God's Surprises

God has a funny way of turning things around for your life. For the past few weeks, almost a month I have been feeling somewhat worthless, disappointing to God and those around me. It was affecting my sleeping habits, eating habits, and the way my body functioned. It was getting to hard for me to be able to just do daily things because it all seemed pointless and not even worth the energy, then I didn't have energy to do anything. I didnt even want to go to church or pray. Nothing seemed to make sense or help, but I persevered. I prayed with Pastor, I asked for friends to pray for me and I talked about what was going on through this site and a few others. Even though it didn't seem like it helped, I still had faith that God would take care of me, the he would help through this bout of depression. I know there will be other times when I have it, there will be times when I struggle, but I know that God will be there for me and he is there for you too.

We all go through our bouts of depression and hardships and God finds ways of turning it around. Within the past two days I got two job offers and it may not seem much, but I also got a date with a sweet gentleman. I took the job offers as GOd's little way of saying he will take care of me, I just have to be patient sometimes and keep holding onto my faith the way I did when I had the cancer. Depression is one of those things that if we dont have some sliver of hope and faith it can tear us down and destroy us, and I think the way we make it through is because God is holding us up. I mean there were times when I didn't feel like God was present in my life, but looking on things and looking at how they were in the past and now, then I see God has been there, God is still there and God will always be there.

Sometimes we don't feel like God is tehre in our lives, but he is there and we need to try harder to feel his presence. I know how hard that sounds, and I know I need to take my own advice, but there are things we can do to feel God's presence, instead of reading a trashy novel, read Purpose Driven Life, or Facing Your Giants. Instead of listening to Saliva, listen to Skillet. Turn secular things into Christian things and sometimes you will feel God's presence more. And even if it all seems futile, keep holding onto the faith that God is there and he will see you through.

YES Camp

Well we are back from camp. What a week! I tell you I was so exhausted on Saturday, but you know what: it was well worth it. I learned so much and throughout the week I will be telling you of what I experienced. We were in the mountains where there was no television, no internet and almost all of the phones had no service so there was no calls or text messaging. All these kids had was each other and to learn about Jesus. We had two camps: Junior Camp and Senior Camp. We were combined at one site, but it worked out well. I was a cabin director at the jr. camp (ages 6 to 10).

First Y.E.S stands for Youth Experiencing Salvation. The kids had two services so to speak: RWG {rapping With God} and a chapel service along with cabin devotions. My part was to do the cabin devotions all week. As I said before I was way out of my comfort zone. Many of you reading know I have problems speaking in front of people even if it is young children. But I was able to do it with God's help. I was speaking his word and many times it was as if God was there helping me through it; especially in the beginning before I got used to my kids. Granted I haven't made it to where I want to be but I now know I can teach. Baby steps. Soon I will be able to be in front of a large crowd and not have a panic attack.

God sends things our way to teach us different things and to help us through something. YES Camp was his way of showing me I could do the things I never thought I could do. It helped me grow in my faith. God puts in positions where he knows we will learn, but many times we don't take the opportunity presented to us. I know plenty of people who didn't take this opportunity to be either a camper or staff and missed out on something wonderful. What opportunity are you missing? What are you passing up by not volunteering to do something even if it is helping in the nursery at church one Sunday? Are you going to keep passing up opportunities? How else do we grow in God if we don't do things like being a cabin director for a camp?

Faith

So many times we go through things that seem unbearable. It seems the only thing we can think of is the worse case scenario whatever it may be; it's like that's the only thing our minds can grasp, but when we have faith in something like God then whatever we are dealing with doesn't seem so unbearable. We have someone to talk to even if many times he doesn't answer, though with God when we speak to him we get a sense of peace. God isn't a mean God, he's a loving and merciful God. The Bible even tells us he doesn't give us more than we can bear. That's because when we deal with all our hardships in life, we need to lean on him for strength and guidance. If we don't have God to lean on then who can we lean on at all times?

I have spent the past week praying, crying out to God, and each time he gives me a sense of peace and the feeling that everything will be okay, and I have faith that they will be. Life sends us things that will always feel scary and frightening. But it's then that we need to praise God, we cannot abandon him thinking he is mad at us or we get mad at him. On the same aspect when things get better we still need to pray, praise, and spent time in the word. Just because God saw us through a hardship doesn't mean we can just walk away until something bad happens again. Why do we do that? Why is that when something bad happens we either cling to God and then leave when all is well again, or we blame him and get angry and still walk away? Why do we find it so hard to just call on him for help and strength to get through the hardships and then praise his name and give him glory through all we do the rest of the time?

It just doesn't make sense does it? So many of us say "I believe in God", yet when hardship happens says he doesn't exist or pray for help and strength, but not have faith that he will do what is needed. Todd has been in the hospital this past week with heart difficulties. I prayed for healing the night before he was admitted. In a way my prayer was answered. God lead him to the hospital that would best take care of him and find the problem and fix it. God always answers prayers and we need to have faith that he will. Many times our prayers aren't answered the way we want them to be, but the way God wants them to be. I wanted God to just heal Todd's heart, but thats not what God had planned. There is a reason why Todd had to be in the hospital for a week and go through the different things he did. Maybe it's a way to lead him to a ministry of some sort: a way to help others in the same situation. Whatever it is only God knows and someday maybe not now we will find out why, but we need to have faith that God knows what is best. But like I said, God answered a prayer by leading Todd to the best hospital in Pittsburgh.

I praise God for the things he has granted both of us, and I have faith that God will see Todd through this hardship and make him well as James 5:15 said (prayers offered in faith will heal the sick: the Lord will make them well.) I have no doubt in the Lord my God. Why should we doubt his awesome power? I know this is a lengthy post, but it's something that has been on my mind. We need to start praising God at all times and have faith in him, and pray to him, not just when we need something from him. That's not the way to have a loving, lasting relationship with someone. You wouldn't want people to only come to you when they want something, so why do it to God?

Healing

We all have things that we deal with on a daily basis. Some of the things we deal with are difficult to deal with. I struggled with cancer as does many others, Todd has heart difficulties and is in the hospital right now (prayers would be appreciated), others deal with AIDs, STD's, mental disorders, and other disabilities. No matter who you are there is something that brings you pain.

The Bible tells us the prayers offered in faith can heal the sick. In fact James 5:15 says "And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven." We need to be in constant prayer and believe that our prayers will be answered. We need to believe that God will heal those we love. When offering prayers for Todd, I offer them in faith that God will heal him and take care of the heart difficulties and other problems he may be having. Granted it's scary and I am worried to no end, but I have faith that God will take care of him. That's how we need to pray, to have faith that God has the power to take away any ailments we may have.

The Lord will anyone we pray for well again and forgive their sins. Or prayers need to be offered in faith, or else what good will they be? If we don't have faith that God will cure our illness then what is the point of praying? Have faith, walk by faith and God will take care of the rest.

Trust In God

The book of Habukkuk talks a lot about trusting God. It's Habukkuk praying to God and then God's responses to him. It's not a very long book, but it is a very meaningful book, and we Christians can learn a lot from Habukkuk and how he response and talks to God. He doesn't talk as if it were a formal conversation, but as if he was chatting with a friend. That's how we should pray to God, but this post isn't about prayer. It's about trust. We have looked at Habukkuk 2:3, now lets look at the next verse: Look at the proud! They trust in themselves and their live are crooked: but the righteous will live by their faith. When we try to trust in ourselves and our own devises we fall short of course. Our lives become crooked and soon fall. But the righteous who trust in God will find the strength to endure. Christians must trust God for all things, not just the bad things in life. We need to trust that God;s plan will happen and he will take care of us and provide as he said he would. Farther in the chapter God says to Habukkuk: How foolish to trust in something made my your own hands! (verse 18). Why should we trust in ourselves, new age books. We try to trust things that lead us no where and only cause us to fall. The only thing we need to trust is God himself! We need to depend on God for all things in life.

Strength

I have been look a lot into rejoicing in the Lord when depression seems to sink in. It's when depression rears it's ugly head that it seems so incredibly hard to rejoice in the Lord. We feel so down, and couldn't imagine God hearing our praise and prayers when we think so little of ourselves. When we read scripture with depression, it seems like the words aren't hitting the way they normally do, and worship/praise songs don't seem to have the same effect they do otherwise. Throughout the Bible there are scripture and stories about people who struggle with depression in one way or another: Job, and David are two of the most thought of. Many of David's Psalms where written in a fit of depression calling out to God. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty.....yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my Salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! Habukkuk also knew the pains one can feel during times of trials. Chapter 3 verse 17 through 19 show us that Habukkuk wanted to be joyful in the Lord. Don't we all want to be joyful? We just find it hard sometimes. Habukkuk didn't want to let the elements around him effect his relationship with God, and we shouldn't either.


Granted our emotions effect how we think and feel at times, but we need to push through the depressive thoughts. Though the scriptures may not seem helpful at the time, deep inside they are. They help rid your mind of depression as you think about what you've read. Habukkuk and many others throughout the Bible have said that the Lord is their strength. God is our strength and refuge. We need to lean on him and rely on his strength to life us up on wings and Isaiah said.


Rely on God the Father and make him your strong tower in times of need. Rejoice in the Lord always, rely on him for the strength you need. Rejoice when things seem, lost because with God we have everything!