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Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words " United States of America ." "No, not that; read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient...

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!" I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way" When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge I have no authority--I only know I'm loved :-)

One evening, an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a "battle" that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between the two wolves inside us all. "One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. "The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Life is good on the mountaintops of celebration. But no matter how much we'd like to spend our lives up there, we need to walk through the valleys of challenges, too. Life is tough in the valleys. Still, there are valuable lessons we can learn in the valleys that we could never learn if we stayed on the mountaintops. If you find yourself walking through a valley right now, let God teach you as He walks alongside you. Here's how you can find victory in the valleys: * The Valley of Uncertainty. Remember that every day of your life is gift from God. Thank Him for each day, and decide to use your time as well as you can. Don't assume that you have tomorrow; live one day at a time, as best as you can. Praise God for giving you life and ask Him to accomplish His full purposes for you. Understand that nothing can take you from Earth until God's plan for you is complete, and nothing can keep you here after God's plan for you is complete. * The Valley of Fear. Know that God wants to use this valley to deepen your faith. Be assured that nothing can change the fact that you belong to God, and He is in ultimate control of your life. Ask God to make you aware of His presence with you and to give you the peace that only He can give - the peace that surpasses all understanding. Remember that God will help you overcome anything that's causing you fear. Ask Him to give you the strength you need. Realize that God will be faithful to you, even when you're not faithful to Him. Use your time in this valley to learn how to trust God more, knowing that struggles build trust by showing you how to live out your faith. * The Valley of Detours. Realize that what is a detour to you because it's unexpected is, to God, just part of the expected path for your life. Even though you don't know where the detour will lead, God does. Lift your eyes beyond your circumstances to God and trust Him to guide you well. Cooperate with His plans for you; work with Him instead of against Him. Decide to live your life according to biblical morals, and follow God in both adversity and prosperity. Count on God's promises in Scripture as He works out His plan for your life. Cling to His providence and move forward in confidence. * The Valley of Suffering. Understand that, because God is sovereign, nothing can get to you without first coming through Him. Know that He won't allow you to suffer any more than you can bear, and that the suffering He allows you to experience is all for a good purpose in your life. Ask God to show you what He wants to learn from your suffering. Use your time of suffering to get to know God better, love Him more, and trust Him more. Don't lose heart; seasons of suffering inevitably end, and often result in positive growth for you. * The Valley of Storms. Invite God to use the storms you go through to stretch your faith. Understand that God can use storms for correcting (returning you to a right relationship with Him), perfecting (to mature you and prepare you for serving more in His kingdom), and instructing (to teach lessons you couldn't learn otherwise). As you struggle through a storm, keep in mind that Jesus is watching and listening, and He is rooting for you. Not only that, but He is praying for you to remain faithful and learn to trust Him even more. Don't panic, no matter how much rain falls, how loud the thunder crashes, or how close the lightening strikes, because God is more powerful than any storm you could ever experience. * The Valley of Discouragement. Seek counsel from people who are close to God, rather than from worldly sources. Ask strong Christians to pray for you, because their prayers are powerful. Bring your problems and pains to God and ask Him to empower you to handle them according to His will. Ask God for encouragement, and know that He will give it to you. Don't isolate yourself or fall into lethargy. Remember that if you wait until you feel like doing something, you often won't do it, but if you decide to take action no matter what your feelings, your feelings will follow. For example, if you wait to read your Bible until you're in the mood to do so, you probably won't read it. But if you read it anyway, despite your feelings, you'll discover that you'll want to read it more. Trust that obeying God will always bring His blessings into your life. Remember that nothing is impossible for God, and that problems are platforms for Him to work miracles if He chooses to do so. Know that you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you. Don't quit living a faithful life; if you do, you'll miss out on God's best for you. Be persistent in faith until your circumstances change - and know that, in the process, you will change for the better yourself. * The Valley of Confusion. While walking through this valley, don't let yourself become disoriented. Stay focused on God, and firmly cling to Him and His promises, regardless of what happens. Be assured that even when your circumstances confuse you, God knows what He's doing in your life. Ask Him to help you trust Him more. * The Valley of Correction. Recognize that every crisis is an opportunity to take a personal inventory to determine how closely connected you are to God. Ask Him to show you any sins in your life that are blocking intimacy with Him. Repent, accept His forgiveness, and embrace the grace He offers to be reconciled with Him. Know that through your repentance, God can restore you and use your life to accomplish great things. * The Valley of Sickness. Understand that sickness is a summons to pray. Don't be shy about praying often, about everything you need, like healing, strength, and wisdom. Intercede for your loved ones and your medical team. Keep praying until answers come. Ask others - especially strong Christians - to pray for you, and let them know your specific requests. Don't wait for others to contact you; take the initiative to contact them. Seek the best medical care you can find, pray hard, and never give up hope. Understand that, while physical healing isn't guaranteed, God will intervene according to His will if you pray and give you peace and possibly restored health as well.

A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm summer breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the back seat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour. "Oh, Daddy," she squeals in terror. "It's a bee! It's going to sting me!" The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around towards him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics. "Daddy, it's going to sting me!" The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand." She sees the bee's stinger in his hand. Likewise, Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands." He has Satan's sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit. Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands. When you see that nail-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that's lost its stinger -- all Satan can do is buzz. That's the victory that Jesus won for you!