hello, beautiful lilia - so good to hear from you.

thank you for this post. the last few weeks i have been battling with some depression and anxiety...believing my feelings as truth. your post spoke right to me.

<3 from kansas...

i'm still waiting for that devotional book to be written by lilia martinez =)

i hope you're feeling better. you really should take sick days when you're sick. they'll understand, you need to take care of yourself so you can continue to help the rest of us through your wisdom... oh, i'm so selfish.

i love you,
niza

I'm glad you are feeling better. Drink lots of fluids...and rest as much as you can!

And I agree with Niza...you should write a devotional book...at least put copyright after your blogs...then you can just print them off and take them to the publisher!
I so enjoy reading your site!

I love hearing your heart come out in your blog. Please don't ever give it up! There are others who are blessed and changed because of your willingness to share (me included!).

I hope you are feeling better now. I was glad that at least when I left you had your voice back!

Ditto on the "you need to publish" thing. Perhaps it can be a "coffee table book" for the new coffeehouse.... ;)

Anne,

Good to hear from you too. I'm glad the post helped. I think this time of year is tough on a lot of people. It's through these uncomfortable seasons that God grows us most. Hang on!

In His love,

Lovely Niza,

Thanks again for the encouragement. At the rate I'm going who knows when I'd have enough material for even a thin volume.

I'm such a dope. I keep thinking I can still ride out these illnesses and they will eventually go away. But, I'm not what I used to be, they really knock me down now. I guess I should really start listening to those doctors, they might know something.

I'm so sorry I missed you Saturday. I hear it was wonderful. I'll see you this Saturday, woman of God.

I love you too--Lilia

Deana,

You're right. I should do those things.

 I think I'm still working in Mom mode when you would just keep going because you had to; there was no shutting off the kids.

Take care of yourself, you are right in the middle of all that.

Thank you for your kind words. I love hearing from you.

Lori,

You kind, patient woman. I'm sorry you had to put up with my squawking and fuzziness all weekend.

Thank you for your encouragement, it got me going again.

Please pray for us that God will give us wisdom and discernment regarding "that offer".

Que Dios te bendiga, mujer linda.

Lilia,
We are taking care...we're finished with the travel for the season, and keeping Max inside as much as possible. He gets his flu shot and first round of RSV shots Monday (his birthday). Please pray they agree with him and he stays well.

Deana

Lilia,

Frustrated seminary students seeking counsel would appeal to theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Their challenges included wandering minds during prayer - minds that thought of family and other things. Their minds and hearts wandered away from God during prayer.  In his wisdom Bonhoeffer would affirm their humaness, and then encourage them by all means, to bring those thoughts back to God in prayer.  And I thought, of course, that's it.  Perhaps the wandering has more purpose than we thought - bring those thoughts back to our Creator in prayer.

Is this not also applicable to our emotions? 

Good to have you back.

Sally

Yes, Sally

Prayer is applicable to everything, hence, "Pray without ceasing".  Hybrids that we are (flesh and spirit), we struggle to place ourselves in the realm of our higher selves (spirit) which is always in communion with the Father. Until we go home we will always wage that battle.

Good thing we are assured of who wins in the end.

Blessings

OH, I like that Sally. That is so true in my prayer life. I'm praying about one thing and my mind wonders and I can either wallow in frustration, thereby effectively ending the prayer, or I can let the conversation turn with my thoughts.

Lilia, I was just encouraged to check out your blog (I guess internet meet you) by your husband. It seems I already read all these other women's blogs. How have I missed you? You must not comment very often or I'm not very observant. Thank you for your entry. Very true.

Lilia, I followed Amy over here. You are a gifted writer. Thanks for your posts.

Hello Amy and Janine,

Welcome. I don't blog as often as I'd like, but I enjoy being  part of this community. I'm encouraged as I read other's entries that God is working wonderfully in young people.

I do love your blogs. This one hit me at the right moment and it spoke to me about just the right thing. That was a a couple weeks ago. I didn't comment because I actually went and did some thinking about it, but I just wanted to say thanks.