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Quote
from on High
Beloved, do not be surprised at the
fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing,
as though some strange thing were happening to you; but
to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep
on rejoicing, so that alos at the revelation of His glory,
you may rejoice with exultation.
--1 Peter 4:12-13
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Wisdom
of the Ages
There is
grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing. He'll meet you
wherever you are. Cry out to Jesus!
--Third Day
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A Life Question
In what areas am I struggling?
Have I given those situations over to God?
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Drowning
Lessons
Any lifeguard
will tell you the worst thing someone that the lifeguard is trying
to save can do is to "help." A drowning person in a
panicked attempt to "save" themselves by thrashing about
can end up taking the lifeguard down with them. It's a lesson
all of us need to learn no matter how good we are at swimming
in spiritual waters.
Many people
ask: "What is my purpose here on earth?" They go through
various exercises and workshops to find out what their purpose
is. I will save you some time and money if you, too, are asking
this age-old question.
You have
one purpose here on earth, and it can be summed up in two words:
to learn.
You were
sent here to learn-to learn about yourself-your capabilities,
your liabilities, your strengths, your weaknesses, your abilities,
and your limitations. You were also sent here to learn about and
how to deal with others-those who are easy to love and those for
whom God's mercy will have to be super-abundant for their forgiveness
to be obtained.
Nonetheless,
you were mostly sent here to learn about God and His unending,
unfathomable, unstoppable, overwhelming, unbelievable love for
you.
One of
the biggest lessons and one of the hardest to take and accept
is what has been called a disruptive moment. These are the times
in your life when you have been easily walking next to the water
when suddenly something pushes you in to the deep end.
This something
might be someone. It might be an event or an illness or death
or a sudden change that blows gaping holes in your belief that
all is right with your world.
Suddenly
you are buffeted-slapped on every side with wave after wave of
despair, doubt, anger, hopelessness, helplessness, grief, anxiety,
and fear so strong it pulls you under like a rip tide.
I believe
what we are sent here to learn is that it is precisely in these
times of trial and fear that we learn the real depth of God. The
Almighty Lifeguard takes hold of us, rather than us holding Him.
The problem
here is that many of us continue to struggle. We continue to try
to save ourselves even as the waves wash over us time and again.
What God says to us at these moments is exactly what the lifeguard
would say to the drowning person. "Relax. Let Me do it. Do
not rely on your strength, trust in Mine."
Your purpose
here is primarily to learn that one lesson as deeply as possible.
When the storms blow, quit struggling. Trust the Lifeguard.
He has the strength you need. Relax, and let Him work in your
life, and you will surely see wonders come from the moments you
thought you were destined to drown. By your own effort, you would
have. In His strength, however, you will be brought out of the
waters of chaos and confusion into a new life you can only know
when you have felt both the rip tide and His marvelous, sustaining
strength.
In your
weakness, His strength can be made manifest. Trust it for it will
save you-especially when you feel you are drowning.
by:
Staci Stallings
See the brand new Members Only
Area
including the all-new article,
Life Value
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Now
Available from Staci Stallings
Life
has done its best to knock Beth McCasland to the
ground, and the truth is: it's done a pretty good
job of keeping her there. Stuck in a minimum-wage
job with a young daughter counting on her, Beth
does her best to stay standing under the weight
of it all because she knows God is on her side.
Then one night she gets the chance to be an angel
to another of life's weary travelers. For once hope
has never looked so real.
Cowboy
is a grace-filled story about the power of giving
everything to God and how a simple act of compassion
can change lives forever. Emotional, soothing, and
heart-wrenching, Cowboy is infused with the message
that no matter who we are and no matter what life
has thrown at us, we never have to walk alone.
Staci
Stallings has intertwined the loss and grief of
two characters into a sweet love story. Full of
truths and illustrations of God's grace, Cowboy
will capture a reader's heart. Stallings has peppered
in song lyrics that strike a beautiful chord. Eileen
Key
A
romantic, entertaining and poignant book about love
developed across the miles. And, perhaps more importantly,
of the power of prayer to change lives. Elaina M.
Avalos
From
Cowboy...
"Hi."
Ashton barely got the greeting out as panic attacked
him. What was he doing? She was going to think he
was an idiot. On the table his hands spun the empty
coffee cup back and forth as he fought to distance
himself from everything in his soul. The glance
up was only that. "Umm, did you mean what you
said...about listening?"
"Yeah,"
she said slowly. "I did."
His
hand traced down his jeans, pushing them down because
it seemed that they and everything else was coiling
around him in a grip he couldn't break. "Well,
I was thinking if you're not too busy..." His
gaze slid across the restaurant to the other customers,
and embarrassment battled with his need to breathe.
Without
question she slid into the booth and folded her
hands. "I have all the time in the world."
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Your Copy Today!
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