Blessings of Choice

The power of choice is an incredible blessing! Each day we will come across things that have the potential to make the day great or terrible. By choosing to focus on the good things we can make each day a blessing not only to ourselves but to others.
A few semesters ago, Mom came across a Reader’s Digest article that had done an experiment with three different groups. They told the first group to focus only on the bad things that happened to them during the day. The next group they told to focus on the events and details, for example, the lady wearing a pink dress, the time of day and so on and so forth. The last group they told to focus only on the good things.
Oddly enough the results turned out about how common sense would dictate. Those who focused on the bad were generally in a bad mood and not very pleasant to be around. Those who focused on the events were generally about as happy as the direction of the events—if things were to their liking they were happy, if they weren’t they were not. Those who focused on the good things were generally happy and pleasant to be around.
Their focus determined their mood and their choices determined their focus. What a blessing to know that we are not a victim of circumstances we can choose to be joyful and see the good in everything we come across. Now this is not always the easy choice, nor is it always the obvious choice, but it is a blessing to us and those around us when we do make the choice.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

A Father's Love

   I was just looking at pictures of a beautiful newborn on Facebook, and was reading a little while ago in Isaiah where God was talking to the remnant of Israel. He said, "you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
   The passage was obviously speaking about a specific period in time and to specific people but the principle remains. God is with us even in our conception. In a psalm David said, "You knit me together in my mother's womb." I read verses like these and I wonder how abortion has ever been even spoken of in our society let alone legalized. It is a terrible travesty to human life, and something that doesn't need to be passed off so lightly as a "woman's right to choose." No one else gets to choose without penalty to end a life, why should a mother?
   On the brighter side of these verses we see the love God has for each one of us. He consistently demonstrates that love for us in so many different ways. I can look at a sunset or a mountaintop and see the beauty God surrounds us with. I read His Word and can come to no other conclusion than He loves us more than we can fathom. I spend time with the family He has given me and continue to see His love. It is everywhere and abundant, and we are truly blessed. May we live a life honoring the One who loves us so, and seek the ways we can love as He loves.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16 (NIV)

Count Blessings, Change Perspective

  Helen Keller once said, "Life is either a daring adventure or it's nothing." What a great thought! And this coming from a woman who lost both her ability to see and to hear. She overcame the odds and did not listen to the excuses she could have used.
   Sometimes it's easy to get focused on what we are going through in the moment and we forget to see the bigger picture and to count our blessings. How blessed we are though! It amazes me how remembering the good things God has blessed me with can change my whole perspective on life. There are moments when I just want to wallow in my self-pity. And there are times I do wallow. It's amazing how miserable I feel during those moments. What amazes me even more is what happens when I start being thankful for things, even if I don't feel like being thankful at that moment. That small change in attitude though can make the whole difference in my day, and is a wonderful blessing.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~Philippians 4:6

Press On!

   How are things going right now for you? Are they everything you ever hoped for or are they slightly disappointing because you were hoping they would turn out differently?
   Dad and I have been talking a lot lately about paying the dues. In order to do the things we have always dreamed about we have to put something into it, and many times it requires us to do things now as a down payment for our future happiness.
   I like to think of it as short term consequences for the long term benefits. It helps to keep things in perspective for me. I love the passage in Galatians that tells us we will receive the harvest at the proper time if we do not give up. I was reading a book called Good to Great that talks about the flywheel effect. The concept is that things take a long time sometimes to get going. To make one turn on the flywheel can take weeks, months, and even years, but the next turn goes much faster and the next even faster and pretty soon its going quickly and steadily.
   It's easy sometimes to want to give up on things, and there are definitely times where that is appropriate. That book talked as much about not doing the wrong things as doing the right things, but when there is a situation that you know is right, keep praying, keep studying, keep pressing on! Don't give up! Success may be just around the corner. It may not, but can you imagine what life would be like if Edison had given up because success hadn't been around the next corner but hundreds later. The task may seem daunting, but if it is worthy it is worth your efforts.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." ~Galatians 6:9,10

Today

   I was looking at different things on Facebook and I ran across the quote: "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." I don't know who said it but it seemed very accurate with the way life happens. It's easy just to let life happen to you instead of taking it and doing something with it. There is a great idea from the movie The Dead Poet's Society where the teacher talks about "sucking the marrow out of life." I love quotes like that. They make me want to go and change the world. The crazy thing is that those thoughts usually last for a short while and then life starts happening again without doing much with it.
   We're not promised tomorrow, but we can do so much with today. I keep thinking that we can accomplish so much more if we are willing to give our best to God. There's a verse in Colossians that tells us to work as if working for the Lord and not for men. The reality of that is we are working for the Lord. Each day we live is a day in service to Him. I know there are more than a few of my days that didn't look much like service, but if I use those to teach me the lessons I can learn and keep striving to build so that my days are what they need to be even the wasted days can have a purpose to them. So what will we do with today?

"This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalm 118:24

What is Your definition of success?

   Are you a success? When you look back at the things you have done in your life and where you are now, do you think of success or failure? What is the standard you use to determine your verdict? The standard we use will make all the difference in the way we view our circumstances.
   I've mentioned John Wooden before, and would like to mention his definition of success which was, "Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result from doing the best you were capable of doing." I think he was onto something there because I think too often it is easy to think of success in terms of what the people around us think about us rather than what we think about ourselves. We can take this a step further and say that success is the peace of mind which comes from following God's Word to the best of our abilities.
   Success does not lie in people's opinions. It lies in the adherence to the principles that God laid out for us to follow, and when we do, while life may not always be exactly as we had imagined, the blessings that come from it are incredible.
   Are you a success on God's terms or on the world's terms? Which is more important to you?

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." ~Hebrews 11:6

Plant Good Seed

   The greatest tragedy in America was when the public started divorcing itself from the Lord Almighty. When Americans thought they could start living life without God as its Head things began to fall apart, and America is beginning to see what the spirit of depravity described in the first chapter of Romans really means. Some of the things that go on nowadays are so sick and twisted its embarassing to even mention them. If we aren't careful we can begin to despair about these things because what can we do? I doubt very seriously any of the readers of this blog have any political power to make change from the top down.
   The wonderful thing is the change rarely occurs from the top down, but rather from the bottom up. You don't change the tree by duct taping different kinds of fruit on it. You change it by uprooting the bad and planting the right seed. The same is true for America. We may never have influence on more than a few people, but if we can help those few people then we have done our part and if they do their part and the next do their part, pretty soon you have something.
   To borrow the question from today's sermon, "So what is it we need to know?" I think the first and most important is to understand that America in many ways has ceased to be good. We cannot live any way we want and expect God's blessings. We cannot call evil good and good evil and expect our Heavenly Father to be pleased. If we have been guilty of trangressing or condoning this behavior we need to repent of it. (Be baptized if we have not had our sins washed away and been added to the Lord's church.)
   We need to restore God to His rightful place in society, but first in our own lives if He isn't where He needs to be. We also need to realize that life works well when God is first in our lives. That doesn't mean that bad things never happen to good people. It simply means that we were designed to worship our God, and to conduct ourselves in a manner befitting His Kingdom, and when we don't we are defying the natural order of things. However if we can put God back where He belongs and help others to do the same, I believe the rewards will be worth anything we could possibly go through in this lifetime.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
~ Matthew 6:33

The Joys of Friendship

  I love seeing the effects of people in my life. Sometimes I don't even realize it until a lot of time has passed, but the people we are around on a daily basis mold and shape our lives. Which makes it important not only to choose your friends wisely, but also to be the friend you want to be around.
   I got to spend time tonight with my roommate and best friend from college. (haha I specify cuz my little sister is like my best friend too so she would be the one from Happy.) I still remember getting to college and praying that I would find a good friend. I didn't really think I needed one too badly at the time, but I remember Mom saying something about not having very many close friends that were girls in college and at times she felt like she missed out so I figured I would pray about it and if God said yes that was great and if He said no I wasn't too worried. I had no idea the magnitude of that prayer, more accurately the magnitude of God's answering that prayer.
   She was exactly what I didn't know I needed. We both have grown a lot since our first Sonic run where we discovered how much we had in common. Our lives are now at somewhat different points with her about to be married and me still happily single, and yet we never seem to run out of things to talk about.
   I have been blessed my whole life with good friends. They started in Wyoming, then I had (have) great ones from high school and continue to have great ones from college and beyond both guys and girls of all different ages. This summer has been kind of different with being out of college, but it has allowed me to be around so many different people and has allowed me opportunities I might not have had otherwise.
   If I were to take out the people and just mention all the facts about this summer, my situation in life could look a little depressing, but when the people are added in the whole situation brightens up. God knew it wasn't good for us to be alone, and from the very beginning has brought just the right people into each of our lives. That doesn't mean people don't disappoint or that we won't disappoint them, but it is a great blessing that each of us are given. It's also one that isn't always seen readily. Sometimes we have to cultivate friendships, and wait for others to develop before the true joy is seen in them.

"I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who follow Your precepts." ~ Psalm 119:63

Is it True?

   The lesson tonight was on seeking the truth. Such an important thought because there are times where it is so much easier just to listen to what people say and take them at their word rather than making sure it is accurate. One of the things I have appreciated the most about Dad as he preaches are his frequent remarks not simply to take him at his word but to check him on it and make sure what he says is in accordance with God's Word.
   I think this is one of the most important things we can do not only for ourselves but for the well being of the church. It's not the idea that we don't trust whoever is speaking, but rather that they are human too and if they have made a mistake concerning the accurate handling of the Bible they need to know.
  The same is true with my writings. I think about a lot of different things and normally think through many different scenarios, but even in this I could accidentally take things out of context or something like that, and so while I strive to be accurate in everything I do I could be mistaken.
   The point with all of this is that people should never be our standard in the way we live our lives. Not that we can't have people we look up to, but rather we shouldn't judge whether or not we do something based on what they do solely, but rather on what the Word of God says. The wonderful thing is that there is truth, and we are told if we seek we will find which gives me great comfort! :]

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." ~ Acts 17:11

Catch Happiness

"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." ~Benjamin Franklin

I love this idea about happiness. We were talking in our devo tonight about attitude and how its a choice. What a freeing thought: we are not controlled by our circumstances, but rather we get to choose how we will react to any and every situation. One of the girls brought up the verse "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." I love that verse because it reminds me to look for the purpose in whatever I am doing. I'm convinced that the more we see the purpose in things the easier it is not only to deal with them, but to move forward.

Happiness is something that sometimes must be fought for, but can make such a difference in the way we react to and handle whatever life throws at us.

Windshields and Rear View Mirrors

  Hypocrisy is a plague that hits us all at some point or another. One that we must strive to overcome. I know from writing in my journals and then reading them later that I am still not the woman that I want to be, but I have not lost hope because I am moving in that direction.
   Something I'm learning, slowly, is that this life is a journey, it's a process. There will be days maybe even months or years that if we look back on we can say, "yeah, that's what I have been praying and striving to become." Then there are other times where we would really rather people not remember because we don't even want to remember them ourselves whether it be from sin in our lives or just simply difficult times. However the things of the past are just that. They are fact and unchangeable whether we look upon them with fondness and a sense of accomplishment or whether we look on them with twinges of regret or pain, they are what they are.
   So what do we do with it?
I drive a lot during the summers going back and forth for my lawn business. Something I love about cars is the size of the windshield in comparison to the size of the rear and side view mirrors. It reminds me of life. As we move forward using today to build our futures our present is a lot like the windshield, and our past combined with others' wisdom is like the rear and side view mirrors. Have you ever leaned forward against the steering wheel so that the view from those mirrors is blocked? You essentially handicap yourself of knowing what is coming up behind you.
   The thing I love about our past experiences and the past experiences of others is the wisdom that comes from it to help us with what is coming up ahead in our lives. It's not that the past is spotless and that there are no regrets or difficult moments. The times where sin was present leaves regrets. Paul understood better than many people the beauty of God's grace and yet if he could have gone back and taken back some of the things he had done in his early years, I'm betting he would have done it in a heartbeat. Since he couldn't however, he used even his weaknesses to help draw people closer to the kingdom of heaven.
   Next time you're driving though think about your own life. When you lean forward so that you can no longer see what is behind you think about how much of an asset you are cutting out, and as you lean backward and can once again see those things and how being able to see what is coming up from behind allows you to make simple adjustments where trying to do it without it could be dangerous and harmful. Then think about your own life. How do the things from your past allow you to deal better with present situations? Can you use those things to help someone who is going through a similar situation?
   If you will allow me just a little more of your time, I would also encourage you to think of these same things with America and its history. Think about the principles we were founded on. If you don't know the history, go back to the writings of the founders. I have learned more about the founders, their principles and their faith in God in this summer and last than I had going through school. It's incredible how building a nation upon God worked while taking God out of the nation or at least as far from the public eye as possible has proved to be disastrous. It's something to think about anyway.

"let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-" ~Proverbs 1:5 (NIV)

Goals' Hinderances or Opportunities?

   When people talk about setting goals and reaching their dreams, many times they encourage you not to focus on the things that can keep you from reaching them. This can be great advice. At times though I think its good to stop and think about the things that might be detaining you in your desire to reach your goals because it can allow you to trouble shoot or discover if there is something that is a necessary hindrance.
   A lot of people have told me their dreams and their plans for their life. Some of them are extremely ambitious, and I think they can reach them if they set their minds to it. Often though I get concerned for them if they were to actually reach their goal, and its not because I don't want them to succeed. Rather it's the idea that often times success comes at the price of depreciation to the spiritual life. This has been something that has concerned me in my own life, and maybe in ways held me back physically, but I believe the physical trade-off is definately worth it.
   I think about this too, if I can see this in other people's lives and in my own can't God see this even more clearly in my own.There are times in my life when I really feel like I need to be doing something and it doesn't work out, or maybe sometimes I just really want it. I remember back in high school I really wanted to go to state in basketball, and our team never made it out of regionals. We can all lament over things that didn't work out in our lives, and sometimes we need to grieve so that we can heal, but we also need to see the opportunities and the blessings that can arise as a result of things not working out our way. It might simply be a distractor to try to keep us from persevering, but it also might be that God simply has different plans for our lives. I don't think we have to worry about knowing the difference. God is quite capable of showing us His will if we but ask for it. I think it is a matter of perspective though. Will we choose to have the right perspective regardless of the circumstances to make the most of it?

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him." ~1 John 5:14-15

It Starts with Us

I was reading a book called "The 5000 Year Leap" about the founding of the nation. It talked about us being patterned after what was called People's Law. As I was reading the characteristics of this People's Law one really stuck out to me. It said, "Primary responsibility for resolving problems rested first of all with the individual, then the family, then the tribe or community, then the region, and finally, the nation." What impressed me the most about the statement was that the primary responsibility in resolving problems lies with the individual. How easy is it to see a problem and look to someone else to fix it? But this said that I had the main responsibility for fixing the problem. Too often though I look at myself as just one person and underplay the potential effect I could have on people. True everything I say could just be overlooked and nobody ever notice, but what if it was my part that God was counting on to be the spark to call people to action? Alone I can do so little, but I am not alone when I go to God, who is in control.


Can you imagine how much could be accomplished if each one of us did our part? The more I read the Bible the more I see God's love for us, and how wonderful a life we could each have if we would just follow His commands. He gives us all the answers to all of our problems if we are willing to search for them. The problem is, it is easy to get lazy or just plain busy and not look for His answers or to just expect someone else to give them to us, but if we are not searching for ourselves we will never know if they are giving us the truth or not. Even the best- intentioned person could give us the wrong information, which makes it so important to be reading God's Word constantly to see if what we are doing and what we are hearing is right.

You want to know why America is in such a wreck today? Its because we as individuals have stopped standing up for the truth. We have given our country over to the loud minorities. We stopped calling wrong, wrong and right, right, and have sent the majority into silence, to the point where when we speak up against those who kill babies we are looked at in disgust, and how dare we say something bad about homosexuality (which God Himself considers perverse!). We have got to get back to the Bible, to start praying once again for our nation, our leaders, for ourselves that we might live the type of life that God will be pleased with... Big things don't usually start out big. They are usually the cumulation of all the little things over a period of time, and if we each do our part we can create something great especially when we call upon the Lord to help us in our weaknesses and to make us the most effective tools for our service to Him.
 
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." ~Romans 12:21

Dare to Seek the Good

   When you think of the hardest thing you have ever gone through in your life, what do you think of? What is your story? Who helped you get through it? Do you still think about it often? What emotions come with it: sadness, anger, happiness, sweet memories, bitterness? Are you better for it?
   
    Some of the people I admire the most are those who have gone through great struggles and have overcome. Some of the people I pity the most are those who have gone through great struggles and became a victim of circumstance. I think it's like watching a chick flick~ you want and expect the couple to fall in love and wind up together... to beat the odds and make it work. If on those rare occasions you find one where they don't, you feel like you have been cheated out of an hour and a half of your life, and have this empty feeling like something should have happened but didn't.
   Now in saying this I don't mean to insinuate that there is not a healing period or that there will never be down moments, but if we allow ourselves to live in the down moments and don't press forward we cheat not only ourselves but others out of the great opportunities every great challenge brings along with it.
   I love that verse that talks about God working all things out for the good of those who love Him because it gives great hope in the fact that if we are living for Him, He is going to make sure that everything works out for the good.... No matter how terrible it may seem at the time. I think this allows us to see more readily the opportunities before us, to use our struggles to help others, sometimes even ourselves when we run across similar situations in life. Dare to see the good in every situation!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28
  
  

enjoy these moments

   There was a young man who was never very patient with his present circumstances. One day a lady gave him a magic ball with a string. Every time he pulled the string time would pass. He could pull it out a little bit, for as small of an amount of time as a few seconds, or a lot, for months or years to pass. The only stipulation was once he pulled it out he could not go back in time.
   He came to a stop light shortly after he had received it and decided to see if it would work. He pulled it out a tiny bit and sure enough the light was instantly green and he was driving again. The next day he was sitting in class bored by the teacher, remembering the ball he pulled it out gave the string a tug and class was then over. As different things came up in his life he found himself using the ball more and more. Soon he was graduated, married and had children. Even with these things he would find himself unsatisfied and pulled the string so that his kids were a little older, than graduated and married themselves. He finally got closer to the end of his life and realized he hadn't really lived any of it. When times got tough he just pulled the string to make the hard times go away. What he realized was that the every day things were what gave meaning to life, and he had simply let them all go by in pursuit of the "big" things. He found out the hard way that the easy life doesn't have much purpose and that it is the everyday challenges that give life flavor and purpose.
   My friend read me that story about a year ago, and it gave me a great mental picture of the true blessing of contentment in our lives. It's so easy to wish away the present in pursuit of something better, and while we never want to grow complacent, to simply wish away all the everyday moments of life in order to get to the really good parts is essentially to wish away the really good parts.
   We were talking tonight at our devo about the difference between contentment and complacency. My sister mentioned that contentment was finding happiness in the circumstances we couldn't change while complacency was leaving the things we could change the same. I thought that was a pretty good way to look at it, because it provides the right balance for our lives. By being content we take the circumstances out of our control and make the best of them, and by not becoming complacent we continually improve life as it is so that it becomes the best that it can be. If however we try to switch the two, disastified feelings will soon take over and we'll find ourselves wishing the best parts of our lives (the everyday moments) away, and lose the significance of the big things because we won't have invested daily in the things we love.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." ~ 1 Timothy 6:6

Encourage One Another

   I used to think I didn't need encouragement. That I could function totally fine without it. Of course this was at a point in my life where I had a constant flow of encouragement. That combined with the fact that we are not to do things for the praise of men made me think that I shouldn't need encouragement, and so I never thought I did. When the low points in life hit though, I see the need for it, not only for myself but for others.
  My mom and I have talked a lot about balance over the years. There is definitely a need for balance in the area of encouragement as well. Too much and you can lose sight of the fact that there is always room for improvement and help from God's guiding hand. Too little and you can lose sight of the fact that God has given each of us great tasks to accomplish and with His help we can do a lot of good for His kingdom.
   Just recently I was struggling with where life was for me. Really it was a focus issue. I started focusing on my wants instead of my service. I started praying about it because I knew I was going into a funk but I really had no idea how to get out of it... It still never ceases to amaze me how God answers prayer. Within the evening I had received a facebook message and talked to my mom both of which were a great encouragement, and have continued to receive it from different people who mean so much to me: like my best friend from college and like a sister friend from here in town.
   It reminded me of the power of encouragement though. Like I say there needs to be a balance so that we are building others up rather than just puffing, but it is a gift to receive it... and to give it.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:12

dig a little deeper

So I have been consistently inconsistent with this blog. I'm sorry to all of you who like consistency... I'm trying to do better.
   I have started to notice something about people the more I get to know them from many different walks of life. We crave the deeper things of this life. It is easy for us to get caught up with the everyday things that can distract us, but when we get down to it we really want to be around things and people that make us think, that spur us on to be better people.
   I saw that this weekend. A group of us went to the congregation I attend in Lubbock for their second annual youth lectureships. I don't really know how to describe it. It's simple, but seems like it shouldn't be as effective according to what society says. There are lessons and singing and a lot of fellowship. According to everything we seem to hear today, these high school aged people should have been bored out of their minds, and yet all I heard the whole time was that they really enjoyed it.
   It's an encouragement in a lot of ways. It is also a reminder not to underestimate people, to set the bar high for what we expect in people. I know that there are exceptions to this, but it seems like all the opportunities I have had to talk to people about deeper things, the more we leave each other's company feeling more fulfilled and better about life than when we just talk about the things that don't matter as much. haha don't get me wrong. Some of those little things are what we need to build relationships so that those deeper conversations have greater meaning. At the same time, it is easier many times to talk about those little things and leave those of a spiritual nature left unsaid, but the spiritual is what truly matters, and what seems to fulfill what we all at times seem to be craving. Meaning. More specifically meaning through living life for God.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'..."
Acts 17:24-28a (NIV) 

Persistence

   I think its a good thing I labeled my blog what it is... ramblings. I'm sure I repeat myself quite often on here. I'm trying to not do the same thing over and over so that those who do read won't get bored.
   I have been thinking lately about persistence. This is sometimes one of the hardest things to do because if we are having to persist it probably means things aren't working out as we had originally planned. My encouragement is to keep persevering though. Especially in prayer. Things don't always work out how we planned them, and sometimes aren't meant to go remotely close to how we planned. Even in these instances, it is important to see that God has a plan for us to live our lives for Him, and while our plans may not match up in the same way, He can sustain us. He will sustain us and allow us to persevere to the next thing in life. And it is a great blessing. :)

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." ~ Nehemiah 8:10b

Toxic Sludge or Potpourri?

"One man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri!" ~ the Grinch
   Inspiration comes in odd places... I was in Lubbock today and overheard a small part of a conversation. Someone was saying to enjoy it while it lasts. Growing up isn't all that fun... I'm pretty sure that no matter what stage of life we are in, somebody somewhere would trade us places. What a great reminder to be thankful for the circumstances we are in.
   Something I'm learning, slow as it may be, our attitudes make the difference in our circumstances. I just finished a book called "Tuesdays With Morrie" about a man with Lou Gehrig's disease. Instead of crawling into a rut of self-pity, he decided to accept it and make the best of it. He did his best to get the best out of life, and even in the face of death to live to the fullest. What stuns me is to the best of my knowledge he did this without Christ as his Savior. It made me realize that if a man not looking forward to a hope of an eternity with our Lord and Savior (from what I observed from the comments in the book) could get that much out of life, how much more should we with the great hope we possess live our lives to the fullest no matter what our circumstances may be.
   lol this is very much easier said than done. Some days its a battle to keep the right attitude, but it can make all the difference.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12,13

The Choice of Faith

   Have you ever noticed how easy it is to simply react to our circumstances? We see the way we would like things to be and we see the way things are, and it can be very tempting to start asking a lot of questions that if we are not careful will just lead us to total dissatisfaction with our present reality.
   I think the reason we are not told up front the reason we are going through something is because it requires  faith to not understand things completely. It's tempting though to question these things and rely on our own merit to get us through or as justification for why our present circumstances should be different instead of relying on God's goodness to get us through whatever it is we are going through.
   I keep going through cycles this summer. The times I do the best are the times I choose to believe in and pray for God's will for my life. There are days when that is not the easy choice. There are days when I choose the easy choice, but wind up feeling empty and unsatisfied. I think it is because deep down I know that if I am not truly seeking God's will I am choosing the selfish path for my own life.
   I think the most encouraging thing about it all is that we serve a God who wants the best for our lives. Sometimes this means not giving us everything we want at the exact moment we want it. At present, there is a particular job I would love to have and a particular guy I would love to see if was the one I can serve God best with, however as of this moment in time I do not have either. It's not wrong to dream. It's not wrong to want certain things to happen in our lives. It is wrong to question God's justice or goodness. We are so blessed to serve a God who loves us so much that He gave His Son to die so that we could be with Him in heaven. A God who not only knows the best way for us to be with Him, but knows the ways in which we can serve Him best to help others be with Him as well. Sometimes its easy to get caught up in our desires, and forget that this life is a test. One that if we pass will allow us to be with our God for an eternity, along with having planted and watered the seed for others to be there as well.
   It's not always an easy choice to have faith that God knows what is best for us rather than to question why we are going through certain circumstances. I believe if we seek how we can use whatever we are going through to serve God best, we will find that the situation isn't really that bad, that it has a purpose, and that we serve a good God.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

A Time to Reflect

   I was thinking today that I need to start writing down the things I have learned so that I can remember them and apply them. I guess that is what most of my blogs and journals are in essence but sometimes it is helpful just to list them, and not go into tons of detail. This weekend my dad and I helped with team camp and I was able to see a lot of things that I believe will be helpful to myself and anyone else hoping to work with teams:

• Treat the kids well (and fairly) and you will gain the respect and support of their parents.
• Give them the green light and it will open up other opportunities you might not have expected. (i.e. when you expect them to take their open shots your players know to go for the rebound.)
• Support those trying to do what is right in word and action.
• Set the rules up front. Let them know you like them, but certain things will not be tolerated (like belittling team mates.) Enforce it.
• Sandwich method: tell the good, offer ways to improve, finish on a positive note.
• If they do something wrong, tell them, but don't humilate them. It may take a little more thought but they respond so much better.
• Games show what you need to work on~ use their mistakes to teach them how to be better in the areas they need help with, not to tear down.
• Don't focus on the scoreboard. Play each possession to the best of your ability.
• Pray for help in figuring things out, doing things for God's glory, and for helping others become who they need to.
• Expect great things.
• Treat players, refs, coaches, time keepers, parents, and everyone else how you would want to be treated. Respect and a smile can go a long way.
• Look for and make use of every opportunity. Honor Christ.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." ~Colossians 3:17