Triumph Over Trials by Carol DeBlasis

Photo: Writer, Carol DeBlasis

James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Trials are indeed tough, but this verse tells us that we are blessed when we persevere through difficult times. The definitions of the word persevere are: to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly. The best example of this definition is Jesus Christ when He faced Calvary. Nothing and no one could thwart Him from His purpose or mission. He was determined to redeem His creation, no matter the personal cost! May we all be so determined to persevere through difficult times and to stay focused on God’s faithfulness and His Promises. Because, goodness knows, that our trials can in no way compare to those of Jesus! No one is threatening you or me with beatings, or nails pounded into our feet and hands!

Besides, trials were never intended to dissuade us from following Christ, but instead, they are intended to make us stronger in our faith and in our resolve to carry our own cross. It is only through the difficult times that we see, and participate in God’s divine plan of deliverance. Only when we are powerless, do we witness God’s power and dominion in our lives. Is it scary? Heck yea! I hate to lose control! But it sure is amazing to be still and watch Him “do His thing”! Countless times I have watched Him sweep into my life and rescue me from people, places and circumstances, and every time I stand in amazement at His grace and love for little ole me!

And not only are we rescued and delivered, but we also are rewarded for our determination! Every time we refuse to cave into fear, anxiety, rejection and depression during trials and tribulations, we are promised a Crown of Life by the Father Himself! How cool is that? On that glorious day He will compensate us for every act of faith during times of testing. How amazed we will be as the pile of crowns begins to accumulate at our feet. Times and occurrences of faithful living, long forgotten by us, will be remembered and honored by our amazing Heavenly Father. And you and I, precious saint, will haul all of those beautiful crowns and place them at the feet of the One who made it all possible through His own trial of suffering and death: Jesus Christ, our amazing Lord and King! Hallelujah, I can’t wait!

Step Out by Rick Morange

Ph0to: Rick Morange and his daughter, Mandilee


The purpose of this writing is to hopefully instill a new (and perhaps different), level of responsibility and concern in parents.





Because I am a "DAD," I have some experiences regarding parenting, but do not claim any special knowledge or expertise. Therefore, if this column is a blessing to anyone, then we must give all the glory to God.





My hope and prayer is that some readers will re-think their responsibilities as parents, and possibly prioritize their life a little differently. Who am I to address these issues? Just a father, teacher and coach. One who also happens to be a Christian, and believes that all of us need the Holy Spirit to guide and help us as parents. Enough about me.





What does God say?

In Proverbs 22:6, He says "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."





What a wonderful thought. God gives us a prescription for ultimate success for our children! (Notice he also leaves time for some mistakes along the way to getting "old"!)





Indeed, He loves us so much, that He KNOWS we can't do it alone ---and in this era of single parenting, most of us would acknowledge we need a little help, right?!





So we begin with instilling the love of God into their hearts and souls. Maybe it's just an extra hug, a surprise quick-trip to play their favorite game, or perhaps we just LISTEN to them. (I know I have a long way to go on the last one!). After all, the gift of our TIME means so much more than anything else, and "training" takes time.





Is there more time we can find for our children? Perhaps.

And, do we openly pray with our children? God wants us to do just that! He wants us to let THEM know that He is there in our lives every day---and in theirs! God will teach us these things, as we guide and teach our precious little ones. What a tremendous and wonderful responsiblitiy we have been given!

The Bible also says in I Corinthians 13:2. "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. "





Such strong words from our God--that we could be seen as NOTHING! Yet, that is only possible if we do not LOVE, and certainly when we have Jesus in our heart we MUST love!





The Lord ends I Corintians 13 with the following. "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love."





What a wonderful prescription for ALL of us. The importance of Love cannot be understated. God is perfect love --and He wants to teach us His ways to love. If we are open to the Holy Spirit, and His word, there will become no limit to the ways we can love our children, and demonstrate that love to them. (I love to reflect on ALL of I Corinthians 13, and certainly suggest reading it in it's entirety!)

In closing, please allow me to pray with you.





Heavenly Father, you ARE the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Teach us your ways, so that we can spread your amazing love to our children. We are all yours Father God, and we ask you to give us open hearts to hear your word, and your voice, so that our children may live their lives knowing you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.



May God Bless You and have a wonderful day with your greatest earthly "gift" - your children.