Oh, rain!

That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45

I'm not sure about you, but I love the rain! Living here in Texas has been a bit of a challenge in that department this past summer! We were wracked with a severe drought, it got so bad we could only water our lawns one day every other week! The dryness was suffocating to me, a person who was born in the rain, well at least I'm sure I was, because it rains nearly everyday in Ketchikan, Alaska! I remember a month ago it began raining outside very hard, and it was at night when my family was sleeping, so I went out in it, and just got soaked, it felt so good on my dry skin...
This verse is referring to troubles, everyone has them, trials, hardships, loss, hurt, whether you are a Christian or not, they will come your way! I was thinking on this verse the other day, and I realized something though, the unjust are just in the "rain" without any hope of protection, it's them against the world, but as a Christian we have hope, Jesus is our "umbrella, oh we still face the same things, but He gives us His promises, His protection. When you are out in a rainstorm even if you are using an umbrella you are still gonna get a little wet, because it'll only protect you so much, but you definitely won't be as soaked as someone without one!
Recently I saw of a video of a funeral for a very young man who had left this world due to cancer, sad? Yes, but what moved my heart the most was his wife was dancing in the spirit at her husband's funeral...she was dancing in the rain! The rain was pouring down on her, but she danced through it, God wants us to dance in the rain! When these hard times comes if we will dance we will realize God ALWAYS has a reason for each drop of rain that falls on us! Over and over this goes through my mind, these trials are not only for me, but for someone else too, think about the impact it'll have on someone when they see you dancing in the rain that is falling? What a difference it makes in you too, that rain begins to feel good on your spirit, because growth comes with that rain!
My friends, mark it down, the rain will come, but just make up your mind that no matter what you are only going to dance....

Circles have to be my favorite!

There are times when God will do something that just causes me to take a step back and survey His greatness...
When I was 10 I lived in Ketchikan, Alaska, it was a rough time for me, we had just lost my little brother and my parents' marriage also folded under that pressure, don't worry, this blog is not about my suffering, I am just setting a scene. I was a kid that was broken down by circumstances, but you know I loved basketball! I would go to Valley Park elementary school and shoot hoops with my uncle, it was there that the light came into my life...his name was Brother Glover, well His name is Jesus, but the Jesus I saw was him! He let me know I mattered, he invited my family to church, and it was there in that little home church I first heard the gospel. God really stepped in there, but what I keep looking at is, I was born in Southeast Alaska..I love Southeast Alaska, now God is sending Brad & I to Southeast Alaska to Pastor! My mind has tried to wrap itself around that, but it is a big concept in the human mind. The benefits that He has given through this are, being near my Mom again, and Brother Glover will be doing our installation service! It is just so fitting, God wrapped that gift right up, even put a beautiful bow on top!
The saying goes, All things come full circle, well, I must say circles are definately my favorite!