This Morning's Soul Food

Today's schedule afforded me time to do my morning devotions with my husband via cell phone. What a blessing it was to worship with the love of my life who is across the country, fighting fires in Washington state!

We read the last four chapters of Hosea and the first couple chapters of Joel. Then we followed the scripture with chapter 25 of Acts of the Apostles by Ellen G. White. There was a paragraph out of the latter that really spoke to me. So much so that I would like to share it with y'all!

"The watchful Christian is a working Christian, seeking zealously to do all in his power for the advancement of the gospel. As love for his Redeemer increases, so also does love for his fellow men. He has severe trials, as had his Master; but he does not allow affliction to sour his temper or destroy his peace of mind. He knows that trial, if well borne, will refine and purify him, and bring him into closer fellowship with Christ. Those who are partakers of Christ's suffering will also be partakers of His consolation and at last sharers of His glory." pg. 261

This goes right along with a quote that I heard on the radio recently, "Trials are the soil in which faith grows." 

I can't recall a single person who isn't enduring a trial of some sort. Can you? 

God, in His incomprehensible love, has given each of us the freedom of choice. We get to choose whether trails are the soil in which we grow... or the soil in which we are buried beneath. 

God is love,
Vanessa

How Smashing Your Finger Can Be a Smashing Good Time (Well Kinda)

My middle finger on my left hand is throbbing as I type this post, more on that in just a bit. 


Today has just been one of those days. It's been at least a month and a half of very irregular sleeping patterns. This past week I keep finding myself in at the cookie tray and this time of year there are cookie trays everywhere.

Cookies on break room table at work!

 I have end-of- the-year book keeping to do, over priced textbooks to buy, get-aways to plan,  and a gym that I need to visit more regularly. And to make matters worse, I applied no make-up (not even mascara) and I did nothing with my hair before coming to work today (in fact it was still damp from my shower when I got to work) so I felt extra blah all day. Plus I've been experiencing......


.... you get the drift... it has been a day where a broken record of complaining played over and over in my head.


At least that was the case until I smashed my middle finger on my left hand in the patient examination table at the doctors office I work at.

I smashed my finger while changing the paper on the examination table.

And then I had one of these moments:

And suddenly the broken record in my head stopped. A surge went through my body and I could feel the blood circulating in my toes and up my legs and back to my pulsating finger. I was not-so-gently reminded that I was alive. Amazingly, my broken record of complaining turned into more of a thankful praise worship session. It really is amazing what a smashed finger can do. (But kids, don't try this at home. It really hurts).


What is up with that anyway? Why does it take pain, suffering, or discomfort to make us come alive? {Sure, that isn't always the case... but it is often .} I think the answer remains in where I went in the 72 seconds of extreme pain. I didn't run to the doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or nurses that I work with. Nor did I run to the drug closet for a ibuprofen.  I didn't even run to my amazing friends (I'm blessed to work with three of my close friends). 


Instead I instantly ran (figuratively) to my Heavenly Father. I run to my Heavenly Father for all kinds of things but unfortunately I run to him the most when I'm experiencing some sort of trial. Actually maybe that isn't unfortunate maybe that's a really good thing... 




As it turns out, I'm not the only one who has noticed this phenomenon (that pain can be a really good thing):
~Michael Hyatt "Why Discomfort Is Good For You" and "The Blessing of Discomfort"
~Angie Smith "In The Clouds"


What trial(s) are you thankful for? Why?