Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item

The item I value the most is my Bible.  But in the bible is the verse, Romans 8:28, which is my favorite. This verse has kept me encouraged since I first heard it in my teen years.  I've always been a person who needs to live for something bigger than myself.  Money doesn't motivate me, nor do the things it can buy... even though I enjoy them.  I know that I would probably be dead today if it weren't for God's love.  My life has been filled with more darkness than most people ever see in a lifetime.  But, God gave us all this verse to remind us that if we are brave enough to trust Him... He can use it all - the good-the bad-the ugly to accomplish GOOD things, in and through us. I will NOT be a victim to my circumstances.  I will NOT be held captive by their lingering echo.  I CHOOSE to LEARN from every situation life throws my direction.  I know that God can and will use every situation to help me to mature into a vessel that is fit for His use.

Another version of the verse which is my favorite is in the Message Bible...

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good" - Romans 8:26-28