REST IN GOD: HOW TO KEEP LIVING WHEN LIFE GETS HARD
Preface: The Cheryle T. Ricks’ Story Part Two
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As I mentioned in my first book, Sister Circle: The Power Sisterhood -A Guide To Becoming The woman God Designed You To Be, life can be very difficult and those difficulties do a work in us like nothing else can. In the first part of my life, I survived Domestic Violence, Mental Health Breakdown, and No Self-Esteem.
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In the second part of my life, I discovered my purpose which is the greatest discovery a person can make. When we learn what we were created to do, we get on the road called Destiny and Purpose. That road is not a journey for the faint of heart! When we step out on faith and pursue the dream and passion that God has put in our heart, we will face trials, tribulations and challenges that will make us question whether we are doing the right thing.
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On my road of Destiny and Purpose, I faced the foreclosure of my home, being diagnosed with skin cancer, breast cancer, being sued by a debt collector, and bankruptcy. But God! God made the worst part of my life the best part of my life. God gave me a true village! During that most difficult time, I learned how many people in my life truly loved and cared about me. It was amazing to see how much love, support, encouragement, assistance, resources, help, hope, and enjoyment my family, friends, and even strangers gave me during the seemingly darkest time of my life.
I continued to live my life in spite of what I was going through. I decided not to make my circumstances my life. I resolved to keep enjoying my life and the people and the things I always had. I reminded myself how blessed I was and how awesome my life still was even though I had these situations. I took everything to God and allowed Him to walk me through those challenges like He had done for every other problem I had faced in my life! I trusted His unconditional love for me and the promises in His word. I held on to my faith in God, who I was in Him, and the plan He has for my life. I believed He would bring me through everything I was going through and I was going to be the better for having gone through it, and I was!
You see, faith, love, and hope make life and everything else possible! Without these three things a joy-filled and satisfying life is not obtainable. But more importantly, we must receive the true love of God, Keep our faith in Him, and hold on to the hope that God created us for much more than we can see in your current situation! God’s Word ensures us that God is able to bring us through, “But Jesus looked at them and saidto them, ‘“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”’(Mat. 19:26, New King James Version)
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INTRODUCTION
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Life is full of many ups and downs; trials and tribulations. When our lives are up, we are happy. But, when our lives are down, we are unhappy and depressed. I have been going through hardships, difficulties, heartaches, and pain my whole life. In my early years, my situations dictated whether I was going to be happy or if I was going to be sad, whether I was going to enjoy my life or whether I felt like life wasn't worth living. In my middle years, I learned that there was a way to go through life and have a choice about how my problems, circumstances, or situations would affect how I enjoyed my life. Today, in spite of having breast cancer and losing one of my breasts, going through months of treatment for skin cancer, the foreclosure of my home, being sued, and filing bankruptcy, I managed to live my best life yet! The purpose of this book is to show you how you too can live your life while living through some of the most difficult situations a person can face. My faith in God, His Love, His Word, His Hope, and His promises allowed me to keep living, loving, and serving my way to my most enjoyable life so far!
No one likes heartache and suffering. However, if you are going through a difficult time right now in your life, I can guarantee four things: One, you are uncomfortable; two, it is painful in some way; three, you are resisting what the situation is creating in you; and four, you are missing the blessings in the midst of your difficult situation. When we are going through painful places, we don’t realize that it is changing us from the inside out. It is also preparing us for blessings that are too amazing to believe. So, come with me on a journey to discover how to enjoy your life while facing the most challenging times of your life.