GIVE UP!!!  Amen!
    10. Take it 5 minutes at a time when things get bad; every 24 hours is a victory!

    It was helpful for me to review these skills as I typed, and my hope is to help others. 

    My social media platforms show smiles non-stop, but I want those who struggle to know that it is okay not to be perfect, because I certainly am not!!  I have deeper thoughts and deeper pain that is a real and sometimes everyday burden.  You are not alone.  God is an ever-present help, just ask! 

    I also want to share that if someone is reading this and feels in crisis, please call 988, the national hotline.  Or visit www.afsp.org  

    The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a great resource for support!!

    Blessings my friends! Thank you for sharing the truth with me. G.

  • Flowering Beauties: A Muse in Dark Times

                  Complete with Photo Exhibit

    Lately, life has been difficult.  I have had to find inspiration in new places.  Surprising places.  Today, I would like to share one of those muses with you.  Nature is a wonderful and mysterious thing, and I am discovering a new appreciation for flowers.  Specifically, the resilience of flowering plants.  The weather in New England, where I live, is ever variable.  However, this spring and summer I have appreciated the beauty of flowers and how they continue to shine even on cloudy or rainy days.  For today’s post on The Ladybug, I have selected 12 of my favorite flower photos that I’ve captured using my cell phone camera.  Gazing upon these images during a particularly difficult day gives me hope for the future.  If winter can be followed by these dazzling splendors, then my dark days must be leading up to new life and good times ahead.  I know that God promises darkness will not last forever.  It is my wish that these images inspire you as well.  Never give up! 

                With Perseverance, G.

                “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11

                “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19

  • I’m Back! Let’s Talk Honestly About Anxiety and Faith

    I feel anxious.  I have been anxious all day.  Do you ever feel anxious?  It is hard for me to understand my anxiety, and even harder to control it.  I used to apply various substances as balms for my anxious mental health: cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, and benzodiazepine pills.  However, I now keep to a strict sober lifestyle.  So, what to do?  Over the years, psychologists have had me try all the usual “healthy” interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or yoga and meditation.  And, yes, yoga and guided meditation are tools that I use on a regular basis.  However, when the anxiety is high and my system is on alert, these milder aids do nothing for me.   I need to invoke that which is higher.

                Prayer.  Praying is the ultimate soothing release for my anxious tendencies.  These prayers are messy and unfiltered.  They sometimes are not even coherent sentences or words.  God knows exactly what I need before I pray about it, and when I reach towards Him, the relief comes quickly.  It is amazing to me that I worship a God who loves me so much that He accepts all my worries and concerns, whether large or small.  Everything is okay, I can turn it over to the One who is really in charge.  Thank God! 

                Perhaps you find my approach to simple?  Do you doubt that prayers whispered in urgency can really relieve tough anxious pain?  You are not alone, I used to feel that way, too.  My faith as a young adult in my early 20’s was pretty much non-existent.  I was going through a challenging time with my mental wellbeing, and I thought God had abandoned me.  There were many moments when I wanted to give up.  However, through the love of my family and friends, and the support of professionals, I survived.  My faith in God began to resurface, and I started a long journey back to being a believer in Christ.  Many times, my faith has been tested over the years.  There have been scary times with both my physical and mental health.  But God has always saved and protected me.  In gratitude I have turned my life over to Him. 

    For example, my recent long absence from this blog, The Ladybug, was due to a serious physical illness.  I woke up April 20, 2025, Easter Sunday, and was dreadfully sick.  The eventual diagnosis was a tick-borne illness similar to Malaria, and I was placed on lots of medication and rest.  I needed help to do everything, because my abilities with basic living were impacted.  I have taken a long break from posting current photos of myself online, due to the full-body rash that itched and bothered me.  I struggled with a constant fever and abdominal pain on both sides of my chest.  Part of my relapse with anxiety is a consequence of the illness as well, because it attacks the nervous system.  Perhaps the worst symptom has been the fatigue and exhaustion, which I can only compare to how I felt when I had covid-19.  All to say, it would have been so easy to give up on God and just get mad at the situation I was in. 

    But instead, my faith is what got me through, and is continuing to sustain me through, all these recent tough days!  God is Good!  He loves me and longs to be in relationship with me, talking through prayer and devotion.  Again, He surrounded me with loving people, my parents, and doctors, and I was never alone.  Yes, I had moments of self-pity and despair, but overall, my feeling is one of gratitude for God’s great gift of life.  I hope my story can inspire you to try saying a prayer.  Are you anxious?  Are you unhappy?  Going through a struggle?  Pray.  Whisper a few words to the maker of the universe, and wait to hear His whisper back.  We are never alone, and there is no problem in this life that Jesus has not already walked through.  Let go and trust.  Reach out and He will hold you close in return.

    Wishing You Peace, G.

    PS I am still in recovery from the tick-borne illness, but stay tuned to The Ladybug!  New posts will be going up!!  Thank you to my readers!

  • Can I Comment on Your Body?

    In the American media, how many times have you read comments about the bodies of celebrities?  She is too fat, he is jacked, she needs Ozempic, and the classic, she looks sick!  Reporters, influencers, and everyday people all seem to feel entitled to make judgments about the body shape and size of anyone who dares to step in front of a camera’s flashbulb.  In addition, this attitude of criticizing bodies translates to personal examples in the lives of ordinary people.  I, personally, have been told both that I was obese, and how great I looked when I lost a substantial amount of weight.  My question is: why is my body any of your business?  How dare anyone busy themselves with considering my shape and appearance.  How dare they torture famous women and men with harassing comments only meant to criticize.  So, as my own protest to these actions, let us consider here in The Ladybug a little education on body image.

                First, I would like to state the obvious: bodies come in all forms and sizes.  There is no one body that is better than any other.  The term, “fat,” should not be considered an insult.  The look of thinness should not be considered an ideal.  Why should we let society dictate how we feel about our own bodies?  The only thing that matters is the health of our bodies.  This should not be determined by the BMI (Body Mass Index), but by measures such as blood pressure and lab tests.  If your body is healthy and functioning correctly, your weight and shape should be accepted as beautiful no matter the number on the scale.  The diversity in bodies is something to celebrate!  It would be terribly boring if we all looked the same.  So, why do we try to force our poor bodies to conform to an image that is expected of us.  Women, specifically, are taught to shrink themselves into America’s vision of beauty.  I say, let your body find its happy set point, the size where it wants to maintain itself naturally, and enjoy.  Your unique body is a gift, embrace it!

                Second, you may be asking yourself how I can speak so freely about the diversity in bodies.  Perhaps, you might wonder if I do not feel the pressure to look acceptable.  However, let me assure you that I have come to this rebellious standpoint on body image through my own struggles.  I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa when I was 20 years old, after I fell into the behaviors of a serious eating disorder at age 18.  I am still not fully recovered from my eating disorder 20 years later, but I am committed to the fight.  For years, I cycled through hospital hallways and the offices of dieticians.  Sometimes, it felt like I would never make peace with food, and there seemed to be no escape.  One must eat every day to stay alive, and, so, I confronted my eating disorder at mealtimes and felt its cruel thoughts that rocked my mind.  But, little by little, the therapies I was receiving and the supports of family and friends began to make a difference in my healing.  In addition, as my faith in God deepened, I realized that I was not alone in my battles with food and body image.  I have come a long way, and today I have drawn a truce with my body.  I seek to love my body and give her what she needs.  Specifically, I ask her daily what she desires, and I approach eating with an intuitive mind.  Do I love my weight?  No.  But I actively choose to not focus my energies anymore on the number I see on a scale.  It means nothing about my worth as a person, and I firmly believe that statement. 

                Third, let me give some advice.  Do NOT make comments about other people’s bodies.  Obey this rule NO Matter What!  If you want to know why someone put on weight or lost it, then say Nothing, because it is not your concern.  There are so many reasons why bodies change.  Reasons for shape changes can be aging, health concerns, eating disorders, medication side effects, etc.  The only reason to discuss someone’s weight with them is if they bring it up themselves.  Also, commenting on the weight of a pregnant woman is a no-go, they are growing a human!  Suggesting that a man or woman, “hit the gym,” is also completely unacceptable.  There are many forms of movement and exercise, and one should choose movement that is joyful and provides happiness.  I, myself, need to rest a lot due to my chronic health problems, and I am not physically able to maintain a strict exercise regime.  Society would like me to feel guilty about this fact, however, I refuse to force my body to do something she is not capable of just so that I may fit in.  When it comes to health advice, leave it to a trained medical professional.  Commenting on body image, exercise, and weight loss/gain is never a smart idea.

                In conclusion, I would like to reach out to my sisters and brothers who are struggling with eating disorders.  It is a difficult road, and treatment is not always affordable.  Many suffer in silence.  Please, if you are experiencing trouble with eating or negative body image, reach out for help through any means available.  Eating disorders are serious and deadly.  However, breaking the stigma and ending the silent suffering of those who experience any type of disordered eating is crucial.  If you are a family member or friend of someone with an eating disorder, my advice is to love them and stand by them.  They need your support and healing presence.  I have linked below The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and The Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, INC (MEDA).  I have personally received assistance from both organizations, and I can recommend their support services. 

    Finally, do not succumb to the pressures of American culture, which supports a twisted concept of body image and weight.  Instead, be a rebel, and embrace your own beautiful, wonderful, unique body with all your heart and mind.  You are already perfect, so go be authentically you!

    With Acceptance, G.

    P.S. I have displayed below a photo of myself at the 2019 NEDA Walk in Boston, MA.

    Home – National Eating Disorders Association

    MEDA Inc. | Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association

  • Faith: A Power Higher Than Trump

    Recently, I posted a blog on The Ladybug discussing my blessings during the reign of Trump.  Today, I would like to further expand upon the idea that blessings exist during difficult times, by sharing my personal faith.  The news in the USA has only been getting scarier and scarier.  How do we cope with our fears?  How do we manage the harsh realities that are flooding our lives from the new Trump administration?  I am a person who relies on government agencies and policies that have long been in place.  Now, I feel that I am a sitting duck with a gun pointed at my head, as the democratic government I hold dear tumbles down.  Is there anything I can do?  Of course I can take political action by calling my representatives.  And, I can resist and protest in the streets.  But, what about internal action?  How do I protect my peace?

                The answer for me is: by digging into my faith in God.  I identify as a progressive Christian, and my faith in the love and protection of Jesus has seen me through many dark days in my life.  God is always faithful to me, and my peace of mind is guaranteed when I am faithful to him in return.  In the Bible, Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” This quote is from the Gospel of John 16:33.  Many believe that being a Christian should mean an easy walk through life.  However, God does not promise that we never see troubles, simply that He is with us during every moment of our troubles.  He sees us through the storm.  We live in a fallen world, where heartache and death are realities.  But do not forget, Jesus conquered death by rising on the third day following His crucifixion.  He can help you and I overcome anything! 

                I would like to share a personal story about my life as an example of the healing powers of faith.  I have struggled with alcoholism since I was 20 years old.  I did not get serious about sobriety until I was 31 years old.  I now have 6 and ½ years sober from alcohol.  This journey through my addiction has been marked by tears, danger, and denial.  There were many people in my life that wanted me to stop drinking before I decided to try to sober up.  I hurt those closest to me.  I never would have achieved a sober day without the grace of God.  It takes a village to support the recovery of an addict, and that village must be guided by a higher power.  I decided to get sober after I lived through a near-death experience.  I realized that if I had died, I would have left my life a mess.  I thanked God that I survived, and dedicated myself to sobriety.  The journey has not been easy, and I still take only one day at a time.  I struggle with my addiction every day, and every day God is Good and keeps me sober.  I could have died, but here I am, living still and living clean!

                My hope in sharing my personal story of how faith saved me from alcoholism, is to inspire you to reach out to God no matter what mountain you are facing.  He alone can aid you. His love will comfort you through the rough days of your own journey.  Perhaps you are stressed and frightened by the current political climate.  Perhaps you are financially tapped out.  Maybe, you just lost a loved one and are grieving.  Whatever the circumstance, do not rely on your own strength, but reach towards God and His strength.  We are never alone in our struggles.  You never have to feel alone.  I may be scared by what is coming in the next days and months of the Trump administration, but I know that I will be okay in the end.  If it is not okay, then it is not the end.  How do I know?  Because, I believe in a loving and powerful God who wants to help me and is by my side through thick and thin.  All you need do is ask.  A simple prayer.  “God, help me.”  He will hear you, and He is faithful.  Dig into what is beyond Trump or any of his leaders, the higher power, and rely on God to bring you to better days.

                In Love and Peace, G.