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Hello October

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I LOVE October!  I think I say that about every month of fall! September is usually a special month due to my husband and I both celebrating birthdays. It is also usually the month the extreme heat of summer begins to fade away. 

This September was a little different. Our family faced a month of very difficult and challenging situations. If we chose to keep our focus on the circumstances, like ocean waves, reaching higher and higher they threatened to pull us under. But God...  He goes before us and knows exactly what we need, when we need it. 

I had decided to participate in a month long, daily reading challenge - One More Step. Every day brought strength, hope and peace directly from the Word of God. When we choose to focus on the greatness of our God instead of life's situations, God wins every time. 

As we close out September and move into October, we call it the Journey Forward. Life often gives us a hard road with twists and turns, but God can make our paths straight. That doesn't always mean He makes the hard times go away, but that He walks alongside us and strengthens and equips us along the way. 

As we welcome October, a study from Sunday School is Worry Less, Live More. Again, just what I needed! The study is based on Philippians 4 - rejoice in the Lord.  Rejoicing is a choice, not an emotion. Rejoicing in the Lord demonstrates willingness to trust God so much that our attitudes are affected. It is an attitude to cultivate and that comes with practice. 
*Like when you've used the last of the milk to make a smoothie and it ends up on the floor!  Chose to clean up, pick up and move on. 

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So, Welcome October! The weather is still hot, but cooler weather and better times are just around the corner. God is still in control and because of that we can 'rejoice in the Lord always'. 
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