Trials come to make you strong

Some of the sharpest pictures are developed in the darkest rooms. – W. Smith 

While Jesus was dying on the cross there was darkness all over the land. But then came The Resurrection. Can you say - Hallelujah! 

Photo albums. We all have them. And from time to time we revisit them and reflect on the character and nature of the photo and what we were doing at the time. But have you ever really thought about the fact the albums only have pictures of us in 'good times.' That there are no pictures of us when we were going 'through it,' the tough times, down times. The times that really shook us but yet shaped us the most. The fact of the matter is we’ve all had grief, suffering, heartache, and sorrow in our lives, sometimes more than we think we can bear or deserve. But in truth it is often out of the ‘crucible’ of our dark times we encounter the greatest growth, changed hearts, deeper convictions, or greater appreciation for who God really is, and we are made a little more like Christ. And that’s a good thing! 

Until tomorrow….. 

Pastor Botts 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead……In this you greatly rejoice,though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” – I Peter 1:3, 6-7