Happy Valentine's Day!

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10

I'm reading Habakkuk and have been studying it in depth for several days now. It's a very interesting book!

satisfaction

"I want you to be all mine. I am weaning you from your other dependencies. Your security rests in Me alone -- not in other people, not in circumstances." - Jesus Calling


"The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
Deuteronomy 33:27

His will

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord"
-Isaiah 55:8

Do you ever want something so badly that you decide it must be meant for you? I have and it's so rediculous that I just go out and plan my own day and my own will when I know that God's plan for me is so much better than my plans for me. God knows what is best for us because He created us.

I have to trust Him with my life even thought at times I really don't want to. At times, I think I know what is best for me, but I don't know my future, God knows my future, and He has better in store for me. That is what the Bible tells us and that I have to trust.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

trust

If we trust God with our lives then -and only then - we will have peace.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ"
Philipians 4:7

and the worst part is

before it gets any better we're headed for a cliff,
but in the freefall i will realize I'm better off when I hit the bottom
-paramore

rhetorical questions

It's so easy to think negatively. It's so easy to say life is terrible. And it's so easy to ask "why me?" I know I've asked that many times. But really, were we expecting life to be perfect? Were we expecting things to be easy?
Even Jesus suffered and He had a completely sinless life.

1 Peter verses 18-24 says
"Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when ou sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR YOU, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He commited no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he sufferend, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."


There is sin in the world and that makes life hard, but Jesus gave us so much to be happy about. There is no use being upset because life is hard. How will that make things better anyway?

new beginnings

So, I know, I start this like four days ago and already I haven't written every day. Oops. Things have been a little hectic around here. I found out some tentative, but still upsetting news and I just didn't feel much like writing, to be honest.
Today, my mom is super sick... (we're hoping it's not some type of the flu, but it's a 24 hr virus) and to make things a little more interesting the power blew. I'm not sure what happened, but it was our house and a few houses around us. It was out for a good thirty minutes at least. My mom was fortunately feeling a little better at that time and we lit candles all around the house. Candles are soothing so it was probably a good thing for her.
I'm doing this 2000 peice puzzle and today as I was packing (I'm going back to Huntsville tomorrow) I realized that I was nowhere near finished with it and I was hoping to be finished before I went back so I did that for a while and got a bit done but still am nowhere near finished. I'll never be able to finish it anyway before Skylar chewed up like four peices beyond recognition. It's like every time I work on it a couple of peices get knocked on the floor and I can't see them because they blend in with the carpet. Well, Skylar finds them like she's on a easter egg hunt and tries to eat them. Fortunately I've caught her before she has actually swallowed any (I hope at least...)

Okay, so quotes of the day starting with the 9th.

From Jesus Calling (see previous blog entries for details),
"One of the main ways I assert My sovereignty is in the timing of events" (p. 10)

January 10, 2010
"For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also."
-Matthew 6:21

January 11, 2010 (today)
From Jesus Calling,
"If you keep on stating your concrens to Me, you will live in a state of tension. When you thank Me for how I am answering your prayers, your mind-set becomes much more positive. Thankful prayers keep your focus on My Presence and My promises." (p 12)

and

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
-Colossians 4:2

Praise the Lord for His constant presence. Amen.