be still.

live fully.

“people who have only good experiences aren’t very interesting.

they may be content, and happy after a fashion, but they aren’t very

deep. it may seem a misfortune now, and it makes things difficult,

but well—it’s easy to feel all the happy, simple stuff.

not that happiness is necessarily simple.

but I don’t think you’re going to have a life like that,

and I think you’ll be the better for it.

the difficult thing is to not be overwhelmed by the bad patches.

you must not let them defeat you.

you must see them as a gift—a cruel gift, but a gift nonetheless.”

-peter cameron

i saw this on another blog-that i'm currently obsessed with-

and wanted to share it. there are many verses that state this same

thing in a different way...

romans 5:3-5 not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

james 5:11 as you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. you have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

james 1:2-4 consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

so whether you wish to be interesting, deep, better, a receiver of all gifts,

one who perseveres, has good character and knows true hope,

counted as blessed, purely joyful, or mature and complete, not lacking

anything, then i'm afraid you must suffer, struggle, and experience

misfortune. and in the end, this is what will make you a person

who knows what it is to live and live fully.

with actions and in truth

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is:

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions

and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,

how can the love of God be in that person?

¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech

but with actions and in truth.

1 john 3:16-18 niv

there need be no poor

⁴ however, there need be no poor people among you,

for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance,

he will richly bless you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the LORD your God

and are careful to follow all these commands i am giving you today.

⁷ if anyone is poor among your fellow israelites

in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you,

do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.

⁸ rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.

¹¹ there will always be poor people in the land.

therefore I command you to be openhanded toward

your fellow israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

¹² if any of your people—hebrew men or women—

sell themselves to you and serve you six years,

in the seventh year you must let them go free.

¹³ and when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed.

¹⁴ supply them liberally from your flock,

your threshing floor and your winepress.

give to them as the LORD your God has blessed you.

verses from deuteronomy 15:4-15
NIV, emphasis added

it is in your power

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,
and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
And you are to love those who are foreigners,
for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

dueteronomy 10:18-19 NIV

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.

proverbs 3:27 ESV

heart

my flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

psalm 73:26