Suffering Well

I found this devotional on a friends web page and thought that it was so good.  I know it is the Chrismas season and the True season of Joy, but I can't not think that Mary and Joseph had to suffer greatly in their journey( the donkey ride alone would have done me in!).

Today is also World AIDS day.  I used to be so judgmental about AIDS.  God has definitely softened my heart to the millions of INNOCENT people and children who suffer and die due to this cruel disease all over the world. 

Suffering Well


1 Peter 2:4-25



"WHAT GOOD IS SUFFERING?"

Have you ever asked that question? If so, you're not alone. The problem of pain and suffering in the world has turned many people away from faith in God and has inspired countless books and articles. Scholars and laypeople have tried for centuries to unravel the mystery of how God's plan can include evil in any form.

We live in a corrupt, fallen world in which illness occurs, violence happens and evil, for the time being, is allowed to run its course. Suffering is inevitable... our passage today even tells us we were "called" to suffer. It's not a matter of if we will suffer but when we will suffer. As believers in Jesus Christ, however, suffering offers the opportunity to display Christ's character and grace. For Christians, rather than asking, "Why does God allow suffering?" or even, "Why am I suffering?" we should ask, "How can I suffer well?"

Most of the early church leaders suffered violent deaths because of their outspoken and radical faith in Jesus. But every time one of them was martyred, the number of Christians grew. Why? Because people long to give themselves fully to a cause worth dying for. We all long for purpose and peace- and Jesus Christ offers both.

In his book Velvet Elvis, Bible teacher Rob Bell writes, "Ultimately our gift to the world around us is hope. Not blind hope that pretends everything is fine and refuses to acknowledge how things are. But the kind of hope that comes from staring pain and suffering right in the eyes and refusing to believe that this is all there is. It is what we all need- hope that comes not from going around suffering but from going through it."

Let's pray that God will allow us the privilege and strength of suffering well... for our sake, for his sake and for the sake of those who don't yet know him.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."- 1 Peter 2:9

Mercy

" as far as the east is from the west,


so far has he removed our transgressions from us. "

Psalm 103:12

God doesnt just barely forgive us.....

Our transgressions are NOT held NEAR...they are REMOVED...

I praise my Savior today for this truth.

jb

Sightseeing Bennett style...

Aaron pouting about someting!

Te beautiful park behind the art museam.  Note the kids rolling down the hill.

We thoroughly exhausted the kids.  As you can see they were enraptured by the art museum.

After starting our day off at Grants Farm, we headed to the St. Louis Zoo.  I love this Zoo, its free and it has bears and lots of diffeent kinds of monkeys.  We loved watching the bears get fed, they are huge.
The kids were troopers, we walked a lot.
Across the street from te Zoo is the St. Louis Museum of Art. Also free.  The kids were thrilled to get to go!(sarcasm noted)  They did end up thinking it was cool.  Lots of old(B.C.) pottery, beautiful and interesting paintings too.
We then went out the back door and right intoa gorgeous park(I cant remember the name).  We walked, and rolled, around the park.  It was so beautiful out. 
We spent the day with just the Bennetts, the Reeds didn't dare try and keep up wth us! hee hee

Grant's Farm

We decided to take a trip to see Grants Farm while in St. Louis.  It was a beautiful fall day. We took a tram ride through the grounds and farm, visited the petting zoo, saw the infamous Clydsdales, Grants original cabin and then headed to our next adventure.

St. Louis Trip

Our Fall break happened to fall on our niece Tori's 20th birthday.  We headed to St. Louis for a visit, and a celebration.
We ate at a restaurant that makes "Huge" pizzas.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  It took up a whole table, so they sat it on the warmer for us.  I guess you could compare it to 4 large pizzas!
Happy Birthday Tori!

Halloween

Here are a few Halloween pictures.  Amy was a "80's aerobic instuctor" , Aaron was a fisherman, Ann was an ice cream cone, and Andrew was Batman.

Pumpkin Patch

I told you, I have needed to post for awhile!
We had a lot of fun and picked apples too.  This is the first year Joe has went with us, on a saturday even.  we went to Stuckey Farms, an hour before closing.  This was really a great time to go, since most people were leaving and it put our kids on a time limit.  They stayed open a little later, since it was so busy though.
This may end up being our Christmas card picture, I think it turned out really well.  They're so cute.