Storms...Patience...NOW

Sometimes I just HATE my early morning devotions because they can nail me to the wall. I am an impatient person and when I see a wrong I want it fixed, revenged, punished immediately - before I offer forgiveness - BUT, thank God, that my God is NOT that way with me!!!!

JAMES 1:1-4 ~ James, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)! Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

We will start with the original Greek.
Joyful - chara (khar-ah'): cheerfulness, calm delight, exceeding joy.
Temptations - peirasmos (pi-ras-mos'): a putting to proof, provocation, adversity, try.
Proving - dokimion (dok-im'-ee-on): a testing, trial, trustworthiness.
Bring Out - katergazomai (kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee): to work fully, accomplish, to finish.
Patience (both verses) hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay): cheerful endurance, constancy.

I think these verses are very interesting. Two things stood out the most for me.

One
In order to get the fruit of patience we must go through trials. The trials are what make us strong and help us to learn patience. The trials are like a training ground. You don't just get patience. You must earn it through experience and endurance.

Two
Not only do we have to go through the trials, but we must be calm and have a cheerful enduring attitude. As if the trial itself wasn't enough. LOL.

I don't know too many people that get excited over trials. The first thing that most of us do is ask God to take the trial away. Then we ask Him for patience. That is too funny. I think God has the best sense of humor. He truly is an AWESOME GOD!

What I believe James is trying to explain to us is that in this world we will have trials. There is no way out of it. It is part of life. I guess you can thank Adam and Eve for it. It is just the way it is. James is telling us that even though we must go through these trials, our Wonderful and Mighty God threw in a benefit.

The benefit is that when we go through these trials calmly, with a good attitude, and stand strong in our faith, we will become fully developed and lack nothing. Can you imagine lacking nothing? I think this means that we will be so focused on the victory and the more we find joy in the midst of the trials they will eventually have no affect on us. That is truly a wonderful gift. To get to a point in your walk that your emotions do not run amuck every time something goes wrong in your life. To get to a place where you have a calmness and are cheerfully enduring.

That is my goal. I want that kind of faith. I want to lose the emotional upheaval and gain the victorious calm.

Please Let me win.....

I have never been so disillusions or had such discontent with a job in my life. I know and believe that He has me here for a purpose ... but I feel like I almost can't handle it anymore...

Great Photographer and an Amazing Beginning

One of my dearest adoptees recently gave her life to the man that God provided for her. The man of her dreams, Brian Johnston. Dana had a "not so" perfect up-bringing - actually some may call it very harsh. But she is a survivor. When I met her she was a struggling single mom of a young boy named Chris. Through sharing time in my backyard doing a bible study, we developed a life long friendship. I have seen Dana grow into an amazing woman, incredible mom - sold out for Jesus. And now I have had the blessing of walking her down the aisle and presenting her, whole, pure and shameless into the arms of her waiting groom. That is what our God does for us. He picks up out out of ANY situation, dusts us off, washes us clean and white as pure snow... All He wants is for us to ask Him! He is waiting... He knows all that is going on in your life and is waiting with open arms...

Dana and Brian are joined together and have a life to share and raise Chris with Christ's love. Brian has stepped up to be the Godly man and leader of his house as God ordained.

One of the best things of that day was to watch this amazing young photographer take pictures for the Johnston's to record their memories. This was Kevin's first wedding and he did an amazing job. Thanks Kevin.... I would reccommend him highly- KAndrews Photography from Antioch.

Where are you God....?

Dictionary: a·ban·don

tr.v., -doned, -don·ing, -dons.
To withdraw one's support or help from, especially in spite of duty, allegiance, or responsibility; desert: abandon a friend in trouble.
To give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat: abandoned the ship.
To surrender one's claim to, right to, or interest in; give up entirely. See synonyms at relinquish.
To cease trying to continue; desist from: abandoned the search for the missing hiker.
To yield (oneself) completely, as to emotion.