Encouragement

---

It’s easy to live a Christian life when everything is going great. Believe me I know. For the first 20 years I was a Christian I lived an extremely blessed life, where we faced very few really hard times. In fact, in early 2009 I was having a conversation with a close friend about how blessed our lives had been. We had always heard if you are truly living for Christ, the devil will be after you, trying to destroy your life. But, here we were, thought we were living good Christian lives, but had been nothing but blessed. We concluded that God loves to bless His children and there was no need to question why we had lived such wonderful lives.

It wasn't a week after that conversation took place that our lives went from being blessed, to facing one storm after another. Job layoff, failed ministry, lost our son, wife’s cancer-wife’s chemo treatments-wife’s surgery and recover (4 times), wife lost hair twice, lost job, permanent knee injury, failed business; and wife now battling cancer for the 5th time. Now, before you say, “Would you like a little whine with that cheese?” Let me tell you the rest of the story. During this same period, every time we entered a storm, we did a little dancing in the rain. Never forget, we are not defined by what this life throws at us. Our God is so much bigger than our circumstances. Since these storms began in April 2009, we have been on 6 cruises and visited so much of God’s beautiful creation. We have visited Cozumel (5 times), Progresso (2), Nassau and Freeport Bahamas, Key West, Florida, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Belize. We have taken weekend getaways to New Orleans and Destin, Florida, and took several camping trips to Florida with my parents. And just to make sure the devil knows whose truly winning this war, we have been to many Christian concerts where we were able to lift praises to our King for all He has done in our lives. We have have seen Kari Jobe (2), Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, Third Day, Mercy Me, Sanctus Real, The Afters, Lindsay McCaul, Trevor Morgan, Casting Crowns (2), Natalie Grant, and Chris Tomlin.

Children of God, we DO NOT have to live our lives in defeat. Yes, bad things happen to us all. That’s life! But, who says we have to stop living? In this picture you are looking at in this post; Janice still has a hole in her stomach where she had not recovered from her last surgery. I had to change her bandage twice every day, and clean her wound. But, we DID NOT let this keep us from getting in that beautiful water in Belize. On our previous cruise, Janice had a huge tumor in her abdomen, and still going through chemo. But, did she let that stop her? No. She took her pain medicine, and we had the most amazing time. In fact, EVERY trip we have been on, we have scheduled around whatever treatments Janice was going through at the time.

My Bible tells me in Romans 8:37, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” So join us and claim that victory that so rightfully belongs to ALL of God’s children. Jesus came that we would live an abundant life (John 10:10), and regardless of what circumstances we may be facing, that is EXACTLY what we plan to do, and I pray you will too.

From my heart to yours!

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR