Victorious Suffering

"Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord" (1 Chron. 26:27).

Physical force is stored in the bowels of the earth, in the coal mines, which came from the fiery heat that burned up great forests in ancient ages; and so spiritual force is stored in the depths of our being, through the very pain which we cannot understand.

Some day we shall find that the spoils we have won from our trials were just preparing us to become true "Great Hearts" in the Pilgrim's Progress, and to lead our fellow pilgrims triumphantly through trial to the city of the King.

But let us never forget that the source of helping other people must be victorious suffering. The whining, murmuring pang never does anybody any good.

Paul did not carry a cemetery with him, but a chorus of victorious praise; and the harder the trial, the more he trusted and rejoiced, shouting from the very altar of sacrifice. He said, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the service and sacrifice of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." Lord, help me this day to draw strength from all that comes to me!  --Days of Heaven upon Earth

***************

It is easy to get caught up in all that you are going through. Sometimes the darkness is so thick that you cannot see immediately in front of you. As we traverse the difficult moments in our life it is of the utmost importance to understand that it is in these moments of darkness that God builds, develops, strengthens and prepares His people.

The pain and darkness was not meant to create a victim, but to mold a victor. So often we rob ourselves of the victory by taking the role of a victim. Remember, by its very definition, being a victim places you in a position of helplessness. The victim mentality does not consider God's power, nor does it excogitate God's plan for your life. The victim mentality generates an aura of despair. Settle into the knowledge of God's plan for your life and know that he is in the background working His plan.

"11 For I know the plans(T) I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper(U) you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(V) (Jer. 29:11, NIV)

This is the Word of God to the nation of Israel during their 75 year exile and captivity by the Chaldeans in Babylon. It assures them that even as they experience the darkest of times His plans for them have not changed. He will use this trying time to strengthen their faith and empower their destiny.

Whatever it is that you are going through right now cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed in you at your coming out party. Don't give in to the temptation to whine and complain; don't acquiesce to the proclivity to give up, and don't surrender your faith to the moment. Instead, trust God to be God in every situation and every circumstance. God will always be bigger than your moment.

God has a specific plan for your life that He established before time began, and He is ready to work the supernatural in your life. Just when it seems that there is no hope, God will open up the door to your breakthrough. He will loose the shackles that are binding you and release you into an abundance of blessings. You are about to experience the power of God in a manner that you have never experiences before. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

A Thankful Prayer!

"For I was hungry and you gave Me food, For I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. i was a stranger and you welcomed Me..." (Matt. 25:35)

                                  A Thanksgiving Prayer

Oh, God, when I have food, help me too remember the hungry; When I have work, help me to remember the jobless; When I am without pain, help me remember those who suffer; And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me concerned enough to help, by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted. ~ Samuel F. Pugh

Hearing God's Love Song

August 28, 2012
Hearing God’s Love Song
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing,” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, 1984 ed.).
Friend to Friend
I was riding on a chairlift at Keystone ski resort in Colorado. “Single,” I had called out while standing in line—the proper etiquette for those skiing alone. No one took me up on the offer to share the chair…and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was alone. I was glad.

As the gears churned and the cables strained to pull my metal chair up the mountain, I sensed God’s presence surrounding me. I wasn’t alone after all. Wrapped in the down of His love and zipped up with the security of His grace, I settled in for the brisk morning ride. The great Rockies dressed in winter’s garment of glistening snow stood tall all around me. Strong. Powerful. Majestic. Sure. The lapis vault of heaven canopied the earth with wisps of feathery brushstrokes. Delicate. Winsome. Graceful. Changing. It seemed as if the breath of God kissed my cheeks with the tingling crispness of that Colorado morning.

As the braids of metal drew me higher and higher, I heard a mother and her daughter begin to sing. “Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing. Power and majesty praise to the king. Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name.”

Like an old couple that warms with remembrance when “their song” comes on the radio, I basked in knowing that God had specifically pushed G-5 on the jukebox just for me. For they were singing our song—God’s and mine. It had been our song since I first heard the words in 1994. And it seemed God had just commissioned two of his children to serenade me. He was wooing me once again with music that wafted from behind and embraced my heart.

“He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing,” (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, 1984 ed.). God sang His love song and I drank it in.
I closed my eyes, captivated by His evident love for me. A moment of sudden glory in the Rockies. I didn’t want to get off the chair lift. I thought of Peter’s words to Jesus after he had seen the transfiguration up on another high mountain two thousand years ago: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4). Like Peter who had seen Jesus’ sun-drenched face illuminate and His body clothed in light, I didn’t want the moment to end. I wanted to pitch a tent and settle in. But just as Peter had to return to the valley below, I had to return to the flatlands.

Treks down the hill are always part of the mountain peak moments of sudden glory. That moment in the Rockies, when God wooed me with our love song through the timbre of two of his children, He was simply giving me another reminder of His love for me. Remember, He whispered. “I have loved you, with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness,” (Jeremiah 31:3).

I slid off the chair lift and onto the snow packed ramp. With a push of the poles and a dig of the skis, I headed back down the mountain once again. And our great love story continued from the peaks of the Rockies to the muddy, slushy, slopes and masses of people below. God had pursued and romanced my heart once again.

God has pulled out all the stops in pursuit of your heart. But many, I dare say most, don’t see it, don’t hear it, and don’t taste it. “Blessed are your eyes because they see,” Jesus said, “and your ears because they hear,” (Matthew 13:16).

We yearn to be cherished as a rare treasure. We dream of a love that is fresh every morning with anticipation of what the day may hold. We long for a love that will not wane with time or diminish with the doldrums of everyday life. And that is exactly what God wants to give you. I pray that you will hear God’s love song and find His love notes lavishly tucked in the moments. That you will recognize the romance of God in the routine of your life. That is exactly what you can expect when in him we live and move and have our being becomes a reality in your life. It is then that you experience a sacred union with God.  

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Thank You for relentless romance of my heart. Thank You for love that is fresh every morning – a love that will not wane or diminish with time. Thank You for the moments of sudden glory where You make Your presence known in my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What does Psalm 136 tell you about God’s love?
What does Jeremiah 31:3 tell you about God’s love for you?  What picture do the words “drawn you” paint in your mind?

Do you and God have a favorite love song? Click over to my blog/devo post and share your favorite. I’ve already told you mine. Now, what’s yours?

More from the Girlfriends
Do you long to feel close to God but sense there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do have a glory ache – a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my new book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me in discovering how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred and experience a deeper more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

Flowers in the Canyon

"For our profit" (Heb. 12:10).

In one of Ralph Connor's books he tells a story of Gwen. Gwen was a wild, wilful lassie and one who had always been accustomed to having her own way. Then one day she met with a terrible accident which crippled her for life. She became very rebellious and in the murmuring state she was visited by the Sky Pilot, as the missionary among the mountaineers was termed.

He told her the parable of the canyon. "At first there were no canyons, but only the broad, open prairie. One day the Master of the Prairie, walking over his great lawns, where were only grasses, asked the Prairie, 'Where are your flowers?' and the Prairie said, 'Master I have no seeds.'

"Then he spoke to the birds, and they carried seeds of every kind of flower and strewed them far and wide, and soon the prairie bloomed with crocuses and roses and buffalo beans and the yellow crowfoot and the wild sunflowers and the red lilies all summer long. Then the Master came and was well pleased; but he missed the flowers he loved best of all, and he said to the Prairie: 'Where are the clematis and the columbine, the sweet violets and wind-flowers, and all the ferns and flowering shrubs?'

 

"And again he spoke to the birds, and again they carried all the seeds and scattered them far and wide. But, again, when the Master came he could not find the flowers he loved best of all, and he said:

"'Where are those my sweetest flowers?' and the Prairie cried sorrowfully:

"'Oh, Master, I cannot keep the flowers, for the winds sweep fiercely, and the sun beats upon my breast, and they wither up and fly away.'

"Then the Master spoke to the Lightning, and with one swift blow the Lightning cleft the Prairie to the heart. And the Prairie rocked and groaned in agony, and for many a day moaned bitterly over the black, jagged, gaping wound.

"But the river poured its waters through the cleft, and carried down deep black mould, and once more the birds carried seeds and strewed them in the canyon. And after a long time the rough rocks were decked out with soft mosses and trailing vines, and all the nooks were hung with clematis and columbine, and great elms lifted their huge tops high up into the sunlight, and down about their feet clustered the low cedars and balsams, and everywhere the violets and wind-flower and maiden-hair grew and bloomed, till the canyon became the Master's favorite place for rest and peace and joy."

Then the Sky Pilot read to her: "The fruit--I'll read 'flowers'--of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness--and some of these grow only in the canyon."

"Which are the canyon flowers?" asked Gwen softly, and the Pilot answered: "Gentleness, meekness, longsuffering; but though the others, love, joy, peace, bloom in the open, yet never with so rich a bloom and so sweet a perfume as in the canyon."

 

For a long time Gwen lay quite still, and then said wistfully, while her lips trembled: "There are no flowers in my canyon, but only ragged rocks."

"Some day they will bloom, Gwen dear; the Master will find them, and we, too, shall see them."

Beloved, when you come to your canyon, remember! ~ Streams in the Desert

Treasures in the Darkness

 "Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" (Exod. 20:21).

God has still His hidden secrets, hidden from the wise and prudent. Do not fear them; be content to accept things that you cannot understand; wait patiently. Presently He will reveal to you the treasures of darkness, the riches of the glory of the mystery. Mystery is only the veil of God's face.

Do not be afraid to enter the cloud that is settling down on your life. God is in it. The other side is radiant with His glory. "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings." When you seem loneliest and most forsaken, God is nigh. He is in the dark cloud. Plunge into the blackness of its darkness without flinching; under the shrouding curtain of His pavilion you will find God awaiting you.  --Selected

***

"Hast thou a cloud?
Something that is dark and full of dread;
A messenger of tempest overhead?
A something that is darkening the sky;
A something growing darker bye and bye;
A something that thou fear'st will burst at last;
A cloud that doth a deep, long shadow cast,
God cometh in that cloud.

Hast thou a cloud?
It is Jehovah's triumph car: in this
He rideth to thee, o'er the wide abyss.
It is the robe in which He wraps His form;
For He doth gird Him with the flashing storm.
It is the veil in which He hides the light
Of His fair face, too dazzling for thy sight.
God cometh in that cloud.

Hast thou a cloud?
A trial that is terrible to thee?
A black temptation threatening to see?
A loss of some dear one long thine own?
A mist, a veiling, bringing the unknown?
A mystery that unsubstantial seems:
A cloud between thee and the sun's bright beams?
God cometh in that cloud.

Hast thou a cloud?
A sickness--weak old age--distress and death?
These clouds will scatter at thy last faint breath.
Fear not the clouds that hover o'er thy barque,
Making the harbour's entrance dire and dark;
The cloud of death, though misty, chill and cold,
Will yet grow radiant with a fringe of gold.
GOD cometh in that cloud."

***

As Dr. C. stood on a high peak of the Rocky Mountains watching a storm raging below him, an eagle came up through the clouds, and soared away towards the sun and the water upon him glistened in the sunlight like diamonds. Had it not been for the storm he might have remained in the valley. The sorrows of life cause us to rise towards God.

***

I will tell you that though the waves may toss you about, they are needed. When you find yourself in the midst of a vehement and inexorable storm, it is quite necessary. When you sense that you are hard pressed on every side, you are in a profitable place. It is the adverse affects of life that draw the greatest value out of the Christian believer. The phosphorescent light of a Christian shines brightest amidst the fierce winds of adversity.

Not until you have encountered the incessant vicissitudes of life can you rise to new heights. Unless the storm comes there can be no winds to push you to the pinnacle of your destiny. You will only find the power to perpetuate your purpose by enduring the darkness that settles over your life. Do not fear the darkness for the darkness holds something precious. The Bible tells us that God dwells in the darkness, and where God is there is peace and there is power.

Though this moment in your life is quite painful, it is necessary. There is power in pain. Pain develops character when it is engaged with the hope of transformation and elevation. When you are able to engage the storms of life understanding that God works all things together for the good of those that love Him, you will be able to speak as the Apostle Paul; "For I consider that the current sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory will be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18)." ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Expand Your Expectations

But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [[e]who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. (1 Cor. 2:9, AMP)

The aforementioned scriptural passage centers in an extremely significant truth; our imaginations and expectations cannot ever exceed the power of God to perform the exceptional in our lives. In this passage the Apostle Paul vividly paints a portrait of a God that can do and has done far beyond our wildest imaginations on our behalf.  God has prepared great blessings on our behalf and He holds them in escrow for us to claim through the process of faith.

One of the problems that many believers are facing is the fact that they cannot seem to get out of survival mode. It seems that all so many of you want is to just get the bills paid, to just make it through another day, to just be able to cope with a person at the office that is trying your patience. Yes, we need to trust God to carry us through these moments, but we must also know that God desires to so much more in our lives. God is glorified in blessing and elevating His people. Contrary to popular belief, there is so much more to living the Christian life than simply surviving it to make to heaven.

The Christian life is one of victory and power. It is a life built on the foundation of faith that believes that God has created a plan specifically for your life and that He has empowered this plan through the anointing that has been placed on your life. We have to keep in mind that the life we live as believers we live because Christ paid the ultimate price on Calvary in order to provide it (Gal. 2:20), and He did not provide this life for us to live on the edge of defeat, simply happy to survive. Christ died to provide the ultimate victory (reconciliation with God) and all that accompanies it.

The scriptural passage says that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered to the heart of man, all that God has done and prepared for those that love Him. This doesn’t mean just your eye, ears or heart; it means that no one in the history of humanity has been witness to the extent of all that God has done on behalf of those whose hearts are turned toward Him. In essence, the greatest dreamer cannot fathom a fraction of what God has done for us.

Well, if God has done so much, why is it that so many believers live on the edge of defeat or worse? It is because they are in survival mode. They have bought into the lies of the enemy that say that lack is their lot in life.  They have boxed God in with their limited perspicacity instead of trusting Him to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that they could ever imagine (Eph. 3:20). They have become captivated by life’s circumstances instead of apprehending the truth of divine omnipotence resident within them. It has become easy for them to believe the negative report of the enemy than it is to trust God to accomplish the supernatural.

When Joshua prayed that the sun stand still, he did not give consideration to the fact that nothing like that had ever been done before. He wasn’t concerned with putting God on the spot. He wasn’t fearful of the possibility of failure. God had promised him that he would be with him every step of the way and He would fight for him. Based on this promise, Joshua dared to ask for the impossible and expect nothing less than what he requested.

If you are to move from survival mode to live a life of a conqueror, you will have to expand your expectations of God and subsequently yourself. God wants to accomplish great things through you, but He will only meet you at your level of expectation. As long as all you expect is the bare minimum that is all you will get. There are some that don’t even expect the bare minimum; they have chosen to believe that a life of defeat is their lot. Victory is accomplished at the feet of God as you petition Him to perform the supernatural in your life. It is achieved as you dare to ignore the circumstances and take hold of the promises of God.

Trust me, there is nothing that you can ask God that will baffle Him or put Him on the spot. You are not going to put God in a position to be embarrassed because you’ve asked Him for something He can’t provide. God responds to radical faith; faith that has the audacity to expect the impossible. So, I encourage you to expand your expectations as far as God is concerned, He is capable of so much more that simply helping you to survive the moment. If you trust Him He will empower you to dominate the moment.

God Bless,

Dr. Rick Wallace

Hold On Until The End!

Hold on Until the End

"We are made partaker of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Heb. 3:14).

It is the last step that wins; and there is no place in the pilgrim's progress where so many dangers lurk as the region that lies hard by the portals of the Celestial City. It was there that Doubting Castle stood. It was there that the enchanted ground lured the tired traveler to fatal slumber. It is when Heaven's heights are full in view that hell's gate is most persistent and full of deadly peril. "Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." "So run, that ye may obtain." ~ Unknown

***

In the bitter waves of woe
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.

And fierce though the friends may fight,
And long though the angels hide,
I know that truth and right
Have the universe on their side;
And that somewhere beyond the stars
Is a love that is better than fate.
When the night unlocks her bars
I shall see Him--and I will wait.
--Washington Gladden

The problem of getting great things from God is being able to hold on for the last half hour. --Selected

"There is something to be said about waiting. Not just waiting, but waiting with expectation and anticipation of what awesome works God will perform in the midst of your patience. Yes, there is something to be said for waiting. I am speaking of waiting beyond reason, when others have written the obituary on your dreams. I am speaking of waiting and believing, even after the divorce has been finalized and its seems that your spouse has moved on.

I speaking of waiting with purpose, holding on with a tenacity that is inexorable and refuses to let go. I'm speaking of that final hour faith, when the doctor is shaking his head and is certain that soon you will be dead. I am speaking of waiting past logic; waiting past heartache; waiting past the midnight hour. Waiting for the Christian believer is patience expressed in faith. I dare you to wait.

Yes, there is something to be said for those that wait on the Lord. The greatest advancement in kingdom work is accomplished when the believer is told that all hope is lost, but yet he holds on as if he knows that God is not finished yet. In fact, waiting says that there is yet more to be done in this situation.

I encourage you to wait patiently for the Lord to move in your life. David said, "1 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord (Ps. 40:1-3, AMP).

God is prepared to put a new song in your heart when you are willing to wait patiently and expectantly for Him to move. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

God Hears: God Sees; God Knows

There is someone out there who is going through an extremely difficult time right now. It seems that the load that you are bearing is going to break you. It seems that every where you turn there is bad news. I had someone tell me on yesterday that they could not win for losing. Right now it seems as if the clouds are so dark that you can't see one foot in front of you and the uncertainty is sucking the life right out of you. I just want to take this moment to reassure you that God is cognizant of your struggles; He is keenly aware of your pain and he sees your tears.

Take a look at what God tells Moses concerning the Israelites' suffering at the hands of the Egyptians:

"7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,(U) a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-9, NIT).”

God assured Moses that He was perfectly aware of the suffering of His people and that He had come because of their suffering to deliver them. My friend, God knows what you are going through, and He is working in the background to produce His glory through your circumstances. When the vicissitudes of life roll in, don't despair; God works in the midst of uncertainty to produce eternal lucidity based on responsive faith.

Let's take a look at what the Psalmist had to say about God's relationship with His people:

"For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory Ps. 149:4, AMP)."

I want you to know that your breakthrough is coming, simply trust and believe that your tears are temporary. I say as the Apostle Paul, "...consider that the suffering of this current moment cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us (Roman 8:18).

I want to encourage you to hold on, your change is coming. God is performing His promise in your life as I write this. Do not allow you circumstances to dictate your stance of faith.

God is moving in your darkness to accomplish His will. Remember that authentic faith is efficacious. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Audacious Faith

Beyond Reason

Audacious faith calls for you to be unreasonable. Reason robs you of accomplishing great things. Reason says, "it is impossible, no one has ever done it before." Reason says, they will laugh at you and call you crazy." Reason says, "play it safe, you don't want to fail in front of everyone." Reason says, " be realistic, the risk is too great."

The problem with reason is it can't grasp the infinite power of God to empower His people to accomplish the vision that He has placed within their hearts. Reason ignores the believer's access to the supernatural. Reason does not acknowledge the fact that the word "impossible" does not apply to the possessor of authentic and audacious faith. Reason cannot fathom the supernatural.

There is a reason we are told not to lean unto our own understanding; our limited perspicacity cannot fathom the remarkable things God will do for us and through us.

The "remarkable" is accomplished beyond the boundaries of reason. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Expecting the Supernatural

Show a Little Class

As a Christian minister I deal with a diversity of cultures because the grace of God is colorblind; however, there comes those moments when I have to stand up with a sense of pride as I see a fellow African American accomplish something noteworthy. Then there are those moments in which I have to speak out because a fellow African American has done something to feed the negative stereotypes that we find ourselves battling on a daily basis. 

On this occasion I find myself doing both. First I would like to congratulate Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas for an awesome accomplishment in becoming the first African American gymnast to win the Women’s All Around God Medal in the Olympics. I would be proud regardless, as I was when Nastia Liukin, Carley Patterson, and Mary Lou Retton won this illusive title; however, there is a heightened sense of pride understanding the challenges that the lack of popularity for women’s gymnastics in the black community creates. When the personal sacrifices that were made are considered in conjunction with the fact that not many gave her much of a chance, it creates a great appreciation for what she has accomplished. 

Second, I have to say that I am totally dumbfounded by the ignorance at which some, mainly African Americans, have found reason to be assaultive toward this young lady. With all of her sacrifices, with the class in which she has embraced success, and most of all, the honor she has given our Lord and Savior without fail, there are those that decided to attack her hair. Are you kidding me? This young lady has represented our country, our race, and our faith, with impeccable integrity and poise and what do those whom she represents do, they find fault in and publicly ridicule her hair. How about having the character to put the pettiness aside and show class and reserve. It would be nice to see everyone become unified in the moment. 

Are so many of you so miserable that the only refuge you have is to attack those that have the courage to rise above all that has held you back? Maybe it is the detachment from the reality of there being a world outside of that miserable life you perpetuate daily. Whatever the rationale you are using to rail at a young lady that is setting an example to be admired, I encourage you to consider the way this reflects on yourself and the rest of our race. I am calling you to rise to a higher standard. Follow the example of the very one you are bashing and you will learn a great deal. 

Gabby has had to make numerous sacrifices and overcome many obstacles to place herself in the position she is in now. She has not rendered excuses when she has failed, she only pressed harder and intensified her focus. Hearing all that the naysayers had to say and yet she pressed on anyway. Take a page from this book of life as your read it through Gabby. You don’t overcome evil with evil, you overcome evil by doing good. 

Dr. Rick Yvette Wallace