Through the Storm

Have you ever read the story of Job? He is such an amazing inspiration! That way he trusted and praised God even though he lost everything. One of my Favourite verses ever is Job 2:10- "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" As well and Job 1:21- "The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  Isn't that so amazing how he was able to trust in God with everything and praise him even though all was taken from him. The reason I am talking about this is because I have a good friend who reminds me of Job. He is really just like a brother to me and, lately he has been going through some troubles in his family and in his life where he could have easily fallen away from the Lord and given up. Instead he let the situation bring him even closer to God than ever and was willing to praise him even through the storms that are raging in his life.  It really inspired me, because I have a tendency to be quite negative about many things in life and not always trust God when storms start raging. What Job says is so very true, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" I think not! The trouble is what brings us closer to God and teaches us to trust and praise him through all troubles, not only this, but to be able to lay our burdens at the feet of our Father. My 'brother is a perfect example of this. 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Place your trust in him and cast your troubles and anxieties on Him and things will go well, because he will direct you and straighten your paths for you.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and HE will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6

Praise to you Lord! You are my all <3 I am nothing without you, help me to be more like Job and my brother. Trusting you in all I do, putting your will first, and Praising you even through raging storms and darkness. Lord please help my brother to continue loving you the way he does and I pray he can continue be an inspiration to more and more people and bring them to you. You are amazing and I love you.
Amen

Casting Crowns- Praise you in the Storm- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw

I-N-D-E-S-C-R-I-B-A-B-L-E

Have you ever stopped to look at something as simple as a blade of grass and thought, "Wow, what an amazing creation this is!"?  I do sometimes, but not often enough. Sometimes I get caught up in life and forget how amazing God is and how blessed I am. Sometimes I take God and everything he has given me for granted. But I'll tell you; When I do take the time to stop, step back, and look at everything he gave me, it leaves me completely awestruck and breathless! I mean really; I know this isn't about evolution vs. creation and all that, but how could you possibly look at any natural thing in this universe and say that it was not intelligently created and put there for a purpose? Everything God created is absoloutly beautiful and breathtaking. I think that everyday; atleast once a day, everyone should step back and take a look at how amazing God is and how truely blessed we are that he created it all for us. Not only did he create the earth, but he also created us! And how amazing is the human body; to be able to think, move, eat, sleep, comunicate with one another, it's just amazing that he is able to create such things! Whenever I am feeling down I like to listen to the song "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin. I meditate on the lyrics and let myself think of how blessed I am, that the one who placed each star in the sky and each grain of sand on the beach, is also the one who created me and chose me among billions of people to have a personal relationship with Him. Isn't that a great thought? Praise God, he is indescribable. <3

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Psalms 7:17

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" ... "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:37-40

 

Chris Tomlin- Indescribable--- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FlIchSJoOA

 

 

 

 
God's wonderful creation

Thankful

This weekend I was at a retreat with my youth, and one of my friends (Julia) and a couple other people had just got back from a mission trip to Haiti and came straight to the retreat from there. Can't remember who all stood up to talk but I remember what was said. They talked about how they went to an orphanage; while there Julia was holding a little girl that I think was around the age of 1 or 2 but felt like a newborn baby. She was so malnourished and didn't have any strength to even eat! The most horrible part was when Julia tried to put this little girl back down into the crib, she clung to her shirt with every fiber of strength in the little body and screamed and cried. She didn't have the strength to sit up, or even eat, but all she truly wanted was to be loved by someone so she clung on. This kind of stuff brings tears to my eyes.. What was also talked about was how the way some of the children live down in the slums of Haiti, how they have to scrap for a meal and are lucky if they eat at all each day; and the joy in their eyes if they simply have a toy to play with that they found in the garbage. It is so horrible how every day of our lives we take everything for granted. Everything! In our culture we have so many things, yet we never seem happy enough with what we have. Television, game stations, computers, ipods, food, water, clothes, so many things we have for entertainment. All we seem to want is more... but these children don't have any of that.. They have to travel far just for water and are lucky if they don't get some sort of disease from drinking it. They work so hard each day just to get maybe one meal on the table. Meanwhile we just expect the food to be there. It's so sad! Sometimes I wish I lived like that instead of them, because I know I am spoiled, and I know I take my life for granted. Sometimes I don't even realize just how blessed I am. I don't really know what point I am trying to get at, I just needed somewhere to rant on how I am feeling.

Lord, Thank you for everything I have in my life! Thank you for simply keeping my heart pumping and putting food on the table for my family everyday. Thank you for giving me a loving and caring family and a place to sleep every night. I have the world at my finger tips and it is because you blessed me with it. Thank you. Lord, please use me to help those children in need, because all they really want and need is love. They need your love. Thank you for giving me your love Dad, I love you <3 and I am so thankful for it all. Please help me to be more like those children and not just expect things of my life but instead be more thankful for even every breath I take.
Amen
(This is dedicated to my beautiful friend Julia, because I know this is what was on her heart)