August 2016 PTI Blog Hop!: God is Good

Hello, cafe friends! Today is the August Blog Hop at Papertrey Ink! And here is our inspiration photo:

Lovely! The colors really reminded me of the palette of new inks and card stock that arrived at my mailbox this week!

I hadn't planned on using these colors together, but when I saw them piled on top of each other I had to let out an "Oooooh!" Sigh worthy! Cocoa Bean, Americana, Saffron Spice and Pale Peony.

I used this palette as my starting point, and pulled together a few different PTI stamp sets to complete this idea that had been rolling around in my brain for a while.

{Today's Brew: Stitched Sentiments (PTI), Phrases and Praises (PTI), Tag Its (PTI), PTI card stock and ink, seam binding, burlap. wood grain embossing folder}

This sentiment is near and dear to my heart.

I once heard Beth Moore say in a bible study "God is good all the time. And when it appears that He is not good, that is because He is great."

Let that one sink deep into your soul for a moment.

The first time I heard this, it took my breath away. It is a thought that brings me to my knees.

There are going to be times in our lives when bad things will happen. That's a promise. And there will be times when we will struggle with a good God allowing bad things to happen. Without that struggle, we cannot grow in faith. And this side of heaven, we may never understand the goodness of His plan for us each and every time.

But every now and then, God lets us see a little glimpse of understanding, if we keep our eyes open. And when we see those Romans 8:28 moments, and recognize how God really does work for the good of those who love Him, well let me tell you this, it's a humbling experience. I'm comforted in the fact that I have a God who is bigger than my puny brain can grasp. Omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, beyond my understanding.

I had one of those moments this month.

A friend from Pittsburgh told me a story, and suddenly the formula was solved. I had been operating for the past year on an equation that looked like this:

A + B = ?

And quite miraculously, I saw God's plan. It wasn't A + B = Mary Rose's Unhappiness.

It was, in fact, the opposite.

A + B= God's good plan to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future.

God is good all the time. What a mighty God we serve!

Francis Chan said "Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?"

Amen!