Inspirations

God’s not everywhere

/ kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I Kings 19:11-12

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

I was in total disbelief, as I stood & looked before me at the massive amount of nothingness that stood between 2 sets of tree lines.  On April 27, 2011, a category F5 tornado hit the small rural town of Smithville, Mississippi.  A couple of weeks later, I stood, with a group of church friends, viewing the devastation that was left behind.  From where we were at, we could see across the highway at an area that was hard hit.  Right there, in front of us, it was as if a huge lawn mower had plowed right through a wooded area., leaving an empty spread about ½ a mile wide.  I looked at the places where houses were no longer at.  But most importantly, I got to look into the faces of many of those who were victims of the tornado.  We were set up at a church building, cooking, handing out meals, giving away necessities to those who were left without.  It was amazing the outpouring of love people from all over the country were sending in way of food, clothing, money, home furnishings, anything you can think of.  Folks were helping in the time of need.

You may ask, but what about the tornado?  What about those who lost their lives?  What about those who lost their loved ones & everything they owned?  Why does God let these things happen?  I have an opinion about all of this.  Stay with me, because sometimes, I know what I am trying to say, however, might take a minute to get there. I am not entirely convinced that God has His hand in everything that happens.  There is another entity that is present on this earth besides God.  That would be the devil. Does the devil have influence over anything?  I would say so.  Look at all the sin in the world.  The killings, hunger, theft, drugs, alcohol, and just pure down right meanness.  That’s not from God. The devil was there when God told him he could have his way with his servant Job.  Actually, Satan declared, that he had been going to and fro on the earth walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7)  He caused a load of trouble for Job, including his family being killed, v. 13, his livestock being attacked & killed v. 15, his servants being burned up, v. 16, he himself was struck with painful boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet 2:7.  Where was God?  Did He not love Job?  Yes, but at the time Satan had his way with him. Job endured to the end, with the devil & he was blessed more than tin the beginning.42:12  God was not in all that happened to Job. Satan was in a lot of it.  Could God have intervened?  Yes, if He had of wanted to.  However, He can’t be in cahoots with Satan.  So, when Satan is having his way, God’s not there.  But ladies & gentlemen, be aware, because Satan is among us daily.

So, what happened with these folks in Smithville after the tornado?  I don’t know about all of them, but I do personally know about one family.  This family lost all their material belongings, in that tornado.  Their mobile home, cars, clothes, anything you can think of. They dug their way out of a church basement once the storm passed thorough.  All they had were the clothes on their backs & each other.     But God had a plan for them.   After it was all said & done, they had a better house than they had ever had.  Since the storm, more people had helped them & got them back on their feet in a way they could not have done for themselves.  They came out of this life changing incident much better than they were in the beginning.  The tornado, that was the devil.  The love & compassion, that was God.  God will always triumph over evil.

Thank you for coming by to visit. Right now I have to go, because I should be washing clothes!

When God says apologies are not enough

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes being sorry, for faulting someone, is just not enough. Let me explain myself. When you are hurt by angry words or when someone treats you unfairly, an apology can do wonders. However, forgiveness does not always put everything back together like it was before. Many people may feel that they can treat others with hatred & discontent-but should be put right back in good graces once they breath an apology. While apologies & seeking forgiveness for wronging someone is essential to mending relationships, sin in any form is at a cost. And yes anger & lashing out at others is a sin.

Let’s consider what the Bible teaches-

Ephesians 4:26 says this:

“Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

On in verse 27 it says “ nor give place to the devil.”

Then on down in verse 31 the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians,

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.”

What’s the cure for anger? Verse 32 says,

“And be kind to one another , tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

There is a price for sin & not listening to God’s teachings. Take for instance, one of the most remarkable men of the Bible- Moses. In Numbers 12:3, it states “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. Verse 7 of the same chapter indicates God saying Moses was faithful in all his house. Verse 8 says that God spoke to him face to face. God must have had a really high opinion of Moses. In Deuteronomy 34:10 it says But since then there was not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Now, with all the wonderful things the Bible says about Moses, there was an incident that happened in Numbers 20 starting in verse 7, which God did not approve of.

Numbers 20:7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying v. 8 Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.

Moses took the rod, as He had commanded. Moses & Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Then for whatever reason instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with the rod. And you know what happened after that? The water came out in abundance. Enough to give water to the congregation and their animals. It looked like everything went well, until the Lord had His say. If Moses did not think God would notice he disobeyed him, he found out pretty quickly, He was not amused. The Lord said in verse 12 to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore, you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have promised.”

Moses picked right back up & kept on following God. In Deuteronomy 3:23-25 he pleaded with the Lord to see the promised land. Even with the faithfulness & forgiveness He bestowed upon Moses, because of his sin, He would not go back on His word. Finally, the Lord got tired of his apologizing, & angrily responded in verse 26 to Moses“Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.”

Moses was a great leader of the Bible. He wrote five books of the Bible. He was the deliverer of the Lord’s commandments which is thus referred to as the Law of Moses. This Law was what Christ lived under. However, because of his sin, he was not granted the gift of entering the promised land. Sin can be forgiven, however there is responsibility for those sin. Take for example someone who is a prisoner in jail.  They may truly be sorry for the things they have done.  God can forgive them.  However, they still have time to serve.  Somethings can just not be regained after sin. Many times things cannot ever be as they were before. God will forgive. However, people need to consider the damage, that can be done to others, before letting the devil have his way with their actions & words.

I believe we should all make efforts to right our wrongs. Especially in relationships. However, we should not be surprised when saying you are sorry does not put everything back together again. This is why we should consider the long lasting detriment sin can have. Perhaps this will be enough help us to bridle our tongues & be watchful of what we do. As a southern girl we are groomed to be mindful of someone else’s feelings. I can remember my mama teaching me to not say this or that or do this or that. Why? Because it might hurt a person’s feelings. Let’s do our best to be kind & tenderhearted to one another. That way, we don’t have to worry about making apologies.

 

I appreciate so much you stopping by to visit with me. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes……….

When nothing seems right

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are times that it doesn’t take much to get us down, does it?  Maybe some unkind words from a friend, bad news from the auto mechanic, a financial set back, or a misbehaving child can put a cloud of gloom over everything (even on the sunniest of days!).  You know you should be joyful, but everything just seems to be against you, making the simplest task a struggle.

The psalmist David must have been feeling a lot like that when he wrote Psalm 6.  He felt weak & sickly (v. 2), troubled (v.3), forsaken (v.4), weary (v.6), and grief-stricken (v.7).  But he knew what to do when nothing seemed right.  He looked up & trusted God to take care of him & see him through.

When we look up & focus on God, something wonderful happens!  We get our eyes off of ourselves & gain a new appreciation of Him.

Next time you think nothing is right, consider looking up to God for guidance.  He is sovereign (Psalm 47:8).  He loves you (I John 4: 9-10),  He considers you special (Matthew 6:26), He has purpose for your trials (James 1:2-4).

Keeping our eyes on God will make us happy!

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden & I will give you rest.”

He didn’t say go out & buy something to make yourself feel better.  He didn’t say turn to eating, drinking, or drugs to help you cope with your problems.  He said come to Him.

Yes, life can seem unbearable at times. But don’t let it keep you down.  Meditate on God’s goodness, talk to Him, and know that He hears you (Psalm 6:9).  That will give you the strength & courage to get up when nothing is right.

When life knocks you down, you are in a good position to pray!

Parts of this was taken from an article in Our Daily Bread, written by Dave Branon.  It was such a great read, I had to share it with you all.  Life is hard sometimes, isn’t it?  But if it were easy all the time, what lessons does that teach us?  How would you know how others felt, in their times of pain & sorrow, if you had not been through things similar.  In that case, you can help another person who doesn’t think anything is right! That’s how Jesus wants us to be.  Caring for each other.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  I would love to stay & visit but I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes!

100 Days of Scripture

/ kstrick7 / 3 Comments

Our preacher made an awesome challenge to our congregation today.  It was to read the New Testament of the Bible in 100 days.  He said you would start on Memorial Day & end on Labor Day.  However, you could start at any time.  I am so excited about this!  I have been trying to read through the new testament anyway.  I started at the beginning of the year, as one of my New Year’s Resolutions.  I am sort of a put-er off-er.  I started with Matthew & was going to read the 4 gospels first, and go in line, as the Bible is divided out.  I am only to Acts, though.  So, I probably would have been reading the most part of the New Testament the last week of the year, to meet my goal!  This is structured much better.  You only have to read a few chapters a day.  It could be done without a problem.  Come on & join us in 100 Days of Scripture.  You will be glad you did!

** This idea was orginally taken from stoneofcompetence.blogspot.com

Day 1 John 1-2 Day 2 John 3-4 Day 3 John 5-6 Day 4 John 7-8 Day 5 John 9-10 Day 6 John 11-12 Day 7 John 13-14 Day 8 John 15-17 Day 9 John 18-19 Day 10 John 20-21 Day 11 1 John 1-3 Day 12 1 John 4-5 Day 13 2 John & 3 John Day 14 Revelation 1-3 Day 15 Revelation 4-9 Day 16 Revelation 10-13 Day 17 Revelation 14-18 Day 18 Revelation 19-22 Day 19 1 Thessalonians 1-3 Day 20 1 Thessalonians 4-5 Day 21 2 Thessalonians 1-3 Day 22 James 1-2 Day 23 James 3-5 Day 24 1 Peter 1-2 Day 25 1 Peter 3-5 Day 26 2 Peter 1-3 Day 27 Mark 1-3 Day 28 Mark 4-5 Day 29 Mark 6-7 Day 30 Mark 8-9 Day 31 Mark 10-11 Day 32 Mark 12-13 Day 33 Mark 14-16 Day 34 Galatians 1-2 Day 35 Galatians 3-4 Day 36 Galatians 5-6 Day 37 Colossians 1-2 Day 38 Colossians 3-4 Day 39 1 Corinthians 1-4 Day 40 1 Corinthians 5-7 Day 41 1 Corinthians 8-11 Day 42 1 Corinthians 12-14 Day 43 1 Corinthians 15-16 Day 44 2 Corinthians 1-4 Day 45 2 Corinthians 5-7 Day 46 2 Corinthians 8-9 Day 47 2 Corinthians 10-11 Day 48 2 Corinthians 12-13 Day 49 Ephesians 1-3 Day 50 Ephesians 4-6 Day 51 Philippians 1-2 Day 52 Philippians 3-4 Day 53 Luke 1-2 Day 54 Luke 3-4 Day 55 Luke 5-7 Day 56 Luke 8-10 Day 57 Luke 11-12 Day 58 Luke 13-15 Day 59 Luke 16-18 Day 60 Luke 19-21 Day 61 Luke 22-24 Day 62 Acts 1-2 Day 63 Acts 3-5 Day 64 Acts 6-7 Day 65 Acts 8-9 Day 66 Acts 10-12 Day 67 Acts 13-15 Day 68 Acts 16-18 Day 69 Acts 19-20 Day 70 Acts 21-23 Day 71 Acts 24-26 Day 72 Acts 27-28 Day 73 1 Timothy 1-3 Day 74 1 Timothy 4-6 Day 75 2 Timothy 1-2 Day 76 2 Timothy 3-4 Day 77 Romans 1-3 Day 78 Romans 4-5 Day 79 Romans 6-8 Day 80 Romans 9-11 Day 81 Romans 12-13 Day 82 Romans 14-16 Day 83 Philemon & Jude Day 84 Matthew 1-4 Day 85 Matthew 5-7 Day 86 Matthew 8-9 Day 87 Matthew 10-11 Day 88 Matthew 12-13 Day 89 Matthew 14-15 Day 90 Matthew 16-18 Day 91 Matthew 19-21 Day 92 Matthew 22-23 Day 93 Matthew 24-25 Day 94 Matthew 26-28 Day 95 Titus 1-3 Day 96 Hebrews 1-3 Day 97 Hebrews 4-6 Day 98 Hebrews 7-9 Day 99 Hebrews 10-11 Day 100 Hebrews 12-13

Mother’s Day

/ kstrick7 / 4 Comments

Sunday is Mother’s Day.  A time to honor our mothers.  For those of us, who’s mothers are passed away, it sometimes can be a difficult time.  I have so many fond memories of my mother.  I don’t want to make you cry, like Bubba Watson did, when he won the Masters.  But if you saw it, who was the 1st one out to him once he made that last putt?  His mama.  He hugged her & bawled like a baby.  I can appreciate that.  I loved my Mama like that.  That’s why I suppose Mother’s Day can be so hard. Because I do miss her just as much now, as when she passed away.

I have been fortunate to have been loved by many mothers.  My own, of course, but my Mamaw, my Mama B., special aunts, & my mother in law.  All these wonderful ladies were & are strong women.  They taught me how to love my kids & other kids, too.  They gave me values, & taught me how to act. They made sure I did not shame my family by leaving home, without knowing how to cook.  They went to church, they loved their neighbors, they took meals to the sick, shut in & those that lost family members. They gave spankings & hugs.  They feared God. They have all been fine examples of what a wonderful Southern mother should be.

In Proverbs it tells of a virtuous woman.  It says:

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman?  For her worth is far above rubies.

In the following verses it tells what she does:

    1. She is good to her husband.
    2. She works.
    1. She provides food for whoever is in her house.
    1. She strengthens herself.
    1. She helps the poor.
    1. She speaks words with wisdom.
    2. She watches over her household & is not idle.
    3. She has her children & husband’s respect.

v.30       She fears God.

This is a terrific description that we should try to live by.  The ladies that I have spoken of above have conquered this list.  My prayer is that every lady strives to be as the virtuous woman.  It makes our houses much better to live in.  It brings happiness to our lives & the lives of others.  We should respect others & respect ourselves.  We should practice peace & love toward others.  The attitudes we cultivate can have a powerful effect on others.  Ask God to help you find reasons to rejoice instead of complain.  Respond to difficult situations with calm faith & trust God’s will.

May 24th, 2012 will mark 10 years since my Mama has passed away.  She was a remarkable woman.  I only pray that I can carry on the way she & my other female influences have taught me.  The author Rick Bragg said in a Southern Living article, “You never outgrow the need for your mother’s love.”  Whether you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, or friend, make a way to show that special mother like love to others.  If your mother is still living, please make an effort to see or talk to her this Mother’s Day.  I know she will be glad you did.  Happy Mother’s Day to all!

I hope you have enjoyed this post . Maybe it has inspired you in some way.   I would love to write more, but right now I have to go, because I should be washing clothes……

           Me & Mama when I was about 6 years old

Respect for Someone wiser

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

My 17 year old daughter, just recently, had the privilege of being a Page for the Senate of our awesome state! When she got back home, she told stories of how she met all different kinds of people, how she heard many opinions & witnessed bills being turned into laws. She got to meet the governor & have her picture made with him. She got to have a great experience learning about how our great state functions, in the heart of the capital. One thing that really made an impression to her was how the house of representatives & the senate conducted themselves. She said at times, there was yelling, squabbling, and even a representative doing a compelling depiction of a snake (to get his point across about how he felt regarding other representatives votes). It was very entertaining. However, she noted there was one senator, that had the floor when he spoke. She said it was as if everyone was in awe of him. That their respect for him was great & no one would fancy the idea of being anything less than attentive when he made his thoughts known. She said it was if when he spoke, he imparted wisdom.

Jesus is the perfect example of someone people wanted to listen to. In Luke 6, it is told how the multitudes followed Christ.

In verse 17, “He came down with them, and stood on a level place with a crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases.”

Can’t you imagine such a large group of people listening & hanging on every word of Jesus? Following Him around, just to see what He was going to say next? These people were hungry for the Lord’s words of wisdom. They fed on his righteous teachings. That’s why where ever Jesus went, there was always a crowd. Sometimes He would have to “withdraw” from the group of followers, just to get some rest. (Luke 5: 16) Those folks were longing for the love & saving grace Jesus had to offer to the lost & dying world.  It says in Luke 4:32 that Jesus’s word was with authority.  These people knew they had someone magnificent in their presence.

When did we quit wanting to listen to Jesus? Was it when we got that job that takes up so much of our time, that we hardly have a minute to spend reading the Bible? Was it when we bought that new car or house or boat, that we think we paid for with OUR money? We get too worried with what I can gain, what I can do, what I can be, to remember, we would be nothing, have nothing, or even be in existence without our Lord & Savior. Let’s take a minute to be like these multitudes, that followed Jesus around, in awe of His presence. We should respect Him, when He speaks to us through His word. By faith, we can be like these weary people, who’s main concern was listening to Jesus. In Luke 4: 42 it tells how the crowds sought Jesus & tried to keep Him from leaving them.  Their hearts were in the right place.  Is yours?

O ye of little faith!

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

With the natural disasters going on, I thought it appropriate to blog about how God takes care of us.

In 2004, the Tsunami that ravaged the seashore of India was devastating.  People were killed, homes destroyed, the land in total chaos. I heard some interesting facts, not long after this happened.  Supposedly during this time, there were about 150,000 people in dozens of countries, that lost their lives.  However, there were very few animals found dead.  It is said their natural instinct told them to seek higher ground.  Eyewitnesses reported elephants screamed & ran for safety.  Dogs refused to go outdoors.  Flamingos abandoned their low-lying areas.  Zoo animals rushed into their shelters & could not be enticed to come back out.  The believeth that wild & domesticated animals possess a sixth sense is intriguing.   It is completely amazing to me how this happens.  How God takes care of animals.  Christ clearly states in Matthew 10:31 that we are more valuable than many sparrows.  In Luke 12:24 He says for us to consider the ravens.  God feeds them.  Of how much more value are we than the birds?  Aren’t we more important to God than birds?  Of course we are!  And from reading about how he takes care of animals, why, we must be really special to Him! 

 Luke 12:27-28 Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin: and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith!

God has divine purpose for us all.  He would not forsake us.  He loves us too much.  Whenever you get down & you think things are hopeless, remember you are loved by the One who created the moon & the stars!  If God had a refrigerator, He would have your picture on it!  Our Father is a king!  That’s quite an inheritance we have there.  We should go out & see that we live up to it .  Always mindful that our Lord cares for us.

How good it feels to know I have a Lord that takes care of me & my family!  I could blog about God’s love for us, all day.  However, I have got to get going, because I should be washing clothes!

 

Never Go Alone

/ kstrick7 / 1 Comment

My 8 year old does not like to be by herself.  When she goes to a part of our house, where no one else is, she always calls for someone to go with her.  She does not like to watch t.v. alone, sleep alone, or walk up the sidewalk at school alone.  She doesn’t understand it now, but she’s never by herself.  God is always with her.  He never leaves us alone.  In Romans 8:38-39, the apostle Paul explains, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

I think that covers about any place you could be.  And where is God?  Right there with you!  I have heard if God seems far away, who moved?  This is so true.  It plainly states in the scriptures that God is with us, if we want Him to be.    I know some people may not know God, & may not care.  I don’t mean to be blunt, but boy, they are missing out!  They are missing out of the most terrific, comforting, loving, peaceful spirit they could ever experience, in their lives.  Isn’t that a wonderful comfort?  Just to know God is with us & protects us & loves us.

We should always strive to be close to God.  One way to do this is by praying.  We can pray at anytime, anywhere.  It does not have to be quiet, head bowed, with no one around.  You can pray in the car, at work, taking your kids to school, or at the check out line at the grocery store.   Why, I have even heard of stop light prayers.  When you are stopped in your car at a stop light, look around at a vehicle next to you & say a prayer for that person.  Who knows what blessing it could be for them!  It’s so important to talk to God.  It’s hard to feel alone, when you are talking to God.  I heard a preacher’s wife, who was speaking at a Ladies Day I attended, talk about this:  Another way to be close to God is to read His word, the Bible.  Can you imagine wanting to be friends with someone, but never letting them talk to you?  This is when you allow God to talk to you, when you read His word.  Doesn’t that make sense?  Read your Bible, let God talk to you.  How could you feel alone with someone talking to you?

I firmly believe we can enrich our lives & live them to the fullest by walking with God.  We do this by praying & listening to Him in His word.   My prayer is that you keep God in your heart.  That way, you will never go anywhere alone.  I so hope you ponder these things for awhile.  I have enjoyed being here with you today.   However, for now, I must go, because I should be washing clothes……..

Words to live by

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Following are some things I have been told, at some point throughout my life.  Of course by those wiser than me.  They are pearls of wisdom from people that I love & have loved me.

1.  Always wear a necklace–by Mama

2.  Always tell me the truth.  Because, if you don’t, I will find out.  Then, it will be worse than if you have of just owned up to it. –by Mama

3.  Never pay more than $20,000 on anything that doesn’t have a front porch.–by Daddy

4.  Don’t do drugs.  It’s just not worth it.  You’re better than that.–by my brother

5.  A man that will lie, will steal.– by my Papaw

6.  When they sing the invitation song (at church), don’t you dare move. –by Mama (This was when I was little & could not stay still for nothing.  Remember, my Daddy was the preacher.  He took it very seriously.)

7.  Don’t go to bed with gum in your mouth.–by Mama

8.  For every sorry man, there’s a sorry woman.–by my mother-in-law

9.  I have never gone to church, that when it was over, I said, “I wished I hadn’t done that.” –by my father-in-law

10.  You will never regret being kind.  So, be kind. –by my Mamaw

11.  Don’t wear your Sunday shoes to the barn.–by my Papaw

12.  Shut that smart mouth.–by Mama

13.  You should always be nice to people because when you’re not, well, it just might hurt their heart. –by my youngest daughter

14. Always look under your covers before you get in bed.  –by my mother-in-law

15.  You know what you get when you argue with an idiot?  Two idiots arguing. –by my brother

16.  Always wear lipstick. –by Mama

17.  Never leave the house without looking presentable.  You will always run into someone you know. –by Daddy

18.  Always say yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, no sir.– by Mama

19.  Sometimes you must do things just because somebody else wants you to do it.–by Mama

20.  Don’t blame things on others.  Always ask what could you have done to have made the situation better.–by Daddy

21.   Always act & look better than you feel. –by Mama

22.  Act like somebody.–by Mama

23. It’s ok to be mad at your brother.  But don’t bite yourself & say he did it.–by Mama

Of course I could go on & on.  However, right now I have to stop.  Because I should be washing clothes………..

It’s in the Valleys I Grow

/ kstrick7 / Leave a comment

This is a poem, I had cut out somewhere & kept.  You may have seen it before.  I think it is well worth mentioning.  I did not write it.  However, love the message it sends.   It’s a good reminder that we can’t always live life on top of the world.  I have heard that if your life is good all the time, you can compare it to sunshine.  Too much sunshine creates a dry, desert.  If your life is bad all the time, you can compare it to rain.  Too much rain, creates a wet, nasty, jungle.   However, the right balance of good & bad develops a place we can prosper & grow.  Hopefully, this is something you can use today.

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

Full of sorrow, trouble, and woe.

It’s then I have to remember,

That it’s in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top,

And never experienced pain,

I would never appreciate God’s love

And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn

And my growth is very slow,

Sometimes I need the mountain tops,

But it’s in the valleys I grow.

My little valleys are nothing

When I picture Christ on the cross.

He went through the valley of death;

His victory was Satan’s loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining,

When I’m feeling so very low.

Just give me a gentle reminder,

That it’s in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord

And use my life each day

To share your love with others

And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord

For this one thing I know

The mountain tops are glorious

But it’s in the valleys I grow!

I hope this poem has blessed you.  Maybe it will help to lighten your load & make your day a little brighter.  Thank you for sharing a little bit of time with me.  However, for now, I must go, because I should be washing clothes!