Romans 15:13
I think that...
There is a vast difference between being happy and feeling joy. Happiness can come from temporary pleasures and from earthly fulfillment. Joy, on the other hand, is a condition of the spirit; it is an overwhelming feeling of peace, contentment, and hope that only comes from the Lord. Joy can be felt in the midst of sorrow and in the midst of pain, while happiness cannot. Joy is contagious; it is utterly intoxicating. Joy is the best feeling. Only when we are living in the center of God's will can we fully feel joyful. I am grateful for the JOY that has been restored in my life.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Blessed.
I've had many of the same best friends for a long time now. Some since middle school, others since the beginning of elementary school at good old Waky. Before entering high school so many people warned me that my group of friends would soon go their separates ways and that we'd move on and make new friends. It's true..we've met new people, and we've have different experiences, and we've gone different places. But, the truth is..my heart feels most happy and my self feels most complete when I am with my best friends; the ones that have been there for so many years now. My best friends have seen me through the hardest times in my life, and have rejoiced with me in the happiest. We've come together in the midst of tragedy and we've leaned on each other when not strong enough to stand on our own. My best friends are fiercely loving and intensely supportive. Tonight, as we baked and ate and decorated and posed and talked and laughed together, I was reminded of just how blessed I am to have these women in my life..they have played such a huge role. I love them with every bit of my heart.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
In light of recent circumstances.
Sometimes I just want to say to God, "Hold on..give me a break..I can't handle this right now."
But, then, I think he'd just say..
"Who are you to tell me what to do? Who are you to tell me that you 'can't handle this'? Did I not form you? Do I not know everything about you? Have I not secured your future? Do I not know the plans that I have for you? All that you need to worry about, my dear daughter, is letting go and giving me control..and trusting that I'm never going to let you go."
Amen.
But, then, I think he'd just say..
"Who are you to tell me what to do? Who are you to tell me that you 'can't handle this'? Did I not form you? Do I not know everything about you? Have I not secured your future? Do I not know the plans that I have for you? All that you need to worry about, my dear daughter, is letting go and giving me control..and trusting that I'm never going to let you go."
Amen.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
For my brother, my friend.
My little brother turned twenty on Sunday, October 17th. My little brother that used to play cowboys and indians with me in the woods. My little brother that used to strip down and run around the house doing the "naked booty dance" with me. (Yes, we know we're weird.) That little brother turned twenty, and I find that so hard to believe.
In the last twenty years, my little brother has accomplished a lot.
In the last twenty years, my little brother has overcome so many obstacles.
In the last twenty years, my little brother graduated high school and then went on to graduate from the best technical school in the country. He makes me proud.
My little brother taught my even little-er brother how to ride a dirtbike, and in doing so sparked a passion that has become an incredible talent.
Justin spent hours and hours every summer with little kids at vacation bible school who absolutely adored him, and I saw just how much he adorned them, too.
He played on a semi-professional paintball team and also paintball-ed my car once. Awesome.
My little brother has done a thousand stupid things in the past twenty years, but he's done a million things right.
Over the past twenty years, my little brother Justin has become my friend. And I love him very, very much.
In the last twenty years, my little brother has accomplished a lot.
In the last twenty years, my little brother has overcome so many obstacles.
In the last twenty years, my little brother graduated high school and then went on to graduate from the best technical school in the country. He makes me proud.
My little brother taught my even little-er brother how to ride a dirtbike, and in doing so sparked a passion that has become an incredible talent.
Justin spent hours and hours every summer with little kids at vacation bible school who absolutely adored him, and I saw just how much he adorned them, too.
He played on a semi-professional paintball team and also paintball-ed my car once. Awesome.
My little brother has done a thousand stupid things in the past twenty years, but he's done a million things right.
Over the past twenty years, my little brother Justin has become my friend. And I love him very, very much.
Friday, October 1, 2010
I heard this song while driving home tonight. It's so great to hear truth in the midst of troubled times.
There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"
But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight
She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try
But don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
-You are More, Tenth Avenue North
There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"
But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight
She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try
But don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
-You are More, Tenth Avenue North
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Grandma
John 14:1-2 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
In the fourth grade I wrote an essay entitled “The Woman I admire Most.” Naturally, I chose Grandma Wisler as the subject of my writing. My sophomore year in high school, I again chose to write about Grandma. This time the teacher had instructed us to write a reflective essay about a person, situation, or circumstance that had a great influence on our life. At this point, Grandma had suffered a number of strokes and our family was faced with the reality that she would never really be the same.
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
In this paper I reflected on the life that my Grandma had led and the reality of the life that she now faced. I had always known that when she died Grandma would spend eternity in Heaven, but I now began to see what a strong desire she had to do so. She was ready.
Psalm 27:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
Today I mourn the loss of an incredible Grandmother, and am saddened by the fact that I will never see her again, here on earth; but I cannot be sad about the fact that Grandma is now in Heaven. I can’t be sad that a faithful follower has now reached her eternal home, and that she is spending eternity with her Savior. Instead, in light of the life that she led and the faith that she has instilled in my life, I can be hopeful for a Heavenly reunion with my Grandma one day.
I Corinthians 15: 50-58 “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
In the fourth grade I wrote an essay entitled “The Woman I admire Most.” Naturally, I chose Grandma Wisler as the subject of my writing. My sophomore year in high school, I again chose to write about Grandma. This time the teacher had instructed us to write a reflective essay about a person, situation, or circumstance that had a great influence on our life. At this point, Grandma had suffered a number of strokes and our family was faced with the reality that she would never really be the same.
Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
In this paper I reflected on the life that my Grandma had led and the reality of the life that she now faced. I had always known that when she died Grandma would spend eternity in Heaven, but I now began to see what a strong desire she had to do so. She was ready.
Psalm 27:4 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
Today I mourn the loss of an incredible Grandmother, and am saddened by the fact that I will never see her again, here on earth; but I cannot be sad about the fact that Grandma is now in Heaven. I can’t be sad that a faithful follower has now reached her eternal home, and that she is spending eternity with her Savior. Instead, in light of the life that she led and the faith that she has instilled in my life, I can be hopeful for a Heavenly reunion with my Grandma one day.
I Corinthians 15: 50-58 “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Daddy
To a daughter, dad is daddy. Dad is strength and courage. To a daughter dad is a hero. He is hard work and sacrifice. When in trouble, dad is defense and guidance. He is support and he is unfailing love. Daddy is late night four-wheeler rides to check the cows. He's dinner at Cook's-tin roof for dessert. Dad is discipline with a firm hand and comfort with a soft touch. He is running to the house after chores, hand in hand. Dad is the milk truck driver and everyone's friend. Daddy is much needed approval. He's the kindest soul.
That's what dad is to a daughter. That's what you are to me.
I love you, daddy.
That's what dad is to a daughter. That's what you are to me.
I love you, daddy.
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