Just Hold On: Finding Purpose and Power Through Pain

By Elizabeth M. Sanchez

Just Hold On is a heart-felt progression of one young womans journey through life to find peace amidst a storm of emotions after losing her mother to breast cancer. This book will highlight the biblical truths and spiritual awareness that helped prepare and transform her thinking to accept the great things of God into her life again. The cords of death that entangled her can now be unraveled and used to pull you out of your death and into a life more abundant! There is always a purpose for our pain, but its the pursuit of the Father that gets us to that awareness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512761054

Elizabeth M. Sanchez

Elizabeth is a thought provoking bible teacher of the good news of Christ. She has led bible studies in churches and homes to help others identify their own purpose through the pain they are going through. She holds fast to the belief, ‘Nothing is impossible with Christ.’ She is a loving wife to her husband, David, of fifteen years, and she is the mother of two boys, Luke and Levi, as well as step-mother to a beautiful, young lady named Courtney. Elizabeth is a fourth grade teacher at Somerset Elementary where she loves educating and inspiring young minds. The Sanchez family lives near Somerset on the outskirts of historic San Antonio.

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Copyright © 2016 Elizabeth M. Sanchez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover image by Marcos A. Rodriguez

Family photo by Joe D. Ruiz

WestBow Press

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6106-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6107-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6105-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917401

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/09/2016

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 A Greater Plan

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

I was always able to get over things easily. Nothing was so tragic that I couldn’t handle or understand. Things were quickly about to change.

Chapter 2 Holes

But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me (Psalm 22:19).

I know now that my connection with Mom was so strong that I felt her presence leave … That’s the hole that was made. That’s the hole I was desperately trying to fill.

Chapter 3 Death’s Forms

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul (Psalm 94:17).

We must look beyond what we see and have the vision the Lord gives us of our situations and ourselves.

Chapter 4 It’s Personal

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:40).

When the Lord calls us into His divine plan, often the call comes with a command to do something simple. Something that will let Him know you trust Him and have the faith of a mustard seed. All He wants to know is if you’re in.

Chapter 5 Just Hold On

Hold on to what you have until I come (Revelation 2:24).

It’s like the enemy has you by a rope and is endlessly whirling you around. You hang onto that rope for dear life, but your grip is slipping as you come to the end. In all hopelessness, you scream out to the Lord for help, and suddenly, He’s there. He ties a knot at the end of the rope and whispers, ‘Just hold on.’

Chapter 6 A Spiritual Battle

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).

This word never changes, yet it transforms our lives daily. It is the best thing we can depend on for our daily battles against the enemy … These words are intangible, but this does not deter their spiritual power.

Chapter 7 A Test of Fire

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear, in the end they will look in triumph on their foes (Psalm 112:7–8).

It wasn’t just about reading and understanding. It was about speaking the word into my life and the lives of those around me.

Chapter 8 Units of Measurement

Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making (Proverbs 16:11).

"If you try to measure God and His goodness…you will be limiting His almighty hand from providing you in the fullness of His power."

Chapter 9 Divine Strategy

Do all that you have in mind. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul (1 Samuel 14:7).

When the Lord gives you a divine strategy or even a divine appointment, it’s for His purpose. It’s a matter of life and death, either physically or spiritually.

Chapter 10 Power in Discipline and Submission

Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men (1 Peter 2:13).

If you trust the Lord for the good, you have to be willing to be open to the idea that He will use the bad just as much.

Chapter 11 Saved for a Purpose

The Lord has assigned to each his task (1 Corinthians 3:5).

"We have to play our part in the process and plan of God. There has to be a process for it to be beneficial and powerful."

Chapter 12 Provision

They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill (Isaiah 49:9).

He wants us to realize that it is He who meets our need. He may not come in all His glory, but He has people who listen to His voice and direction.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is dedicated to my wonderfully amazing and inspiring mother, Margarita B. Gonzales. She showed me, in the brief time that I had her here on Earth, that all relationships, both spiritual and physical, are the lifelines to surviving this ever-changing ride we call life. My mother had great passion for teaching the word of God to adults and children and as an educator of future generations. She impacted more lives than she ever knew with her kindness, her occasional sternness, and, most of all, her love. I pray that her passion for writing, teaching, and serving the Lord will find its fruit through me as well. I love you with all my heart, Mom!

I also want to thank my extended family and friends who have offered me support and encouragement during the past two years while writing this book. Without their love, stories, and perspectives of my mom, I know I would not have been able to muster up the strength to finish this book. Each story I heard about my mom opened my eyes to a woman who was not just a mother and wife. She was a cousin, a friend, and a very good listener. Thank you, Aunt Mary, for revealing my mom’s writing secrets to me. To all of my aunts, I want to thank you for always giving me life and love. There’s never a time I leave our conversations without feeling pure love and comfort from you all. All of you picked up a role of more than my aunts when Mom passed, I want you to know. I love you all very much! To my uncles in Marathon, I am amazed at how you described my mom to my husband, David. It moved my heart to know that you felt so strongly about her and were willing to share this with the man I wish she could have met. Thank you for sharing your love for and loyalty to her. A million thanks to my grandparents, Concepcion Gonzales, who still calls Marathon home, and Juan Gonzales and Eulojio and Lupe Baeza, who have gone to be with the Lord, for taking care of me all those years. My devotion to you is unyielding, and my love for you surpasses understanding, time, and space. Thank you for being there when this little girl needed her grandparents.

There are not enough thank yous in the world to give to my dad, Juan, and my brother, Roberto. You two wonderful men helped to fill in a gap as best you could, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of every single thing you did for me. I don’t know what I would have done if the Lord had left me with any other father or brother. You were my rocks when I fell apart and my joy with all your crazy banter. If the Lord knew of anyone who could survive this and still thrive, He knew it was us. You two have sacrificed more than I am probably aware of, and for that, I am forever grateful. You two are the best family a girl could have. Never forget that!

I also want to thank my wonderful family for their encouragement, questions, and love. David, you have encouraged me from day one to write this book. Even when you didn’t see a product and knew how hard it was for me to write all of this down, you still kept the encouraging words coming my way. Sitting at a computer or writing in a notebook took away from family time, but you knew its importance to me and never once criticized or raised an eyebrow. Thank you for listening to all of my little paragraphs I ran by you and for always enlightening me with the word that the Spirit was speaking through you. You helped me write this book more than you know. I am blessed to have a man who fears the Lord and who loves his family as you do. My only regret is that my mom was never able to meet you. But I know one day she will.

To my boys, Luke David and Levi Jonathan, you are such an inspiration to me. Every time you took a peek at this book, read it out loud, and asked questions, you inspired me to dig deeper and paint a clearer picture. You boys are future writers yourselves, and I pray that the legacy my mom started in me will only be more abundant in both of you. Levi, you have a passion for expressing God’s love and wonder in everyday things. Your innocence and clear view of the daily blessings of God amazes me. Never stop looking through that lens, and never be ashamed to share it with others. Your excitement and fire for the Lord will be rewarded, and everything you do for Him will be fruitful. Luke, you have a silent boldness within you. You hold the words of God deep in your heart, and your understanding of the word surpasses your age. You speak with confidence and intelligence, and I know the favor of God rests on you. I pray that the desires you already have will be met in Christ Jesus, and that you will be open to the path the Lord has already prepared for you. You have an old soul with the energy of youth. Use that to your advantage in approaching every obstacle that comes your way. Remember, boys, you can do all things through Christ our Lord! I love you both!

To my daughter (not just stepdaughter), Courtney, I want to say thank you for always being so open with me. I’ve loved our kitchen conversations and the fact that you are an open book, willing to accept correction and advice along with giving me a fresh perspective on today’s kind of life and struggles. You’ve gone through a lot in your young life and have persevered amazingly! I pray you will one day use your testimony to transform others to the life the Lord alone has blessed you. Happiness is not just our own. It’s a gift that, when we find it, we can share with others. You have more knowledge about survival than any other young adult I know. I can’t wait to see your next steps and your next victories with Christ