Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

                                           Psalm 139:7-10 NKJV

   Even though you can't see him, hear him, or feel him, you know that as long as you're breathing, God's Spirit is present. God is with you everywhere - whether you want him to be or not.

The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

                                                                         ZEPHANIAH 3:17 NKJV

   God has a clear picture of you. God is present. He looks and sees you as the one he carefully created inside your mother. God knows every part of you and your thoughts and desires in complete detail. Like everything God created, he sees whom he created and says, "It is good!" Picture the Creator of the universe thinking of you and whooping with joy. He sings in delight over the unique and special you he created. He wants to cradle you in his arms of love and, in those moments of quiet, to show his joy in you.

   God accepts and deeply loves you, just as you are today. Feel secure and rest in that love.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

                                                                                           ROMANS 8:37-39 NKJV

When you're faced with hard times, it won't be your intelligence, your talents, or your perseverance that will eventually ensure your victory. It will be God's love, working through you to keep you close to God's side and to help you rise above whatever has you down.

Facing hard times can lead you to become more than victorious because hard times make you depend more on God and on His strength than on your own.

God's promise of victory is specific to the role he's given you to fill in this life.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."

                                                               PROVERBS 3:5 NKJV

   Believing in God is all about risk and trust. It tells you to turn away from what you're accustomed to relying on - your own strategies for making life work - and instead to trust God implicitly, even when what he's asking you to do may not make sense from a human perspective. Think about what God asked of Moses at the Red Sea or of Daniel in the lions' den. Moses and Daniel were able to rely on God instead of on their own understanding because past experience had shown them he was wholly trustworthy.

   Every past experience was once a present choice. God challenges you to choose wisely today. You can lean on your own limited understanding and abilities or on a God of unlimited power and love. Only one choice can take you where you really want to go.

   Put what you've learned into practice. List why you believe God is trustworthy, focusing on his promises and past faithfulness. reread the list anytime you need the courage to lean on him instead of on yourself.

   Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

                                                          JAMES 1:17 NKJV

   There is no end to God's generosity to you. In the same way that the sun keeps on shining even when the earth obstructs its light at night, God keeps on giving even when you don't notice what he's sending your way. And since God's character never wavers, you know his gift-giving habits will never change. You can trust he will continue to deliver wonderful surprises throughout eternity.

   Not all of God's gifts seem perfect at first glance. Some are tough to accept wholeheartedly, like those that teach patience or humility. Trusting God's goodness will help you embrace every gift he sends.

   A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.               

                                                                   PROVERBS 15:1 NASB

   Arguements often start over minor issues - someone forgot to do what he promised, or someone forgot to say she'd be late, or someone did or didn't do something else - but these issues can escalate from the inconsequential into accusations, put-downs, and painful words that both parties remember long and regret at their leisure. There is a way to break that spiral and to keep an arguement from becoming nasty.

   Proverbs 15:1 ranks high among the all-time great solutions for women who can't seem to end the quarrel spiral. The solution is to answer gently, even if it is easier to speak defensively. A gentle answer can bring an arguement to an abrupt halt. Instead of a shooting comeback that stings, say something gentle; perhaps even agree with the other person. "I'm sorry." "I'll try to do better." "Please forgive me." Such mild answers defuse an arguement and bring it to a halt. Even if your antagonist responds with something like "you always say that," keep speaking those easygoing sentences. Stifle a mean comeback. Eventually this tactic will work.

   The gentle response can cool off a hot situation and turn it into a time to learn, to grow, and to better understand others. A peacemaker always wins God's blessing!

Do all things without complaining and disputing.

                                                               PHILLIPPIANS 2:14 NKJV

   Someone once said, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." Maybe a variation will help : "If you don't have anything good to say, say something good anyway."

   Fill your mind with good thoughts, healthy thinking, and words that refresh. Mmemorize Scriptures that can drive out the grumbling. Turn yourself into the one who always has something good to say, rather than be someone who always grumbles or makes snide comments. God will help you. Ask God to get involved with your attitude, and you'll find him reminding you when such words try to get out of your mouth.