Today, I am really excited to share a Guest Post with my readers. This post is from L. Marie, an emerging author who has taken her testimony and turned it into a book to share with others who have struggled with bad relationships. I love the passion she brings to her writing. Enjoy this post and be sure to check out her website.  

Many of us have experienced storms in our lives that may have left us feeling alone in a ship drifting far away from shore, sinking very fast. Sometimes when the ship is drifting or sinking, our first human instinct is to panic. In swimming, we learn is to never panic. Those who panic usually spiral out of control, go against the currents, and drown. When the storms of life rage against us, the enemy will plant panic seeds in our lives. No matter how strong of a Christian or how great our faith, many of us have experienced moments of weakness and surrender. Panic seeds grow and multiply in the form of anxiety, fear, depression, and sometimes major physical or emotional ailments. Sometimes we go through these storms so we can walk away with a survival testimony to give others hope. Sometimes, our life survival storm testimonies leave us feeling no less overwhelmed or different than surviving major meteorological storms. Both require faith and wisdom to survive and both may have been created by Mother Nature.

I like many women have a survival testimony of “life” storms that happened to have included emotional setbacks as a result of engaging in unhealthy relationships. My last unhealthy relationship caused me to spiral out of emotional control, to only spend time with God and with myself to be rebuilt stronger, wiser, and better. We must learn to become better and never bitter. God made a promise to all of us that after the building of the ark and the floods, he would send a rainbow and that he would never take the world through what those on the ark went through. I realized that “Only God Can Send a Rainbow” and gained major “Lessons in Love”. Stepping out on faith and laying down fear and anxiety, I wrote a book that is dedicated to minister to women, who may have been lost in and out of unhealthy relationships. I have been given a wonderful assignment to speak to women who struggle with crossing the line between being human and being perfect. Who desire only what God created us for, unconditional love. Unconditional love starts with loving God and self.

We must understand and embrace emotional storms and learn how to cherish and encourage each other when such occurs. We know that God is there for us, but we also must learn to find safe harbors of caring and concerned people who can wrap their human arms around us and guide us to the light when our path becomes dark.

As I watched the Whitney Houston funeral this year and listened to the many who spoke about her insecurities, fears, substance abuse, and unhealthy relationship decisions, I realized that this struggle is not just a celebrity struggle, but a daily struggle for many of us-myself included.

I started writing my book in February 2011, while face to face in the eye of a major life storm, sent by the enemy, who came in many shapes and forms. I realized I became like a mummy wrapped in layers of scar tissue that had never been healed from the past all the way back to childhood. I was amazed at what I learned about myself and the people I was attracting in my life. I thought-as a Christian Woman, I was supposed to be perfect, only to find out that perfection does not exist in human form. As I wrote this book, I dug deep into the mistakes I made and came up with biblical principles and solutions for moving forward in a new light-with beautiful bright rainbow of life surrounding me.

When our reality check bounces it is always for a purpose. God will never let us bounce anything in life that He is not able to honor. God knows the healing required for each of us and he knows the plans of life for each of us.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Remember, to prosper is not always to achieve financial gain. It is FREEDOM to be HAPPY with your wonderfully made unique flawed self.