The Storms

Almost everyday I've been up here on Roan Mountain we've had massive thunderstorms. The view out of this chalet is amazing! There are several mountains directly across from where my chalet sits.

It's interesting watching the clouds come up (and yes I said come up) and it blocks the mountain from view.
So if I can't see the mountain, does it mean it's no longer there? OF COURSE NOT! When the storm passes, the mountain will still be there.

In the Christian life, we are never promised that life will be easy, in fact quite the contrary. There will always be mountains, valleys, and storms along the way.

Tell me, are you going to sit in the valley out of fear or look forward to seeing what's on top of that next mountain?

Will you hide yourself from the rain, or dance in it? Will you let it refresh you or be afraid of getting a little wet?

Rain waters plants, trees, and the earth so that it may continue to grow and bear fruit. If there was never rain how could we appreciate the sun?

Have you ever had the thought that both the rain AND the sun are needed in order to grow and bear fruit?

May we all rejoice in both the sun and the rain.

Vacation

I went on vacation to Fairhaven Ministries 5/6-5/10. www.fairhavenministries.com

It's SO neat up here. As soon as I opened the windows of the chalet I could hear a waterfall. Thursday I went on a hike to find it :)
God is so AMAZING! The falls were gorgeous and nature (God's creation) is unbelievable!
I took several pictures of different things that struck me...like a teeny tiny trickle of a miniature waterfall that reminded me of how we have the opportunity to be a huge waterfal that makes lots of noise or this little one that barely gurgles, is peaceful, but in the end helps contribute to the larger one.



I also saw several roots of different trees and bushes all tangled up together. How awesome! Each one is individual yet part of what looks like a huge mess...and yet that mess makes them stronger. all those roots together are stronger than one can be alone. They come from different plants, different trees, and yet together form a foundation that cannot be broken, for if you were to try to take them apart you would damage them all.



As a body of Christ that must be how we look! A tangled mess...different cultures, different roots, yet all a part of the same and when intertwined together, nearly impossible to seperate.

As the body of Christ, aren't we meant to be the same as those roots? Impossible for the world to tell where one ends and the other begins? We are strong because we are HIS...we are strong because we are all bound together by the blood of Christ.

How can anyone question the strength that Christ has given us through being bound together, intertwined together thru HIM. To the world, those outside eyes, it may look like one big tangled mess, but to me it means even in the times I fell alone, betrayed, burned out, sad, angry, meaningless, weak and even crazy...that I am strong, not because I am strong but because in those times, it's not just me suffering. When I go thru those times, because our roots are so intertwined, the whole body of believers feels it too.

When you feel the sudden urge to pray and don't know why, one of our family of believers is hurting, suffering somehow. We are not lone individuals anymore...when we become a believer and part of God's family we no longer belong to this world OR the problems of this world. We become part of God's family and if one hurts we all feel it.

Seriously, take a look at scripture. 1 Cor 12:12-31
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God (don't you LOVE when you see that in the bible) But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.


Isn't it amazing how we are all intertwined and connected! We NEVER are alone, God is always with us, AND he provided a huge family of support for us as well.

I am overwhelmed by that.

God is more than amazing!!!!