Strong?

Over the last 2 weeks, in the midst of the hectic life around me during this time of the year, I've had the time to relax by browsing on Pinterest or by catching up with people via facebook.  As we near the new year, I'm noticing a shift in posts and in conversations.  While this shift to new things and resolutions can be a good thing, I have been broken by some of what I've read.

Things like...

You were given this in life because you are

strong enough to handle it.

Live strong in 2012.

God will never give me something I can't handle.

None of those things are wrong...exactly.  But each one of them and many more like them lack one truth.  You see the emphasis in these things is on the Me/Myself/I.  The focus is on what I can do or what YOU can do.

Have you ever stopped to think about this?  I have been...lately especially!  Our family, church family, and friends have all endured many hardships over the last year. 

• We've seen loved ones die suddenly.
• We've experienced dire financial circumstances.
• We've watched dear friends pack up and move away knowing we will most likely never see them again in this life.
• We've watched children make devastating choices.
• We've watched children make amazing choices...but those choices will affect our family's life forever.
• We've dealt with illness, injuries, and the pain that comes from those.
• We've experienced unfairness at work or at school.
• We've walked with our children through unimaginable heartbreak.

Really, I could go on and on!  This morning while catching up on facebook, God kept impressing on me the FACT that I cannot ever be strong enough.  Many of things my personal family has been through this year and in years past would have left us paralyzed if we had had to be strong enough to deal with them.

PRAISE GOD we didn't have to be strong enough!

You see God tells us in His Word over and over that HE IS OUR STRENGTH!

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Psalm 18:2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

2 Corinthians 12:9  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

While we are commanded over and over again throughout the Bible to "Be strong.", that strength always comes from the Lord.  I'm so thankful that He is my portion and my strength, and that although He calls me to be strong...to hold on...to have courage, He ALWAYS supplies the strength for me to do those things.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

A current song on Christian radio is a great reminder of the truth that we don't have to be strong enough.  God is strong enough for both of us!  Strong Enough by Matthew West

Blessings,
Cindy

Even in the valley...

GOD IS GOOD!

Have you ever wondered why you or your family has to go through hard times...sickness...violence...times of many tears and many questions?  While I'm not focusing on the why's of our challenges, there have been times this last week that I just stopped and cried out to God because I just don't understand.

I don't understand why Brooke has become sick again with what appears to be issues with her heart after many years without any complications.  I don't understand why my migraines had reappeared full force.  I don't understand why Dougie is struggling at work in so many ways.  I really don't understand why God allowed Blake to be attacked in a parking lot by a complete stranger.  I don't understand!

Then, in my quiet time, God speaks through His Word to me...words of comfort, assurance, and love.  As I'm listening to one of my favorite bands this week, God speaks to me through their lyrics.  At just the right time and just the right place, God sent just the right people to minister to my family and to me.  It was through all this that I realized I don't have to understand why.  What I have to understand is that even in the valley, God is good!  He is working all things for the good of His children.  No matter what, we're called to praise Him.  No matter what we are called to live out our lives for Him.

So, what do I have to praise God for when I have one child sick and one child hurt?  Let me share with you.

I am married to a wonderful, Christian man who loves and supports us through good times and bad!  Dougie is a true blessing!

Protection for Brooke!

Blake's injuries are minor compared to what they could have been!

I have a group of prayer warrior sisters in Christ praying for me daily!

I had 3 days without migraines this week!

Marsha was near to minister to Brooke's needs when I wasn't there!

Marsha opened up her home to Brooke!

Texts, facebook messages and phone calls from sisters in Christ to encourage and let me know they are praying for Brooke.

A fellow teacher...actually 3...offering their time to cover my class so I could get to Brooke!

A parent of a student and fellow teacher offering to take my class an extra 50 minutes on her planning so I could catch up!

God intervening and stopping the attack on Blake!

Cody and Dale reacting exactly the way God wanted them to react!

A police officer being on the scene quickly!

My boys' witness stands firm because they stood firm in the Lord!

A mom of my boys' friend driving by and stopping to help!

Witnessing Blake's quick forgiveness!

Being able to pray with Blake in the hospital!

Clear catscan of his brain and face!

The boys' good friends!

Through everything this week, having opportunities to share how the Lord has worked with people who aren't yet Christ followers!

A phone call from Cathy at the exact right time when I needed it most!

Psalm 27!

A visit from Blake's friend bringing him a card full of hugs!

I'm sure I've left something out.  You get the point, right?  Satan has been attacking our family! 

BUT GOD!

God knows.  He cares.  He is in control.  He is and will continue to work all things to our good.

I appreciate and am so thankful for everyone's prayers!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Blessings,

Cindy



Gain the world and lose my soul

³⁵ For ^(A)whoever wishes to save his ^[a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^[b]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  Mark 8:35-37

I love early morning wake-up calls.  No, I'm not crazy (well maybe a little), but I'm not talking about the early wake-up calls of an alarm.  I'm talking about those times when God wakes me in the wee hours of the morning, long before most people are up...long before I had planned to get up...even long before the sun comes up.  Some time back a dear Christian woman helped me see that those early morning nudges when you really should be sleeping are times when God is calling you to spend time with Him...in prayer and in His Word!

This morning around 4:30, I was all the sudden awake.  I had not been dreaming that I remember.  There hadn't been any noises to wake me.  I was simply awake.  During the hour that followed, God placed so many of my friends and family on my heart. 

Friends and family who are facing illness and eminent death of loved ones.

Friends who are agreeing in prayer for an injured young man in Colorado.

Friends who are praying their children home from orphanges all over the world.

Friends who are caring for children who aren't their own, but love them dearly anyway!

Children called to ministry!

Moms and Dads of children called to ministry.

Teachers planning for the upcoming year.

Students who will be placed in the care of those teachers.

Friends and family who are awaiting word on new jobs.

Friends and family praying for God's guidance in choosing a home.

Friends who are struggling with who God really is.

Friends who are longing for a time past when life seemed to be good for them.

Friends and family who seem to have a longing for God in their lives but are still living in the world.

Friends and family who can't see that what they need...all they need...is the Lord in their lives.

So much flooding my mind that the only thing to do was pray.  As much as I had to pray about, there was one 'theme' that kept coming back to me.  The heaviest burden was for friends who are searching--for peace, for comfort, for love, for answers.  God kept bringing these people back to the top of my list.

After much time just sitting with God in the darkness and silence, I got up and went for my Bible.  Since Sunday's Sunday School lesson and memory verse, God has placed on my mind the idea of living for Him versus living for the world.  It seems that everywhere I turn, I'm faced with the images and words of people struggling with this.  As I searched through my Bible, I found many passages addressing living for Christ instead of living for the world.  Then, a image came to mind that has stuck there this morning.

Yep, that's a fence!  As I thought about this image of a fence, I thought about how many times in my life I straddled the fence--one leg on God's side, one leg on the world's side.  I remember trying with all I had to live both ways.  But it simply wasn't possible.  I am either for God or against God.  There is no middle ground or room to play with the setup.  As Christians, we either are or aren't!  As I pondered more on this thought, I thought of areas in my life where this has been a struggle.  I thought of areas where my friends are struggling right now as I type and as you read.  So many of us have faced, are facing, or will face choices that will define which side of the fence we are on.  We have to ask ourselves...I have to ask myself...who or what are we living for.

When I'm on FaceBook, do I try to sit on both sides...posting nice scriptural things one hour and then derogatory things the next?

At work, do I try to sit on both sides...praying with coworkers over a need one day and gossiping the next?

At home, do I try to sit on both sides...encouraging children to keep garbage out of their lives in the morning and then watching a TV show that goes against that encouragement that night?

The list could go on and on. 

Today, my prayer is that I will always choose God's side.  My prayer is that my friends who are struggling with where they belong find the One true God and live for Him.  My prayer is that God will convict when we stray.  My prayer is that He will call those searching for peace and comfort to Himself.

¹⁵ Do not love ^(A)the world nor the things in the world. ^(B)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, ^(C)the lust of the flesh and ^(D)the lust of the eyes and ^(E)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ^{17 (F)}The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who ^(G)does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:15-17

Thankful for early morning wake-ups,

Cindy

Had it not been...

Don't you love when God speaks to you?  Isn't it so exciting to be reading in God's word and feel like...no, KNOW that He is speaking directly to YOU?!  Don't you just get giddy when what you are reading hits home so hard that you know that God put you in that passage on this day so he could whisper sweet things to you?  Our God is so amazing!  He never ceases to amaze me.

This morning, I was continuing my study in Psalms.  (I love Psalms!  Who doesn't?)  Anyway, I'm up to the Psalms of Ascents that were said/sang as the people traveled to Jerusalem and to the temple.  Most of these Psalms are quite short.  Usually, I study 2 to 3 a day because of their length.  However, this morning, Psalm 124, which is only 8 verses, struck me so that I had to stop after reading it several times and share it with you.

It is a "Song of Ascents, of David" that is 8 verses.  It talks about Israel's past.  But...my oh my, when we take this and apply it to our lives...when I take it and apply it to MY life...WOW!  Here it is...

Psalm 124

"Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,"

Let Israel now say,

"Had it not been the Lord who was on our side

When men rose up against us,

Then they would have swallowed us alive,

When their anger was kindled against us;

Then the waters would have engulfed us,

The stream would have swept over our soul;

Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul."

Blessed be the Lord,

Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.

Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper;

The snare is broken and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

Read it again!  Truly I understand this is an account of how the Lord saved the Israelites from destruction.  However, has he not done the same for us as believers?  Does he not do the same for us day after day? 

What if the Lord was not on our side?

I can not imagine living my life without God on my side...in my life.  I can't fathom going through the daily grind without Him.  I certainly can't begin to imagine facing life's biggest challenges...a sister who fought cancer, health issues of parents, raising children and all the issues that go with that, financial problems, tragedies in life that we don't have the answers for.

As David says, "Blessed be the Lord!"  Or thanks be to God for not turning us over to our enemy or giving us over to ourselves.  Our help truly is in the name of the Lord!  Amazing...the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, the ONE who created EVERYTHING...

HE IS ON MY SIDE!

DO YOU HAVE HIM ON YOUR SIDE?

Blessings,

Cindy

There are many times in our lives where there seems to be many more questions than answers. It seems to come in cycles in my life. Things are going well...or at least not bad...and then situations or circumstances seem to mount up all at once until there is a mountain...or even a mountain range...of problems or unanswered questions right in the middle of my path.

When I get to this point, I find myself asking the same questions over and over.  Why is this (fill in the blank with any given circumstance) happening?  Why is my family having to endure yet another hardship?  What have we done to deserve this?  Why?  Why?  Why?  My emotions start to simmer.  Then, they start to bubble a little bit more.  There are times that they get to a boiling point...this doesn't necessarily mean angry...just not controlled.  When I get to this point, I may cry if you look at me or say, "How are you doing?"  Have you ever been there?  Sometimes I think I'm the only one, and then I reason that surely I'm not.

Thankfully, I have someone who loves me unconditionally.

Thankfully, I have someone who knows me better than I know myself.

Thankfully, I have someone who knows my circumstances and

knows what I need before I even utter a word.

Thankfully, I have someone who will listen when I cry out to Him.

Thankfully, I have someone who doesn't turn His back on me...

even when I have these bouts of emotional turmoil.

Thankfully, He gave me a guide to help me through not just the hard days, but everyday.

Thankfully, I have someone who has ALL THE ANSWERS!

 

During the times when I have more questions than answers and my emotions threaten to control my life, I have my Lord to comfort me and He gave us the Bible as our guide to live by everyday...on the rough days and the great days! 

 

The Bible is full of words of hope and comfort.  It's full of words of wisdom and reproach.  All of which we need during the times in our life when things aren't going the way we think they should be.  I've been reminded over the last week or so of the importance of reading and meditating on and yes, memorizing scripture as I've studied Psalm 119. 

 

Psalm119 is 176 verses that tell us over and over that the Word of God is vital for our lives.  (If you have never or haven't lately truely studied it, I'd suggest it.)  There are several familiar verses that many of us memorized as children. 

 

Psalm 119:11  Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.

Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

While other verses are not as familiar, their strength is mighty.

Psalm 119:73  Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

Psalm 119: 97-98  O how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.

Psalm 119:136  My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your law.

(This one jumped out and slapped me in the face this morning.)

I could go on and on.  Just this ONE Psalm...one 'chapter' in the Bible...FULL of ANSWERS...because it tells me I should be searching for my answers in God...in the Word.  That is where all the answers are found.  I am so grateful I have Him.  I can't imagine living one day without Him.  My heart aches when I see people searching for answers in the horoscopes or through a psychic reading.  They will not find the answers there.  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.

So although I'm going to face problems today and every other day just like anybody else, I'm going to cling to the promise of this worship song...

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
(Townend/Getty)
Blessings!
Cindy

And she's off...

(I know I promised a blog on Christian marraige.  I will get to that.  It just happens that I didn't get to it before this MAJOR event in our family's life.  For now, this is what is on my mind; so this is what I need/want to write about.)

Last Friday, we moved Brooke to Campbellsville University.  All of us went to help her get settled.  I'm sure we were quite a sight as all six of us paraded into her apartment/dorm.  It was a day full of a wide spectrum of emotions for everyone in our family.  Most of all though, it was a day ordained by God in Brooke's life for her to transition into this new phase of her life.  I want to share the day with you through pictures.

Brooke and I spent the morning taking care of last minute business around Shepherdsville.  Then, she came home and finished cleaning her room.  This may just be the cleanest her room has been since she moved into this particular room.  (I didn't, however, take pictures of the dust she left behind.)

Getting a big hug from Daddy! 

There were a couple of times throughout the day that were more difficult than the rest of the day.  Leaving the house Friday morning was one of those times...for all of us.  While we were...and are...so excited for Brooke and what is to come for her, just the thought of how different our home will be without her here everyday was hard to take in.

I had the time of the trip there to gather my thoughts and get a hold of my emotions.  I spent the hour plus a few minutes mending Brooke's 'quiltie' that she has had since she was born.  It is literally worn out!  It was a great distraction for me.  I must admit that I am not a seamstress, though, and I did not get it completely mended by the time we arrived at Campbellsville University.

We spent the first hour at CU buying Brooke's books.  OUCH!  We were able to get all used books except for 2 or 3.  Still...OUCH!  Praise God for used books, though!  I can't imagine how much it would have been if we had to buy all new...and I did not even bother looking at the new prices.

Brooke was able to check in with her RA around 1.  Brooke and Gayla took care of all the business of moving into the dorm, while Blake, Cody, and Dale carried all of Brooke's stuff up to her room.  We worked for hours...about 6...arranging and rearranging and rearranging again.  Doug made a couple of trips to the store for things we forgot or didn't realize she would need.  [Just so you know...when you buy lamps, you really should consider buying light bulbs, too! :) ]  Brooke organized and decorated.  It was fun to watch her and help her.  It was such a blessing to have the whole family there working together to get everything accomplished for Brooke.  (There were stressful moments, too...but a blessing still!)

(Dale)

Once all was finished, Brooke's room looks great!  It's very Brooke!  She still wants to add some posters and such, but she can do that as she finds posters that suit her.

We had a few minutes to just relax before heading out to dinner and a little bit of shopping.  I am so thankful for how close our kids are.  Although they have their moments when they fight and fume, they truly enjoy each others' company.  I loved watching them cut up and have fun with each other!

Hard work leads to hungry boys!  We all headed to Pizza Hut for supper.  Again, it is just a wonderful blessing watching our kids love each other.

Then it was time...time to take Brooke back to her apartment/dorm/room (I'm still not sure what to call it) and head home.  UGH!  I was not ready for this.  I had done so well all day.  I could feel the prayers of all of my wonderful friends and family lifting us up.  But then, I could feel it. I was on the verge of not being able to hold it all together.  The boys all said their good-byes/see you laters and headed to the truck.  Doug and I stayed in the living room with Brooke.  Doug led us in a prayer.  It was a beautiful moment of the three of us snuggled together praying for God's peace and protection. 

God is so good and He is faithful!  While I have had times of tears over the last several days, I have also had wonderful peace about Brooke being at CU.  We firmly believe God has led Brooke to CU and has a plan and a purpose for her being there. Knowing that means that we will praise Him even when we're missing her.

I'm clinging to Philippians 4:6-7...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Cindy

"When your children ask later..."

This morning's sermon and our life group's discussion on moving from depression to dependence rekindled my desire to pass on the stories of God's faithfulness in the life of our family.  Below is a repost of the original post about our Remembrance Stones.  The kids are even more grown up now!  As I watch each of them grow physically and more importantly spiritually, I'm reminded often of God's faithfulness! 

These stones now will be added to in order to remind each of us in our family that we CAN and SHOULD depend on our faithful Father.  "All I have need of His hand will provide.  He's always been faithful to me."

Original Post:

As you can see in the picture, our children are growing up...FAST.  (This picture is nearly a year old...the boys have changed a lot even in the last year.)  Brooke will be going away to college in less than a month now.  Blake and Cody are driving now.  Dale will be starting high school just a couple of days before Brooke leaves for school.  It seems like yesterday they were all babies...oh how well Doug and I remember the days of a booster seat, 2 bulky car seats, and a baby carrier.  We have so many stories of their growing up days that I'm sure many of you have heard...probably more than once. Have you heard the story of the 'car fly' or the story of the diaper incident when we thought Blake and Cody were napping or what about Brooke's rendition of the song "I Shall Not Be Moved" when she was two or maybe the story of how Dale sang the "I Know a Song that Gets on Everybody's Nerves" ALL the way to FLORIDA?  We never tire of remembering and sharing stories of our children.  If you are a parent or a grandparent, I'm sure you are the same.

Many months ago, I started following the blog of a wonderful Christian woman who has a weekly feature called Memorial Box Monday.  (The blog is http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ .  You can check out her blog and see her reasoning and thinking behind how she does her Memorial Box.) 

Anyway, it got me to thinking.  I'm so quick to tell stories about my children and family.  I tell my children stories of themselves and our family so that they have those stories to tell their children, but do I purposefully tell them stories of God and His goodness and His love and His faithfulness so that they can experience it and then pass it on to their children in the future?  I had to answer...not nearly enough.  As a matter of fact, many times I would tell stories or recount the events in our lives and tell the details of the event and completely leave God out of it.  Did I do that on purpose?  No, but was it still wrong?  Yes. 

Throughout the Bible, we are instructed to teach our children of the faithfulness of God so that they can and will teach their children.  In Joshua 4, the Lord instructed Joshua to use stones as a memorial for what the Lord had done for the Israelites when they had crossed the Jordan.  We should in some way be doing something so that we not only remember but pass on stories of God's faithfulness to our kids.



For example, when Cody was in the first grade he fell about 16-18 feet out of a tree when the branch he was standing on broke.  He fell into a dry creek bed.  Cody had a major compression fracture in his back, and he broke a small bone in his foot near the growth plate.  I've told that story many times over the course of his life.  I remember using words like..."It's AMAZING that he wasn't hurt worse than that."  "It could have been so much worse."  Both of those statements are true, but the TRUE TRUTH is that God protected Cody during that fall.  God kept Cody from landing on his neck.  God gave me the strength and determination to demand that the doctors x-ray Cody's back when they were refusing.  God saw us through those days of Cody having to be flat on his back and very still until they could custom make a brace for him.  God sent family and friends to minister and care for our family.  God saw us through the months of Cody being in a hard-shell brace and wheelchair.  Some people may say that God wasn't there or He would have kept Cody from falling.  I not only say, but know that God was there and did protect Cody.  Now, it is a story of God's faithfulness that we will share with our children and they will share with their children.

With that being said, we all know there are so many stories of times when God has been faithful in our lives AND our human minds tend to forget.  So how do we make sure that we have those stories to pass on?   There are many ways that different families choose to do this.  Our family has discussed this for a long time and have had many ideas. 

For now, we are doing a Remembrance Stone Box.  We've just started this project.  I thought I'd share some pictures with you.  We started with a planter box.  We collected flat, smooth rocks from a creek.  It was fun to try to find rocks with odd shapes and colors. 

Brooke painted a scripture on each side of the box.

Then, we took the stones and wrote brief descriptions of times in our family's life when God was faithful.  When we can remember the date, we write the date.  The stones are reminders.  Obviously there is not room for the whole story.  These are reminders so that when we see them we remember the story.  We only have a few of the rocks with messages on them right now.  We're adding to them a little at a time.  As we need to, we'll add rocks. 

The box sits on our coffee table in our living room.  (My friend, Dawn, from church knew someone who used their remembrance stones in this way.  Thanks for the idea, Dawn!)  So now it serves a dual purpose.  If someone is visiting our home, we hope it becomes a conversation piece.  After all, we have a box of rocks on our table.  This will open up the door for conversations about how good our God is!

So now, when our children (or grandchildren or anyone who comes into our home) ask later what are those rocks for, we'll answer with hearts full of love and thanksgiving as we tell of God's faithfulness!

Do you have a way that your family shares stories of God's faithfulness in your lives?  I'd love to hear your ideas!

Blessings,

Cindy

But God...

As I was reading this morning in Psalms after my study in 1 John, I came across some of my favorite words in scripture...

BUT THE LORD...

Over the years, as I've studied, read, and listened to the Bible being taught, some of the words that always send chills through my body or grab my attention the most are...

BUT GOD...

Now, I'm not talking about the way we use the phrase in our sinful whiny ways.  "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  That didn't go the way I wanted it to go.  Can you fix it please?"  or "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  I always try to do the right thing and it seems that bad things are always happening to me."  or  "But GO-O-O-D-D-D!  I only went here or did that one time.  Why should I face the consequences?" or "But GO-O-O-D-D-D! You didn't answer that prayer just the way I had planned or wanted you to."  I'm sure if you close your eyes and listen, you can hear the voice of a child screaming, "But Dad!"  Well, sometimes we're the same way with God.  However, I digress...that is not the wonderful BUT GOD I'm talking about today.  You'll  have to excuse me, because just thinking about those little GIANT words, gets me so excited!

There is no way I could give you an exhaustive list, but I want to share a few BUT GOD instances from the Bible.  These are so encouraging!  When we're tempted to whine and complain and dig deeper into our own pitiful pity pit, we should stop and think...BUT GOD!

 Genesis 45:6-8 (New International Version)

6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 BUT GOD sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 

BUT GOD...

Are you in a time of financial famine, perhaps?  Is there a drought in another area of your life?  Been there, done that...would have bought the t-shirt, but didn't have the money.  Dear friends, BUT GOD!  If He can save a land and people from famine that had lasted 2 years and was going to last 5 more years, He is more than capable of delivering us from our hardships, too! 

Psalm 73:26 (New International Version)

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

BUT GOD is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

God doesn't promise us sunshine and rainbows every day of our life.  We aren't promised a life without sickness or pain.  Our flesh may fail us in many ways...we may get sick or we may be tempted by fleshly desires that lead us toward or to sin.  We may find ourselves in that pitiful pity pit where we allow our emotions to control our lives.  BUT GOD!  When our strength comes from Him, we are more than able to get through anything.

 Romans 5:7-9 (New International Version)

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8BUT GOD demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How exciting is verse 8?!  Do you understand the full meaning and depth of what it is saying?  To help us get the picture of this love we need to go to another BUT GOD...this time it uses BUT THE LORD.

Isaiah 53:9-11 (New American Standard Bible)

9b Because he had done no violence,
nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10a BUT THE LORD was pleased
to crush Him, putting Him to grief;

 

Wow!  God loves me and you so much that He was willing to have His son, Jesus Christ, put to horrible, cruel death as a substitute for my sins and your sins.  Not only was God willing, but Isaiah tells us that it pleased Him to do this for us.  Because Christ died in our place, we only have to believe in Him as our Lord and Savior...believing...not just with our heads but in our hearts...that He died a cruel death on the cross in our place, was buried in a tomb, and was raised from the dead three days later to accept that substitionary atonement for our sins.  That is so amazing to me!

I'm a sinner!  You're a sinner!  BUT GOD!  BUT CHRIST!  Now, I'm a forgiven sinner who God calls His child!  WOW!  Just WOW!

1 John 3:1 (New American Standard Bible)

1a See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God

So, the next time things aren't going our way or our path gets foggy or rutted, let's stop and think...

BUT GOD...

>is my salvation

>is my refuge

>is my hope

>is my strength

>is my help

>is my deliverer

>is my _______!

(You fill in the blank.)

Blessings,

Cindy