thankful on a thursday—struggling

On the last Wednesday of the month my church has a prayer meeting. We gather together and pray individually, in small groups, and corporately. We confess. We praise. We cry out. We intercede.

Last night, before a time of individual prayer and confession, one of the pastors challenged us with this: If you are in the midst of a certain sin, you are not struggling with that sin. You have already given yourself over to that sin. It in only when you turn away from a sin and are tempted to return to it that the struggle occurs. He went on to quote Hebrews saying, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood."

None of us are perfect. I am not perfect. Sin will always tempt me. This isn't about being convicted to "live like a Navy SEAL for Jesus". This is simply about conviction. This is about the discipline of a Father who loves His children so much that, where we have given in to sin, He has persevered, even to the point of bloodshed in our place. His strength, his ability to struggle, is made perfect in my weakness, in my inability to struggle without Him calling me, guiding me back Home. For that I am eternally thankful.

1. A long run, off the pavement, with a running partner, and incredible views.
2. A weekend of quiet with nothing to do but cook, bake, and knit.
3. A last minute ticket to see The Avett Brothers in Portland.
4. Late night brainstorming sessions over microbrews.
5. For friendships, new and old.
6. His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
7. Free laundry.
8. The way He reminds me that He is always with me.
9. A long drive all to myself.
10. Digging into a new book I can hardly stand to put down.