For I know the plans I have for you...

" For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. " Jeremiah 29:11

In the past few months in all the books I have read this is the most common verse that is quoted. This verse is a good reminder of how God's plan is always for our benefit even when we cannot see far ahead. In , A Moment of Weakness,  by Karen Kingsbury. This is the first Karen Kingsbury book that drew me in from the beginning. The two main characters Tanner and Jade face the question of trusting in God or in themselves. Tanner and Jade's story which spans decades shows how sin in many ways derailed their lives and separated them from each other. But God was able to bring about his glory in their lives despite their sin when they put their trust in him. It has never ceases to amaze me how God can use the weaknesses of man to bring about his plan. For instance, while David committed both murder in adultery in his quest for Bathsheba it is their son Solomon who wins the Lord's favor and who becomes part of the lineage of Christ. The subject of Religious liberty also plays a large part in the story. Jade, in an effort to protect her son and others in the school district has made it her mission to be aware and monitor what her child was exposed to and as such became a target because of her beliefs and forces her to fight for custody of her son. One of the characters near the end of the story makes an interesting remark that I fear is too true, "The day will come, mark my words, where a parent will lose custody of his or her child if his beliefs are not in keeping with the nation as a whole. Extreme beliefs are dangerous pure and simple."

With all the attacks on our religious freedom these past years from the healthcare bill, the promotion and legalization of same sex marriage and the increasing intolerance of Christian beliefs and practices we need to pray and fast for our country especially as we near the celebration of our nation's birth on July 4th.

                                        Have a good read, Nina