May He Be Praised!!

Awhile ago, it seemed like everything was just caving in around me and nothing was going to get back to normal. All 5 of us were feeling stress and it's almost like knowing that everyone else was feeling stress put even more stress on us.
I think things are getting better now, hopefully.
About last Sabbath, I was feeling really low and depressed (I suppose from all of the stress), and the whole week I was like that, but tried not to show it. Well, a few days ago, I cannot really say when or how it happened, but that Joy that I had a few weeks ago just started flowing right through me again. I felt like nothing was gonna get better, but it was like the Lord showed me somehow that it's all going to be ok. Like I said, I don't know how to describe it.
A little while ago I was sent a questionnaire in an e-mail and one of the questions was something like "what have you learned in '08?" My answer was that I don't really know how to describe this.....I always knew that God was in control of everything and everything that happens is a part of His plan, but I never really grasped that. This year has been different, I am learning more and more to hand things over to Him and trust Him in all things. I don't think I worded it exactly like that, but it doesn't matter.
This past year has been hard on all of us going through this and that. I believe I have finally learned, though, that no matter what happens it is all according to God's Perfect Plan and I must trust Him. It is definitely difficult sometimes, but still, He is with me through everything and I know that.
Not only does everything happen according to His will, but everything that has happened and is yet to happen He has ordained since before there was time.
We don't always know why, but we should always trust that He has a reason for it and though it may be difficult because we don't understand, we must give Him praise. God has promised in His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6-31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Hebrews 13:5) and I must remember to hold fast to that. God never breaks the promises He made to us, if any of us were to believe that He doesn't keep His promises then that person makes Him a liar. God does not lie, He does not fail, He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He does not change neither can He. He is Perfect and Holy. Too Holy to look upon me in my sin, but because Jesus Christ shed His Precious, Holy Blood on the cross for me, He can look upon me because I have been washed in the Blood of the Holy, Spotless, Lamb. Not by my own doing, God ordained me to be His child. I did not choose Him, He chose me, as it is with all of His elect, we didn't choose Him, He chose us.
To think, that Jesus Christ was thinking about me when He was on the cross is almost too much to bear. I put Him on that cross, I crucified Him by my sins....He died because of me. I am the worst of sinners and deserving of nothing, but Hell and God's wrath, yet in God's Love and Grace He sent His Son, Holy and Sinless, to this cold world as a man to die. He lived a Perfect, Holy, Sinless life and then at 33 died on the cross as a sinner, but was NOT one, He died the death that I deserved.....that the Father's elect deserved.

Matthew 24:22
And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Matthew 24:24
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:31
And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark 13:20
And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Mark 13:22
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Mark 13:27
And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Luke 18:7
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

Romans 8:33
Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Romans 9:11
though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

Romans 11:7
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,

Romans 11:28
As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

1 Timothy 5:21
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Titus 1:1
Greeting
Paul, a servant[1] of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,

By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ I am alive and alive in Him.
I bid you all farewell for now!
Alive because of His Blood,
Bekah
Praise Him at all times!