I love Christmas time. I love the decorations, the tree, the lights, the holiday candles, the food, the stockings, the candy. I love burning a fire in the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate in my footy pajamas. I love Christmas music. I love spending time with my family and friends while we eat tons of food. (oh wait- I already mentioned the food). And I love presents. I love getting them. I love buying them. I love looking for good deals and how little things cost around Christmas time. But even though I buy things really cheap for Christmas, I still spend a lot of money around the holidays.
The other day I was talking to a good friend of mine about Christmas and how hectic it is and the insane amounts of money everyone spends at Christmas. It got me to thinking and so today I googled "how much Americans spend on Christmas". And then I happened upon this YouTube video.........
It amazed me how much we spend in the United States on Christmas gifts yearly. And then I was even more amazed at what could be done with just a fraction of that money.
So, I sat down with Corey and we decided as a family, we would take a portion of our Christmas budget and spend it on investing in clean water for those around the world that don't have access to clean water.
And this is my challenge to you. If you are reading this blog, will you do it too?
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Purpose in Pain
My last blog was pretty heavy. A blog about loss and grief and wondering what God's plan is in the middle of painful times. At the end of it, I focused myself on not the why, but the who. Sometimes all we have is the who. We know who God is and that He is good and that has to be enough in the painful times. But over the past month, I have seen evidence of purpose. I still don't have the answers to my "why's". But I see good in the middle of the bad. I have seen God's fingerprints weaved like a tapestry into times of hurt and pain and loss. I have seen miracles happen. Some little and some HUGE. Today I got to see a HUGE miracle happen in the life of my friend who has experienced tremendous loss. I saw weeping of joy even though it was still tinged with some sadness. I have seen God provide at the exact moment of need, at the very minute that worry had seeped in. I have seen moments of peace when peace couldn't be explained.
I love the line from the song "This is Our God" that says "He returns the wasted years"... Because it is so true! He has promised to take care of us in every single situation. It may not always look like what we had hoped for, what we had planned for. But He has promised to work things out for the good of those who love Him. And I have seen Him doing exactly that. I love watching Him work in the lives of others and in my own life too.
This last month and especially today have shown me how HUGE my God is. How EVIDENT He is! That all you have to do is keep your eyes open and you see glimpses of Him everywhere. He has a purpose always. ALWAYS! That is good enough to repeat. HE HAS A PURPOSE ALWAYS. And He is constantly working to accomplish His purpose. Even in the middle of pain
Isaiah 46:10
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, `My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
I love the line from the song "This is Our God" that says "He returns the wasted years"... Because it is so true! He has promised to take care of us in every single situation. It may not always look like what we had hoped for, what we had planned for. But He has promised to work things out for the good of those who love Him. And I have seen Him doing exactly that. I love watching Him work in the lives of others and in my own life too.
This last month and especially today have shown me how HUGE my God is. How EVIDENT He is! That all you have to do is keep your eyes open and you see glimpses of Him everywhere. He has a purpose always. ALWAYS! That is good enough to repeat. HE HAS A PURPOSE ALWAYS. And He is constantly working to accomplish His purpose. Even in the middle of pain
Isaiah 46:10
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, `My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Suffering But Not Alone
Not quite sure how to begin this blog. All I know is my heart is heavy and full of questions. Deep questions that I'm not sure I will ever have an answer for here on this earth. Questions like "why does God let people experience terrible suffering?" and "why do certain people have to suffer and others don't?"
These questions are stemmed from a recent loss in my friend's life. A really really devastating loss. And this friend has been through enough losses over the past several years. I don't understand why all of this is happening to my friend. I am absolutely heartbroken for her.
So because of this, I have been doing a lot of thinking about suffering. It should come as no surprise that I went digging in the book of Job in the Bible because if anyone was an expert on suffering, Job was. He lost his family, his health, his wealth... he lost everything except his own life. And somehow in all of that loss, he never turned his back on God. I find that amazing. Because I can't say that I wouldn't blame God if I lost my entire family and everything I owned and got so sick I couldn't function.
Not only did Job experience these losses, but his friends also blamed him for the afflictions that hit him. They told him that he must have done something to deserve God disciplining him like this. Wow... sounds like some Christians I know. Talk about kicking you when you're down...
So did I find answers to my questions about suffering? No. I didn't. I still don't understand why God allows things like this to happen to my friend. Why he lets people suffer for years and years..
But I do know this. I know the character of the God that I serve. I know that He is good, regardless of whether life is good. He still has a plan even when we can't see what that plan is. He still loves us. And I know that He is the ultimate comforter. I know that He brings peace and strength in the middle of impossible times. And He rebuilds things that were torn to pieces. He mends things that were broken beyond repair. And most of all, He never ever ever leaves us alone in the middle of our suffering. We might feel alone sometimes because all we can see is our circumstances, but it doesn't mean we are really alone.
Jeremiah 33 talks about the restoration work that God is capable of. And He is capable of healing the hurts that life brings. I'm thankful that He doesn't leave us alone in our sufferings. We are never out of his sight.
Some promises to hang on to in the middle of the sufferings:
Psalm 139:3 "You know when I leave and when I get back. I'm never out of your sight."
Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
We might be suffering, but we are not alone.
These questions are stemmed from a recent loss in my friend's life. A really really devastating loss. And this friend has been through enough losses over the past several years. I don't understand why all of this is happening to my friend. I am absolutely heartbroken for her.
So because of this, I have been doing a lot of thinking about suffering. It should come as no surprise that I went digging in the book of Job in the Bible because if anyone was an expert on suffering, Job was. He lost his family, his health, his wealth... he lost everything except his own life. And somehow in all of that loss, he never turned his back on God. I find that amazing. Because I can't say that I wouldn't blame God if I lost my entire family and everything I owned and got so sick I couldn't function.
Not only did Job experience these losses, but his friends also blamed him for the afflictions that hit him. They told him that he must have done something to deserve God disciplining him like this. Wow... sounds like some Christians I know. Talk about kicking you when you're down...
So did I find answers to my questions about suffering? No. I didn't. I still don't understand why God allows things like this to happen to my friend. Why he lets people suffer for years and years..
But I do know this. I know the character of the God that I serve. I know that He is good, regardless of whether life is good. He still has a plan even when we can't see what that plan is. He still loves us. And I know that He is the ultimate comforter. I know that He brings peace and strength in the middle of impossible times. And He rebuilds things that were torn to pieces. He mends things that were broken beyond repair. And most of all, He never ever ever leaves us alone in the middle of our suffering. We might feel alone sometimes because all we can see is our circumstances, but it doesn't mean we are really alone.
Jeremiah 33 talks about the restoration work that God is capable of. And He is capable of healing the hurts that life brings. I'm thankful that He doesn't leave us alone in our sufferings. We are never out of his sight.
Some promises to hang on to in the middle of the sufferings:
Psalm 139:3 "You know when I leave and when I get back. I'm never out of your sight."
Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
We might be suffering, but we are not alone.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Living Worthy of the Gift
This morning I was reading in Galations 2:16-21. It talks about how we don't receive God's approval by anything other than believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. It isn't about following the law or the rules, or living according to a set of standards set for us. It's about the grace He has given us freely through the sacrifice of His Son.
Alot of times, I think we stop there and say, whew- good thing He doesn't expect me to live by these rules, because I just can't do it.
Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for His grace, because I know I can't live by these rules every day too. However, we conveniently leave out what follows the grace part. In vs. 17, it says "If we, the same people who are searching for God's approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That's unthinkable!" then in vs.19-20 "When I tried to obey the law's standards, those laws killed me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God's Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins."
Because He lives in us from the time we believe in Him and accept His gift of salvation, we aren't doing anything on our own anymore. Of course, we can't obey the rules or live by the law on our own. We are nothing but sinners. But we have the secret: He lives in us now. So if we are still struggling with sins in our lives, it is because we are stifling the one that lives in us. We are silencing His voice. We aren't accepting the help that He is offering us to get us out of situations we shouldn't be in. We have been given a gift. A life-saving gift. And yet we still live like we are dying.
It would be like a heart-transplant patient. Before transplant, they can't do anything. They are usually bed-ridden and have difficulty doing any kind of care for themselves. But after they get a new heart and the transplant is successful, their life is changed. They can do things they never dreamed of doing. But what if they still lived like they used to? Staying in the bed all the time. Still having other people care for them. What would have been the point of the transplant?
We do the same thing. We have been given the gift of salvation. We have been given the secret to living a life that looks like Christ's. Yet we still live exactly the same.
Ephesians 4:1 tells us ".... I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
What would our lives look like if we lived a life worthy of the gift that we have received?
Alot of times, I think we stop there and say, whew- good thing He doesn't expect me to live by these rules, because I just can't do it.
Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for His grace, because I know I can't live by these rules every day too. However, we conveniently leave out what follows the grace part. In vs. 17, it says "If we, the same people who are searching for God's approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That's unthinkable!" then in vs.19-20 "When I tried to obey the law's standards, those laws killed me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God's Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins."
Because He lives in us from the time we believe in Him and accept His gift of salvation, we aren't doing anything on our own anymore. Of course, we can't obey the rules or live by the law on our own. We are nothing but sinners. But we have the secret: He lives in us now. So if we are still struggling with sins in our lives, it is because we are stifling the one that lives in us. We are silencing His voice. We aren't accepting the help that He is offering us to get us out of situations we shouldn't be in. We have been given a gift. A life-saving gift. And yet we still live like we are dying.
It would be like a heart-transplant patient. Before transplant, they can't do anything. They are usually bed-ridden and have difficulty doing any kind of care for themselves. But after they get a new heart and the transplant is successful, their life is changed. They can do things they never dreamed of doing. But what if they still lived like they used to? Staying in the bed all the time. Still having other people care for them. What would have been the point of the transplant?
We do the same thing. We have been given the gift of salvation. We have been given the secret to living a life that looks like Christ's. Yet we still live exactly the same.
Ephesians 4:1 tells us ".... I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
What would our lives look like if we lived a life worthy of the gift that we have received?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Not For the Faint of Heart
I just finished doing the homework for my small group lesson tonight and I am left feeling convicted, uncomfortable, yet excited about the way God spoke to me through the lesson. The very first chapter of the book was all about being used by God. Ironic too because that was exactly what the pastor spoke on this morning too.
Romans 12:1-2 "1So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." The Message
I read this in about 4 different versions because I have heard these verses my entire life and I wanted them to speak to me in a new way and they did!
God wants to use us to transform the world through his church. And I'm not doing my part in that.
In the book I read it said "Serving God is not a bed of roses. You take your hits, the shine comes off, and you have to replace parts here and there. Sometimes it's a hurtful thing. But it beats spending your life never experiencing what you were built to do." WOW..... this life of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God isn't easy. It is uncomfortable. It means getting rid of your own selfish desires and ambitions. It isn't for the faint of heart. But it sure beats not ever experiencing life the way God intended for us. He came that we would have life and have it FULLY! (John 10:10)
I want to have a full life. The kind that God intended for me to have and I really don't want to cheat myself out of living a life like that.
"If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full." -John Piper
Romans 12:1-2 "1So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." The Message
I read this in about 4 different versions because I have heard these verses my entire life and I wanted them to speak to me in a new way and they did!
God wants to use us to transform the world through his church. And I'm not doing my part in that.
In the book I read it said "Serving God is not a bed of roses. You take your hits, the shine comes off, and you have to replace parts here and there. Sometimes it's a hurtful thing. But it beats spending your life never experiencing what you were built to do." WOW..... this life of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God isn't easy. It is uncomfortable. It means getting rid of your own selfish desires and ambitions. It isn't for the faint of heart. But it sure beats not ever experiencing life the way God intended for us. He came that we would have life and have it FULLY! (John 10:10)
I want to have a full life. The kind that God intended for me to have and I really don't want to cheat myself out of living a life like that.
"If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full." -John Piper
Thursday, August 18, 2011
When God Gives a Big Fat No
I hate being told "no". I am one of the most headstrong people you will ever meet. Ask my husband. I can remember growing up in my teenage years and being unable to wait for the day when I would be out on my own and wouldn't have to do what my parents told me anymore. What a joke! Adulthood is full of having to do what other people tell you to.. who knew??
Even now, I struggle daily with being the submissive wife like the Bible tells me I am supposed to be. I dislike being told what to wear, to hide my nose piercing, that I can't spend money on certain things that I want, etc. I have a rebellious spirit, I guess.
I think that is why I really hate it when God tells me "no". I have plans for my life and I think they are great, and when God comes along and says, "no" or "not right now" or "I have something else for you", it really is a difficult pill for me to swallow. I want to argue and tell Him that my way is best, that I know myself really well and I know what I need and when I need it.
That's why sometimes I need this little reminder....
"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work., God's decree. For as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond what you think" Isaiah 55:8-9
These have been some of my favorite verses since I was a teenager. Probably because of my rebellious, authority-hating nature!
When you really think about it from God's perspective, it's actually kind of laughable. The "created" telling the Creator who/what they should be! It's ridiculous. The Creator would be the only one that would know best what the "created" should look like and what the "created" should do.
So, today, I am uncomfortable with the "no's" I am getting, but I am learning invaluable lessons through it. I am learning to submit to One who honestly does know what is best for me. He honestly knows exactly what I need and when I need it.
Even now, I struggle daily with being the submissive wife like the Bible tells me I am supposed to be. I dislike being told what to wear, to hide my nose piercing, that I can't spend money on certain things that I want, etc. I have a rebellious spirit, I guess.
I think that is why I really hate it when God tells me "no". I have plans for my life and I think they are great, and when God comes along and says, "no" or "not right now" or "I have something else for you", it really is a difficult pill for me to swallow. I want to argue and tell Him that my way is best, that I know myself really well and I know what I need and when I need it.
That's why sometimes I need this little reminder....
"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work., God's decree. For as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond what you think" Isaiah 55:8-9
These have been some of my favorite verses since I was a teenager. Probably because of my rebellious, authority-hating nature!
When you really think about it from God's perspective, it's actually kind of laughable. The "created" telling the Creator who/what they should be! It's ridiculous. The Creator would be the only one that would know best what the "created" should look like and what the "created" should do.
So, today, I am uncomfortable with the "no's" I am getting, but I am learning invaluable lessons through it. I am learning to submit to One who honestly does know what is best for me. He honestly knows exactly what I need and when I need it.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Self vs. Spirit
I listened to a great sermon yesterday that was about being filled with the Holy Spirit. And because my mind tends to head in other directions, I found myself thinking about what people are filled with if they aren't filled with the Spirit. I think I figured it out. We are filled with ourselves. When we have bad attitudes, it is because we are thinking of ourselves. When we sin, it is because we are thinking of ourselves. When we back out of commitments, it is because we are thinking of ourselves.... I think you are getting the point.
I stumbled upon these verses in the Message version that I think sums this up pretty well.
"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day."
Galations 5:16-17
We are either feeding the compulsions of self or we are living motivated by God's Spirit. You can't do both....you have to choose. If you are motivated by the Spirit then you aren't motivated by self. If you are motivated by self, then you can't be motivated by the Spirit because the two have completely different interests.
It is hard for me to imagine living life not motivated by myself. We make decisions based on what is best for ourselves all the time. That's how we decide which house to buy, what job to take, what school to go to...........I wonder what our decisions would look like if we based them on the Spirit instead.
But I know this; we are sinful creatures and the war will continue to rage within us. But I firmly believe if we ask God for help, He will give us the strength we need and the Spirit side will start to win more of those battles than the self side.
So this week, as I am starting this Monday, I am asking God for help; Help to rid myself of myself :) And be filled up by His Spirit so that I can live a life pleasing to Him.
I stumbled upon these verses in the Message version that I think sums this up pretty well.
"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day."
Galations 5:16-17
We are either feeding the compulsions of self or we are living motivated by God's Spirit. You can't do both....you have to choose. If you are motivated by the Spirit then you aren't motivated by self. If you are motivated by self, then you can't be motivated by the Spirit because the two have completely different interests.
It is hard for me to imagine living life not motivated by myself. We make decisions based on what is best for ourselves all the time. That's how we decide which house to buy, what job to take, what school to go to...........I wonder what our decisions would look like if we based them on the Spirit instead.
But I know this; we are sinful creatures and the war will continue to rage within us. But I firmly believe if we ask God for help, He will give us the strength we need and the Spirit side will start to win more of those battles than the self side.
So this week, as I am starting this Monday, I am asking God for help; Help to rid myself of myself :) And be filled up by His Spirit so that I can live a life pleasing to Him.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Finishing Strong
I have recently become a runner. Having never been an athlete in any form or capacity in my entire life, this is a real accomplishment for me. I remember the day I made it to 30 minutes of straight running. Talk about wanting to throw a party to celebrate! I felt like I had finally accomplished something. All of those days of feeling like my lungs were going to explode in my chest or that I might fall off the treadmill if I had to keep going finally were worth it. Now that I have gotten to a point where I can run for 30 minutes, it is time to start training for something. (At least that is what all the running articles I have read have said)... So.. my very first 5k will be in October.
Our spiritual life is compared to a race too.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
It is interesting to me that Paul compared it to a race. Now that I am training for one, I know how important it is to fix your eyes on the finish. When you have a goal, it is so much easier to keep at something. God knew that the spiritual walk wasn't going to be easy for us. He knew it would take discipline (perseverance) to make it to the end. He knew we would want to give up. He knew there would be serious roadblocks in our way. That is why he specifically gives us some tips...
1. throw off everything that hinders us
There are a lot of things that hinder me when I am running. What I ate that day, if I didn't sleep well the night before, if I overdid it at the gym the day before and I am sore... lots of different things.
In life, there are a lot of things that hinder us... don't really think I need to list them all (there isn't room anyway)
2. Get rid of the sin that so easily entangles us.
There is a difference between hindrances and sins. When I think of hindrances, I think of distractions. But sin is sin. And we all know what that is because we all have it in our lives.
3. Develop perseverance
It takes discipline. It takes being super committed to finishing. If you aren't committed, you won't finish strong. If you aren't really dedicated to what you are doing, you won't accomplish your goal.
I know there are hindrances(distractions) in my life keeping me from fixing my eyes on the finish. I know there are sins that have wrapped themselves around my life slowing me down and trying to keep me from finishing. I know I lack discipline in certain areas of my life. But I know what God has called me to do. He's called me to run this race strong, to be a witness for Him with my life, to live a holy life, and He's called me to keep at it until the finish. And I also know I want to finish strong. It's going to take some pruning in my life.. some cleaning out of the closets, getting rid of some distractions. But I am determined to finish strong.
Our spiritual life is compared to a race too.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
It is interesting to me that Paul compared it to a race. Now that I am training for one, I know how important it is to fix your eyes on the finish. When you have a goal, it is so much easier to keep at something. God knew that the spiritual walk wasn't going to be easy for us. He knew it would take discipline (perseverance) to make it to the end. He knew we would want to give up. He knew there would be serious roadblocks in our way. That is why he specifically gives us some tips...
1. throw off everything that hinders us
There are a lot of things that hinder me when I am running. What I ate that day, if I didn't sleep well the night before, if I overdid it at the gym the day before and I am sore... lots of different things.
In life, there are a lot of things that hinder us... don't really think I need to list them all (there isn't room anyway)
2. Get rid of the sin that so easily entangles us.
There is a difference between hindrances and sins. When I think of hindrances, I think of distractions. But sin is sin. And we all know what that is because we all have it in our lives.
3. Develop perseverance
It takes discipline. It takes being super committed to finishing. If you aren't committed, you won't finish strong. If you aren't really dedicated to what you are doing, you won't accomplish your goal.
I know there are hindrances(distractions) in my life keeping me from fixing my eyes on the finish. I know there are sins that have wrapped themselves around my life slowing me down and trying to keep me from finishing. I know I lack discipline in certain areas of my life. But I know what God has called me to do. He's called me to run this race strong, to be a witness for Him with my life, to live a holy life, and He's called me to keep at it until the finish. And I also know I want to finish strong. It's going to take some pruning in my life.. some cleaning out of the closets, getting rid of some distractions. But I am determined to finish strong.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Crazy Love
Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel down on yourself? You wonder how on earth anyone ever could or would ever choose to love you? I have days like those sometimes. Maybe that isn't normal... but I'm not really normal anyway.
Today was one of those days. Sometimes when I think about my character flaws and my shortcomings, I really wonder how on earth anyone could love me. I wonder why God would choose me to be his daughter. Why he would ever even want me.
So as I was asking Him this today, I was reminded of what His love really is like.
Romans 8:31-39 The Message
"So what do you think? with God on our side, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't glady and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even point a finger? The One who died for us- who was raised to life for us! is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. None of thise faces us because Jesus loves us. I am absolutely convinced that nothing- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable, absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."
I really don't understand that kind of love. I don't have children yet. I hope to one day, but I think that hinders me from understanding the love that God has for me, for us. To think that the love that a parent has for their child doesn't even begin to compare to the love that God has for me. I don't understand why He loves me, but his Word says He does. And I have to believe that. I have to believe that He loves me with a crazy love that isn't fazed by any sins I have ever committed or ever will commit. It isn't fazed by my character flaws. It isn't fazed by my lack of trust and faith some days. And He is always going to want me no matter what. It's crazy but I'm so glad He loves me like that.
Today was one of those days. Sometimes when I think about my character flaws and my shortcomings, I really wonder how on earth anyone could love me. I wonder why God would choose me to be his daughter. Why he would ever even want me.
So as I was asking Him this today, I was reminded of what His love really is like.
Romans 8:31-39 The Message
"So what do you think? with God on our side, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't glady and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even point a finger? The One who died for us- who was raised to life for us! is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. None of thise faces us because Jesus loves us. I am absolutely convinced that nothing- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable, absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."
I really don't understand that kind of love. I don't have children yet. I hope to one day, but I think that hinders me from understanding the love that God has for me, for us. To think that the love that a parent has for their child doesn't even begin to compare to the love that God has for me. I don't understand why He loves me, but his Word says He does. And I have to believe that. I have to believe that He loves me with a crazy love that isn't fazed by any sins I have ever committed or ever will commit. It isn't fazed by my character flaws. It isn't fazed by my lack of trust and faith some days. And He is always going to want me no matter what. It's crazy but I'm so glad He loves me like that.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Power of Community
What is Community? What does that word even mean? There is a tv show called Community, but that isn't the community I am talking about. The dictionary says it means "fellowship or organized society". Wikipedia says it means people interacting with common values. That is probably is closer to what I think it means than what the dictionary says.
Over the past 5 years of my life, I have begun to learn what community means. I have learned that through relationships, through small groups at my church, through miscommunications, through arguments, through intense discussions, through differing of opinions, through triumphs shared, through periods of defeat, and through times of absolute joy. I think very few people, especially believers understand what community really means.
Community is not people getting together to sing songs at church or listen to a preacher or sit in a room and listen to somebody teach you about God. While those things are all great, that is not community.
I believe community is about relationships. It really all boils down to that. Our small group just finished up a book called "Groups: the Life Giving Power of Community" by John Ortberg and I really think this guy gets it. I learned so much from that book, but even more from discussing things of importance with people in my group, some of which were strangers to me at the beginning. There were times where we disagreed about things. But then there were times where people cried sharing about their struggles and we all came together with words of understanding and encouragement. That is what community is about. It is about people coming together, determined to really know one another( and I mean REALLY KNOW ONE ANOTHER)..... it is about finding a common ground even when you might not agree on everything, it is about loving each other even though we all are not really easy to love, it is about forgiving past mistakes and moving on.
If churches would really experience community, everyone would want to be a part of it. People long for that intimacy with one another. They long to be known and still be accepted in spite of their flaws. People need to have support. Real support.
In Acts 2 towards the end, it talks about real community. How the believers came together and lived together in harmony and had everything in common. They pooled all their resources and gave to people that were in need. Then it says that people saw that and wanted to be a part of it.
It is amazing to me how a group of strangers can come together and what God can do in the middle of it. People that I didn't know very well at all that I would do anything to protect now....People that I pray for daily and I know they pray for me too. People that I am proud to call my friends.
That is what community is and I am so honored to get to be a part of a community like that.
Over the past 5 years of my life, I have begun to learn what community means. I have learned that through relationships, through small groups at my church, through miscommunications, through arguments, through intense discussions, through differing of opinions, through triumphs shared, through periods of defeat, and through times of absolute joy. I think very few people, especially believers understand what community really means.
Community is not people getting together to sing songs at church or listen to a preacher or sit in a room and listen to somebody teach you about God. While those things are all great, that is not community.
I believe community is about relationships. It really all boils down to that. Our small group just finished up a book called "Groups: the Life Giving Power of Community" by John Ortberg and I really think this guy gets it. I learned so much from that book, but even more from discussing things of importance with people in my group, some of which were strangers to me at the beginning. There were times where we disagreed about things. But then there were times where people cried sharing about their struggles and we all came together with words of understanding and encouragement. That is what community is about. It is about people coming together, determined to really know one another( and I mean REALLY KNOW ONE ANOTHER)..... it is about finding a common ground even when you might not agree on everything, it is about loving each other even though we all are not really easy to love, it is about forgiving past mistakes and moving on.
If churches would really experience community, everyone would want to be a part of it. People long for that intimacy with one another. They long to be known and still be accepted in spite of their flaws. People need to have support. Real support.
In Acts 2 towards the end, it talks about real community. How the believers came together and lived together in harmony and had everything in common. They pooled all their resources and gave to people that were in need. Then it says that people saw that and wanted to be a part of it.
It is amazing to me how a group of strangers can come together and what God can do in the middle of it. People that I didn't know very well at all that I would do anything to protect now....People that I pray for daily and I know they pray for me too. People that I am proud to call my friends.
That is what community is and I am so honored to get to be a part of a community like that.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Slaves No Longer
I was at the gym this afternoon and I like to listen to worship music when I workout. (Although sometimes it is sooo hard for me not to sing out loud in the middle of the gym!) Today was one of those days... a song came on my ipod that I have listened to bunches of times but it spoke really loudly to me this afternoon. It talks about how Christ has opened blinded eyes to see, that He has set the captives free and it got me to thinking... We as believers really forget that. That we aren't captives anymore. I think we really forget that we aren't slaves to sin any longer. When He came, he came for our freedom. Yet we sit in the middle of our sins and struggles and our chains like we haven't been given our freedom yet. But if we are believers, He has already set us free! We have been granted our freedom and our lives don't look like it.
I will be really transparent in this blog. I have been struggling with bitterness in my life. And I've been begging God to help me, to take it away, to give me a loving heart. And when I heard this song today, I literally heard God say to me.." Lori, you are already free. I bought you with a price. You aren't a slave to this. Let it go."
It was like the heavens had opened in the middle of the gym.
So I came home and looked up some verses about freedom and I wanted to share them.
Psalm 34:22 "God pays for each slave's freedom, no one who runs to him loses out."
Romans 6:14" Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God."
I love that.. sin can't tell me how to live! I'm living in the freedom of God.
Let this be a reminder to you..whatever you're dealing with.. being prideful, being envious, lust, bitterness, not being content with your life, whatever.......you don't have to stay chained to it. You've already been set free. Just get up and walk away. Sin can't tell you how to live anymore. And if you run to Him, you won't lose out. Those are promises straight from His Word.
Here is a link to the song "God of the Redeemed"
I will be really transparent in this blog. I have been struggling with bitterness in my life. And I've been begging God to help me, to take it away, to give me a loving heart. And when I heard this song today, I literally heard God say to me.." Lori, you are already free. I bought you with a price. You aren't a slave to this. Let it go."
It was like the heavens had opened in the middle of the gym.
So I came home and looked up some verses about freedom and I wanted to share them.
Psalm 34:22 "God pays for each slave's freedom, no one who runs to him loses out."
Romans 6:14" Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God."
I love that.. sin can't tell me how to live! I'm living in the freedom of God.
Let this be a reminder to you..whatever you're dealing with.. being prideful, being envious, lust, bitterness, not being content with your life, whatever.......you don't have to stay chained to it. You've already been set free. Just get up and walk away. Sin can't tell you how to live anymore. And if you run to Him, you won't lose out. Those are promises straight from His Word.
Here is a link to the song "God of the Redeemed"
Monday, June 20, 2011
A little perspective
When I think about relationships, at least relationships in my life, the word "jaded" comes to mind. I don't think you can deal with people, friends, etc. for very long without becoming somewhat jaded. People are human and are flawed and therefore they disappoint you. I can promise you if you are in a relationship with a person, you WILL be disappointed in some capacity.
In the past, I have dealt with my disappointments in people in various ways. I have gotten hurt and continued to let that person hurt me over and over again without standing up for myself. I have gone to the other extreme and completely shut down to new friendships and relationships. And then through some life experience, soul-searching, and wisdom from others, I now find myself in a place of happy-medium.
This past semester, I did a psychiatric rotation for nursing school and I had the priviledge of sitting through some incredible group therapy sessions. In those group therapy sessions, I met and listened to flawed people. People that had abused drugs and their families. People who had been abused by family members and close friends. People with addictions. People with anger issues. What I learned in those sessions is that I am not really that different from "those" people. I have my own insecurities. My past experiences have shaped me just like their experiences have shaped them.
What I gained out of those sessions was some understanding. Some perspective. That we all have our issues. We all disappoint people on some level. We all are flawed.
So this past week when I found myself feeling disappointed by someone, I had to take the time to remember that this person had their reasons for being the way they are. This person is flawed and so am I.
A little perspective can go a long way. Relationships are hard. But if we remember we all are flawed people, it becomes much easier to make allowances for others. It is hard to put yourself out there and know you will be disappointed or hurt by someone, but relationships are worth the risk, worth the hurt, worth the growing pains. We were created to be known, for relationships, to connect.
In the past, I have dealt with my disappointments in people in various ways. I have gotten hurt and continued to let that person hurt me over and over again without standing up for myself. I have gone to the other extreme and completely shut down to new friendships and relationships. And then through some life experience, soul-searching, and wisdom from others, I now find myself in a place of happy-medium.
This past semester, I did a psychiatric rotation for nursing school and I had the priviledge of sitting through some incredible group therapy sessions. In those group therapy sessions, I met and listened to flawed people. People that had abused drugs and their families. People who had been abused by family members and close friends. People with addictions. People with anger issues. What I learned in those sessions is that I am not really that different from "those" people. I have my own insecurities. My past experiences have shaped me just like their experiences have shaped them.
What I gained out of those sessions was some understanding. Some perspective. That we all have our issues. We all disappoint people on some level. We all are flawed.
So this past week when I found myself feeling disappointed by someone, I had to take the time to remember that this person had their reasons for being the way they are. This person is flawed and so am I.
A little perspective can go a long way. Relationships are hard. But if we remember we all are flawed people, it becomes much easier to make allowances for others. It is hard to put yourself out there and know you will be disappointed or hurt by someone, but relationships are worth the risk, worth the hurt, worth the growing pains. We were created to be known, for relationships, to connect.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
A Fragrant Life
I love things that smell good. Perfume, flowers, a clean house, freshly folded laundry, the smell of fall in the air. It's funny how sometimes you smell a particular smell and it brings back a memory just as sure as you were standing in that very place again. Sometimes things smell really bad. I work in a hospital and I smell some really horrible smells. Things that I won't go into detail about. :)
In my life, I have been told that my attitude stinks. I think probably at one time or another we all have been told that. If we haven't been told that, someone has probably thought it about us. I know I have been around people who's attitude stinks. It isn't pleasant. It really is like a bad smell that infects the air around them. It affects the attitudes of the people around them.
As believers, we have a smell. The Bible actually says so. In 2 Corinthians 2:14 "Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance."
Do our lives smell exquisite? I hope mine does. Sometimes it stinks but I really hope that sometimes it smells good to the people around me.
In my life, I have been told that my attitude stinks. I think probably at one time or another we all have been told that. If we haven't been told that, someone has probably thought it about us. I know I have been around people who's attitude stinks. It isn't pleasant. It really is like a bad smell that infects the air around them. It affects the attitudes of the people around them.
As believers, we have a smell. The Bible actually says so. In 2 Corinthians 2:14 "Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance."
Do our lives smell exquisite? I hope mine does. Sometimes it stinks but I really hope that sometimes it smells good to the people around me.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Broken are Beautiful
I have broken several bones in my life. I broke my wrist in 4th grade walking.. yes.. that's right. walking. I tripped over my feet, fell, and broke my wrist. You are probably wondering why on earth I would admit to that?? I also broke my right foot in a golf cart accident on my 19th birthday. Then I broke my left ankle playing kickball with some youth. Then the following summer, I broke my right foot again falling down the stairs. I am a very clumsy girl. And it's sort of embarrassing.
What I have learned by all these accidents and broken bones, is that it hurts. When you break a bone it is really quite painful. Even after it heals, sometimes that bone aches.
I think our lives are alot like that. We make choices that leave us broken. Sometimes life just leaves us broken, circumstances leave us broken. And it hurts. We are left with a lot of hurt. And when we are sitting in the middle of that hurt, we can't see anything good that could ever come out of that situation. But I think that when God looks at us in our broken state, He sees something beautiful. When we are strong, we don't realize our need for Him. When things in life are going great, we think we can make it on our own. But when we are broken and weak, we are desperate for Him. I can think of many times in my life when I really thought my life was over, that nothing good would ever happen to me again (sounds dramatic right??). Guess what? I was wrong. God had plans for me all along. He still does. He still has plans for me. And in my brokenness, in my weakness,He orchestrates those plans because my self isn't getting in the way anymore.
Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise."
He loves a broken spirit because it has a desperate need for him.
He comes to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to release prisoners from the darkness, to give comfort to those who mourn, to make beauty out of the ashes of our lives...(Isaiah 61)
God can turn the brokenness of our lives into something extraordinarily beautiful if we just let him.
What I have learned by all these accidents and broken bones, is that it hurts. When you break a bone it is really quite painful. Even after it heals, sometimes that bone aches.
I think our lives are alot like that. We make choices that leave us broken. Sometimes life just leaves us broken, circumstances leave us broken. And it hurts. We are left with a lot of hurt. And when we are sitting in the middle of that hurt, we can't see anything good that could ever come out of that situation. But I think that when God looks at us in our broken state, He sees something beautiful. When we are strong, we don't realize our need for Him. When things in life are going great, we think we can make it on our own. But when we are broken and weak, we are desperate for Him. I can think of many times in my life when I really thought my life was over, that nothing good would ever happen to me again (sounds dramatic right??). Guess what? I was wrong. God had plans for me all along. He still does. He still has plans for me. And in my brokenness, in my weakness,He orchestrates those plans because my self isn't getting in the way anymore.
Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise."
He loves a broken spirit because it has a desperate need for him.
He comes to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to release prisoners from the darkness, to give comfort to those who mourn, to make beauty out of the ashes of our lives...(Isaiah 61)
God can turn the brokenness of our lives into something extraordinarily beautiful if we just let him.
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Grace Given Without Restraint
I am overwhelmed daily by the grace of God in my life. It is hard for me to understand sometimes , well a lot of times, why he would want a relationship with me. The grace of God is something I think few people understand. It is something that you have to truly experience to understand it, and even then I think we can’t really completely comprehend the depth of the grace that He freely gives us. I was talking with a friend today about guilt and shame over past mistakes and I was struck again by how little I understand the grace of God. I think if we really understood it, guilt and shame wouldn’t be present in our lives after true repentance. So, after that conversation, I went digging in the word of God to find some understanding.
I came across Psalm 103, which is one of my very favorite psalms.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious;
he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He has not punished us for all our sins,
nor does he deal with us as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our rebellious acts
as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he understands how weak we are;
he knows we are only dust.
These verses spoke to my heart in a new, fresh way today. This is what grace is all about. He doesn’t constantly accuse us. He doesn’t remain angry forever when we mess up. He hasn’t punished us for everything wrong we’ve ever done, and he certainly doesn’t give us what we deserve. He removes our sins so far away, you can’t find them anymore. He treats us like a father treats his children, tender and compassionate. And the very best part to me today was… He UNDERSTANDS how weak we are because he knows we are only dust. .. He knows we are only human. He knows we are going to fail him over and over and over and over again. And yet he still loves us. He still chooses to forgive.
That is what grace is. We don’t understand it, because we don’t give grace the way He does. But it is so amazing to know that He gives it to us without restraint.
I came across Psalm 103, which is one of my very favorite psalms.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious;
he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He has not punished us for all our sins,
nor does he deal with us as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our rebellious acts
as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he understands how weak we are;
he knows we are only dust.
These verses spoke to my heart in a new, fresh way today. This is what grace is all about. He doesn’t constantly accuse us. He doesn’t remain angry forever when we mess up. He hasn’t punished us for everything wrong we’ve ever done, and he certainly doesn’t give us what we deserve. He removes our sins so far away, you can’t find them anymore. He treats us like a father treats his children, tender and compassionate. And the very best part to me today was… He UNDERSTANDS how weak we are because he knows we are only dust. .. He knows we are only human. He knows we are going to fail him over and over and over and over again. And yet he still loves us. He still chooses to forgive.
That is what grace is. We don’t understand it, because we don’t give grace the way He does. But it is so amazing to know that He gives it to us without restraint.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shock and Awe
If you know anything about me, you know I really am one of the most blunt people you will ever meet in your life. I say what I think.. sometimes much to the embarrassment of my husband. If I had a nickel for every time he looked at me in shock and said, "Lori!!!!", I would be a very rich woman. Over my life, I have left a lot of hurt feelings in my wake. I used to rationalize this by saying, Hey- at least I'm honest! But as I have gotten older, more of my dear friends have taken me aside to point out that hurting people's feelings is not just being "honest", it's being mean. I used to think that there wasn't anything I could do about this. I was born this way. I was born without a filter between my brain and my mouth. However,I have learned this is just an excuse. It is an excuse to allow myself to continue in bad habits of saying everything that I think. Don't get me wrong, one of the things I love about myself is that I say what I think. But it's never okay to say EVERYTHING that I think. I don't mind shocking people. Sometimes I think people need to be shocked.I am all for the shock and awe :) But I don't ever want my honesty to hurt someone. Words hurt worse than anything. I would rather be punched in the gut than have someone say something hurtful to me. Our physical wounds heal so much faster than our emotional wounds. I'm sure if you are reading this, you can think back to a time when somebody said something that hurt you. It was probably years ago, but yet you still remember that. Words leave a mark on your soul.
Last night, I found this quote by an unknown author and it set me to thinking about my words.
"A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may lessen stress. A loving word may heal and bless" - author unknown
I hope my words lessen stress. I hope my words are the kind that heal and bless. I don't want to use the excuse that at least I'm being "honest" anymore. I want to challenge myself to think before I speak. I want to learn to draw the line between honesty and hurtful. It's such a thin line.
Last night, I found this quote by an unknown author and it set me to thinking about my words.
"A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may lessen stress. A loving word may heal and bless" - author unknown
I hope my words lessen stress. I hope my words are the kind that heal and bless. I don't want to use the excuse that at least I'm being "honest" anymore. I want to challenge myself to think before I speak. I want to learn to draw the line between honesty and hurtful. It's such a thin line.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Just Keep Swimming.....
This week has been so stressful. Nothing has gone like I planned or hoped it would. It all began with me getting really sick on Sunday then having to start a new minimester in nursing school. Because it was the very beginning of a new semester I absolutely could not miss the first couple of days or I would be so incredibly behind, so I have had to go to school sick and feeling awful this week. It is only Wednesday and I honestly am already counting down the minutes until the weekend gets here. What is so horrible is that the weekend is bringing its own stress with it. I have homework due on Sunday at midnight, none of the laundry has been done in over a week, the house is a disaster, and we have a preview service on Saturday night for a church plant we are involved in.
I know, I know, this sounds like a complaining session already.. But I share all of this because I know this happens to everyone. We all have weeks like this where nothing goes right, or we have so much going on we just want to hide under the bed. Life can be so busy and so incredibly stressful. Sometimes you just want to take a time out. It would be nice right now if I could take a time out. Unfortunately, life doesn't give us opportunities to take a time out. Time just keeps plugging right along.
So, today in the midst of my overwhelming stress, I came across an amazing version of one of my favorite verses.
Philippians 4:13 says " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
but this version is the one that spoke the most to me today.....
"Whatever I have, Wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."
I really really really needed that today. I have been reciting it over and over in my mind. I have been meditating on it. I desperately needed to know that I can make it through anything in Christ. He's the One who makes me capable of things I would never be capable of ordinarily. He is the One who makes me able to handle things I would never be able to handle. He is the One who gives me words to say when I could never think of them on my own. He is the One who will give me the strength to make it through this week of struggle. So, tonight... I will rest in knowing that I can make it through anything with His help. I may feel out of control but He won't let me be overwhelmed.
It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite movies "Finding Nemo".. I love Dorie and when she is singing "just keeping swimming. Just keeping swimming." I love her optimism and the way she just keeps plugging along with her oblivious innocence.
So, tonight, with his help.. I'm gonna just keep swimming.... just keep plugging along and I can rest in knowing that I know the One who makes me who I am and He's gonna take care of it all. He's gonna give me the strength to get through it.
I know, I know, this sounds like a complaining session already.. But I share all of this because I know this happens to everyone. We all have weeks like this where nothing goes right, or we have so much going on we just want to hide under the bed. Life can be so busy and so incredibly stressful. Sometimes you just want to take a time out. It would be nice right now if I could take a time out. Unfortunately, life doesn't give us opportunities to take a time out. Time just keeps plugging right along.
So, today in the midst of my overwhelming stress, I came across an amazing version of one of my favorite verses.
Philippians 4:13 says " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
but this version is the one that spoke the most to me today.....
"Whatever I have, Wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."
I really really really needed that today. I have been reciting it over and over in my mind. I have been meditating on it. I desperately needed to know that I can make it through anything in Christ. He's the One who makes me capable of things I would never be capable of ordinarily. He is the One who makes me able to handle things I would never be able to handle. He is the One who gives me words to say when I could never think of them on my own. He is the One who will give me the strength to make it through this week of struggle. So, tonight... I will rest in knowing that I can make it through anything with His help. I may feel out of control but He won't let me be overwhelmed.
It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite movies "Finding Nemo".. I love Dorie and when she is singing "just keeping swimming. Just keeping swimming." I love her optimism and the way she just keeps plugging along with her oblivious innocence.
So, tonight, with his help.. I'm gonna just keep swimming.... just keep plugging along and I can rest in knowing that I know the One who makes me who I am and He's gonna take care of it all. He's gonna give me the strength to get through it.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Discipline : A Painful Process
Discipline is a thing I lack. I am getting better at it in some areas of my life and in others I still am far from where I would like to be, where I should be. I have found it to be a very difficult thing to achieve. Especially because becoming a person that is disciplined is a painful process. It takes a lot of effort. It takes sacrificing what you want for what you know is best. Sacrifice is uncomfortable. Discipline is uncomfortable. It takes focus. It takes resolve. It takes having real priorities. If something isn't super important to you, you will not make changes to become disciplined in that area.
In November, I began a "quest" to become a healthier me. Not so much in the eating habits but by working out and becoming more active. I had become lazy and overweight and my self-esteem had really suffered because of that. It took someone pointing out that to me for me to really get to a place where I sincerely was ready to make a change, to cultivate some discipline in that area of my life. It took me admitting I needed a change and then caring enough to actually do something about it.
That is what discipline is all about. Recognizing something that needs to change, caring enough about making the change, then DOING something about it. Just knowing you need to change isn't enough. Just caring about it isn't enough. It takes action too. And it's never easy. If it was easy, we would all have ourselves together.
The first few months of my journey to be more active were not fun. I did not enjoy getting up in the morning and hitting the gym when I could be in the bed or on the couch watching tv. But when I started seeing results, I felt a sense of accomplishment at what I had done and that fueled my desire to continue this new lifestyle even more.
I know that I need to start applying this to other areas of my life as well. I need to recognize areas of my life that are in need of a change, I need to care about making the change, and then I need to actually DO SOMETHING about it. Getting to that point takes time and I know it will be an uncomfortable process, but I also know from experience that it will be worth it in the end. I need to sacrifice some wants for what is best.
In November, I began a "quest" to become a healthier me. Not so much in the eating habits but by working out and becoming more active. I had become lazy and overweight and my self-esteem had really suffered because of that. It took someone pointing out that to me for me to really get to a place where I sincerely was ready to make a change, to cultivate some discipline in that area of my life. It took me admitting I needed a change and then caring enough to actually do something about it.
That is what discipline is all about. Recognizing something that needs to change, caring enough about making the change, then DOING something about it. Just knowing you need to change isn't enough. Just caring about it isn't enough. It takes action too. And it's never easy. If it was easy, we would all have ourselves together.
The first few months of my journey to be more active were not fun. I did not enjoy getting up in the morning and hitting the gym when I could be in the bed or on the couch watching tv. But when I started seeing results, I felt a sense of accomplishment at what I had done and that fueled my desire to continue this new lifestyle even more.
I know that I need to start applying this to other areas of my life as well. I need to recognize areas of my life that are in need of a change, I need to care about making the change, and then I need to actually DO SOMETHING about it. Getting to that point takes time and I know it will be an uncomfortable process, but I also know from experience that it will be worth it in the end. I need to sacrifice some wants for what is best.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
God I look to you
God I look to you. I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like You do
God I look to you. You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom; You know just what to do
I will love You Lord my strength
I will love You Lord my shield
I will love You Lord my rock forever
All my days I will love you God
Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns forever
All my days Hallelujah
-God I look to You by Jenn Johnson, Bethel Live (Be Lifted High)
Give me vision to see things like You do
God I look to you. You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom; You know just what to do
I will love You Lord my strength
I will love You Lord my shield
I will love You Lord my rock forever
All my days I will love you God
Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns
Hallelujah our God reigns forever
All my days Hallelujah
-God I look to You by Jenn Johnson, Bethel Live (Be Lifted High)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Vigilance
Vigilance is a big word. It is a word people don't really use alot these days. According to Merriam-Webster online, it's first use was in the 15th century. Its definition is to be alertly watchful especially to avoid danger.
I am an avid reader which is probably why I thought of this word today when reading a bible verse a friend had posted on his facebook.
"Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matt. 26:41
Simple verse but sure is good advice! I read that and felt like God must have known I needed to read it today. Really, I need to read it every day. Temptations are all around us. Today I was tempted to throw a fit when something didn't go my way. Yesterday I was tempted to spend money that we don't have to spend. Tomorrow I will probably be tempted again. I don't know about you- but if I'm being really transparent here- I am tempted every single day in some way or other. I'm tempted to be discontent with things in my life. I'm tempted to be selfish. I'm tempted to be mean and moody. I don't want to be discontented. I don't want to be selfish. I don't want to be mean and moody. My spirit is willing. But my body is so so so weak.
But here in this simple verse is the key. Vigilance. That is the key. Being alertly watchful. Being on the lookout for the temptation. If we spot it first, we can pray. And if we pray, we can overcome it.
So, just a challenge to whoever might read this and to myself. Be vigilant. Keep watch and pray so that you don't give into the temptations of today.
I am an avid reader which is probably why I thought of this word today when reading a bible verse a friend had posted on his facebook.
"Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matt. 26:41
Simple verse but sure is good advice! I read that and felt like God must have known I needed to read it today. Really, I need to read it every day. Temptations are all around us. Today I was tempted to throw a fit when something didn't go my way. Yesterday I was tempted to spend money that we don't have to spend. Tomorrow I will probably be tempted again. I don't know about you- but if I'm being really transparent here- I am tempted every single day in some way or other. I'm tempted to be discontent with things in my life. I'm tempted to be selfish. I'm tempted to be mean and moody. I don't want to be discontented. I don't want to be selfish. I don't want to be mean and moody. My spirit is willing. But my body is so so so weak.
But here in this simple verse is the key. Vigilance. That is the key. Being alertly watchful. Being on the lookout for the temptation. If we spot it first, we can pray. And if we pray, we can overcome it.
So, just a challenge to whoever might read this and to myself. Be vigilant. Keep watch and pray so that you don't give into the temptations of today.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Real Thing
It is Corey and my 4 year wedding anniversary. Hard to believe it's been 4 years already. It has gone by so fast and yet it's funny how I struggle to remember my life before he was in it. I have learned so much in these four years about myself, about love, about sacrifice, about putting someone else before myself. And yet, I still have so so much to learn. I consider myself incredibly blessed to have married my best friend. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know I married who the Lord hand-picked for me. The other day, I was talking to a girl, about 20 years old, about how I "knew" Corey was the one. She asked me how did I know? I told her it wasn't anything super romantic or earth-shattering. I told her that I knew because I'd rather spend time with him than anyone else and that feeling hadn't gone away after 6 months (which it had in the past with others). I knew because I saw things in him that I wanted to see in myself. He truly makes me better.
Marriage is hard work, but when you're working on it together with your best friend, it doesn't feel quite as hard. I can say that today, 4 years after marrying him, I love him so much more and in such a deeper way. I know that there will never be anyone better suited for me. It makes you feel pretty special to know that somebody loves all of you... the good, the bad, and the ugly. That my friends, is the real thing.
here are some pictures that I think summarize the best of these past 4 years...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Taking Responsibility
I honestly don't even know where to start tonight. I have so many thoughts bouncing around in this brain of mine that I really don't know where to begin. What I want to write about in this blog isn't an original thought of mine, although I wish I were that inspirational to come up with this on my own. However, these thoughts (or ramblings-if you will) stem from an amazing message I heard tonight at church. As I sat there, I felt convicted and inspired all at the same time. Probably a great combination!! Because when conviction and inspiration are combined for me, they equal the desire for a change.
Tonight, the pastor challenged us to "be the me God wants me to be". He challenged us to look in the mirror, at ourselves honestly, and see ourselves for what we really are. Then he talked about taking responsibility. Here is what he said.."You are in every relationship that you have. Every relationship has a common denominator.... YOU! You have input and influence in every relationship in your life simply because you're in it. As a result, you have a say in the health of every relationship in your life. They are healthy or not because of the role YOU play in them. If you're ever going to have a healthy family, a strong marriage, a solid connection with your kids, you've got to take responsibility for you. It all begins with you."
WOW. That is deep. What it boils down to is - my relationships can only be what my participation allows. I can either make it better or worse. Do other people play a role too? Yes, but it begins with me. I can change ME. I can't change other people. Just because it isn't my fault, doesn't mean it isn't my problem. So if my marriage isn't what I think it ought to be, then I better start working on myself. If my friendships aren't what I think they should be, I better be a better friend. If my relationship with my parents isn't good, then I can start working on being a better daughter. And since I know I'm not perfect, I have PLENTY of room to make changes.
I think as humans we just don't like to be responsible. We want to place the blame on other people. "well, THEY need to do this... THEY need to get better at that. I'm not the only one in the wrong." It began in the Garden of Eden with the very first sin. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and God confronted them about it.. we all know what happened. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the fruit. Eve blamed the snake for giving her the fruit. Nobody wants to take responsibility. Because it takes admitting that we are wrong. And that is NOT fun.
But if I want to grow as a person, as a Christian, as a wife, as a daughter, as a friend- I need to take responsibility for me.
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart. test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
I want that to be my prayer. That God would point out things in my life that need to change (and believe me, He's already gotten started!!!). And then, I want to let Him change me; to make me better. So that my marriage can be better, my friendships can be better, my relationships can be the best that they possibly can be. I want to take responsibility for me.
Tonight, the pastor challenged us to "be the me God wants me to be". He challenged us to look in the mirror, at ourselves honestly, and see ourselves for what we really are. Then he talked about taking responsibility. Here is what he said.."You are in every relationship that you have. Every relationship has a common denominator.... YOU! You have input and influence in every relationship in your life simply because you're in it. As a result, you have a say in the health of every relationship in your life. They are healthy or not because of the role YOU play in them. If you're ever going to have a healthy family, a strong marriage, a solid connection with your kids, you've got to take responsibility for you. It all begins with you."
WOW. That is deep. What it boils down to is - my relationships can only be what my participation allows. I can either make it better or worse. Do other people play a role too? Yes, but it begins with me. I can change ME. I can't change other people. Just because it isn't my fault, doesn't mean it isn't my problem. So if my marriage isn't what I think it ought to be, then I better start working on myself. If my friendships aren't what I think they should be, I better be a better friend. If my relationship with my parents isn't good, then I can start working on being a better daughter. And since I know I'm not perfect, I have PLENTY of room to make changes.
I think as humans we just don't like to be responsible. We want to place the blame on other people. "well, THEY need to do this... THEY need to get better at that. I'm not the only one in the wrong." It began in the Garden of Eden with the very first sin. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and God confronted them about it.. we all know what happened. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the fruit. Eve blamed the snake for giving her the fruit. Nobody wants to take responsibility. Because it takes admitting that we are wrong. And that is NOT fun.
But if I want to grow as a person, as a Christian, as a wife, as a daughter, as a friend- I need to take responsibility for me.
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart. test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
I want that to be my prayer. That God would point out things in my life that need to change (and believe me, He's already gotten started!!!). And then, I want to let Him change me; to make me better. So that my marriage can be better, my friendships can be better, my relationships can be the best that they possibly can be. I want to take responsibility for me.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Move On
Philippians 3:13 ESV "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead."
When I read this verse today it got me to thinking about how so many of us dwell on the past. The old ways of doing things, the old relationships we had, the old mistakes we made. We live our lives regretting things we did. Or wishing we had done something that we didn't do. I like this verse because the whole message of it is to MOVE ON. Holding onto things that have happened in the past or things that didn't happen in the past is a waste of time. God wants to be about our future not our past. The old way of doing things may have been great, but this is today. God has a plan for today and it may not be the same as the plan for yesterday. The old mistakes we made may have been terrible. But God has grace for us today and if we've confessed those mistakes and asked for grace, then those mistakes are gone and forgotten by Him. We may wish we had done something that we were too scared to do, but God gives new chances today. It's time for us to move on. Time to take hold of the future that He's holding out to us. There are great things lying ahead of us. It's time to let go of bitterness and unforgiveness that we're holding onto because of things that were done to us. It's time to let go of the guilt and shame for the mistakes we've made. Let's move on and strain forward to what lies ahead.
When I read this verse today it got me to thinking about how so many of us dwell on the past. The old ways of doing things, the old relationships we had, the old mistakes we made. We live our lives regretting things we did. Or wishing we had done something that we didn't do. I like this verse because the whole message of it is to MOVE ON. Holding onto things that have happened in the past or things that didn't happen in the past is a waste of time. God wants to be about our future not our past. The old way of doing things may have been great, but this is today. God has a plan for today and it may not be the same as the plan for yesterday. The old mistakes we made may have been terrible. But God has grace for us today and if we've confessed those mistakes and asked for grace, then those mistakes are gone and forgotten by Him. We may wish we had done something that we were too scared to do, but God gives new chances today. It's time for us to move on. Time to take hold of the future that He's holding out to us. There are great things lying ahead of us. It's time to let go of bitterness and unforgiveness that we're holding onto because of things that were done to us. It's time to let go of the guilt and shame for the mistakes we've made. Let's move on and strain forward to what lies ahead.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thanks, God
I opened my Bible today and just happened upon some verses that took my breath away and I wanted to share them.
Ephesians 2:1-6 "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did this all on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest company with Jesus, our Messiah."
I don't really know what else to say except I'm thankful. Thankful that my God is immense in mercy and has an incredible love. I'm thankful for his embrace. I'm thankful that He has taken my mess of a life that I have offered to Him and has made something alive out of it.
What else can I say? Thanks, God.
Ephesians 2:1-6 "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did this all on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest company with Jesus, our Messiah."
I don't really know what else to say except I'm thankful. Thankful that my God is immense in mercy and has an incredible love. I'm thankful for his embrace. I'm thankful that He has taken my mess of a life that I have offered to Him and has made something alive out of it.
What else can I say? Thanks, God.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Out with the Old, In with the New
Change. I hate it. I am a lover of routine (as long as I like the routine). Some people thrive on change, but I am not one of those people. I love the comfortable, the familiar. It's like a worn out pair of pajamas (which happens to be one of my favorite things in the entire universe). Routine and the familiar represents safety to me and I love that. Who doesn't want safety and comfort? But the older I get, and unfortunately I am getting older, I realize more and more that change is inevitable. It comes when you least expect it and least desire it. Just when you settle into a routine, something happens and you have to get used to a new routine. Take the time change for instance. Happens twice a year. My body gets used to one time and then behold, daylight savings time begins. I start a semester with one clinic schedule and then 8 weeks later, I have to get used to a whole new clinic schedule.
I am not the only one who hates change. My dog-child hates it too. Fifer has a toy that he has ripped to shreds. He loves that toy. He sleeps with it, he chews on it, he licks it, he plays fetch with it. However, that toy is really nothing more than a ripped up piece of material now. So, tonight I decided to get him a brand new toy. It is exactly what his chewed up toy was before he destroyed it. It is the same color and everything. But when I threw away his old toy and gave him his new one, he stood at the trash can and cried for his old one. Here I was giving him something better, but he wanted his old piece of crap, ripped up toy.
We are so much like that. We want to hold onto things that aren't important. We want to stay where we are most comfortable instead of embracing the new things that God might have for us. We want to hang onto our habits that aren't pleasing to Him. There have been so many times when I've felt a call on my life to do something in particular that has caused me to have to step out of my comfort zone, out of the familiar and I haven't wanted to do it. Sometimes I didn't answer that call. Sometimes I just stayed put where I was comfortable. But I missed out on something better because of it. I missed out on God's best because I wanted to hang onto my "chewed up toy".
It reminds me of the man in Mark 10 who asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and then follow Him. In vs. 22 it says "The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go." Do you realize what that man gave up for his possessions? Eternal life. Talk about not liking change. This man must have really hated change.
How much do we miss out on because we're still "holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go"?
I am not the only one who hates change. My dog-child hates it too. Fifer has a toy that he has ripped to shreds. He loves that toy. He sleeps with it, he chews on it, he licks it, he plays fetch with it. However, that toy is really nothing more than a ripped up piece of material now. So, tonight I decided to get him a brand new toy. It is exactly what his chewed up toy was before he destroyed it. It is the same color and everything. But when I threw away his old toy and gave him his new one, he stood at the trash can and cried for his old one. Here I was giving him something better, but he wanted his old piece of crap, ripped up toy.
We are so much like that. We want to hold onto things that aren't important. We want to stay where we are most comfortable instead of embracing the new things that God might have for us. We want to hang onto our habits that aren't pleasing to Him. There have been so many times when I've felt a call on my life to do something in particular that has caused me to have to step out of my comfort zone, out of the familiar and I haven't wanted to do it. Sometimes I didn't answer that call. Sometimes I just stayed put where I was comfortable. But I missed out on something better because of it. I missed out on God's best because I wanted to hang onto my "chewed up toy".
It reminds me of the man in Mark 10 who asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and then follow Him. In vs. 22 it says "The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go." Do you realize what that man gave up for his possessions? Eternal life. Talk about not liking change. This man must have really hated change.
How much do we miss out on because we're still "holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go"?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Committment: In it for the long haul
I am coming to find that our generation doesn't know the meaning of committment. Nobody sticks with anything anymore. When someone gets tired of something, it doesn't matter that they have made a committment, they just quit. When things get tough or uncomfortable, they just quit. Or they just do a half-hearted job at it. It's like when something takes extra effort or work, everybody bails. I've seen it time and time again. Marriages, churches, jobs, parenting. No one wants to work for anything anymore. And what is most sad about that is the things that are most rewarding, take the most work. When people quit, they are throwing away the opportunity to see an amazing outcome.
I remember when I was learning to play the piano, I played all the time. But I hated practicing scales. It was awful. I wanted to just play a song. But you have to learn the basics before you can play a song. It takes work. It takes practice, but the outcome is so worth it.
I learned about committment from some key people in my life. My parents were great teachers about committment. My mother would never let me quit anything. She always made me stick it out. She told me that my word should mean something. I also learned about committment from people that I served along side of in ministry. Ministry is hard. People don't appreciate the hard work you put in and the hours that you spend preparing. Most of the time it goes unnoticed. But when you are committed to a cause, you stick with it and seeing lives touched makes it worth it. Seeing people that continue to stick with things when it's tough makes me respect them even more.
Hebrews 10:36 (the Message) "But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion."
I hope my word means something to people. I hope that committment is evident in my life. I want to be in it for the long haul. Even when it's hard and tough and uncomfortable. I want to be there for the promised completion.
I remember when I was learning to play the piano, I played all the time. But I hated practicing scales. It was awful. I wanted to just play a song. But you have to learn the basics before you can play a song. It takes work. It takes practice, but the outcome is so worth it.
I learned about committment from some key people in my life. My parents were great teachers about committment. My mother would never let me quit anything. She always made me stick it out. She told me that my word should mean something. I also learned about committment from people that I served along side of in ministry. Ministry is hard. People don't appreciate the hard work you put in and the hours that you spend preparing. Most of the time it goes unnoticed. But when you are committed to a cause, you stick with it and seeing lives touched makes it worth it. Seeing people that continue to stick with things when it's tough makes me respect them even more.
Hebrews 10:36 (the Message) "But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion."
I hope my word means something to people. I hope that committment is evident in my life. I want to be in it for the long haul. Even when it's hard and tough and uncomfortable. I want to be there for the promised completion.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A Gift of Encouragement
I Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
There are so many people hurting in the world today. People on our streets. People at our work. People in our schools. People in our families. Strangers. Friends. Families falling apart. Marriages that are being broken. Families battling with cancer, death, money problems. Everywhere I turn I see people struggling with things in their lives. So what can we do to help? We can't mend broken homes. We can't heal cancer or raise the dead. We can't pay off people's mortgages ( at least most of us can't). But we can speak words of encouragement into people's lives. We can send random texts or facebook comments or cards in the mail. We can make quick phone calls. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to be an encouragement.
People want to feel important, valued, thought of. There is nothing worse than feeling ignored, or taken for granted, or invisible.
A few weeks ago I was really stressed about some things going on in my life and when asked how I was doing by a friend, I told the truth. That I was stressed. Instead of answering with a general "fine", I told him that I was stressed to the max. A couple of days later, I got a text from several friends just saying they were praying for me. I also got a phone call from a friend who prayed with me over the phone. When I got off the phone, I broke down and cried. That phone call meant more to me than that friend will ever know. Sometimes we need someone to take the time to let us know they are thinking about us, that they love us, that they are there for us, that they are praying for us.
After that phone call, I began to make it a point to text, make phone calls, or send emails randomly to friends. Even if they hadn't said anything at all about struggling with anything in their life. Sometimes people just need some encouragement. If we could all take the time to encourage 1 person every day, what kind of difference could we make in the lives around us?
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
There are so many people hurting in the world today. People on our streets. People at our work. People in our schools. People in our families. Strangers. Friends. Families falling apart. Marriages that are being broken. Families battling with cancer, death, money problems. Everywhere I turn I see people struggling with things in their lives. So what can we do to help? We can't mend broken homes. We can't heal cancer or raise the dead. We can't pay off people's mortgages ( at least most of us can't). But we can speak words of encouragement into people's lives. We can send random texts or facebook comments or cards in the mail. We can make quick phone calls. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to be an encouragement.
People want to feel important, valued, thought of. There is nothing worse than feeling ignored, or taken for granted, or invisible.
A few weeks ago I was really stressed about some things going on in my life and when asked how I was doing by a friend, I told the truth. That I was stressed. Instead of answering with a general "fine", I told him that I was stressed to the max. A couple of days later, I got a text from several friends just saying they were praying for me. I also got a phone call from a friend who prayed with me over the phone. When I got off the phone, I broke down and cried. That phone call meant more to me than that friend will ever know. Sometimes we need someone to take the time to let us know they are thinking about us, that they love us, that they are there for us, that they are praying for us.
After that phone call, I began to make it a point to text, make phone calls, or send emails randomly to friends. Even if they hadn't said anything at all about struggling with anything in their life. Sometimes people just need some encouragement. If we could all take the time to encourage 1 person every day, what kind of difference could we make in the lives around us?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Fresh Beginnings.. Here's to 2011
I wanted to write an incredibly fascinating, deep blog about my hopes and dreams for this new year. However, I am not really a deep blogger. I just have simple thoughts and musings. So, I will just share a few with whoever might come across this particular blog. If you are looking for something deep and profound, you might want to read something else :)
2010 was a good year. Nothing incredibly exceptional happened except the beginning of my journey in nursing school which has been quite terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It passed like the blink of an eye and I'm sure that 2011 will pass just as quickly. I have continued in my trend of NOT making New Years Resolutions but I do have some hopes and goals I would like to accomplish in this year.
I want to continue in my quest for a healthier lifestyle.. if that includes some weight-loss, that would be ever so fine with me. If not, at least I'm exercising and trying to eat a little bit better. I would like to try to manage my time a little bit better this year, particularly with my nursing studies. But my biggest goal is to graduate from nursing school in December. That will quite possibly be the biggest accomplishment of my grown-up life and in graduating, I would actually be finishing something that I started.
But more than anything, I really want to be able to look back over the year of 2011 and feel proud of what I've done and who I have become over the year. I want to have few regrets. I want to have my heart feel full when I think about the time I've spent with family and friends.
So, here's to fresh beginnings, Here's to 2011
2010 was a good year. Nothing incredibly exceptional happened except the beginning of my journey in nursing school which has been quite terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It passed like the blink of an eye and I'm sure that 2011 will pass just as quickly. I have continued in my trend of NOT making New Years Resolutions but I do have some hopes and goals I would like to accomplish in this year.
I want to continue in my quest for a healthier lifestyle.. if that includes some weight-loss, that would be ever so fine with me. If not, at least I'm exercising and trying to eat a little bit better. I would like to try to manage my time a little bit better this year, particularly with my nursing studies. But my biggest goal is to graduate from nursing school in December. That will quite possibly be the biggest accomplishment of my grown-up life and in graduating, I would actually be finishing something that I started.
But more than anything, I really want to be able to look back over the year of 2011 and feel proud of what I've done and who I have become over the year. I want to have few regrets. I want to have my heart feel full when I think about the time I've spent with family and friends.
So, here's to fresh beginnings, Here's to 2011
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