Tribute to Dad, News, and Some Updates

Hello again everyone! :)

It has been a wonderful Lord's day! It's been relaxing and restful and also full of laughter! Today is Father's Day, and I just wanted to say a few words to tell my Dad how much he means to me. I don't often know how to thank my parents...but I thought that this would be a good way! Even though I couldn't be with my Dad today, I was glad to talk to him on the phone and hear about the fun he, Mom, and my brother are having in D.C. I am so thankful to my Daddy for raising me up with discipline and true love. He is never afraid to make a sacrifice for us, his family, and knows that this is what true love is all about. He makes sacrifices for us every day when he goes out and works long hours on a smelly dairy (although I'm sure he's quite used to the smell now!) so that we can live a comfortable life with many blessings. So much of what we have is because of all the work he does, and I don't think that he has been thanked nearly enough for all of the hard work he has done for us. He is a hard working man who is willing to give up his time, energy, and money to those whom he can offer his help. He's so smart and I'm so thankful for his willingness to always give of his wisdom to help me in school or give me words of advice in big-decision times! I'll always remember him teaching me about character and I live by his advice that having character is doing the right thing, even when you know nobody's looking. He disciplined me, but I'm thankful for it, because it made me respect him. And even though I could say so much more...I'm glad that he was there to support us kids in whatever we did! He is a father who always wants to listen, absolutley cares about what we're into, and is there to watch and support us in our pursuits! Thank you so much for everything Dad!...especially all the road trips you planned and took us on!! They were my favorite times with you! No matter what, Dad, I will always be your little girl :)

As some of you may know, today was also my 20th birthday! I can officially say that I am no longer a teenager...even though I may still look like it ;) It was a wonderful weekend and I am very thankful! My roommate and her family took me in on Friday night and gave me a mini-birthday party (since they knew I'd be spending it away from home). They bought me a cake, sang happy birthday to me, and we got to play lots of card games together! It was so much fun!! Then on Saturday I got to spend the entire day with Caleb! He took me to the aquarium and we got to enjoy seeing God's many wonderful creatures and enjoy laughing at how cool-looking and cute they were :) Today we got to go to church to a message about our adoption into the house of God! It was very encouraging and the rest of the day was full of rest and enjoying spending time with my best friend!

On that note, I just want to tell you a little bit about Caleb, for those of you who don't know him! I am so blessed to be his girlfriend! I can't believe that so much has happened in the past 10 (almost!) months. Its amazing what God has brought us through and how the two of us have grown together. First of all, he is probably one of the funniest guys I have ever met...but that could just be a result of how weird we are when we are together! :) He is so caring and is a gentleman in about every respect (he's always opening doors for me and always holding out a helping hand). One of his best qualities is that he's a wonderful listener. No matter what we are going through (or how emotional I am feeling) he always takes time to sit, listen, and give me wise advice.

But my favorite thing about him is that throughout our time together, he has encouraged me in the Lord in so many ways. Even before we started dating I saw how he had a great reverence and fear of God and His holy Word. Caleb has encouraged me to see God's Word as powerful and truth. "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competant, equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16-17. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:4-7. He inspires me because he desires to live according the Holy Word of God, and do God's will for His glory. His desire is to live God's way. Being at his side has helped me see that God's way is so much better than doing anything my own way. I am also learning that God's Word is absolutley irreplaceable in a Christian's daily walk. It has helped me see that God is so good, no matter what, and that His promises are always true.

Since the beginning of our relationship I have seen how Caleb has such awe for God's majesty and greatness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" Psalm 111:10a. He has always been respectful, self-sacrificing, and pure of heart, and his desire to do things God's way has made him a great leader. I love that he is willing work to make God's truth known! I love to see him get so fired up when someone twists God's Word. It just shows me how pure and passionate His heart is for God's truth. "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" Ecclesiastes 12: 13. "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; You have loved righteousness and hate wickedness." Psalm 45:6-7. Together, God has helped us to find comfort our Father through trials, in times of joy, and in times of uncertainty. Through our relationship, God has grown my desire to live according to God's will. We've learned together about truth, the power of a spoken word, God's true love, and how important it is to encourage each other and be there to support each other day-to-day. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" 1 John 4:18."Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" Ephesians 4:29. He has also encouraged me to have a thankful heart! When I'm having a bad attitude, he reminds me of what God has done already and what we have to be thankful for.

I'm not saying that he is perfect, by any means. We are both sinners and know that we fall short of God's standard in so many ways. We both know that we will make mistakes, but we have the love of God to love each other through those mistakes. "Two people are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow...And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him..." Ecclesiates 4:9-13. It's so funny, because I see so much of my dad in him, and it makes me smile :) I'm so thankful that God brought him into my life! We are so blessed and I praise my Heavenly Father thank both of our fathers (and mothers for that matter!) setting such a good example for us, in faith, in purity, and in strength. We are very thankful!

There's also some wonderful news I wanted to share with you before I go! Sinced I talked about my employment situation a little bit in my last post, I just wanted to let you all know that I got a part-time job!!! Actually...I technically got two!...one is a consistent job at a local senior center and one a job that I will do every once in a while. So, to tell you the full story, I didn't actually plan on getting a job when I went to the senior center. I went in to have a meeting to find out how I could help out at the center during the week. I told the directors that since I didn't have a job I wanted to help out in any way I could. I was taken completely by surprise when one of them told me that they'd like to give me some volunteer hours, but that they'd actually like to pay me for my services. My heart basically jumped inside me with excitement!! I couldn't believe what I had just heard. They wanted to pay me! They said since they had such a small budget they could only pay me for half of my hours there...but I didn't care...I was ecstatic!! I get to help write thank-you's to donors, write/design the monthly newsletter, and write grants! I'm so excited because they could really use the help and these are all things that I'm good at!!! After weeks of looking I never thought I'd ever find God's provision for my needs at the senior center...especially one that I offered to volunteer at!! I'm so thankful! I finally feel like this is where God wants me to be this summer. The people that work at the center are so sweet and I'm excited to work with them! I'm praying that God uses me for good and His glory while I'm there! "Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of His servant!" Psalm 35:27b. It was such a sweet gift and surprise from God that I didn't expect. God had a plan for me to get a job, it was just not in the way that I expected and not in my timing. And I'm glad it wasn't! Because this is wonderful!! "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7. "Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life...I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble" Psalm 54:4-7

"Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man...Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth and high priase was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; He has attened to the voice of my prayer! Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!" Psalm 66:5&16-20

So basically what I'm saying to sum up this whole blog post is that God is so good! I now have a way to pay for my groceries and gas and a wonderful place to commit my time. I know that He is FOREVER FAITHFUL!! He continues to show me every day that this is true and that His promises are always true! So, when I am afraid of what is ahead or nervous for the day, I will stand strong on these promises: "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6. "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20. And even in trials, we know that our trials only last a little while. We know from God's Word that this world is only a place that we are passing through. We know that we are running towards the prize of our home in heaven, where we get to reach the prize! The prize and the inheritance of being in perfect presence of God himself. Where love and grace abound to His children--us, His saved ones. The ones He purchased by the blood of Jesus."Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the glower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever." 1 Peter 1:24-25. "According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" 1 Peter 1:3b-4. We can rejoice wherever we are because of our hope for our future home in heaven with God! So let us continue to run the race with courage: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" 1 Timothy 1:7. Always remember that this is not our home and we have a perfect one to come, where there is no more pain and no more tears! So, we can rejoice in whatever situation we may be in! And we have no reason to lose hope! Let us rejoice with thanksgiving for all that God has given us! And hope for what is yet to come! "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble." Psalm 107:1-2

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever" 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Thanks for listening! :)
Praise the Lord! For He has blessed us!
Kasey

Peace in Uncertain Travel

So...I've tried to write my next blog post probably 5 or 6 times so far...so, Lord willing, this will actually get posted soon. It's been so long since I've written that its hard to know where to begin...

Okay, so I've officially finished my second year of college...wait, did I just say second???...yes, in fact! I am halfway through college already...and it has gone by so fast. The school year was full of homework, papers, and projects. And although I love learning, I can definitely say that I am thankful for this time of rest from school for the next three months. As many of you might know, I am not living at home for the summer, which is completely new to me. Already, I can see that this summer is a completely different and new season of my life with its own challenges and blessings. But, first of all, I was so thankful to be able to go home for a couple of weeks! It was a much needed time with my family :) I was so blessed to be able to see my brother and sister graduate from high school and my little brother graduate from 8th grade! It was very special to be able to be there for an exciting event! It was awesome to be able to laugh together, be silly, and help keep the house looking clean of course! We got to be silly and watch lots of movies together...Tangled being our new favorite. I got to talk with my parents and listen to their words of wisdom for the future! It was just a blessing to be able to rest and enjoy being at home.

Not only did I get to see my family, but I got to enjoy talking to people that I haven't seen for a long time. Being home I realized how many wonderful people I have in my life. So many people who have helped me through my past and continue to encourage me in the present! I am so blessed with the friends God has put in my life! I can't even count them all! If you are reading this...you are probably one of those people :) Its just such a relief to be able to come home and enjoy some laughter and memories with people that I love. I even got a sweet little package of goodies from home today for my birthday! All my favorite things from my favorite family :)

But now I am back and its been an interesting ride. Its been frustrating time but unexpectedly fruitful as well. As many of you know, I do not have a job. I have been looking for one for the past week and a half with nothing yet. Although I was bitter at the uncertainty that God had placed me in in the beginning, I've begun to appreciate this time of rest and finding peace and hope in God alone. I know that God has placed me here in this place and at this time for a reason. I've realized that God is so so good. All the time, no matter what. "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." Psalm 37:23-24. When I chose to think and respond to God each day with a thankful heart, every day was a blessing. I see that God is guiding me, teaching me, and holding me every single day.

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, oh my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeemed your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" Psalm 103:1-5. Even though I may not have a job, I know for a fact that my God provides for me. I don't always know how He is going to provide, day to day, but I've seen Him provide as I seek Him and lean on Him to provide for my every need. He has provided me through others so many times in the past week that I can't even count. He's provided a place for me to do my laundry so I didn't have to pay for it, He's provided me with a roommate who I've had so much fun with and have enjoyed getting to know better every day, He's provided for groceries and meals, He's provided me with a place to stay all summer, He's provided me a way to see Caleb every weekend which is always a special treat, and He has provided me with His Word and His promises for encouragement and purpose in each and every day.

I'm telling ya...when you get into God's Word, it really becomes a part of who you are. It changes the way you think, and its on your mind a lot! God's Word is a guide to life. Its truth and the promises that lie within its pages are exactly what a follower of Christ needs to face the challenges of each day. God's Word says a lot about the unknown...and not knowing what the future holds has been a huge struggle for me not only the the past weeks but in the last whole year. But that's where faith and trust come in. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5 "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act...be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" Psalm 37:5&7. We have to trust that He is God and He knows what He's doing. He is the one who created the earth from nothing and formed us in our mother's womb, and we have to be sure and know that He will take care of us each day. We have to know that He's been faithful before and He'll be faithful again. We just have to wait on Him.

One truth found in God's word has been on my mind a lot since I've been back. Is that God cares for us and He sees our each and every need and He will not forsake us. "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:26. We are His children and He will give us everything we need! You are His precious daughter or His precious son, and He will watch over you always. Whether it be food, companionship, love, clothing, shelter, education...God knows what we need and He knows our future...and knows what we'll need down the road. He has it all together even if we don't. We just need to trust and do our very best with what He's given us in the moment. "Therefore, do not be anxious saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the [unbelievers] seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33.

I can tell you that it was God who provided two quarters for me that I didn't have at the cash register the other day. It was something so small, but so profound to me. I came up to the register and the lady rang me up at $5.99. I had about $5.40, but did not have any change to pay for the rest of it. In my heart I wondered where the rest would come from and I believe that it was sent up as a prayer. And the next minute the cashier pulled a quarter out from under the desk. But seeing that I needed 25 more cents, pulled another quarter out of her own pocket to help me pay for the rest. You can say whatever you like...but I know that this was a provision from God. It meant so much to me that God would see my need for something so small as a few quarters and give it to me without me even having to ask. It was a gift. A beautiful and surprising gift, with which God reminded me that He is always there to provide. "Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

One of my favorite verses of all time, that has been coming up again and again, is Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This verse tells us that we shouldn't worry about anything....not even about what we will be doing tomorrow, what other people will think of us, what decision to make, or even about the unknowns of our futures. God wants us to trust Him. We are to thank Him for all that He has already done for us--and let me tell you that just thinking about what God has already done for you will begin to put your mind at peace. And we are to let God know what we need. He wants us to communicate with Him and come to Him, knowing that He has all things in His hands and He won't let us go. And then when we do these things and come to a place of faith and thanksgiving, we will experience His amazing peace! It's far above what any earthly man can understand, because to any man, his life can be spinning out of control and there is no other way he can cope but to panic and be depressed. But if we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, we can know that our Heavenly Father is watching over us with care and with such love.

I mean, God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be able to come to Him!!! He made a way for a wretch his treasure. We were filthy prostitutes, unfaithful our great and perfect Prince, and He wanted us. How crazy is that?? God in His holiness still wanted us to be with Him forever. He brought us to Himself by the blood of His Son, Jesus!! There's no doubt that He loves us. If nothing else...we can always know of His love for us because of the sacrifice of Jesus for us. It is an amazing love! "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person...but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 We deserve the unending wrath of a powerful God, but were given the gift of His eternal grace and love instead. Not by anything we had done...but simply through faith in Jesus. "We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Romans 5:11 Wow. Crazy. I didn't expect to write about this...but I can't help but revel in how amazing the love of God is to us. In everything, but ultimately in giving us Jesus. "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another." 1 John 4:9-10

So, I don't know what you're thinking...but I'm thinking that God's love is pretty undeniable. There are so many ways that we can see it manifested--in God's Word, in His work in our own lives, His provision, and in what He has already done for us. So, when we have uncertain times and need that assurance that God is there and that He's taking care of us, run to His Word. Search the scriptures for His promises. I found that His word is the only place where I find true comfort and satisfaction. I challenge you to go get your Bible...no matter how long or short its been since you've opened it. And go find an verse that promises God's goodness and reminds you of His promises to you (for the future, from the past, or ones that are meant for the present)! You'll see that God is truly good. I hope an pray that the searching you do of God's Word gives you hope and assurance, and fills your heart with praise!

Here are some of my favorites:

"This God--His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?--the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights...You have given me the shield of Your salvation and Your right hand supported me." Psalm 18:30-35

"I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path to life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:7-1

"O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes--it has also gone from me...But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer." Psalm 38:9-10

"Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life...I will give thanks to your name , O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble..." Psalm 54:6b-7a

Until next time,

Kasey

Long Time No See...

Hi everybody :)

I haven't posted a blog in a while, and I apologize for not keeping you all more updated on what has been going on in my life lately. Well, I am still here at college and learning new things everyday. The beginning of the year started out a little rocky for me, trying to adjust to all the new things and people that God has brought into my life. But it has also been an amazing blessing. I have been blessed by God in ways that I never expected to be :) I am now blessed to be in a relationship with my friend from school last year, Caleb, who has become my best friend. I definitley never expected it to happen but he has been such a blessing from God. He walks alongside me and encourages me to live Biblically, and we have lots of fun at the same time :)...definitley lots of laughs involved! I hope to encourage him everyday as much as he always encourages me.

This past semester, school has been a lot more difficult than I thought. There are so many papers to write and articles to read, but I am thankful that I have the opportunity to learn so much! I am taking 18 credits this semster and its a lot harder to tackle than before. It requires a huge time commitment, but that's what I'm here to do. And all the classes I've been taking are really interesting--especially human anatomy! Caleb has helped me study for it a lot....I mean we've been to the lab hours and hours a week! Another way that God has blessed me recently is that I get to be a Biology Lab TA next semester! I'm so exctied. I love biology. I get to help people do what I had so much fun doing last year. And in my Writing About Disability class, I've had the chance to learn about disability in society and how lives can be affected! Some of you may know how interesting disability is to me! Speaking of, I even get to work at a camp for kids with disabilities next summer! It's a class I'm taking for spring semester. I get to spend 2 weeks at a camp this year. It will definitley be an opportunity to love and learn!

School has been rough and balance has been challenging but God always reminds (me with a little poke) to look to Him who can deliver me through any trial. At times I feel like I'm stuck. Stuck in my own mind and in the trappings of this world. And my racing and panicky thoughts keep me at a standstill at a crossroad. In the last few months I've tried relying on my own knowledge and my own "wisdom" and even the words of others, but I have found that nothing satisfies or gives me peace like the word of God. It is what I have hope in. It is the very inspired word of my God. He has been teaching me to seek Him and His word first. Took look up to Him and cry out for help. And let me tell you that He has been unbelievably faithful. Although little things haven't happened in the time I thought they would or the way I thought they would, but in the end God shows me that He has great plans for my life. Ones that I may not realize or even have thought about before. "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

I can absolutley say that I am glad my life story is written by the hands of God and not my own hands. Because if it was, I would never learn so much about love, trust, faith, and God's amazing power on my own. I would not change a thing. There have definitley been some points where God has called me to do something that I have been so afraid to do. I always afraid of the unknown. I'm scared to trust God. But when I think about it, I remember all the times the Lord has been faithful. He has been faithful before, and I am confident that He'll be faithful again. Things may not work out exactly how I want, but I'm okay with that. His plan and His way is greater. This is a verse I just keep coming back to: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for good and not for evil; to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11.

So with this, and knowing that there will be times that I--and you too, I'm sure--am afraid to take a step or leap of faith, I will be doing my next blog on obedience. It's something that God has been teaching me about lately. I will be looking at verses that talk about these topics: Why should we obey God? What is the big deal about obedience? How do we obey? And what happens when we obey?

So, I hope you keep your eye out for my next blog! It's the first time in a while that I've really been inspired by the Lord to write again! :) Thanks for listening! And I'll try to post more pictures with my next blog...the uploader wasn't working real well this time!

All the glory to Him! ~Kasey

My Temporary Home

HERE I AM AGAIN…

Something has been on my heart ever since I’ve come back to school. You wanna know what I’ve been feeling lately? Beat down by this world. Almost crushed at times. Since leaving the comfort and safety of home once again, I am remembering how rough it gets trying to stand up under the pressures of this world. We live in a world that is so full of different ideologies, religious views, philosophies, and controversies, that it makes my head spin around. I get so caught up in all the things around me that I lose sight of God and His purpose. Maybe, like me, you’ve been hearing the devil whisper in your ear that you are a complete idiot for believing in such a God—for believing that there is hope in such a dark world.

HOPELESS?

Instead of taking the Lord’s perspective and looking outside myself—outside of my circumstances—I have been beaten down by the craziness all around me. All the things we see and hear that make us feel hopeless. We are stuck in such a hard place. As believers, I’ve realized that our hearts are torn. We long to be with Christ our Savior but we are here on earth where there are things that tempt us everywhere. There is darkness, there is pain, there is confusion…but among the dark clouds there is also a glimmer of hope. And that is Christ. We know what is to come. We long for paradise and to be in the presence of our King. I believe that is one of the hardest things about being stuck here in the middle, on earth. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” Philippians 3:20.

A RAY OF SUNSHINE…

One day we will be in paradise–“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4. And although the enemy will try to convince you that there is no reason for hope, “be patient in trouble, and keep on praying…”Romans 12:12 because “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” Romans 16:20a. The lies will cease and the glory of the Lord will be revealed. And we can have so much hope because we are no longer living as slaves to our sin. “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead you live under the freedom of grace” Romans 6:14. We can walk this road of life in God’s freedom.

So when you are feeling beat down by this world remember this: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” Colossians 3:1-5. When I’m down, I always remind myself to think in the grand scheme of things. I ask myself, “In the end, is this really going to matter? In the end, is any of this worry I have going to make a difference?”

One day I know I’m going to see God’s face. And we can have all our hope in Him, not this crazy world. He is our hope. His promises have always held true. He has been faithful before and He will be faithful again. Be comforted by the fact that you are in the arms and loved by a most amazing and powerful God—the One who made you a part of His story. We may have troubles. We may be confused at times. We may feel lost in a crazy and self-crazed world. But we can take heart because our Christ has already overcome. We already have the victory. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world” John 16: 33.

HERE AND NOW…

Isn’t it amazing that we already know how the story ends? We are just waiting on Him to take us to paradise with Him. And all that He asks of us while we wait is this: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8. Wow. God’s love and grace is something I may never understand, but I will trust in it.

To end, I leave you with this verse and a song. This verse reminds me to look outside of my circumstances and what I may be feeling to my amazing Savior. For we will not be here forever, the things we see are only temporary…for this is my temporary home.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” 2 Corinthians 4:17-19.

Misunderstandings

WHY, GOD?

There are things that we can’t and don’t understand. Can we all just admit that fact? There are things that happen in this life that will never understand. We don’t know why so many bad things happen—why people get cancer, why someone dies, why parents get a divorce, why…why…why? Why does God, if He is so great, let these kinds of things happen?
I don’t have an exact answer because obviously I’m not God. But, we do have a book that was inspired by Him and shows us His heart. Maybe something in the Word can help us understand why these kinds of things happen? We'll look at what God's Word says in a second...

As we look back on our lives we are sure to have questions about our lives. Most of us hold onto things of the past—asking God, “Why on earth would you ever let that happen to me? Why did you let it get so bad? Why didn’t you stop it?”

The other day I had a friend ask me just this. We were talking about our pasts and I told him that I would not change anything in my past for anything in the world. He told me that he had some major regrets in his past that he wishes he could go back and change. He asked me why God would let him get addicted to cocaine and oxycotin. It definitely made me stop and think. This is something about God I am asked all the time.

I thought about my own life. Why don’t I have regrets? Why wouldn’t I change anything? My simple answer was the fact that everything from my past has made me who I am today. Sometimes I get embarrassed about things I’ve done before, but the truth is, if God had never brought me through those things, or allowed me to follow the paths I’d chosen for myself, then I would not be the same person today. I would not have the same relationships, knowledge about certain situations, or passions. I would never have realized just how much I needed God and how empty and worthless I am without Him. There is a reason behind all of the workings of our Great God, even if we cannot see it at the present.

I have seen so many times how God uses our past struggles and tough times for His glory. Maybe He is using your past for your own sake. Maybe He used that experience to show you how much you needed Him. Maybe if you had never gone through that experience you would have never seen how much He loves you and how much you needed His grace. Or maybe He is working in you for the sake of others. Maybe you will be able to relate to someone like no one else ever could. Maybe He will use your experience to help others who have been where you’ve been—to show them that there is hope—that He loves, He cares, and He saves.

IN THE WORD

What are you going through right now that you don’t understand? Like Job, in the Bible, we go through those things. If you are going through something like that right now, or are struggling with the past, you should read this passage (the entire passage is in Job 38-42). Read it as if the Lord is speaking directly to you, because this is what He would say to us. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much…Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?...Who then can stand up to me? Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine…” Job 38-42. We don’t know exactly why God is doing what He is, but He has created everything under heaven. He knows how it all works together. His plan is perfect. He promises that He has the best for us “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11.

Times may not always be easy—they may be terrible, in fact. Bad things happen and we don’t know why—we may never find out. We can ask God why when we see His face one day. Maybe once we get to heaven it will all make sense? Maybe he brings us through things to prepare us for what is ahead. Maybe He brings us through suffering to give us wisdom to pass on and a heart for others who go through the same things that we have gone through. It’s all a part of His perfect, magnificent, and eternal plan. “Everything was already determined and decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use in arguing with God about your destiny” Ecclesiastes 6:10. We may be angry at God because of the situations we are in, but don’t forget that He is the one who has always been there with you. As you may have heard before, Jesus never promised that following Him or this life would be easy; but He did say this: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” John 16:3. Despite our circumstances, we have hope in Him—Jesus, who has already overcome this world.

HIS PROMISES

What we do know, and can have hope in, is that there is a God who is always there to carry us through it all. He gives us a shoulder to cry on. He is always listening to our prayers. He does not let the things of this world crush us and defeat us. “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven into despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. He is there with us.

There are so many examples of God using people through their struggles in the Bible: Elizabeth having a son, and God brings one to them at just the right time (Genesis 17-21); King David—when he was being hunted by Saul learned to rely on God, when David had nothing left (1 Samuel 19-31); Hagar—learned of the Lord’s faithfulness and love for her when she was alone and pregnant in the desert (Genesis 16); Ruth—when she was faithful and God brought her the unexpected gift of love and a husband (Ruth 1-4); The Bible is filled with testimonies of the Lord’s great faithfulness and of His unending love for His people. The world is filled with stories of an amazing God who, though we may have forgotten him, He has never forgotten us. You should read these stories or ask a fellow Christian about the things that God has done through the rough spots in their lives. It will amaze you just how faithful God is and how powerful He is through our times of need. It always makes my jaw drop to read and hear the stories.

So instead of focusing on our circumstances and our troubles, let us focus on our Lord who is ever-faithful. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. This is one of my favorite verses, because it reminds me is that this world and what I see before me is not all that there is. Although this world may beat us down, we have a God who gives us unending love and eternal life in Him. What is promised but unseen is eternal makes my heart sing.

So, when you are going through troubles, ask our God to give you an eternal perspective. Ask Him to help you see through your circumstances, and look to Him. Have joy in knowing that you have a God with a great plan. Stay strong in Him, who is our refuge. And "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the harvest if we do not give up" Galatians 6.

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.” Psalm 62:5-7

Here is a great song by Josh Wilson that talks a lot about God's plan through our tough times. Listen to the lyrics! "The pain that you've been feeling is just the dark before the morning...."