Thinkin'
I've been thinkin' a whole lot this past month. It's been a reallyy rough month. In fact, it's been a rough year. But it's been so good as well. Sometimes the toughest times are our best times. Que the word "sometimes"...
But I really mean it! my 19th year was the toughest, but BEST year of my life! I learned so many important lessons because of the trials, and those lessons bless my life every day. Find joy in the journey, even when our path winds through high mountains and thick fog...even when the altitude is so high we feel like we can't breath anymore. I say this for myself, because I need it right now. I have no idea what the future looks like, ZIP ZERO ZILCH. I have no idea what is going to happen in the next few months, the next few years...my path has come to a fork in the road and now I must decided. I must take a step into the darkness and have complete faith that He has a plan, that He is aware, and that He will not abandon me. It's easier said than done, but I want with my whole soul to empty myself of selfishness and disbelief and turn my will over to His.
I know that when we are willing to give up what we want for the will of God, for the building of His kingdom, He will bless us. He will help us if we will but go to Him and ask for His help. He is ready and willing, but we must first take that step into the darkness. When we don't know what is going to happen yet we press forward anyways, that's called faith. Faith in Him can allow us to experience TRUE JOY, even our situation remains bleak or we cannot see what will happen next. True, eternal joy--not temporary happiness--is only available through our Savior Jesus Christ. If we are obedient, it is because of Him that we can be happy even when our situation is less than ideal. Because of Him, all will eventually be well. Because of Him, we can receive comfort at all times, in all situations. Because of Him, we can all overcome the sadness of this world. Because of Him, we can all overcome death. Because of Him, I can hope in this life, and in the world to come.
Have Faith in the Lord, not faith in the outcome.
Philippians 2:1-16 (NRSV)
But I really mean it! my 19th year was the toughest, but BEST year of my life! I learned so many important lessons because of the trials, and those lessons bless my life every day. Find joy in the journey, even when our path winds through high mountains and thick fog...even when the altitude is so high we feel like we can't breath anymore. I say this for myself, because I need it right now. I have no idea what the future looks like, ZIP ZERO ZILCH. I have no idea what is going to happen in the next few months, the next few years...my path has come to a fork in the road and now I must decided. I must take a step into the darkness and have complete faith that He has a plan, that He is aware, and that He will not abandon me. It's easier said than done, but I want with my whole soul to empty myself of selfishness and disbelief and turn my will over to His.
I know that when we are willing to give up what we want for the will of God, for the building of His kingdom, He will bless us. He will help us if we will but go to Him and ask for His help. He is ready and willing, but we must first take that step into the darkness. When we don't know what is going to happen yet we press forward anyways, that's called faith. Faith in Him can allow us to experience TRUE JOY, even our situation remains bleak or we cannot see what will happen next. True, eternal joy--not temporary happiness--is only available through our Savior Jesus Christ. If we are obedient, it is because of Him that we can be happy even when our situation is less than ideal. Because of Him, all will eventually be well. Because of Him, we can receive comfort at all times, in all situations. Because of Him, we can all overcome the sadness of this world. Because of Him, we can all overcome death. Because of Him, I can hope in this life, and in the world to come.
Have Faith in the Lord, not faith in the outcome.
Philippians 2:1-16 (NRSV)
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
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