why, God?

With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:15

Our faithful and compassionate God allows us to ask any question we want no matter how difficult. - Laura Story

Oh friends . . . the last few weeks there have been so many things happen, things that have us questioning our faith, asking why, God?

Here is a new song I recently heard by Austin French:

Why God

Do people have to die?

A daughter or a son

Sudden and so young

Long before their time?

Why God

Do people fall apart?

A promise and a ring

Becomes a broken thing

A road that got too hard?

I don't understand

But I understand

Why God, I need You

It's, why God, I run to Your arms

Over and over again

It's, why God, I cling to Your love

And hold on for dear life

And I find, You are right by my side

Why God

Do we feel so alone?

Every single day

Fighting through the pain

Hoping there is hope?

I don't understand

But I understand

Why God, I need You

It's, why God, I run to Your arms

Over and over again

It's why God, I cling to Your love

And hold on for dear life

And I find, You are right by my side, ooh...

Give me a faith stronger than I have

I need to know when it hurts this bad

That You hold my heart when it breaks

And I'm not alone in this place

That's why God, I need You

Why God, I run to Your arms

Over and over again

It's, why God, I cling to Your love

And hold on for dear life

And I find, You are right by my side

Always right by my side

Even here in the why... God

The thing is, crazy stuff happens.

People hurt.

We hurt.

But we have to stay strong.

We can ask God why, He lets us do that.

He may not answer right away, we may not understand, but we cannot stop believing, we cannot lose our faith.

Ever.

Stand firm and keep a strong grip on that which you know.

trust

The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

- Deuteronomy 30:9-10

I have another oldie but goodie song reference!

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we'll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be…

Can you imagine, that you can have the world, as long as you live for Jesus?

It’s true, you can!

When the Lord delights in you, you will see the rewards.

I love living for Him!

time to prune

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

- John 15:2

Fall is on the way!

If anyone has a green thumb (I do not), this is the time of year that you start pruning back your azaleas and roses and fruit bearing bushes and trees.  

I often wondered why people do this (again, I cannot keep a plant alive), and I learned that they do this to get rid of unhealthy branches so that the plant is healthier and prettier next year, bearing more fruit or flowers.

Did you know that the Father does the same for us?

Sometimes this means ending a friendship, or moving across the country to start over.

You just have to remember that when you are going through difficult times, that God is pruning you to make you stronger, so pay attention and learn from the experience.  

See you at the Pole!

For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.

– Matthew 18:20

We will gather in His name.

We will shout His praises, we will give Him glory.

How lucky are we that we can praise the one who made us, out in the open, where others can see us, hear us, and just maybe, join us.

How blessed are we that we do not walk in this world alone, but He is with us!

Gather with us at the Flag pole today.

Pray for our nation, our leaders.

Pray for those who are oppressed, for the sick, for the weak.

Pray for those who defend our freedom, for those who are far away right now, and for those who did not come home when their tour ended.

Pray without ceasing.

Join us, He will be there.

trouble

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

- 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

When serious problems come your way, where do you turn?

Do you worry and freak out, complain and just be negative and miserable?

OR

Do you lean on God, knowing that He is there for you, that this too shall pass?

Each time we face new challenges, it is up to us if we are going to waste time and energy on the things that today seem monumental, but tomorrow will be small.

So many times I have felt like I am climbing mountains on Monday, to look back Friday and realize that it wasn’t that bad.

Tomorrow is See You at the Pole!

why?

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

- Proverbs 20:24

To say that the last seven weeks have been a challenge for me would be the understatement of the year.

Absolutely nothing went the way I had planned!

Of course, MY plans are human plans, and not necessarily what God had planned.

I admit that there have been multiple occasions when I have asked “why”.

I don’t understand why I broke my leg on day one of vacation (yes, I know how it happened, but why? )

God directs us to see things more from His perspective, to try and view the world through His eyes.

Why waste time trying to understand everything and being upset about it?

Let’s just let God lead us, and know that Father really does know best!

(points if you get the old TV show reference!)

Wednesday, September 25^th is See You at the Pole!

what's inside?

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.

-Luke 6:43

Have you ever cut open a beautiful apple, to find that the inside is full of worms and mush?

Do you blame the tree?

Of course not, it is not the tree’s fault that a worm got into the apple!

The outside of the apple may have been pristine and shiny, but the horror that lurked within – ew!

Eventually the worm would have done his damage and the outside of the apple would have also become ugly.

It is essentially the same with people.

What is inside our heart will eventually show on the surface.

If you love Jesus and live for Him, this manifests itself into kindness and caring.

But, if you are showing jealousy and bitterness, hatred and selfishness, well, maybe you should check your heart.

People know what is inside your heart by the way you live.