Sometimes the greatest lessons that we learn are ones we learn by accident. We don't expect to have our lives impacted just by reading one little blog post.
I want to share a post written by my friend, Callie Houston. She talks about the hope we have in God and how we need to live for God every day of our lives. Please take the time to read her post, it will really change your perspective!
Click the link, read her blog, and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, whatever social network you may be on!
Sharing is Caring: God's Renewing Hope
Peace & Love,
Jenae
About Me
- Jenae Rogers
- Just a girl and her dog. LCU. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Christian. Artist. Photographer.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Joyous in suffering? Really?
Every year, during January, my church focuses on the family. This year we focused on building a home based on faith. My dad is the family minister, so he doesn't normally preach. But he did, and in one of his sermons he talked about trials. Specifically, he talked about the ones we as a family have been facing the past couple years. He used the verse James 1:2-3, which says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
He made one point that stuck out to me. How on earth are we supposed to be joyous in suffering?! I mean, it seems to me that that is asking a lot of us, right? It's natural as humans to be angry at our circumstances, even God. We wonder why He lets things, bad things, happen to us. And then he expects us to get back up? Every time?! How can we do that over and over? I have asked myself that all the time. Only one answer comes to mind: faith.
Without trials, without suffering and pain, we would have no need for faith. Without problems and trials, we would have no reason to trust in God. That's why we go through hard times. Not only does faith produce perseverance, but it produces STRENGTH.
Here are some verses that I turn to when I feel like I need strength:
1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
1 Corinthians 1:8, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Isaiah 40:29, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge in strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
When you feel you need strength, turn to scripture. Even if you have to Google 'verses about strength'! That's what I do!
Peace & Love,
Jenae
He made one point that stuck out to me. How on earth are we supposed to be joyous in suffering?! I mean, it seems to me that that is asking a lot of us, right? It's natural as humans to be angry at our circumstances, even God. We wonder why He lets things, bad things, happen to us. And then he expects us to get back up? Every time?! How can we do that over and over? I have asked myself that all the time. Only one answer comes to mind: faith.
Without trials, without suffering and pain, we would have no need for faith. Without problems and trials, we would have no reason to trust in God. That's why we go through hard times. Not only does faith produce perseverance, but it produces STRENGTH.
Here are some verses that I turn to when I feel like I need strength:
1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
1 Corinthians 1:8, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Isaiah 40:29, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge in strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
When you feel you need strength, turn to scripture. Even if you have to Google 'verses about strength'! That's what I do!
Peace & Love,
Jenae
Monday, February 10, 2014
What's on the outside does matter...
...when there's hurt, and anger, bitterness, sadness, or depression on the inside.
I'm not talking about beauty. The cliche saying, "It doesn't matter what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside that matters." or "You're beautiful on the inside, so it doesn't matter how you look." No, no, I'm not talking about that. That's a subject for another time.
What I'm talking about is the emotions on the inside. I've blogged about invisible illnesses before, and I could talk about them all day. People come up to me all the time and say, "You look so good! I'm glad you're feeling better!", when really, I just feel angry and bitter on the inside. I'm hurting, and I'm sad. But how could I answer everyone honestly? I can't be negative all the time, how on earth is that going to help me? Or anyone else?
But how are people to know how I'm really feeling? There are times when I would be at the ER, or admitted to the hospital, and people would say, "I didn't even know you had been feeling bad!". Well, that's the problem with invisible illnesses. You can't see them, and most likely the person who has it isn't going to show you. We don't want to ask for help. We don't want pity, or sympathy. We just want to be normal. More than anything in the world.
I miss living. I miss school. I miss my friends. I miss the sunshine. I miss getting bad grades. I miss having noisy neighbors in the dorm. I miss the dorm. I miss my life.
Basically what I'm trying to say is this: I've learned that what's on the outside does matter. You never know what kind of battle somebody is dealing with on the inside. Don't expect someone to be happy just because they have a smile on their face. Be compassionate, be considerate, and always remember to love everyone.
Peace & love,
Jenae
I'm not talking about beauty. The cliche saying, "It doesn't matter what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside that matters." or "You're beautiful on the inside, so it doesn't matter how you look." No, no, I'm not talking about that. That's a subject for another time.
What I'm talking about is the emotions on the inside. I've blogged about invisible illnesses before, and I could talk about them all day. People come up to me all the time and say, "You look so good! I'm glad you're feeling better!", when really, I just feel angry and bitter on the inside. I'm hurting, and I'm sad. But how could I answer everyone honestly? I can't be negative all the time, how on earth is that going to help me? Or anyone else?
But how are people to know how I'm really feeling? There are times when I would be at the ER, or admitted to the hospital, and people would say, "I didn't even know you had been feeling bad!". Well, that's the problem with invisible illnesses. You can't see them, and most likely the person who has it isn't going to show you. We don't want to ask for help. We don't want pity, or sympathy. We just want to be normal. More than anything in the world.
I miss living. I miss school. I miss my friends. I miss the sunshine. I miss getting bad grades. I miss having noisy neighbors in the dorm. I miss the dorm. I miss my life.
Basically what I'm trying to say is this: I've learned that what's on the outside does matter. You never know what kind of battle somebody is dealing with on the inside. Don't expect someone to be happy just because they have a smile on their face. Be compassionate, be considerate, and always remember to love everyone.
Peace & love,
Jenae
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