This quote by the late President Ronald Reagan caught my eye. How accurate. I know since I gave up on God twice!!

Dropping off Alex at her college for her second year with the eating disorder struggles and anxieties, was a challenge. I thank the Lord that she’s not as horrific as she was last year and that I didn’t leave with such a broken and traumatized heart as I did last year. She has the university’s health center therapist and dietitian who will be seeing her regularly too. Thank you Jesus! Praise the Lord!

As I reflect back on the last academic year, I am still wheeling from the storms and battlefields in our family, in Evan’s high school and our towns. I still cannot believe with the overwhelming situation with Alex; God still had me so involved with the high school as PTO leader and supporting our new principal who is a believer. He was under great attack by the enemy who ruled over the high school and our school district. I also fought hard against the recreational marijuana shops that wanted to be established in our two towns. And we won both times 🙌 🙌.

Our principal didn’t get fired and cannabis shops are not allowed into our two towns. Plus I am staying on as PTO leader at the high school for another year – it’ll be my fourth year. With my former co-president gone (since her youngest graduated), it’s been so nice to work with the new co-president. We are working together well and getting many things done this summer for the new students and staff appreciation before school starts. There are many new initiatives in the works too for the new academic year.

I saw from the frontline what having a real believing Christian leader does for the community. Evan’s high school is brighter and more hopeful. There is more…light and love and hope in the atmosphere.

I’m reflecting on my word of the year given to me last summer for the year 2021-2022. Victory. At that time I wasn’t sure how this was possible especially with Alex. In the many fierce battles of the last academic year, I would reflect on this word “Victory” and this bible verse often.

Zechariah 4:6 (TLB) – Then he said, “This is God’s message to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’

I felt like giving up many, many times. I am glad that I didn’t stop, but kept moving forward and fought back the enemy as best as possible. Today, I am witnessing the good it is doing to the greater community in the high school. There are over 1,600 students and over 200 staff members at my son’s high school. It’s a big community. (God kept me busy so that I won’t be able to spend too much time in self pity and regrets and fears about Alex. I’m glad I kept on working for God’s kingdom.)

I’d love to see my Alex completely set free from her ED and anxieties. But I’m also witnessing that this situation is chipping away Howard’s pride and self sufficiency too. He is hurting from Alex’s anger towards him. He is much more gentle and patient with her. I am praying for him and their relationship. I will continue to pray, believe and praise Jesus for Alex’s full victory.

One more thing – because of my desperate situation, I created a Facebook group to gather parents from Alex’s college to pray together. Today our group continues to grow. We have over 200 members! Wow. Imagine what we will accomplish as we pray together in unity for our children and their college. I’m hoping and praying for God’s revival to sweep through the campus and that my Alex will be caught in this right away. 🙏

This message by a TSC pastor was excellent. It’s about his great pain and hurt from their inability to have children. God used this suffering to break him and his wife’s hearts and wrong mindset about adoption too. They didn’t give up on God and today they are both greatly blessed and inspiring many believers to have endurance and faith in their season of pain and suffering. Please listen to this message if you are in a hurting season right now. – http://sermons.tsc.nyc/why-does-it-have-to-hurt-so-much/

Please don’t give up on God. And take whatever life line He gives you too. Don’t turn your back on God. We need all hands on deck in these last days before Jesus’ return. Do not give up. This message by a Ukrainian pastor at TSC was so, so good. Please listen to this message. I know if I had such pastors speaking these truths and words of life to me as a teenager and as a young adult then I’m pretty certain I would not have given up on God. I really wanted to follow Jesus. Somehow as a young person, I knew that earthly pleasures and relationships are temporary and won’t fulfill me. Please give these pastors a listen if you are tempted to give up. I have been there and it’s very, very depressing. Please do not give up on God. – http://sermons.tsc.nyc/holding-onto-god/