Life is hard...but God is good.

Have you heard the song that carries these words to the depths of your soul? "Life is hard, but God is good...."

Intriguing thoughts. Healing words. Helpful concept.

Lately life has been fun, busy, stressful and hard and yet we have known that, God is good.

I think I love the beach more than any other place in the world. Because there is so much to gain from admiring God's vast creation. The last few days we were there I had some time just to sit and soak....my favorite thing to do!

One of the feelings I always have while sitting in front of the ocean is, that I am so small compared to the massive size of the ocean. And yet, God is even bigger than that ocean.

As I look around the thousands of people on the beach, I see that I am just one. How could a God of such a big world, with so many people care so much about lil ol me? And yet even God knows the number of hairs upon my head.

When I think about the many heart-breaking situations we are facing as well as many other's...I think about the way the waves come in and out.

Just like life, sometimes it's a big wave that could knock us out! And other times it's one that we can jump through. But the waves are constant as are the troubles of this world. And yet even God controls the waves of the ocean and the seemingly impossible waves of life.

HopeAnn, my middle girly, is one of the greatest shell hunters there is! She will walk, dig and do whatever she can to find that perfect shell. Often she is frustrated that there seems to be more broken shells than whole ones. As she showed me her collection of broken down shells, my heart was touched that she would even want them. That she would even take the time to pick them up and put them in a bucket. They were still treasures to her, even if they were broken!

Most of us, we would just walk on by.

And I thought of how you and I are really nothing more than a broken shell at times. Where life's troubled waters has crushed our spirits, broken down what was once whole and left us with nothing but a cracked, sharp edged exterior.

Yet, the amazing God who created it all, will still stop and pick us up, put us into his bucket of love and think we are the most beautiful thing He ever created.

Pretty amazing if you ask me.

He is the King. He knows our hearts intentions. He knows the future. He holds us in His hands. He is the great creator. He is the great healer. He is the awesome provider. He is the great I AM. He is no fool. He has never made a mistake. He has never let something slide. He is...everything.

Life is hard...but God is good.