Here are some recent pictures of what has been going on in my life!!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hey everyone!! SOrry I haven't updated in awhile life has been pretty busy gettig ready for college stuff with applications and scholarships. Well, I don't have time for a full reoprt right now...but here is my first article for Brio. Let me knwo what you think! This is the article that will appear on the web in January. My first printed article will be in February.
Joy in the Pain : By Becky Marras
He was an honest man of great success. He had ten children and thousands of livestock. He was good at his profession, giving glory only to God. In fact, some people called him “the most influential man in all the east.” He as truly blessed by His Savior. Then, with out warning, disaster struck. In a matter of instant he lost all his worldly possessions. His family, land, livestock, and his good health were stripped from him. This man’s name was Job, and his world was completely turned upside down. Have you ever like you world was turned upside down? Have you ever felt that everything you held close was taken away? I have. Over the past several years my youth group has gone through many transitions. At one point in time my youth group went through two youth pastors in two years. When all the change was happening, I was so confused and I didn’t understand why God was putting us through that storm. Like Job, a lot of the things and people I trusted in were gone.
As I reflect today on what Job went through, he could have easily cursed God and died. But Job adopted the attitude that God calls us to have in the hardships. In James 1:2 God instructs us to: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” God wants us to consider it PURE joy when we face trials of many kinds. He doesn’t want half-hearted joy. Instead, He wants pure joy. He wants us to express our joy in him without holding anything back. I certainly didn’t have pure joy when my youth pastors packed their bags. Instead of looking at how Christ was going to cause me to grow closer to Him, I moped around, sulking in self misery. Now, you may be thinking: How does someone fight off depression and find joy in the midst of a trial? We have to understand and realize that God is in control of our every move. When Job was covered in leprous sores with nothing left to call his own, he still praised God! He understood that God put him through this misery in order to test his faith. My dear sisters, isn’t it comforting to know that He has planned each trial in our lives!!! God does everything for His glory and our good, so you can have joy in the fact that the creator of the universe is being glorified in your life! How awesome is that!
As Christians, we do know that God has a purpose. So, what do we do during the trial? What do we do in the middle of the storm when we are waiting for His purpose to be revealed? This isn’t the time to mope around in sweatpants eating mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the carton. In the middle of the rough times we need to be like Job!! Job knew that his father had a plan for him, and glorified Christ as he waited. I wasn’t patient as my youth group was falling apart. I wanted an immediate fix, and in my impatience I was very crabby! As you wait, listen to the words of Isaiah for encouragement. Isaiah 40:31 says: “But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” As I recognized that God controls everything that happens in my life, I had peace. Like Job, I was able to have peace knowing my Savior would provide for my needs. My precious sisters, as you wait joyfully on the Lord, adopt the attitude of Job and praise him through the pain.
Joy in the Pain : By Becky Marras
He was an honest man of great success. He had ten children and thousands of livestock. He was good at his profession, giving glory only to God. In fact, some people called him “the most influential man in all the east.” He as truly blessed by His Savior. Then, with out warning, disaster struck. In a matter of instant he lost all his worldly possessions. His family, land, livestock, and his good health were stripped from him. This man’s name was Job, and his world was completely turned upside down. Have you ever like you world was turned upside down? Have you ever felt that everything you held close was taken away? I have. Over the past several years my youth group has gone through many transitions. At one point in time my youth group went through two youth pastors in two years. When all the change was happening, I was so confused and I didn’t understand why God was putting us through that storm. Like Job, a lot of the things and people I trusted in were gone.
As I reflect today on what Job went through, he could have easily cursed God and died. But Job adopted the attitude that God calls us to have in the hardships. In James 1:2 God instructs us to: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” God wants us to consider it PURE joy when we face trials of many kinds. He doesn’t want half-hearted joy. Instead, He wants pure joy. He wants us to express our joy in him without holding anything back. I certainly didn’t have pure joy when my youth pastors packed their bags. Instead of looking at how Christ was going to cause me to grow closer to Him, I moped around, sulking in self misery. Now, you may be thinking: How does someone fight off depression and find joy in the midst of a trial? We have to understand and realize that God is in control of our every move. When Job was covered in leprous sores with nothing left to call his own, he still praised God! He understood that God put him through this misery in order to test his faith. My dear sisters, isn’t it comforting to know that He has planned each trial in our lives!!! God does everything for His glory and our good, so you can have joy in the fact that the creator of the universe is being glorified in your life! How awesome is that!
As Christians, we do know that God has a purpose. So, what do we do during the trial? What do we do in the middle of the storm when we are waiting for His purpose to be revealed? This isn’t the time to mope around in sweatpants eating mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the carton. In the middle of the rough times we need to be like Job!! Job knew that his father had a plan for him, and glorified Christ as he waited. I wasn’t patient as my youth group was falling apart. I wanted an immediate fix, and in my impatience I was very crabby! As you wait, listen to the words of Isaiah for encouragement. Isaiah 40:31 says: “But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” As I recognized that God controls everything that happens in my life, I had peace. Like Job, I was able to have peace knowing my Savior would provide for my needs. My precious sisters, as you wait joyfully on the Lord, adopt the attitude of Job and praise him through the pain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
