A Thanksgiving Quote - on Overcoming with Courage

“All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both met and overcome with answerable courage.  It was granted the dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible.  For, many of the things feared might never befall; others by provident care and the use of good means might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome.  True it was that such attempts were not to be undertaken without good ground and reason, rashly or lightly; or, as many had done, for curiosity or hope of gain.  But their condition was not ordinary; their ends were good and honourable; their calling, lawful and urgent; therefore they might expect the blessing of God on their proceedings.  Yea, though they should lose their lives in this action, yet might they have the comfort of knowing that their endeavour was worthy.”

- Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford

~Brittany

Running with Patience

Let us run with patience (Hebrews 12:1).

To run with patience is a very difficult thing. Running is apt to suggest the absence of patience, the eagerness to reach the goal. We commonly associate patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet, I do not think the invalid's patience the hardest to achieve.

There is a patience which I believe to be harder--the patience that can run. To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still: It is the power to work under a stroke; to have a great weight at your heart and still to run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily task. It is a Christlike thing!

Many of us would nurse our grief without crying if we were allowed to nurse it. The hard thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in bed, but in the street. We are called to bury our sorrows, not in lethargic quiescence, but in active service--in the exchange, in the workshop, in the hour of social intercourse, in the contribution to another's joy. There is no burial of sorrow so difficult as that; it is the "running with patience."

This was Thy patience, O Son of man! It was at once a waiting and a running--a waiting for the goal, and a doing of the lesser work meantime. I see Thee at Cana turning the water into wine lest the marriage feast should be clouded. I see Thee in the desert feeding a multitude with bread just to relieve a temporary want. All, all the time, Thou wert bearing a mighty grief, unshared, unspoken. Men ask for a rainbow in the cloud; but I would ask more from Thee. I would be, in my cloud, myself a rainbow -- a minister to others' joy. My patience will be perfect when it can work in the vineyard.
--George Matheson

When all our hopes are gone,
'Tis well our hands must keep toiling on
For others' sake:
For strength to bear is found in duty done;
And he is best indeed who learns to make
The joy of others cure his own heartache.

Streams in the Desert - October 30, by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
~Brittany

Notes on Seeking God from Genesis 32

Along with beginning a new year some of us have begun a reading plan to read through the Bible this year chronologically.  I am always encouraged reading through Genesis as I see the Lord at work in the lives of His people.  Sometimes it didn't make sense and circumstances even seemed contrary to what He had promised, but because we can see the end of the story we see that God was working all things together to sanctify His people, establish His will in their lives, and use them for His glory as part of His perfect plan.  Just last night as I was digging through a box of we girls' bedroom things (yes, we're still working on finishing up dealing with boxes :-) ) I found some old notes that I had taken a few years ago.  I was really excited, because I had been wanting to re-read them because of my recent Bible reading.  The Lord was so good to provide them when I wasn't even looking for them.  Anyway, I thought I would share these notes with all of you in hopes that it will be an encouragement.  May the difficulties and trials in this life cause us to look to and seek the Lord in greater ways and not make us spiritually stagnant!
~Brittany

Jacob Seeks the Lord in Time of Trouble

~Notes from Genesis 32~

Verse 9 ~ Jacob begins prayer by restating the Lord’s commands.

Verse 10 ~ Jacob verbalizes his unworthiness of the Lord and expresses how the Lord has blessed him.

Verse 11 ~ Jacob seeks the Lord asking for His deliverance and confessing his fears.

Verse 12 ~ Jacob repeats back the promises the Lord has given him.

Verses 13-23 ~ Jacob takes steps preparing to move forward.

Verse 24 ~ Jacob “wrestled” in prayer.

Verse 26 ~ Jacob refuses to move forward without the Lord’s blessing.

Verses 28-29 ~ The Lord blesses Jacob.

Verse 30 ~ Jacob named the place where he had been for the purpose of remembering.

Verse 31 ~ Jacob steps forward in faith.

In verse 7 Jacob was struck with fear.  His fear drove him to seek the Lord in verse 9.  In verse 25 difficulty came to Jacob while “wrestling” in prayer.  This did not hinder Jacob from continued prayer and seeking the Lord’s blessing.  In verse 31 Jacob moves on in faith, trusting that the Lord would be with him even though he now had difficulty in so doing.  He had to pay a price to overcome the threat of not getting God’s blessing.  Jacob could still move forward in faith even with an extra trial because he had received the blessing of the Lord upon him and upon his ways.

"I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient."

~ Hudson Taylor ~

~Brittany

All Things Are Possible!!!!!!!

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: 

for with God all things are possible.
(Mark 10:27)

This song speaks such incredible truth and was ministering to me this afternoon as I listened and thought on that all things are possible with God...even when it looks impossible!  God is so faithful...oh for grace to trust Him more and simply take the leap of faith!  May we be driven to pray, pray and pray, believing that anything is possible with God!  Do we truly believe God when He said that "ALL" things are possible?  I love this quote~ "The condition for a miracle is difficulty. ... The condition for a great miracle is impossibility."  And our God loves what we call impossible...because He then shows us just how awesome, powerful and able He is!  I hope you enjoy listening to the song!

~Breanna