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Thursday, July 14, 2016

Day 69 Second Post of the Day (Follow Up re: ENT) And An Encouragement From a Neighbor

I called the ENT and unfortunately, they cannot get me in this week. Thankfully, I have not noticed that weird feeling much today. Who knows, maybe it's all in my head?! They did schedule me for July 27th, which will be 9 days after my next chemo, so I should be able to make it to the appointment, unless, by miracle of all miracles, I feel well enough and my WBC count is good next Thursday. If that's the case, I still plan on going to Jackson, WY to see some friends. We planned this months ago and were going to do some wilderness camping, but instead, if I do go, we will chill in the Hole, while John meets with some builders and architects there to promote his business: www.wonderlywoodworking.com
 I'm honestly not anticipating being able to go, but since I bought the tickets, I hate to lose out on the ticket if I don't have to.

As for the encouragement from Janie, my neighbor, here is an article from Christianity.com

July 14
Developing Faith through Adversity
2 Corinthians 11:23-30
It doesn't seem fair, does it? Paul spent his life serving Christ, and yet he experienced continual suffering. Why would God let one of His most faithful servants go through so much pain? This isn't just a question about Paul; it's an issue we face today. In our minds, the Lord should protect His loyal followers from hardships, but He doesn't necessarily do so.
Maybe our reasoning is backwards. We think faithful Christians don't deserve to suffer, but from God's perspective, suffering is what produces faithful Christians. If we all had lives of ease without opposition, trials, or pain, we'd never really know God, because we'd never need Him. Like it or not, adversity teaches us more about the Lord than simply reading the Bible ever will.
I'm not saying we don't need to know Scripture; that's our foundation for faith. But if what we believe is never tested by adversity, it remains head knowledge. How will we ever know the Lord can be trusted in the midst of trouble if we've never been challenged by hardship? God gives us opportunities to apply scriptural truths to the difficulties facing us, and in the process, we find Him faithful. For example, how would Paul ever have known the strength of Christ if he had never been weakened by pain, persecution, and adversity?

Depending on your response, trials can be God's greatest means of building faith or an avenue to discouragement and self-pity. If you'll believe what Scripture says and apply its principles to your situation, your trust in God will grow, and your faith will be strengthened through adversity.

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