I wish I never had a “turtle day.” I feel like I’ve had two of them in a row, and the timing couldn’t be worse. But wait…first I should explain just what a “turtle day” is! It’s the kind of day when I feel like I should just pull my head inside my shell, and hide for awhile. Because typically, on “turtle days,” my words don’t come out right, and my thoughts feel a little more all-over-the-map than usual. So basically, I feel sorry for anyone stuck in a conversation with me…because frankly, I’m not enjoying listening to “me” either! It happens when I least expect it. And when it does? It can really rob me of my confidence, and make me feel like the shy little girl I was growing up.

Okay, so now you know what a “turtle day” is. So, back to WHY this is such a bad time for me to have two days in a row of “turtility" (the RB word for turtle futility from trying to make sense…but instead, sounding pretty senseless)! The reason is we’re spending the next few days in meetings with people from all over the United States. They’re people who I love and respect…and who I would love to have some meaningful conversations with. I think they’d like that…I know I’d like that. So what’s a turtle...I mean a girl…to do? I need to remind myself to get over myself…to not worry about what I’ll say. But to just be me…word slips, Renee-isms, and all! To not let myself play it safe, and just do a lot of smiling. But to come out of my shell and talk…as best as I can!

So I don’t know if I’ll wake up feeling turtley tomorrow morning or not. But what I do know is that I can only be me…I’m going to give it my best…but now, I better go get some rest!!

Luke 18:14 MSG ~ If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

During the past several years, I’ve never seen so many people experience such financial difficulties. It’s been hard to see people who you love struggle to make ends meet. Maybe you’re one of them. When that happens, it can feel like God is far away, that He doesn’t care…or that maybe we’ve done something wrong, so He’s teaching us a hard lesson. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I remember a time when my husband, Tim, was laid off of his job. We had just bought a home, and our mortgage agent told it told us that now it would be impossible to close on our home. I remember bursting out in tears and crying to Tim, “What are we going to do? How can God be letting this happen?” And Tim’s calm response? “Renee, hasn’t God always taken care of us in the past? Why would you think He wouldn’t take care of us now?”

Later, when he talked to his dad about our situation, his dad suggested he learn how to paint, because there were always people who needed their houses painted. At first, the idea seemed ridiculous. But Tim mulled it over, found a painter who would teach him how to paint…and a few weeks later, he put an ad in the paper. And he got a job…and they referred him to someone else…who referred him to someone else. Eventually Tim even had to hire a couple of guys to help him with all the work that came in…and in the end? He made more money while he was laid off than he would have in his regular job!

So in a way we could have never imagined, God took awesome care of us, and we were able to close on our home. And most importantly, I was reminded that God will never leave me or forsake me…and He won’t ever leave or forsake you either. So no matter what difficult situations you face, whatever you do, keep holding on to Him…and know that He’ll never let go of you!

Deuteronomy 31:8 AMP ~ It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit--depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm].