Day 563 and going out of town

I'm going out of town tomorrow with a friend to attend a child care conference on Saturday. I will try to post before I leave tomorrow, but if not it will probably be Sunday before I get a chance. I'm excited about this conference and getting away with a friend. I hope it rejuvenates and revives me. Summers in child care are HARD!

Day 562 and some prayer requests

I just want to ask for continued prayers for Tom's job situation. They are still on 32 hours a week and according to their last newsletter, it will be that way for a while longer. We are grateful for the job and the benefits and hopeful that things will get back to normal soon.

Also, it is time for me to start trying to fill some spots for the school year, so I'd like prayers for good, reliable clients.

Day 561 and Roses & Thorns

I have had this little piece of paper hanging by my computer for months. The talk about joy in the face of crisis had me paying attention to it again. It's from a sermon that our preacher did a few months ago. It's very thought provoking:

My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant.

Praise him for your roses; thank him for your thorns.

Day 560 and joy in the face of crisis

Last Sunday night in discipleship training, our focus was on verses from the first chapter of James. Here are some of the excerpts from James 1. The entire lesson focused on verses 2-18, but these are the ones that really struck me:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

and:

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

My first thought was that often it's easy to look back AFTER a trial and see how it all worked out for the good. That can make it easier to look at a trial as a blessing. But that's not what this says. It says to consider it joy to face trials. Joy to face trials... That is a hard one to wrap my mind around. How do you go about doing that? I know it is not a natural reaction, at least not for me. Then I think of my friend who has faced cancer (more than once), fell off of her roof and broke both ankles, is going through a divorce, and multiple other crisis and she has joy and unending faith. And I find myself wondering: How can I get that? There are no answers today, only thoughts and wonderings. If you have any to add, please comment and share them.

Have a good week everyone!

Days 555, 556, 557, 558, &559 and I've been a major slacker

Sorry! I've been a major slacker this week. I've been having so much fun just hanging out with Tom and doing stuff together that I have hardly even set foot near the computer! I'm sad to say that today is the last day of "staycation". I will try to get to the post on joy in crisis tomorrow. Hope everyone's had a nice week!