An online dictionary gives several definitions of the word "worry."
(1)–verb (used without object)
-To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
(2)–noun
-A worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
-A cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
Pretty intense, huh? The phrase that sticks out to me the most: "to torment oneself with or suffer."
I just graduated from college one week ago today. And it's all well and good, until all the questions start coming.
"What's next?"
"Where are you going to live?"
"Are you moving back home?"
"Got that big job yet?"
"What are your plans now?"
And although they have good intentions behind them, these questions make me want to lock myself in a room and cry my eyes out.
I think about my future almost every second of every day. I believe the other day I counted 4 seconds after waking up before I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as thoughts of my future rushed into my head. 4 SECONDS.
And you know what I've begun to realize? The devil LOVES me like this. I'm extremely vulnerable, I am prone to lean towards negative thoughts, I think my big dreams will never happen. I keep hearing whispers in my head such as, "You're not good enough to get a real job. You'll never be as good as you want to be. Don't try anymore, you're just going to fail."
So where's the good news in all of this?
It's simple.
There's a second whisper. The one that says, "You are my child. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you. I love you. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. My grace is sufficient for you. Peace be with you."
We just have to choose which whisper we want to hear. Do we choose to give in to the devil's negative thoughts that can so easily "torment" us and cause us to "suffer?" Or do we choose the comforting voice of our heavenly Father who loves us and wants nothing less than the very best for His children? I think the decision is easy. But it is a decision we have to consciously make.
This is what the Bible says about how the devil wants to tear us down with things like worry.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
And here is what Jesus has to say.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The devil is looking for someone to devour...but don't give him the satisfaction. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So if you're like me, and are in a transitional period in your life right now, just remember that God is in control, and choose to hear His comforting whisper, rather than the negative whisper that torments us.
May God bless you all.
'Til next time,
ST
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
About Me
Hey friends out in blog land...
So sorry I have not posted in such a long time. School has kind of taken over my life...but I am getting back into the habit of daily blogs! So yay!
Well as they say...let's cut to the chase.
It dawned on me about two months ago that I've never shared my story with you all. The core part of what makes me...me. So in order to understand everything, we'll have to start at the beginning.
I've always had a love for music. When I was little, I remember listening to my mom's choir practices and memorizing the songs because they were so beautiful. I specifically remember this one time...someone was singing a song called, "It Should Have Been My Hands." Basically this song talks about how Jesus took our place on the cross and how it should have been MY hands and feet where the nails were. I latched on to this song. Sang it over and over again. And this one night, I sang it so many times, I just started crying. And that night, at six or seven years old, my parents prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior...and that is when I became a Christian.
Fast forward 10 years.
I'm in the height of my high school career. I'm in a great Bible Study and accountability group with some very Godly people whom I really look up to. God is doing awesome things in my life. I am a leader. Younger kids look up to me. I am completely on fire for God.
Fast forward 2 years.
I am 18 years old.
I am a freshman in college.
I am away from my parents.
I've looked at a couple of churches around here, but kinda stopped looking after a while.
I give in to peer pressure.
I start drinking.
I lose touch with my Christian friends from home.
I keep drinking.
I am the life of the party.
I don't go to Church anymore except when I'm home with my parents.
I don't read my Bible.
I start using words that my parents definitely didn't teach me to say.
I don't recognize myself anymore.
Sounds pretty awful, right? Well I didn't think so. Not until God completely wrecked me. Wanna know what He told me?
"Your brother is watching you. He wants to be just like you."
After I realized this, I started to cry harder than I have ever cried before. I guess you could call it weeping. I took a serious look in the mirror. Would I be happy seeing my brother living the kind of life I was living? ABSOLUTELY NOT. People used to be able to look up to me...and at this point in my life, I would have told them not to. And after a year and a half of living like this...something had to change.
Fast forward to today.
I have found an amazing Church.
I have an amazing accountability partner whom I can always talk to.
I read my Bible again.
I find pure JOY in talking to God and learning more about Him and growing in my relationship with Him.
Wanna know the best part? GOD FORGAVE ME!
Disgusting, unrecognizable me. He forgave me. I am the prodigal son...well, daughter I guess (if we're being politically correct). Here is the scripture.
Luke 15:21-31
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
I was lost, then God found me. And now we celebrate together every day. I was not worthy to be called God's child...but hey, thats where grace comes in, isn't it! Jesus died for us so that we can be called sons and daughters of God.
Even if you think you're not worthy, just remember this: You're never too messed up to where God can't put you back together again. If God can forgive me, I know He can forgive you too!
Til next time,
ST
So sorry I have not posted in such a long time. School has kind of taken over my life...but I am getting back into the habit of daily blogs! So yay!
Well as they say...let's cut to the chase.
It dawned on me about two months ago that I've never shared my story with you all. The core part of what makes me...me. So in order to understand everything, we'll have to start at the beginning.
I've always had a love for music. When I was little, I remember listening to my mom's choir practices and memorizing the songs because they were so beautiful. I specifically remember this one time...someone was singing a song called, "It Should Have Been My Hands." Basically this song talks about how Jesus took our place on the cross and how it should have been MY hands and feet where the nails were. I latched on to this song. Sang it over and over again. And this one night, I sang it so many times, I just started crying. And that night, at six or seven years old, my parents prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior...and that is when I became a Christian.
Fast forward 10 years.
I'm in the height of my high school career. I'm in a great Bible Study and accountability group with some very Godly people whom I really look up to. God is doing awesome things in my life. I am a leader. Younger kids look up to me. I am completely on fire for God.
Fast forward 2 years.
I am 18 years old.
I am a freshman in college.
I am away from my parents.
I've looked at a couple of churches around here, but kinda stopped looking after a while.
I give in to peer pressure.
I start drinking.
I lose touch with my Christian friends from home.
I keep drinking.
I am the life of the party.
I don't go to Church anymore except when I'm home with my parents.
I don't read my Bible.
I start using words that my parents definitely didn't teach me to say.
I don't recognize myself anymore.
Sounds pretty awful, right? Well I didn't think so. Not until God completely wrecked me. Wanna know what He told me?
"Your brother is watching you. He wants to be just like you."
After I realized this, I started to cry harder than I have ever cried before. I guess you could call it weeping. I took a serious look in the mirror. Would I be happy seeing my brother living the kind of life I was living? ABSOLUTELY NOT. People used to be able to look up to me...and at this point in my life, I would have told them not to. And after a year and a half of living like this...something had to change.
Fast forward to today.
I have found an amazing Church.
I have an amazing accountability partner whom I can always talk to.
I read my Bible again.
I find pure JOY in talking to God and learning more about Him and growing in my relationship with Him.
Wanna know the best part? GOD FORGAVE ME!
Disgusting, unrecognizable me. He forgave me. I am the prodigal son...well, daughter I guess (if we're being politically correct). Here is the scripture.
Luke 15:21-31
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
I was lost, then God found me. And now we celebrate together every day. I was not worthy to be called God's child...but hey, thats where grace comes in, isn't it! Jesus died for us so that we can be called sons and daughters of God.
Even if you think you're not worthy, just remember this: You're never too messed up to where God can't put you back together again. If God can forgive me, I know He can forgive you too!
Til next time,
ST
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Heartbreak
Have you ever had your heart broken?
What causes heartbreak? In every case, it has to do with love. A boy not loving you anymore and breaking up with you...or a girl who you want to love you so badly but she doesn't give you the time of day...or a parent ignoring you when you need advice...or a child ignoring you when they think it's "their way or the highway"...
...all of these things cause heartbreak.
Here's how heartbreak is defined in the dictionary:
heartbreak (ˈhɑːtˌbreɪk)
— n
intense and overwhelming grief, esp through disappointment in love
Disappointment in love. INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF. When love is given, but not returned. And heartbreak SUCKS doesn't it? Ladies, I think we can all say that we've all become best friends with Ben and Jerry after some boy didn't call us. Heartbreak makes us do crazy things like watch depressing movies, cry our eyes out on the phone to our friends, eat insane amounts of junk food, and sleep all the time, never wanting to leave our houses.
So how do you think God feels? John 3:16- "For God so loved the world..."
And yet people all over the world are denying God, ignoring Him, or forgetting about Him completely.
Jeremiah 2:32 (New International Version)
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
There's this line in a song by Hillsong that has stuck with me lately. It says, "Break my heart for what breaks yours."
As Christians, this is what we want, to have the heart of Christ. And lately, my heart has been breaking. I have this amazing joy in my heart that God has given me. And I see people in my life who are HURTING, who have nothing but sadness in their lives. And it makes me want to sob. I want to give them this joy that I have. To take away their sadness; to take away their pain.
Human beings will ALWAYS let you down, whether they're your friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, you name it, they will let you down. But Jesus will never let you down.
I want nothing more than to see these people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him, so that they can have something to be happy about in a world full of sadness. And God wants nothing more than to have His children return the love that he showed by sending His Son Jesus to die a horrible death on a cross to save us from our sins. I pray that we Christians can share Christ's love with the world and take away the heartbreak that God feels when His children don't love Him back.
Do you have any INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF in your life that you can't seem to get rid of on your own? I know someone who can take it all away :) His name is Jesus Christ and he LOVES you more than you know!!
If anyone who reads this wants to know about how you can have a relationship with Jesus, or just need someone to pray for them, leave a comment on here, or email me at sarah.travis714@gmail.com , or if you know my phone number, call me, or come to church with me! I want you to know that you don't have to live in a world of always being heartbroken and always let down, you can have a relationship with a living God who will always carry you and never let you down!
Jesus loves you, and so do I.
Until next time,
ST
What causes heartbreak? In every case, it has to do with love. A boy not loving you anymore and breaking up with you...or a girl who you want to love you so badly but she doesn't give you the time of day...or a parent ignoring you when you need advice...or a child ignoring you when they think it's "their way or the highway"...
...all of these things cause heartbreak.
Here's how heartbreak is defined in the dictionary:
heartbreak (ˈhɑːtˌbreɪk)
— n
intense and overwhelming grief, esp through disappointment in love
Disappointment in love. INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF. When love is given, but not returned. And heartbreak SUCKS doesn't it? Ladies, I think we can all say that we've all become best friends with Ben and Jerry after some boy didn't call us. Heartbreak makes us do crazy things like watch depressing movies, cry our eyes out on the phone to our friends, eat insane amounts of junk food, and sleep all the time, never wanting to leave our houses.
So how do you think God feels? John 3:16- "For God so loved the world..."
And yet people all over the world are denying God, ignoring Him, or forgetting about Him completely.
Jeremiah 2:32 (New International Version)
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
There's this line in a song by Hillsong that has stuck with me lately. It says, "Break my heart for what breaks yours."
As Christians, this is what we want, to have the heart of Christ. And lately, my heart has been breaking. I have this amazing joy in my heart that God has given me. And I see people in my life who are HURTING, who have nothing but sadness in their lives. And it makes me want to sob. I want to give them this joy that I have. To take away their sadness; to take away their pain.
Human beings will ALWAYS let you down, whether they're your friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, you name it, they will let you down. But Jesus will never let you down.
I want nothing more than to see these people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him, so that they can have something to be happy about in a world full of sadness. And God wants nothing more than to have His children return the love that he showed by sending His Son Jesus to die a horrible death on a cross to save us from our sins. I pray that we Christians can share Christ's love with the world and take away the heartbreak that God feels when His children don't love Him back.
Do you have any INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF in your life that you can't seem to get rid of on your own? I know someone who can take it all away :) His name is Jesus Christ and he LOVES you more than you know!!
If anyone who reads this wants to know about how you can have a relationship with Jesus, or just need someone to pray for them, leave a comment on here, or email me at sarah.travis714@gmail.com , or if you know my phone number, call me, or come to church with me! I want you to know that you don't have to live in a world of always being heartbroken and always let down, you can have a relationship with a living God who will always carry you and never let you down!
Jesus loves you, and so do I.
Until next time,
ST
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Concern
Have you ever had a time where God taught you something that was blatantly obvious? As if He were standing right in front of you telling you this?
I had one of those experiences yesterday.
In the world of modern technology, many people keep up with their friends and relatives via facebook, twitter, myspace (? does anyone actually use myspace anymore??)...etc.
So yesterday, I had conversations with several people and through these conversations we discovered many things that needed serious prayer, such as friends finding a relationship with Jesus, or a loved one to be relieved from stress, or prayers of thanks when God answered a family member's prayer. So, what did I do? I updated my Facebook status to say simply, "praying hard."
Here's the crazy part.
Within maybe 30 minutes of my posting this Facebook status, I had a few friends contact me asking if I was all right. Wondering if everything was okay with me. If something were wrong that they needed to be worried about.
Why is it that if someone's status says they are "praying hard" people automatically find that to be cause for concern? Like, do we only pray hard if something is really really wrong? I don't think God gave us prayer so that we could only use it when something goes badly, but He gave us prayer so we can have constant communication with our Father.
Here is what the Bible says about prayer:
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The King James Version of the Bible words verse 17 as "pray without ceasing." God doesn't just want us to talk to Him when things are bad, He wants all of our talking, the good stuff too! What kind of Father would only want you to tell Him bad things? A good Father wants to share in our JOY too!
So, pray continually, pray without ceasing, about EVERYTHING! We should be praying hard ALL the time!
How great is it that our Heavenly Daddy WANTS to talk to us all the time? SO great! Be encouraged!
Until next time,
ST
I had one of those experiences yesterday.
In the world of modern technology, many people keep up with their friends and relatives via facebook, twitter, myspace (? does anyone actually use myspace anymore??)...etc.
So yesterday, I had conversations with several people and through these conversations we discovered many things that needed serious prayer, such as friends finding a relationship with Jesus, or a loved one to be relieved from stress, or prayers of thanks when God answered a family member's prayer. So, what did I do? I updated my Facebook status to say simply, "praying hard."
Here's the crazy part.
Within maybe 30 minutes of my posting this Facebook status, I had a few friends contact me asking if I was all right. Wondering if everything was okay with me. If something were wrong that they needed to be worried about.
Why is it that if someone's status says they are "praying hard" people automatically find that to be cause for concern? Like, do we only pray hard if something is really really wrong? I don't think God gave us prayer so that we could only use it when something goes badly, but He gave us prayer so we can have constant communication with our Father.
Here is what the Bible says about prayer:
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
The King James Version of the Bible words verse 17 as "pray without ceasing." God doesn't just want us to talk to Him when things are bad, He wants all of our talking, the good stuff too! What kind of Father would only want you to tell Him bad things? A good Father wants to share in our JOY too!
So, pray continually, pray without ceasing, about EVERYTHING! We should be praying hard ALL the time!
How great is it that our Heavenly Daddy WANTS to talk to us all the time? SO great! Be encouraged!
Until next time,
ST
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Never Give Up
Have you ever had a friendship where you contact the other WAY more than they contact you?
Or a relationship where you feel as though you're putting all the work into it, and getting nothing in return?
I feel like this a lot.
I think everyone has experienced this in some way, shape, or form.
A parent who gives everything to their children only to be ignored when they try to talk to their kids.
A friend who stops texting someone just to see if their friend will contact them first.
A child who wonders if their sibling will ever initiate a conversation.
It's heartbreaking, isn't it?
I know in my situation, it makes me want to cry every time I think about all the effort I put into trying to talk to this person, only to have NONE of my efforts reciprocated.
It doesn't ever change how much you love that person, though. For some crazy reason, we will still keep contacting them, with the hope that one of these days our efforts will pay off and we will finally get the attention of the one person we want to talk to the most.
Looking at my relationships with the people I love helps me understand God's relationship with His children. And how sad He must get when we don't talk to Him, or even acknowledge that He's there.
Here are some instances in scripture where God is forgotten by his children:
Jeremiah 2:32
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
Jeremiah 18:15
15 Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways
and in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in bypaths
and on roads not built up.
And here is a verse where God is crying out for His children to return to Him:
Jeremiah 4:1-2
1 "If you will return, O Israel,
return to me,"
declares the LORD.
"If you put your detestable idols out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,'
then the nations will be blessed by him
and in him they will glory."
God is BEGGING that His people return to Him...and promises that He will bless his children if they return to Him.
See? Our Heavenly Father wants so badly to have a relationship with us. He wants us to remember Him, to WANT to talk to Him, to realize how deeply He loves us and wants the best for us.
Sometimes we want to give up on our friends or people in our lives who don't seem to contact us as often as we contact them...but just remember, God never gives up on us, so why should we give up on people?
Until next time,
ST
Or a relationship where you feel as though you're putting all the work into it, and getting nothing in return?
I feel like this a lot.
I think everyone has experienced this in some way, shape, or form.
A parent who gives everything to their children only to be ignored when they try to talk to their kids.
A friend who stops texting someone just to see if their friend will contact them first.
A child who wonders if their sibling will ever initiate a conversation.
It's heartbreaking, isn't it?
I know in my situation, it makes me want to cry every time I think about all the effort I put into trying to talk to this person, only to have NONE of my efforts reciprocated.
It doesn't ever change how much you love that person, though. For some crazy reason, we will still keep contacting them, with the hope that one of these days our efforts will pay off and we will finally get the attention of the one person we want to talk to the most.
Looking at my relationships with the people I love helps me understand God's relationship with His children. And how sad He must get when we don't talk to Him, or even acknowledge that He's there.
Here are some instances in scripture where God is forgotten by his children:
Jeremiah 2:32
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
Jeremiah 18:15
15 Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways
and in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in bypaths
and on roads not built up.
And here is a verse where God is crying out for His children to return to Him:
Jeremiah 4:1-2
1 "If you will return, O Israel,
return to me,"
declares the LORD.
"If you put your detestable idols out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,'
then the nations will be blessed by him
and in him they will glory."
God is BEGGING that His people return to Him...and promises that He will bless his children if they return to Him.
See? Our Heavenly Father wants so badly to have a relationship with us. He wants us to remember Him, to WANT to talk to Him, to realize how deeply He loves us and wants the best for us.
Sometimes we want to give up on our friends or people in our lives who don't seem to contact us as often as we contact them...but just remember, God never gives up on us, so why should we give up on people?
Until next time,
ST
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Perfection
Have you ever had a day that is just "one of those days?"
The kind of day where nothing goes right? At all?
I had one of those days yesterday. Not only did I make a big stupid mistake at work, but I had a really bad stomach ache all day, and then the cherry on top from this day from you-know-where was that I had one of those happy yellow envelopes tucked ever so obviously underneath my windshield wiper.....A parking ticket.
With every bad thing that kept happening, I felt like I was shrinking smaller and smaller. Ever felt like that? Like the whole world has you under a magnifying glass and everyone is just staring at you...mocking you.
Now what's one way to make an already bad day worse? Letting your bad day continue into the next day. Again...this happened to me. This morning I had the task of watching the very thing I messed up at work. I had to see my mistake again and again. If anyone in this world is not feeling perfect these days, it's me. I even had several of my friends and coworkers beat this phrase into my head, "Don't worry, everybody makes mistakes, nobody is perfect..." ...But nothing seemed to make the horrible feeling of imperfection go away.
So what do I do when I have these less than perfect days? I started to think about something to write about. And in God's always perfect way, He told me to start writing about my awful past two days. And then He gave me this scripture.
Psalm 18:30
30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
How awesome is that to think about? The word of the Lord is flawless. FLAWLESS! His way is perfect...even when I'm not. ESPECIALLY when I'm not. BECAUSE I'm not.
And I love the second half of that verse. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. So...when I'm having my horrible days where I feel a go-zillion miles away from being perfect, I need to realize that God IS perfect! All the time! 24/7! And He wants to shield me from that feeling of imperfection! Wow!
As today went along...I started to feel better. I started to take comfort in knowing that God is perfect and that is enough for me. And to make things turn a complete 180 degrees in the other direction, things at work started to make me laugh. I found even the slightest little thing to be absolutely hilarious. Everyone loves a good belly laugh. Well, I had about four of them in my last couple hours at work.
Want more proof to how flawless God's word is?
Proverbs 17:22
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
My crushed spirit the past couple days left me feeling like dry bones...but when I laughed today and had a cheerful heart...I felt cured. I felt like me again. God is so good.
Don't worry. God is perfect. His ways are perfect. And that's enough for us. We don't need to be perfect. Take comfort.
Until next time,
ST
The kind of day where nothing goes right? At all?
I had one of those days yesterday. Not only did I make a big stupid mistake at work, but I had a really bad stomach ache all day, and then the cherry on top from this day from you-know-where was that I had one of those happy yellow envelopes tucked ever so obviously underneath my windshield wiper.....A parking ticket.
With every bad thing that kept happening, I felt like I was shrinking smaller and smaller. Ever felt like that? Like the whole world has you under a magnifying glass and everyone is just staring at you...mocking you.
Now what's one way to make an already bad day worse? Letting your bad day continue into the next day. Again...this happened to me. This morning I had the task of watching the very thing I messed up at work. I had to see my mistake again and again. If anyone in this world is not feeling perfect these days, it's me. I even had several of my friends and coworkers beat this phrase into my head, "Don't worry, everybody makes mistakes, nobody is perfect..." ...But nothing seemed to make the horrible feeling of imperfection go away.
So what do I do when I have these less than perfect days? I started to think about something to write about. And in God's always perfect way, He told me to start writing about my awful past two days. And then He gave me this scripture.
Psalm 18:30
30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
How awesome is that to think about? The word of the Lord is flawless. FLAWLESS! His way is perfect...even when I'm not. ESPECIALLY when I'm not. BECAUSE I'm not.
And I love the second half of that verse. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. So...when I'm having my horrible days where I feel a go-zillion miles away from being perfect, I need to realize that God IS perfect! All the time! 24/7! And He wants to shield me from that feeling of imperfection! Wow!
As today went along...I started to feel better. I started to take comfort in knowing that God is perfect and that is enough for me. And to make things turn a complete 180 degrees in the other direction, things at work started to make me laugh. I found even the slightest little thing to be absolutely hilarious. Everyone loves a good belly laugh. Well, I had about four of them in my last couple hours at work.
Want more proof to how flawless God's word is?
Proverbs 17:22
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
My crushed spirit the past couple days left me feeling like dry bones...but when I laughed today and had a cheerful heart...I felt cured. I felt like me again. God is so good.
Don't worry. God is perfect. His ways are perfect. And that's enough for us. We don't need to be perfect. Take comfort.
Until next time,
ST
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Vinegar
Has anyone ever done or said something to you that just made you want to scream? Like the kind of angry that leaves you gripping the handles of your desk chair so hard that you feel you could rip them off without even trying?
It's so hard to resist the urge to tell people "how you really feel" and just rattle off all the reasons why you want to punch their lights out. It's hard to comprehend why a person would choose to do things in a way that hurts your feelings so much, when you know that you yourself would handle the situation VERY differently. Ever had anything like this happen to you?
It happens to me all the time. It happened today. But you know what phrase constantly comes back into my mind?
"You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."
Anyone's parents ever told them this cliche phrase before? Believe me, mine have. Plenty of times.
The Bible has it's own rendition of this little phrase in the book of Romans.
Romans 12:17-21
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
God says it's His job to avenge wrongdoing. It's our job to always show the love of Christ to everyone we're around at all times. Even if it means being the person who has something horrible done to them, and just taking it. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. I think we all could use a little of this in our every day lives. I know I could.
Overcome evil with some good today.
Until next time,
ST
It's so hard to resist the urge to tell people "how you really feel" and just rattle off all the reasons why you want to punch their lights out. It's hard to comprehend why a person would choose to do things in a way that hurts your feelings so much, when you know that you yourself would handle the situation VERY differently. Ever had anything like this happen to you?
It happens to me all the time. It happened today. But you know what phrase constantly comes back into my mind?
"You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."
Anyone's parents ever told them this cliche phrase before? Believe me, mine have. Plenty of times.
The Bible has it's own rendition of this little phrase in the book of Romans.
Romans 12:17-21
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
God says it's His job to avenge wrongdoing. It's our job to always show the love of Christ to everyone we're around at all times. Even if it means being the person who has something horrible done to them, and just taking it. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. I think we all could use a little of this in our every day lives. I know I could.
Overcome evil with some good today.
Until next time,
ST
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Freedom
Freedom. This word is used in many different contexts.
Freedom of religion, speech, of the press. Freedom from addiction. Freedom from abuse. Freedom from debt. There are lots of different freedoms.
For America, it was freedom from the oppression of the British Crown.
For Christians, it was freedom from the oppression of the devil.
The ironic thing is, freedom always comes at a price.
Freedom for Americans came at the price of many people losing their lives to fight against their oppressor.
Freedom for Christians came at the price of Jesus being nailed to a cross to free us from an eternity in hell.
What if someone told the British people that they could have freedom, but they didn't take it because they didn't think they deserved it? Or because it was scary going to a new place?
Likewise, many people know about the freedom that we have in a relationship with Jesus, but they are afraid to leave their current lifestyle and comforts, afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of change.
The Bible talks about freedom MANY times. Here are a few.
Galatians 5:1
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Luke 4:18
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
2 Corinthians 3:17
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
I like this last one the best. The Lord is everywhere...in everything...so that means that there is freedom everywhere we go, because the Lord is always with us!
And I also love how in the Luke verse, God promises freedom for the oppressed! He finds joy in freeing us from the things that trap us.
So if you feel trapped by something, take comfort in the fact that God wants to set you free. Just trust Him. He promises freedom, and God is great at keeping His promises!
Until next time,
ST
Freedom of religion, speech, of the press. Freedom from addiction. Freedom from abuse. Freedom from debt. There are lots of different freedoms.
For America, it was freedom from the oppression of the British Crown.
For Christians, it was freedom from the oppression of the devil.
The ironic thing is, freedom always comes at a price.
Freedom for Americans came at the price of many people losing their lives to fight against their oppressor.
Freedom for Christians came at the price of Jesus being nailed to a cross to free us from an eternity in hell.
What if someone told the British people that they could have freedom, but they didn't take it because they didn't think they deserved it? Or because it was scary going to a new place?
Likewise, many people know about the freedom that we have in a relationship with Jesus, but they are afraid to leave their current lifestyle and comforts, afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of change.
The Bible talks about freedom MANY times. Here are a few.
Galatians 5:1
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Luke 4:18
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
2 Corinthians 3:17
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
I like this last one the best. The Lord is everywhere...in everything...so that means that there is freedom everywhere we go, because the Lord is always with us!
And I also love how in the Luke verse, God promises freedom for the oppressed! He finds joy in freeing us from the things that trap us.
So if you feel trapped by something, take comfort in the fact that God wants to set you free. Just trust Him. He promises freedom, and God is great at keeping His promises!
Until next time,
ST
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thunderstorms
It seems as though in summer time...thunderstorms are a regular occurrence. Especially here in the South. You can almost set your watch by them. It's crazy to me how the beginning of the day could be so beautiful, and then by four o'clock on the dot, BAM...thunder, lightning, and Forrest Gump style "big ole fat rain."
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel as though I have a thunderstorm curse. If I remember to bring my umbrella along with me, it absolutely will not rain when I'm outside. However, the second I leave it at home, the rain ALWAYS comes if I need to be outside.
And cars? Yeah to people in cars it's funny to see us walking in the rain without an umbrella. We almost become walking targets in the "let's drive through this puddle as fast as possible so as to soak the walking person" game.
Let's be real here...getting caught in a thunderstorm can ruin a perfectly good day. Once you get rained on...your clothes feel heavier...your hair is a mess...your shoes soggy...there's nothing good about getting caught in the rain.
Yesterday, as 5 o'clock came and I triumphantly neared the door to make my glory march to the car...I quickly stopped in my tracks. Rain...and I had no umbrella...and my car was three blocks away.
But then, something happened that doesn't usually happen. A nice lady who I'd seen before in the office offered me her umbrella. She said she was parked in the garage and didn't even need to go outside, and I could bring it back to her the next day.
Isn't life like that so many times?
Some people are in a perpetual state of thunderstorms. They feel weighed down...their life is a mess...and they feel like everyone who sees them is out to get them.
That lady who gave me her umbrella yesterday made my day. Momentarily, she took away my rain.
In the Bible, Jesus tells a parable in which he describes how we'll be identified as Christians.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says,
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Whenever we do things for others, we need to realize that we are doing those things for Jesus. What "umbrellas" have you given to others lately?
Our acts that seem as insignificant as lending out an umbrella could have effects far beyond what we can imagine. Taking away somebody's rain for a day could lead to big changes in their life. God brought that person to you for a purpose.
Give somebody an "umbrella" today...you may be the one key person who God wants to use to take away that person's rain in their life.
Remember...many many years ago, God sent us His son Jesus to be our umbrella to save us from an eternal thunderstorm. Let's follow His example.
Until next time,
ST
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel as though I have a thunderstorm curse. If I remember to bring my umbrella along with me, it absolutely will not rain when I'm outside. However, the second I leave it at home, the rain ALWAYS comes if I need to be outside.
And cars? Yeah to people in cars it's funny to see us walking in the rain without an umbrella. We almost become walking targets in the "let's drive through this puddle as fast as possible so as to soak the walking person" game.
Let's be real here...getting caught in a thunderstorm can ruin a perfectly good day. Once you get rained on...your clothes feel heavier...your hair is a mess...your shoes soggy...there's nothing good about getting caught in the rain.
Yesterday, as 5 o'clock came and I triumphantly neared the door to make my glory march to the car...I quickly stopped in my tracks. Rain...and I had no umbrella...and my car was three blocks away.
But then, something happened that doesn't usually happen. A nice lady who I'd seen before in the office offered me her umbrella. She said she was parked in the garage and didn't even need to go outside, and I could bring it back to her the next day.
Isn't life like that so many times?
Some people are in a perpetual state of thunderstorms. They feel weighed down...their life is a mess...and they feel like everyone who sees them is out to get them.
That lady who gave me her umbrella yesterday made my day. Momentarily, she took away my rain.
In the Bible, Jesus tells a parable in which he describes how we'll be identified as Christians.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says,
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Whenever we do things for others, we need to realize that we are doing those things for Jesus. What "umbrellas" have you given to others lately?
Our acts that seem as insignificant as lending out an umbrella could have effects far beyond what we can imagine. Taking away somebody's rain for a day could lead to big changes in their life. God brought that person to you for a purpose.
Give somebody an "umbrella" today...you may be the one key person who God wants to use to take away that person's rain in their life.
Remember...many many years ago, God sent us His son Jesus to be our umbrella to save us from an eternal thunderstorm. Let's follow His example.
Until next time,
ST
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Big Picture
Three words: God...is...faithful.
I'm sure after reading my latest few entries, I've had a pretty big burden on my heart: fear of the unknown. This fear combined with anxiousness resulting from waiting for an answer caused me to complete and utterly FREAK OUT.
Let me tell you a little story about myself that is rather humorous...but I have a point.
When I was six years old...I was deemed old enough by my parents to be worthy of getting my ears pierced. I was a big girl. I could handle the responsibility of earrings. I wanted these glistening gold balls in my ears so badly I could hardly stand it. So one afternoon, my dad brought home his ear piercing gun from the jewelry store, and he was going to give me the thing that I so desperately wanted...earrings. He wanted to make his daughter happy.
I was so excited about getting these earrings I couldn't WAIT to get started.
And then...it hit me. I had to go through BIG PAIN in order to get these shiny things in my ears! And then...the freak out began. Two hours of INTENSE, fluid flowing from all areas of my face, hard to breathe CRYING. I knew what I wanted, but the idea of the pain I'd have to go through was more than my six year old self could bear.
Then, my dad sadly decided that I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared for getting earrings. He was going to put the tools away, and we'd wait til I was more mature to pierce my ears.
WHAT?! No earrings!!? I couldn't have this!! These things were my GOAL! I wanted them so badly I had been dreaming about them! I begged and pleaded with my dad to PLEASE pierce my ears...I promise I'll be still!
I swallowed my fear and closed my eyes. Two clicks and a surprising "that didn't hurt" later, I had my earrings!!!! The pain I had anticipated wasn't NEARLY as bad in reality as I had made it out to be in my head!
..........We do this a lot with many aspects of our lives, don't we? We ask God to bless us in our finances...in our careers...in our relationships...in our families...but then the first sight of pain or struggle we lose our minds entirely.
Do you think that if God told us we'd have to go through struggle in order to get what we want, we'd still ask for it? We want things to be easy...we want God to give us everything we want, right when we want it, no questions asked.
But God sees the bigger picture. Just like my dad did with my earrings. He knew it would only feel like a pinch. But I had to be the one to decide I still wanted the things I had asked for. God knows that we'll be okay at the end of the day, He knows He wants to shower us with blessings, but sometimes He wants to teach us important life lessons first: humility, patience, perseverance.
And when we look back on the struggles in our lives, and then where we stand today, we (more often than not) are able to say, as I did, "wow...that didn't hurt."
God sees the bigger picture. He is faithful. If you're in the struggle or pain phase of this process, just remember, it's all for a reason, and God is holding us in His hands. He won't let us fall.
Here's a video that Rob Bell did about this same topic...we can learn a lot about God's sight of the bigger picture by watching parents' relationship with their children. Check it out.
"Kickball"
Feel free to leave comments...I love reading what you all think.
ST
I'm sure after reading my latest few entries, I've had a pretty big burden on my heart: fear of the unknown. This fear combined with anxiousness resulting from waiting for an answer caused me to complete and utterly FREAK OUT.
Let me tell you a little story about myself that is rather humorous...but I have a point.
When I was six years old...I was deemed old enough by my parents to be worthy of getting my ears pierced. I was a big girl. I could handle the responsibility of earrings. I wanted these glistening gold balls in my ears so badly I could hardly stand it. So one afternoon, my dad brought home his ear piercing gun from the jewelry store, and he was going to give me the thing that I so desperately wanted...earrings. He wanted to make his daughter happy.
I was so excited about getting these earrings I couldn't WAIT to get started.
And then...it hit me. I had to go through BIG PAIN in order to get these shiny things in my ears! And then...the freak out began. Two hours of INTENSE, fluid flowing from all areas of my face, hard to breathe CRYING. I knew what I wanted, but the idea of the pain I'd have to go through was more than my six year old self could bear.
Then, my dad sadly decided that I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared for getting earrings. He was going to put the tools away, and we'd wait til I was more mature to pierce my ears.
WHAT?! No earrings!!? I couldn't have this!! These things were my GOAL! I wanted them so badly I had been dreaming about them! I begged and pleaded with my dad to PLEASE pierce my ears...I promise I'll be still!
I swallowed my fear and closed my eyes. Two clicks and a surprising "that didn't hurt" later, I had my earrings!!!! The pain I had anticipated wasn't NEARLY as bad in reality as I had made it out to be in my head!
..........We do this a lot with many aspects of our lives, don't we? We ask God to bless us in our finances...in our careers...in our relationships...in our families...but then the first sight of pain or struggle we lose our minds entirely.
Do you think that if God told us we'd have to go through struggle in order to get what we want, we'd still ask for it? We want things to be easy...we want God to give us everything we want, right when we want it, no questions asked.
But God sees the bigger picture. Just like my dad did with my earrings. He knew it would only feel like a pinch. But I had to be the one to decide I still wanted the things I had asked for. God knows that we'll be okay at the end of the day, He knows He wants to shower us with blessings, but sometimes He wants to teach us important life lessons first: humility, patience, perseverance.
And when we look back on the struggles in our lives, and then where we stand today, we (more often than not) are able to say, as I did, "wow...that didn't hurt."
God sees the bigger picture. He is faithful. If you're in the struggle or pain phase of this process, just remember, it's all for a reason, and God is holding us in His hands. He won't let us fall.
Here's a video that Rob Bell did about this same topic...we can learn a lot about God's sight of the bigger picture by watching parents' relationship with their children. Check it out.
"Kickball"
Feel free to leave comments...I love reading what you all think.
ST
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Strength
It seems as though these days everyone is tired. Whether we're in class, working on homework, going to our jobs, or taking care of things around home...there never seem to be enough hours in the day......and it's exhausting.
On top of all the things we have to do...throw on all kinds of emotional stress on top of that. Dealing with siblings, parents, friends, neighbors, boyfriends, girlfriends...sometimes the drama can be overwhelming.
If this description fits you and your day to day dealings...just remember these verses...they're pretty appropriate:
Isaiah 40: 28-31
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
These were the verses of the day that popped up on my screen this morning. Nothing is coincidental. God knew that these verses needed to be read today. He is so good!!
I love the beginning part..."Do you not know? Have you not heard?" It's like they're saying, "HELLOOOOO! Don't you realize??? The EVERLASTING GOD doesn't get tired like we do!!" We should take comfort in this part from verse 28....HE will not grow tired or weary. So when we're worn out and we feel like we've got nothing left, God is still going strong. The God who created the universe just by speaking that it be so, is on our team, and wants to renew our strength. Just trust Him.
Feel free to leave comments,
ST
On top of all the things we have to do...throw on all kinds of emotional stress on top of that. Dealing with siblings, parents, friends, neighbors, boyfriends, girlfriends...sometimes the drama can be overwhelming.
If this description fits you and your day to day dealings...just remember these verses...they're pretty appropriate:
Isaiah 40: 28-31
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
These were the verses of the day that popped up on my screen this morning. Nothing is coincidental. God knew that these verses needed to be read today. He is so good!!
I love the beginning part..."Do you not know? Have you not heard?" It's like they're saying, "HELLOOOOO! Don't you realize??? The EVERLASTING GOD doesn't get tired like we do!!" We should take comfort in this part from verse 28....HE will not grow tired or weary. So when we're worn out and we feel like we've got nothing left, God is still going strong. The God who created the universe just by speaking that it be so, is on our team, and wants to renew our strength. Just trust Him.
Feel free to leave comments,
ST
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Be Still
Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite words. It's not a word that you hear every day. In fact...many of you probably haven't ever heard of it, much less said it. I don't even say this word that often, but it's not about saying it, it's about what this word means, and how it's done.
I know...cut to the chase, Sarah. But forreal, I want you to know how amazing this word is before I tell it to you. It totally re-vamped my life and gave me a new perspective on things that happen in life.
Selah. That's my word. Heard of it? It is used seventy-four times in scripture: mostly in the book of Psalms and a few times in Hebrews. Here's one definition I found for Selah:
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the
Psalms, It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like
"stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise. "Selah" can also be used to
indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm.
Here are some instances in the book of Psalms where Selah is used:
Psalm 46: 1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
Psalm 46: 10-11
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
This chapter is a song. These people are praising God and singing about how good God is and how BIG God is! But yet, after the big song, they take a pause, a Selah. They stop the noise of their lives, even if it's singing and praising God, and they take the time to hear God's still small voice.
Stop and listen.
It is an act of worship. Worship doesn't always mean singing your guts out, it can be silent. An act of obediently listening to God's voice. After all, how can you have a conversation without listening? You can't have a relationship if you're the one doing all the talking.
Stop and listen.
Check out this video by Rob Bell, same guy from the video yesterday, he has a great video about being silent before God. Check it out, its worth the 10 minutes.
"Noise"
The next time your life gets crazy...be still. Know that HE IS GOD. Selah.
Let me know what you think of the video :)
-ST
I know...cut to the chase, Sarah. But forreal, I want you to know how amazing this word is before I tell it to you. It totally re-vamped my life and gave me a new perspective on things that happen in life.
Selah. That's my word. Heard of it? It is used seventy-four times in scripture: mostly in the book of Psalms and a few times in Hebrews. Here's one definition I found for Selah:
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the
Psalms, It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like
"stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise. "Selah" can also be used to
indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm.
Here are some instances in the book of Psalms where Selah is used:
Psalm 46: 1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
Psalm 46: 10-11
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
This chapter is a song. These people are praising God and singing about how good God is and how BIG God is! But yet, after the big song, they take a pause, a Selah. They stop the noise of their lives, even if it's singing and praising God, and they take the time to hear God's still small voice.
Stop and listen.
It is an act of worship. Worship doesn't always mean singing your guts out, it can be silent. An act of obediently listening to God's voice. After all, how can you have a conversation without listening? You can't have a relationship if you're the one doing all the talking.
Stop and listen.
Check out this video by Rob Bell, same guy from the video yesterday, he has a great video about being silent before God. Check it out, its worth the 10 minutes.
"Noise"
The next time your life gets crazy...be still. Know that HE IS GOD. Selah.
Let me know what you think of the video :)
-ST
Monday, June 21, 2010
Fear, Part 2
What is it about waiting that makes us lose our minds? This idea of not knowing something and having to wait to find out the answer...it's enough to make most people go batty.
And if anyone tells you that they don't mind waiting...that it doesn't bother them...chances are they're lying.
I was at the Doctor's office on Friday. I waited for THREE HOURS before I was even seen. Everyone I talked to was just in shock of how long it was taking me to get seen. I waited for so long that by the time I was seen by someone, I missed my window of opportunity to get to the nurse I needed to see. So after all that waiting, I didn't get what I needed. I then had to travel to ANOTHER Doctor's office that was still open, wait some more, and finally I accomplished what I came to do.
Now, after all that waiting, I'm STILL waiting to hear back from my checkup. And yes, I'm losing my mind.
But it's kinda crazy...amidst all this waiting and heart racing madness...I hear a still small voice deep within me speaking to me, "Peace my daughter, I know the plans I have for you, Peace, Peace, Peace."
God is so good. I can feel Him holding me as I worry. When I am weak, He is strong.
Here is a link to one of my favorite depictions of God's love for us during our darkest times and our fiercest storms in life. I pray you take the time to check it out, it makes me cry every time.
"Rain"
Until next time,
ST
Let me know what you think about this video or how it touched your heart. Cause it will.
And if anyone tells you that they don't mind waiting...that it doesn't bother them...chances are they're lying.
I was at the Doctor's office on Friday. I waited for THREE HOURS before I was even seen. Everyone I talked to was just in shock of how long it was taking me to get seen. I waited for so long that by the time I was seen by someone, I missed my window of opportunity to get to the nurse I needed to see. So after all that waiting, I didn't get what I needed. I then had to travel to ANOTHER Doctor's office that was still open, wait some more, and finally I accomplished what I came to do.
Now, after all that waiting, I'm STILL waiting to hear back from my checkup. And yes, I'm losing my mind.
But it's kinda crazy...amidst all this waiting and heart racing madness...I hear a still small voice deep within me speaking to me, "Peace my daughter, I know the plans I have for you, Peace, Peace, Peace."
God is so good. I can feel Him holding me as I worry. When I am weak, He is strong.
Here is a link to one of my favorite depictions of God's love for us during our darkest times and our fiercest storms in life. I pray you take the time to check it out, it makes me cry every time.
"Rain"
Until next time,
ST
Let me know what you think about this video or how it touched your heart. Cause it will.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Short and Sweet
Don't you hate it when you're always the one who works works works to do things for other people and they never say so much as a thank you? Or even acknowledge what you've done for them?
That's how we treat God, ALL the time. We beg beg beg for Him to do things for us, whine when we don't get them, and when we do get them, we just sigh and say "it's about time." So tell Him thank you today for something He's done for you. Bet it'll make you feel real good, and Him too!
Have a great Tuesday, blog land!
ST
That's how we treat God, ALL the time. We beg beg beg for Him to do things for us, whine when we don't get them, and when we do get them, we just sigh and say "it's about time." So tell Him thank you today for something He's done for you. Bet it'll make you feel real good, and Him too!
Have a great Tuesday, blog land!
ST
Friday, June 11, 2010
Fear
Let's face it: no one likes being afraid. Being afraid isn't fun. Your heart rate pumps up, your palms start to sweat, you begin to breathe heavily. Your eyes dart back and forth quickly. And eventually, if you let it get the best of you, the thing you fear can start to consume your every thought, to where you can focus on nothing else.
The past couple of weeks I've had some fear in my life. For me, it's fear of something unknown. And I think the scariest part is, the unknown will become known next weekend...and I'm afraid to find out what it is. I had a breakdown at work yesterday about it. Just cried and cried in my office.
Why is it that something can be so scary and consume our entire thought process, even before we know if it's true? For all I know, the thing I'm afraid of could turn out to be nothing at all.
I think the devil uses fear to try and distract us from focusing on God.
But in Isaiah 41:10, God tells us just what He wants us to do with fear:
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
And in Romans 8:15, God tells us that fear is DEFINITELY not from Him:
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
This verse gives me chills. God didn't give us fear, He adopted us into His family as His children. So when we become afraid, we must get rid of that fear, give it to our Heavenly Daddy...as this verse says, and we cry "Abba, Father."
Dear God, take away my fear. Make it all better. You're such a good and loving Daddy.
The past couple of weeks I've had some fear in my life. For me, it's fear of something unknown. And I think the scariest part is, the unknown will become known next weekend...and I'm afraid to find out what it is. I had a breakdown at work yesterday about it. Just cried and cried in my office.
Why is it that something can be so scary and consume our entire thought process, even before we know if it's true? For all I know, the thing I'm afraid of could turn out to be nothing at all.
I think the devil uses fear to try and distract us from focusing on God.
But in Isaiah 41:10, God tells us just what He wants us to do with fear:
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
And in Romans 8:15, God tells us that fear is DEFINITELY not from Him:
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
This verse gives me chills. God didn't give us fear, He adopted us into His family as His children. So when we become afraid, we must get rid of that fear, give it to our Heavenly Daddy...as this verse says, and we cry "Abba, Father."
Dear God, take away my fear. Make it all better. You're such a good and loving Daddy.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Real World...not MTV style.
So this summer I decided to stay here in Columbia and work full-time at the place where I've been working for a couple years now. I really love my job. I get to do fun things and work with really cool people and actually use the skills that I've learned in school! Not too many people get to use what they went to college for, so I feel lucky that my education is paying off.
Anyway, I am directing this blog to all of you grownups out there in blog land...
How does ANYONE get ANYTHING done in their lives when they have to work a 9-5 job?! I mean, it is so hard to get anything done when the rest of the world goes to work the same time you do, they all get off the same time you do, and by the time you can actually have time to think in the afternoons, everyone is closed!
It seems that the only way some of these things can get done is by taking time off work and losing money so as to get your personal stuff done while the corporate world is still awake and functioning for the day. Why does it have to be that way? Why can't the rest of the world be open for business when it's convenient for me? Gosh, it is all about me after all (totally kidding...but really, it is.........kidding again).
Anyway, do any of you adults out there in this world have any advice? Lord, I can hardly take care of myself, I can't imagine taking care of a family on top of all this.
Mom and Dad...I have gained a new appreciation for what you do. I don't know how you did it, but you guys are amazing...and this further proves my theory from when I was little that yall have to be superheroes. Just no other way it's possible.
Be jealous, world. I have superhero parents.
Anyway, I am directing this blog to all of you grownups out there in blog land...
How does ANYONE get ANYTHING done in their lives when they have to work a 9-5 job?! I mean, it is so hard to get anything done when the rest of the world goes to work the same time you do, they all get off the same time you do, and by the time you can actually have time to think in the afternoons, everyone is closed!
It seems that the only way some of these things can get done is by taking time off work and losing money so as to get your personal stuff done while the corporate world is still awake and functioning for the day. Why does it have to be that way? Why can't the rest of the world be open for business when it's convenient for me? Gosh, it is all about me after all (totally kidding...but really, it is.........kidding again).
Anyway, do any of you adults out there in this world have any advice? Lord, I can hardly take care of myself, I can't imagine taking care of a family on top of all this.
Mom and Dad...I have gained a new appreciation for what you do. I don't know how you did it, but you guys are amazing...and this further proves my theory from when I was little that yall have to be superheroes. Just no other way it's possible.
Be jealous, world. I have superhero parents.
Monday, June 7, 2010
With Arms Wide Open
Today, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and we were talking about different churches in our area.
During our conversation, we chatted about people we know who have been turned off from going to church because of the people in that particular church.
This breaks my heart. I just wanna get this off my chest. I get very VERY upset when I hear of someone having a horrible experience in a church because someone was ugly to them or what have you. It's OUR job as followers of Christ to point people to the Lord. To some people in this world, we might be the only Jesus they ever come into contact with. Would Jesus be ugly to a person because they aren't wearing a tie to church? Would Jesus treat that person differently because they didn't grow up in a church and go to Sunday School their whole childhood? Would Jesus love someone less if they didn't know all the Bible stories? OF COURSE NOT!
It's our responsibility as followers of Christ to welcome everyone with open arms. Sacrifice for them to show them the true meaning of God's love for us. Remember, we are called to love people "as Christ loved the Church." And don't forget, Christ's love for the church was shown in death on a cross.
People shouldn't be turned off from going to ANY church because of the people in it. The point of the Church is to share the Gospel with everyone...to the ends of the earth. Why would we turn anyone away? Or treat anyone badly? He who has ears, let him hear! Remember?!
So on that note, if anyone wants to come to church with me, I don't care what your background is. I don't care how you grew up, I don't care what you wear, what your hair looks like, what kind of shoes you are wearing. If ANYONE wants to come to church with me, call me, send me an email, facebook message, anything, and you're more than welcome to come.
Let's remember why we're here folks, to share the love of Christ with PEOPLE. Not to scare them away from a chance to hear His message.
And if you've been burned by a church before or someone in a church, remember this. We are all HUMAN. We screw up. People mess up. That's why we need a Savior. No one is perfect, but Jesus is! So don't get turned off from going to church because one person was a hypocrite, or one person treated you badly...because Jesus died for that person too. In the end, it's all about Him and His grace and love!
During our conversation, we chatted about people we know who have been turned off from going to church because of the people in that particular church.
This breaks my heart. I just wanna get this off my chest. I get very VERY upset when I hear of someone having a horrible experience in a church because someone was ugly to them or what have you. It's OUR job as followers of Christ to point people to the Lord. To some people in this world, we might be the only Jesus they ever come into contact with. Would Jesus be ugly to a person because they aren't wearing a tie to church? Would Jesus treat that person differently because they didn't grow up in a church and go to Sunday School their whole childhood? Would Jesus love someone less if they didn't know all the Bible stories? OF COURSE NOT!
It's our responsibility as followers of Christ to welcome everyone with open arms. Sacrifice for them to show them the true meaning of God's love for us. Remember, we are called to love people "as Christ loved the Church." And don't forget, Christ's love for the church was shown in death on a cross.
People shouldn't be turned off from going to ANY church because of the people in it. The point of the Church is to share the Gospel with everyone...to the ends of the earth. Why would we turn anyone away? Or treat anyone badly? He who has ears, let him hear! Remember?!
So on that note, if anyone wants to come to church with me, I don't care what your background is. I don't care how you grew up, I don't care what you wear, what your hair looks like, what kind of shoes you are wearing. If ANYONE wants to come to church with me, call me, send me an email, facebook message, anything, and you're more than welcome to come.
Let's remember why we're here folks, to share the love of Christ with PEOPLE. Not to scare them away from a chance to hear His message.
And if you've been burned by a church before or someone in a church, remember this. We are all HUMAN. We screw up. People mess up. That's why we need a Savior. No one is perfect, but Jesus is! So don't get turned off from going to church because one person was a hypocrite, or one person treated you badly...because Jesus died for that person too. In the end, it's all about Him and His grace and love!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Stop and Smell the Roses
Okay folks, so let's just face the fact right off the top: today's society is OBSESSED with technology.
Blackberrys, iPhones, Droids, texts, phone calls, emails, twitters (or tweets? I'm not into all that twitter nonsense...), notes, wall posts, instant messages, Skype, ooVoo, and yes, even blogs...we're immersed in a world of constant communication and connection with anyone we want, anywhere in the world.
We even have such things as 24-hour news stations where you can turn your television on at 4am (Lord knows I don't know why you'd want to watch news at 4am, but hey, to each his own) and find out what's going on in the world!
And this can be a good thing!
First obvious pro about technology is, its EASY. Let's be real, we all like things to be easy. No person in their right mind, given the choice between two options, will choose one because it's hard. We like easy. Second, it's convenient! You can access pretty much any information you want, whenever you want it. You can contact whomever you want, whenever you want them. And third, you can be in constant communication with people who you just can't go five minutes without talking to them.
But the con list...oooh boy the con list is HUGE in comparison.
And mostly I'm speaking to the ladies out there in blog land...show of hands, how many of us have our phones within a one foot radius of ourselves at all times? (*I'm raising my hand proudly*) And some of you gentlemen, you are guilty of this too, you're not getting away that easily. Here's a few phrases from my con list that I made: too easy, no excitement, become too dependent, constant worry, become consumed. How many of you know exactly what I'm talking about?
I think many of you would agree with me that technology has ruined dating. Imagine how exciting and thrilling dating would be if you had to wait around for a letter from your love, because it was your only form of communication? Or how excited would you be if after a month of not seeing your love, you see them riding up to your house in their carriage that they rode in for a week to see you? My heart is pounding just thinking about it. Instead, we have cell phones and text messages that if they aren't responded to instantly, the other person is rude or inconsiderate. You sit around all day consumed with worry about WHY DIDNT THEY TEXT ME BACK?! DONT THEY WAAAANT TO TALK TO ME?!?! Let's face it girls, how many of us need to check into "text rehab" for a little while? I think it'd do many of us a world of good.
I can't tell you how good it feels sometimes to just turn my phone off, and to know that if someone wants to find me, they can't! I like taking time to stop and smell the roses. You should try it. It's pretty freeing.
On a larger scale, our obsession with technology is basically a need for instant gratification. If we text someone, we expect an answer. If we call someone, we expect a return call immediately. If we don't get this instant gratification, the other person is rude or inconsiderate or doesn't like us, etc etc etc.
I think this problem with a need for instant gratification goes way bigger than in the technology aspect, though. I think we can see this problem in our spiritual lives also. When we pray, it's like we are making a phone call up to God, expecting an answer right away. And if we don't hear from Him that second, He has forgotten about us. He doesn't love us enough. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The Bible says that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Why do we always want an instant answer right away? Because that's easy. Waiting for God's timing isn't easy.
But God even tells us not to worry! In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25, it says:
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So in this world of constant communication and instant gratification, take a pause. Breathe. Put the cell phone away. Say a prayer, and leave it be. Take time to stop and smell the roses. They smell really good if we actually pay attention to them :)
Blackberrys, iPhones, Droids, texts, phone calls, emails, twitters (or tweets? I'm not into all that twitter nonsense...), notes, wall posts, instant messages, Skype, ooVoo, and yes, even blogs...we're immersed in a world of constant communication and connection with anyone we want, anywhere in the world.
We even have such things as 24-hour news stations where you can turn your television on at 4am (Lord knows I don't know why you'd want to watch news at 4am, but hey, to each his own) and find out what's going on in the world!
And this can be a good thing!
First obvious pro about technology is, its EASY. Let's be real, we all like things to be easy. No person in their right mind, given the choice between two options, will choose one because it's hard. We like easy. Second, it's convenient! You can access pretty much any information you want, whenever you want it. You can contact whomever you want, whenever you want them. And third, you can be in constant communication with people who you just can't go five minutes without talking to them.
But the con list...oooh boy the con list is HUGE in comparison.
And mostly I'm speaking to the ladies out there in blog land...show of hands, how many of us have our phones within a one foot radius of ourselves at all times? (*I'm raising my hand proudly*) And some of you gentlemen, you are guilty of this too, you're not getting away that easily. Here's a few phrases from my con list that I made: too easy, no excitement, become too dependent, constant worry, become consumed. How many of you know exactly what I'm talking about?
I think many of you would agree with me that technology has ruined dating. Imagine how exciting and thrilling dating would be if you had to wait around for a letter from your love, because it was your only form of communication? Or how excited would you be if after a month of not seeing your love, you see them riding up to your house in their carriage that they rode in for a week to see you? My heart is pounding just thinking about it. Instead, we have cell phones and text messages that if they aren't responded to instantly, the other person is rude or inconsiderate. You sit around all day consumed with worry about WHY DIDNT THEY TEXT ME BACK?! DONT THEY WAAAANT TO TALK TO ME?!?! Let's face it girls, how many of us need to check into "text rehab" for a little while? I think it'd do many of us a world of good.
I can't tell you how good it feels sometimes to just turn my phone off, and to know that if someone wants to find me, they can't! I like taking time to stop and smell the roses. You should try it. It's pretty freeing.
On a larger scale, our obsession with technology is basically a need for instant gratification. If we text someone, we expect an answer. If we call someone, we expect a return call immediately. If we don't get this instant gratification, the other person is rude or inconsiderate or doesn't like us, etc etc etc.
I think this problem with a need for instant gratification goes way bigger than in the technology aspect, though. I think we can see this problem in our spiritual lives also. When we pray, it's like we are making a phone call up to God, expecting an answer right away. And if we don't hear from Him that second, He has forgotten about us. He doesn't love us enough. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The Bible says that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Why do we always want an instant answer right away? Because that's easy. Waiting for God's timing isn't easy.
But God even tells us not to worry! In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25, it says:
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So in this world of constant communication and instant gratification, take a pause. Breathe. Put the cell phone away. Say a prayer, and leave it be. Take time to stop and smell the roses. They smell really good if we actually pay attention to them :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
No Pain, No Gain
So recently I've been on a big "get in shape" kick. I'm tired of seeing people more fit than me and wishing I could be them. This time, I want to make results happen. So the famous words of coaches everywhere keep echoing in my head...NO PAIN NO GAIN!
Yesterday, I decided to ask my friend to go on a run with me. This friend of mine is very athletic, so in my mind this was a good choice. WRONG. My first mistake was asking a seasoned athlete to go on a run with me. Who was I kidding? I can't keep up with this guy! Well, I tried to keep up with him...only had to stop twice. And by the end of the 30 minutes of running, I was certain my lungs were going to collapse. Motivation to keep going? Yes. Pain? YES. I am sore beyond belief today. But that soreness will allow me to hopefully keep getting better every time I go out (if my legs don't fall off first).
I was thinking about it though, "no pain, no gain" can be applied to lots of areas. It can be applied in the way I've just stated...that without a little bit of pain and muscle tearing, your muscles won't grow bigger and get stronger. Without the pain and hard work of tending to a garden, you won't get food out. Without going through pain and hurt in life, you won't know what true joy is when something extremely great happens.
But the main "no pain, no gain" example that just crossed my mind was that, without the pain and suffering Jesus went through on the cross, we wouldn't be able to receive eternal life and spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
So next time you're feeling a little pain, whether it be stress at work, pain from a hard workout, or whatever context you are feeling pain, remember that sometimes pain can be a good thing...I mean, we owe our lives to the pain that Jesus felt on the cross. Kinda puts it all in perspective a little, right?
What are some ways that you feel pain? Give them all to Jesus! He's a good Daddy like that, he likes to take away his children's pain. So write them all on here and give them to Him!
Yesterday, I decided to ask my friend to go on a run with me. This friend of mine is very athletic, so in my mind this was a good choice. WRONG. My first mistake was asking a seasoned athlete to go on a run with me. Who was I kidding? I can't keep up with this guy! Well, I tried to keep up with him...only had to stop twice. And by the end of the 30 minutes of running, I was certain my lungs were going to collapse. Motivation to keep going? Yes. Pain? YES. I am sore beyond belief today. But that soreness will allow me to hopefully keep getting better every time I go out (if my legs don't fall off first).
I was thinking about it though, "no pain, no gain" can be applied to lots of areas. It can be applied in the way I've just stated...that without a little bit of pain and muscle tearing, your muscles won't grow bigger and get stronger. Without the pain and hard work of tending to a garden, you won't get food out. Without going through pain and hurt in life, you won't know what true joy is when something extremely great happens.
But the main "no pain, no gain" example that just crossed my mind was that, without the pain and suffering Jesus went through on the cross, we wouldn't be able to receive eternal life and spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
So next time you're feeling a little pain, whether it be stress at work, pain from a hard workout, or whatever context you are feeling pain, remember that sometimes pain can be a good thing...I mean, we owe our lives to the pain that Jesus felt on the cross. Kinda puts it all in perspective a little, right?
What are some ways that you feel pain? Give them all to Jesus! He's a good Daddy like that, he likes to take away his children's pain. So write them all on here and give them to Him!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Gobble gobble gobble
Hello all of you people out there in blog-land!
I am sorry I have not posted anything in over a month! I have nothing but horrible excuses, but here they are anyway:
-Final exams
-Final projects
-Working full time
-Brother's Graduation
-Boyfriend's Graduation
-Moving into a new apartment
-Moving out of an old apartment
So there we have it! Anyway, I am going to get better about posting pretty regularly. I know all of you are just dyyyying to read my thoughts on life...(even if you're not, just humor me).
Recently, as my roommate and I moved into our new apartment, we have encountered MANY stressful obstacles and hurdles to cross in order to make this move happen. But amidst all the stress, we keep realizing that we have SO much to be thankful for.
I know that the third Thursday in November is really far away, but I thought I'd take this time and this blog entry to say a few things that I am very thankful for that sometimes go unnoticed and forgotten.
I'm thankful for:
-A Mom who puts up with my calling her 9,000 times a day to complain or chat about anything
-A dog who is, well, perfect
-A Dad who always "checks my car for strange noises" every time I go home
-Really cool travel coffee mugs
-A Brother who I can tell anything to and he'll still love me the same no matter what
-Bathroom floor mats so my feet aren't cold
-A Boyfriend who loves me because I'm me, not because I pretend to be anybody else
-A really awesome apartment that's cooler than anything my parents lived in during college :)
-A roommate who drinks coffee with me every morning
-Remote controls
-Finding old cards that belonged to my Grandma right when I was missing her the most
-An amazing prayer partner, even if she's all the way in Canada
-The ability to TALK to my friend in Canada!
-Skype!
-Cell phones
-The best friends any girl could ever ask for
-Romantic movies
-Spain (Sevilla, more specifically)
-Locks on our doors to keep bad guys out
-Men and women who fight for our freedom every day
-Really cool apps on my iPod touch
-MUSIC
-Local Law Enforcement who protect us right here in our cities
-The candles in my room and bathroom that smell SO good
-Hugs
-Kisses
-Smiles
-My Camelbak water bottle
-An amazing Church where God is DOING THINGS
-An amazing God who LOVES US INTENSELY and gives us all these things we need to be thankful for!
Thank you God for blessing me so so so much.
Don't forget to thank God for the things He's given you. If you gave someone lots of things wouldn't you want them to thank you every once in a while? Amidst the stress of life, don't forget all we have to be thankful for.
Until next time,
ST
I am sorry I have not posted anything in over a month! I have nothing but horrible excuses, but here they are anyway:
-Final exams
-Final projects
-Working full time
-Brother's Graduation
-Boyfriend's Graduation
-Moving into a new apartment
-Moving out of an old apartment
So there we have it! Anyway, I am going to get better about posting pretty regularly. I know all of you are just dyyyying to read my thoughts on life...(even if you're not, just humor me).
Recently, as my roommate and I moved into our new apartment, we have encountered MANY stressful obstacles and hurdles to cross in order to make this move happen. But amidst all the stress, we keep realizing that we have SO much to be thankful for.
I know that the third Thursday in November is really far away, but I thought I'd take this time and this blog entry to say a few things that I am very thankful for that sometimes go unnoticed and forgotten.
I'm thankful for:
-A Mom who puts up with my calling her 9,000 times a day to complain or chat about anything
-A dog who is, well, perfect
-A Dad who always "checks my car for strange noises" every time I go home
-Really cool travel coffee mugs
-A Brother who I can tell anything to and he'll still love me the same no matter what
-Bathroom floor mats so my feet aren't cold
-A Boyfriend who loves me because I'm me, not because I pretend to be anybody else
-A really awesome apartment that's cooler than anything my parents lived in during college :)
-A roommate who drinks coffee with me every morning
-Remote controls
-Finding old cards that belonged to my Grandma right when I was missing her the most
-An amazing prayer partner, even if she's all the way in Canada
-The ability to TALK to my friend in Canada!
-Skype!
-Cell phones
-The best friends any girl could ever ask for
-Romantic movies
-Spain (Sevilla, more specifically)
-Locks on our doors to keep bad guys out
-Men and women who fight for our freedom every day
-Really cool apps on my iPod touch
-MUSIC
-Local Law Enforcement who protect us right here in our cities
-The candles in my room and bathroom that smell SO good
-Hugs
-Kisses
-Smiles
-My Camelbak water bottle
-An amazing Church where God is DOING THINGS
-An amazing God who LOVES US INTENSELY and gives us all these things we need to be thankful for!
Thank you God for blessing me so so so much.
Don't forget to thank God for the things He's given you. If you gave someone lots of things wouldn't you want them to thank you every once in a while? Amidst the stress of life, don't forget all we have to be thankful for.
Until next time,
ST
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Whose Fault is it Anyway?
Have you ever been somewhere fun, where you're having a great time, and you can't imagine how things could be any better?
Everything is almost perfect, and you want your fun to last forever.
Now: have you ever been in the middle of this perfect scenario, and someone ruins the whole thing? Messes it all up? Did the Mexican hat dance all over your good time?
It sucks even WORSE when no one can pinpoint who exactly it was who messed up the whole thing. Therefore, the whole group of people who were having a practically perfect in every way time, you included, get dragged down with the troublemaker.
This ever happened to you before? Where you get to carry a piece of the blame for someone else's wrong doing?
It happened to me this weekend...and let me say, it isn't fun. When you're one of the ones whose done EVERYTHING right, but you still have to take the blame and get in trouble. But we've all experienced this to some extent. I'm sure you all can agree with me how NOT fun it is.
Well I didn't really realize it until today, this kind of not-fun scenario is exactly what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Except it was a MILLION TIMES intensified. First, God created the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve resided in complete perfection with God. Can you imagine? Living in a GARDEN with GOD!!!!! How cool! Anyway, then Satan decided to ruin everything and tempt Eve, who tempted Adam, who messed everything up for all of us. Then everything started spiraling out of control...mankind was doomed to forever be born with a sinful nature.
Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years later, Jesus came to the Earth. Lived a sinless life. Was perfect in every way. Fully God, yet fully man. Perfect Lamb without blemish or defect. And what'd he do? He took the BLAME for EVERYONE'S SINS! Not just for the people alive then, but for EVERYONE who will EVER live! If you ask me, that's a TON of blame all for one person to take. But he took it, because he loves us. He didn't do anything wrong, and yet he was scorned, beaten, mocked, and killed.
Good thing the story doesn't end there though :) On the third day HE ROSE! We serve a Risen God who took away our blame and made us clean with the blood of His son Jesus!
So next time someone else drags you down, before you start pointing fingers and assessing blame, remember the blame that Jesus Christ took for us on the cross...bet it'll make you think twice about things. It sure did for me.
Feel free to leave some comments or share any stories you have, I'd love to read them!
Everything is almost perfect, and you want your fun to last forever.
Now: have you ever been in the middle of this perfect scenario, and someone ruins the whole thing? Messes it all up? Did the Mexican hat dance all over your good time?
It sucks even WORSE when no one can pinpoint who exactly it was who messed up the whole thing. Therefore, the whole group of people who were having a practically perfect in every way time, you included, get dragged down with the troublemaker.
This ever happened to you before? Where you get to carry a piece of the blame for someone else's wrong doing?
It happened to me this weekend...and let me say, it isn't fun. When you're one of the ones whose done EVERYTHING right, but you still have to take the blame and get in trouble. But we've all experienced this to some extent. I'm sure you all can agree with me how NOT fun it is.
Well I didn't really realize it until today, this kind of not-fun scenario is exactly what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Except it was a MILLION TIMES intensified. First, God created the garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve resided in complete perfection with God. Can you imagine? Living in a GARDEN with GOD!!!!! How cool! Anyway, then Satan decided to ruin everything and tempt Eve, who tempted Adam, who messed everything up for all of us. Then everything started spiraling out of control...mankind was doomed to forever be born with a sinful nature.
Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years later, Jesus came to the Earth. Lived a sinless life. Was perfect in every way. Fully God, yet fully man. Perfect Lamb without blemish or defect. And what'd he do? He took the BLAME for EVERYONE'S SINS! Not just for the people alive then, but for EVERYONE who will EVER live! If you ask me, that's a TON of blame all for one person to take. But he took it, because he loves us. He didn't do anything wrong, and yet he was scorned, beaten, mocked, and killed.
Good thing the story doesn't end there though :) On the third day HE ROSE! We serve a Risen God who took away our blame and made us clean with the blood of His son Jesus!
So next time someone else drags you down, before you start pointing fingers and assessing blame, remember the blame that Jesus Christ took for us on the cross...bet it'll make you think twice about things. It sure did for me.
Feel free to leave some comments or share any stories you have, I'd love to read them!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
I hope you dance
Tonight, I went to my West African Dance class, just like any other wednesday...
But today was different. We started a new dance today. A new EXTREMELY upbeat piece. One that took a TON of physical energy to do well.
I don't have too much to say about it, but it was completely freeing. Have you ever had a moment where you're doing something, and the whole rest of the world seems to blur away? That's what dancing is like for me. In this intense dance where I'm literally dancing my heart out, the rest of the world seems to vanish. And it's just me and the music.
God totally knew what He was doing when he created dancing. No wonder people dance as an act of worship, I am sitting here imagining what David felt like dancing for the Lord...nothing else mattered! It was just him, the Lord, and the music...he didn't even wear his clothes! I wanna dance like that! (Maybe keeping my clothes though haha!)
I'm glad God created dancing. I wonder what dancing before God in Heaven will be like...man I can't wait to find out...talk about one amazing party in the sky. Til then I can just keep doing what I can on earth here, but man, what an awesome party to look forward to!
Praise God!
But today was different. We started a new dance today. A new EXTREMELY upbeat piece. One that took a TON of physical energy to do well.
I don't have too much to say about it, but it was completely freeing. Have you ever had a moment where you're doing something, and the whole rest of the world seems to blur away? That's what dancing is like for me. In this intense dance where I'm literally dancing my heart out, the rest of the world seems to vanish. And it's just me and the music.
God totally knew what He was doing when he created dancing. No wonder people dance as an act of worship, I am sitting here imagining what David felt like dancing for the Lord...nothing else mattered! It was just him, the Lord, and the music...he didn't even wear his clothes! I wanna dance like that! (Maybe keeping my clothes though haha!)
I'm glad God created dancing. I wonder what dancing before God in Heaven will be like...man I can't wait to find out...talk about one amazing party in the sky. Til then I can just keep doing what I can on earth here, but man, what an awesome party to look forward to!
Praise God!
Monday, April 5, 2010
At the end of the day...it's all the same food!
Here's something that's been weighing REALLY heavily on my heart the past few days.
Let's examine two restaurants. Restaurant-A and Restaurant-B.
Restaurant-A has excellent quality food. Everybody loves the food there. Some people have been going to eat there every week since they were little. After they leave this restaurant, they leave full, happy, and wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
Restaurant-B also has excellent quality food. Their menu is slightly different from Restaurant-A, but everybody who goes there loves the food there. Some people have also been going to this restaurant every week since they were little, and after they leave this restaurant, they leave full, happy, and wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
Now think about this: what if someone who had been going to Restaurant-A their whole life decided one day to test out the food at Restaurant-B? They went in, and said WOW! This food is great! I'm full, happy, and even though it's slightly different from the old place, I still love it!
The Problem: People who go to Restaurant-A every week do not think about the fact that the person who decided to eat at Restaurant-B is still getting the same nutrition, or that he is still leaving full and happy. All they care about is being upset about that person leaving the place they've always gone their whole life.
Now...imagine that these Restaurants were not Restaurants, but Churches.
Here's the part that bothers me...if we are all getting the same Jesus, the same Bible, the same Word...why does it matter what house we're in?
At the end of the day, we all get fed, we all leave happy, and we all leave wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
How come it seems that the bigger picture has been kinda lost...the one about being filled up with Christ so much that we pour out His love to others? No matter what the source, no matter which "restaurant," we all still get what we need, the tools to reach people for CHRIST!
At the end of the day, it's all the same food! Shouldn't we be GLAD that people are being fed and not starving, rather than being mad about the fact that they are eating at a new restaurant?
Feel free to leave comments.
Let's examine two restaurants. Restaurant-A and Restaurant-B.
Restaurant-A has excellent quality food. Everybody loves the food there. Some people have been going to eat there every week since they were little. After they leave this restaurant, they leave full, happy, and wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
Restaurant-B also has excellent quality food. Their menu is slightly different from Restaurant-A, but everybody who goes there loves the food there. Some people have also been going to this restaurant every week since they were little, and after they leave this restaurant, they leave full, happy, and wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
Now think about this: what if someone who had been going to Restaurant-A their whole life decided one day to test out the food at Restaurant-B? They went in, and said WOW! This food is great! I'm full, happy, and even though it's slightly different from the old place, I still love it!
The Problem: People who go to Restaurant-A every week do not think about the fact that the person who decided to eat at Restaurant-B is still getting the same nutrition, or that he is still leaving full and happy. All they care about is being upset about that person leaving the place they've always gone their whole life.
Now...imagine that these Restaurants were not Restaurants, but Churches.
Here's the part that bothers me...if we are all getting the same Jesus, the same Bible, the same Word...why does it matter what house we're in?
At the end of the day, we all get fed, we all leave happy, and we all leave wanting to tell everyone about how they should go to this place.
How come it seems that the bigger picture has been kinda lost...the one about being filled up with Christ so much that we pour out His love to others? No matter what the source, no matter which "restaurant," we all still get what we need, the tools to reach people for CHRIST!
At the end of the day, it's all the same food! Shouldn't we be GLAD that people are being fed and not starving, rather than being mad about the fact that they are eating at a new restaurant?
Feel free to leave comments.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Let Me Tell You a Little Story, Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7wEa8YTGhM
Here's a song and some images about the Dad from my last story...look at what our Heavenly Daddy did for us. Amazing.
He has risen! He has risen indeed!
God bless you this easter. If you need a place to come to church you're more than welcome to come with me. I'd love to go with you.
Here's a song and some images about the Dad from my last story...look at what our Heavenly Daddy did for us. Amazing.
He has risen! He has risen indeed!
God bless you this easter. If you need a place to come to church you're more than welcome to come with me. I'd love to go with you.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Let Me Tell You a Little Story
Hey friends-
I wanna tell you this story that is pretty powerful and has changed my life.
There once was this Dad. He was a great Dad. Like most dads, he had a love for his kids that is bigger than his love for himself. You could basically call him the perfect Dad, he gave his kids so many wonderful things to do, places to see, the works, taking complete joy in seeing his kids happy; never asking for much in return but for his kids to just love him back.
Pretty little family huh? Well, you all know how kids are, these kids started being rotten. They wanted more things than their Dad gave them, and started drifting away from him. They wanted to find out everything for themselves, and not just trust in what their Dad told them. Of course, this broke their Dad's heart. He cried every day that he didn't get to talk to his kids. All he wanted was to chat with them, but they didn't even talk to him. Oh this is the kicker, the kids finally only started talking to their dad when they needed something, money, new things, etc. Their Dad was glad to hear from them, but he wanted more, craved more. He wanted them in their good times too, not just their needing times.
Then, one day, their Dad had to make one of the most difficult decisions ever. He learned that his children had a disease and unless he did something, his kids would die. Of course, he wanted to do whatever he possibly could to save his children from dying. He loved them with every fiber of his being. Even if they didn't really talk to him anymore, he didn't care. They were still his children, he was still their Dad. So after going to the doctor, he learned that he could have a specific surgery that would save the kids lives...
There's one catch...the surgery would kill him.
He was totally distraught...he was terrified actually. He begged to know if there was ANY other way he could save his kid's lives and heal them without having to die, but this was the only way. Well in this case, love was stronger than fear, so their Dad agreed that he'd do whatever he needed to do so that his children could live.
That very next day, the Dad was cut open, and he died, but his blood saved his children. They got the treatment, and were cured of their disease; forever having a piece of their Dad inside them. And without him, they wouldn't be alive.
Then, a medical miracle happened. The nurses had called a time of death, but for some unexplainable reason, the heart monitor started beeping again! Their Dad wasn't dead! Sometimes things happen that can't be explained, and this was one of them. But their Dad was living again! And the children were so touched by their Dad's sacrifice that they begged him to forgive them and they wanted to have a relationship with him again. This was the happiest day of their Dad's life.
This story sound familiar? The doctor is God, the Dad is Jesus, and we are the children who will surely die without the help of our dad, our HEAVENLY father who LOVES us more than anything in the entire world, and who ROSE AGAIN after being crucified to SAVE us from OUR disease, sin.
This Easter weekend, remember this story. Remember the love of our Heavenly Father. Imagine if you had to die to save someone's life? Do you love anyone enough to do that? Well Jesus did that for the whole world.
If you haven't talked to your Heavenly Daddy in a while, it's never too late to start talking to him. He LOVES you and would be the happiest Daddy ever if his children talked to him.
God Bless.
If you'd like to come to church this weekend for your first time, or if you haven't been in a while and are scared, call me or email me, I'd love to have a friend with me at Easter church :)
I wanna tell you this story that is pretty powerful and has changed my life.
There once was this Dad. He was a great Dad. Like most dads, he had a love for his kids that is bigger than his love for himself. You could basically call him the perfect Dad, he gave his kids so many wonderful things to do, places to see, the works, taking complete joy in seeing his kids happy; never asking for much in return but for his kids to just love him back.
Pretty little family huh? Well, you all know how kids are, these kids started being rotten. They wanted more things than their Dad gave them, and started drifting away from him. They wanted to find out everything for themselves, and not just trust in what their Dad told them. Of course, this broke their Dad's heart. He cried every day that he didn't get to talk to his kids. All he wanted was to chat with them, but they didn't even talk to him. Oh this is the kicker, the kids finally only started talking to their dad when they needed something, money, new things, etc. Their Dad was glad to hear from them, but he wanted more, craved more. He wanted them in their good times too, not just their needing times.
Then, one day, their Dad had to make one of the most difficult decisions ever. He learned that his children had a disease and unless he did something, his kids would die. Of course, he wanted to do whatever he possibly could to save his children from dying. He loved them with every fiber of his being. Even if they didn't really talk to him anymore, he didn't care. They were still his children, he was still their Dad. So after going to the doctor, he learned that he could have a specific surgery that would save the kids lives...
There's one catch...the surgery would kill him.
He was totally distraught...he was terrified actually. He begged to know if there was ANY other way he could save his kid's lives and heal them without having to die, but this was the only way. Well in this case, love was stronger than fear, so their Dad agreed that he'd do whatever he needed to do so that his children could live.
That very next day, the Dad was cut open, and he died, but his blood saved his children. They got the treatment, and were cured of their disease; forever having a piece of their Dad inside them. And without him, they wouldn't be alive.
Then, a medical miracle happened. The nurses had called a time of death, but for some unexplainable reason, the heart monitor started beeping again! Their Dad wasn't dead! Sometimes things happen that can't be explained, and this was one of them. But their Dad was living again! And the children were so touched by their Dad's sacrifice that they begged him to forgive them and they wanted to have a relationship with him again. This was the happiest day of their Dad's life.
This story sound familiar? The doctor is God, the Dad is Jesus, and we are the children who will surely die without the help of our dad, our HEAVENLY father who LOVES us more than anything in the entire world, and who ROSE AGAIN after being crucified to SAVE us from OUR disease, sin.
This Easter weekend, remember this story. Remember the love of our Heavenly Father. Imagine if you had to die to save someone's life? Do you love anyone enough to do that? Well Jesus did that for the whole world.
If you haven't talked to your Heavenly Daddy in a while, it's never too late to start talking to him. He LOVES you and would be the happiest Daddy ever if his children talked to him.
God Bless.
If you'd like to come to church this weekend for your first time, or if you haven't been in a while and are scared, call me or email me, I'd love to have a friend with me at Easter church :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Realization and Domination
Tonight, I tried that new Buffalo Wild Wings place.
I realize its not NEW NEW, but it's new to me so therefore, its that new place.
ANYWAY. I decided to be brave and order the next to hottest wing sauce they had there...WILD SAUCE (cue "wild thing" music...you know its playing in your head right now...don't lie to yourself). So needless to say, I had my challenge before me.
Here comes the realization part. And if you knew this and think less of me because of what I'm about to say, keep it to yourself, cause I'm really proud of this realization. And those of you who eat really hot wings truly understand the meaning of this. When you're eating wings so hot that you feel like hot sauce is coming out of your pores, your nose is running, and your eyes are on the verge of crying, what do you grab to give your inferno a break? Not your water, CELERY! I now understand why they give you celery with hot wings. SOMETHING about it cools your mouth down after a lava-esque hot wing. Don't judge me if you knew that already. Because I didn't. Let me have my moment. Thanks.
So now comes the domination part. I never knew that eating 8 wings could be so hard. I started off strong...chipping away at my challenge one wing at a time...making sure I had a methodological bite of celery in-between each wing so as to not melt my mouth off my face. Everything was fine til it came down to the last 2 wings. I had to literally give myself a pep-talk...and I had to talk to the wing too...thank God I was with a friend because if not, I could have been escorted out for talking to my food...and myself...at the same time. ANYWAY, I digress. I decided speed was the best strategy for these last two. So in a few swift bites, the last 2 wings were done. HOT WING DOMINATION.
Speed may have been the best choice for the short run...but might not have been the best strategy for the long term...Pepto Bismol anyone?
I realize its not NEW NEW, but it's new to me so therefore, its that new place.
ANYWAY. I decided to be brave and order the next to hottest wing sauce they had there...WILD SAUCE (cue "wild thing" music...you know its playing in your head right now...don't lie to yourself). So needless to say, I had my challenge before me.
Here comes the realization part. And if you knew this and think less of me because of what I'm about to say, keep it to yourself, cause I'm really proud of this realization. And those of you who eat really hot wings truly understand the meaning of this. When you're eating wings so hot that you feel like hot sauce is coming out of your pores, your nose is running, and your eyes are on the verge of crying, what do you grab to give your inferno a break? Not your water, CELERY! I now understand why they give you celery with hot wings. SOMETHING about it cools your mouth down after a lava-esque hot wing. Don't judge me if you knew that already. Because I didn't. Let me have my moment. Thanks.
So now comes the domination part. I never knew that eating 8 wings could be so hard. I started off strong...chipping away at my challenge one wing at a time...making sure I had a methodological bite of celery in-between each wing so as to not melt my mouth off my face. Everything was fine til it came down to the last 2 wings. I had to literally give myself a pep-talk...and I had to talk to the wing too...thank God I was with a friend because if not, I could have been escorted out for talking to my food...and myself...at the same time. ANYWAY, I digress. I decided speed was the best strategy for these last two. So in a few swift bites, the last 2 wings were done. HOT WING DOMINATION.
Speed may have been the best choice for the short run...but might not have been the best strategy for the long term...Pepto Bismol anyone?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A Little Bit Goes a Long Way
The title of this article basically sums up the happenings of my day today.
To start the day off, a happy little tune was played on my phone at 6am as a sign that I needed to wake up. However, this happy song sounded like a death song due to the fact that I had gone to bed at 1:30am, what only felt like minutes before. I was dreading the fact that I had so much to do today, and was sure that my little bit of sleep would not last me long.
Then, I had a small breakfast...which was a HUGE problem. Hunger for me is like a perpetual itch...it's always there, it's annoying, and I constantly want to do something to make it go away. So I knew my little breakfast would not go a long way.
Next, I had just a little bit of time to shoot my entire journalism story. I'm reporting about an event that happened on campus today and today only, so the pressure was on. Now don't get me wrong, I was totally completely 100% in favor of skipping class to film my story, but I don't know how much my Spanish professors would love that. So hello pressure. I feared that my little bit of time that I had to shoot my story wouldn't be enough to get everything done. My plan of attack was to get in, shoot my video, talk to a couple people, and get out of there as fast as I could.
So I take on the day full speed ahead, and Jesus totally rocked my world today.
First, I've had enough energy today to shoot video for two hours before class, attend and participate in two classes, shoot video for another hour after class, begin editing, AND attend my jazzercise class. My little bit of sleep = went a VERY long way.
Second, I interviewed some gentlemen from a booth at the event on campus today, and they gave me a free bag of the home-made kettle corn they were selling. My grumbling stomach was settled when those nice gentlemen gave me a snack after our interview. Little bit of food = long way.
Third, today was the most productive video shoot I've ever had. I shot about 15 minutes of background video, as well as 5 interviews, AND my reporter standup...all in three hours. I went to my shoot with no plan, no clue as to how my story was going to unfold, and it wound up growing into a story that completely touched my heart. (You'll see it once it's finished!) So again, my little bit of planning and my little bit of time on the shoot = REALLY went a long way.
But what I think was most touching about today, was a compliment I got from one of the gentlemen I interviewed today. Unlike some other interviews I've done, today I took the time to really get to know this family before I shot. We shared some laughs and I saw through a little window into what this family's life is like. After the interview, one of the gentlemen thanked me for being so nice to them. He explained to me that other news media in the past has been very cold with him and just got what they needed and left, and that he really appreciated my being so nice to them. That really touched me, because my little bit of time spent getting to know their family went a long way with them, and made them happier. When I left them after a fun shoot, the Dad said "Thank you so much! God Bless!" That went a long way with me.
The Lord took all of my little things, and grew them into big things that when all put together, made for one HUGE day!
Don't underestimate the way God can take all of your worries and make everything okay. Remember that all of your little things can be used for the greater good of others.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Spring Fever
People around these parts always say...if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes and it'll change. That statement is completely true. Last week I was wearing my big coat one day, and lathering up by the pool by the end of the week. What's up with that SC??
When its freezing cold outside and rainy and miserable, I don't mind being stuck inside all day. In fact, I prefer it. It's those kinds of days where you want to stay inside more than anything in the world. Imagine...hot chocolate...fireplace...a good book...and snuggling. Perfect! Too bad this little scenario goes flying out the window as soon as one ounce of warmth comes around. We here in the South are so obsessed with Spring coming around that we almost force ourselves into Spring mode before its necessarily appropriate. For example, I went to one of Carolina's first baseball games of the season. It was gorgeous out...sunny, 63 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. It was then that I started getting my first symptoms of Spring fever. I wore a tanktop, jeans, and flip flops. The sun was so intense that I even got a hint of a tan line...talk about THRILLED! Too bad that the second the sun started going down in about the fifth inning, the temperature dropped RADICALLY...leaving me with goosebumps the size of peas all over my skin. Case and point of forced Spring mode. I believe it snowed again that next weekend. We live in a weird state...
I've also noticed that temperature is completely relative. That particular day at the baseball game, 63 degrees and sunshine was heavenly. However, this past Friday, my roommate and I tried to force Spring mode again by laying out by the pool in the cloudy weather. No matter how hard we wished, those clouds weren't budging. It was kind of like they were laughing at us every time the wind blew..."Haha stupid humans you aren't getting sunshine today!" Anyway...that day it was 69 degrees out and I distinctly remember my roommate saying, "oh my gah its SO FREEZING!"...when the weeks before we were reveling in the 63 degree day in our flip flops and tank tops. Weather is an interesting thing.
Anyway, I say all this to say that my Spring fever is in full swing as of this week. No clouds and 75 degrees or higher every day. It's torture sitting in class and work when all I wanna do is go outside. It will take all the strength I have to not skip class and work to be by that pool. God help me. Four weeks til Summer break. Do I hear angels singing?
It's been a long time!
Hello blog world...
It's currently 1:32am...so this entry will not have much (or any) thought put into it at all.
I made this blog site a few years back for an assignment, and tonight I decided I'd bring it back to life.
A couple people have asked me, "You have a blog? What are you going to blog about?" And my answer to you people who ask this is...ANYTHING!
I have no plan, no goals, no nothing to achieve when it comes to this blog. Just simply that I can get my thoughts out and share them with you fine people. All 33 of you who looked at my blog posts between 2008 and now...guess I'm going to have to work on some readers.
ANYWAY. It is now 1:35am (I wasn't kidding about the no thought into this post thing...) and so I think I shall go to bed.
More to come soon!
-ST
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