Use Your Signal Light

Aaron has never been very talkative in the mornings and this morning was no different.   I was taking him to school, like I did every morning during his high school years.  I wanted to chit chat.  He didn’t. 

I asked him all kinds of questions and tried to think of something I could say to get a response from him.  I finally had an idea I thought might work. 

The monthly ladies devotional was coming up soon.  I was supposed to have the devotional, so I asked Aaron what he thought it should be about.

We were at a  four way stop and I was about to turn right.  He looked over at me and said, “You didn’t use your signal light.” 

He was right.  I had forgotten.  Trying to joke with him I said, “You think I should do my devotional on using directionals?”

Aaron gave me a frustrated look and said, “Mom, I’m serious.  You should really use them.  You need to let the other drivers know which way you are going.”

I told him he was absolutely right and said I would be more diligent in the future.  Then I smiled again and set “But I may still use your idea for a devotional.” 

I don’t think Aaron knew what to think about that.

We use signals in our lives every day and I’m not talking about driving now.  The type of language we use, our facial expressions, our body language and even the tone of our voice all send signals to those around us.  They can tell what kind of mood we are in. 

The way we relate to people in our everyday lives will show others the type of person we are.  We may not want to believe it, but what we say and do reveals a lot about us.  Think about it. 

I was shopping with Mom a while back and we saw a woman put her items into her car and take her cart back to the cart corral before she went back to her car to leave. 

Mom and I talked about that.  Many people do the right thing and put their shopping cart up; but there also many people who do not. 

This is true of many small acts of courtesy like holding a door open for someone or helping a person pick up something they dropped.  All these little things add up!  We shine our lights and set a good example for others to follow.  In doing so we glorify our Father in heaven!

It’s like Aaron said, we need to let other people know which way we are going.  

As we strive toward heaven, let us tell others about Christ.  They may end up going our way.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”  Ephesians 5:8

Christ above all things - Robin 

 

 

 

Her First 'Grown Up' Board Game

Greta was so excited her parents allowed her to bring the game she got for Christmas.  She couldn’t wait to play with it with her family.   It was a great game!  It wasn’t a little kids game.  This was a game she knew everyone would like to play.  But first she had to endure the five hour road trip.    

When they finally got to her grandparents’ home they greeted the family and relaxed from the long trip.  She wanted to get her game out, but Mom said, “Greta, you will have to wait honey.  Everyone just got here.” 

Greta was ten and waiting was not her strong suit.  She wasn’t even hungry, but everyone else was ready to eat.  As soon as they were done, Greta asked again if they could play her game.  This time it was Dad who said, “Let’s wait a little while longer, honey.”   Aunt Rita noticed the disappointment on Greta’s face. 

A few minutes later there was a lull in the conversation.  Aunt Rita looked at Greta and said, “I hear you got a great new game for Christmas.  Did you bring it with you?”

Greta’s mom said, “Rita we don’t have to –“ but Rita cut her off in mid-sentence.  “Greta go get your game.  Let’s play.” 

Two of the older cousins spoke up, “What game? How many can play at one time?”  Greta practically screamed.  “The name of the game is Clue.  Up to six can play, but we can do it with four.”  And she ran to get it.  By the time she got back, her Uncle Terry wanted to play too. 

Greta knew she probably wouldn’t win because she didn’t have much practice, but she wondered who would.  As it turned out, Aunt Rita was the winner.  Greta got her mom’s attention and told her who won.  

Her mother laughed and said, “I told you she was smart.”   Greta was not disappointed in her loss.  She loved playing with the grownups and she learned a lot just by playing that one game. 

---------

It is interesting to note Greta’s enthusiasm about playing even though she knew she might not win.  She maintained her cheerful outlook and saw the whole thing as a learning experience. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians were like that?  Remember how excited we were when we first became Christians?  Our sins were forgiven and we had so much joy in our salvation! 

All we could think of was serving the Lord.  We wanted to take Jesus with us everywhere we went, just like Greta brought her game with her.  She was proud of it and wanted to spend time sharing it with her family. 

Christians should always be excited about sharing the Bible with our friends and neighbors.  We should be proud of our Savior and talk about Him to other people.  It is important to always have the desire to continually learn and grow.  We don’t begin our Christian lives knowing everything there is to know. 

We can’t be an “Aunt Rita” right away; but we can spend time with those more seasoned Christians and gain wisdom from them.  

God loves us.  Jesus died for us.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us.  

Please never allow your zeal for the Lord to grow cold. 

Christ above all things - Robin

"Who Shall Separate us From the Love of God"

  We have all seen our share of bad news lately.  It seems living in this old world gets tougher every day - because the world grows farther and farther away from God every day.  As a result we see devastating tragedies all around us.  

       Somehow, in the midst of all the mayhem and madness we still see good in people.   Everyday folks reach out to help their fellowman and in that moment -- that one moment of choosing to do the right thing -- they become heroes.  
     
       In tough times like these, it is good to find encouragement through the scriptures.  When we see the good in people it helps us remember the goodness and the love of God.  

       The Bible - the true and living word of God- gives us comfort and hope.  One such chapter that offers us hope and reminds of God's goodness is Romans chapter 8.  Many of us are familiar with parts of this chapter and in particular vs. 28 -- "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 
      

      That verse is truly comforting.  It is easy to see why we all turn to it for encouragement.  However, there are other verses in this chapter that give us the reassurance we seek from time to time.  Because you see, as one my friends said once -"This old world just beats you up sometimes." 

       One of the verses I love in this chapter is verse 18 - "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  We suffer in the world, but God has promised us glory ... if we are faithful.  

     Consider verses 13 and 14 - "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."  

   

     If we put to death our worldly way of life - then we are called the sons (and daughters) of God.  Now how awesome is that!!!  Verse 16 says - "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." 

      Paul talks about earthly suffering in this chapter.  He tells us we have  assurance that God is on our side; and no one can stand against us. (v. 31)  He also tells us the Spirit helps us.  He (the Spirit) intercedes for us when we don't know what to pray for.  

     

       Many times I have become so overwhelmed with sorrow and grief I could not put my prayer into words. How wonderful it is to know the Spirit intercedes for us -- and takes what is in our hearts -- what we can't express ourselves -- and gives that to God in a way that God can understand it (verses 26 & 27).  

      Really folks, this whole chapter is rich and full of treasure.  Read it whenever you are having a tough time.  I don't think anyone can read this chapter without feeling blessed and encouraged.  

      Verses 35-39 sums it up -- "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
    
    Hang in there -- even when the world gets really ugly and we feel like we have gone as far as we can go  - we have the Spirit interceding for us, (vs. 26-27) the love of Christ, (vs. 35) and the love of God on our side! (vs. 39) 

     And if God be for us -- then really -- who can be against us?

Christ above all things,
Robin


   

Body Slam Dunk

He was a stray that hung around at the grocery store where my brother worked.  As time went by, it became obvious to the employees that he had no home to go to – no one was going to come and claim him. 

My brother finally brought the stray home. I think the dog was very grateful.  He must have been because he was gentle and easygoing from the very beginning.  John named him Body Slam Dunk. 

I thought it was a strange name for a dog.  But my youngest brother was a great fan of sports.  I am pretty sure ‘body slam dunk’ is a basketball term.  I know what a dunk is – but I’m not sure about the body slam part. 

At any rate he was a good dog.  He and John were great friends. At some point, his name changed to Kemosabe – or Kemo for short.  Eventually John went to college.  Kemosabe became my parents’ dog then.  They loved him too.  He was a part of the family.

When my two oldest boys were big enough to play outside, Kemo followed them everywhere they went.  He had someone to play with again.  Not to mention he was a great guard dog. 

Once when John came home for a weekend, he set up a tent and camped outside with Adam and Alex.  Naturally, this was a special treat for them.  I remember Kemo slept right outside the tent “door” the entire night. 

Maybe he wanted to be as close as possible to them.  I’m sure he had missed John.  Maybe he was watching over them.  With him there, it was sure nothing else was coming across that tent threshold! 

Shouldn’t we feel toward God the way Body Slam Dunk (a.k.a. Kemosabe) felt about John? Shouldn’t we be thankful He had compassion on us when we were strays lost in sin?  God wants to take us home to heaven.  He sent His Son to die, so we would have the hope of living eternally with Him.

We should want to be as close to God as Kemo wanted to be to John.  We should take Him with us wherever we go.  God longs for closeness with us.  He wants us to be part of His family just like Kemo was part of ours. 

Guess what else?  Kemo wanted to protect Adam, Alex and John while they were asleep in that tent.  Christ wants to protect us from the snares of the devil and the cares of this world.  That is why He died for us and built the church. 

A relationship with a pet and his owner is pure.  Unconditional love is involved.  Loyalty and commitment are involved too and obedience.  Before John could take this stray home with him, the dog had to do something.  He had to listen to John’s voice and obey him.

Body Slam Dunk couldn’t go home with John until he got in the car. That really makes me stop and think!  Will we get in God’s car?  It is entirely up to us. 

 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  John 10:27

Christ above all things - Robin

Halloween on Paden Street

 

I grew up in safer, simpler times.  At least it seemed like that to me.  We lived in a residential neighborhood and lots of other kids lived there too. There was always someone to play with. During the summer we played with each other up and down the street.  

And Halloween?  Oh, trick or treating was so much fun. Todd and I walked from house to house with our friends to “trick or treat”.  Our neighbors were quite generous.  We always collected plenty of candy!

Another thing I loved was the decorations.  Some folks loved to decorate their houses with all sorts of things.  I remember one house in particular.  It was a few houses down the hill from us.  The yard and his front porch were decorated with all sorts of Halloween stuff.  When children walked up to the door and knocked, his wife would answer and give out candy. 

 As we got to their driveway, I saw him standing at a window. His arms were moving quickly.  It looked like he was pulling on a rope.  I just happened to notice movement in a big tree right beside their driveway.  I followed the movement and realization dawned on me. 

 The man had a “ghost” rigged up in that tree.  He had just finished pulling it into place ready for the next group of kids.  That just happened to be us.  None of my other friends had noticed.  “Oh this ought to be good!” I said to myself.

Todd was a few feet ahead of me, but I didn’t call him back.  I knew he would probably get scared, but I thought it would be funny.  Looking back on it now I feel guilty.  The Bible tells us we reap what we sow.  Maybe that’s why I am so easily startled now.  Who knows? 

This memory made me think about how we are supposed to look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We should stop them before they run full head on into something that will endanger their souls. 

Scripture says in Philippians 2:4-5 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.”

Hear is another beautiful passage. “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”  James 5:19-20

Ladies we can’t be like I was that night so long ago.  We cannot just sit back and watch our fellow Christians go off toward the path of sin without even caring.  God wants us to try to help them – to support them in their struggles and to call them back to the Lord. 

This is what loving one another is all about.  Let’s watch out for another. 

Christ above all things – Robin

His First Bowling Game

We were in Myrtle Beach, SC visiting some of my mother’s relatives.  On this trip we met folks we’d never met before.  Mom’s Aunt Ruby, her husband Ralph, Uncle Arthur, and several of Mom’s cousins.  It was a great visit for us. 

Myrtle Beach has always been a beautiful place.  Mom spent her early childhood years there. She remembers when the city was not nearly so crowded – high rise hotels did not line the shore for miles like they do now. 

Mom’s cousin Doris offered to take the three of us bowling.  We had never been before, so we were all excited about it.  Not many people were at the bowling alley that day and it didn’t take us long to get started. 

I think John was about eight years old at the time.  That would mean Todd was twelve and I was fourteen.  I can’t even remember if Todd went first or if I did.  Nor do I remember how either of us did, but I can assure you it wasn’t great.  LOL.

Then it was John’s turn.  We both stood back and watched our little brother.  That bowling ball went slowly down the lane.  John was small so there wasn’t much force behind his throw and I thought it would take forever to reach the pins. 

The ball never swerved.  It rolled as straight as an arrow.  I remember Todd and I looking at each other and one of us said, “Watch him get a strike on his first try ever.”  And he did!!  Neither of us were a bit surprised. 

John was thrilled.  I guess some would say it was beginner’s luck.  It didn’t matter to us what it was, he was so excited!  We were thrilled for him.  Why wouldn’t we be?  He was our little brother. 

That is the way our family has always been.  We always rooted and cheered for each other.  Mom and Dad taught us that. It is just the way we always were and still are now. 

The family of God is supposed to be that way too.  We are always supposed to be happy for one another when we do well.  It is part of loving each other as Christ commanded in John 13:35. 

Members of the church are supposed to celebrate with one another.  Being part of the body of Christ means we are part of each other (Romans 12:5). 

There should be no jealousy in our church family.  We can’t think of ourselves as more than we are.  In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul wrote, “love does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude” (verse 4).

We need our church families to encourage us and be happy for us.  We need to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15 

This is not just some kind of feel good statement we do with just a few of our close friends.  This is a commandment for all Christians. 

So the next time someone in our church family rolls a strike, get excited and celebrate with them!  God will bless you for it!

Christ above all things – Robin 

She Believed She Could So She Did

 

For a good long time now, I’ve seen the quote on home décor, jewelry, and T-shirts.  It is encouraging and inspirational.  What we think does indeed have a lot to do with setting and achieving goals. 

I was curious, so I researched the origins of the quote.  The first thing I found said it was written by R.S. Grey in the book Scoring Wilder.   This is a book about a female college soccer player who sets her sights on one of her coaches. 

You guessed it, the “scoring” does not have anything to do with the game of soccer.  I was disappointed when I discovered this. 

Then I found a book by Sam (Samantha) Lacey with this quote as part of its title.  “She Believed She Could So She Did: A Modern Woman’s Guide to Life.”  Really?  I thought that was the Bible. 

 I don’t know either of these women and I haven’t read either book.  But I do know Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new?’  It has already been in the ages before us.”

Now that is something isn’t it?  Even as young as the world was when Ecclesiastes was written, God said nothing was new.  Everything had already been said and done.  I find this truly fascinating! 

But the passage is not speaking of discoveries, inventions and developments in technology.  It refers to the nature and emotions of mankind. It is about the way we think and feel, and the way we treat each other. 

One may ask how is it that “she believed she could, so she did” is not new?  Go all the way back to Eve. 

She saw that fruit.  Satan convinced her she would not surely die.  She believed she could eat it without suffering any consequences – so she did – and with disastrous results! 

What about Sarah who was impatient regarding God’s promise of a son to Abraham?  She believed she could speed things up by giving Hagar as a concubine to Abraham.  So she did – with heartbreaking results!!

There are also positive examples.  Naomi didn’t plan for Ruth to go with her to Bethlehem.  But Ruth thought differently.  She thought she could choose Naomi’s God as her God too.  So she did - and both women were blessed!

There was Shiphrah and Puah, Jochebed and Miriam, Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Mary, the mother of John Mark – and many, many more! 

These are real-life examples of how believing and doing was played out for both bad and good in the Bible.  It is what we choose to think that will guide our words and deeds. 

The line itself conveys the same message Jesus gave to His apostles in Matthew 17:20, but with a twist – “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

That’s it.  Faith.  That is the twist.  What we do, we do through our faith in Christ our Savior. 

Love to all - Robin

Lyla's Horrible Day

If there was one thing Lyla knew after fifty plus years on this earth, it was that she really didn’t know anything.  It seemed like nothing ever stayed the same.  

“It certainly isn’t like it used to be, is it Henry?”  Head tilted to one side,  her dog looked at her questioningly. 

 “It seems as if the whole world is turned around backwards or something,” Lyla continued.  “Everybody is out for themselves and they don’t care what they have to do to get ahead.” 

Lyla never dreamed Janine would take credit for the work she did on the Martindale project!  But she had.  Worse yet, Janine got a big promotion out of the deal!  Lyla was devastated by the betrayal.  It had been a horrible day for her and she felt all alone. 

Her phone rang again.  It was her best friend Vicky.  She had already called three times; but Lyla just couldn’t bring herself to talk right now.  She put the phone down without answering. 

Henry jumped up on the couch to sit beside her.  Lyla was happy to have him there.  He scooted right up next to her.  She drew comfort from his closeness.  “At least you won’t double-cross me will you, Henry?” 

She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.  She sighed deeply, trying to blink back the bitter tears.  Then Lyla prayed.  Well, she prayed as best she could. 

She was still so hurt; and at first she didn’t even know what to pray.  But once Lyla got started, she poured her heart out to God and told Him what had happened.  She was honest about her anger and how unfair it was for Janine to claim she did all the work on her own – especially when Lyla did most of it. 

She began to feel a little better.  Her prayer helped her feel more at peace.  She remembered 1 Peter 3:12.  “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,  and His ears are open to their prayer.  But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  That verse always gave her such great comfort.

God had never failed Lyla before and she knew He would not fail her now.  She thought about Jesus’ life while He was here on earth.  He was rejected and reviled. 

Christ lived a sinless life.  He served others throughout His ministry.  He healed the multitudes of all sorts of diseases and He fed them because He had compassion on them.  Yet on the night, He was crucified, a crowd of people chose a known murderer to be released rather than the Son of God. 

Lyla realized Christ truly knew all that she had been through today.  He knew how these hurts felt.   She knew the Lord would take care of her. 

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Romans 8:37.

Christ above all things - Robin

An Apology on the Blue Ridge Parkway

My mother’s parents lived in Hampton, Virginia.   We lived in rural northeast Mississippi.   The two places are about 866 miles apart.  We were blessed to be able to visit them once a year during the summer and I have such great memories of those times. 

Thinking about it now, the memories come flooding back all at once.  They were truly special times.  Being with my grandparents was great fun.  Mom and Dad always made the road trips back and forth extra special time too. 

I guess we really got to know each other – five people in one car – on a trip that long.  Once they decided to take the Blue Ridge Parkway at least part of the way home.  This Parkway is nearly four hundred seventy miles long.  It starts near Waynesboro, Virginia and goes through Blue Ridge Mountains ending near Cherokee, North Carolina. 

We did not stay on the Parkway from beginning to end, but Mom and Dad wanted us to experience the beauty of the mountains.  It is a gorgeous scenic route.  Somewhere along the way we stopped for a little break and to stretch our legs. 

When we got back on the road, Dad turned on the Parkway again.  My youngest brother, John, said, “Dad, you turned the wrong way.”   Now Dad was very good with directions.  He seemed to always know where he was going.   And my brother was pretty young. – maybe about ten. 

“No, John.  We’re going the right way,”  Dad said.  He drove on. … for several miles.  

I’m not sure how far we went, but Mom and Dad saw a road sign giving the distance to the next town.  It just happened to be a place we went through a little earlier in the day. 

They looked at each other in surprise as they realized John had been right along. 

As Mom said a few days ago when we talked about this, “As good as Dad was about not getting lost, he wasn’t perfect.” 

What I remember the most about that trip – what has stuck with me all these years – is that Dad apologized to John.  I can still hear his voice just as clearly as I did that day.  He turned and looked at my brother and said, “John, I’m sorry.  You were right.  I went the wrong way.  I’m sorry, buddy.” 

Dad didn’t try to find a way to save face.  He didn’t look for an excuse or try to blame it on anyone else.  He admitted he was wrong right then and there.  My dad gave his ten year old little boy a heartfelt apology. 

True humility is not something we run across very often these days.  That’s a shame because it is a command from God.   Philippians 2:3 reads, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful example of humility~!

Christ above all things -- Robin

More Better

 After being in Mississippi with Mom for the past thirteen weeks, my niece Elizabeth goes back to Chattanooga on Saturday.  It has been wonderful for her to be here.  Mom has loved it!  I love right next door, so I’ve loved it too!   

 We had a little get together in her honor last night.  We enjoyed a great meal and shared some laughs.  We also shared sweet memories of my dad.  We also gave her a gift – and that is the “more better” part of the story. 

 First a little background.  Mom and Dad rent pastureland to a friend of theirs.  He has several cows on the property.  Elizabeth enjoys watching the cows and their calves out in the field.    

 The gift Mom originally order did not come in on time.    So we went to plan B.   I would get something from the local gift and flower shop in the town where I work.  I ordered something online to be picked up at the store. 

 When I got to the store I saw a hand painted picture of a cow.  Wow!!  That is so perfect for Elizabeth.  But .. I had ordered another picture.   I went inside and told them I there to pick up my order. 

The ladies could not find the item I ordered.  They made a call to a co-worker and found out it was in a storage building a couple of blocks away.  One of them was going to get it for me.  I told them I changed my mind about that picture.

They were disappointed until I told them I wanted the cow picture in the window instead.  Boy, where they relieved!  They did a credit for the first order and I bought this cow picture. 

I was so excited and I told the ladies’ about my niece and the cows in the pasture and everything.  One of them said, “Well this was just meant to be.”  I totally agreed! 

Now I know “more better” is not grammatically correct.  However, there are times we mis-use words for emphasis.  I am here to tell you this cow picture was more better.   It was more fitting than the original gift.  And it was better than I ever imagined. 

I felt so great because I thought it was a lovely and fun little painting; but it was also very nicely done.  The artists’ work was top notch!  Elizabeth loved her gift!!

I have a dear Christian friend who would call this incident “a God thing.”  She is right on this. 

Unfortunately, we don’t always look for the blessings we have, but we should.  Scripture tells us “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  James 1:17

Finding that painting at just that time was a good gift.  In fact, it was just right!  So where did it come from?  James said it is from the “father of lights.” 

I guess that makes my friend right.  It was a “God thing.”  Oh, how He loves His children.  Oh how He works things out for us!   This is why we can say,  “Bless the Lord, O my soul,   and forget not all his benefits,”  Psalm 103:2

 Christ above all things – Robin

A New Frisbee

Lady got a new frisbee today. Robert bought it for her. She had chewed around on the old one so much that we finally took it away from her.

When I got home this afternoon, her new toy was in the middle of the living room. She is always excited to see me when I get home from work. Today she greeted me happily and then walked over to her new toy as if to say, “Look what I got, Mom!” 😊

After supper, we went outside to play like we usually do. It’s been too hot to stay out there long, but she is full of energy and loves to be outside.

Guess what? It is amazing how a new frisbee flies across the yard so much better than an old one that is all chewed up! The new frisbee seems to glide through the air gracefully. It has a smooth landing too.

Throwing that frisbee around made me think about what one of Dad’s Christian friends used to say. “God never promised us smooth sailing, but He did promise us a safe landing.” I was only a teenager when I heard it; but I wish I had remembered it more often.

I certainly could have used the reassurance over the past few months. It’s true, you know. God didn’t promise us that life would be easy. In fact, Jesus told His apostles “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

It is beautiful to know Jesus overcame the world and He will help us overcome it too. It is easy to think about a great victory in Christ when at that moment, nothing terrible is happening in our lives. But it can be quite a challenge to hold on to promise of victory when the storms of life are raging all around us.

To hear we will have tribulation is one thing. To face it head on is quite another. The devil will use heartbreak to try and break us away from God. He will send the naysayers our way. We may hear, “Oh you’ll never be able to do this. You are smart enough or strong enough.”

The father of lies will try his best to convince us God has left us alone to handle our own problems. That. Is. NOT. True. God is always going to be there. He has promised us this. He will never leave us; but we have to stick with Him.

Sometimes the storms will rage. The winds will howl. Tribulation will come. The sailing will not always be smooth. But as long as we have hope as our anchor, our faith will carry us through to that safe landing.

Christ above all things - Robin