Trials

Man...it is just HOT today! whew!

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you wil be strong in character and ready for anything..."
James 1:2-4

There has been so much going on in the past month and I look over the blog and I don't see much evidence of it. You could think we were just sitting on our hinney's from what I've put up recently...:) I have to admit - I have had an extreme case of writters block but I think that's about gone now...

It seems like in the past couple of weeks everyone I know is going through some kind of trail in their life. A time when they can feel that they are being pulled and stretched to their limits - with all that is going on with Katrina having hit and the coming storms and hurricanes...I can only imagine the trials that many are going through. My little nephew...Braden...who has set an example for us all is facing another trail along with is parents (Steve and Annie). I just received news that they found that the shunt in his head is working BUT now that the fluid is starting to drain they have found a cyst and he may have to have surgery. He is going to have a MRI today at 10 am...

I can only imagine what it would feel like to have to send your little baby boy off for another surgery...after all he's already fought through(Braden was born at 1lb and 7oz). Another trial worth mentioning is my mother who just recently had neck surgery - she wrote and told me of her trial of missing us and how there are times when she just sits down and cries like a baby because she misses being able to be active in our lives. She misses out on the growth of her grandson...the life of her daughter and son-in-law and the birth of her next grandson.

Another trial is that that my fellow Texans are facing right now being forced to leave their homes and evacuate because of the on coming storms...and even as far inland as Sherman they are preparing for power failure...and gas prices rising and much more. Here in Thailand we are facing trials as we are continuing forward in what God has set us here to do...spiritually and financially we have felt the attack and pressure....not to trust in God and believe His word. It's a lot easier to run from a battle than to stand up and fight when your legs are weary and your hands are shaking from holding on with all you've got.

For all of us who are facing trials right now - I just want to remind you that we are to count it as joy when we face these trials - because we know that God is at work in our lives. With that being said let me also say that you can not always call trials that come your way the work of God. The enemy is at work too and you must trust in God and stand on what He has promised in His word for us.

With that being said - I wanted to share something cute that happened this morning that just made my day. John got up around 8:30 this morning getting ready to out to a village with Clinton and Brandon...Clinton was running a little late so they didn't get to leave when they expected to. So John left only to return about 20 minutes later to get Josiah to go with him. Normally John would leave Josiah with me unless I was at school or it was one of the days Pii Saow comes but today he had to come back and get him because he was running out of time.

I had to be at class at 12:40 and he wouldnot have been back in time....so John walks in and says "Josiah...you wanna go with Daddy to the village to tell people about Jesus?" Josiah jumps up and starts jumping on the bed saying "yes, yes..." John goes to Josiah's room to get him some clothes and he looks at me with his sweet grin and says "Momma...I get to go tell people about Jesus with Daddy..." Now the reason this touched my heart is because my son doesn't get to go out to too many places so normally when he does he's excited about going out...so I expected a response such as "Momma...I get to GO to the village with Daddy..." but this time he was excited because he got to go tell people about Jesus.

He loves to tell people that "you should always say 'yes' to Jesus". Anyway, John, Brandon and Josiah just returned from the village so I am going to cut this short although it's not very short...hehehe...

I'll write again soon and leave you with this from Hebrews 12:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

v. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet."