#785 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

"God is sovereignly in control.  He allows trials for on purpose: to move us from the point where we are currently to the point where He wants us to be.  He is growing us into people who are tender and compassionate, but have spirits of iron and steel - people whose faith is rock solid.  When we've closed down the business, when we've struggled with an unwanted divorce or when we've gone through children running away or leaving the faith -when we've experienced trials of any magnitude - with some distance and reflection, we soon realize that God has redeemed our experience, and that we are stronger than we have ever been in our walk with the Lord.  No one can take that away."

 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

#784 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

"That difficult place we currently find ourselves in may just be the training ground that God is using to make us a better parent, a better spouse, a better worker, a better steward and a better Christian.  Our attitude should humbly be: "God, let me blossom where You have put me."

- Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

#783 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

"When we come to the end of ourselves and pursue the Lord, it's then that He is most likely to do a major work in our lives.  In fact, sometimes that is exactly what God is waiting for: for us to come to the end of our rope, so that we surrender completely to Him and allow Him to take absolute control."

"Far too often, we try to fix things ourselves and keep control over our problems, which just makes them worse.  When we reach a point at which we realize that we don't have the strength, the answers or the ability to fix the problems, this marks the beginning of our getting out of the way so God can take over."

- Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

#782 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

"The Lord is in the business of changing lives.  Often, as part of that process, He allows difficult circumstances to enter our lives in order to fashion us into the godly people He wants us to be.  through trials and difficulties, God is able to draw us into a much deeper walk with Him.  Furthermore, it is by His Spirit that He works out all things for good according to His purposes."

- Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

#781 - Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

"Perhaps you are in a wilderness experience right now.  If so, then rejoice, for your journey through the wilderness is going to lead you to a place of gladness.  God is going to use your dark and painful trials to bring about His good purposes for you.  Your desert experience is going to give birth to a blossoming rose.  In other words, God is going to use this season to restore you, as only He can."

- Excerpt from Overwhelmed by God and Not Your Troubles by Steve Mays

#780 - Ralph Miller Quote

"You can teach anything if you believe in it and you can understand it."

-Ralph Miller
Former Coach, Iowa Basketball

#779 - Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

"We have a part to play in this life of risk and faith.  Jesus calls us beyond our comfort level to step into obedience and watch God do great and mighty things.  We say to God, "Show me and I'll believe."  Instead, God says to us, "Believe, and I'll show you."  This is the life of following Jesus Christ.  We say, "God, show me your will and I'll obey you."  God says, "Obey me, and I'll show you my will."  God isn't looking for a bunch of "I should do this because that's what good Christians do" kind of people.  He's looking for "I wouldn't miss this for the world" kind of people."

- Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

#778 - Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

"When God calls us to something, his call invokes both faith and fear.  It should.  God always summons us to something bigger than ourselves.  He loves waiting until all other hope has failed and our natural, human resources are exhausted.  Then he shows up and turns the tide.  When he calls us to battle, the opposition will always be greater than the strength we have.  When the odds are in our favor, we may be tempted to give the credit to ourselves.  God wants whatever happens in our lives to be un-explainable apart from him."

- Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

#777 - Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

"It has been my observation that God's will for us rarely makes sense to us looking forward, but it almost always makes sense in retrospect."

- Excerpt from The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre