So let's be honest,

This past semester has been spiritually rough on me. I can't place my finger on exactly where I began struggling, but struggled I did. I think I started out the semester already a little shaky, spiritually that is, and as the semester went on it got even harder on me.

Anyway, for Christmas I asked for a new Bible, like a journaling Bible kind of deal because I love to take notes in the margins of my Bible. I love to write down my thoughts or something I hear in a sermon that just really speaks to me right in the margin of my Bible so when I look at it later I am like "oh, yeah, I remember that and I still think it's cool!" haha. It sounds silly like that, but it's true! So I got this new Bible for Christmas, but my parents also gave me a devotional called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.

I had already realized at this point that my walk with the Lord was a little off track and I knew that I wasn't happy with where my life was going. I knew that I needed the Lord to be the core of my life and that's kind of how what lead me in the direction I am in now.

A lot of times I just forget to trust the Lord. It's like "oh, I'm not feeling Your presence like I used to? well, I guess I'm gonna listen to my own voice then" which is not something I have physically said, but more of a subconscience thing. Still, the next thing I know I'm living for myself and wondering why I am not happy.

Also, a lot of times I'm so negative about everything. I'm so quick to jump to conclusions and to see the glass as "half empty". It's easy to do.

Okay, so the point of all this though? I have been reading this devotional book that I got for Christmas along with the Bible I got for Christmas and there's always at least one quote I find that really just speaks to me that day.

So it got me thinking, surely if this quote is something that helps me through my day it will help others through their day. Which got me started thinking about this blog I am trying to write. Ever since I started it I have been thinking "I just don't know what to write about," but today I thought to myself what if I wrote my daily quote in this blog?

So that's what I am going to do :) Feel free to express your opinions by comment also.

So what spoke to me today?

"For He has not depised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and He has not hidden His face from him, but has heard, when he cried to Him." Psalm 22:24

This quote just really spoke to me because it's so easy to think that you're life sucks because of this or that and nobody cares. But the Lord really does here our cries which is why we should "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Jesus christ for you"
1 Thessalonians 5:18.
If we remember to constantly thank God for all that He has given us (which is a lot. If you don't think so, get over yourself and look around you! Just to be bluntly honest....) we will remember all the wonders God has given us. I think this will also make us feel joyful to be a follower of the Lord and to trust Him even when it feels like everything is falling apart.

I would encourage you to also read the whole chapter of Psalm 22 because I did and it just really touched my heart today.

-art