So how bout you start studying her heart and stop studying her booty or maybe invest the same amount of time in her as you do Call of Duty!

Thank you for the good and the bad in my life. I trust you. I know you know what your doing.

When I hit submit and went to the next page, this is the first verse that appeared.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
-Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

I’ve heard Perry say many times if you want to know God’s will for your life you need to be reading the Bible.  I want to confess that I have wasted so many years thinking activity with/for God was so important, but He wants intimacy not activity. Whatever your doing for God make sure you are spending time with Him first and foremost. (I’m preaching to myself here)

Also just as some encouragement, I have never been a reader. Never enjoyed reading anything. I’ve always known and believed it is necessary and agree that “leaders are readers” but never disciplined myself to be one. But as I have fought through the awkwardness of sitting down and thinking of 1,000 other things while trying to read, it has slowly gotten better. God can change you into a reader.

8I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while.9 Now I’m glad-not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

11 And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart.   – 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (MSG)

Things I love about these verses:

• Pain can either guide you to God or away from him. It’s your choice (vs9)
• If you choose to go towards God then you gain from the pain and their is no loss. “God never wastes a hurt” no loss means it was all beneficial. Every bit of it. (vs9)
• We never regret that kind of pain. I’m going through a divorce. I hate it. So does God.(Mal 2:16) I don’t want it. It hurts. It’s not my choice, but this pain has ultimately brought me and others closer to God so I don’t regret the pain I feel. (vs10)
• If you choose to move away from God then you will regret it and you wasted a huge opportunity to grow closer to the best friend you’ll ever have (vs10)
• Look at the fruit that comes into your life if you will draw near to God in your pain (vs11)

It reminds me of proverbs 24:
No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay down long; Soon they’re up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces. (proverbs 24:16)

If you constantly seek God with all your heart no matter what problems happen in your life you’ll ultimately be ok. It’s the second you give up on God or turn away that you end up flat on your face full of regret.