Easy? Not a Chance...

At work this week, I led devotions for our department. The topic of our discussion brought to mind an old facebook note I had written in high school as an encouragement to a self-defeated friend who couldn't stop beating himself up over his mistakes. After reading it over again I decided to repost it as a hopeful encouragement for any interested readers. Though I wrote it with the intention of targeting his self-doubt, this post also applies to the problems that are not "your own" fault. So read in whatever way is relatable to you.

Feel free to enjoy the thoughts of the "high school me." :) Thanks&Blessings

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Life just doesn't get any easier....

Not that I ever expected it to. I'm discovering more and more that sometimes, the moment you think things are starting to clear up- you're hit with another challenge. And it's no hit and run. No ding-dong-ditch. Once you're hit, you're hit for good... until you learn to fight back.

I've had those days- where everything seems to be going well, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the people around you are smiling, and you feel like shining, singing, and smiling too. The hours roll along- and it's just another day- nothing goes wrong, nothing gets complicated, and nothing is out of place.

And I've also had those days- where everything is out of place. Conflicts seem to arise with everyone you speak to, your schedule seems blocked full of deadlines, your positive attitude seems just about at its melting point, your mind is off in a thousand different places, your emotions are unreadable - even for you, and you can't remember which way's up and which way's down. Trust me- I've been there. The sun may be shining and the birds may be singing, but in light of the circumstances, Mother Nature's attitude just doesn't really matter all that much. These are the days when you're so overwhelmed by what's going on around you- that even though you know you need to be thinking about what you need to do, sometimes you just can't stop thinking about what you've already done. The people you've hurt, the words you regret, the times you've failed, the goals you've never reached, the relationships you've ruined, the battles you've lost that you shouldn't have started in the first place, and how all these inisignificant past failures will keep you from reaching necessary future successes.

I know how that feels- to feel like the only thing worth doing is crying about the problems and then trying to sleep them off. Or how it feels when you're numb - and you've had so many problems that you just can't feel the struggle that's still raging on inside. And I know how it feels when you don't know how to cry and you don't know if you're numb- all you know is that you want to give up.

Of course- sometimes it just feels good to throw yourself a pity party, but it feels even better when you crash it. So for those days when life is changing faster than you're ready for, for those days when it seems like everyone is doing everything right except for you, for those days when it feels like you're all alone with no one's arms to run into, for those days when it looks like there is no silver lining because the storm is so thick- remember that life never stops changing, so start embracing it. remember that mistakes never stop for anyone, so forgive yourself and start learning from them. remember that One person will never stop holding you, so start loving Him back because none of us deserves to be held. and remember that the storms never stop, but the silver lining never fades- it's your responsibility to clean up the rain and debris and to ask your Father to lift you up on His shoulders so you can reach the clouds that are in your way; trust me- He's tall enough.

For those days when you're shining, singing, and smiling, milk in the moments that are made for memory making. Every day is a gift- but you are the one with the privilege of unwrapping it. And for those days when the storms swallow you whole, ask God to pull you out and fight for your life every step of the way. There's pain in the struggle, but there's beauty in the victory. So don't sit down during the battle. Because life-

...just doesn't get any easier.

The Filter

Thoughts are relentless. How many times have you heard someone storm off in frustration saying, “I just need to clear my head!” When they return I’m always tempted to ask, “Did it work?” Knowing you need to do it is one thing, but accomplishing such a feat is another. I’ve stepped outside to “clear” my head many times, and yet I’ve found that I end up breathing in more jam-packed ideas and thoughts than I had before. With so much in my head, it’s hard to relax…in fact, it’s hard to concentrate on what I really should be thinking about…like making God smile, showing my husband how much I love him, and living every moment as if it really is as important as we don’t realize it to be. So how does one forget about the troubles of the day? How does one voluntarily alter the mind’s capacity for thought explosions? How does one move on from the all-consuming, overwhelming, brain-doodles that are treating my brain like a pinball machine on turbo?

Filter. It’s as simple and complex as that.

I know I’m not the only one who can’t stop thinking about everything at once, but the point is not to stop thinking, but to filter our thoughts to the point that we are in tune to the music beyond the noise. A friend and I were chatting away at a noisy restaurant when suddenly, she stopped and said, “Sh! Do you hear that? The song that’s playing? I love that song!” Hoping I would also recognize it, she told me the name and the artist and what it was about… “Remember!? C’mon you have to know that song!” But, for the life of me, I couldn’t hear a thing. No distinct words…no tunes that stood out…no memory-jogging vocal patterns…just intermittent blurbs of a melody that blended in seamlessly to the surrounding clatter and chatter. Why couldn’t I hear it? Was her hearing better than mine? I wanted to listen in too! Maybe I needed a q-tip, or maybe it just wasn’t my song to hear, but the point is that a filter is necessary if we wish to “clear” anything. Try to get away from all the noise and you’ll probably see that it follows you. Try to distract yourself with work or other things, and you’ll probably find that it piles up on you. Try to filter it, and you’ll probably find that you can’t do it alone. That’s right- do not try this at home without God-supervision. One of my favorite verses in Romans reads, “The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Are you missing your life? Have you lost your peace? Do you want to hear the music? Good news: the filter is free…so use it! Invite the Spirit to be your mind’s guide. Only He can turn your head into a tuning fork. Then you will be able to say “Sh! Do you hear that? The voice that’s speaking to me? I love that voice!”

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:6-9

Well hello...

So I never thought I'd see the day that I would be a blogger... but here I am... not that I expect to have much time for this being a student, a worker, a wife, etc., but why not do what I can? Besides, sometimes, my mind can be rather interesting... Guess we'll just see what happens.

Off to continue enjoying LOST. The last season... so sad...