Invitation

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

An invitation has been extended for me to share my inspirational writings on Facebook with the members and friends of Strickland Crossing Church of God.  I count this an honor, for I have known your pastor and some of your members since I was a child. Please know that as I begin sharing these articles that I have written, I do so humbly and only for the purpose of glorifying God and encouraging others. 

Over the years, God has accomplished a great work in my life and much of it has been through my attendance to the “University of Hard Knocks.”  Through my own life experiences, some not the easiest or the best for me, I have come to trust God to see me through difficult times, to help me stay on a straighter course, and to give me joy and peace no matter what my circumstances.   I realize so much now—that I am nothing without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; that I am just an old sinner saved by grace; and that His grace is sufficient for me and His strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I wish that I could sit down and tell each of you what faith in Jesus Christ means to me, but since that is not possible, please hear my heart as you read my words.  I believe that the Holy Spirit has given me these words for such a time as this—a time where there are so many hurting people who need a word of encouragement and who need Jesus Christ to fill the emptiness inside their hearts. 

I will begin by sharing a poem that I did not write, but one that my sweet sister, Peggy, sent to me in 1978 when I was having some medical issues and life looked bleak and uncertain to me.  This poem, called "The Rest of Victory” has encouraged me so many times.  Over the years, I have shared it with countless folks who were going through tough times.  Please be encouraged by it today.

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless each of you and may His love, joy, peace, and comfort live deep inside your hearts.  This is my prayer for you, for I love you and pray for the work that the Lord is doing in your midst.   May God richly bless and keep each of you.   

 In Him,

 Carolyn McDaniel Canizales

The Rest of Victory

There is nothing…..

no circumstance,

no trouble,

no testing---

that can ever touch me until, first of all,

it has gone past God

and past Christ,

right through to me.

If it has come that far,

it has come with a great purpose,

which I may not understand

at the moment

but as I refuse to become panicky,

as I lift my eyes up to Him

and accept it as coming from His Throne

for some great purpose of blessing

to my own heart,

No sorrow will disturb me,

No trial will ever disarm me,

No circumstance will cause me to fret,

for I shall rest in the JOY

of what my Lord is.

That is THE REST OF VICTORY.

Written by Alan Redpath