THIS IS GOOD!

Have you ever had a day where you were running late, because of circumstances beyond your control and you kept getting impatient,frustrated or angry because you hate to be late and as if running late wasn't bad enough every car in your path was driving too slow, or the cashier was taking too long to ring you up, the line was to long or your kids weren't cooperating? Maybe you were suppose to go on a trip or be at a event/concert etc and you were so filled with anger because you couldn't go.  I have, and because of those times I am thankful because often times there has been a car accident, a robbery, a shooting etc at the time I was suppose to be in that particular place. How about something bad happening to you or someone you know? Sometimes our biggest blessings come out of the worst things or circumstances but we don't realize at the time that God is still with us and he is still in control or that he can take the bad things and turn them into good. Today I wanted to pass on a e-mail I received from my Cousin (Carol) to encourage you if you are experiencing something bad and can't possibly understand how any good could come from it. As I reflect on some of the worst times and experiences in my life,  I see how those bad things turned out for good. It took many years and alot of pain to see it and some of it I still don't understand, but I have accepted there are some things this side of  Heaven we will never fully understand and when we get to Heaven it will be as if it never happened.  If there is one thing  I  know  for sure, it is that God is always in control, and that he is always there for us and will never leave us or forsake us.  Trust him, know him, seek him and you will see. ( by  Heiress of The Light)

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible

2Corinthians 4:16-18

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Our struggles, our battles, our daily toiling against the forces of this present darkness are naught compared with the marvellous riches and captivating glory to which we are called and in which we will soon partake. What matter our suffering? What matter our failures? What matter any measure of suffering when held against the surpassing beauty and permanence of our heavenly hope!

 
 THIS IS GOOD!

The story is told of a king who had a close friend with whom he grew up.
The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in
his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend
would load and prepare the guns for the king. In preparing one of the guns,
the friend had apparently done something wrong, for after taking the gun
from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To
which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his
friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in a dangerous area. Cannibals
captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked
some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they approached to set
fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being
superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So after
untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb
and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to
the jail to speak with his friend. You were right," he said, "it was good
that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that
had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so
long. It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my
friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the
promise of God is clear. If we love him and live our lives according to his
precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by
God for His glory and our benefit. Hold on...God is faithful!

-- Author Unknown

The Woodcutter's Wisdom

by Max Lucado




Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.
People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.
One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?”
The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.”
The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”
The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.
After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”
The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?
“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”
“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.
The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.
“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.”
The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.
“You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”
The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”
The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life’s mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life’s storms until we know the whole story.
I don’t know where the woodcutter learned his patience. Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the Carpenter who said it best:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)
He should know. He is the Author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter.

From
Come Thirsty
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2004) Max Lucado

Our Daily Bread - Why Not Now?‏

This really encouraged my heart today. Praying it encourages yours.

Our Daily Bread - Why Not Now?
‏www.odb.org. (RBC MINISTRIES)

READ: John 13:33-38

David, after he had served his own generation . . . fell asleep. —Acts 13:36

I have a dear friend who served as a missionary in Suriname for many years, but in his final years he was stricken with an illness that paralyzed him. At times he wondered why God allowed him to linger. He longed to depart and to be with his Lord.

Perhaps life is very hard for you or a loved one, and you are wondering why God has allowed you or your loved one to linger. When Jesus said He was going to heaven, Peter asked, “Lord, why can I not follow You now?” (John 13:37). You, like Peter, may wonder why entry into heaven has been postponed: “Why not now?”

God has a wise and loving purpose in leaving us behind. There is work to be done in us that can only be accomplished here on earth. Our afflictions, which are for the moment, are working for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). And there is work to be done for others—if only to love and to pray. Our presence may also be for the purpose of giving others an opportunity to learn love and compassion.

So, though you may desire release for yourself or a loved one, to live on in the flesh can mean fruitfulness (Phil. 1:21). And there is comfort in waiting: Though heaven may be delayed, God has His reasons. No doubt about it! —David Roper

Not so in haste, my heart!
Have faith in God, and wait;
Although He seems to linger long
He never comes too late. —Torrey

Our greatest comfort is to know that God is in control

Making Room (Part 1)

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas & blessed start in the New Year. I haven't blogged in awhile, I took the advice of my last blog that I shared about slowing down. I haven't felt very well most of this year so I took some time off from blogging & have been resting. I was so encouraged by a blog post that I just read so I wanted to pass it on to my readers. Before my mom passed away on 1/2/09 we use to talk alot about crying & she was always afraid if she let herself cry that she would become uncontrolable & end up in the hospital. She was literally terrified by letting herself break down & cry because she was afraid of it setting off a severe asthma attack or heart attack. I use to explain to her that I believed God gave us tears so we could heal & that it was good for our spirit. I'm not talking about just making yourself cry just to cry & causing un-necessary drama & getting your emotions out of control. I firmly believe if more people would let themselves cry they would have less health problems & heart attacks. These words brought comfort to my mom & she learned to cry & know the peace that came after. I also have a friend who was raised that crying meant you were weak. I must confess I use to put my tough girl attitude on & I was one never to let them see you cry. But then one day I learned how to cry out to Jesus & my boohoo Sisters & oh the joy & peace that came from that. I also am a firm believer that it is ok for boys & men to cry as well, after all the Bible says Jesus wept. So I wanted to share this Amy Grant Video with all of you & a blog post by a blogger friend of mine Gitz Girl. I love the way she explained the healing & peace that makes room for the peace God wants to give us. Be blessed everyone. XO <3

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
January 5, 2011

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (Psalms 126:5)

How true it is that though we presently toil under a curse, sowing in tears upon this earth, it is in our hope of heavenly promise that we bask, joyful and content. Our earthly suffering is for but a moment! And truly—it is even now working for us who believe, a far and exceeding weight of glory! Rejoice, therefore, in the sweat of your brow and the pain in your side for these do but serve to focus your eyes heavenward to the consuming glory of promise!

Making Room
Posted: 04 Jan 2011 10:01 PM PST

What is it about us that instinctively wants not to cry?
We think it's weak. We think it means we aren't strong enough to persevere. We're afraid other people will feel sorry for us. That they won't take us seriously. That it is a reflection of our personal insufficiencies.
And sometimes, we're afraid that once we start... we'll never stop.
I've thought about writing about this topic for awhile, and in the past three days I've said the following statement to two different people:
"Some tears are good tears. Good tears are necessary. I'm learning to let them fall to make room for the peace."
In the past month, I've told three different people in three different circumstances that I'm wondering if sometimes we're not supposed to "get over it." That sometimes we're not supposed to shake that feeling in the pit of our stomach.
That sometimes we're supposed to dive right in it.
Maybe, in the middle of the storms... in the pit of our stomach that holds a heavy rock of fear or dread or sadness... we're not supposed to ignore it and run from it and "fake it 'til we make it."
Maybe that pit in our stomach is right where God is.
Maybe He's there, waiting for us to show up and face it so He can help us through it.
Maybe He's waiting for us to acknowledge the pit in our stomach and let the tears fall so we can make room for the peace He's holding in His hands.
Just for us.
I've said before that you can't fix what isn't broken. If that's true, why are we so afraid to be broken? Why is it hard for me to look into my best friend's eyes for fear I'll fall apart? Why are we keeping ourselves broken and full of tears?
There is a part in a Selah song, Unredeemed, that says: "Life breaks and falls apart, but we know these are the places where grace is soon to be so amazing. They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored, but when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord – just watch and see – it will not be unredeemed."
That's how I am going to look at the tears. The place that feels broken. They aren't weak or something to be afraid of... they are just the places where grace is soon to be so amazing.
I'm learning to let them fall to make room for the peace.

By Gitz
 http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com/

Part 2 Making Room.

Amy Grant - Better Than A Hallelujah