Faithful

My life is by no stretch of the imagination something to be considered difficult when compared to the suffering and trials of so many others. And still, there are times when you just feel like everything is falling apart and you question whether or not you're really doing what you're supposed to be doing or are at the right place or just wonder - "why me?" The last few days have been that kind of time for me.

• We found out a good friend of ours is planning on getting a divorce because "we never should have gotten married in the first place" Huh? It's a little too late for that now. Especially when you're a believer and know what God's design for marriage is. Like John says in Marley and Me - "mend it don't end it!"
• Other marriage issues include unmarried women shacking up with married guys while claiming to be a believer but being completely unrepentant, teenage couples with no means of support, no plan and disapproving families planning on getting married, and then there's always the unmarrieds who are having sex and living together. We think that's so common now some people say it's normal or ok. Wrong again.
• Our air conditioner breaks
• Close friends who have lost their job just told us they may now have to move away from here and a great support system because they don't have the finances to be able to stay while they figure things out
• We've got "sexting" issues we're having to deal with (and some parents are more upset that we're dealing with it than that it's going on in the first place)
• Our Family Pastor (Claude's) brother had a heart attack yesterday and is on life support. Claude and his wife flew down early this morning.
• My laptop died so I have to start over (and am not mobile) in preparing for this weeks message, for worship and other things. (EDIT: I fixed it - or at least I got it working)
• We found out that our kids are going to be dropped from insurance starting Sept 1st - only going to cost an extra $900 a month unless we can figure something else out.
• And then there's so-called "customer service" - Lora has a ring - it's been repaired once and supposedly rebuilt the second time (within a year) and after 4 months, they seem to think it's natural wear and tear that stones are loose again. I'm not done with them yet but don't recommend them. Had phone and internet issues too and problems still aren't resolved.

Well that's enough to give you a pretty good idea of what's going on. And yet, with all this turmoil, I'm reminded that my marriage is strong, my kids are healthy, our family is safe, I'm employed, Christ is still on the throne AND He hasn't ever left me. he knows my name, my troubles and my heart. And He deserves praise and honor -whether things are going well or not. Why? Because He's faithful.

So how's your week been?