Through Many Trials - by AHG Patriot Sarah Peterson

Dear Friends,

AHG Girl Blogger, Sarah Peterson tackles the subject of the usefulness of Trials in sharpening our walk with Christ.  With wisdom beyond her years, Sarah shares her thoughts and I pray you will share this important message with a special girl in your life!

Trials. Not a fun word. Not something we like going through. and sometimes we don't expect them.

This last weekend we were at Faith Baptist Bible College for their annual high school basketball tournament. I was very excited. Last year our team went down and won the whole thing! We lost four of our starters last year, so I knew that this year at the tournament would be harder.

But I didn't think it would be this hard.

The first three games were pool play to determine our ranking for the fourth game on Saturday. We lost all three pool play games. On Saturday we would play for seventh out of eight teams.

Talk about a trial.

I don't like trials. Never have. Thing is, I learned so much this basketball tournament. Not only about basketball, but also about myself, my attitude, my character and my walk with God. Trials do help us learn. Funny...God uses trials to teach us things that we may not have learned otherwise. Would I have looked at my attitude if we had won every game? Probably not, because my attitude would have been great. But instead I had to learn to love the other players on and off the court when they killed us. I had to keep my head up high for the younger girls when I really just wanted to go into the locker room and pout. I had to honor God with my thoughts when I honestly was feeling defeated. Saturday night I got home and I was tired. Mentally and emotionally. But looking back a few days later, I think that we had the best tournament yet. Yes we got crushed, but we bonded as a team. We lost together. We learned together. We encouraged each other together.

God uses trials. Why?

1) they push us out of our comfort zone. I wasn't comfortable losing. Honestly I wasn't used to it. The past few years we have only lost about six games. But losing made me think that winning isn't everything. Character is. If we won but had a horrible attitude, we might as well have lost. Wins and medals will fade, but who you are as a person never will.

2) they reveal what we need to work on. Not only did I learn tons of things that I need to work on in basketball (better passes, hustling more, having patience, etc.) but also about myself off the court. I get in to the habit of having an attitude of defeat. I feel like I have to be perfect and when I'm not I feel defeated. I learned that I can't have that attitude. If you're in a hole and life throws dirt your way, shake it off, stomp it down and step up.

3) they show us that we need to turn to God. When life is going good I get into the habit of forgetting God. I get content. Comfortable. God has to sometimes throw a trial into our lives to remind us who is truly in control. Lesson from that? Don't wait for a trial to put God first. Make Him a priority when things are going great as well as horrible.

Trials aren't fun. But you know what? If we let God have His way and if we are teachable, we come out better than before. That tournament changed me as a person and as a basketball player. So are trials bad?

No.

Not if you let them change you into more of an image of Christ. God doesn't bring trials in our lives to knock us down, but so that through Him we can learn to rise up better than before.

Well said Sarah!

Until Next Time,

Patti

 
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds 

                                                                                                                               James 1: 1-3

10 years later- have we changed for the good?

As I reflect on life in America since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I can't help but ponder on the state of our nation ten years later.  Like each of us, I can remember exactly where I was, who I was with and what the weather was like on that tragic day. I remember the overwhelming emotion of wanting to leave the tiny AHG office and to gather my family members never to let them out of my sight for the rest of my life. It is a day that none of us will forget in our lifetime. 

Tied to the emotions of incredible grief and utter disbelief that people would consciously do this to other human beings, was the underlying feeling of unabashed vulnerability.   Fear enveloped a nation, at least for a period of time.  And people of all faiths and degrees of faith, called out to God in utter desperation.

I remember the months that followed -   in all of my years of attendance, my church sanctuary had never been that full.  My soul was filled with hope - hope that America was returning to its first love - God. There was a strong desire to return to the simpler and more important things of life - faith and family. Faith, family, security and unity were the "keywords" of those days.

Today, as we commemorate the nearly 3000 lives lost, we find our country in a sad state of affairs.  We find that a  faith filled life is something one shouldn't talk about if they want that job, that political office or that next promotion. And family?  Record numbers of families are falling apart,  while the Millenials are afraid to marry and start families. And if media imitates real life, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to agree that our nation is definitely in a world of hurt.

What do you believe  to be the state of America a decade after the tragedy of 9-11?

For me, it is a subject of daily prayer.  I know that the Father who created this world, is the same Father who remains on the throne.  What happened on 9-11, what is happening today and what will happen tomorrow, He is in control.  May God Bless America, and may America once again bless God.

Heavenly Father, we ask that on this day of commemoration that you be with all of those whose lives were forever changed.  We pray that as we begin a new decade, a new chapter, that You will stir our souls and place in them a deep desire to return to You.  Father God please awaken our sleeping souls to pray and ignite a new commitment to You and Your eternal ways of righteousness.  May American return to its first love - You, Father and may America once again enjoy the ability to love you and worship you in true freedom without retaliation.  In the name of your Son Jesus.  Amen.