More Beth realizations!!! God is so good!

It's Tuesday so why not blog on the awesome realizations Beth Moore continues to move in me. God is awesome isn't He!!!! Oh He is.

So today we talked of friends and His spirit showing thru us since we weren't meant to blend in. I know many of you know that I have a son who has cystic fibrosis. He was diagnosed with this when he was 3 weeks old. I had so many people coming up to me wondering why I was so calm. I simply stated to them "what good would it do if I wasn't calm?" Nothing. Today Beth was talking about wanting to have the Lord's spirit shining out of us. And immediatly I thought of that moment in the Wendy's parking lot on 240 in OKC, when I found out about Stockton, I was very very calm. I immediatly remember feeling that it will be okay. He is in God's hands. I have to trust that there is a reason and to try to show how we can live to glorify God in this diagnosis. Don't get me wrong, I pray daily for his healing, but if that is not in God's will, I am willing to find out what he wants to do with this. Life isn't easy and it doesn't always revolve around what makes "us" happy. As Beth put it so well a couple weeks ago, "hearts easily buy into Satan's lies. Your heart often lies to you, just as my heart often lies to me. "Follow your heart" is the stuff of fairy tales and the stuff of many a nightmare." I believe that's alot of why some people don't become Christians or have a false understanding of it. God never said life would be full of rainbows and butterflies. People don't want to change or give up there desires.

(All verse's are out of the New Living Translation)

1 Corinthians 10:13 "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

James 1:13-14 "And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

I am not saying I submit to everything, it's a horrible daily struggle, and I fall often. But I know God is right there telling me to get up! I hope this helps someone in a struggle they may be facing. God is right there fighting for us:

Psalm 139:5 "You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." As Beth put it so well: "He goes before us, follows behind us, and hems us safely inside the realm of His protection." WOW what an awesome image. He is right there! Ready and willing to fight for us!!!! He loves us so.

The other thing we talked about today was friendship. I've been struggling lately with friends. No one in particular just in general. I have had relationships in my life that have not stuck. I've had friends and family that have hurt me. The trust issue is very difficult for me. Beth talked today about "His willing friendship". No matter where we are in our lives or who happens to be in them at that moment we always have God right there willing to be our friend. In the big stuff and in the "small talk", the stuff that is so minor no one else but a true close friend would care about. We are so into having a physical body right there with you and not thinking of the spiritual one that is right there ALWAYS!!!! I love my friends more than they know. I try to be that person that is there always and I hope that they see that. There are different degrees of friends and we can't be bff's with everyone. But you know it's nice to know when you are feeling left out or forgotten by someone that God will never forget us. As Beth put it "that is why God created us: not because He needed us but because He wanted us. The act was based on the pleasure of His will. God doesn't just love us. He also likes us!!"