Good Morning Girls!  Have you had enough temptation talk for awhile?  Even though we know that we do in fact have everything we need to persevere during temptations, it can sometimes seem like too much.  It does take extra energy to make changes that you know will be faced with conflict from the enemy.  Sometimes even knowing that you will be victorious is not enough.  There are still times when it seems better to be a little miserable than to make the effort to change.  Trust me, I know how you feel.  I too have felt that way.  If you find yourself saying "Why should I even bother?"  "Why should I knowingly subject myself to this?"  Let me answer that for you......you will be blessed, and you will be rewarded!  Beyond the obvious rewards such as increased energy, being out of debt, better relationships, or whatever the outcome of your specific goal, there is a greater reward.  It says in James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  When God sees you working hard to carry out the task He has given you, He delights in pouring blessings on you.  For example, I am working very hard to keep my family on a budget.  I am cutting out anything that is not a necessity.  The definition of necessity in itself is changing dramatically.  Let's just say, for the first time, I am telling my flesh No! to a number of things I would have previously purchased without a second thought.  It has not been easy, but I have been working very hard to become a better steward of our money.  Last week, I had to bring the kids in to their annual check-ups.  I was grumbling about it a little because it threw off my morning.  I had a long day, and with the morning appointments, I was not going to be able to do any of the data entry work I have started doing from home.  I was a little stressed out about not earning the extra money on Friday.  The Dr wrote out fluoride prescriptions for each of the kids.  He does this every year, but I never have it filled.  I am still unsure how I feel about the whole fluoride thing (I love a good conspiracy theory).  Well, this time was different.  I had clipped out a coupon in the Target ad for a free $10 Target gift card with any new prescription.  I usually don't cut them out, because we rarely have prescriptions.  However, this time I did.   I went to Target and asked the customer service girl if she had any extra coupons (I had 2 separate prescriptions), and she said no.  I said "what a bummer".  Another lady overheard me, and said "oh, just go get her one out of the register".  So she did.  We don't have a copay for prescriptions, so I walked out of Target with 2 prescriptions and $20 in Target gift cards.  Now ladies, you tell me, when is the last time Target gave you money?  The funny thing is, it takes me 2 hours of data entry work to earn the same amount of money.  Let me assure you, getting a prescription filled is way easier than sitting at the computer for 2 hours!  I believe that was one of God's blessings.  He was giving me a little reward for my efforts.  He was giving me a little "you're doing good, keep on going", boost.  It really did make my day!  As Christians, the greatest reward is that of eternal life with God.  However, until we get there, He loves to shower little pieces of heaven on us, to keep us moving forward on the path He has set before us!  Take some time today to reflect on the "encouragement blessings" he has given you!

James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Love you all-
Jen