From Nancy~April 2013

Lord, give me the grace to accept life right where

it has put me, and help me to overcome the fear

that would waste my days. Give me the wisdom

and desire to make every day count for You.

Life matters—make the most of it!

Marcy sent April 2013

Hebrews 12:10-13 NIV

They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Why does BAD happen?

SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2013 Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? If I decided how my day were to go, I would never write in "crisis." I would never write, "Get sick" here or "Have my tire go flat" there, or "Have this unexpected disaster take place." I would just write in all the good stuff. I would plan for everything to go my way. There would be no traffic on the freeways. It would always be green lights and blue skies. But guess what? We're not in charge of our lives. God is. I love what the prophet once admitted to the Lord: "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah10:23, NKJV). The fact is, God will allow so-called "bad things" to happen to us in the course of our days. But as time goes by, you will find that the significant things you learn in life didn't really come from the good times and the mountaintop experiences. They came from those times of crisis in which you were more dependent on God. Many of the most difficult days will, in retrospect, turn out to be unbelievably valuable, because it is through those so-called "bad times" that you will learn some of life's most important lessons. The things we experience are not random events that float in and out of our lives. Rather, they are specific events that have been chosen by God and are timely and purposeful. This means the good things as well as the bad things. It means the wonderful, happy times of life as well as the dark, difficult days. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you come under His protective care. God is fully aware of everything that happens to you, and thankfully He is never asleep on the job. He pays careful attention to the smallest details of your life and is in complete in control of all circumstances that surround you. He knows what's happening in your life right now—knows it better than you do. And His presence and provision will be all you need to make it through.