Count it all Joy

By, Jamie Warner

Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs rolled into December full steam ahead. Last week marked the 27th and final Legacy Program for 2019. The 20 Warriors who made it through the week were challenged to move forward into the fight for the best things this life has to offer.

Although there is a tendency to feel so peaceful and purposeful and hopeful while attending a Legacy Program, which are great feelings to have and we try our best to create them, we also remind the Warriors that the week at the Ranch is like a well-deserved week of leave from the battlefield, but the moment they head back home the enemy will have them in his sights and a new fight is beginning. For many, their eyes have been opened to the spiritual battle in which we are all engaged, and the others have been reminded and have come off the side-lines to re-engage in this fight. But the enemy is cunning; he knows how to exploit our weaknesses and vulnerabilities and he holds nothing back.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”
John 10:10a

That’s his only job, and he’s relentless. His attacks are going to test our Warriors (as they do all of us), to push their faith to the point of breaking. Yet, even in the midst of trials, we are told there can be victory and joy.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3

How can we consider trails pure joy? Because we are told the trials will test our faith, and the testing of our faith will produce patience. And when we embrace this patience, we will “…let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4)” I don’t know about you, but “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” sounds pretty good to me! And we can go back to the rest of John 10:10 to get a look at what this means:

“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The enemy’s purpose is to steal and to kill and to destroy, but our Lord’s purpose is to bring us abundant life, and He’s just as relentless. Spoiler Alert: Jesus will win the war. Who wouldn’t want to be on the winning team?

So, thank you from all of us at Mighty Oaks Foundation for helping make this an amazing year. We graduated over 700 participants in 2019, and we are working towards and determined to increase that total in 2020.

May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year!

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Our intensive peer-to-peer programs serve as the catalyst to assist our Nation’s Warriors in discovering the answers to the big questions in life, dealing with challenges related to the struggles of daily military life, combat deployments and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS). Our programs are available at NO COST to our honored service men & women, held at beautiful locations across the US.

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