Spiritual Thoughts

  W hen something bad happens  you have three choices: You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you. ~ Unknown   A lthough the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, although the yield of the olive fails and the fields produce no food, although the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, YET I will choose to rejoice in the LORD; I will choose to shout in exultation in the God of my salvation. ~ Habakkuk 2:17-18

  A dversity can crush our spirit - or strengthen it. It is our choice. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   B efore I was afflicted I went astray. BUT now I keep Your word. ~ Psalm 119:67

Friday Tale - Butterflies of Hope    I was four months pregnant with our first child when the unimaginable happened. Our baby's heart stopped beating, leaving me in a state of heart-wrenching devastation. The grief I felt was indescribable, and as the days passed, I found myself nervous about returning to work. I was a middle school teacher, and the thought of facing a classroom full of kids felt like an insurmountable challenge. The pain was still fresh, and I couldn't fathom how to gather the strength to stand before my students.   After four weeks of trying to recover and heal from the emotional and physical scars, the day came when I had to face the world again. I mustered the courage to walk into my empty classroom, not knowing what to expect. I turned on the lights, and the room slowly came to life.   Then, something remarkable...

T o strengthen the muscles of your heart,      the best exercise is lifting someone         else's spirit whenever you can. Dodinsky Strengthen the weak hands,     and make firm the feeble knees.      Say to those who have an anxious heart,         "Be strong: fear not! Behold, your God              will come.... and save you." Isaiah 35:3-4