Celebrate!

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Celebrate

img_5102           (Photo credit- Montana Watson)

 

James 1:2-3 (NLT)- Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Hi, my friends! Welcome to my little corner of the web! I am so excited that you stopped by for a visit, for I have been expecting you for quite some time. You see, although I have been preparing to launch this site today for the past several months, my blog, The Faith Filled Traveler has been in evolution for years. You, being here with me on this special day,  has been anticipated for the duration of that time. With that in mind, please, make yourself at home. Discover a little about me and my vision for The Faith Filled Traveler, meet my family, and learn about my daughter, Morgan’s story by clicking on the tabs above. While you are at it, get comfortable. Grab a blanket & a cup of coffee. Let’s get started!

Each week,  I will be focusing on one topic as I share my thoughts & ideas with you. Monday thru Thursday, we will approach each topic from different angles, with the goal of discovering the blessings that are hidden within them. This week, with the New Year upon us, we will direct our attention to the act of celebrating. I believe that as we dig deeper into this joyous act, we will find blessings that we may not have considered before now. On that note, lets dive into how The Faith Filled Traveler came about.

It was December 2009 following our daughter, Morgan’s original leukemia diagnosis. A member of her healthcare team suggested that we start a CaringBridge website, given the many visitors and phone calls we were receiving. For those of you that may not be familiar with CaringBridge, it is a free website that allows patients to share their healthcare journey with loved ones, without having to repeat updates to each individual.  Although I was thankful for the suggestion, I was against the idea given our crazy schedules. I felt sure that it would consume more time than any of us had to give. That said, against my wishes, John & Morgan created the site. Before long, Morgan was blogging about her journey daily with a dedicated following. It was something she looked forward to doing each day that seemed to divert her attention from the grueling treatment she was receiving .

A month into the project, Morgan became very ill and was unable to maintain the site. Considering how much it meant to her, and the people that were depending on the information, I agreed to continue to update everyone, until she was able to do so, again. Before long, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Some 2 years later, I was still posting updates, and realized that the blog had become a big part of my life, and was an outlet for my soul. The CaringBridge website that I was reluctant to be a part of, had become something that I looked forward to each night and a tool that The Lord was using it to do a work in me. You see, while He used it to share Morgan’ s journey with many, He also used it to bring forth the purpose that He had created me to fulfill in the world…hence, The Faith Filled Traveler.

I share this story with you today to encourage you. Know that if you are faced with challenges that seem much too big for you to bear,  The Lord is at work on your behalf. You are not alone. He is there beside you creating something so beautiful and He’s using your current circumstance to do it. His word reminds us that what was meant for our harm, He will use for our good (Genesis 50:20). Take some time today to meditate on these words. Then, reflect on the events of the past 12 months. Dare to celebrate both the good and not so good.  For it is through the trials that we endure in this life that our faith is tested, and beautiful blessings abound!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

26 thoughts on “Celebrate!”

  4. You have so much wisdom, Salina! Your words are so needed to be said and everyone reading them will be touched. God has blessed you with a wonderful gift. And to know that this all grew from Morgan’s illness is the silver lining. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. I like how you use the verse in James to Celebrate. I can celebrate now that I have finally found work . It is the Kroger in Beaumont on Phelan. It is really close to work. The week before as I was getting groceries. I was walking into the store, and could not get into the store since the store manager talked to me about if I had my application in yet. I told her I will get it in and when I did I said on the application I could start on the 20th which was a Thursday. That day on the 20th I got a call and they asked me if I would work the overnight shift, which is great, I can still help out my aunt during the day and get things done and still work. The manager over us when I asked him about the nights off he said he could do that when I asked for Wednesday night and Saturday night off. This way I can get to church and work as well. How Salina says that God is right there and how Jesus cannot leave us. I have seen far too many things since I came back to God in 2015 to say that there is not a God that can help us. I can say now that when I took the action of using my skills God gave me in service to wash windows and even getting all the tools, God thought I have something better for you and then I got hired at the job I have now. Now I just have to have my knee hold up for the year to get health benefits.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. Mom,
    I’m so proud of you! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you, through this blog.
    Congratulations! Happy Launch Day!!\🎊🍾😘

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment