ab's words hit like a brick!

on friday morning - i was needing some encouragement - and at 8:00 AM Truth For Life
alistair was speaking on hebrews 4:1-13 in the series "fix your eyes on Jesus - rest for your souls, Part B" -- and it was great!
the Lord used that to encourage me and in turn when i got in to work i was able to listen to it with some of my co-workers, and it encouraged them. one of my friends was especially bothered by traffic that morning - and so hearing that we are to focus on the gospel, not our circumstances was helpful for her.
last Sunday evening at church Kurt Heath spoke. he did a great job of telling us that we can't look at our circumstances and then come to the cross with the wrong perspective. it is much more helpful for us to START at the foot of the cross and then look at our circumstances. when we do this, things are much different.
when we think first of what has been done for us by Christ, then we can look at the circumstances through 1 Peter 4:12-13

"dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. but rejoice, that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed."