Happy Monday!

I hope you spent some time learning to dance in the rain this week! We certainly had the opportunity between the rain and hail, and I think a few may have seen snow. Many songs come to mind about raindrops that remind me of the cleansing and refreshment that accompanies this natural blessing.

Rain also reminds me that, as plants allow the drops to nourish them, they become more resilient. Even when there’s a heavy downpour, the ability to withstand the storm creates new opportunities for growth and strength. Of course, these events can be scary if the foliage is very young, but the ability to emerge renders them stronger than before.

Following is an appropriate quote from Catherine DeVrye, Australian-born author and international speaker, that I believe is a metaphor for our lives, particularly as we begin to embrace the new season ahead.

JohnCarrollU CSSA on Twitter: "Quote of the week: "Like tiny seeds with potent power to push through tough ground and become mighty trees, we hold innate reserves of unimaginable strength. We are

Carl Jung wrote:

“I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become.” 

You see, resilient individuals tend to look beyond emergent challenges with a mindset that promotes the willingness to recognize possibilities for development and engage problem-solving skills. It then becomes a choice between being drowned by fear and frustration or rising to become stronger. Perhaps we desire to increase our physical strength, or maybe there’s a career milestone we’re attempting to achieve. There could be the need to adjust our worldview or overcome an emotional barrier. It might be that we must finally face our fears, allow ourselves to process grief, or take a deeper dive into our faith. All these challenges require resilience and the willingness to withstand adversity in favor of a more desirable outcome.

I found this quote in PositivePsychology.com:

“Resilience has been described as the capacity for positive outcomes despite challenging or threatening circumstances.” (Byron Egeland, 1993)

And this from Kahlil Gibran:

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

Scripture is replete with passages about growth and the importance of resilient seeds:

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.“ Isaiah 6:11 (NIV)


“It’s the smallest of all seeds. But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.” Matthew 13:32 (CEB)

“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.” John 12:24 (MSG)

These verses remind us that no matter the seed’s size, it can produce abundance even in adversity.

Embrace resilience this week and replace your fears with curiosity and possibility!

Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda