Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,
having stood the test,
that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12
Persevere.
It was one of our vocabulary words at school two weeks ago, and I was amazed at how many students were confusing it up with the word “preserve.”
In a way, persevering does preserve our salvation; but I wanted the kids to understand the depth of the word “persevere.”
See, preserving something just means “to keep up” or “keep safe from harm.”
While this is important, it doesn’t give the image of what it means to persevere.
I had the kids draw pictures.
Some drew a person trying to climb a steep mountain to reach a flag at the top.
Some drew a person racing towards a finish line with sweat dripping off their face.
Persevering means “to keep going.”
Pressing on.
Not just keeping safe from harm but pushing through tough times even when you want to quit.
Do you ever feel like you want to sit down and say “I’m done,” “I’m tired,” “I’m finished.”
Those are the moments when God calls us to do what we can only do through Him………
PERSEVERE!!!
KEEP GOING!!
Especially as we face trials in this life (which we all will), we need to remember the promise that lies ahead at the ultimate finish line!
Not just an earthly crown..
but the crown of LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t know about you, but remembering this on a Monday morning after a very busy weekend makes me smile!
I am so thankful that God gave us promises to keep us pressing on!
I love you all so much!
Oh, and the winner of Chicken Soup for the Soul Devotional Stories for Tough Times is Cheri!!! Please send me your mailing address!
Holly, I’ll be placing A Confident Heart in the mail Friday when I mail Cheri’s!
I’ll have another prize give-away soon!
It has to do with Scrapbooking (something I don’t do yet but would love to!)
Have a wonderful Monday,
In December of 2007 as our youngest son, Nick, was fighting brain cancer, I began to blog. Writing provided a way for me to release all of my questions, fears, and doubts. It also allowed me to share the ups and downs of Nick's journey with people who were praying for him all over the world. When Nick went Home in November of 2008, my blog became my way of searching for God in the midst of my deep heartache. My heart was broken and grief brought to the surface every emotion imaginable. Being able to release those emotions through my writing brought a sense of purpose to my pain. Having already walked the road of grief in 1992 when we lost our daughter to SIDS, I knew I needed a way to keep from falling into a pit of depression and despair. I had walked close to the edge of a bottomless pit when we lost our daughter,and I knew I couldn't let myself get that close to the edge again. This blog has been and continues to be my tiny corner of the world where I can share My Heart as I journey through God's Word.......thus the name........ My Heart His Words. Thank you for taking time to share life with me. If we do not meet while here on earth, I look forward to hearing all about your life when we reach our final destiny.........Heaven! Email me anytime at 
Tammy you certainly have demonstrated perseverance through your grief, Evan leaving for California, Todd going to college, the walk, and the beginning of the school year. It certaily demonstrates how others can make it through as well, if we think about having that deep faith as you model each day for your bloggers to read. I certainly do enjoy coming to your blog to see what thoughts you have to share with us. It’s chicken soup for the Soul each day. Thank you. I hope the walk went well. Sandy
Determining – again…even more – to persevere! Thanks for the reminder.