Beautiful Times

 Owl City's new song "Beautiful Times". I swear Adam Young prays over his songs, because they bless my life every time. I love how he always manages to have a hidden message about or to God.

This life is a journey, filled with pain, joy, disappointment, sadness, excitement, happiness. It's so beautiful. God has been showing me the beauty of pain. The beauty of sacrifice. It's all for Him. He uses it in our lives to teach us, to make us stronger. I've realized how weak I have been, tossing and turning on every wave. It's time to be strong.

When did the sky turn black?
And when will the light come back?

We all suffer
But we recover
Just to discover life where we all are.

I fought all through the night,
Oh oh, but I made it alive.
The sun's startin' to rise
Oh oh, these are beautiful times.

This fight of my life is so hard, so hard, so hard
but I'm gonna survive.
Oh oh, these are beautiful times.

My heart's burning bad,
And it's turning black
But I'm learning how to be stronger,

And, sincerely,I love You dearly
Oh, but I'm clearly destined to wonder.

 We are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when His glory is revealed. 1 Peter 1:5-7, 4:12.

I've had to make sacrifices as I look at my potential future in China. There are things I want that I cannot have if I want to follow God's call. But then I realize that this sacrifice of will and desire is sharing in Christ's sufferings, for Jesus sacrificed His will to the Father because of His incredible love for us, and so that He might suffer and die and then rise again for each and every one of us. Mark 14:36 - "Not my will, but yours be done." I can do no other.

Be strong Christian. Soon we will be with Jesus and it will all be SO worth it.

Smile. :)

Bethany