Sunday, November 29, 2009

Purpose of Suffering

The purpose of suffering is not to drive you away from God, but rather, to draw you near to Him. The secret (according to Hudson Taylor, missionary to China) is to let the suffering drive you closer to Jesus.

It is not necessary that you understand what you are enduring, only that you believe that He is with you in your suffering and has a glorious purpose in allowing it.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You can successfully deal with suffering if you are looking in the right place.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Friends

You find out who your real friends are when you start suffering.

Interesting quote

“The Devil is wildly optimistic if he thinks he can make human beings worse than they are.” — Karl Kraus

I borrowed this from my good friend, Pastor Jon Clayton over at http://blog.jonclayton.name/

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Update on Rachel

She is home from the hospital and is doing better. She is on the way to speak with a new counselor, so hopefully this will help.

Thank you all for praying...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My Daughter Rachel

Honestly, tonight my heart is broken for my daughter. For those of you who know her, she is still struggling with mental issues. It has come to a head again, and she is back in the hospital.

I know that God is good and that He has a plan. Thank you for your prayers.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Prayer Request

My friend, Pastor Bill Walden, is making another trip to Mexico for the missionary work they sponsor down there. Please pray for their safety and for the Lord's blessing on all who attend.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Prayer Request

I have a physical problem that the doctors have not been able to identify. It has been characterized by severe muscle pain and weakness, joint pain, fatigue, shortage of breath, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, and coughing fits that almost cause me to pass out. I have only let a few people know as I wanted to find out exactly what it is. Hear is an email I sent out last week:

We went to the MD doctor yesterday for a consultation. After all the tests, he had found that there is nothing wrong with me neurologically or muscularly; in other words, I do not have MD or MS or anything related. This is of course, good news. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find any physical reason for my pain and fatigue. The Dr. believes me that I there is something wrong, as he commented that the shaking I suffer from is the body’s reaction to pain – the worse the pain, the greater the shaking (usually in the late afternoons and evenings).

I am starting to believe that I am Job and that God has purposed this for my good (which is the case with all the trials we go through). So, I am grateful for the test, knowing that 1) God loves me, 2) He is in control, 3) He is wiser than I am. Tuesday this week, in prayer, I told the Lord that if this is His plan to perfect me, then I thank Him for the trial. Not that I am some kind of deeply spiritual person, but because I recognize that He is allowing the test, so His purposes in it are only for my good.

Now I will be perfectly honest. At times there is great discouragement, as it is very difficult to be in constant pain. It is discouraging to go to bed tired, wake up tired, and live in a constant state of fatigue. It is difficult not to be able to walk for more than 50 feet without being winded and having to rest (most of the time). I have suffered from depression, to one extent or another my entire life. Honestly, this is worse and for the first time in my life I have asked the DR. for, and am on, depression medication, which doesn’t affect my cognitive abilities and seems to help.

Thanks for your prayers.