Can You Hang On?

"Everyone experiences tough times; it is a measure of your determination and dedication how you deal with them and how you can come through them." ~Lakshmi Mittal

Sometimes life can bring some pretty unexpected blows, and when that happens often I find myself gasping for breath and hurting very badly. I simply want to quit. But I can't. I have to push myself to go on. I have to smile despite of the tears, and no matter the pain I must laugh. The point is, I have to hang on, and I can't get my eyes off the finish line.

I've been thinking about a post like this for quite a while, because recently I have personally been struggling with an overwhelming desire to quit. I'm tired, worn out, and I FEEL like I need a break. In reality, when I'm struggling with the desire to give up, it is because I have stopped looking to God and instead focused on me. What I have to ask myself is, how much determination and dedication do I have to overcome my problems? My answer is to get alone with God. I have to pour my problems out to Him and then He gives me the peace and strength to go on.



In my weakness He is strong,

In my need He leads me on,

When I come to the end of all I am,

Then I place my trust in Him

And then His grace begins to flow.

Why seek counsel?

There are times in my life that I really don’t know what to do. Sometimes it is simply with a decision that needs to be made, and other times it’s because life has dealt me an unexpected blow and I don’t know where to turn. It is then that I need to seek outside counsel.

A huge reason for getting counsel is because often other people can see things that are going on that I cannot see. They have an outside perspective on the issues that I’m having and they can help me deal with my problems. Another reason for seeking Biblical counseling is that the counselor will take me back to the Bible to see what God has to say about my struggles. They will also pray with and for me that God would show me what to do.

Seeking counsel is so important because it helps you to focus on what God wants you to do. It is also important to help me make a careful and thought out decision, rather than a decision based on emotions and the heat of the moment. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” –I Corinthians 10:13

Answers

At long last the answer has come:

JASON'S LEAVE WAS APPROVED!!!! :)

He is going to be getting home on December 8th and leaving on the 27th. We will get to spend 11 or 12 days together and that is EXCITING! :)

I can't even begin to describe how happy I am…WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting on Change

Today at work a song was playing on the radio that was called, "Waiting On the World to Change." It was talking about how it's too hard to rise above the problems in the world, so they were just going to sit back and wait for the world to change for them. I made the comment to my manager that that was pretty sad to think about, and he agreed with me.

Well, that song made me start thinking about the way that many Christians, and sadly myself included often act and think. We think that we can just sit back and wait for our world to change. We don't do anything about the mess that it is. Oh yes, one could say that there is too much damage already done and there is nothing that any one person can do to change it. First of all, no one is so insignificant in this world as to not be able to influence SOMEONE somewhere and at least change that one person, and if many people are willing to influence that SOMEONE in their life, then there will be many SOMEONES in this world who are changed and slowly the world will begin to change.

Maybe you are thinking, "I'm too afraid to try to change someone. I'm not a leader, and I'm not outgoing enough to do something like that!" Ok, fine, so you're afraid, no offense people, but you have to get over that fear. If all you are willing to do is sit back and just wait for change what is it going to cost you, and future generations to come?

I automatically think about what happen in Nazi Germany while "Europe slept," or the events that have gone on and are still going on in many Muslim and Communist countries all over the world while the rest of the world closes its eyes. Our world and even more specifically our country is not getting any better, it is only getting worse and worse, are you going to wait for someone else to start changing, or are you going to be the one to take up the challenge and start changing the world for good? You life and the lives and future of your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren depend on YOU!