One aspect of Premiere Elements is the ability to change the timeline by moving a slide in or out. When you move it out you can see finer details of the elements.  If you move it all the way to the right, the elements become very large and you can see them in miniscule detail.  At the same time, you cannot see anything else except the element.

It dawned on me how our circumstances can become like that element when the timeline is enlarged.  Focusing on our circumstances is like moving the slide to the right.  The more we focus on them the larger they become. Eventually we do not see anything except the circumstances we are facing.  By doing this the circumstances become much larger than what they really are in perspective to our life.

We need a new plan, a new course of action.  In my book, Letting Go, Pathway to an Amazing Life I talk about putting our circumstances into perspective.

Our focus becomes the circumstances of our lives. Circumstances
will never bring us peace. When we dwell on what we see and not on God, fear
takes over. The more we replay in our minds the circumstances we are in, the
more overwhelming they become. Even seemingly insignificant things can seem
huge. As Christians, we still have struggles; however, too often we allow difficulties
and unpleasant circumstances to turn us away from God. When our circumstances
become difficult, it can be hard for us to believe that God has not forgotten
us and is ready to help.[i]

When difficulties arise instead of focusing on what we are facing, let’s lift our eyes toward God and focus on the wonderful promises He makes us, His mercy and His unfailing love, and put our confidence in Him.

“We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”
2 Cor 1:10b (NLT)

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. 
For we know how dearly God loves us,
because He has given us the
Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”
 Romans 5:5 NLT

Recently I started running-walking.  I run as far as I can and then start walking.  When my heart stops racing I start running again.  I have noticed a couple of things as I am doing this.  First, I noticed the first time I run I can run longer than each time after.  In fact, each time becomes shorter and shorter.  Until finally I have to stop and rest.  Second, I noticed the next day I can go a little bit further than the day before. 

                During this time I thought about how we can get excited about something new—a new person in our life, a new job, a new project and so forth and put a lot of energy into it.  We are full of hope and are running forward! But inevitably something or someone discourages us and we slow down.  But hope springs forth and we start to run again.  This time however we don’t get as far before becoming discouraged again.  This happens over and over until finally we lose hope and quit. 

                We are then at a point we need to make a decision.  Are we stopping to quit for good or are we simply stopping to rest and recuperate until a new day?  For those who persist and make a decision to keep moving, they will see themselves running stronger and longer each time that hope springs forth. 

 I have a long ways to go before I can really enjoy running or consider myself a runner.  A marathon runner would look at my efforts and think, “Is that as far as you can run?”  It doesn’t matter how far I run, but that I keep moving.  I will stop and rest when I need it but I will make the choice to run again and never lose hope.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim 4:7 (NIV)

This week I am thankful as I see the mighty hand of God in my life. Over the weekend I was camping near Santa Barbara in a tent.

During Saturday night I was laying in my tent with my arm under my pillow. Suddenly I felt pain in my arm and realized I had been bitten. It really hurt and I prayed for the pain to go away. It did. In the morning, I discovered a black widow spider under my pillow. I had been bitten and God healed me! What an awesome God we serve!

              My manager at the B & C Escrow Company, where I worked as an escrow officer, called me into his office.  “Shelly” he said, “I am sorry, business has been slow and we can no longer afford to keep you.  I am paying you through today and giving you an additional two weeks’ worth of pay.”  Fear wrapped around me like an unwelcome intruder.  I had no savings and two young girls to take care of. 

                Mom had passed away when I was only ten but in that short time she taught me the value of hard work.  She would always say, “If you work hard enough there is nothing you cannot do.”  I had always believed her yet as I sat there in my manager’s office it did not seem like mom was right.  In my life, I had worked hard at several jobs always hoping to move up the ladder to a successful career.  I was going to make a name for myself–but it never seemed to work out that way. 

                After mom passed away dad was never the same again.  He was now drinking every day and was gone a lot.  By the time I finished high school I was ready to move out.  I got a job at the local Zody’s Market as a bagger and earned enough to pay rent for a room in a sweet senior lady’s home.

                  Remembering what mom had taught me, I just knew that if I worked hard enough I would someday be a manager of a store.  Each day I would come to work a little early and would be friendly to the customers.  I did all I could to be a good employee and before I knew it I had become a cashier. 

                Then one day I was told that I was fired!  I was being accused of stealing from my drawer.  I would not do such a thing.  I suspected one of the girls who had also applied for the cashier position was jealous of my promotion and with me out of the way she would be cashier.  And she was. 

                That ended my first job.  Over the years that followed I had many jobs.  Each time I started a new position, I thought this is where I will have the career I always wanted.  If I work hard, then I will finally make enough money to provide a good home for my girls.    No more would I have to scrimp and save just to through them a birthday party.   My girls will have the things that I never had.  However, for one reason or another it did not work out that way.

                A couple years ago I started working at B & C Escrow Company.  I started as an assistant and learned quickly the responsibilities of an escrow officer.  When Kathy retired I took over her job.  I was well liked and though the work could be challenging at times, I did a good job.

               Until now I believed this was the career I had hoped for all my life.  That was until the economy took a nose dive.  Times were tough now and houses were not selling as they were before.   So here I sat being told that I no longer had a job. 

               What would I do now?  The only family I had was an abusive, alcoholic father and I did not want myself or my girls living with him.  All my life I believed what mom said, “Work hard enough and you will make something of yourself.”  But now it seemed all I hoped for was a mirage.  I could see it in the distance but when I got close it would disappear and with it all my hope of ever having anything worthwhile.  My hope had all but disappeared.

                Snow flakes fell from the sky while a warm fire glowed from the hearth.  The weather was cold but Kim felt warmth in her heart as she snuggled up close in daddy’s lap.   Not a care in the world could invade her as she slept safely in his arms.  Peace covered like a warm fuzzy blanket. 

                Christmas morning was magical.  Each year the Christmas tree would be overflowing with presents galore.  On the days leading up to Christmas morning, Kim would beg her daddy to tell her what hidden treasures lie under the tree.   She would say, “Oh daddy won’t you please tell me what you have for me.”   He would smile at her delight and quietly remind her to patient for the special morning. 

                The hours seemed to slowly roll by as Kim lay wide awake waiting for her daddy to wake up and get out of bed.   Then no more waiting and she could see all the wonderful gifts her daddy had chosen special for her.   Scenes of her tearing away the colorful paper to discover what’s inside, danced through her head.

                 Those special Christmas mornings filled with laughter as she played with daddy and all the new toys offered memories forever tucked away deep in her heart.   No other occasion did she feel her daddy’s love more than during those magical moments.

                Yes Christmas was a very special time of year.  But there were many more wonderful times she spent with her daddy.  He would take her on long walks, walking hand in hand.  What joy flowed through her heart as they strolled through the park!   When she would fall down and get hurt he was there to wipe away her tears and kiss the hurt good-bye.  She could count on him to be there no matter what came.  All would be ok as long as daddy was there. 

               Kim adored her dad.  She had a special bond with her dad that she counted on to never be broken.   Her world revolved around being close to her daddy. 

                Then one day daddy was gone.  No it couldn’t be so!  He would never leave me; I was his special angel.   Each day I waited for his return; knowing he would not be long.   Where had he gone?  She cried out, “Oh mom, please tell me where did daddy go”.  Sadly mom just looked at her, as she tried to keep her tears from falling from her eyes.  She whispered, “My darling I do not know”. 

               Kim grew up never knowing where dad had gone.   Mom’s heart had grown cold, lacking emotion.  No longer did Kim feel loved.  No longer did she feel she belonged.   So too, Kim’s heart grew cold with bitterness, vowing never to let love grow.  Her motto became “love them then leave them”.   Who needs love any ways, she can have fun without it. 

              And fun Kim had.  Life was one big party.  She was invited to go to close to half a dozen parties each week.  She was had a blast.  Kim was a beautiful, out-going girl and had many friends, especially with the guys.   She loved the attention they gave her.  She was happy to give them what they wanted since it all made her feel wanted. 

                There were aching feelings deep inside but not anything that another good party could take care of.  So party on! 

                Then one day Kim woke up throwing up.  This was not something new; many mornings she had woke up hung over.  Surely this to will pass.  But it did not go away.   Each day she felt nausea; nothing staying in her stomach.  Finally she went to the doctor and discovered she was with child.

                What will she do?  Abortion was not an option for her.  She had always been so against such a thing.   She would be a good mother that is what she would do.   She would give her child all that had been taken away. 

                As the child grew inside, Kim’s party life changed.  She did not get the attention she once had.   No longer could she hide those aching pains.   The pains threatened to wipe away any hope she clung to.  It was as if hope had become slippery and wet like trying to hold onto a fish who wants to swim away.  Was there anything better than what she had known?

                Kim had complications with the baby and had to see the doctor on a frequent basis yet somehow she did not mind.  The nurse there was so nice.  There was something different about her.   Kim felt good inside when the nurse looked at her with such loving eyes. 

                Finally she asked what it was that made her smile.   Mary, which was her name, put her arm around Kim and took the time to tell her the story of a dad who never leaves or forsakes us.   This dad is full of compassion and mercy.   He knows everything about her, even the number of hairs on her head, and loves her through it all.   This dad is faithful and will never let her down.

                Kim had heard this story before and had always brushed it off as foolishness.  Yet somehow coming from Mary it all seemed true.  Each visit Kim asked Mary more.  The truth of God’s love gently chipped away at the harden crust that enclosed her heart.   

                The months seemed to roll by.  Soon a new baby came into this world.  It was a new beginning for one so small.  And a new beginning for a mother whose heart had been warmed by the touch of her new found Father’s love.  A beginning filled with hope for the future.

There is surely a future hope for you,
     and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:18 (NIV)

 Poem by Donna Driver

Wounds old seem new again
Shadows of longing haunt my dreams
I turn from voices that have no name
I rush to muffle screams

Must move forward ~ no turning back
Must push forward ~ even if I crawl
Hope belongs to tomorrow not yesterday
I must escape Memory’s call

Obscure shapes haunt my thoughts
Deceased desires claw at my heart
I must set my eyes on Love’s mighty power
~ I hear hope call from afar

 Must go on ~ can’t give up
Can’t honor pain that binds to times of old
Must trust healing will come and rescue me
and mend this tortured soul

 Through the aching I feel His touch
Love true comes to mend this heart of mine
Hope picks me up and carries me on
I arise one more time

 I rise again

I breathe again
I go on with the strength of my Lord

I fight again

I trust again
knowing Love will catch me if I fall

 Eyes set forward
can’t look back
I must push on ’til this pain sets me free
so I hope again

I embrace faith again
I trust my heart will know victory

Teardrops on heated cheeks
Stretched knuckles raised high in praise
Yesterday’s memories will soon fade away
 I will know better days

I will know better days

                Jill grew up with the outward appearance of having all this world has to offer.  Her father had been quite successful in his business endeavors.  He did not have much as a child and wanted his child to have all her heart desired. 

            To her was given everything she could think to ask for.  Nothing was held back.  She had stylish clothes and drove the latest model sport car.  Further, she was given a hefty allowance in case there was something she might want.  Yes she was the envy of many.

            But it never seemed to be enough.  Even with all she wanted there was an emptiness that gnawed at her.  She enjoyed her life for moments at a time; times filled with pleasure of all the things.  But in between there was aching for more. 

Her desires clawed at her; beckoning her to run away.  Run away from all the fakeness of it all.   Everyone with their phony smile pretending that life gives them happiness.  Yes they have riches lacking nothing; nothing that is except contentment.   So run she did away from it all. 

She ran right into the devil’s playground.  The excitement of it all numbed the emptiness hidden deep within.  As she wallowed in the fun, she found shelter from the pain of nothingness.  The lure kept her moving further away from the love of family and friends and into the life of fame. 

No more to be sheltered in her family’s home.  No more to be just a “rich kid”.  No more being important for whose daughter she was.  Now she was going to be important for who she was.  Everyone would know her name.  She would be the famous one.

So off she went.  And fame she found.  Yes this was it she now had it all!  But not for long before she knew it her familiar friend of emptiness haunted her once more.  Once more she wanted to run but where to go.  An acquaintance told her of the high she felt each time she popped a pill and suggested she should try it too. 

This acquaintance was right, for it took her higher than she ever felt.  It took her higher than all the pleasures her daddy gave her, higher than the fame, much higher than it all.  Yet what her friend failed to tell her was the great fall that came from that high perch once the thrill was gone. 

Emptiness came rushing into the crevices of her soul.  Along with it came hopelessness to eat away at her essence.  Farther and farther she fell into the pit of despair.  Where will she run to now? 

She began to run down her street to where she did not know.  She ran as fast as she could go trying to run away from it all.  Her lungs grew heavy as she fell upon the ground.  As she laid there contemplating ending her life, she saw a light in a small chapel on the corner.   She never noticed this chapel before.  But now it was drawing her to come to its doors. 

She rose and ventured toward the light.  Inside she was met by a sweet old lady who told her the story of a life that was given for her.  As she listened teardrops fell on her cheeks. It was a sacrifice far greater than her mind could wrap itself around.    

She struggled with this new found hope.  Hope for a better tomorrow.  Could it be true that unfailing love had been given to her?  Was it true that the creator of the universe cared for her and would take away the emptiness and replace it with meaning? As she dared to dream that it be true memories of her past came in like a flood.  Memories of all she had done. 

Thoughts of her wounds from the past bounced around in her head like a ping pong ball; holding her back from grabbing hold of this new found hope. Hope for a better tomorrow.  Nevertheless in her heart she knew that she had found the answer; the answer to her longing.  So now she must run again; this time to escape the haunting of the past. 

Instead she must hear God’s call for her and to dare let go of all that has gone before.  It is essential that she listens to Him as He gently tells her of His great love He longs to give her.  It is a love deep enough to surround her with hope of erasing all the sorrow.   As this love penetrates the hardness that has grown, she lets go of her stubborn will and lets Him lift her eyes on into His loving face; a face full of compassion.

The voices need to go away, those old familiar lies that once dragged her down into the depths of no tomorrows.  For now she has been given victory over all that bound her and led her to the grave.  It is time to celebrate and shout it from the rooftops of her new found love.  Let her lips praise the one who has given her hope for better days. 

“My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you–
     I, whom you have redeemed.”

Psalms 71:23 (NIV)

Poem by Donna Driver

 Why God?? 

Why?  Why God?  Have you ever heard yourself screaming these words?  I have!  You wonder, why did that happened.   You are disappointed; you were expecting a different outcome.    You asked God what His will is, yet you run into roadblocks.  You can’t help wonder why. 

David called all his officials and the leaders in Israel together to discuss bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.   He sought their approval and that of God.  It was decided the Ark should be retrieved. 

They placed the Ark on a cart and started traveling with it.  Everyone was excited to have the Ark returning to them for God’s presence could be found between the cherubim of the Ark.  What joy was in their heart to have God’s presence back in Israel.  David and all of Israel were celebrating with all their might.  They were singing and playing instruments. 

David felt he was pleasing God.  The Ark had been neglected during Saul’s reign.  Now David was drawing the attention of everyone in Israel to God.  He called for everyone to worship the Holy One.  It is possible he was thinking, “God is delighted.” 

But then the unexpected happened!  As the Ark reached a threshing floor, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark.  The Lord’s anger was aroused and He struck Uzzah dead.  David became angry!  I can hear him shouting, “Why!  Did we not seek your approval?  Were we not praising you?”  He did not understand why.  Was not Uzzah only trying to steady the Ark?  David sought to bring God glory but in return he felt shame. 

David’s anger caused him to lose hope.  He had put his hope in the Lord but now he did not know what to think.  Perhaps he questioned God’s love? 

Instead of bringing the Ark and God’s presence close to where he lived, he took it to the house of Obed-edom.  It stayed there in this house for three months.  While it was there the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom. 

We see later on David realized the reason why.  “Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us.  We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” 1 Chronicles 15:13 NLT.   He then once again planned to have the Ark moved to Jerusalem. 

David’s not knowing why lead to anger.  This anger leads David to not seek God’s presence with him.  God’s blessing then went to Obed-edom.

When I have become angry with God because I did not understanding the why, I have found myself separated from Him.   This made it easy for me to lose hope.  I began to focus on my circumstances and fear gripped me.  All my joy and peace was sucked out. 

Many things happen in life that we simply do not understand.  It is natural to wonder the why or to question where God was.  David discovered the answer to his why.  Sometimes we will too.  However there are many times we will not know why until we get to heaven.  Nonetheless, let’s not let the unknown reason create doubt of God’s love and build anger in our heart.  To do so, is the seed that brings loss of hope.  We are then robbed the joy of being in His presence.

              Have you ever pictured yourself flying?  When I was little I would dream of being able to fly.  I would lie awake at night and think about where I would go and what I would see.  I pictured myself flying high above the beautiful scenery of the mountains, flying from one mountain top to another much like an eagle. 

            The eagle is the king of the birds.  It is known for its speed, strength, power, and courage.  I am told it is a magnificent sight to see an eagle soaring high in the sky.     They can soar higher in the sky than any other bird with seemingly little effort by understanding the currents and how to use them to their advantage.  Further, it does not waste energy unnecessarily allowing it to fly for lengthy periods. 

            Unlike the eagle we can waste energy unnecessarily on fear, guilt, anger and much more.  We focus on our circumstances and think that is all there is.   We get lost in our thoughts about how difficult our situation is.  We dwell in the past and wonder if the future holds anything better.  These thoughts take us captive and lead us into a pit of despair; a world without hope.   

            We crawl along the ground afraid to even look up.  To do so might bring broken dreams once again.  So we dredge along the ground not daring to hope for more.   Not believing anything better is possible.  

            There is a legend of an Indian brave who found an eagle’s egg.  He was unable to find the nest it belonged in, so he put the eagle’s egg in a prairie chicken’s nest.  The eagle was hatched and began to live with the prairie chickens.  As he grew up all he saw was chickens.  He saw the chickens scratch and peck around in the dirt and he followed their example.            

            Then one day the eagle saw something in the sky that amazed him.  High above him was a bald eagle majestically soaring through the sky.  He asked what was soaring high above.  One of the chickens said, “That is an eagle, king of the birds.  But you are a prairie chicken and you can never fly like that.”  So believing what he was told, he spent the rest of his life scratching around in the dirt.  He had the ability to soar but he failed to realize it.  

            Sadly too many of us are like that eagle.  We live our life scratching out an existence.  Our eyes our focused on the ground and we can only believe in what we told and what we can see.   The storms in our life batter us around, taking a heavy toll on us.  

            In contrast, an eagle knows when a storm is approaching.  It will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.  When the storm arrives, it positions its wings so the wind takes it up above the storm.   While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.  The eagle does not escape the storm; instead uses the storm to lift it higher.  

            We all can soar, but how?  How can we soar like an eagle above the storm?  In what way can we rise above the challenges and difficulties that come our way?  

            In Isaiah we read it is by placing our hope in the Lord.  Hope is the confident expectation of something positive going to happen.  When we sit down on a chair we have the confident expectation that it will hold us.  We do not worry whether it is strong enough.  We do not fear it will collapse.  No fear, no worry.  Why?  Because we have been sitting in chairs most of our life and have grown to be confident they will support us.   

            God wants us to expect Him to always be there to hold us.   We can only do this by experiencing His unfailing love for us personally.   

           An eagle learns to fly when the mother eagle pushes the timid bird from the nest high above the ground.  The bird will flutter and fall towards the ground.  The mother eagle will fly down, catch the young eagle and it will ride upon her wings.    As this is repeated the eagle grows to expect its mother to be there, bringing it to a place of safety.  Each time it gains confidence and becomes a little braver until it no longer it fears leaving the nest.   

            In Deut 32:11 it says, “He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, Then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly.”  God teaches us to fly by nudging us away from our comfort zone and letting us fall.   By doing so He teaches us not to place our confidence in ourselves but instead to rely on Him to be there to catch us.  Even though we are weak we fly safely on His wings.  And together we soar higher and higher.   Each time this happens we grow to expect that He will always be there for us and that we can put our hope in the Him.

           We begin the process by taking our eyes off our circumstances and our feelings and stepping away from all we know.  As we fall into His loving arms we learn to trust that He will hold us and carry us through our life’s situations.  We then begin to have a confident expectation that He will always be there for us.  As faith grows we rise higher and higher until we are soaring above the storms.    

             My friend, I urge you to take your eyes off the ground and focus them instead on God’s unfailing love for you. He is faithful and will protect you in the shelter of His wings.  As you grow in your knowledge of Him it is my prayer that you will step out in faith and put your hope in Him.  

I could sit with you and look upon your wounds
I could lay with you as we gaze upon your scars
I could help you recall every image of the abuse
I could help recall the moment your world was torn apart

I don’t want to highlight the cruelty
that you have suffered over in so many ways
Rather I want to reflect the light of Heaven
and the heart of Him who offers you His grace

Child, come, rise up and walk free now
enter into the beauty of His love and light
step free from the chains of yesterday
it’s time to spread your wings and take flight

Poem by Donna Driver

    You knew God expected you to flee temptation but you could not seem to resist it, and now you feel as though God is on your back.  You have failed.  What is the point of trying?

    You are not alone in failing. The Apostle Paul failed and Peter failed. David, Israel’s greatest king, “a man after God’s own heart,” failed. Moses, giant among the Israelites, giver of the law, deliverer of his people, failed. Jacob, father of Israel, failed. Abraham, one considered righteous through faith, failed. Even Adam & Eve failed.  It is not failing that is the problem; it is what one does after he or she has failed. 

   As we look at our failures discouragement looms over us.  It seems too much and our old way of living starts to sound appealing. We begin to take our focus off God and put it onto ourselves. As we do this, we give Satan the ability to gain a little ground and to tear us away from our relationship with God.

With the right attitude, all the problems in the world will not make
you a failure. With the wrong mental attitude,  all the help in the world will not make you a success.
Warren Deaton

   Whatever God calls you to do whether it is to resist temptation, to help others or something else it seems overwhelming.  The task seems to enormous for you to handle.  Instead you just want to get away from Him for awhile, go someplace where He cannot see you, so you don’t have to face the challenge.

    “Every day, a fatherless boy gazed at the fence separating his family’s ramshackle cabin from the Glen Lakes Country Club golf course on the outskirts of Dallas.  What chance did a poor Chicano boy with a seventh-grade education have of being welcomed into that world?

    Yet the boy was determined.  First, he gained entrance to the grounds as a gardener.  Then he began caddying and playing a few holes at dusk.  He honed his putting skills by hitting balls with a soda bottle wrapped in adhesive tape.

    Today no fence keeps Lee Trevino, two-time U.S. Open winner, from being welcomed into any country club in the nation.

         Sure, Trevino had talent.  But talent isn’t what kept him from quitting after he placed an embarrassing fifty-fourth in his first U.S. Open.  His secret was perseverance. 

         Persistent people know they can succeed where smarter and more talented people fail.  .  . Successful people understand that no one makes it to the top in a single bound.  What truly sets them apart is their willingness to keep putting one step in front of the other—no matter how rough the terrain.”[i]

“God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome,
not to be overwhelmed.”
William Arthur Ward (1812-1882)

    Many godly people in Scripture faced tasks which they believed were beyond them, but the confidence to carry on came through the assurance of God’s presence. For example, when Moses was called by God to return to Egypt and deliver the people from bondage, he shuddered at the enormity of the task. When he tried to back off, God said, “Certainly I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12).

    When Joshua took over the leadership of the nation after Moses’ death, he struggled with the same lack of confidence. But God was right there to encourage him: “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

“Perseverance is the rope that ties the soul to the doorpost of heaven”
Frances J. Roberts 

   God is with us when we embrace what He has called for us to do. Obstacles will come.  These obstacles can discourage us, slow us down, detour us, or cause us to quit. Too often we allow some kind of rejection or disappointment to discourage us. Distractions and frustrations in life can weigh us down. It can become hard to hold onto the hope that motivated us for a better life.

   Beware it is at this point that satan is ready to pounce on us “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.  He wants us to give up and live our life according to our own desires and not for God’s purposes.

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”
Proverbs 24:16 (NLT)

   Embrace the challenge to preserve.  Let us not let our circumstances discourage us and lose our way.   Hold onto the hope that God loves us and is always there.

“We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen? But if we hope for what we don’t see,
we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Romans 8:24-25 (GW)

     At 45, missionary Frank Laubach was a theological seminary professor in the Philippines. He was next in line for president of the seminary. However, the board selected someone else. Laubach went to the hills to sulk. He was angry about the unfairness of life. He was a failure in his own eyes.

    Was that the end of his story? No way. In his solitude, Frank developed a technique for teaching hundreds of millions of people throughout the world to read for the first time. He became the father of the modern literacy movement. Frank Laubach learned to live above failure, and on a new level, he found how to achieve excellence. 

“By perseverance the snail
reached the ark”
Charles Spurgeon

    When our hearts are weary and we are tempted to quit, let us press on and embrace the challenge.  We shall call upon the Lord and He will set us upon solid ground. 

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 61:2 (NIV)

“We must never forget that the word persevere comes from the prefix per, meaning through, coupled with the word severe.  It means to keep pressing on, trusting God, looking up, doing our duty—even through severe circumstances.”[ii]

Jesus, help me to be for Thee,
Just like a big, strong cedar tree;
When all the other trees are bare,
The cedar stands so green and fair,
The wind and storm, the ice and cold
Make it more beauty to unfold,
So I would stand in trial and test,
Just trusting You to do what’s best,
Though Others fail, Lord, keep Thou me!
May I a cedar Christian be!”[iii]

[ii] From a sermon by Robert J Morgan

[iii] Unknown

If you were in the same sitution and was unsure of what the truth was, would you have gone to meet the family?

Love to hear your thoughts?