I've been thinking a lot about our almost-off-the-road-off-the-side-of-the-mountain experience a couple of days ago. If you missed that adventure, you can go back and read Tuesday's post.
Yesterday morning Al went down to the mailbox. Much of Tuesday's snow had melted away when the sun came out late in the afternoon, and Wednesday's snow hadn't started yet, so the road was clear. When he got back, he mentioned again, as we both had several times, that we don't know how we managed not to go over the edge. We can't explain how he was able to turn the car around. The part of the road where we were is the narrowest part of that stretch of road. Realistically, there's no way a car the size of ours should be able to turn around on that particular part of the road.
But God intervened.
This episode has triggered several memories of similar episodes. About ten years ago we had traveled with a group from our church in Florida on a mission trip up to Montana. Our week there was finished, and we were heading back to Billings to catch our flight home. It was pretty early in the morning as we were driving down the interstate. There were five people in our car. I was sitting in the middle of the back seat, not wearing a seat belt because it was stuck down in the seat. As we crossed a bridge just a short distance from the airport, we hit a patch of black ice and began to spin. We very nearly went over the edge of that bridge into the river below.
But God intervened.
Some years ago, back when we lived in Connecticut, we were driving down Route 2 from the airport in Hartford back to Ledyard where we lived. It was late at night. We were out in the country, and it was very dark. The road was covered in snow. We hit a patch of ice and began to spin. When the spin stopped, we were pointed back in the direction from which we had come. And we could see the headlights of another car coming right toward us. It's really difficult to get a car turned on a patch of ice and get it pointed in the direction you want it to go.
But God intervened.
In these, and many other, instances, God intervened.
But God. I love that phrase.
Just a few days ago, we should have been over the side of the mountain.
But God......
Once I was dead in trespasses and sins, according to Ephesians 2:1.
But God......
And that's the best "but God" of them all!
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved......." (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)
But God......
What a beautiful phrase!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Shh......I'm Reading!
Hot coffee, warm fire, good books. What better way to spend a snowy winter day!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
What a Morning!
This day is not going according to plan. Now that my breathing and blood pressure are back to normal, I'll tell you the harrowing tale of my morning.
This morning's events got their start yesterday when another round of winter weather descended on our mountains. Snow fell gently and steadily throughout the day, with about an inch or two accumulation. The driveway and the road stayed pretty much clear.
I have a doctor's appointment next Monday and needed to have blood work done this week in advance of that appointment. Since we're forecast to have very heavy snow tomorrow and Thursday, it seemed that today would be a good day to get the blood work done. Depending on just how much it snows, it might not be possible to get to the doctor's office any other day this week. I also had a hair appointment scheduled for this afternoon, so the trip to town this morning would be a good way to check road conditions. Al decided he would drive me this morning. I am so very thankful for that.
We had no problems getting down the gravel road in front of our house. The road is very steep, but there was not a lot of snow accumulated on it, and the gravel gives some traction. But once we passed the gate and got onto the asphalt road, things changed. As we rounded the first curve, there was some snow across the road. And beyond that, the road was a solid sheet of ice. Those of you who have been here are aware that on one side of the road is the mountain. And the other side is the fall-off-the-side side, with no guard rail. Nothing to prevent a car from just sliding over the edge.
And slide we did. Al did a very good job of maintaining control of the car. And of staying calm (at least on the inside) while I was having a panic attack. I have no words to describe the terror I was feeling.
Somehow - and I'm really not sure how - Al got the car turned around on that ice and headed back toward home. And somehow he got it moving forward and off that ice, back onto dry asphalt. We made it safely home.
I know that Al's driving skills played a great part in keeping us safe this morning. I'm grateful for his skill. But I also know that it was the Lord who kept our car in the road, who prevented our going over the side, and who brought us safely back home. And I am so very grateful.
It's beginning to snow this morning down in South Carolina, and many of my friends there are so excited. I do not share their enthusiasm. Perhaps if I had never moved away from South Carolina, where it rarely snows, I would be just as excited as they are.
It's a matter of perspective, I guess. I have lived nearly half my life in places other than my native state. Most of those years have been spent in places where it snows. A lot. I have shoveled more than enough snow to last me the rest of my life! I don't like to shovel snow. I don't like to be cold. But more than any of that, I really, really don't like to experience the terror that I experienced this morning.
Mornings like this one are the reason I turn into a hermit in the winter time. Why just a few flakes of snow are enough to keep me at home. Why I don't go anywhere in the winter unless Al is here to drive me. And mornings like this one prove that sometimes, even that isn't enough.
I did a lot of praying this morning while we were in the car. I'm thankful that my prayers were answered. That we were protected from going over the edge. That Al was able to get the car safely turned around. That we made it back home.
I may not leave home again until summer!
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
This morning's events got their start yesterday when another round of winter weather descended on our mountains. Snow fell gently and steadily throughout the day, with about an inch or two accumulation. The driveway and the road stayed pretty much clear.
I have a doctor's appointment next Monday and needed to have blood work done this week in advance of that appointment. Since we're forecast to have very heavy snow tomorrow and Thursday, it seemed that today would be a good day to get the blood work done. Depending on just how much it snows, it might not be possible to get to the doctor's office any other day this week. I also had a hair appointment scheduled for this afternoon, so the trip to town this morning would be a good way to check road conditions. Al decided he would drive me this morning. I am so very thankful for that.
We had no problems getting down the gravel road in front of our house. The road is very steep, but there was not a lot of snow accumulated on it, and the gravel gives some traction. But once we passed the gate and got onto the asphalt road, things changed. As we rounded the first curve, there was some snow across the road. And beyond that, the road was a solid sheet of ice. Those of you who have been here are aware that on one side of the road is the mountain. And the other side is the fall-off-the-side side, with no guard rail. Nothing to prevent a car from just sliding over the edge.
And slide we did. Al did a very good job of maintaining control of the car. And of staying calm (at least on the inside) while I was having a panic attack. I have no words to describe the terror I was feeling.
Somehow - and I'm really not sure how - Al got the car turned around on that ice and headed back toward home. And somehow he got it moving forward and off that ice, back onto dry asphalt. We made it safely home.
I know that Al's driving skills played a great part in keeping us safe this morning. I'm grateful for his skill. But I also know that it was the Lord who kept our car in the road, who prevented our going over the side, and who brought us safely back home. And I am so very grateful.
It's beginning to snow this morning down in South Carolina, and many of my friends there are so excited. I do not share their enthusiasm. Perhaps if I had never moved away from South Carolina, where it rarely snows, I would be just as excited as they are.
It's a matter of perspective, I guess. I have lived nearly half my life in places other than my native state. Most of those years have been spent in places where it snows. A lot. I have shoveled more than enough snow to last me the rest of my life! I don't like to shovel snow. I don't like to be cold. But more than any of that, I really, really don't like to experience the terror that I experienced this morning.
Mornings like this one are the reason I turn into a hermit in the winter time. Why just a few flakes of snow are enough to keep me at home. Why I don't go anywhere in the winter unless Al is here to drive me. And mornings like this one prove that sometimes, even that isn't enough.
I did a lot of praying this morning while we were in the car. I'm thankful that my prayers were answered. That we were protected from going over the edge. That Al was able to get the car safely turned around. That we made it back home.
I may not leave home again until summer!
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
Monday, February 10, 2014
No Place Like Home
We returned home late Saturday afternoon after two very busy weeks in Florida. We criss-crossed that state, from Tampa to Fort Myers to Titusville to Orlando and back to Tampa before returning home.
While we were there we spent time with family and friends. We ate at some of our favorite restaurants, and tried a couple of new ones. We went to our grandson's birthday party. Al worked; I relaxed. And we experienced some of Florida's winter weather.
Here at home, while we were away, winter weather was a little different than the winter we were experiencing in Florida. It was zero degrees when we left here, and it got colder before it got warmer. And there was a lot of snow.
We experienced none of that in Florida. We had some gorgeous sunny 80-degree days. And we had a few rainy days, some of them quite cool by Florida standards. In fact, we chuckled a bit on a 50-degree morning in Fort Myers when we saw Floridians wearing coats and scarves and mittens! Here in the mountains, as well as for our friends further to the north, 50 degrees would be a balmy spring day! It's all about perspective, I guess.
I enjoyed the trip. I especially loved our time with Brian, Emily, and Christopher. I would have loved even more of that!
But I confess that I was glad to come home. Glad to sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. Glad to sit in my own comfy chair and drink my coffee from my own favorite mug. Even glad to cook my own dinner. Restaurants are great, but after a while, a regular home-cooked meal is a really good thing.
It's good to be home. How much better it will be when I'm "finally home"!
Because, as the old gospel song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just
a-passin' through."
The joy of that home will not be in my own pillow or my own coffee mug, but in being in the presence of the Savior who died to give me that eternal home.
What a joy that will be! Truly then we will be able to say "there's no place like home"!
[Jesus said], "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3 NASB)
While we were there we spent time with family and friends. We ate at some of our favorite restaurants, and tried a couple of new ones. We went to our grandson's birthday party. Al worked; I relaxed. And we experienced some of Florida's winter weather.
Here at home, while we were away, winter weather was a little different than the winter we were experiencing in Florida. It was zero degrees when we left here, and it got colder before it got warmer. And there was a lot of snow.
We experienced none of that in Florida. We had some gorgeous sunny 80-degree days. And we had a few rainy days, some of them quite cool by Florida standards. In fact, we chuckled a bit on a 50-degree morning in Fort Myers when we saw Floridians wearing coats and scarves and mittens! Here in the mountains, as well as for our friends further to the north, 50 degrees would be a balmy spring day! It's all about perspective, I guess.
I enjoyed the trip. I especially loved our time with Brian, Emily, and Christopher. I would have loved even more of that!
But I confess that I was glad to come home. Glad to sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. Glad to sit in my own comfy chair and drink my coffee from my own favorite mug. Even glad to cook my own dinner. Restaurants are great, but after a while, a regular home-cooked meal is a really good thing.
It's good to be home. How much better it will be when I'm "finally home"!
Because, as the old gospel song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just
a-passin' through."
The joy of that home will not be in my own pillow or my own coffee mug, but in being in the presence of the Savior who died to give me that eternal home.
What a joy that will be! Truly then we will be able to say "there's no place like home"!
Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven,
of touching a hand and finding it God's,
of breathing new air and finding it celestial,
of waking up in glory and finding it home.
(-Don Wyrtzen, emphasis mine)
(-Don Wyrtzen, emphasis mine)
[Jesus said], "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3 NASB)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
It's a Small World
Did that title make you start singing? It's a small world after all......
No, I haven't been over to Disney World, even though it's just a couple of miles away. I did take a stroll through Downtown Disney a couple of days ago. But this post is not about Mickey Mouse or all things Disney.
It really is a small world. Earlier this week I learned that a friend of our family for many, many years - since before I was even born - had passed away. As I was reading his obituary, I recognized the name of one of his grandsons. The young man whose name I recognized is a part of the ministry team in our church. We had met him on our trip to Israel in 2012, and we were, and are, very impressed with him. I wondered if it could possibly be the same person named in the obituary.
So, I got in touch with this young man and just asked him. Is Thomas Raines your grandfather? And he said yes! I had no idea that this young man was related to a man who had meant so much to my family. What a small world!
Thinking about Mr. Raines, and about his wife who passed away a number of years ago, has taken me down memory lane. To the Youth Department at First Baptist Landrum, where he was the department director during my youth, and to the Children's Department where Mrs. Raines and my mother spent so many years teaching children.
And as I have been traveling down memory lane, I have been remembering so many godly men and women who are a part of my past. My parents. My grandmother. Men and women who taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and Training Union and Sunbeams. (I'm dating myself when I mention Training Union and Sunbeams!!) Who were there during my childhood and my teenage years. Who set an example. Who lived lives of faithfulness.
Those men and women lived out the truths expressed so well in a song sung by Steve Green, and others, some years ago.
Certainly those men and women of my childhood have been found faithful. They lived lives of influence. They left quite a legacy.
The challenge for those of us whom they influenced, the challenge for you and me, for our generation and the generations to come, is to do the same. To be found faithful. To leave footprints that lead others to believe. To light the way for others.
May we be found as faithful in our task as those men and women of my childhood, and perhaps of yours as well. May we honor our Lord. May we live lives that point others to Jesus. May all who come behind us find us faithful.
"O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)
No, I haven't been over to Disney World, even though it's just a couple of miles away. I did take a stroll through Downtown Disney a couple of days ago. But this post is not about Mickey Mouse or all things Disney.
It really is a small world. Earlier this week I learned that a friend of our family for many, many years - since before I was even born - had passed away. As I was reading his obituary, I recognized the name of one of his grandsons. The young man whose name I recognized is a part of the ministry team in our church. We had met him on our trip to Israel in 2012, and we were, and are, very impressed with him. I wondered if it could possibly be the same person named in the obituary.
So, I got in touch with this young man and just asked him. Is Thomas Raines your grandfather? And he said yes! I had no idea that this young man was related to a man who had meant so much to my family. What a small world!
Thinking about Mr. Raines, and about his wife who passed away a number of years ago, has taken me down memory lane. To the Youth Department at First Baptist Landrum, where he was the department director during my youth, and to the Children's Department where Mrs. Raines and my mother spent so many years teaching children.
And as I have been traveling down memory lane, I have been remembering so many godly men and women who are a part of my past. My parents. My grandmother. Men and women who taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and Training Union and Sunbeams. (I'm dating myself when I mention Training Union and Sunbeams!!) Who were there during my childhood and my teenage years. Who set an example. Who lived lives of faithfulness.
Those men and women lived out the truths expressed so well in a song sung by Steve Green, and others, some years ago.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
(lyrics by Jon Mohr)
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
(lyrics by Jon Mohr)
Certainly those men and women of my childhood have been found faithful. They lived lives of influence. They left quite a legacy.
The challenge for those of us whom they influenced, the challenge for you and me, for our generation and the generations to come, is to do the same. To be found faithful. To leave footprints that lead others to believe. To light the way for others.
May we be found as faithful in our task as those men and women of my childhood, and perhaps of yours as well. May we honor our Lord. May we live lives that point others to Jesus. May all who come behind us find us faithful.
"O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Red Lights. And Waiting.
Last evening I left our hotel here in Orlando and drove over to get Al from the convention center where he had been working. We were heading out to dinner with some of his colleagues. The drive should have taken about ten minutes. Instead, it took about twice that. Because of red lights. Not some red lights. Every traffic light between my hotel and that convention center was red. Every one!
Which meant my trip took longer than I expected. Longer than it should have. Longer than I had planned on. Longer than I wanted it to.
Because I was waiting at red lights. Just waiting. No control over the situation. Nothing I could do about it. Just waiting.
I don't know about you, but waiting is not something I do particularly well. That likely could be said of many of us, particularly in this country. As Americans, we're pretty much conditioned to want what we want when we want it. We're pretty much conditioned to instant gratification. As Americans, we're not very good at waiting.
But the reality is that there are times when waiting is part of the fabric of our lives. We wait for those red lights to turn green. We wait for holidays or birthdays or vacations. We wait to hear back from the doctor's office about the results of our blood work or other medical tests. We wait for pay day. We wait for our house to sell. We wait for all sorts of things. And we don't always do it very well. We aren't always gracious "waiters". Or is it just me?
There are some things I've been waiting for. And as I have been waiting, I have discovered that the Bible has quite a lot to say about waiting. In fact, I'm amazed at how many times I have encountered that word in my Bible reading. I haven't been looking for it, or researching it, or doing a word study. But it's just there! Over and over and over again. And there's particularly a lot to be said about waiting for the Lord.
A few examples:
"I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5 ESV)
"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:25)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
"But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." (Psalm 106:13 ESV)
"May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you." (Psalm 25:21 ESV)
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1 ESV)
And there are lots more.....
The lesson here seems to be an obvious, though not easy, truth. The Lord's timing is perfect. Waiting on Him is best. He knows what is best for me. I need to wait. And in the waiting, there is much that I can learn. About God. About His character and His ways. And in the waiting and in the learning, I can become more of who He desires me to be.
So I wait. Though I admit that I'm not always patient in the waiting. It's something I'm struggling with.
But as I am waiting, this is my prayer......
"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." (Psalm 25:4-5 ESV)
Which meant my trip took longer than I expected. Longer than it should have. Longer than I had planned on. Longer than I wanted it to.
Because I was waiting at red lights. Just waiting. No control over the situation. Nothing I could do about it. Just waiting.
I don't know about you, but waiting is not something I do particularly well. That likely could be said of many of us, particularly in this country. As Americans, we're pretty much conditioned to want what we want when we want it. We're pretty much conditioned to instant gratification. As Americans, we're not very good at waiting.
But the reality is that there are times when waiting is part of the fabric of our lives. We wait for those red lights to turn green. We wait for holidays or birthdays or vacations. We wait to hear back from the doctor's office about the results of our blood work or other medical tests. We wait for pay day. We wait for our house to sell. We wait for all sorts of things. And we don't always do it very well. We aren't always gracious "waiters". Or is it just me?
There are some things I've been waiting for. And as I have been waiting, I have discovered that the Bible has quite a lot to say about waiting. In fact, I'm amazed at how many times I have encountered that word in my Bible reading. I haven't been looking for it, or researching it, or doing a word study. But it's just there! Over and over and over again. And there's particularly a lot to be said about waiting for the Lord.
A few examples:
"I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5 ESV)
"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:25)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
"But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." (Psalm 106:13 ESV)
"May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you." (Psalm 25:21 ESV)
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1 ESV)
And there are lots more.....
The lesson here seems to be an obvious, though not easy, truth. The Lord's timing is perfect. Waiting on Him is best. He knows what is best for me. I need to wait. And in the waiting, there is much that I can learn. About God. About His character and His ways. And in the waiting and in the learning, I can become more of who He desires me to be.
So I wait. Though I admit that I'm not always patient in the waiting. It's something I'm struggling with.
But as I am waiting, this is my prayer......
"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." (Psalm 25:4-5 ESV)
Monday, February 3, 2014
Because Sometimes There Are Disappointments
There was a big football game played yesterday. You may have heard about it. It was a great game......if you're a Seattle Seahawks fan. However, for those of us who are Denver Broncos fans, not so much. Congratulations to the Seahawks and their fans.
The game obviously did not turn out the way I had hoped, or expected. I'm a Broncos fan. I have been a Broncos fan for as long as I can remember. Even before we moved to Colorado, I pulled for the Broncos. And in the Colorado years, and all the years since, I've been cheering them on. So yesterday's result was a disappointment.
It's a picture of how life is, really. Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. Or expect them to. And that's hard.
But just as on the football field, there are winners and there are losers in every area of life. And just as on the football field, things don't always go according to plan. And just as on the football field, life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. And just as on the football field, sometimes we're disappointed.
It could be in a relationship. Or a financial situation. Or on the job. Or in the family.
It's true in every area of life. We sometimes must deal with disappointment. Because things don't always go our way. Even when we have tried our best. Even when we've done everything right. Even when we've done nothing wrong. Even then. Because that's just how life is. Things don't always go our way. They don't always turn out the way we expect them to. Sometimes life is hard.
So, what do we do? When we're disappointed. When stuff happens. When things don't go our way.
Do we just give up? Do we decide never to try again? Do we throw in the towel?
The Broncos will play football again. Although certainly they were disappointed with yesterday's results, I don't think the Bronco franchise will shut down and refuse to play ever again.
And so it is for us, when life is less than we expect it to be. When we're disappointed. When things don't go our way.
Life goes on. We can evaluate our situations and learn from whatever mistakes we might have made. Even so, that doesn't mean we will never be disappointed again.
It remains a matter of perspective. We can be defeated by our circumstances. By our losses and disappointments and frustrations. We can choose to be defined by them. Or not.
As in so many other areas of life, it's a choice. Because sometimes there are disappointments. But we are not defined by our circumstances and our disappointments, but by our relationship with Jesus. And thankfully, that is not defined by circumstances!
"[Jesus said], In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 ESV)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
The game obviously did not turn out the way I had hoped, or expected. I'm a Broncos fan. I have been a Broncos fan for as long as I can remember. Even before we moved to Colorado, I pulled for the Broncos. And in the Colorado years, and all the years since, I've been cheering them on. So yesterday's result was a disappointment.
It's a picture of how life is, really. Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. Or expect them to. And that's hard.
But just as on the football field, there are winners and there are losers in every area of life. And just as on the football field, things don't always go according to plan. And just as on the football field, life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. And just as on the football field, sometimes we're disappointed.
It could be in a relationship. Or a financial situation. Or on the job. Or in the family.
It's true in every area of life. We sometimes must deal with disappointment. Because things don't always go our way. Even when we have tried our best. Even when we've done everything right. Even when we've done nothing wrong. Even then. Because that's just how life is. Things don't always go our way. They don't always turn out the way we expect them to. Sometimes life is hard.
So, what do we do? When we're disappointed. When stuff happens. When things don't go our way.
Do we just give up? Do we decide never to try again? Do we throw in the towel?
The Broncos will play football again. Although certainly they were disappointed with yesterday's results, I don't think the Bronco franchise will shut down and refuse to play ever again.
And so it is for us, when life is less than we expect it to be. When we're disappointed. When things don't go our way.
Life goes on. We can evaluate our situations and learn from whatever mistakes we might have made. Even so, that doesn't mean we will never be disappointed again.
It remains a matter of perspective. We can be defeated by our circumstances. By our losses and disappointments and frustrations. We can choose to be defined by them. Or not.
As in so many other areas of life, it's a choice. Because sometimes there are disappointments. But we are not defined by our circumstances and our disappointments, but by our relationship with Jesus. And thankfully, that is not defined by circumstances!
"[Jesus said], In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 ESV)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
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