Strength, Wisdom, Peace

We created a little mid-week encouragement for you.

A bright-faced graphic that just seems to say it all.

So walk in strength, wisdom and peace today and have a wonderful Wednesday!

The Velvet Lime Girls

Monday Mornings

Hello Monday Morning.  Sometimes Monday's just come a little faster than you expected and for those of you who we are honoring this month, in this National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mondays can be challenging.  There may be tests ahead, decisions to make, protocol to follow, plans that have to change, the list could go on, but Monday is a day when you're often face with lots of decisions...and you can just decide to LOOK UP.  Believe us, looking up... looking up in faith to God, can make the rest of the week so much better.  We know from firsthand experience and you can read our breast cancer overcoming story in our October 1st blog.

Just like the Grace-Graphic© above says, we know that:
worry looks around, fear looks back and faith looks up.  We've learned that as rough and raw as a Monday may be, you'll have a point where you can CHOOSE to look up to God.  A point where you can choose to change the course of the day, and it begins in your heart.  You just have to LOOK UP and ask God for strength, help, wisdom, peace, encouragement or whatever you need at the moment.  He's right here with you. 

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Just let this passage above sink into your soul.  God says He's right here with you, He won't let you down, He won't leave you.  We've been known to say this passage out loud several times a day and "take" it like we'd take medicine.  Because God's words are medicine... they're healing.

We hope you'll start your Monday off thinking about the passage above, the graphic we are sending you today and the strength (that God can give) to LOOK UP in Faith.

Praying for the strength you need today,
The Velvet Lime Girls 

Here's a little song to kick off your Monday.  
Praise Song - Hezekiah Walker

Previous resources mentioned:
Breast Cancer Conqueror

50 Healing Verses

It Is Well With My Soul - Bethel Music


Prayers for Healing


Strong Spirit


The Truth About Cancer

Strength

We're continuing our focus today on the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by giving you a Grace-Graphic © to encourage yourself, or someone you know, who may be facing a breast cancer challenge. 

Please share.

Strength. Stamina. Tenacity. These are three essential elements you're just going to need to overcome the challenge of breast cancer.  If you do it in your own strength, you'll have a measure of success for awhile, but when you let God's strength infuse you, you'll begin to live life as an overcomer. We know this is possible from first-hand experience and if you missed our story yesterday, take time to read our October 1st post.

 We know what it's like to need strength, to need stamina, to need tenacity.

When you need these things and you just can't seem to muster them up yourself, even with all the therapies, protocol, doctors, positive-thinking, good diet, exercise and every supplement known to mankind, you finally come to the end of yourself and realize that you have one remaining option:
RISE UP and PRAY.

Yes, just rise up and pray.  And the minute you step into a prayer, God's presence and power will begin to infuse your life. A  prayer will open the door for the strength you need.  It will open the door for God to come in and begin to help you.  To wrap His arms around you with peace, comfort you with assurance, give you direction and usher in healing. 

So take a little time or a lot of time today and just pray to God.  Talk with God. LISTEN to God. He's probably been waiting to spend some time with you. 

Here are a few ways Laura has let God infuse His strength into her on her healing journey. We hope you'll tap into some of these resources today:
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL _ BETHEL MUSIC
(Just skip the ad and enjoy the words of the song)

Prayers for Healing
(Encouraging prayers and words of healing)

Strong Spirit
(A great message to build you up in your spirit)


The Truth About Cancer
This last resource is an informative site filled with practical tips on how to build up your immune system, overcome cancer and live life fully. (Get your notebook out :-)

Heartfelt prayers for YOU today,
The Velvet Lime Girls


Previous resources:
Breast Cancer Conqueror
50 Healing Verses

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's the pink month.  Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  We'd like to honor and encourage the women (and men) who are facing the challenge of breast cancer this month.  Our endeavor is not something we've approached with a casual, lighthearted attitude, because, for those facing this challenge, the days can be rough, raw and insurmountable.
We know.
We understand.
We really understand, because one of us is currently overcoming breast cancer.
Yes, you read it right.  One of us is currently OVERCOMING breast cancer. Although all three of us feel as if we have been fighting, standing, believing, and praying over this challenge, it is Laura who is on the healing journey. Together though, we've reached that place of rest and trust, where you just know that God has heard your prayers and is moving on your behalf.

Marybeth created a graphic affirmation for Laura 
every-single-morning during the first part of her healing journey and we learned how powerful God's Word can be in lifting away discouragement. This month we'd like to pass along a few of these graphic encouragements to you, to lift you up or share with someone you know who is facing a breast cancer diagnosis.  We'll also be including a few resources and links that Laura has found helpful in her healing journey.

Today's grace-graphic confronts one of the biggest challenges you'll need to overcome when facing a breast cancer diagnosis. FEAR.  Even if you don't think you'll ever be able to overcome fear, you need to know, it can be overcome.  And when you overcome fear you'll be able to live life with ease... free from "dis-ease".

Praying for you today,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Today's resource links are for everyone!  Whether you're a breast cancer survivor, or in the early stages of breast cancer and looking for a more natural way to heal your body, or simply want to educate yourself on ways to prevent breast cancer, take a look at Dr. Véronique DeSaulniers' Facebook page. It is a continual source of practical tips and medically-based studies that will help you in your healing journey.  Laura is currently working with "Dr. V's" coaching team and highly recommends the program:
Breast Cancer Conqueror

Dr. V also has a great book: Heal Breast Cancer Naturally

The last resource is one Laura has found most helpful.
It's a daily diet of healing scriptures. There's not a therapy, vitamin or nutraceutical that can take fear out of your life, but God can. And if you let yourself just listen to His Words about healing, a transformation will begin to take place in your body. (Just skip the ad that pops up and soak in the healing words.)
Healing Scriptures

"Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you.  I'll hold you steady, keep an firm grip on you."  Isaiah 41:10

Diamond Girl

We love real people. People who are brave enough to say yes when God directs them to do things far beyond themselves.  Lysa TerKeurst is one such person.  And her yes has inspired us lately.  We call her the diamond girl around here... because her life just kind of sparkles,  really sparkles, especially when you hear her story.

They say a diamond is formed in some of the darkest, deepest places on earth. Places that are hot, filled with pressure and so far below the surface they can't even be reached. It takes a "very deep-seated volcanic eruption" to even bring them to the surface. Only then, can they be gathered and shaped into brilliant, dazzling, multi-faceted jewels that bring a sparkle to our lives.

Lysa's life story reads just like a diamond's journey.  A beginning that certainly had a few dark and deep places, a lot of heat and pressure along the way, and a shame that kept her so far below the surface,  it was a miracle that she was even able to come up and live again. Her life also had more than a few deep-seated eruptions and, as one Velvet Lime Girl observed, (with eyes puddled in tears, watching Lysa tell her story recently),
all one sees now is a brilliant, shining, beautiful, diamond girl... "catching the light" of God and letting it sparkle all over the audience.  Yeah, whole rooms just hush and fill with a sparkly sheen when she speaks, as her story reflects facets of God grace and puts God's love on full display... in the life of a woman who just said "yes" to God.

If your life happens to be in a rough, dark, or desperate place today, reach through any little crack you can find and pull some hope into your life from Lysa's website and blog.  It's a healing place.  It's a little multi-faceted jewel filled with all kinds of freebies, fresh-faced honesty and a story that will touch your heart.  Go ahead. You're worth it.  You're that valuable. Treat yourself to a little treasure for your soul today @ Lysa TerKeurst.  If you want to load up a bit more, dip into another treasure chest @Proverbs 31 Ministries



Feeling quite sparkly today,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Laura Rhodes, Kelsey Rhodes, Lysa TerKeurst, Judy Benson

One of the Velvet Lime Girls had a chance to meet Lysa TerKeurst recently.
Pictured above,  l to r: A Velvet Lime Girl- Laura, with daughter-in-law- Kelsey Rhodes,
 "diamond-girl"- Lysa TerKeurst, and Kelsey's Mom- Judy Benson, @ A Beacon of Hope Gala
We talked about this event last week @ Velvet Lime Girls

Restoration

Need a little restoration today? A little renewing, recharging, recreating, refreshing, repairing, or reviving? We have something to give you then... it's kind of like a soothing balm for your soul. It's a collection of healing words straight from the promises of God in scripture, the whispered prayers in our hearts and random thoughts on restoration.  This is for you today, just soft, encouraging words spoken straight to your heart:

We'd like to give this to you. Please click here for your free printable:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4R8A0B0RLCjLW1IbFIzZU5GTW8/edit?usp=sharing

We hope this brings a little comfort to you today... a little refreshing, renewing and restoring.


There is something so transforming in seeing and saying these healing words and letting them soothe away the cares, challenges and weights we've picked up along the way. We hope it becomes part of your restoration today.


Refreshed and Renewed,

The Velvet Lime Girls