Name: Rachel
Age: 42
Location: Currently Rockford, IL originally from Pickneyville, IL
Children: Son, Jordan -18  and daughter, Olivia - 16 
Favorite Bible Verse: Isaiah 43:2

Do you have 30 seconds to spend with Jesus today?
His word tells us to cast our cares on him, because he cares for us. 
Let's take him up on such a gracious offer! 

Today's message is one of hope. 
Hope for the person with an addiction.
Hope for the loved ones of the person addicted.
Hope for the adulterer and the abused.
Hope for the anxious and the angry.
Hope for the backslidden and the broken.
Hope for the depressed and the downtrodden.
Hope for the guilty and the gang member.
Hope for the hurting and the hopeless.
Hope for the imprisoned and the insecure.
Hope for the lost and the lonely.
Hope for marriages and the mistreated.
Hope for the powerless and the proud.
Hope for the resentful and the remorseful.
Hope for the sick and the suffering.
Hope for the community, the country, and the whole world. 
Hope for today, tomorrow, and forever. 
We have God. We have hope. 

After nearly a decade of being in the Social Work world, I've probably heard and used the words "coping skills" at least a million times. 

So what are coping skills and how on Earth are they going to help you through your loved one's addiction?
A coping skill can be anything. 
Literally anything.
We all have coping skills.
​Some are healthy, some are not so healthy. 
The goal of any coping skill is to ease whatever hurt we are experiencing. 
But the goal of a healthy coping skill is to ease the hurt, while at the same time promoting safety and wellbeing. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some useful tools that you could utilize during times of intense difficult emotion that would not only get you through the struggle, but leave you better off in the long run?

Acceptance is knowing that God has a plan and that I don't have to know the details to trust Him. I just need to read His word and Follow His direction. 
Reflect on that for a moment. 
Then ask yourself, "What does acceptance mean to me?"

Is your mind full of anxious thoughts? To-do lists for today and worries about tomorrow?
Let's try to declutter our minds through the practice of mindfulness.