Count On It

Have you ever felt so weak and fragile that you thought there was no way you could continue? Are there times in your life when you feel so overwhelmed and troubled that you are virtually paralyzed? I certainly have.

God said to me when those times happened in my life, "I will give you special strength in those times. Imagine that your life is a walk along the shore with me. If some days there is only one set of footprints in the sand, it's not because I have left you, but because I am carrying you!" This is referred to in the poem "Footprints in the Sand". I have two pictures of "Footprints in the Sand" - one in my living room, one in my bedroom. They are great reminders from God :)

"My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Count on it!

Count It All Joy

One of my life goals is to live a dynamic life, filled with joy and happiness all the time, free of fear and worry. When I shared that with a friend the other day, he said it's not possible. He said life is filled with all sorts of struggles, problems, heartaches, difficulties, so to have a joyful life all the time is unrealistic.

When I read James 1:1-11, James said, "count it all joy when you fall into various trials". We don't choose to have trials, but we can choose how we respond when trials come into our lives. Someone paraphrased it like this: "don't resent trials as intruders, but welcome them as friends!"

Selwyn Hughes said that trials are our friends and will bring us joy if our goal is to become more like Jesus. But if our goal is to avoid problems and struggles, our trials will seem more like intruders.

In my life, I have battled with frustration, apprehension, fear and anxiety. It is easy to fall into the trap of doubting, fretting and wondering if God has forsaken us. But it's important to refuse to be discouraged and focus on how God could use the trial to make us more like Jesus.

Let us 'count it all joy' by faith, by resolution and by reckoning. And as Hughes said, we shall then surely find that God will make the reckoning real!

Euthanasia

Last week a friend of mine and I were discussing the issue of euthanasia. She feels that if someone considers their life is no longer worth living due to terminal illness, they should be allowed to choose death.

It is apparent that we are in the midst of a significant shift of opinion with respect to euthanasia. The growing public acceptance of euthanasia seems to some to reflect a breakdown in moral consensus.

I believe euthanasia is never God’s will. The concepts that doctors should not be free to give terminally ill patients lethal medication, and that there should not be guidelines for legal or non-criminal euthanasia come out of the view of a human person having fundamental dignity because he or she is created in the image of God.

In order to help terminally ill patients, it is important to relate Christian faith and biblical understandings of God and humanity. The belief that life is a gift of God is foundational. Therefore God alone has the power to take it away.

It is evident that the terminally ill patient has very special needs which can be fulfilled if we take the time to sit and listen and find out what they are. Attitudes to dying and death can only change if there is a new awareness of their meaning and the implications they have for people who must face the crisis of dying. Instead of participating in assisted suicide and euthanasia , physicians must respond to the needs of patients at the end of life. Patients should not be abandoned once it is determined that cure is impossible. Patients near the end of life must continue to receive emotional support, comfort care, adequate pain control, respect for patient autonomy, and good communication.

THE FOUR BLESSED LOOKS

I received this from a good friend, hope to share with you all!

Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!"

"I asked God, 'How do we get the best out of life?'

God said,
'Face your past without regrets.
Handle your present with confidence.
And prepare for the future without fear!'"

"Without God, our week is:

Mournday,
Tearsday,
Wasteday,
Thirstday,
Fightday,
Shatterday and
Sinday.

So, allow Him to be with you everyday!"
Life is short, so forgive quickly. Believe slowly. Love truly.
Laugh uncontrollably. Never regret anything that makes you happy.

Have a wonderful day and a full journey of life!

God bless you.