Did you lose your tour guide?

We've been studying Proverbs 31. Let me tell you something: this woman is amazing! It is so motivating to have her as a role model. Last week we reached Proverbs 31:25 which says:

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

This verse really stuck out to me. What is strength? How does one act when one is clothed in strength? How do we attain that type of clothing?

Society has skewed our perspective of what strength really is. Many people believe being strong means being cold, heartless, showing no emotion, getting through tough situations with not much more than a tear.. Truth is WE'RE HUMAN! We were given feelings! No matter how strong we try to be, we will cry, we will break, we will get frustrated, we will yell, we will give up.. It's part of being a human.

So how do we achieve this strength that we so desperately desire? Trust in God. Easier said than done. I find myself saying I'm going to trust God and what He has in store for me, but at the same time I'm trying to be my own tour guide. God is our tour guide! The question is: will we let Him guide us through this dark, vicious, frightening world?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

And, you know what the best part of all this is? GOD IS WITH YOU THROUGH IT ALL. Amazing, right? What a wonderful promise we find in Isaiah:

I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:4)

 I feel so special knowing that the One who created everything around me including the stars in the skies, has been in my life before birth and will be with me even after death. That's how much He loves us! I have to admit, the past few weeks I've felt like a bitter, old woman. I was finding the bad in everything. It is exhausting to be negative. I am tired! Today I asked God to fill my heart with His love and goodness. I've had a roller coaster of a day, and I am glad that I finally decided to let Him be my tour guide!

Will you take the time today to pray and ask God to lead you through this life? Let Him be the reason you're strong. You can't do it on your own!

Just as a heads up, another member of our study group will also be posting on this blog. Be on the lookout for her first post!

Who am I?

Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth Cabriales. I am a wife to an amazing husband and a mommy to a gorgeous baby girl. It is by Christ alone that I have become who I am today, and because of his death on the cross I am the daughter of the most powerful King in the universe.

Growing up, church was always an important part of my life. My parents were born in Mexico so we always went to hispanic churches. As we all know, the two cultures are completely opposite from each other and many times my views clashed with those of my parents and church members. It's one of the biggest challenges of being raised in a country your parents weren't raised in. My parents did a good job though.

When I met my husband he wasn't Christian. I had the privilege and responsibility of bringing him to my Father's feet. It was a struggle, but he soon decided to dedicate his life to our God through his baptism. It was one of the happiest days of my life. We aren't perfect people. We don't have the perfect marriage. We just love God, love each other, and love our baby girl.

Marriage is hard work. I know that God can salvage any marriage- no matter the conditions, the pain, the scars. But we have to put in our part too. Yes, we can pray all we want for an amazing marriage. Honestly, though, if we don't actually DO anything, we won't have the marriage we're praying to have. It was this realization that drove me to find resources to help me be a better wife while also helping me be a better daughter of God.

So this is it. This is my journey.