ENDURE IT

My sweet friend, Julie, shares her story of endurance and faith while journeying through a dark valley of pancreatic cancer and malabsorption. Her words of encouragement are a huge inspiration to us all, no matter what trial we may find ourselves in. She gracefully follows after Christ even in the midst of intense suffering and pain. Her beautiful family has rallied together and are facing this battle with a united front. 

You can follow Julie's journey by reading her blog at www. hiddenjewels.wordpress.com.

Could you imagine being "recalled" back to Earth after having died and spending four days in Heaven? This life is all about giving God glory and bringing glory to His name by the way we live our lives. We can be encouraged in knowing that Jesus will use whatever situation we may find ourselves in to glorify the name of the Lord. 

It is not easy to deny self. We are made of flesh! However, He calls us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow after Him. We can truly experience an inner transfiguration by reading His words and spending time in prayer. 

When walking through difficult days, it is easy to get lost in the mundane of life. It seems as if we slip into lifeless "survival mode." His mercies are fresh every morning. It is imperative in our struggles, that we must train our minds and spirits to rely on His strength and His provision alone.

It can be challenging to keep our focus on Jesus when our circumstances temp us to fall into the trap of comparison. Jesus encourages us to follow after and stay focused on him, no matter what difficulties we face. 

Even in our darkest moments of suffering, we can cling to the glorious truth that Jesus is, in fact, ALIVE. He promised us ahead of time that we would suffer. However, we can take heart and find pure joy in knowing that death has no power over Him. He shows compassion in the midst of our suffering and one glorious day soon, our suffering will end. 

Out of His abundant kindness, God saved us! Be encouraged in knowing that you do not have to "measure up." Christ has done it all and we can simply lean into Him and trust Him. 

God's divine power has equipped us with everything we need to live a godly life. He has sat before us a wealthy invitation to enter into His eternal kingdom! Let's not miss the appointment. 

Is Red Dye 40 harmful when consumed? Let's talk about it! In the midst of our momentary afflictions, let's challenge ourselves to live each day as if it could be our last. 

Find comfort in knowing that, thankfully, His ways are nothing like ours.