The Storms of Life

Hello all you wonderful people. Well, it's me again, writing another blog update on this beautiful day God has made. After the past few days of nasty weather, it is a very nice change. Being in the middle of the most recent storms, seeing how many homes where destroyed, how many lives were lost, It made me think about our own personal "storms" we go through in our lives.  
Sometimes when situations seem so grim, we often question. "Where is God in the middle of all of this chaos?" Truth is simple. He is right there. He never left, and never will forsake us. Often times it is our own selfish spirit that has gone away from Him. I think that part of the problem, is that we are not prepared for the storms when they do come. When things are going great in our lives, and the days pass by smoothly, these are the times when we are most "prone to wander." Then when something happens, we turn to God. But our relationship with Him should be so much more than just a lifeline when times get tough and seem unbearable. If we are daily walking in His truths and staying within His will, He is going to help us be ready to fend off the devil, and the temptation to lose hope in bad situations. When someone has hurt you or done something you think is wrong, who do we usually go to first? If you're like me, you probably send a text to your best friend, or call them with the latest news of your eventful life. Well, that's what friends are for right? This is true. Which is why our relationship with God should be much like that of our best friend. He desires to have that deep, intimate relationship with you. He wants to hear what you have to say. Whether you think your problem is just too inferior for God, or that He doesn't care because He has "bigger" problems to deal with, know this. He cares about every single detail  of your life. He created you. You are His prize. He adores you, and always wants what's best for you. There is nothing you have been through, however big or small, that God Himself has not endured. He understands your hurt and pain. He wants you to pour out your heart to Him. Just make sure that it is a DAILY thing, not just something you do when things aren't going your way.
If you are going through a rough time in your life right now, know that God is waiting for you to come to Him, to rest in His arms and find true peace. If you're not, and things are great in your life at the moment, take time today to thank God for the time of peace, for the things He has blessed you with, and ask Him to continue to grow and strengthen you, so that you will be prepared when the "storm" hits. 


"What if your blessings come through raindrops.
What if Your healing comes through tears.
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near.
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise."

I'm Letting Go

Well, here I am up late/early again. I realized that it has been exactly 2 months since I've made a blog post, so I figured it's about time.

First off, I just wanted to say a few words about my TV show obsession. For those of you who know me, know that I have been an American Idol fan since season 1. It has become a family tradition of sorts. Every Wednesday and Thursday night, that's where you'll find us. Sitting in front of the tv, glued to the screen (and me trying to block out the loud ramblings from my sisters, bird chirping and dog barking so that I can actually hear the performances.) Let me just say, that this season, I will be voting for Scotty McCreery to the top. I absolutely love his Josh Turner style voice and humble personality. (If you haven't heard him, please go look him up on YouTube.) :) On the other hand, It's a tight competition this year, because everyone is just so good! BTW: I don't see what America sees in Paul. He...needs to go. I know he has a great smile and everything, but that doesn't make him "American Idol material". Just sayin.

Anyways, enough of that. :)

So lately I have had this major sweet tooth. I don't know why, but it's like everytime I see a Hershey's white chocolate bar, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, or cheesecake, It just calls my name. And it is so not healthy. SO much for all the workouts I've been doing. Blah.
I just realized that was really random and fairly unimportant, but hey, it's part of my life so, I guess that's what blog posts are for right?. :)

Referring to the title of this post, this is something that I am really trying to work on. It's only human nature to want to hold on to things and try to figure them out on your own; doing what you think is right for you. But it's just not goin to work. I have tried doing my "own thing" in the past, and it just ends up in epic failure, and me realizing I was stupid for not listening to God in the first place.
I recently heard a song on the radio that really spoke to me.
These are a few words from the song:

"Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
And we doubt your goodness, We doubt your love
As if every promise from your Word is not enough."

This is exactly how I feel sometimes. Like I am in some ways doubting the Lord, and why He allows certain things to happen, when maybe I had hoped they would have taken another turn. The more I think about it, the crazier the idea becomes to me. Because truthfully, unbelief should be a foreign concept to us as Christians. God has given me no reason to doubt him. He made us, He made everything around us, and He made even the smallest wonders that continue to blow my mind every day. SO I'm pretty positive that He knows what He is doing. It's just a matter of whether or not we are willing to completely sacrifice and surrender our man-made thoughts, dreams, and desires in exchange for the amazing things He has in store for us. Something so much more incredible than what we can even imagine.
With so many things I have been thinking about lately: What classes i need to take next semester, getting through the current semester, which school God wants me to transfer to and when, and what my career might look like with my "unusual" degree. I am a worrier. But i know i shouldn't be, because in my heart I know,  that at the right time, He is going to reveal all of that to me. It's a matter of faithful prayer and listening ears on my part.
I've got to just let go of everything, and let God's heart and His desires, become my own.

Time to call it a night/early morning.

Don't forget to encourage someone today. :)

xoxo