From the desk of Pastor Ben
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song, I praise him.     (Psalm 28:7) NIV

With permission, I share this story from Christian author, Grace Fox:

“The first winter living on a small house boat tested my grit. More than once I felt like my coping skills had been overstretched. Then circumstances stretched them more. The first challenge came when snow fell and turned the dock into a slippery, slushy mess. I’d fallen on the dock a couple of months prior, so I found myself in a state of heightened alert whenever I left the boat, especially when it was dark outside. Then, ice formed on the river. It flowed past, thumping and scraping the hull of the boat. My imagination entertained thoughts of the Titanic.
The tipping point came when my diesel furnace died. I layered clothes, wore jackets, and wrapped in blankets to stay warm. For 2 weeks, the repair man promised to come several times but kept canceling.
Expressing gratitude changes one’s perspective. More importantly, it’s a matter of obedience. I truly wanted to obey the Word, so I thanked Jesus for being my strength when I felt weak. I thanked him for helping me stay upright on the dock and for keeping the hull of the boat safe. I also thanked Him for jackets and blankets and hot tea. Giving thanks changed my thoughts from I can’t handle this to I can’t handle this on my own, but I can with Jesus’ strength. Adversity turned to adventure.
Winter will come again next year. No doubt it will bring challenges. No doubt it will test my grit. But I’ll make Psalm 28:7 a staple for my thoughts, and I know anxiety will turn to joy.

Faith Step:     What characteristic about Jesus makes your heart leap for joy?