Rise Up

^{EXODUS 12:31}

 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.

He Hath Made Everything Beautiful In His Time(:

When I think about the past, it scares me of my future. What a paralyzed life of depredation I will live if I cannot rid myself of that notion. We can choose what we dwell on.
 Yes- there are a lot of things in life that are unbelievably hard; but there are a lot of things in life that are undeservingly good.
The bible often calls us to be thankful. Being thankful is a state of mind, not really an action of a mere verbalized word. It is a state of being. The word change to me sometimes feels like a bad word, but it is a word of excitement too. Of new opportunity and chance.
It's the hard things in life that make the sweet things all the more sweeter. When Uncle Mike prayed the closing prayer Sunday afternoon to close the service, he said, "We're thankful Lord... (and he paused) for such sweet fellowship." Anytime my Uncle Mike pauses in a prayer or a sermon, it touches my heart because I know it's at that moment he's choking up and can't force the words out. After my weekend, the way that it felt to be in the Lords house- it was so overwhelmingly good. Life is not about forgetting your troubles and always being positive- but I believe it IS about taking in those hard moments- learning from them- allowing those moments to shape your character as God has put them in your life for a purpose... knowing, He will bring about blessing.

Ecclesiastes 3

King James Version (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 3

 ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 ⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 ⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 ⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 ⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 ⁹What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

 ¹⁰I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

 ¹¹He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

 ¹²I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

 ¹³And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

 ¹⁴I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

 ¹⁵That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.