Overcome.

Life. 

Some days it seems like you are in a valley of no hope while other days you victoriously stand atop the mountain peak. Life for me lately seems to be more of a valley than a mountaintop. The thing that seems to never leave my mind is one word: finances. Welcome to adulthood I suppose. Ha.

Alrighty here is the thing I can't finish the year at Ecola due to the lack of finances. (Don't panic I mean there are 10 days until that first payment is due.) It breaks my heart to think about having to leave Ecola. I believe until last night I had the wrong perspective on all of this though. My mindset was one of a woe is me standpoint. And the problem with this is the focus was on me. My desires. My will. My timing. ME. ME. ME. This is just what Satan wants. He wants to get us to that point where we think God isn't hearing our cries. He wants us to think there is no hope. He wants us to give up. He wants us to pack our bags.

But right when Satan thinks he has won the whisper comes. Perspective. Like Elijah we so often are searching and waiting for an obvious and clear answer from God. When God is working in the complete opposite way. He is patiently waiting for us to be still. Because it is in that stillness we hear God whisper. His whisper brings us hope. You see God is good. He does hear our cries. He is actually a pretty good listener. He is the one who brings hope to the hopeless. He in a sense does want us to give up. (He knows we can't do life alone. We need Him.) To throw our hands up in the air. To ultimately surrender. He begins to shift our mindset once we take our eyes off of ourselves and turn them back to Him. Because in the end this is what it is all about.

His desires.

His will.

His timing.

His story.

I don't have the answers. I don't know where the money will come for my tuition. (Especially since classes resume January 6th.) I do know who holds my future. I do know that in Christ I find hope. I do know the battle has been won. I do know that through Jesus I have overcome. I do know that until then I will stand firm on these truths...

“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:18-23

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:12,13

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
1 Peter 4:16

If you have made it this far I encourage you to read 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19.

Have a great day all you lovely people!