{"id":2744,"date":"2026-02-04T10:53:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/04\/dont-loose-heart-my-friend\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T10:53:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:53:44","slug":"dont-loose-heart-my-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/04\/dont-loose-heart-my-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t loose heart my friend."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/black-sky-and-black-simple-good-night-instagram-post.png?resize=800%2C1000&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-2743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/black-sky-and-black-simple-good-night-instagram-post.png?resize=819%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/black-sky-and-black-simple-good-night-instagram-post.png?resize=240%2C300&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/black-sky-and-black-simple-good-night-instagram-post.png?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/black-sky-and-black-simple-good-night-instagram-post.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are times in life that we have to cry sometimes. We simply have to stop, pause, cry it out, yell it out if we have to, heck sometimes you might have to kick and scream but when you get it all out of your system, you get back to it. Such is life! Some of us cry, yell, kick and scream a little longer than others but it\u2019s all a part of the process. The important thing is to remember don\u2019t become complacent wallowing around in your pity for too long. It doesn\u2019t change the outcome but it surely can dim your light or cause one to loose heart or give up hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever been there? How did you make it through? Some of us may be there now or headed in that direction. Is this something we can avoid, skip over, or simply ignore? Unfortunately it is a part of life that you cannot skip or find a convenient detour BUT you can tighten your straps and find comfort in knowing the Captain (our Lord) has not jump ship. He has not left us abandoned at sea. In fact He is close to us in times of troubles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today\u2019s Scripture is coming from Luke chapter 18, verses 1 through 8. This passage of Scripture in my Bible is entitled, \u201cParable of the Persistent Widow.\u201d In this story the widow wears the unjust judge down by being persistent. She goes to him repeatedly seeking justice and asking for her rights. Though he makes it clear that he not only does not care about people and he doesn\u2019t care about God ; he is warn down be her persistence. Verse 5 says, But this widow is bothering me. I will see that she gets her rights, or she will both me until I am worn out!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For my parents reading today\u2019s message, do you have a child like this? How does that child or children wear you down or make you give in to their requests? My youngest William is like that. He can get on my very last nerves sometimes but I love him dearly. That child will sit here and ask, beg, plead, and every thing in between until you break down and take him to the gym, take him to CVS for the pimple patches I Clare don\u2019t work,  or take him to Krispy Kreme because the neighbor up the street just had to mention that the hot sign was on (sorry I was having flashbacks). Nonetheless the Bible tells us to not grow weary. What else does it say? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was looking at a comment yesterday that Faith posted about repetition. She said God  loves repetition. I want to use that statement as context for today\u2019s message. When we sit here and we think about this persistent widow in Luke chapter 18, can you think about how her prayer life must have been? If she was as persistent in prayer as she was persistent going to this unjust just, no wonder God answered her prayers. She didn\u2019t grow weary, she didn\u2019t loose heart- she stayed consistent until she got the desires of her heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How many of us are exercising the power of purposeful repetition? I\u2019m not talking about just saying something repeatedly to hear yourself with no actions, thoughts, or meaning behind it NO I\u2019m talking about repeating Scriptures that will help you in times of adversity, and having clear focus in mind. God knows when we do stuff in vain verses when our heart is in it. He is no fool! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a lot of things going on in our community, in our country and in our nation. Folks are standing their ground and speaking up for peace. People are using their voices to speak out on Satan\u2019s attempts and all this foolishness with ICE and politically driven tactics that show how corrupt and unjust some folks truly are. Truth be told we can get lost in all of this on top of things that may be aching us in our own personal lives (finance problems, health problems, car issues, being overworked and underpaid, etc.) It\u2019s easy to get caught up in all of this but God calls us to remain steadfast and be in prayer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I once heard a Pastor say, \u201cLet\u2019s pray Heaven down. Don\u2019t stop praying until the circumstances change.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t know about y\u2019all but I still have A lot of praying to do. I find myself like a child wandering around in need of her mother or father- seeking God in every way. I find myself at a cross roads many times in life where I don\u2019t know whether to go right or left and so all I can do is pause and pray and look up! I look up because no matter how dark my days look, no matter how it looks like every thing is stacked against me\u2026I know there is purpose for it all. And although I don\u2019t know God\u2019s plan I have peace knowing I\u2019m in His plan and all of the suffering won\u2019t be in vain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ya\u2019ll God has a way of humbling you too! Some times we get a little \u201ctoo big for own britches\u201d or sometimes we act like we don\u2019t need God that much but like the story of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18, beginning at verse 9\u2026some of us have to humble ourselves before God. While some of us are walking around saying I, I, I\u2026me, me, me; God has put you in a place where you have to put self aside and be there for your brother, sister, or neighbor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God is an all-knowing God and He knows what we stand in need of. The Bible teaches us that God hears us and He will respond. He might not respond the way we want Him to or when we want Him to BUT His timing is ALWAYS perfect and His plan is ALWAYS right whether we can see it or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There may be one asking right now Lord how long do I have to go without a car, a spouse, a good paying job, a better house?! Lord how long or why me or why us? Instead of asking those questions, ask God to give you strength to endure. Ask God to comfort you while in the place you are in. Ask God to give you peace that surpasses all understanding for in due time, He will answer by and by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t know who I\u2019m talking to today or maybe God had me write to speak to my own heart but I want you to know God is calling us to be like the persistent widow in Luke 18. God is calling us to pray, He is calling us to endure, He is telling us to not loose heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ephesians 1:9 reads, \u201cWhat has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same way God did it before He can do it again! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is your midweek reminder that God is still in control! Keep pushing forward, keep praying, keep praising, and keep thanking God for what He has done, is doing, and getting ready to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want to end today\u2019s message with a song of encouragement. In 1995, Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans sung a song entitled, \u201cCount on Me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">I can see it\u2019s hurting you<br>I can feel your pain<br>It\u2019s hard to see the sunshine through the rain<br>I know sometimes it seems as if<br>it\u2019s never gonna end<br>But you\u2019ll get through it<br>Just don\u2019t give in <br>\u2026<br>I know sometimes it seems as if<br>We\u2019re standing all alone<br>But we\u2019ll get through it<br>Because love won\u2019t let us fall <\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Whitney Houston, CeCe Winans - Count On Me (Official HD Video)\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ae2iX6vZCoM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Count of Me by Whitney Houston &amp; CeCe Winans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are times in life that we have to cry sometimes. We simply have to stop, pause, cry it out, yell it out if we have to, heck sometimes you might have to kick and scream but when you get&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/04\/dont-loose-heart-my-friend\/\" class=\"readmore\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Don\u2019t loose heart my friend.<\/span><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Don\u2019t loose heart my friend.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20,14],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-2744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finding-peace","category-hopelessness","tag-dontgiveup","content-layout-excerpt-thumb"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":987,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2020\/05\/28\/on-a-mission-with-mom-5-28-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":0},"title":"On a mission with mom. 5.28.2020","author":"Whitnee","date":"May 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Found out this week my mom would be having her surgery on this upcoming Friday. My anxiety tried to kick in and take over. The struggle was real ya'll! I mean I am still trying to process everything the doctors told us last week (15 hour surgery, skin transfer, trachea,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Finding Peace&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Finding Peace","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/category\/peace\/finding-peace\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/C0B5DE9B-9171-4FAE-9C25-3436BC5A4AF8.jpeg?fit=640%2C439&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/C0B5DE9B-9171-4FAE-9C25-3436BC5A4AF8.jpeg?fit=640%2C439&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/C0B5DE9B-9171-4FAE-9C25-3436BC5A4AF8.jpeg?fit=640%2C439&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":595,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2020\/02\/19\/am-i-free-to-cry-but-still-be-strong-2-19-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":1},"title":"AM I FREE TO CRY BUT STILL BE STRONG? 2.19.2020","author":"Whitnee","date":"February 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Growing up I always thought to be strong meant I couldn\u2019t cry. Where did this come from? Is this just a black thing? I mean who says women can\u2019t cry or they are viewed as \u201cweak\u201d or \u201cemotional?\u201d Yesterday I felt like a ton of bricks fell on me. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Coping with change&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Coping with change","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/category\/parenting\/coping-with-change\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":441,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2019\/12\/10\/a-cry-for-help-12-4-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":2},"title":"A Cry For Help 12.4.19","author":"Whitnee","date":"December 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I attended a training back on December 3, 2019 and to my amazement there were over 700+ law enforcement officers and educators under one roof. The training consisted of footage from the actual shooting that took place back on February 14, 2018 in Parkland,Florida. Join me and read about my\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2266,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2023\/01\/23\/lord-please-strengthen-my-eyes-of-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":3},"title":"Lord please strengthen my eyes of faith.","author":"Whitnee","date":"January 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While sitting in church I received a distressed call from my father in law asking me to go to check on my mother in law. I thought it was weird he would call me of all people but verses hesitating, questioning, or ignoring his request- I left. I got to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Life Issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life Issues","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/category\/life-issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/holy-spirit.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":870,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2020\/05\/01\/just-a-little-talk-with-jesus-5-1-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":4},"title":"Just a little talk with Jesus. 5\/1\/2020","author":"Whitnee","date":"May 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"You know the song, sing along with me. I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me inAnd then a little light from heaven fill my soulHe bathed my heart in love and He wrote my name aboveAnd just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole \u00a0 Now\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1413,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/27\/tears-are-cleansing-to-the-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":2744,"position":5},"title":"Tears are cleansing to the soul.","author":"Whitnee","date":"January 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"As a child I thought tears were a sign of weakness; so I hid my face when I was hurt and needed to cry. 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