Life changes in the blink of an eye...

 The article that I have linked at the bottom of this post brings to mind my own small town where the suicide rate is the highest per capita in the NATION. Sadly, we have had several teens in our community commit suicide in the past few years and this article really brings to mind what circumstances can do to a person, especially in this fragile economy right now.  There have been many times that I have wanted to just sit down and give up... too many bills, not enough money, not enough time, too many commitments, the list goes on... But the one thing that has kept me going is this... 

"17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted  and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all" Psalm 34:17-19 

God has never promised that believers won't have struggles and hardships in their lives. He has promised, however, that He will be there as a refuge in those times of troubles. I wish wholeheartedly that those teens that have taken their own lives had known this truth before making that horrible last decision. 

The following is an excerpt written by Trent at "The Simple Dollar" Click the link at the bottom to go to the full article... well worth your time.

 Bad Luck That Changes a Life

Quite often, the only difference between the people we look up to and the people we look down upon are a handful of little events. A parent that cared a little more. An unexpected death. A bad test result with no positive reaffirmation to get up and give it another shot. A lost promotion. A hurtful comment at an emotionally weak moment. A flash of anger, by them or by someone else. A bit of peer pressure. The opportunity to make a connection with someone who can open a door.
Our lives are full of these little events, most of which are out of our control. It’s those events – and how we react to them – that determine much of what we have in life, and what we work for.

Click below to read the entire article...

Everything’s So Easy for Pauline: Thoughts on Luck, Fate, Money, and Life