Wednesday, June 13, 2012

As Treasures of the Darkness Grow...

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James 1:2-4

When trials come no longer fear
For in the pain our God draws near
To fire a faith worth more than gold
And there His faithfulness is told
And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace
The breath of God brings strength to me
And new each morning mercy flows
As treasures of the darkness grow
As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own
For every battle You have known
My confidence will rest in You
Your love endures Your ways are good
Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost
I see the triumph of the cross
So in it’s shadow I shall run
Till You complete the work begun
Till You complete the work begun

One day all things will be made new
I’ll see the hope You called me to
And in your kingdom paved with gold
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old
(Getty)


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Super-Victors!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:35




"God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says-"I will be with him in trouble." It does not matter what actual troubles in the most extreme form get hold of a man's life, not one of them can separate him from his relationship to God. We are "more than conquerors" in all of these things. Paul is not talking of imaginary things, but of things that are desperately actual; and he says we are Super-Victors in the midst of them, not by our ingenuity or by our courage or by anything other than the fact that not one of them affects our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. Rightly or wrongly, we are where we are, exactly in the condition we are in. I am sorry for the Christian who has not something in his circumstances he wishes was not there! "Shall tribulation...?" Tribulation is never a noble thing; but let tribulation be what it may-exhausting, galling, fatiguing, it is not able to separate us from the love of God. Never let cares or tribulations separate you from the fact that God loves you. "Shall anguish...?" Can God's love hold when everything else says that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice? Either Jesus Christ if a deceiver and Paul is deluded or some extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God's character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things. Only one thing can account for it-the love of God in Christ Jesus!" (Oswald Chambers)



I had my pre-op this morning (including an EKG, blood work, and chest x-ray) and now I am having my Herceptin infusion at the Cancer Center. I've been encouraged today by a sweet saint at Greenville Radiology who told me as I checked in that she would be praying for me next week during my surgery. She told me her husband had been diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma and been told he would not live. He is a 9 year (and counting!) cancer survivor only by the healing hand of a mighty God. It is wonderful to know that nothing can separate us from that love! I appreciate all of your prayers as I try to check off all of the things on my pre-surgery "to-do" list! I am trying to pace myself but I run out of steam easily! We'll be taking Joey to Boys State on Sunday and then Anna will be my little helper for the rest of the week at home as I play "catch up" around the house. I have an all day workshop at work on Wednesday which will keep my mind occupied the day before my surgery. Thanks again for the cards, sweet words of encouragement, and prayers!