Saturday, September 1, 2012

Starting over in September

"Always you renounce a lesser good
for a greater; the opposite is what sin is. . . .
. . .The struggle to submit. . . is not a struggle
to submit but a struggle to accept and with passion.
I mean, possibly, with joy.
Picture me with my ground teeth
stalking joy–fully armed too
as it's a highly dangerous quest."
Flannery O'Conner

"James 1:12 says, 'Blessed is the man
who remains steadfast under trial,
for when he has stood the test he will
receive the crown of life,
which God has promised
to those who love him.'
The person who will receive
the crown of eternal life is the person
who successfully endures trial–
that is, the person who fights for joy
in the pain of loss and gets the victory
over the unbelief of anger and bitterness
and discouragement."
John Piper

"It is a good fight because it is not a struggle
to carry a burden, but a struggle to let a burden
be carried for us. The life of joy in God
is not a burdened life. It is an unburdened life.
It's a fight for freedom from worry.
It's a fight for hope and peace and joy, which
are all threatened by unbelief and doubt about
God's promises."
John Piper

I want to come to the end and too be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race(with joy), I have kept the faith."
Starting this fight again this September. Pray for me.

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