How do we focus on the good, on what is good, when there is so much evil in this world? I wish I had the answer. I wish it was easy.
With ISIS, the lion seeking who it may devour, on the prowl, and the beheadings, the burning alive. My heart just aches. To see the names of the 21 marched down to the edge of the ocean, the Christians, the ones who chose Christ, to follow Him, just tears my heart apart.
The tears want to come, the sadness burns, and our prayers turn toward their families, that God has a plan, He always has a plan. Bless them, somehow, bless them Lord. Help their focus to be on You, to remain on You, and strengthen their resolve.
Strengthen our resolve to remain focused on all You.
Preparing ahead for this cold we are now enduring. The wood is piled high, we have water, and a camp stove if needed, I believe we can survive. Layers, Jamin says just wear more layers! Love his way of thinking.
We stay in the Word, in the One Word that matters, the Dad reads, so much wisdom in listening, in hearing the Word read. So much wisdom from a man who has listened, who imparts wisdom to us. We read Romans this month. January we read the Proverbs, and oh, the wisdom to garner! This February we chose to learn from Paul, and he tells us,
"the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Rom. 8:26
and, "we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28
So, we just try to stay warm, keep the fire going, do what we do, and while my mother-in-law recovers with rehab in the nursing home, and the ice breaks trees and Steve has to be out all night and a couple hours of sleep and out again, we keep on, with the trusting, with the faith, with knowing God is good, through.it.all.
He is good. That is faith. That is to trust. We know He holds us, even when all seems to be falling apart all over the world, we know and trust and believe that what He says is true. We go on. Even with snow, and cold, and ice, Jamin goes to school and work, Jenny goes on to coach swim, and the Dad continues to take calls and send out guys to fix power lines, to cut fallen trees that had way too much weight on them to be able to stand, and that's what we must do.
Continue to stand, to not bend under the weight. To not break. Those 21 Egyptian Christians did not break, they paid the ultimate price of not bending or bowing to evil, they stood to the end, an end we pray we will not see on the soil of our great America, our once great America.
Will we cease to be great? To fall? To bend to those who want a power over us that is not God's? Or, is God ready to allow a judgement on us for leaving Him?
We have overcome. We, who trust in His goodness, in His Word, in His way, we have already overcome. We are the overcomers.
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."
Rev. 12:11
As we focus on Who has made us overcomers, trust Him, love Him, give and surrender all to Him. And as you are trying to stay warm in this season of winter, read His Words, listen to one another as you gather around the One Word that matters, around the Bread of Life, the life-giving Bread.
I would love to hear from you, as an encourager or as a friend.
Oh, and tell me what you have done to stay warm or if your power has been off, what you are doing to make the best of it. It can be a fun time as you gather together.
Candles? Stories? Games? Reading? Resting? I'd love to hear!
Always Experiencing Him,
Jody
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