Finding Hope Through Resilience

Finding Hope Through Resilience

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After a recent mammogram, Emily received a call to meet with her doctor. As she suspected, her test results showed breast cancer. She listened intently to all the information and the next steps.

As she was leaving the doctor’s office, she sent me this text, “I have breast cancer. I am hopeful. I am joyful.”

When I first met Emily, she was overworked, burnt out, and stressed to the maximum. Over time, she had started a fitness plan and eating healthier food. Living in the city meant she walked many of the places she went including church. Attending church was new to Emily but she was enjoying the music and sermons. Along with meditation and looking for the positives in her life, she had fully become a resilient woman before she heard the diagnosis.

All of Emily’s new habits were part of her mindfulness routine. We can see how it helped her to withstand the blow of a cancer diagnosis. Resilience helps us to manage stress and uncertainty in our lives.

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But how do we develop resilience?

First, make your relationships a priority. Women, especially, need deep connections to like-minded and positive-thinking friends and family.

Second is to develop a personalized wellness plan for you and your body.  Through a series of lab tests, I discovered certain nutrients that my body needs and I try to incorporate these into my eating plan. We all need to drink water and if you’re like me, we need more than we get on a daily basis. I have serious back issues that require me to do regular exercises to stay strong and healthy. Regular physical activity for all of us will keep our bones and muscles in the best of shape.

Third is to practice mindfulness every day. Take time to rest your body and mind. Meditate or pray. Read a devotional or inspirational book. Do a few yoga poses.

Fourth is to look for the positives in your life. It is so easy to automatically list everything that is wrong, but flip that switch and find the positive in people and situations.

Last, find ways to show kindness and compassion to others. Develop a heart for service. Perhaps you know a neighbor who needs help mowing their lawn or getting their trash receptacle to the road. Your church likely needs another usher or someone to work with little kids. And there are more organizations than I could ever list who all need your service. Coach a T-ball team, hammer nails with Habitat for Humanity, serve meals at a local soup kitchen. The list is endless…

All of these habits build up your resilience through confidence, optimism, patience, and hope.

Resilience fills us with hope and hope anchors our souls.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:2-3 NLT

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Eager for more info…..

Another story of hope and prayer …

How Do Miracles Happen

And one more…

This Daily Habit Can Cultivate Hope

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Did you know…..

I’d love to have you join my Circle of Friends Newsletter and get joyful inspiration delivered right to your inbox once a month.

The link is below.

And… welcome!

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Be sure to click on the Shop tab where you can see the books I have written along with a few journals.

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