From Wednesday Night Youth Group

1. On a 3x5 card, write out 1-3 hard things that you're going through.

2. Read 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

3. On the back of your card, write out good outcomes that can from the hard things that you're going through, keeping in mind the above verse. For example, if I wrote down "Financial struggles" but I realize that this is a temporary circumstance & I'm being prepared for eternity, then a "good outcome" could be that God is developing my trust in Him. Also, He's teaching me to be a good steward of the things He has given me so that He can entrust me with more (see Parable of Talents, Matthew 25:14).

4. Keep your card with you to remind you that God is working in your life to develop your strength and character for eternity. As The Message says:
"These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever."

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I really love using devotional books that have an entry for every day. I sit down in the morning with my coffee & Bible & journal and then...hmmm...where to start? Oh...joy of joys! I have a devotional here too so I can start with the daily entry! And from there, I'm off & running, & before I know it, my 15 or 30 minutes has flown by & I'm kicking myself for not waking up earlier to give myself more time...

So I was thinking that I'd to compile a 40-day Devotional for us to use together (Bethel youth groupers, et al.) to start out the New Year. And you (yes you reading this!) can have a part in writing it! Submit a comment here with your favorite Bible verse(s) & a brief reason why it's your favorite & then we'll put it together in a booklet + I'll put one up on this blog each day. It'll be great! We'll start out the year united in our devotional time! Yay!