Throughout the summer, scores of people enjoy the thrill of riding roller coasters. But when life seems to be a roller coaster, it’s not so much fun. Twists, turns, tunnels, the ups and downs of everyday life…sometimes there seems to be no end to the stress and struggle. How are we to trust God through the difficulty and uncertainty? Does He know what we’re going through? If so, where is He, and does He care? 

 In his book, Trusting God, Jerry Bridges says that “if there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control, then we cannot trust Him.” But we know according to His Word that we can completely trust God. Trust in God is not founded on our feelings but is a matter of our will. Bridges states that our will is based on belief, and that belief is based on God’s Word. 
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 One of the Scripture passages most read during  difficult times is Psalm 23, and that psalm gives a wonderful picture of our relationship with God. We can trust God because He is our Shepherd. God provides what we need when we need it. So why worry? He is the One Who is in control, even when we cannot see Him at work.

Waffles and spaghetti – just two common food items, right?  Yes, but these two foods can have a meaning other than just being something edible. They have often been used to characterize men and women but would it surprise you to know that they can also be used to describe how we interact within the body of Christ?  

​Some of us interact with others like waffles – we only allow certain people into our box.  Then, there are those of us who interact with people like spaghetti – we rub shoulder to shoulder.  We recognize the value of each individual made in God’s image, interacting with everyone and including everyone. This is exactly what we should be doing. We cannot compartmentalize within the body of Christ just as we cannot within our physical bodies. If our foot hurts, our entire body feels the pain. If our head hurts, our entire body is affected. The apostle Paul makes this point in I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and Romans 12, reminding us that we are all impacted by other members of the body.  

Let me encourage all of us within the body of Christ to get out of the box and stir up some spaghetti!

What is love? The world's definition of love does not match how God's Word defines it. According to I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, love is patient, kind, content, humble, gentle, selfless, self-controlled, and pure. Our basis for showing this kind of love is Christ's example of love for us. He gave Himself for us, and the least we can do for Him in return is to love Him with everything we are and have. We are also commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. So what could you do today that says, "I love you" to the Lord, your spouse, parents, siblings, friend, or even a church member?

One of the best things we can do for each other is pray. Perhaps you could write a note of encouragement or give someone a sincere compliment. Love isn't just shown in the big events or gifts given but in the little things done each day.

Endurance is focusing on a goal greater than the distractions along the way.

Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctica expedition of 1914 - 1917 is one of the most incredible adventure stories of all time. It is remarkable even for an era and region that already has far more than its fair share of incredible tales of heroism and fortitude in the face of appalling hardships.

The intention was to cross the Antarctic continent from one coast to the other via the South Pole. In the event, the expedition never set foot on continental Antarctica. The expedition managed to survive the loss of their ship in the middle of the Antarctic pack ice at a time when there was no chance of contacting the outside world, let alone of being rescued. 

  ·         On August 8th the Endurance sailed for the Antarctic island of South Georgia where there was a whaling station.
·         On November 5th they arrived at South Georgia. Shackleton learnt much from the whaling captains about the conditions in the Weddell Sea.
·         The Endurance battled her way through a thousand miles of pack ice over a six week period and was one hundred miles - one days sail - from her destination, when on the 18th of January 1915 at 76°34'S, the ice closed in around her.
·         By the end of February the ship was now clearly frozen in for the winter.
·         Shackleton wrote "The ice is rafting up to a height of 10 or 15 ft. in places, the opposing floes are moving against one another at the rate of about 200 yds. per hour. The noise resembles the roar of heavy, distant surf. Standing on the stirring ice one can imagine it is disturbed by the breathing and tossing of a mighty giant below"
·         The Endurance finally broke up and sank below the ice and waters of the Weddell Sea on November 21st 1915.
·         The 28 men of the expedition were now isolated on the drifting pack ice hundreds of miles from land, with no ship, no means of communication with the outside world and with limited supplies.
·         They made landfall on Elephant Island being ecstatic to do so. It had been 497 days since they had last set foot on land.

For the time being they were safer and secure than they had been for a long time, but they were still stranded and there was no chance of rescue. No ships passed that way. No radio at that time was capable of summoning help. The outside world was not going to come to Elephant Island.

Shackleton realized that in order to effect a rescue, he was going to have to travel some 800 miles distant and across the stormiest stretch of ocean in the world. They expected to encounter waves that were 50 feet from tip to trough "Cape Horn Rollers" in a 22 foot long boat.

On May 5th, the eleventh day out at sea, the sea became much rougher, Shackleton wrote:

"I called to the other men that the sky was clearing, and then a moment later I realized that what I had seen was not a rift in the clouds but the white crest of an enormous wave.
During twenty-six years' experience of the ocean in all its moods I had not encountered a wave so gigantic. It was a mighty upheaval of the ocean, a thing quite apart from the big white-capped seas that had been our tireless enemies for many days. I shouted 'hold on! It's got us.'
We felt our boat lifted and flung forward like a cork in breaking surf. We were in a seething chaos of tortured water; but somehow the boat lived through it, half full of water, sagging to the dead weight and shuddering under the blow. We baled with the energy of men fighting for life, flinging the water over the sides with every receptacle that came to our hands, and after ten minutes of uncertainty we felt the boat renew her life beneath us"

On the morning of the 8th of May, they began seeing kelp floating in the sea, then some sea birds, just after noon they caught a glimpse of South Georgia. After 2 years and 22 days it was over.  

The amazing fact that the men kept going during this time was a tribute to Shackleton's leadership skills, his abilities, and understanding of the importance of keeping up morale. 

2Timothy 2:3 – “Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 

Obedience leads to inexhaustible resources of strength.

Isaiah 40:29 – “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”

(Information taken from Cool Antartica.com, and compiled by Rob Cronin)

 Encouragement means to go to one’s side, to solace, to comfort, a giving of support, confidence or hope.

Can we find any comfort or encouragement in Christ? Paul states this to the believers in Philippi in Philippians 2:1. God has given us encouragement and comfort. John 14:16-18 and John 15:26 tell us the Lord has given us a Comforter – the Holy Spirit. He convicts us of sin, illuminates, instructs, cheers the hearts of God’s people, and lifts up those that are bowed down. He is there and helps in meeting the needs of our heart. Many times the encouragement or comfort we get from the Lord is not exactly what we want, but it is what we need.

Let’s face it, as leaders we need encouragement also! Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where the Lord can use us to be a blessing to others. Here is a true story that I hope will encourage you.

Bridging the Fence

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. 
It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing
machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. 

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding 
and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange 
of bitter words followed by weeks of silence. 

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?" 

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek 
at that farm. That's my neighbor; in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week 
there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite

me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence- so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow." 

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and 
the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you." 

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter 
get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. 

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge-a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all-and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched. 

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done." The 
two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. 

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, but I have many more bridges to build…

Author Unknown

Keep building bridges with the people around you. God has placed you right where you are for a specific purpose! Don’t forget that “your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Keep your eyes on Him.

 1Cor.15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

"We all have a desire inside of us to fit in and to be accepted. We want to be liked by others. As we endeavor to be “liked” by others we can find ourselves caught in a vicious trap. We may “do, say, or allow” unacceptable or wrong actions to take place without standing as a believer should.

Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived near the worldly influences of Sodom and Gomorrah. Over the course of time we can see that the friendships he made with the people from those cities took a drastic toll on his life and his family. If Lot could have seen the end of his life before he made his choices I am sure he would have made different choices. 

God’s Object Lesson – 2 Peter 2:6 “turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly”

1.     God brought about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah that they might serve as warning signs to all future generations.  In this case He produced an abiding memorial for all succeeding generations to recall as the divinely ordained "reaping" to all who would dare sow such flagrant ungodly behavior.

2.     Galatians 6:7 – “Be not deceived God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”

The Impact on Lot – 2 Peter 2:7-8 “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” 

1.     He compromised to be accepted.
Their evil lives continued to be a burdensome weight upon Lot personally. He saw evil and he heard evil over and over. Their lives wore Lot down as his own conscience and soul rebelled against the filth that he continually witnessed around him.  
It is amazing (and to some extent encouraging) that Lot had not allowed his conscience to become so dulled that he was no longer pained by what he witnessed yet he did not have the courage to speak up.1 Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”  

2.     He departed from Abraham full, but left Sodom empty with a conscience dulled by sin. Genesis 13:5-6.Genesis 19:15-17.

Truths to Learn

1.     Where our treasure is there will our heart be also.
a)     The things we allow to control our heart and shape our treasures must be in line with what God wants for us. When Lot had to choose a new area for his home, he measured it by what he had seen in Egypt (Ge 13:10). That is where his heart was. Abraham took Lot out of Egypt, but he could not take Egypt out of Lot.
b)     Matthew 6:21 “where your treasure is there will your heart be also”
c)     Proverbs 4:20-23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

2.     Your friends will shape your life.
a)     Lot had entered Sodom and then Sodom had entered Lot.
b)     He became what the people he spent his time with were. 

3.     Our choices may be personal but the consequences are not necessarily private.
a)     Our consequences may (and most likely will) affect those around us, especially those nearest and dearest.
b)     Tragically although he was delivered, Lot lost not only his testimony to his own family for his married daughters and their husbands laughed at his warning but he also lost his wife who disobeyed God and was killed. 

4.     Repeated exposure to the unchecked sinful actions of our friends will wear us down, and soon we will compromise.
a)     It is amazing (and to some extent encouraging) that Lot had not allowed his conscience to become so dulled that he was no longer pained by what he witnessed.
b)     1 Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

Lot had a desire to be accepted in the eyes of the people he surrounded himself with. As a believer he knew the things he was around and allowing his family to be involved with were wrong, yet he chose to do nothing about it. His righteous soul was “vexed” (in torment) yet he daily chose to do nothing. His desire to be accepted cost him everything.

Does it really matter who my friends are?

Do the people I am around really impact my life?" (Originally compiled by Rob Cronin)

"Last week, I ran across a school sign that read 'Choices Determine Character.' I began to ponder that statement wondering if it was true. The more I thought about it the more I began to disagree since it is our character that determines what choices we make. Some may even say that both statements are true: 'Choices Determine Character' and 'Character Determines Choices.'

So, how is our character developed? Are we born with it? No. Our character is built over time and it must begin with a solid foundation: a relationship with Jesus Christ. After becoming a Christian, we ought to be growing in our walk with the Lord by spending quality time with Him on a daily basis. As we do this, godly character is developed enabling us to make wise choices (I Timothy 4:7-8).

We should not be surprised at the destination one reaches because of the choices that have been made. A young person, whether in grade school, high school, college or finished with schooling, will find that these years are crucial in their life and that they ought to be built upon The solid foundation - the Lord Jesus Christ...having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (8b)."