Well, good morning everyone and welcome back to another mornings with the Masters, where we devote ourselves to the Lord daily with you.

As you can tell, it is just me today.

Chad is holding down the fort with the boys and so I'm excited to be with y'all.

I'm missing Chad, but I am also very excited to jump in.

I'm going to be reading out of the Every Woman's Bible.

This is the one that Tindale just came out with that we were telling y'all about the

other day and this is one of the like come close sections which is like a mini devotional that they pull from the

scripture around it and so anyways let's just tie on in the scripture is James one two-3 that says when troubles of any kind come your way

consider it an opportunity for great joy for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

The devotional is titled, not why, but how.

I learned to stop asking God why a long time ago, but I frequently ask him how? How can I go forward? How can I endure this? How can we care about others when we carry such a heavy load ourselves? How can we be

kind and civil when we are racked with pain so much of the time? My friend

Dr Michael Eesley who suffers constant pain

from degenerative disc disease will often say just do the next thing. It's what I

tell myself when pain intrudes, elbowing and clawing its way into my day.

I will say, Joni, just do the next thing.

It's overwhelming at times and I tire of the journey,

but God remains faithful and kind to us

in the midst of our suffering.

So friend, if you are dealing with pain today

or depression or grief or paralyzing anxiety I encourage you to just do the next

thing it may mean simply getting out of bed or up off the couch or getting out of the house or doing the laundry

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