character

Published on March 11, 2023March 18, 2023 by Dawn Marie5 Comments

It is hard to square off in the face of suffering; put on a smile and walk directly into that storm. Nobody looks at suffering every time and says, “I would really like more of that!” Suffering is painful. It chips away at our resolve. It can rock our faith.

Ironically, it is the very tool that can strengthen our faith as well.

One of the things that predominantly sets apart those who thrive is the ability to stay in righteous intimacy with God throughout the duration of the test. This is when the hearts of the believers are steeled. They become patient, grow in character, and embody hope in the face of trial.

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precious stones

Published on September 7, 2022September 12, 2022 by Dawn Marie8 Comments

There is an ancient story out of the Middle East which tells of three merchants crossing the desert. They were traveling at night in the darkness to avoid the heat of the day. As they were crossing over a dry creek bed, a loud attention-demanding voice out of the darkness commanded them to stop. They were then ordered to get down off their camels, stoop down and pick up pebbles from the creek bed, and put them into their pockets.