A Blessed and Peaceful New Year

  I write this on New Year's Eve in prayerful thought that you will all have a very blessed and peaceful New Year's Eve.  I will share my thoughts about this coming year..... a few things that we might do in order to have a stronger and more blessed year.     

May you have a blessed and safe New Year!

 Things to do for the New Year:

 Read scripture daily!

Do not beat yourself up for the past!

 Stay positive and focused!

Look at tomorrow only! (One day at a time!)

 Don’t worry about the future—God is already there!

 Enjoy the dream of tomorrow!

 Breathe in Peace and exhale fear and doubt!

 Pray, Pray, Pray, and Pray some more!

 Forgive yourself, forgive others, ask forgiveness!

Remind yourself daily:

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME        Phil 4:13

A Christmas of HOPE

Reflections by Mary—The Edgerton Earth

By Mary C. Juarez

December 17, 2013

     Hello everyone!  The celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, is almost here.  Christmas is the time of year when we anticipate beautiful experiences to happen, and we eagerly await this blessed event.  Sometimes, in this secular world, we tend to lose the true meaning of Christmas.  Deep down I yearn for the Christmases of long ago that my parents spoke of, when families went to church together, shared their love with one homemade present, (if they were fortunate enough to be able to do that), and to rejoice that Christ had been born to bring Salvation into the world.  I believe the greatest gift we could ask for right now is the gift of Hope.  If our hearts have no Hope, there are no gifts in the world that can bring happiness and peace.

     This year, I pray for all hearts to be filled with the precious free gift of Hope.

     …For the couple who is sitting in a hospital waiting room, awaiting positive news from their doctor about the diagnosis of their child’s disease, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE of positive results.

     …For the couple who have been yearning to become parents, that either a pregnancy or an adoption will become a prayer answered, and that their hearts will be filled with HOPE that they will be able to hold a child in their arms to love.  And for the young woman who thought abortion was her only choice, that she too, would someday find HOPE.

     …For the soldiers fighting overseas, who will be spending this Christmas season without their loved ones, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE that their next Christmas will be spent with family.

     …For the people who have undergone the most devastating natural disasters ever, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that somehow, their lives will be rebuilt and they will become richer in spirit than they ever imagined.

     …For the alcoholics and addicts who have lost their way and feel only desperation and despair, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that they will have the strength and courage to ask God to heal them,  so that they may begin  a new life filled with  forgiveness, peace and contentment.

     …For the youth who are in trouble, lonely, suicidal, and cannot find the right path, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someone will guide them with the light of Christ, which will replace the darkness in their lives.

     …For the prisoners whose lives feel meaningless, that someday, their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that forgiveness and mercy will come to them someday.

     …For the people fighting cancer, or any disease, who are losing all strength and will, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that somehow God will heal them of their suffering, either in this world, or to be rewarded in Heaven for eternity.

     …For the parents who are waiting on their prodigal child to return home, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someday, they will run to greet that child who has come home to be reunited with his family and with Christ.

     …For the couple who is contemplating divorce, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that their marriage will be saved, and their love will become stronger than ever before.

     …For those struggling financially who see no end to their problems, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someday, they will find security.

     …For the women and children who have lived with abuse and fear, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that somehow they will find happiness and healing.

     …For the people who are crying a million tears as they walk the journey of grief, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someday, the sun will shine a little brighter and the sorrow will be a little lighter.

     …For the schools that have undergone tragedy, and for the youth who are troubled and acting out in violence, that their hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someday, our nation will invite Christ back into our schools, and that fear will never again linger in the hallways.

     …For our nation, workplaces, government, homes, & families, that all hearts will be filled with HOPE, that someday, we will all live in the peace and unity of Christ, and that war and hatred will only exist in the chapters of an old dusty history book.

     …From my heart to your heart, may we have HOPE this Christmas season, that everyday can hold the possibility of a miracle because our Savior, the giver of HOPE has been born!     May you have a blessed and HOPEFUL Christmas!!

      Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing , so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.

       Until we meet again, may God’s rainbow fill your hearts with the promise of His peace.         

Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflections by Mary—The Edgerton Earth

By Mary C. Juarez

December 1, 2013

     Hello everyone!  I hope you had a thankful and beautiful Thanksgiving.  Victor and I spent  Thanksgiving in Buffalo, NY with my daughter Christie and her family, and her friends.  We had a wonderful time at their friends, Amy and Ricky’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.  It almost felt like home when they gathered in a circle and everyone said something they were thankful for.   Even though Thanksgiving has passed, I am still thankful for many things:

     Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.  Before you were born I dedicated you.  I was not born into an ideal situation, for the woman who was carrying me in her womb was a young single woman who was not ready to become a mother, but I find comfort in knowing that the Lord said to her, “I will help you in this situation.”

     Jeremiah 29:11 For I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  plans to give you a future full of hope.  God had plans for my life, and He had it all figured out even before I was born, and He took a difficult situation and He made good of it.

     Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it.  God chose my parents for me, Virginia and Hinie Cape, because He knew they would love me as their own and would raise me with His love and guidance.  They planted that seed of faith the day they brought me home from Cleveland when I was seven months old.  That seed is now the center of who I am today.

     Matthew 19:19 Honor your father and your mother. My parents gave me so much growing up.  It wasn’t the material things in life that children find important today. It was the compassion and respect that they unselfishly poured upon me that gave me the desire to honor them in everything they did. 

     Psalm 8:4 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place.

     Genesis 9:13 I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.     Growing up in the country gave me a real sense of God’s presence in my life.  I still remember the feeling in my heart when I would see the sun setting across the corn fields, or witness an indescribable rainbow hand painted across the sky after a storm. God’s nature has been a priceless gift to me in my life.

     Ecclesiastes 4:10 Two are better than one, if the one falls, the other will lift up his companion. God sent me precious friends during my grade school years at St. Mary’s, and also in high school years who are still close to me today.  He sent me the right friends at the right times in my life. Those friends laughed and cried with me, and picked me up at times when I fell.  Some friends walked with me on some journeys that I didn’t want to travel, but they helped me stay focused at times when the road ahead was blurry with tears.

     Matthew 6:30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, o you of little faith.  Throughout my life there have been times when I would wonder how I would pay the next bill, but somehow God would always come through and provide. It would leave me wondering why I had ever worried.

     Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  I cannot comprehend the unselfish love that God has for me that He would send His only Son to die upon a cross for my sins.  I am a sinner, but I am forgiven.

     Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.  God brought me comfort at the times I fell to my knees in sorrow with a broken heart. When I thought I could not go on, He held me.

     1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written:  What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those for those who love him.  I cannot imagine anything more magnificent than the rising sun in the stillness of the morning, or the majestic purple and orange sky as the sun begins to play hide and seek as it sets in the horizon.  Yet, Heaven will be more beautiful than all of His creations on earth.

     Psalm 30:5 Sing praise to the Lord, you faithful; give thanks to God’s holy name.  I thank Him for all that He has given me. 

     Until we meet again, may God’s rainbow fill your hearts with the promise of His peace.

Good Morning Lord!

Hello everyone!  This weekend the rain has fallen upon us like raindrops from Heaven, and they seem to keep coming.  It has been one of those weekends when it is nice to stay inside and be lazy.  We all need relaxing days now and then.  The best sleeping weather is listening to the raindrops fall upon the roof in slow motion.  I do not like storms, but I love to listen to the raindrops.  It is so peaceful.   A few weeks ago, I was stressing one morning when I thought of everything that I had to do that day.  These words went through my head, and since then, I have typed them and it has become my morning prayer each day.  If we can all give our day to the Lord, and ask Him to guide us and use us in the way that He wants too, our world will be a much better place to be.

    

 A Morning Prayer

Good Morning, Lord, I'm Yours today, do with me as You will,

Plan my day, calm my heart, please help my mind be still.

Lead me to those who need me, and send others to help me too,

May I honor You and give You praise, in everything I do.

In Your precious name, I pray, Amen.

God's Amazing Beauty

     Hi everyone,  I am still learning on this "blogging stuff", and I did get this peacock feather copied and pasted from another page, but I am not sure why I can;t move it over?????  Someday, with months of practice, maybe I will be good at it.  Yesterday, my husband and I met a friend and we went to the annual "Barn Fest" in our neighboring town.  My friend bought a group  of peacock feathers which were tied together with a bow, and is planning on using them as decorations in her new apartment.  I would have liked to have bought some also, but decided our cat would probably have too much fun.

     As I stood and looked at the amazing beauty of this elegant feather, I was fascinated at its design.  I have always thought they were beautiful, but for some reason, when I really studied this intricate sample of God's power, I realized that He really can do absolutely anything.  The perfection of this feather with its beautiful details is simply mind boggling to me.  Seriously, He made this feather to be part of one of His creations, and the peacock walks around with innocence of having no idea how beautiful it is.  God has made each one of us as beautiful also, but sometimes we just can't see it ourselves. Let us rediscover the amazing power of God and all that He has made beautiful! Let us never doubt the beauty He can create out of what we may think might be an ugly mess at times!! 

     Genesis 1:31  God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good."

      I find it very fascinating and beautiful beyond my imagination!!!! 



Full Moon

Hi  Friends,
     As we were at the campground last night seeing the full moon over the pond, it almost looked like it could have been this picture.  I remember years ago writing a poem about a full moon, and the sadness that my heart was feeling at the time, yet the power of knowing that if God could create something of this magnitude for us to witness the beauty, He could certainly take care of the problems that were invading my life at that time.  He did just that!  I look back now and realize the strength that I have received from just looking into a full moon.  They are so beautiful, and especially in the fall.  If God can place a full moon in the sky, He can certainly cure any addiction, He can heal a family of the turmoil they have endured because of addiction, and He can certainly  give everyone involved the strength they need to conquer what has been lost in the past. The next time you have the opportunity to just sit outside in the quietness of the still evening, and stare into the deep beauty of a full moon, do not pass it up.  It may just give you the peace you need to keep going, no matter what is going on in your life.
     This week, I will be going to give a presentation to a group of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.  I will be sharing the story of my son's life with them, in hopes that they do not follow his footsteps.  My prayer when I leave there, will be that my son's death saved at least one of them from that horrible and destructive road. (Deep down I always have hope in my heart that his death will save everyone of them).  I pray that they will hear every word and that my son's death will touch the depth of their hearts.
     Psalm 104:19 You made the moon to mark the seasons.

Congratulations on 2 years recovery!!!!

Congratulations on 2 years sober Shawn!!!!!!!!!!!  Today is a day when my heart cries happy tears for someone whom I care about very much who has made it 2 years sober!!  This mother's heart could not be prouder!!  He may not be my son, but he is my son's age, and I have been praying for him with all of my heart to remain strong!!  I believe that he has been a huge inspiration for anyone in recovery to know that they, too, can make it with a lot of determination, willpower and most of all, dependence on the ONE who can make it possible!! Congratulations my dear Shawn, may you continue to be strong and may you know that I will continue to pray for you.  May your two years sober bring you even more strength than what you thought possible!!  Love ya!  God bless you with everything you need to continue on this journey of recovery!!!!!!!!!!
     "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME" Phil 4:13

A week of obstacles

Dear Friends,

     I write tonight with praying hands, for it has been a very hard week with many obastcles to overcome, yet with prayer and faith, I am reminded that God is in control and that with putting my trust in Him, these days allow me to  bring me closer to Him.  Through the tears this week, I was reminded of how much I have to depend on God to get me through.  Through the moments of discouragment, I was reminded of how much I have to continue to put my trust in Him.  I sometimes forget that He is running the show, and no matter how much I worry, if I would just give it all to Him in the first place, it would go as He wants it to.  I believe the roadblocks that sometimes easily work themselves into our lives, are sometimes what we need to have to work harder and to keep the fight in us when we are tired.  They can remind us to never give up even when we feel like we are not making a differrence.  Just when we throw our hands up into the air, and say "I cannot do this any longer", God sends us someone to remind us that we can.  Thank you Donna, for reminding me of that this week, and for praying for me, and with me, during our phone conversation.  I know that I felt the Holy Spirit as you were praying, and I am hoping that I will be able to pass that strength onto others who are also tired of the fight! Don't give up no matter how tired you are!!  Don't quit just because obstacles are getting in your way!  Use them as defense mechanisms to keep going!!!  And always remember, that God will never give you more than you and He cannot handle together!

Finding Serenity

Dear Friends,
     Today is one of those days when I wish I were sitting here on this beach and soaking in all of the serenity that this scene holds.  I can just feel the ocean air coming into my being and the calmness that it can bring.  Watching the sun casting a beautiful shadow of its beauty on the water gives me a sense of God's power.  Looking at the picture gives me the feeling that nothing is too big for God to handle, and if He can create something of this magnitude, He can certainly take the fear away from me. He can without a doubt  bring to me a sense of serenity that so often I cannot find at times when I need it.  God is there at the end of that ocean, He is with us as we walk this journey of life that feels so uncertain at times.  He can help bring us peace.......we just have to allow ourselves to be able to breath in deep enough to capture it.  May His peace flow into your being today!

A special birthday!

     Three years ago today, I waited most of the day at the hospital waiting for a special little boy to be born.  My son who had just passed away in April, was now going to be a daddy again.  It was bittersweet to be there waiting for the moment of his birth, and knowing that his daddy would not be there to hold him, and would never be able to hold him ever.  I was so emotional that day, wondering what it would have been like to watch Marjoe holding his precious little son just moments after his birth.  I wondered what it would have been like to see the expressions on his face as he held this new precious gift of life.  I also wondered what it would be like when this little baby would grow up and ask , "Where is my daddy?", knowing that somehow we would have to explain to him how drugs had stolen his father's life from him. No child should ever have to go through this, and it happens more and more all of the time.
     Today is a special day when we celebrate my grandson's third birthday.  I will watch him unwrap his presents with tears welling up in my eyes, knowing that my son should be there smiling.  I will watch him smear cake and ice cream alll over himself as he smiles because he knows all eyes are on him.  I will cry inside knowing his daddy should be here, and I will see all that he is missing.  I never want another child to lose a parent because of alcohol or drugs.  I never want another child to grow up and have to hear the words, "Your daddy died because of drugs." Today, memories flood my mind thinking back to the day when my son called me and told me that they were expecting a baby.  I remember the joy in his voice, and the excitement he shared with me over the news.  Today, my heart is saddened in knowing that he is not here to see the excitement of his little boy celebrating his third birthday.  Today, I will cry tears of happiness for this gift of life that our family has been blessed with, but I will also cry tears of sorrow that he will never know his daddy throughout his entire life.
     Drugs do not only affect the person involved, they affect many many lives, and unfortunately, it lasts forever.  Our family will never again be the same, and this birthday party with an empty seat will remind me us of that.  May God bless all of you who are going through this same journey of sadness and emptiness.  May you be filled with peace and acceptance, as I pray for our own family  to have the same.  Happy 3rd Birthday little Masen, and may your daddy be watching you from the gates of Heaven! 

One word can make a difference!

This morning when I woke up, I decided to go into the computer and read the blog I wrote last night, just to see if it posted ok.  (I am still working at learning!) Well, after reading it, I realized that I left out ONE word and it changed the whole meaning of what I wrote.  Half way down, where it reads, "I pray that any of you who may be reading this............I left out the word WHO is on the road of addiction  and it changed the entire meaning of what I was saying.  It seems impossible that one word can make a difference in something, but it does.  That only goes to prove that saying I "CAN" --that one word will make a huge difference.  As I write this, a song is playing on the radio by Downhere called  "Rest" .  It is based on Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you who are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest".  The first time I heard that song after Marjoe died, it was like Jesus and him were speaking to me.  During his recovery, he had written me a poem, based on lyrics from a song, and at the bottom of the page, he wrote "Matthew 11:28", and he sketched a box around it with a somewhat star beside of it.  If any of you are heavily burdened this day, go to that scripture and meditate on it for a few minutes, and know that God is with you at every minute.  I know my son found strength in that during his rehab, and I know he wants me to use it now when I get weary.  I hope you use it too........................  well, I will try once again, to publish this, and see if I am learning at this point.  Have a blessed day!!

Stay Positive!!!

    I will admit, this computer stuff does not come easy for me.  I am trying to stay positive  but have a difficult time even trying to create a blog.  (Sandra and Jimmy worked so hard to get this website, and I feel like I should have taken lessons to keep up with what I should be doing.
     A few weeks ago, my husband and I met a beautiful young lady who had a wonderful personality.  I had no idea when she first approached us that she was battling an addiction.  It broke my heart when I heard these words coming out of her mouth, "I just can't say no!"  Tears came to eyes with no warning at all when I heard her comment.  I know she did not want to see my tears, but I told her she needed to see them.  I looked directly into her eyes, and I said to her, "You are convincing yourself that you can;t say no, why don't you say to yourself, "I CAN say no!!"  I told her to say that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me--Phil 4:13.  I suddenly remembered the words that my son had said on his graduation rehab day to everyone there, "IF YOU THINK POSITIVE, POSITIVE THINGS WILL HAPPEN, AND IF YOU THINK NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE THINGS WILL HAPPEN."  Those words will stay freshly imprinted in my mind forever.  He was right, and now that he is gone, there is nothing that I can do to help him, but I pray that any of you who may be reading this is on the road of addiction, or in recovery, that those famous words of my son will be able to have a positive impact on your train of thought.  I pray that you will begin to think positive, and allow positive things to happen in your life.  NEVER LET GO of your hope for better days to come, NEVER LET GO of the positive ideas that can form in your mind.  But do LET GO of the negative thoughts that can destroy you, pull you down, take away your hope, or even steal your very life.  Be strong, tell yourself that you CAN do it, that you WILL do it, and that you WILL make it!!!!! Our minds can only be as strong as we allow them to be.  With God guiding our thoughts, we are able to use His strength to say NO, when other wise we could be too weak.  NEVER LET GO of that thought! 
     To the young lady we met that evening, please tell yourself that "I CAN SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   Say it over and over and over until you convince yourself that you can.  Do not let the evil force tell you any different, and remind yourself that with God at your side, you will be stronger than what you ever imagined. 
     When working on the computer, I have to tell myself the same thing.  I battle all the time with not wanting to do things on a computer, and not being too experienced with it, makes me nervous.  Before I lost my son, office work would have been the last thing I would have chosen to do, but now getting this ministry going, seems to have changed my whole direction in life.  Sometimes, we just have to tell ourselves, "I can do it", and "I will do it", even though at times, we feel like the most inadequate person in the world for the job.
     I hope all of you stay positive, and I will work hard at doing the same.

My Very First Blog!

  
   Today I write my very first blog!  I woke up so many times in the middle of the night thinking of God's mercy which flows through me each day like a river.  As the raindrops fell softly against the skylights of my daughters house, I felt strength being poured from the Heavens.  I am weak and fearful, but God makes me stronger than what I think I am. 
     Being in Buffalo for  a few weeks, I have rested in the arms of my Heavenly Father, and have found some much needed peace.  Prayers have been answered in ways I never thought possible.  For nearly two years, people have asked, "Do you have a website?", and I have answered "No, not yet, I have no idea how to do that kind of stuff."  But everyday, I have prayed the same prayer over and over again,    "DEAR JESUS, LEAD ME TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED ME, AND LEAD PEOPLE TO ME WHOM I NEED, GIVING ME STRENGTH, COURAGE , WISDOM  GUIDANCE AND KNOWLEDGE TO WALK THE JOURNEY YOU HAVE SET AHEAD FOR ME, IN YOUR PRECIOUS NAME I PRAY, AMEN."
     Perseverance is what God asks of us, and at times I thought He was probably tired of me whining because of my persistance in begging  Him for help in things I had no idea how to do.  Coming to Buffalo was a welcome rest away from all the stress.  Little did I know He had plans of His own.  He sent an awesome incredible young man named "Jimmy", and a beautiful young lady who looks like a #10 barbie doll, whose name is "Sandra", and after prayers and prayers and prayers, "Jimmy" excitedly started putting together a website for us at the beginning of this week, and had an incredible amount done, at my total amazement, and then yesterday God put him and Sandra together, and you would have thought they had worked together for years.  Our ministry finally has a website, all in God's incredible timing, of course, and my husband was even here in time to see it in the process of being developed.  There is no words that are big enough to thank Jimmy and Sandra for what they have accomplished for Never Let Go, but I know the prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude that I have in my heart will reach the Heavens, and that God will bless them abundantly for their love, time and unselfishness towards all they have done for us. I am still in awe of what this "vacation" has done.  I never expected anything like this, but I chuckle in my heart when I think of what God had planned all along.  He is so good, all the time!  Jimmysicle and Barbie, I love you both so much! To my daugher and her husband here in NY, thank you for all you do for us---you are a true blessing, and my heart is full of love for all of you, including my two handsome grandsons!
     Yesterday, God blessed me with the opportunity of meeting a beautiful mother who has lost two sons to drugs.  I cannot even grasp the pain in her heart, but God's Love and Compassion is shining from her eyes, and I truly believe God has given her peace in a way that no one would ever be able to understand, including myself.   She depends on Him for her every bit of strength, and meeting her has reminded me of why I became a "mother on a mission".  May God continue to bless her with every bit of healing she needs to overcome the sorrow in her heart.
     My first "blog" needs to close, as I will spend time with my husband and family today before we head to Ohio tomorrow. 
     For all of you reading this, I pray that you spread your wings, and fly with God's love and peace riding on your wings.
     I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME--PHIL 4:13 

www.neverletgoministries.com
    

Mission Statement

Never Let Go Ministries - Mission Statement

We will strive to create drug-free communities by educating and bringing awareness, especially to our youth, of the deadly effects of alcohol and drug use, while also supporting family members and those in recovery.