Looking for God's Handywork....

Our sunday school class was fairly deep today. We laughed a lot, but it also made me think.

When you are in the midst of a trial or in the midst of pain, it is so difficult to see God. Isn't it easy to just forget that God is part of the trials? As long as God is working "our" plan we praise Him, but the minute things go off our plan we think God forgot us or that He isn't around, but He so is!

I can't tell you how many times Richard and I have walked through the ugly....or crawled through it-only to receive countless blessings on the other side. I have also learned that God may be a little bit smarter than this ole country girl!

A few years ago I received an email from a woman who had buried her child as a result of a car accident, and in the email she told me how she learned that Blessed is His Name in the good times and the bad times. She leaned on that song through her sadness and through her journey of finding her Joy in Christ again. I still have that email. I cannot imagine the pain of losing one of my children. My heart aches and my eyes fill with tears at the very thought! I read that email from time to time, and just pray for her. She is such a witness of finding God in the storm.

Most of the time, I see God's handy work AFTER the storm when I am safe and sound again. My attitude must be that I seek God before, during, and after the storm. My prayer is that my eyes will be open to see Him.

I am so thankful for moments like this morning, when I can be reminded that God is very much at work in my life every minute--every minute. Wow, how cool is that?

The Day After.....

I won't pretend, I am disappointed.

I wanted the McCain/Palin ticket to win. I don't always totally agree with John McCain, but I am more closely aligned to his views than I am to Obama's. I am a conservative to the very thread of my being. I believe in truth and I still believe that the ideals of the conservative party are closely related to those of God's Word. (AND I LOVE SARAH PALIN!!!)

However....

I am not sure that we as a party have stood for those values like I think we once did. It has been a difficult 8 years, there is no doubt. I think President Bush has made some big mistakes, but I also think he has been put in a position that is an overwhelming situation. He has had to deal with many crisis that most Presidents in history have not dealt with. I haven't walked in his shoes...

With that being said...I am so sick of hearing, "America will now finally be a leader in the world"...or "our only hope is in Obama"...we are so spoiled as a country that we certainly hae no clue that we have it waaaaaaaaaaay better than the rest of the world. I am so tired of it being portrayed that this country is so incredibly broken. The headlines read about how the American People are broke and then right below it such and such movie has grossed 10 million plus. That is not broke!! WE need to realize that the United States is a darn good place to live and we need to start appreciating it!

Our economy is hurting right now, but is it all about our government? Didn't some of us make poor financial decisions to get us in this mess? I mean we have to take responsibility. The whole idea of pass the buck is so immature and I am sick of it. Every bad thing that has happened to you is not President Bush's fault, it is not the Republican Party's fault, it is not the government's fault. I hope those who say that Obama is Hope, finds their hope first in Jesus Christ and the Lord of Lords. To put so much "hope" in a mere human is dangerous and risky.

However...

With THAT being said...I will respect the position that Mr. Obama holds. I will continue to pray for my country. I will continue to pray that God's Grace flows upon this nation. I find Hope in the Lord, and I find Hope in knowing that He is very much on his throne.

My prayer is that giving to the needy doesn't become a government mandate, but that as Christians we find the calling to spread the love of Jesus, feed the hungry, clothe those who are in need, and show them Hope in Jesus is truly all we have.

Blessings to our Country,
Jen