Encouragement

I was looking through my Bible that I used my senior year in highschool. It is an interesting story of how i got that Bible, and it's affect on me. Going into our senior year, our sunday school teacher at church told us if we read the entire New Testament by January (it was aug. when he said this) he would take us on a ski trip, for free. He said he would pay for whoever read through the entire New Testament. Can yall believe that?? He then gave our entire sunday school class brand new bibles (there was around 25 people in my grade). He gave us a few quizes along the way, which were simple and proved whether or not we had read. I still can't believe this, but when it came down to it at the end, there was only a few who had read all the way through. It was either six or seven of us, i can't remember which. Thats like 20% who took him up on his offer. I still can't believe everyone didnt do it. I mean come on- all you have to do is read through it in five months- and yet only a few finished. But anyways that is how i came to own this particular bible. He bought New Living Translations, which I enjoyed thoroughly, simply because I had only studied NIV up until then. So anyways, this was my bible my senior year in high school. I was looking through it -sometimes I like to look at it along with my bible before that and try to get back into the mindset of a highschooler- that way it is easier for me to identify with the youth, atleast to some extent- so i was perusing this bible and i came across an outline I had made for a "lesson" that i had given. I say "lesson" because it was basically a bible study afterschool on friday afternoons. It simply was a group of kids who met up and spent their afternoon talking about the Lord, but one person would give their "lesson" which then lead us into whatever the discussion was for that week. Ok, sorry, all that to say I found my outline for the week that I led. I talked about prayer and encouragement. It was so interesting that the words and scripture I had put together actually ministered to my heart two years later. So I just thought that was cool and thought i would share the scripture. I was talking just about the seasons of life. Then I quoted from the movie walk to remember- "without suffering there is no compassion". I feel like this is just so true. Until you have to fight for something, or even lose it, you never know how much you love it until that moment. That is just one of the reasons that we should take joy in our trials. Then I had written down 1 peter 1:7....let me share verses 3-7. I found it quite encouraging earlier today:
3All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. 4For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.
7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Yes, so 17 year old me ministered to 19 year old me- funny how those kind of things happen. Sorry if its not that excting to all of you, but i found it rather exciting myself. Just to be reassured of exactly how sovereign the God that we serve is, and hearing His gentle whisper telling me that He truly is omnipotent.