Dance in the rain much???

I got an email from a dear friend of mine and in the forward somebody had this incredible quote in the middle of one of the forwarded messages!

"life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass It's about learning to dance in the rain!" -vivian greene

I have read that quote a few times now and it encourages me every time I read it! We get so focused on looking for a way out of our trouble and the hurdles in life that we forget to enjoy the journey as Joyce Meyer would say! God is doing so much in us right now words like "overwhelmed" and nice christian-ese sayings like "God is just stretching us" do not begin to describe what is happening! But regardless of how big life feels to us right now the amazing, faithful, alive and well Jesus Christ is doing a thing in us and through us that only he can get the glory for!!! I want to encourage you to stop looking for the sun to come up in your dark situation for just a second and take a look at the son who is riding that dark storm out with you! Not trying to ignore hard times...we all have them and if we just avoid them they will never get dealt with...however there is a victory that is only found in surrender and worship! Which leads me to dancing in the rain! God has been doing some things in my life that I want to share! 1-God has been using Amber in a pretty incredible way! I don't want to get in my flesh and boast in a prideful way so I am not going to share specifics because I want all the glory to go to the Lord...but let's just say it is challenging me to want to bless people more than ever! Wow! Just wanted to testify to God's goodness! 2-Our first 4 weeks of leading 24-7 student ministries has been amazing! We are meeting new people and teens everyday and slowly but surely he is leading us! Praise God for bringing death back to LIFE! 3-The Belt is Looser 2 officially started today! I weighed in at 414.8lbs! I plan to run the fund raising campaign for our youth group and children's church from now until Jan. 2010! I have gained some weight since I stopped the last campaign however I still have held on to 35+ pounds of my weight loss last year! You who read this may be disappointed to see I gained some weight back...and I was too when I first stepped back on the scale for the 1st time in close to 9 months! But God is bigger than my set back...he is bigger than my guilt and shame...and with him I am going to move forward in my journey to get healthier! Me and Amber are both working on getting healthier so pray for us! Oh yeah...and this tuesday is the 3rd episode in the new biggest loser season! Amazing!! 4-some tough things have weighed on us recently...1 having not sold the house and 2 the loss of our car! But can I testify...God has humbled us, provided transportation when we had none...Lord willing my brother J takes ownership of our house next weekend and God gets the glory! We have prayed for relief and strength and God is proving in huge ways that he is still a provider and he has not forgotten! 5-today at church P.Kim preached on generosity and honestly I would have to say I have never seen generosity more than I have in the last year of my life! Literally loaned cars, checks in the mail, grocery drop offs, prayer and support that attest to the fact that the Body of Christ has not stopped breathing...honest to God today God overwhelmed me with his greatness! I am not feeling well and we helped lead worship while P.Jeremy and Ragan were away and God proved himself strong! Seriously...I think of the blessing I have in my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord...some spread throughout the world and I just thank God! So today I make a choice...instead of looking for the sun to rise...even though it will if God wills it...I am looking for the son of God to rise and be glorified in my life! I type this right now feeling like poop telling you that I am going to Dance in the rain! Why? because God is worthy! I got no groove in my natural body to dance yet...but my spirit is laying it down harder than any B-Boy you have ever seen! I choose to dance in the Rain! What about you??? -jimmy akers PS.Psalm 34 (The Message)

Psalm 34:1-10 ¹ I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. ² I live and breathe God; if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy: ³ Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out.⁴ God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears.⁵ Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. ⁶ When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. ⁷ God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. ⁸ Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. ⁹ Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. ¹⁰ Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God.