Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Bread

I had a relaxing morning reading God's word, listening to Hillsong, finishing my wax-ups, and baking this! Lately, God has been convicting me of not feeling content with my situation, and it has really been depleting my joy in Him. For more read below! Anyways, here's the recipe I made. It's one of the simplest recipes ever but surely will be a favorite! Click here for the recipe!

This morning, I read this devotional from Oswald Chambers (utmost.org) that talks about why we suffer, and how we can use our persecutions or criticisms or failures for God's glory. These are all definitely things that we all go through. And let me tell you, it's never easy. In these times, we are to remain faithful because faith brings us closer and more aligned to Christ. God tests us, and for good reasons, and in the end we can look back and say that it made us stronger and so much more dependent on Him. Right now, I can't say I completely always trust God, especially when things suck and school is hard. But reading His word every day is a reminder to me that, with faith, comes doubt. And doubt is okay! We are allowed to doubt God, but through this, we need to remember to CLING to Him and just watch His faithfulness shine through.

 . . but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings . . . —1 Peter 4:13

If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way. You say, “Oh, I can’t deal with that person.” Why can’t you? God gave you sufficient opportunities to learn from Him about that problem; but you turned away, not heeding the lesson, because it seemed foolish to spend your time that way.

The sufferings of Christ were not those of ordinary people. He suffered “according to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:19), having a different point of view of suffering from ours. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. When it comes to suffering, it is part of our Christian culture to want to know God’s purpose beforehand. In the history of the Christian church, the tendency has been to avoid being identified with the sufferings of Jesus Christ. People have sought to carry out God’s orders through a shortcut of their own. God’s way is always the way of suffering— the way of the “long road home.”

Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”