March Giveaway and Encouragement

I'm having a little giveaway for March and to celebrate the opening of my Sweet Home Stitchery Etsy shop. Please sign up and you could win this cute little note card. This is one of my favorite patterns. Just click on the giveaway link on the left side of this blog.

The rain is drifting away from us now and everything is very soggy.  No rain in the immediate future so we can dry out a bit. The rain wasn't that scary but the wind was and several trees were blown down as well as some peoples outdoor coverings. We get blustering winds normally of course, and once we had a patio umbrella blow into a neighbors yard and get shredded several years ago.

Our friend, Dave Sherman shared this on Facebook.

Nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians are to be exempt from the tribulations and natural disasters that come upon the world. It does teach that the Christian can face tribulation, crisis, calamity, and personal suffering with a supernatural power that is not available to the person outside Christ. The early Christians were able to experience joy in their hearts in the midst of trials, troubles, and depression. They counted suffering for Christ not as a burden or misfortune, but as a great honor, as evidence that Christ counted them worthy to witness to Him through suffering. They never forgot what Christ Himself had gone through for their salvation; and to suffer for His name’s sake was regarded as a gift rather than a cross. Christians can rejoice in tribulation because they have eternity’s values in view. When the pressures are on, they look beyond their present predicaments to the glories of heaven. The thought of the future life with its prerogatives and joys helps to make the trials of the present seem light and transient.

Daily Prayer

Father, help me to go beyond the afflictions and tribulations of our age, and to look toward the inheritance reserved for us in heaven.