I remember the day like it way yesterday. My new husband and I had just blended two families into one. I was so excited for this new beginning of all that God was going to do. It didn’t take very long for me to understand that blending a family takes time. There were days I had thoughts going through my mind like…

How am I suppose to fix this?
How on earth am I going to be able to make this work?
This is not at all what I signed up for.
I don’t want my marriage to suffer because I can’t figure this out.
I’m not getting the respect I deserve.

If any of those thoughts or questions have run through your mind, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re like every woman who has been blessed with the opportunity to love and help heal a broken family.

Ephesians 3:20 says “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” As I came across this promise from God about ten years ago in my quiet time, I was reminded that I needed to start looking toward the immeasurably more that God would do as I brought Him my hurts, hopes, fears, anxieties, and yes, expectations for our family to Him.

Looking at the word immeasurably is limitless. This means what God plans to do is not only limitless in His eyes, but you and I need to stop limiting God and let Him work within us and our family as a whole. He is the God who sees, hears and understands and is calling us to Him.

As women, we have a deep desire to be the peacemaker, and intercessor of our families to bring unity and harmony. And yet the only action we are really expected and encouraged to take, is one of surrendering that desire to the Only One who can bring unity, and harmony. God Almighty.

Whether you grew up in a blended family (or one that tried their best to blend) or married into one, or are the result of one due to a divorce or remarriage, you are not expected to make all the desired changes to your family, in all its brokennes, together. But as you surrender your desires and expectations to God and begin practicing biblical principals, like Ephesians 3:20, you will be amazed what God can do!

As I look back over the past fifteen years that our family has been blending, I am so thankful that nothing is too broken for Jesus to heal. May you embrace this promise today.

I would love to connect with you on my website at www.realfaithforrealife.com and Facebook at Lisa Piccari Spivey and on Instagram at @lisakspivey

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was twenty-five years old and had just been hired on to work in an Emergency Room as an Administration Specialist. My boss called me into her office and asked me to sit down. “Lisa, I have some news I need to share with you, please don’t panic. We received your blood work back from your new hire physical and the results show you have an auto-immune disease called LUPUS”. And within a few moments everything seemed to change. Although I think I was literally in denial for a few years, having no symptoms at all, I just wanted it to go away so I could get on with life as usual. That all came to an end when I came down with shingles and other symptoms from the disease because I had not made those very important deposits into my health account.

For years I was literally in the land of giants or as some might say the land of “what if’s”. What if I die from this disease, what if the pain is too much for me to handle, what if I can’t take care of my children, etc…And the list went on and on and on.

During that time I was forced to rest and reevaluate my health situation, and I realized I had been given a gift. A gift from God to rest, recover and get strong in Him. The same holds true for you and I as we are in the midst of a pandemic as we speak. It can be very easy to look at all the giants, but what a gift we have been given during this season to get strong in the Lord. The question is what will you and I do with our time that He has given us?

Wouldn’t you agree that it is easy for us to know the promises of God, but divine authority is not a substitute for human responsibility. Meaning to be strong and courageous we must be washed in God’s Word daily so we can encourage others and shine His light wherever we go. Not living in the camp of what’s going to happen next week, month, two months, etc.

I want to encourage you to:

1. Spend time in God’s Word daily
2. Pray-talk to God
3. Worship and Praise the Lord
4. Journal during this season- write out your giants and call them out to the Lord! God is in control and release each one over to Him. Cross each one out after you do that knowing that each giant has been slayed by the Blood of the Lamb and walk in that freedom in Christ. (Joshua 1:5-7)
5. Reach out- Send a card to someone you know, make a phone call to someone new this week, video chat (so you both connect face to face).

What giant are you facing today? I would love the opportunity to pray for you. If you leave your prayer request in the comment section below I will be sure to respond.

I would love to stay connected with you. Please subscribe to my blog and like me on Facebook at Lisa Piccari Spivey.

I will be going LIVE on Facebook Wednesday at 10am where our them this week is STRONG and COURAGEOUS….I can’t wait to connect with you then!

Last weekend I had just finished organizing my suitcase for a trip my hubby and I were going to be taking to see our daughter, son-in-law and four GRANDS in Florida. We were so excited and had been looking forward to this trip for some time. And then the news came that Disney World was closing. “WHAT…well, we will come up with Plan B we said to each other being optimistic. Perhaps we could still go now and have quality time together and then fly back out in the Summer for four days to do our Disney trip”. Within about thirty hours we realized that was not going to be possible, and we would need to cancel our trip for now. The memory making and hugs and hanging out together as a family would have to wait a few months. To say I was disappointed was an understatement, however I am so thankful for modern technology that affords us the capability to Facetime and video chat.

Amidst my disappointment, I was shocked at all of the people buying lots of toilet paper, sanitizer and food in the midst of the Coronavirus. As I looked around it seemed there was fear and panic starting to set in. The feeling of things being unsettled because routines are out of the normal pattern can cause some of us to feel a little bit anxious. I want to encourage you during this season five ways to SHINE God’s Light to an anxious and needy world.

PRAY~ for our President, all leadership involved- for Godly wisdom, strength and endurance each day. For Health care workers Police Officers, Fire fighters and all on the front lines- for peace, compassion and protection. For our world as a whole- that Christians would be LOVE in action to a hurting world not only in this season, but in every season.

Check on your elderly, and your neighbors~ In this season especially stop in and check on the elderly in your neighborhood and see if there is anything they need. Make those trips to the store for them. Give them words of hope and encouragement by making them a card or cheering up their day with some flowers from your garden or a home cooked meal.

Be Kind when you are out and about~ When fear sets in, kindness goes a long way. I want to encourage you to be the change. If someone needs the last item on the shelf, let them have it with a smile. I promise you there will be more.

If someone you know is in need, help them~ Whether it be food, clothes,etc.. Give what you can and let’s all pull together.

Time is a gift~ Maybe you are home from work…is there something you have been wanting to do with your time but haven’t been able too (read, sew, garden, organize) now is the time. What will you do with this time you have been given? In this time of self-quarantine, pick up the phone and check on your loved ones near and far. Write simple cards letting people in your life know you are thinking of them.

These are just five simple ways to SHINE HIS LIGHT!

In Isaiah 41:10 it says “Fear not, for I am with you:
Be not dismayed for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

I love how this verse starts out. It is a complete invitation for you and I to put our trust in God in every season. When we walk in God’s peace we shine His light to be an extension of His love to a lost and hurting world to point them back to Jesus every single time.

Are you hurting today? I would LOVE the opportunity to pray for you. Please leave your request in the comments and know you are being prayed for. If you would like to connect further, subscribe to my blog and share it with your friends.

For more information and how to contact me for your upcoming Women’s speaking event, please visit my website at Lisakspivey.com