Youth Pastor for the Rock Church in Monroe, WA Travis Warren is living on top of a trailer until the trailer is filled with Thanksgiving Dinners!! He is at the Monroe Albertsons parking lot. Cant miss him!!!
Isn't that the most beautiful picture? I "borrowed" this from a friend, Jerry. Hope that's alright Jer -- it was so beautiful that I had to use it in a post!
James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything."
Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know."
I wish I had something great and inspiration to write tonight, but I really don't. I do know this, God is good and He is faithful to His word. I know that He loves His children more than we can even imagine. I know that His word says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. I know that His word says that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. I know that His word says that if we delight ourselves in Him that He will give us the desires of our heart. I know that His word says that if you train a chlid in the way that he should go that he will not depart from it. Plus so much more. This is what I need to keep in mind during times that are more difficult. I need to grab onto my Heavenly Father for dear life, and never let go.
Thank you Lord Jesus for all of the blessings you have given me in my life. You are amazing, awesome, and wonderful. Thank you for my life.
This video is a must for anyone that is in an abusive situation or relationship. Talk to someone that you trust to get the help needed to get out of this cycle. You are SO worth it! Awesome intereview with Halle Berry.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33892552#33892552
With Love in Christ.
(There may be some typos in this, I'm so tired and need to go to bed! I'll re-read in the am and fix all of them then! I do hope this encourages you though and would love to hear your thoughts)
All I have to say is wow to this last week. It has been one wild ride on the Cotterill homestead, to say the least. First, our oldest got to move back home with us, so there were lots of changes to be made in who was going to sleep where and how. All of the kids seem to be adjusting alright to all of that and Lacey is doing great! She loves the military, and is very excited about her future. We are so proud of her!
Next came the car accident a couple of days ago. Joe was in a collision on Highway 522, and unfortunately it will be considered his fault due to it being a rear-ender. They were both in the passing lane (left lane), and the guy in front of him decided he wanted to make a phone call and turned on his left turn signal. There was no shoulder to pull onto, so Joe thought he probably hit the wrong way and meant to go back into the right lane. Then all of a sudden the guy slams on his brakes, and decides to stop while still in the passing lane. It was wet and rainy out -- you can guess the rest of the story.
Two days after that (yesterday), I got the opportunity to work for my old boss for about 5 hours, which I was very grateful for now with all these expenses growing and mounting. I had just got off work, and was getting my hair cut when TJ (our oldest son) called and said he'd thrown up about 15 times. I told him to get fluids, and I'd be home asap. Long story short, we ended up at the ER and he had an emergency appendectomy! It was crazy and scary at times, but I knew the Lord was with us.
So during my quiet time with the Lord this am, He led me to several verses that I'd like to share:
Psalms 117:1-2 "Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord."
During all of this, I kept thinking "what is going on? Why is all of this happening? Am I, or are we, doing something wrong?" The Lord then took me to the book of Job. During Job's trials, which were excruciating, Job states at Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him; I will surely defend my ways to His face." Job stated this after he'd lost his children and much more. Job continued to praise the Lord IN SPITE of everything that was happening.
The Lord then took me to Job 14:5 "Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." This just reminded me that God is in total control, even if it doesn't seem like it. He knows everything, and He knows when our time is up. He knows the beginning from the end!
Then after I was reading how Job's friends spoke to Job. It really wasn't comforting or something he needed ON TOP of everything he was going through. Job needed his friends just to shut up and listen. Job's friends had no idea what was really going on behind the scenes. After hearing speeches from two of his "friends" -- Job says to them in Job 16:4-5 "I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make find speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips." When I read that I realized that Job had already forgiven his friends for their behavior towards him, but it also reminded me that when I come across someone going through a trial to refrain from long speeches or insights into what I think that the Lord must be doing, and just shut my mouth unless my mouth is used to encourage them and comfort them from my lips.
James says in James 3:7-12 "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man; but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been and in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."
My study bible states "James emphasizes our inclination to sin in our speaking. Sins of speech include harsh and unkind words, lying, exaggeration, teaching fale doctrine, salnder, gossiping and boasting. Mature believers keep their tongues under control by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, taking "captive ever thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor.10:5). Because of the tendency to sin with the tongue, James exhorts every person to "be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." (1:19)
So, what I'm saying here is that when we go through trials or see others going through trials, we don't know what is going on behind the scenes -- what the Lord is allowing in our lives, or why. We should continue to praise the Lord if we're the one going through the trial. And if it is someone else going through the trial, we should do as Job would have, which was to encourage them and comfort them. Next time you come across someone in a trial, rather than going to advice you think they need, try just being that ear to listen, the mouth to encourage, and the arms to comfort. God bless you today and always.
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They are adorable. She is amazing!
I have been trying to save a post for a while now but have been having a difficult time with it.
Evidently I have done something to anger my vox site...probably just ignoring it was the problem :-)
Today I all of the sudden really wanted to start writing again. When I was in Running Start I wrote more often than I spoke. I invested all my time and energy every quarter into 12 weeks of research and 30-40 pages of a written, organized and creative "discussion", proving my point. That was my life, and I loved it. Today I all of the sudden had the urge to get back in school, take some writing classes, and be immersed again! I miss it. Although, I don't feel like writing about the things I was forced to write about in school...I'm on to other topics and desires.
For example...how cool would it be to start a blog for teens (specifically girls), and just talk about life, confront it's issues...and then speak Life into their situations. I'm not talking about a wimpy blog, that's hosted by a common site like vox, or that is inconsistent with updates, or treated as an "extra curricular" so-to-speak, that a few youth girls from your local church check out occasionally. I'm talking like a nationally-known source for teenage girls, that is an actual website...something that is real, legitimate, and is simply a blog that provides TRUTH. (Who knows, maybe something like this already exists?)
Because let's face it...girls these days have to face a lot more than any other generation, but they don't know the difference. And how will they know the difference if no one shows them truth?
They watch shows like The Hills, Laguna Beach and The O.C. and think that's how "normal" 16-18 year old young women think, act, look, dress, and live. How are girls supposed to grow into women if these shows and the magazines on the shelves are the ideal they're faced with everyday? If these sorts of resources are their constant influence, how will they know and understand God's purposes for women, what it means to be a woman of God and how important we are to God's plans for generations to come? Whether we realize it, or the influence happens subconsciously, girls (and a lot of women, for that matter) are affected everyday by the world and culture. And this influence produces a generation that is backsliding from the purposes and intentions of God.
And furthermore, if girls don't read their Bible, it makes matters even worse. The Word of God moves the scales away from our eyes, so we can see the truth. How cool would it be to bring presentation of the Word, so girls can have head and HEART knowledge of the difference between women of the world and women of God.
Now I'm just rambling...but seriously....how cool would it be?
