We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are NOT crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. 2 Corinthians 4:8

I You Want Me To...

The pathway is broken

and the signs are unclear

and I don't know the reason why You brought me here

but just because You love me the way that You do

I'm gonna walk through the valley

if You want me to.

No I'm not who I was

When I took my first step

and I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet.

So if all of these trials bring me closer to You

then I will walk through the fire

if You want me to.

It may not be the way I would have chosen.

When You lead me through a world that's not my home.

But You never said it would be easy

You only said I'll never go alone...

So when the whole world turns against me 

and I'm all by myself,

and I can't hear You answer my cries for help

I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through

and I will walk through the darkness

If You want me to.

'Cause when I cross over Jordan, I'm gonna sing, gonna shout

gonna look into Your eyes and see You never let me down.

So take me on the pathway that leads me home to You

and I will walk through the valley if You want me to.

-Ginny Owens

God has a plan and I must be willing to follow, no matter the hurt....

Courage

For I know in short all things work together for good to those that love God and those who are willing to trust him no matter....Courage does not always roar... sometimes its the quite voice at the end of the day that says...”I'll try again tomorrow!”

Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding....in all your ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your paths....Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path....Jesus loves you and is there for you always...never stop looking to Him and know that if you remain faithful to Him He will guide in every single ASPECT of your life...don’t give up, keep going....

If we are distressed, it is for the comfort of salvation; if we are comforted, its is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.... 2 Cor. 1:6

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy..Proverbs 15:30

(we must keep positive!)

Don’t think only of your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing... Philippians 2:4

He gives POWER to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength... Isaiah 40:29

For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind... 2 Timothy 1:7

BE BRAVE, BE STRONG... 1 Cor. 16:13

For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught... Proverbs 3:26

When you lie down you will not be afraid or distressed, yes when you lie down your sleep will be sweet...I will be there for you no matter what hardships you encounter and you can know for certain that if you keep your eyes are on the cross, on Jesus Christ, who gives strength to the weak and discouraged, that you will find perfect peace. And know for certain that this too will pass...don’t ever feel that Jesus has not gone through hard times which you think you are going through...He has wept, and he has laughed, He has also been through times of pearl and disgust, but if God is for us, who can be against us...EGW.. Random quotes mixed together...

I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me...YOU can do ALL things through Christ who will give YOU strength...Philippians 4:13

To those who are persistent in doing good seek glory, honor and immorality, he will give them eternal life... Romans 2:7

Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus...You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ... 2 timothy 2:3

God's Love

There is NOTHING that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Savior's LOVE...

There are many from whom hope has departed. Bring back the sunshine to them. Many have lost their courage. Speak to them words of cheer. Pray for them. There are those who need the bread of life. Read to them from the word of God. Upon many is a soul sickness which no earthly balm can reach nor physician heal. Pray for these souls, bring them to Jesus. Tell them that there is a balm in Gilead and a Physician there...

The whole earth, wrapped as it is in the darkness of sin, and sorrow and pain, is to be lighted with the knowledge of God's LOVE...

The message of hope and mercy is to be carried to the ends of the earth...The gloom is to disappear before the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. The power of hell has been overcome...

But no man can import that which he himself has not received...It is the LOVE of God continually transferred to man that enables him to impart light. Into the hearts of all who are united to God by faith...LOVE flows freely, to shine out again in good works, in real, heartfelt service for God...

The indwelling of the Spirit will be shown by the outflowing of heavenly LOVE.

There is NOTHING that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Savior's LOVE...

-Christ Object Lessons, p. 418-419

God's Forgiveness

I have been reading many of the parables for one of my Bible classes, and the things I have been learning have been so wonderful! We have a book that we have been reading through, and if you haven't read this book, you should! It is incredibly eye-opening...it makes you think....and it brings up different sides to the parables that I had never thought of before. The parable that we have just finished, is the story where a certain man owed the King a tremendous debt. This man was called upon to pay his debt, which was impossible for him to pay, so the King showed him mercy and forgave him the entire debt. (it was a hugh amount of money) Then this same man went out and found another man who owed him very little. (compared with the debt this first man owed the king, the second debt was like 5 cents.) No mercy was shown at all, and when the King heard about this he called the man back and punished him for being so cruel and sent him to prison until he paid his debt.

     "Further, this parable, by it's contrast between the colossal and unpayable debt which the servant owed the king, and the trifling sum which his fellow owed him, compels us to remember that any wrong which has been done to us is as nothing to the wrong which we have done to God. When we disobey God, when we disregard Him, when we banish Him from life or any part of life, we are not so much sinning against law, as sinning against love. We are not breaking God's law so much as breaking God's heart. It is possible to pay some kind of legal penalty which will atone for a broken law but it is impossible to do anything which can atone for a broken heart. Therefore, the debt we owe to God is infinitely greater then any debt anyone can owe to us. That is what the real Christian cannot help seeing. Knowing that he himself has been forgiven so much, he cannot be unforgiving to another person...the man who has really appreciated what the love of God has done for him, cannot but love others and seek always to forgive as he has been forgiven." - Parables of Jesus by William Barclay, page 90.

In His Hand...

Last night at vespers the speaker told a story that really touched my heart....

The story is told about a little boy driving in the car with his daddy. They were driving down the road with the windows rolled up because of the dust outside. Now this little boy was deathly afraid of bees, and as they were driving, there was a bee stuck inside the car and the little boy started crying..."Daddy! Daddy! Help me!" As the bee was buzzing right up close to the little crying boy, his daddy reached out and grabed the bee in his hand. After holding it for a few seconds he let it go again. The little boy starts crying again, "Daddy! Help me! It's going to hurt me!" This is when his daddy said, "No son, it can't hurt you now...look at my hand..." the little boy looked at his daddy's hand as he stretched it out....there in the middle, was a big red circle that was beginning to swell.....in the center of the circle was the bee's stinger..."He can't sting you now son..."

Jesus Christ has taken the devils stinger for us....he can't hurt us now.... "In the whole satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who in simple trust, casts himself on Christ. 'He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.' Isa 40:29" -COL 157

Metronomes and Recordings?

Last night we had orchestra, and we are working on a particularly challenging piece. We have been working on getting the notes for awhile, and working on getting it up to speed. But last night our conductor used an especially effective method for learning this piece. We tried in last thursday night and it was incredible how much we progressed in just one night! So he decided to use it again last night. But last night it hit me in a different way. I realized there was a great spiritual lesson here! I have been doing music or playing an instrument for most of my life, and that includes learning music! :) But I have never thought of learning music in light of my spiritual walk.

So, I bet you are wondering what method our conductor used last night that was so effective? Well, we used the metronome, and a recording of the song we are playing. Now, these are incredibly common ways to practice music, I know. But what we did, was listen to one section of the piece, and then play that section with the metronome starting slow and speeding it up until we were up to speed.

The reason why this method works is because we first listen to an example so we can have a goal in mind, what we ultimately want to sound like. Then we start playing it, but slow at first building the speed until we are at the same speed as the recording. The reason why we use a metronome for this part is because we don't have an internal beat that is perfect, much less the same as the person sitting next to you...it is close! But not perfect. So playing it with the metronome helps everybody to be on the same beat, and helps your internal beat so that the song flows perfectly.

Our conductor talked about each of these points last night, and as he was talking, I was thinking...He mentioned how if we practice without the metronome and a certain part of the song is practiced slower then another part, when you add the metronome it will seem like the metronome is speeding up! When in reality, the metronome is not changing, we are having to change our "normal" to match with the "perfect" metronome. It is the same with our walk with God. First we are to listen to the recording, or read God's word and gain a clear picture of His character. Because "by beholding we become changed". -2 Cor 3:18 Then as we practice, we are to constantly have His perfect character in our ears, (minds...same thing....lol) so we are changing our "normal" to match with His "perfect" beat. This will enable us to learn the song that God has in store for us to sing, and we will be able to play with perfect harmony and rhythm when combined with the whole orchestra.