Recently my kids wanted to know why I did not use the back up camera in my car.  I smugly chided, I have been backing up for 20+ years turning my own head and using my own eyes, why stop now?" Isabella snickered, "well I mean you can see everything on both sides, to which I quickly replied, I am just fine on my own." Then to my horror I knocked out the back windshield of my van in lets just call it an "incident". (no sense in providing details that would make you laugh your booty off)  So guess what survived the "incident" oh yeah that is right, the backup camera.  The wind shield had to be specially ordered, so now I am forced to use the backup camera, which I will now humbly admit sees twice as much as I do.

In life we cruise through depending largely on ourself.  We may not actually say the words, but we sure think them, or demonstrate them- "I got this God." The thought of the flesh is to be completely self sufficient needing no one but ourselves, when God is longing for us to lean on Him the whole time.  Then it happens the circumstance you cannot handle, the problem you cannot figure out, the question you don't have an answer to, and then what? These circumstances are sometimes the only thing that make us turn our eyes upward to the one with the plan. In our life God has put something we cannot control and certainly do not know how it will all end, but it is teaching me everyday I never had control in the first place.  It also helps me understand how much I was missing when I relied completely on myself.  

What if today we did things differently? What if today started the day with the Lord praying, "I cannot make it through this day without your complete guidance?"  Don't wait for an experience like the backup camera to humble you, and force you to choose the better option! Just go ahead and embrace the better option, God, right now and experience all He has for you!
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

2 Kings 5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a] 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me! 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
 
Here is have a commander decorated will as many accolades as you can imagine, and his reputation is known throughout the kingdom.  He had anything a man could want riches, fame, authority, and the list goes on and on.  However, there was one little word hooked to his name that made all this pointless. In verse one “He was a valiant soldier, BUT he had leprosy. This small three-letter word had huge implications for Naaman.  It in essence was a death sentence.  There was no amount of money, prestige, or fame that could rid him of this horrible, painful, alienating disease.  It is believed that Naaman was showing only slight symptoms on the outside, allowing him to still serve the king.  Nevertheless, he knew one day he would not be able to hide the secret he kept buried under robes and distinguished medals.  Naaman experienced hopelessness, as he waited for his body to betray him and reveal his secret. Aren’t we like him in so many ways? People carry around secrets and are always hoping no one will find out? Don’t we hope our diplomas, money, or prestige will help us keep it all together. As I looked at all the first day back to school pictures with their perfect props, lightning, and smiles, I always remember that there are sometimes tragic stories, heartache, and hard times behind the smiles and poses. Sometimes it takes so much effort to hide our real problems, which we almost buy into the fact they will some how resolve on their own.
Although Naaman had no idea the answer to his dilemma was living within the shadows of his own home, a young slave girl went about her daily chores in a foreign country, with knowledge of the true healer. The men who served under Naaman had taken the girl from her people, her country, Israel. Don’t miss this part of the story! This servant girl had every reason to be bitter, discouraged, and display a bad attitude, but in this passage she is giving helpful wisdom to her mistress.  She knows that help comes from the almighty God and tries to guide them to the Lord through the prophet Elisha. What an amazing testimony of the slave girl. Her circumstance did not define her attitude. When the king heard of the possibility of healing, he immediately began to write a letter on the behalf of Naaman.  King Aram wrote a letter imploring the King of Israel to heal his right hand man. There was a large problem with this- the king of Israel had no healing powers. Instead of seeking the God the servant girl spoke about, the King began to look horizontally for the answer. King Aram was expecting the King of Israel to be God, and then when he could not perform the task, the King of Israel knew King Aram would be disappointed, angry, and frustrated. So many times in life we misplace our burdens onto those around us eventually crushing them, because the load was never meant for them to bear, only God. No one can ever be God for us! Man can never fill the space that only God was created to satisfy. Lets camp out in this area for a few minutes and hear my heart. I believe that most people have been disillusioned to the fact that someone else is supposed to make them happy, solve their problems, or be their miracle.  In marriages today so many fail because people look to their partner to fulfill so many roles that only God can supply.  When we place such high pressure on a spouse, some will tap out before they ever get started. The same is true for children.  We cannot depend on our kids to make us happy, fulfill our every moment, or live vicariously through them, because one day they will be grown and gone. God wants us to look up to Him. Psalm 46:10 says, “be still and know that I am God.” He wants us to know that he in fact can handle every situation, every emotion, and every tear. He sees the beginning and the end and can guide your life to its fullest if you will just let go of the death grip and release your life to Him.  As I sit and write this to you today God is very much teaching my family to cast all our burdens on him.  We have a custody hearing for a 3 year old and a 22 month old that have been living with us for the past 5 months. Obviously, we believe selfishly, the kids should stay in our home where they are growing, thriving, and settling into a routine. However, we do not have that control. So as we sit in the courtroom waiting for this safety plan to be turned into something different it will go one of two ways, custody or foster care. We have agonized over this for weeks by fasting, praying, and asking others to pray.  Recently I felt like a basket case and the Lord softly whispered to me, “Do you know me? Do you trust me? If you do cast your burden upon me and I will sustain you; I will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” So today we go into court with the confidence that our Lord sees every piece to the puzzle, and He will do whatever is best for those children, even if it means not coming home with us. What burden are you trying to place on someone else to carry today?
What burden are you carrying?  The Lord said we should help bear one another’s burdens, but that does not mean someone else is responsible for the outcome; only the Lord can bear that type of weight. Are you looking horizontal instead of vertical to help solve your problems? The Lord is waiting for you to call upon His name “cast your burdens on Him and He will give you rest.”

​Hello! I hope you are having a great day so far!  It seems like it has been forever since I have been on my blog, and for that I apologize.  I have been working on a writing assignment that has been taking up a lot of time, but here we are today, all together. Have you ever known rejection? Have you ever thought a situation was going to go one way, but turned out to be completely different?  Well today we will join Jesus in what I am sure was a very disappointing day.
 
In Mark chapter six Jesus enters His hometown of Nazareth, and I am certain He was eager to see loved ones.  However, this anticipated reunion would soon be filled with pain of rejection from those Jesus knew and loved.  As He entered the synagogue He preached the Word with complete authority and power. 
 
“Many who heard him were astonished, ‘Where did this man get these things. What is the wisdom given to Him? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here among us?’ And they took great offense to Him.” 
 
The people could not come to grips that the lowly, carpenter boy from Nazareth, was now an expert on scripture. We have all been guilty of these thoughts at one time or another.  What about when you went to your high school reunion and were shocked to find out, the party boy was happily married with three small children. What about the girl with nerdy classes, and a shy personality, that walked into the room as a gorgeous bombshell. What about the class clown that is now the CEO of a major corporation. You get my point. These people were faced with the same thoughts.  Growing up they knew Jesus as any other child, they had played together, lived among His family; in their minds He could not have authority to speak the scripture in this manner. 
 
The next verse is so sad as it states, “And Jesus could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled at their unbelief.” I have only recently unpacked this little phrase in verse 5 “he could do no mighty work”.  This certainly does not mean Jesus did not have the power to do miraculous works, but the people tied His hands because of their unwillingness to believe.  I think if we each had a chance to do something for our hometown we would be eager to do it, whether we grew up in a poor, tainted neighborhood, or a posh neighborhood. I think equally Jesus yearned to heal, teach truths, and be accepted in His hometown. Perhaps the sting of rejection is never more brutal, than when dispensed by those you love. Jesus knew the deep agony of rejection by his own people. He felt the heartache of not being able to help those whom he knew intimately.  It was not Jesus’ power that was unable to perform the miracle, but the wall built by the people around their heart, that made it impossible to receive it. I must ask you today are you receiving all God has for you, or are you tying his hands with disbelief, disobedience, or maybe apathy to the Word.  Just as we want what is best for our children, and splurge our love on them lavishly, the Lord wants to do the same for us. Mathew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
The people had heard Him preach with authority, seen with their own eyes the miraculous works, yet still they did not believe. Are you in that crowd? Have you heard the Word, experienced His goodness, yet still refuse to put your faith in Jesus. Maybe you have put your trust in the Lord, and are going through the motions with an absent heart. Perhaps you have experienced significant hurt and rejection in your life, and are unsure if the Lord can mend your wounds. Jesus understands your pain, he sees your struggle, and He desperately wants to work in your life. Wherever you may be in your journey today, the Lord wants to meet you there!
 
Ephesian 3:20
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

 I recently heard a woman talking about two little boys and their glow sticks.  The older boy was purchasing a pack of glow sticks and the younger child certainly thought he was entitled to one.  I can't imagine any of us experiencing our child screaming in a crowded store. The mom did what any of us would have, opened the pack and gave the child a glow stick to satisfy him. The baby was perfectly content playing with the glow stick, but suddenly the older child snatched it from his hand.  Well of course, the baby went back into melt down mode, however, just as the mom was about to reprimand the older child, the stick started to glow, which was mesmerizing to the baby.  The older child was not purposefully trying to make his younger sibling cry, but he knew the glow stick could do so much more!
 
I want to remind you today that your dreams are probably so much smaller than what God has in store for you. Do not sell yourself short; believe the enemy’s lies, because you are beautifully and wonderfully made in the eyes of God.  So many times Christians are content walking around just getting by.  As Christine Caine said at Passion, “You can still go to heaven in shackles, but why in the world would you want to!” The life of a Christian is the life of freedom, not bound by any shackles, or chains.  Before the  glow stick could produce its beautiful light, it had to be bent and cracked.  Sometimes your life will be bent until the point you feel cracks or even deep craters in your heart, but it is through these openings, if you allow, that Christ shines brilliantly testifying to His goodness and mercy, even in the bad times.
 
Louie Giglio asked the question at Passion this week, “Do you trust his hands for the plan? Can you say in absolute obedience whatever you chose I will trust it?” This can be a scary place to live, but it can also be so exhilarating to watch Christ show up in ways you never thought possible. The older sibling never meant to make the younger brother cry; rather, he simply wanted him to see what he was missing.  Sometimes the same is true for your life, as well as mine.  The bending produces something far greater than expected.  It may take weeks, months, maybe years, but eventually pain has the potential to produce fruit. Do you trust His hands?  Are you ready to live a life that shines the radiance of Christ?
 
2 Corinthians 4
 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;….. 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 
 
 

I love this video I posted below about the Chinese Bamboo Tree. The seed is planted and it must be watered everyday. Day after day the farmer would drag his bucket to the marked spots to water something he could not see. The days turn into weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. People began to doubt the farmer, but he faithfully charged ahead with nourishing the tree, even though there are still no signs of life. What people could not see was the tree was working on a root system that would support its explosive growth once it pushed through the ground. On the fifth year, a tiny shoot broke through, and in six weeks the tree grew to an astonishing 90 feet. So many people ask did the tree grow 90 feet in six weeks or five years. The answer is of course five years. It was posturing itself deep in the ground to be able to support its massive needs once it burst out of the ground.

Sometimes in our spiritual life we can wonder where is God? Does He hear my prayers? Is God working on my behalf? Sometimes God requires us to have blind faith, continually putting one foot in front of the other, even though we don't really see the plan. We are so use to instantaneous results that it can be difficult to wait on the Lord. However, just like the bamboo tree if we continue to have faith, even when we don't feel His presence as closely as we would like, in the end we will see He was there all along working, it was just on his time table. Often times, He uses these times to grow our faith and strength. You cannot see the growth taking place in the bamboo tree all those years because it is underground, just like sometimes we don't realize God is preparing our hearts when we experience hard times. Then eventually we wake up, and realize we have come out on the other side and are stronger for the trial. The real question is will we stay the course? Will we allow our faith to flourish under harsh conditions? Will we continue to put one foot in front of the other? Will we allow God to work on our behalf when we cannot change the situation? Will we in fact, come out stronger on the other side by God's grace?

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

Psalm 3:2-6
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

With tension between good and evil and many climatic points, the book of John could be a movie script.  Today, I want to look at John chapter eight, where a young woman was dragged through the city streets and placed before Jesus’ feet because she was caught in adultery.  The Bible tells us her accusers caught her “in the act”, which is a very explicit explanation of her sin. I am sure the woman had heard of Jesus, may have even wanted to meet him, but not now, not under these horrific circumstances.  She crouched half clothed before Jesus’ feet; her head was spinning with thoughts of her fate, as many were demanding she be stoned to fulfill the Law of Moses. Her criticizers pressed Jesus for an answer on what to do with the woman.  If He held to stone her, He would not be the loving man who had been in the hillsides performing miracles, taking care of widows, and allowing children to come unto Him.  However, if he did not stone her then they would argue He was not upholding the Law of Moses. In essence, the Pharisees felt this was a foolproof trap.  Either side He chose would create a fall out, which would remove Jesus from the city.
 
The Pharisees kept pressing harder and harder for an answer.  I love that Jesus did not react, He responded! What if you responded instead of reacted? In the very first verse it states “but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again to the temple.” Before Jesus entered the day with anyone, He had already been alone with His Father.  He was not shocked by this woman’s sin. He did not react with a condescending attitude or harsh words.  So what does Jesus do? He simply bends down and starts writing on the ground. He then stands and speaks, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone”, then kneels and continues to write. Oh, how I would love to know what was written on the ground, although it doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. Some think He was writing out the sins of the Pharisees, which made them leave in fear of being exposed. Nonetheless, Jesus had to handle the situation with the woman.  He knew the Law of Moses called for execution.  He never denies she should be stoned according to the law.  However, He knew the Pharisees were in no place to start casting stones because they were sinners themselves. One by one the accusers left the scene leaving only Jesus and the woman. I imagine the woman’s head is still low and maybe she doesn’t even realize her accusers have all gone. I can just visualize Jesus speaking softly to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” As she looks around astonished to see no one left to condemn her, she barely utters the word, “No.” He tenderly says, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  In this moment Jesus is speaking both truth and grace.  The truth is the woman deserves to be stoned, but who is worthy to carry it out?  On the other hand, He extends grace because He is without sin, but does not offer condemnation, but forgiveness of sin.
 
If you are reading this today in guilt and shame because you are the one sitting at Jesus’ feet in active sin and you assume your sin is more than anyone’s around you, I have good news.  Jesus came to this earth to die for sin.  Never in the Bible does He give categories of sin because ANYTHING that keeps us from being holy and righteous before God is sin. Robert Madu gives this example:
     “I was secretly judging my dad for having a triple chocolate cake, while I only had cheesecake with           “healthy” strawberries on top. The Lord convicted me of this and said ‘Robert it doesn’t matter the           content or flavor, its all still calories, which effects your body just the same.” 
This is true with sin. Maybe you try to make yourself not as bad as someone else, or maybe worse, by comparing your sin to theirs, but the Bible declares sin as sin, all repulsive in the eyes of the Lord. The good news is the Gospel exclaims, “ Therefore there is no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and savior]. Amplified Romans 8:1. Although this scene seems tragic in the beginning, it is life changing for this woman. She was humiliated, mortified, and alienated but, praise God, at the feet of Jesus she left clean, whole, and sanctified.  That should make you want to get up and shout Hallelujah because scripture says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The beauty of the gospel is you can come just as you are, and He will love, accept, and make you who He created you to be.
 
If you are reading this and you have experienced God’s gift of salvation, but think he could never use you because of your past, I am here to tell you sister, He will use you in spite of your past. I love how Priscillia Shirer talks about salvation:
Receiving salvation is not the same as applying salvation. Having something does not ensure that the recipient will experience the benefits that only using it can yield. Not only will salvation save our future it ensures a presence in our daily life from the attacks of the enemy. It enables you to lead whole, healthy lives not fractured by the enemy’s deceptive strategies.”
 
Jesus did not just come to save you from hell, but to have a relationship with you. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus wants you to release your fears, doubts, and insecurity to Him. In His hands He will make you more than enough to carry out the will of the Father. Stop trying to pay the price your Savior already paid.  On the cross He cried out, “It is finished!” These are words for us because He was saying; I have now paid the ultimate price for every person’s sin, and dear one that means you!
 
If you find yourself as an accuser lay it down before Christ. Do you want to be right so badly, as the Pharisees did, that you would sacrifice someone else to do it? Is winning every argument with your spouse so important that you will lose the one you say you love? Is being right in a friendship worth not having a friend? When we win an argument, but lose the person, we have truly lost in the end.
 
“Grace without truth is meaningless. Truth without grace crushes. Grace and truth is medicine for the soul.” Robert Madu
 
 
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
 

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.- AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Be like a diamond, precious and rare; not like a stone found everywhere.-Author unknown

The old saying goes like this – beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As women, it is very important for us to focus on Who is beholding us. God’s heart is saddened as He watches the women He creates with love and extraordinary detail worry over what the world thinks they should be. God longs for you to seek fulfillment in Him, allowing Him to be your first love. He wants to be the One Who satisfies your longings, declares you are beautiful, and meets your heart’s deepest desires. When seeking the world’s approval, you will always experience profound disappointment because the world cannot meet the deep longing God has placed in your heart for only Him. Your life can be filled with many things, but without a Christ-centered heart, frustration will always linger.

We often ask the question Does God see me? Yes! A thousand times yes! The Lord does see you. In those moments, I am reminded of the story of Hagar, who finds herself in a terrible situation that is not orchestrated by her own actions. She runs away, distraught by her situation, finding herself weeping by a stream. At this moment Hagar is at a loss for words, feeling overwhelmed, wronged, helpless, and hopeless. The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness… So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.Genesis 16:7 & 13I love this story because it tells us that God found Hagar, meaning He was searching for her. Hagar, even as a slave, did not go unnoticed by the Lord. She was probably not a beautiful woman by our standards. As a slave, she was likely worn and tattered by her tasks, but God was searching her heart, not her outer appearance. God’s compassion to this woman, who was not of His people, is overwhelming. With his agape love, God sought her out, comforted her heart, and made her a promise. Although sometimes we see ourselves as Hagar, unattractive, unproductive, unworthy, our Savior sees us as His beautiful daughters.
Hagar is so overwhelmed that God would spend time with her and seek her out that she names Him El Roi – The God Who sees. Hagar saw the Lord and knew He was the One Who watched after her. Just by realizing Someone was there for her allowed Hagar to return and face some challenging circumstances.
Allow that to soak in – the Lord loves YOU and is always watching over you, even when you don’t feel beautiful or at your best. He loves you no matter what your hair looks like because there was no time for a shower, smiles when he sees your shirt sprinkled with spit-up because you have a 3-month-old, and loves the fact your house is a wreck because you are playing with your children. His heart breaks for us as tears of disappointment fall from your eyes, and He celebrates when you take joy and comfort in Him.

Sister, the Lord is enamored with you.…"for who touches you touches the apple of his eye." Zechariah 2:8 The Lord considers you the apple of His eye. The Lord wants to show you how beautiful you are to Him – not using the standards of the world, but by using the content of your heart. The Lord does not examine the outer self for beauty, but judges what is in the heart. Today, may you find yourself filling up your heart with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As you become more and more like Christ, on the inside, your beauty will shine as a beacon to a world that yearns for a love they do not know.

Are you tired of hoping that someone else could fill the place that was meant for Me? I see you, all of you, and you do not have to hide anymore. I see your sin, and I see your flaws, and I still desire you as My own. I am crazy about you. I am the answer for your longing. The “more” that your heart waits for is Me.” – Angela Thomas Do You Think I Am Beautiful

​Often we, as grown ups, will say, “I am so stressed!”  One day my kids inquisitively asked, “What does it mean to be stressed?”  I stopped in my tracks and thought what an amazing concept.  My kids did not understand stress because they really have not experienced it, or did not label it as stress. As I began to try to explain, my mind was simply baffled.  I knew what stress was and how it made me feel, but irritatingly enough, I could not seem to give an adequate definition. Tuesday at Libertas, we were doing a science experiment on Laws of Gas.  I know you are getting excited already just thinking about physical science.  The experiment called for two miniature marshmallows to be placed in a 20ml syringe.  One finger was held over the opening of the syringe while the plunger was pushed down firmly. This was exerting extreme pressure on the marshmallows.  On observation, they had gone from light and fluffy to flat and stiff. The science experiment was representing what happens when pressure is applied to a closed system.  When you removed your finger off the nozzle and applied the same pressure, nothing changed with the marshmallows.
 
As we taught the experiment, I realized the answer to my kids’ question. I am sometimes operating in a closed system, which I was never meant to do.  In a closed system, the pressure has nowhere to go but onto the object in its path.  However, in an open system, the pressure could simply flow outward. My kids have never really experienced stress because they trust Chad and I will protect, guide, and meet their needs.  We have never given them a reason to doubt we would do otherwise, so when they feel uneasy they simply look to us.  So why do we experience stress?  Is our heavenly Father not also there for us, as I am there for my children? Does He not promise to provide for all my needs? The answer is YES! YES! A hundred times YES! The reason we are stressed at times is not because He will not supply our needs, but because we fail to trust Him to do so.  We do not allow our concerns and worries to flow right through to our Father.  Instead we keep it bottled up and eventually, just as the marshmallows, the pressure levels us. Jesus came that he might bear our burden.  Mathew 11:30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”
Just like the marshmallows were shrinking under the weight of the pressure, so does our human bodies and spirits under pressure when facing life alone. Jesus wants us to hand those pressures over to Him and allow Him to work in our life.
 
The astonishing part of the experiment was when the plunger was pulled back to the top of the syringe. What do you think happened?  The pressure was still there, but because there was room between the plunger and the marshmallows; they not only returned to their normal size, but also began to expand. Jesus wants us to hand our burdens over to Him so He can bear the load. He, many times, takes a horrific situation and brings glory and honor to His name.  Sometimes He allows the pressure to grow and mature our faith.  Often times, He may have simply needed our attention back on Him.  2 Corinthians 4: 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies…………..16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 
There are two parts to this verse that I love.  One is that we will definitely feel the pressure in life, but if we are allowing the Lord to strengthen us, we will not be crushed. Jesus never suggested that our lives would be filled with all roses and honey.  In fact, Jesus states several times in scriptures, “When trials come…”  However, we can take great relief in the fact that Jesus will help us bear the pain of this life.  “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  Although our burdens on this earth do not feel momentary or light at times, He is reminding us, compared to the goodness that is to come, it will not be forever.  I think of our friend that lost her daughter this past year.  Nothing about her death was light or momentary, but how thankful am I that she is waiting for them in all her splendor in heaven!  We can’t feel it here on earth, but one day, yes one day, every tear will be wiped away and the full glory of God revealed.
 
So until the day that God dries all our tears, remember we were never meant to be in a closed system bearing all the pressures of life ourselves.  We were meant to be in an open system where the pressure flows freely onto the one who is able!
 
May God bring you peace that passes all understanding in whatever you may be facing today!