Its been awhile since I have updated last... but hey money sucks.... happiness rocks! lol!
"The Greatest force for making people bigger and better than they are now is the belief in your heart and mind that they have infinite potential for growth. Even when they fail us, we are to continue to carry and express the mental image of what they may become. To have someone believe in you, even when you fail, is the most blessed and creative force in the universe" ~ Lewis L. Dunningham
I love that quote!! It is soo true. And I pray that Lord you will help me be the kind of person that looks at someone potential instead of the situation and the person that they are now... because everyone can change. Praise the Lord for that! Help me to have that same mindset, as I interact with people daily.
I have completely decided that I hate money!! and I suck at having it. So I am trying to refinance my life (haha, I sound so much like an adult there, that is scary).. anyways my mom is helping me do it, and I am tired at looking at numbers and trying to figure out my life when it comes to money. I will be soo excited when I am done doing this, and I have some sort of plan.. so now I am taking a small break and listening to Josh Turner and going to write a blog!
Last night was the start of Munch and Movies and it was a blast. They set up this HUGE screen (about the size of one at a movie theater) outside on the grass and the whole town comes and hangs out. It starts at 6 with music and just venues and all that, and when it is dusk they start the movie. you pull out the blankets or chairs and sit on the grass and watch the movie! Its awesome.. this week the movie was Princess Bride. ( I LOVE THAT MOVIE.. its great fun).
Anyways Wesley (the main guy character) said something that stuck into my brain last night. He said, "Death cannot stop true love.. It can only delay it for awhile." I thought about this is soo many ways last night. Death could be anything... it could be waiting, it could be money, it could be God asking you to be paitent, it could be the fact you haven't met the right person.. or if you have that the timing isn't right. Any of those could be seen as death.
I just thought about how all those things aren't going to completely ever stop you from meeting someone (unless God calls you to be single) or dating or getting married... they are just going to delay it for awhile. Until you get things set up right in life.. or until the circumstances are right.
Than that lead to thinking about God and his love for us.. and how so many times we put up things (barriers) that are keeping us from God's love... that is pretty much spiritual death.. and that doesn't mean that God ever stopped loving you. It just means that you have been delayed of seeing the effects of His love. I don't know. I understand it more in my head that I am writing out on paper.
So I have this huge book on quotes and I love to read them, that is where I got the quote from the top... as I was reading some today it made me think about happiness, and how many times I see so many sad people.. or people just trying to fake that they are happy (although you can see through it most of the time).
I was thinking about how so many times we don't like to let go of things... we dont' like to let go of things of the past, or the present. The way someone treated us, or spoke to us... how we lost a beloved item, friend or relative. We remember how we were cut off the other day driving... and we hold that to all other drivers calling them names and believing that the next person will probably cut us off to. Or we remember how different girls or guys treated us, or the dumb mistakes that we have made in realationships... and than when we actually find someone amazing.. we hold on that they too will be like that first guy or girl.. or that we too will make the same mistakes. Why is it that as humans we are so scared of change? We don't believe that our parents can ever change... we don't think that we will ever change. Everything around us fails us even us!
Why is it we can't let go of these things... they rule our lives. It isn't as though we want to live by them. We try to forgive our fathers, brothers and sisters... we try to forgive ourselves for the stupid things we have done, or the boyfriend/girlfriend, or even the crazy driver. Yet even when there seems to be forgiveness we can't let it go. It is almost like we are so used to the pain.. we are so used to the way we feel because of whatever we hold on to. We can't remember when we never had the grudge or that thought about someone or ourselves. We can't remember when we didn't feel like a failure or that someone has failed us and so we don't want to go somewhere new... we don't want to try to let go just in case we might get hurt again.
And in doing so, not letting go fully... we never live the life we were meant to. We never get to experience God's complete joy and love. We never get to live a true fully happy life! There is always something that holds us back. Almost as though we are hitched to it. We can only go so far and than we are stuck... and can't go any further. We can't trust a guy any further than friendship because of what our father and brother did. We can't let people into our lives, tell them about our lives because of how many times we have been failed. We can't ever promise things, because we might fail at it.... the list goes on and on.
Yet if we leave things at the cross the Lord can free us from the hitching post and it can become a light post where we can use it to light up other people's lives. If we let go and give it up to the Lord, we can be happy no matter the situation... we can have joy in all things... because we know that Gods plan for us it good! Even when hard times come.. or we come to the place where we used to be hitched and couldn't go further we can rest and rely on the Lord and go further in and through him.
When we have friends we can let them in and trust because we know that even though people are going to fail us (THEY ARE!!) that God will never fail us. Even though we know that we will fail sometimes, we know that God's plans with and through us will always be good and never a failure. It reminds us that sometimes people have bad days and cut us off but that doesn't mean everyone is... Or that yes we have had bad relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend/flings and whatnot) but as long as the Lord is center God's plan is good, and not every girl or guy is going to be like the others! Even in the tough times God is GOOD.
Happiness is something that we choose.. it is a choice of letting go of the past and the present and even the future and enjoying the small and big things that God gives us. It is trusting the Lord with everything and admitting that we have been hurt and we have been wrong. True happiness isn't some fake smile but it comes from within.. you can always tell when someone is really in love because of the glow on their face, they can't hide it. It is the same with true and real happiness, you can't hide it.
So why again do we hold on to these things. I know that I do... I know that I haven't told anyone at EBC (not even my best of friends there) anything about the past. What I have been through, what things my dad and brother have done. The stupid mistakes that I have made. I have told very few people here in Bend that stuff to... and because I can't seem to let go (although I have forgiven my brother and my father... not completely myself) it effects my life. I run from any sort of relationship (expecially boyfriend girlfriend ones)... I only let people into my life so far and when they start asking questions I push them away unless they stop. So many things are effected by the crap that I hold on to...
BUT... I am slowly starting to let go, and I am slowly starting to trust and to tell people about my life. I am starting to not hide the things that have happened to me, and the crap I have done, but allow God to use them as a light into other people's life. I am not running from all relationships anymore, answering questions that I didn't want to be reminded of. And someday I am sure some guy will chase me down enough times that I will let him in and I get through that part of life too!
Yes life is work... relationships are work... everything here is work... but that is okay.
Yes life is a process... BUT why are we just sitting there, not moving and not making any progress on the process. I know most people say that they are, and that it takes time. I know this from experience. But I also know that it really comes to one decision and one choice of to move competely forward and let God do his thing... or to stay back and keep going in a spiral where it seems that we might be moving forward when really we are just going down!
So I am making the choice today (and probably everyday for the rest of my life) to live life. To live it to the fullest.. to be happy even though things are crappy. To live life not allowing my past, present or future to define me. To live live not letting my fears run who I am or where I am going. Because if we live that way we will miss out on soo many things that God has planned. SO many GOOD things!
So I still don't understand why we like to hold on to things? well I guess I do know why but I don't know why anyone would be so chicken not to have a little change in their life if it is for the better...
Wow, this blog totally went the opposite way I was planning. Umm.. I don't know why either. I was completely speaking to myself here and no one else. But if you get something out of it cool beans... just don't let life pass you by because of stupid things.. enjoy it because that is why we are here (among other and more important things).
Two more quick quotes that I liked..
"The truest greatness lies in being kind,
The truest wisdom in a happy mind." ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"Happiness is the art of finding joy and satisfaction in the little privileges of life:
-a quite hour in the sun instead of a far-away journey,
-a little outing in the nearby woods instead of long trips away,
-an hour with a friend instead of an extended visit with relatives,
-a few pages of a book instead of hours of reading at a time,
-a glash of sunset, a single beautiful flower, a passing smile, a kindly word, a little gift bestowed anonymously, a little thoughtfulness here and there as the days slip by." ~Unknown
Please please enjoy the small things of life... and don't let things pass by!
p.s. so if you ever want to know about my life, I can't promise you I will say yes to everyone.. but I will try to share!
I love that quote!! It is soo true. And I pray that Lord you will help me be the kind of person that looks at someone potential instead of the situation and the person that they are now... because everyone can change. Praise the Lord for that! Help me to have that same mindset, as I interact with people daily.
I have completely decided that I hate money!! and I suck at having it. So I am trying to refinance my life (haha, I sound so much like an adult there, that is scary).. anyways my mom is helping me do it, and I am tired at looking at numbers and trying to figure out my life when it comes to money. I will be soo excited when I am done doing this, and I have some sort of plan.. so now I am taking a small break and listening to Josh Turner and going to write a blog!
Last night was the start of Munch and Movies and it was a blast. They set up this HUGE screen (about the size of one at a movie theater) outside on the grass and the whole town comes and hangs out. It starts at 6 with music and just venues and all that, and when it is dusk they start the movie. you pull out the blankets or chairs and sit on the grass and watch the movie! Its awesome.. this week the movie was Princess Bride. ( I LOVE THAT MOVIE.. its great fun).
Anyways Wesley (the main guy character) said something that stuck into my brain last night. He said, "Death cannot stop true love.. It can only delay it for awhile." I thought about this is soo many ways last night. Death could be anything... it could be waiting, it could be money, it could be God asking you to be paitent, it could be the fact you haven't met the right person.. or if you have that the timing isn't right. Any of those could be seen as death.
I just thought about how all those things aren't going to completely ever stop you from meeting someone (unless God calls you to be single) or dating or getting married... they are just going to delay it for awhile. Until you get things set up right in life.. or until the circumstances are right.
Than that lead to thinking about God and his love for us.. and how so many times we put up things (barriers) that are keeping us from God's love... that is pretty much spiritual death.. and that doesn't mean that God ever stopped loving you. It just means that you have been delayed of seeing the effects of His love. I don't know. I understand it more in my head that I am writing out on paper.
So I have this huge book on quotes and I love to read them, that is where I got the quote from the top... as I was reading some today it made me think about happiness, and how many times I see so many sad people.. or people just trying to fake that they are happy (although you can see through it most of the time).
I was thinking about how so many times we don't like to let go of things... we dont' like to let go of things of the past, or the present. The way someone treated us, or spoke to us... how we lost a beloved item, friend or relative. We remember how we were cut off the other day driving... and we hold that to all other drivers calling them names and believing that the next person will probably cut us off to. Or we remember how different girls or guys treated us, or the dumb mistakes that we have made in realationships... and than when we actually find someone amazing.. we hold on that they too will be like that first guy or girl.. or that we too will make the same mistakes. Why is it that as humans we are so scared of change? We don't believe that our parents can ever change... we don't think that we will ever change. Everything around us fails us even us!
Why is it we can't let go of these things... they rule our lives. It isn't as though we want to live by them. We try to forgive our fathers, brothers and sisters... we try to forgive ourselves for the stupid things we have done, or the boyfriend/girlfriend, or even the crazy driver. Yet even when there seems to be forgiveness we can't let it go. It is almost like we are so used to the pain.. we are so used to the way we feel because of whatever we hold on to. We can't remember when we never had the grudge or that thought about someone or ourselves. We can't remember when we didn't feel like a failure or that someone has failed us and so we don't want to go somewhere new... we don't want to try to let go just in case we might get hurt again.
And in doing so, not letting go fully... we never live the life we were meant to. We never get to experience God's complete joy and love. We never get to live a true fully happy life! There is always something that holds us back. Almost as though we are hitched to it. We can only go so far and than we are stuck... and can't go any further. We can't trust a guy any further than friendship because of what our father and brother did. We can't let people into our lives, tell them about our lives because of how many times we have been failed. We can't ever promise things, because we might fail at it.... the list goes on and on.
Yet if we leave things at the cross the Lord can free us from the hitching post and it can become a light post where we can use it to light up other people's lives. If we let go and give it up to the Lord, we can be happy no matter the situation... we can have joy in all things... because we know that Gods plan for us it good! Even when hard times come.. or we come to the place where we used to be hitched and couldn't go further we can rest and rely on the Lord and go further in and through him.
When we have friends we can let them in and trust because we know that even though people are going to fail us (THEY ARE!!) that God will never fail us. Even though we know that we will fail sometimes, we know that God's plans with and through us will always be good and never a failure. It reminds us that sometimes people have bad days and cut us off but that doesn't mean everyone is... Or that yes we have had bad relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend/flings and whatnot) but as long as the Lord is center God's plan is good, and not every girl or guy is going to be like the others! Even in the tough times God is GOOD.
Happiness is something that we choose.. it is a choice of letting go of the past and the present and even the future and enjoying the small and big things that God gives us. It is trusting the Lord with everything and admitting that we have been hurt and we have been wrong. True happiness isn't some fake smile but it comes from within.. you can always tell when someone is really in love because of the glow on their face, they can't hide it. It is the same with true and real happiness, you can't hide it.
So why again do we hold on to these things. I know that I do... I know that I haven't told anyone at EBC (not even my best of friends there) anything about the past. What I have been through, what things my dad and brother have done. The stupid mistakes that I have made. I have told very few people here in Bend that stuff to... and because I can't seem to let go (although I have forgiven my brother and my father... not completely myself) it effects my life. I run from any sort of relationship (expecially boyfriend girlfriend ones)... I only let people into my life so far and when they start asking questions I push them away unless they stop. So many things are effected by the crap that I hold on to...
BUT... I am slowly starting to let go, and I am slowly starting to trust and to tell people about my life. I am starting to not hide the things that have happened to me, and the crap I have done, but allow God to use them as a light into other people's life. I am not running from all relationships anymore, answering questions that I didn't want to be reminded of. And someday I am sure some guy will chase me down enough times that I will let him in and I get through that part of life too!
Yes life is work... relationships are work... everything here is work... but that is okay.
Yes life is a process... BUT why are we just sitting there, not moving and not making any progress on the process. I know most people say that they are, and that it takes time. I know this from experience. But I also know that it really comes to one decision and one choice of to move competely forward and let God do his thing... or to stay back and keep going in a spiral where it seems that we might be moving forward when really we are just going down!
So I am making the choice today (and probably everyday for the rest of my life) to live life. To live it to the fullest.. to be happy even though things are crappy. To live life not allowing my past, present or future to define me. To live live not letting my fears run who I am or where I am going. Because if we live that way we will miss out on soo many things that God has planned. SO many GOOD things!
So I still don't understand why we like to hold on to things? well I guess I do know why but I don't know why anyone would be so chicken not to have a little change in their life if it is for the better...
Wow, this blog totally went the opposite way I was planning. Umm.. I don't know why either. I was completely speaking to myself here and no one else. But if you get something out of it cool beans... just don't let life pass you by because of stupid things.. enjoy it because that is why we are here (among other and more important things).
Two more quick quotes that I liked..
"The truest greatness lies in being kind,
The truest wisdom in a happy mind." ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"Happiness is the art of finding joy and satisfaction in the little privileges of life:
-a quite hour in the sun instead of a far-away journey,
-a little outing in the nearby woods instead of long trips away,
-an hour with a friend instead of an extended visit with relatives,
-a few pages of a book instead of hours of reading at a time,
-a glash of sunset, a single beautiful flower, a passing smile, a kindly word, a little gift bestowed anonymously, a little thoughtfulness here and there as the days slip by." ~Unknown
Please please enjoy the small things of life... and don't let things pass by!
p.s. so if you ever want to know about my life, I can't promise you I will say yes to everyone.. but I will try to share!