For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Matthew 16:25

"Ultimately, the struggle [with God] is about the surrender [to God]." Dr. Jack Graham

Spring at Nana and Pop's House

Birthday

"I prayed for this child, and

the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

So now I give him to the Lord.

For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."

- Hannah

(1 Samuel 1: 27-28)

Happy birthday, dear son. I love you.

Crushed

I've been reading a book by Joni Eareckson Tada entitled A Lifetime of Wisdom: Embracing the Way God Heals You. I read this excerpt today and wanted to share it with all of you.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

The word translated "crushed" in this verse comes from a Hebrew root that means "to burst." It can also be translated "to tear," as in tearing a piece of cloth down the middle. When you are in so much pain, sorrow, or frustration that it feels as though your heart might burst within you, when you feel like your soul has been torn like rotten fabric, God draws close to help ... He's there with you instantly, ready to hear and respond to your cries of perplexity and anguish.

Sometimes brokenhearted people say harsh things. Sometime toxic cynicism or long-repressed anger can spurt out of a lacerated heart. The Lord knows that ... and wants to be close anyway. Sometimes bitter emotions and acid words can ooze from a crushed spirit. The Lord understands that as well...and draws near to comfort.

The fact is, gut-wrenching questions honor God. Despair directed at His throne is a way of encountering Him, opening ourselves to the one and only Someone who can actually do something about our plight. And whether we collide head-on with Him or simply bump up against Him in the dark, we cannot be the same.

We never are when we experience God.

The Struggle

Olympic Creed:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Our pastor referenced the Olympic Creed in his sermon this morning. He was preaching on the faith of Jacob and how Jacob struggled throughout his life to trust God. He said it was not until Jacob wrestled with God and God wounded him that Jacob learned to lean on God.

Jacob finished his life well. His brokenness led him to trust God and to lean on God no matter the circumstance. Jacob learned that God's grace was sufficient for him and that God's power was made perfect in Jacob's weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

At the end of our lives, may we be able to say "I have fought fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (I TImothy 4:7).

Happy 9th - It's a Monopoly Party!

Snow Day 2: Fun All Day