This is a blog I've been meaning to write for a long time, but I couldn't find the title until today.
Those who know me know that from Fall of 2013 to Fall of 2014 (almost a year to date) I was unemployed. I was not surprised when the layoff came to me in 2013. I'd known it was coming for some time. What I didn't know then was what else was coming.
To make a long and somewhat depressing story short, the unemployment ran out and so did my savings. I applied to countless jobs, went on a number of interviews including some that I thought went very well, but nothing turned up. Temp agencies kept saying things to me like "Oh we can find you something, no problem." Then there would be nothing.
I started to feel like a failure and I was so concerned about how to pay bills as I watched the numbers in my bank account dwindle.
My Mom, who is my biggest cheerleader, happened to be in a terrible financial situation at the same time and we struggled greatly during this time.
I'd been building my trust in God for a number of years. Working on the kind of faith that was less about what specific church I went to and more about relying on Him, trusting Him. Trust is a really hard thing. Like crazy hard. Especially if you're not all that good at it to begin with, but it's worth learning.
Anyway, as I spent more time in prayer, attempting to heed my Mom's advice to offer a sacrifice of praise throughout the situation I was in, even though I wasn't sure where the groceries were going to come from, something amazing started to happen. Friends and family both at different times, and with no prompting, handed me money. Some in the form of a gift and some in the form of a loan. Gift cards for the grocery store or Target were such a welcome sight.
It was a hard situation to go through. Some might call it a test. All I know is that now I can look back on it and say that I learned something about faith and about trust during that time. Trust doesn't mean you're happy all of the time or that you never lose you cool over a situation. It means that in the midst of the tears, you can whisper "I trust you" and know in your heart that you actually mean it.
Just a thought.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Monday, August 17, 2015
Friday, November 21, 2014
Following the Path
How strange the packaging answers sometimes come in...
I read a blog this morning that was truly, exactly what I needed to hear (so to speak) today. While I am on a completely different path from this person, I too find myself saying "God, I don't understand. This is not where I wanted to be," a lot in recent days.
Fortunately, like the author of this blog, I know the path I am on is intended for my good and that continuing forward will only help me grow and learn and trust Him more, which is what truly makes a difference.
So, I wanted to share this with all of you today in case maybe you need to hear it too.
Check out Mayim Bialik's latest post on Kveller.com. It is truly inspiring.
-Lisa
I read a blog this morning that was truly, exactly what I needed to hear (so to speak) today. While I am on a completely different path from this person, I too find myself saying "God, I don't understand. This is not where I wanted to be," a lot in recent days.
Fortunately, like the author of this blog, I know the path I am on is intended for my good and that continuing forward will only help me grow and learn and trust Him more, which is what truly makes a difference.
So, I wanted to share this with all of you today in case maybe you need to hear it too.
Check out Mayim Bialik's latest post on Kveller.com. It is truly inspiring.
-Lisa
Friday, May 30, 2014
Trouble
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I have been thinking about this verse a lot lately. In this world you will have trouble. I think most of my life when I've read this verse, I always thought of really big challenges in life. Illness, maybe something tragic happening, big stuff... Lately however, I've started thinking what if it's not just that at all? What if trouble is also all the little things that drive us up the walls daily?
Have you ever found yourself trying to find a job or a soul mate or just trying to figure out what to do with your life and wondering why (at least some days) everything seems to be so difficult? Like why can't you have a day, a week, a month or a year that just runs smoothly? Or maybe you have had periods of time where it just felt like all the stars aligned and you're just trying to figure out how to get that back; and for the life of you, you can't figure out what you were doing differently at that time. You only know you can't seem to duplicate it now.
But what if it's all these little things - repeatedly dealing with rejection in one form or another, struggling financially, always feeling like you're trying to get ahead - that are the "trouble" Jesus was speaking about in that verse? That means all those irritants are always going to be around. You may be thinking "Well that just sucks. Where's the upside in that?" And you'd be right it does suck. But what He says next it what gives me hope - But take heart! I have overcome the world.
If you believe what The Old Testament says, then you believe mankind blew their chance at Heaven on earth when Adam and Eve were in the Garden. If you look at it from that angle, we had a world without trouble and we gave it up. So yes, trouble is an inevitable part of daily life. But what Christ overcoming the world means is that our troubled state of living will not last forever - it is only temporary.
The way I am trying to look at that these days is all the stuff that drives me nuts (see the aforementioned attempts to get a career off the ground and find a soul mate) are always going to drive me a little nuts in one form or another. All of the things I place so much importance on - particularly job stuff - aren't really going to matter in the long run. The relationships we form with people, the way we treat each other, how we help one another, how we love each other the was Jesus loved us...those are the things that will echo through eternity. So maybe that's where I should strive to shift my focus more instead of zeroing in on all the little things that make me feel like I'm losing it.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Thursday, October 3, 2013
New Day
I was laid off from my job last month and thus far, while I've had some strong leads, I haven't discovered that next step in my career. However, I have been surprised by the level of ... relief I have experienced in the past few weeks. Every human fiber of my being has known this is a very odd reaction to losing my main source of income, but my spirit, for the most part, has remained still.
This morning I opened my devotional and found the message to the left. I strive to have the kind of response to obstacles that the message describes, frequently falling short, but I think maybe, just maybe this could explain the stillness in my spirit. It's having that sense of peace that defies all logic so that you know it has to come from God.
I don't know about you, but I tend to be somewhat suspicious of people who are always smiley and happy. Maybe that's the cynicism of my generation talking, but rarely have I encountered someone who is that way and simply seems at peace (and there's a big difference in someone who has joy and peace and someone who is wearing a happy mask).
At least in my life, peace that passes all understanding, frequently looks more like calm, still waters. It's almost more of a vibe you can feel coming off of someone than a certain way they present themselves. Also, it looks like optimism. For me, choosing to see this closed door as an opportunity rather than an obstacle reaffirms that sense of peace.
Peace that comes from God does not void out all of the problems in your life. Instead it alters the way you react to them. While I believe that human reaction to panic or be upset is still there, I also believe those moments shortened the more we pause, take a deep breath and whisper "I trust you Jesus". Eventually, "I trust you" will replace that knee-jerk reaction of panic in our minds. And with that comes peace.
Just a thought...
-Lisa
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Confirmation
When we're seeking God's guidance, sometimes we ask for confirmations. Well, at least I know I do. It's one of those things I think, as a human, that when you're inching toward a limb, you want to know that you should walk out onto it before you actually do.
However, sometimes confirmation comes in the form of an ouch. Especially if you've ignored a previous urging that was placed in your spirit. Then not only can confirmations be uncomfortable, so can the promptings to move forward.
I know I have been known to get comfortable in a situation that I knew was only supposed to be temporary. And when that happens it takes a certain level of discomfort to propel me forward. And I do believe that we have seasons in our lives and that things happen the way they do for a reason. But change is part of growth and really just part of life. Change is good. Resisting change and clinging to what we've become familiar with can be detrimental.
But back to confirmation...
Sometimes we ask for confirmation and in our minds what we mean is we want like some awesome thing to happen and that can be our confirmation. Confirmations don't always appear like that - sometimes they hurt. Maybe because it's unexpected? I'm not sure.
Slightly painful or not, I think it is important (once your emotions die down - and make no mistake, that can take some time) to take a deep breath and just say "Okay God. I knew this is what you were telling me and you have confirmed it for me. Thank you."
Just a thought.
-Lisa
However, sometimes confirmation comes in the form of an ouch. Especially if you've ignored a previous urging that was placed in your spirit. Then not only can confirmations be uncomfortable, so can the promptings to move forward.
I know I have been known to get comfortable in a situation that I knew was only supposed to be temporary. And when that happens it takes a certain level of discomfort to propel me forward. And I do believe that we have seasons in our lives and that things happen the way they do for a reason. But change is part of growth and really just part of life. Change is good. Resisting change and clinging to what we've become familiar with can be detrimental.
But back to confirmation...
Sometimes we ask for confirmation and in our minds what we mean is we want like some awesome thing to happen and that can be our confirmation. Confirmations don't always appear like that - sometimes they hurt. Maybe because it's unexpected? I'm not sure.
Slightly painful or not, I think it is important (once your emotions die down - and make no mistake, that can take some time) to take a deep breath and just say "Okay God. I knew this is what you were telling me and you have confirmed it for me. Thank you."
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Let it Go
There are some days when you get up and in the deepest part of your being you know it's going to be a rough one. You have no idea what lies ahead of you, but something in your spirit is telling you to pause and consider calling in. Every time I ignore that tug, I regret it. So you would think by now I would have learned not to ignore it.
But sometimes the real challenge in that moment (I believe) is to acknowledge that urging and to step forward into your day anyway.
Now because of my personal beliefs, I feel it is in the midst of that uneasy feeling that God is whispering "Trust me. I will not let you go."
As human beings it can be really easy in those moments when everything starts to go down hill at top speed, to beat ourselves up.
"Why didn't I stay home?" "How could I have made such a stupid mistake?" "Why can't I seem to get it together?" "What did I ever do to land myself here?" Because nothing is going "the way that it's supposed to."
But we live in a broken world. One that will never be perfect, no matter how hard we push for what's "supposed" to be. That ended with Adam & Eve in the Garden and until the end of time as we know it, this is the struggle we will face.
I think about it a lot actually. How we so easily get caught up in the way we know things should be. And I believe there's a very good reason for that. I think the way it was "supposed to be" is encoded in our DNA and if it wasn't, we might not understand the truth of our imperfection. For we are imperfect creatures.
But we are also beautiful to God - even with our imperfections - so much so that He gave us Jesus. The ultimate example of grace (getting what we do not deserve) and mercy (not getting what we do deserve). And we are supposed to strive to be like Him. To love like Him.
Which is of course impossible for us to ever reach that while we are in this flesh. But it does not mean we don't try. Because we should try to love like Him.
But back to "supposed to"...
In my own life I am at least three different kinds of NOT where I am "supposed to be". And it drives me crazy. I hate it. In part because I spend a lot of time and energy futilely trying to fix it quickly. But I am learning...
In the last three months I have begun to slow down. To breathe in the space I am in. And to attempt to move at a reasonable pace to where I would like to be. Sometimes the only road ahead takes us back to a place where we don't want to be. A place that feels like a step backwards. But (at least in my case) once I stopped for a minute and considered that it's not a step backwards because it's not exactly the same. I am not the same.
And that is important because it is a step toward understanding how to let go of "supposed to" and to move on to what "is". Which lends value to the world around us; helps us appreciate the blessings in our lives today. And that is a very good thing.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
But sometimes the real challenge in that moment (I believe) is to acknowledge that urging and to step forward into your day anyway.
Now because of my personal beliefs, I feel it is in the midst of that uneasy feeling that God is whispering "Trust me. I will not let you go."
As human beings it can be really easy in those moments when everything starts to go down hill at top speed, to beat ourselves up.
"Why didn't I stay home?" "How could I have made such a stupid mistake?" "Why can't I seem to get it together?" "What did I ever do to land myself here?" Because nothing is going "the way that it's supposed to."
But we live in a broken world. One that will never be perfect, no matter how hard we push for what's "supposed" to be. That ended with Adam & Eve in the Garden and until the end of time as we know it, this is the struggle we will face.
I think about it a lot actually. How we so easily get caught up in the way we know things should be. And I believe there's a very good reason for that. I think the way it was "supposed to be" is encoded in our DNA and if it wasn't, we might not understand the truth of our imperfection. For we are imperfect creatures.
But we are also beautiful to God - even with our imperfections - so much so that He gave us Jesus. The ultimate example of grace (getting what we do not deserve) and mercy (not getting what we do deserve). And we are supposed to strive to be like Him. To love like Him.
Which is of course impossible for us to ever reach that while we are in this flesh. But it does not mean we don't try. Because we should try to love like Him.
But back to "supposed to"...
In my own life I am at least three different kinds of NOT where I am "supposed to be". And it drives me crazy. I hate it. In part because I spend a lot of time and energy futilely trying to fix it quickly. But I am learning...
In the last three months I have begun to slow down. To breathe in the space I am in. And to attempt to move at a reasonable pace to where I would like to be. Sometimes the only road ahead takes us back to a place where we don't want to be. A place that feels like a step backwards. But (at least in my case) once I stopped for a minute and considered that it's not a step backwards because it's not exactly the same. I am not the same.
And that is important because it is a step toward understanding how to let go of "supposed to" and to move on to what "is". Which lends value to the world around us; helps us appreciate the blessings in our lives today. And that is a very good thing.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Time for Some Action
I've been thinking a lot about the future and the past lately. The pastor at the church I attend did a sermon last week talking about second chances, but in the bigger scheme of life. He also talked a lot about taking action instead of only praying about things and waiting for a tangible, obvious answer.
It is most definitely good to pray over something and to take time to think things through, but it is also important to take actions. And to take risks.
In my own life, I am realizing that sometimes in order to just cope with the current reality, I find myself putting a band-aid (if you will) on a problem that essentially needs a more drastic course of action. I also know I'm not alone in this predicament.
Today I was talking with a friend about how sometimes you have to just do something entirely different than whatever it is you've been trying. And while I have many moments where I wish I could pull up Google and ask it what to do next, I realize that I can't no matter how much I'd like to - I simply need to try something different.
Sometimes I think God leads us down a very non-traditional path to where we are heading so that we not only learn to trust, but so that we can actually see that all of our self-doubt has no foundation whatsoever. That we really can be or do so much more than we could ever dream or imagine.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
It is most definitely good to pray over something and to take time to think things through, but it is also important to take actions. And to take risks.
In my own life, I am realizing that sometimes in order to just cope with the current reality, I find myself putting a band-aid (if you will) on a problem that essentially needs a more drastic course of action. I also know I'm not alone in this predicament.
Today I was talking with a friend about how sometimes you have to just do something entirely different than whatever it is you've been trying. And while I have many moments where I wish I could pull up Google and ask it what to do next, I realize that I can't no matter how much I'd like to - I simply need to try something different.
Sometimes I think God leads us down a very non-traditional path to where we are heading so that we not only learn to trust, but so that we can actually see that all of our self-doubt has no foundation whatsoever. That we really can be or do so much more than we could ever dream or imagine.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Message Received
I visited church with a friend this morning and heard something I so needed to hear, but didn't realize it. The sermon was on the story of Peter stepping out of the boat and walking on the water with Jesus (that's an enormous paraphrase by the way - see Matt. Ch. 15 vs 22-33).
Anyway...the pastor was talking about how in life so many times people stay in the boat so to speak, but how some people actually take a chance and step out on faith and get out of the boat - no matter what the result may be. Then he said that just by stepping out of the boat to begin with, we alter our future.
That caught my attention. I love the story about Peter walking on the water to Jesus and it came to mean more to me when I first moved out to Los Angeles. But after moving back to Texas...to make a long story short, I've struggled a lot with feeling like I took a leap of faith only to end up right back where I was to begin with, which is a place I couldn't stand to begin with (to be frank - and why mince words at this point?).
I never stopped to consider that, even if I can't see it right now, my future is not what it would have been had I not gone to California. I knew I was different, that I'd come into my own if nothing else, but I don't think I'd considered that the future I would like to see is still possible. And how I needed so much to hear that all was not lost.
It's interesting the way that God can prompt us to go somewhere, visit someone, or even check out a church at the exact moment when we're going to hear the sort of reassurance our soul is longing for the most.
The other thing this morning got me to thinking about is taking risks...
Sometimes we are called upon to look at our life - maybe a specific situation or just in general - and assess what (& occasionally who) we have in our life and if the "what" or "who" fits with who we want to be - or maybe more specifically who you know deep in your soul that you are despite your current situation.
Perhaps sometimes we are not simply called to step out of the boat. Perhaps we are called to jump ship when it's really a choice of thriving or drowning.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Anyway...the pastor was talking about how in life so many times people stay in the boat so to speak, but how some people actually take a chance and step out on faith and get out of the boat - no matter what the result may be. Then he said that just by stepping out of the boat to begin with, we alter our future.
That caught my attention. I love the story about Peter walking on the water to Jesus and it came to mean more to me when I first moved out to Los Angeles. But after moving back to Texas...to make a long story short, I've struggled a lot with feeling like I took a leap of faith only to end up right back where I was to begin with, which is a place I couldn't stand to begin with (to be frank - and why mince words at this point?).
I never stopped to consider that, even if I can't see it right now, my future is not what it would have been had I not gone to California. I knew I was different, that I'd come into my own if nothing else, but I don't think I'd considered that the future I would like to see is still possible. And how I needed so much to hear that all was not lost.
It's interesting the way that God can prompt us to go somewhere, visit someone, or even check out a church at the exact moment when we're going to hear the sort of reassurance our soul is longing for the most.
The other thing this morning got me to thinking about is taking risks...
Sometimes we are called upon to look at our life - maybe a specific situation or just in general - and assess what (& occasionally who) we have in our life and if the "what" or "who" fits with who we want to be - or maybe more specifically who you know deep in your soul that you are despite your current situation.
Perhaps sometimes we are not simply called to step out of the boat. Perhaps we are called to jump ship when it's really a choice of thriving or drowning.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Monday, September 3, 2012
Something Beautiful
I've experienced a kind of re-birth of hope lately. And one that I have to believe has come from God because all of the outside signs point to the exact opposite.
My favorite verse is one that I've leaned on a lot over the past couple of years especially - Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Perhaps it's learning to lean on that trust that actually has helped with the peace I have.
But there's another verse I love - Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." and this verse has simultaneously given me peace and made me furrow my brow more than once.
The first time I heard this verse, or rather the first time it registered with me what it really said all I could think was really God? cause I can imagine an awful lot. And I have admittedly had moments particularly over the last couple of years where that question changed to are you really sure? cause I'm not sure what to imagine anymore.
But lately, somehow, things have shifted and I have what I can only describe as a sense of possibility again. And that is beautiful.
Perhaps God brings us down rocky paths knowing we're going to ask those questions and knowing also that if we hang onto Him, we'll arrive at a place where peace comes from the one thing we need most at that time.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
My favorite verse is one that I've leaned on a lot over the past couple of years especially - Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Perhaps it's learning to lean on that trust that actually has helped with the peace I have.
But there's another verse I love - Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." and this verse has simultaneously given me peace and made me furrow my brow more than once.
The first time I heard this verse, or rather the first time it registered with me what it really said all I could think was really God? cause I can imagine an awful lot. And I have admittedly had moments particularly over the last couple of years where that question changed to are you really sure? cause I'm not sure what to imagine anymore.
But lately, somehow, things have shifted and I have what I can only describe as a sense of possibility again. And that is beautiful.
Perhaps God brings us down rocky paths knowing we're going to ask those questions and knowing also that if we hang onto Him, we'll arrive at a place where peace comes from the one thing we need most at that time.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
What's It Worth?
I've been thinking a lot recently about the price of happiness - and if it's one of those things where the price is different for everyone.
I was raised to believe that happy is a choice. One might infer from that statement that being happy - no matter what your circumstances may be - is a choice. Or that it's simply a matter of choosing to have a positive attitude and to be thankful for what you have. To be sure, I believe it is all of those things too. But there's something more...
For reasons too numerous to go into in this post, I've been thinking about how happiness being a choice might be more closely tied to other choices in our lives. Big ones.
Almost everyone I know believes they would be happy if they had more money and found "the right" person and I tend to feel that way too. But I'm beginning to wonder if we as humans have a tendency to stay stuck in one place (location, job, relationship, church, school, etc.) because when we made the choice to go into said space it was the best decision we could make at the time with the information we had. Then one day you wake up (literally and figuratively) and hindsight hits you like a ton of bricks.
Suddenly how your choices "should have gone" is so clear to you. You think "oh I should have..." fill in the blank. Gone to this other school. Majored in that other subject. Taken this other job. Kept dating instead of settling down. Changed churches the first time I felt this feeling. Saved more money instead of buying this or that. Left the first time he / she broke my heart. Run like hell in the opposite direction of where I am now.
I think the choice of happiness comes with what you do after your "wake up" moment. Do you take this new found clarity and stuff it into the back of your mind and let it morph from "aha" to a state of pain and misery.
Or do you take a risk? Do you start to ever so carefully consider "what if I did something different now?"
You might feel it's too risky - that you've invested too much time and energy into where you are now. Certainly, sticking some things out and changing your attitude can be helpful. And I'm not talking about the times when you just have a bad day, but something that consistently pokes at you and needles you whether you're focused on it consciously or not.
Sometimes just changing your perspective is enough. Other times you're challenged to step out on faith and tackle the thing that both scares and bothers you the most. It's that moment when you know that while the unknown may scare you, staying where you are is going to do so much worse. So taking the risk might be your shot at choosing to be happy.
If you're truly unhappy in your life, what price would you pay to change it?
Just a thought.
-Lisa
I was raised to believe that happy is a choice. One might infer from that statement that being happy - no matter what your circumstances may be - is a choice. Or that it's simply a matter of choosing to have a positive attitude and to be thankful for what you have. To be sure, I believe it is all of those things too. But there's something more...
For reasons too numerous to go into in this post, I've been thinking about how happiness being a choice might be more closely tied to other choices in our lives. Big ones.
Almost everyone I know believes they would be happy if they had more money and found "the right" person and I tend to feel that way too. But I'm beginning to wonder if we as humans have a tendency to stay stuck in one place (location, job, relationship, church, school, etc.) because when we made the choice to go into said space it was the best decision we could make at the time with the information we had. Then one day you wake up (literally and figuratively) and hindsight hits you like a ton of bricks.
Suddenly how your choices "should have gone" is so clear to you. You think "oh I should have..." fill in the blank. Gone to this other school. Majored in that other subject. Taken this other job. Kept dating instead of settling down. Changed churches the first time I felt this feeling. Saved more money instead of buying this or that. Left the first time he / she broke my heart. Run like hell in the opposite direction of where I am now.
I think the choice of happiness comes with what you do after your "wake up" moment. Do you take this new found clarity and stuff it into the back of your mind and let it morph from "aha" to a state of pain and misery.
Or do you take a risk? Do you start to ever so carefully consider "what if I did something different now?"
You might feel it's too risky - that you've invested too much time and energy into where you are now. Certainly, sticking some things out and changing your attitude can be helpful. And I'm not talking about the times when you just have a bad day, but something that consistently pokes at you and needles you whether you're focused on it consciously or not.
Sometimes just changing your perspective is enough. Other times you're challenged to step out on faith and tackle the thing that both scares and bothers you the most. It's that moment when you know that while the unknown may scare you, staying where you are is going to do so much worse. So taking the risk might be your shot at choosing to be happy.
If you're truly unhappy in your life, what price would you pay to change it?
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Just a Feeling
I was driving home tonight switching between the iPod and the radio and I heard this song...
I've heard it a couple of times and it always gets me - to the extent that I frequently switch the station when it's on, but I like the song...
Over the past few years, off and on, I've had this feeling that was hard to define and incredibly hard to shake at the same time. As a Christian I felt confused by it because if I was truly a believer, could I be feeling like this? So to have had the radio on a Christian station and run across this song - for me anyway - answered that yes, absolutely you can feel like this. Everyone feels like this sometimes.
Whether it's just life, a specific set of circumstances, or a series of events that all came too quickly together I'm fairly certain we've all felt this way. Tired. Invisible. Lost. Alone.
I can say with almost absolute certainty that most of the people I know - regardless of what they think or believe - have felt this way. And knowing that it's okay (even as a Christian in my case) to admit that I've felt like this somehow provides a release. It's like being heard.
If you're feeling this way now. Or if you've felt this way before. I hope these words bless your life exactly where you are.
The song is "Someone Worth Dying For" by MIKESCHAIR.
-Lisa
SOMEONE WORTH DYING FOR
Artist: MIKESCHAIR.
Album: A Beautiful Life
You might be the wife waiting up at night
You might be the man struggling to provide
Feeling like it’s hopeless
Maybe you’re the son who chose a broken road
Maybe you’re the girl thinking you’ll end up alone
Praying “God, can you hear me?
Oh God, are you listening?”
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I’m not just some wandering soul
That you don’t see and you don’t know
Yeah, I wanna believe,
Jesus, help me believe that
I am someone worth dying for
I know you’ve heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you’re the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep askin’, oh, what everybody’s askin’
Chorus
You’re worth it, you can’t earn it
Yeah, the cross has proven
That you’re sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose
You are more than flesh and bone
Can’t you see you’re something beautiful
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see that
You’re not just some wandering soul
That can’t be seen and can’t be known
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe that
You are someone worth dying for
You’re someone worth dying for
You’re someone worth dying for
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Waiting Place
Ever find yourself at a complete loss for how to handle a situation? Or maybe have a period of time in your life where - while you may believe there's a purpose or a reason for all things - you simply can't figure out what that might be?
Personally I'm experiencing a time where I'm in what I'd describe as a "waiting place." If you've ever read Dr. Seuss's "Oh The Places You'll Go" you know exactly what I mean.
Without going into detail I've recently hit a place where I feel like I take a step forward and get shoved back almost immediately. So I find myself scratching my head, looking around and wondering what on earth the right next step might be. Or am I just supposed to wait here? And trust?
I do not particularly excel at either trusting or waiting, so I suspect that may be why I find myself in this situation. But then I also wonder how much is just life and how much is more? And what happens when you choose to view the world from the perspective of purpose? Of learning or having lessons in each situation?
Lately I find myself putting many of the more intangible things I've learned up to this point into practice. You really do tell people how they can treat you with what you allow (this is not a new lesson - just one I've finally learned to actively practice). No matter how much you might hope for peaceful, still waters they are few and far between in this life and how you handle that defines many things about you (like your health, your relationships, etc). And my fave Oprah lesson - "when you know better, you do better."
That last one has actually changed the way I approach the first two. It means I have to be willing to stand up for myself and to know how to do that in a respectful way and in a variety of situations. Even when those situations are about as comfortable as a root canal. (Actually I happen to have a great dentist, so I've definitely had dental work that was more pleasant than this place).
Simply learning lessons in life is not enough. You have to put them into practice. So it's not enough for me to say I trust God and I'm happy to follow His leading. I have to actually practice trusting Him and following Him. Even if He's saying "wait."
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ash Wednesday
Today is Ash Wednesday - the beginning of Lent. Possibly strangely, Lent has always been a season in the church year that I love.
Yes, yes I know it doesn't come with the impending festivities of Advent & Christmas. And many people give up something they love (or really, really like) for Lent as a symbol of sacrifice. So I'm sure you're thinking - what's to love about it?
I think there's something to be said for reflection.
As a Christian I try my best to use this time to reflect on not so much what I do that's wrong as some might suspect, but where my relationship with God is at this stage of my life. Because I think more than being a "church-every-Sunday" Christian or being in a state of constant worry / self-loathing over anything I do that might be or might appear wrong (what exactly does that actually accomplish?), I believe having a relationship - an ongoing dialogue with God is the most important key to my faith.
In church tonight, my pastor talked about how there are times in life when we have to walk forward on the path we're on alone. We might have people praying for us or encouraging us or loving us, but we still have to face whatever is ahead on our own. He talked about the passage in Mark 10:32-34 where Jesus is basically talking about his own death. And how he faced that alone.
His sermon made me think about the last 8 months. I've been somewhat annoyingly more reflective about death since my grandmother died. Far from being the first person I'd lost in my life, but she was the first person I ever watched die. Slowly. I am not the first person to experience this and I will certainly not be the last. But watching her change, struggle, hurt and finally let go made me think of Psalm 23 - specifically the verse that says "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." As a child I thought nothing about this verse really - well truth be told I felt it was metaphorical. Ya know, like when you're going through anything bad in life. Anything alone.
And it might be - probably is. But after watching her I feel like I now know what the valley of the shadow of death looks like and that it is perhaps something more than a metaphor.
For anyone unfamiliar with the typical proceedings of an Ash Wednesday service, at some point (frequently the end) there is a time when you're invited to come up to the front and have ashes placed on your forehead in the shape of a cross.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. A reminder of how frail and fleeting this life can be. Also a reference to the sackcloth & ashes idea, which is what everyone seems to focus on, but for me - particularly this year it - it is about how quickly life can pass.
Reflection, does not have to be a bad thing. It's not all darkness and self-loathing (or it shouldn't be!) Reflection can simply be taking a moment to stop; to take in what is around you; to breathe; to be quiet; to be still.
And who doesn't need to take the time to do that these days?
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Yes, yes I know it doesn't come with the impending festivities of Advent & Christmas. And many people give up something they love (or really, really like) for Lent as a symbol of sacrifice. So I'm sure you're thinking - what's to love about it?
I think there's something to be said for reflection.
As a Christian I try my best to use this time to reflect on not so much what I do that's wrong as some might suspect, but where my relationship with God is at this stage of my life. Because I think more than being a "church-every-Sunday" Christian or being in a state of constant worry / self-loathing over anything I do that might be or might appear wrong (what exactly does that actually accomplish?), I believe having a relationship - an ongoing dialogue with God is the most important key to my faith.
In church tonight, my pastor talked about how there are times in life when we have to walk forward on the path we're on alone. We might have people praying for us or encouraging us or loving us, but we still have to face whatever is ahead on our own. He talked about the passage in Mark 10:32-34 where Jesus is basically talking about his own death. And how he faced that alone.
His sermon made me think about the last 8 months. I've been somewhat annoyingly more reflective about death since my grandmother died. Far from being the first person I'd lost in my life, but she was the first person I ever watched die. Slowly. I am not the first person to experience this and I will certainly not be the last. But watching her change, struggle, hurt and finally let go made me think of Psalm 23 - specifically the verse that says "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." As a child I thought nothing about this verse really - well truth be told I felt it was metaphorical. Ya know, like when you're going through anything bad in life. Anything alone.
And it might be - probably is. But after watching her I feel like I now know what the valley of the shadow of death looks like and that it is perhaps something more than a metaphor.
For anyone unfamiliar with the typical proceedings of an Ash Wednesday service, at some point (frequently the end) there is a time when you're invited to come up to the front and have ashes placed on your forehead in the shape of a cross.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. A reminder of how frail and fleeting this life can be. Also a reference to the sackcloth & ashes idea, which is what everyone seems to focus on, but for me - particularly this year it - it is about how quickly life can pass.
Reflection, does not have to be a bad thing. It's not all darkness and self-loathing (or it shouldn't be!) Reflection can simply be taking a moment to stop; to take in what is around you; to breathe; to be quiet; to be still.
And who doesn't need to take the time to do that these days?
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Sunday, September 20, 2009
On a Quiet Sunday Morning
I was having quiet time this morning, going back over some verses I'd highlighted in my Bible some time back. One of these, Psalm 5 - vs. 1-3 in particular - "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing; Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."
There was a time in my life when I read this passage every morning before I prayed - it was a time when I was very, very unhappy with a lot in my life & someone dear to me recommended that I read Psalm 5 daily.
At some time, I presume the beginning of 2008, I made a note near the top of that chapter in my Bible that says "2008 - expectation is the goal for this year." Have I learned to expect? I think so...my heart still feels what you might call "gun shy" about it on occasion, but yes I think I have learned a lot about expecting when it comes to God - to His love & to the way He cares for us.
So what's next?
We had a guest speaker at the church I go to a few weeks ago & her message focused on this verse in Ephesians that I must have read before because I know I've read the book of Ephesians, but I somehow missed it - or missed the point of it because as she spoke about it...it was like a "wait...what? that's in there? that's not just something everyone tells you because it sounds nice???"
The verse is Ephesians 3:20-21 - "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (emphasis added by me - obviously)
This morning as I was re-reading these verses I couldn't help but think really? Beyond what I could ask? Beyond what I could imagine? At first I thought the issues I'd had with expecting were circling overhead planning to come back to bother me. So I started to pray about this verse specifically.
I've never lacked ability in the imagining department - ask any of my relatives who had to listen to the elaborate stories I would make up and tell them. I consider imagination to be one of our most valuable resources as humans. So as I began to pray all I could say at first was God I can imagine an awful lot. And it was as if I heard a voice say "would you have ever imagined being back in school?"
No. Not in a million years. Ever. School was at the bottom of the pile as far as plans - I went a long time feeling that I'd done my time (so to speak), I had a BA - what more could I possibly need.
And truth be told, while I'd wanted to be in California for quite a few years before moving, I would have never imagined being in Los Angeles. I liked northern California (as I happily told anyone who would listen to me for a good 3 or 4 years).
But now...now I cannot imagine being anywhere else. I am happier than I've been in a very long time. I can quite honestly say that I love it here. That I love my life, for the most part, love where I am & even love school (most days). ;o)
Okay...so He is quite able to work beyond the all-too-human limits of my imagination...
If expectation was the goal for 2008 & granted it spilled right over into 2009, what is the goal for the rest of 2009 / 2010? Believe far beyond what I can imagine? Expect what is beyond my own expectations? Or perhaps simply just come to a peaceful place of belief.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
There was a time in my life when I read this passage every morning before I prayed - it was a time when I was very, very unhappy with a lot in my life & someone dear to me recommended that I read Psalm 5 daily.
At some time, I presume the beginning of 2008, I made a note near the top of that chapter in my Bible that says "2008 - expectation is the goal for this year." Have I learned to expect? I think so...my heart still feels what you might call "gun shy" about it on occasion, but yes I think I have learned a lot about expecting when it comes to God - to His love & to the way He cares for us.
So what's next?
We had a guest speaker at the church I go to a few weeks ago & her message focused on this verse in Ephesians that I must have read before because I know I've read the book of Ephesians, but I somehow missed it - or missed the point of it because as she spoke about it...it was like a "wait...what? that's in there? that's not just something everyone tells you because it sounds nice???"
The verse is Ephesians 3:20-21 - "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (emphasis added by me - obviously)
This morning as I was re-reading these verses I couldn't help but think really? Beyond what I could ask? Beyond what I could imagine? At first I thought the issues I'd had with expecting were circling overhead planning to come back to bother me. So I started to pray about this verse specifically.
I've never lacked ability in the imagining department - ask any of my relatives who had to listen to the elaborate stories I would make up and tell them. I consider imagination to be one of our most valuable resources as humans. So as I began to pray all I could say at first was God I can imagine an awful lot. And it was as if I heard a voice say "would you have ever imagined being back in school?"
No. Not in a million years. Ever. School was at the bottom of the pile as far as plans - I went a long time feeling that I'd done my time (so to speak), I had a BA - what more could I possibly need.
And truth be told, while I'd wanted to be in California for quite a few years before moving, I would have never imagined being in Los Angeles. I liked northern California (as I happily told anyone who would listen to me for a good 3 or 4 years).
But now...now I cannot imagine being anywhere else. I am happier than I've been in a very long time. I can quite honestly say that I love it here. That I love my life, for the most part, love where I am & even love school (most days). ;o)
Okay...so He is quite able to work beyond the all-too-human limits of my imagination...
If expectation was the goal for 2008 & granted it spilled right over into 2009, what is the goal for the rest of 2009 / 2010? Believe far beyond what I can imagine? Expect what is beyond my own expectations? Or perhaps simply just come to a peaceful place of belief.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Trust
My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. Okay I guess that's technically verses, but still...
I was looking at this passage this morning and it struck me - I probably should have known I had a few trust issues to work through when I used to shy away from verse 5. For years I said my favorite verse was Proverbs 3:6 only, which is "Acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."
I first discovered this verse the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I liked it - basically it said to me that through praying and keeping the line of conversation open with God (so to speak) He would give guidance. Made sense to me - was fairly simple as far as my side of things - and I liked it. However, particularly in the last few years, I've begun to see that you can't really have verse 6 without the preceding verse.
Don't get me wrong, prayer is never a bad thing and I do believe that God will guide us, sometimes gently & sometimes not. But all of that requires trust.
For some time I actually did not like verse 5, which says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways..." Everything that came before the word "but" was hard for me to understand...especially the not leaning on your own understanding. I was fine with God's guidance as long as I felt in the loop so to speak. Basically, if I felt like what was going on made sense, I figured it must be right.
The older I get the more I wonder if in fact it is the opposite & the less sense it makes to me, the better off I'll be.
Many things in recent years in my own life have made very little sense, but (at least in hindsight) I can see that the good and the bad were necessary for me to get me to the place I am today. And sure, I made some bad choices along the way, but I'm human - that's what humans do, often when we're doing what makes the most sense.
Just a thought.
Listening to: Bjork - Vespertine
I was looking at this passage this morning and it struck me - I probably should have known I had a few trust issues to work through when I used to shy away from verse 5. For years I said my favorite verse was Proverbs 3:6 only, which is "Acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."
I first discovered this verse the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I liked it - basically it said to me that through praying and keeping the line of conversation open with God (so to speak) He would give guidance. Made sense to me - was fairly simple as far as my side of things - and I liked it. However, particularly in the last few years, I've begun to see that you can't really have verse 6 without the preceding verse.
Don't get me wrong, prayer is never a bad thing and I do believe that God will guide us, sometimes gently & sometimes not. But all of that requires trust.
For some time I actually did not like verse 5, which says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways..." Everything that came before the word "but" was hard for me to understand...especially the not leaning on your own understanding. I was fine with God's guidance as long as I felt in the loop so to speak. Basically, if I felt like what was going on made sense, I figured it must be right.
The older I get the more I wonder if in fact it is the opposite & the less sense it makes to me, the better off I'll be.
Many things in recent years in my own life have made very little sense, but (at least in hindsight) I can see that the good and the bad were necessary for me to get me to the place I am today. And sure, I made some bad choices along the way, but I'm human - that's what humans do, often when we're doing what makes the most sense.
Just a thought.
Listening to: Bjork - Vespertine
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summer of Love Pt. 1
This summer (so far) has been an interesting journey for me. Mostly spiritual & emotional at this point. And it's all revolved around love in one way or another.
Actually, I can't seem to get away from the topic. When the summer started I wanted to use part of it as a sort of spiritual retreat to (as I told one friend) re-ground myself spiritually. For me this meant getting back into the habit of daily quiet time and prayer...and beginning to do some work on my heart that's needed to be done for a long time.
Allowing God to work on your heart is a wonderful and terribly frightening journey. It involves facing issues like trust and belief and well...love. Not to mention going over things from your past you thought were buried years ago. Nope! If you begin to open up your heart for healing when it's been wounded you'll find the mending process to involve its own amount of pain. But, it's worth it.
At the start of summer I began this journey by reading (a.k.a. crying my way through) two books. Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge and Do You Think I'm Beautiful by Angela Thomas. They are both incredible and worth the reading. (And I'm not sure that everyone cries their way through the way I did - I'm fairly certain the journey is different for each person).
In reading these books, I had some major revelations about myself and things in my life that I thought I'd dealt with quite well. I realized something kind of interesting that I thought of again this morning as I sat in church.
Today was the start of a new sermon series at the church I go to (Oasis Christian Center) called Roommates, Bad Dates, & Great Mates (I told you, I can't escape the subject of love). Anyway, as Pastor Phillip was talking about how God loves us; how God never leaves us; and how in those moments when we think He's disappeared, all we have to do is turn around a look and He's there, I started thinking.
When I was young, and attending a private Lutheran school, we were told similar things - like that Jesus was always with us. My school life was not the happiest thing - that's actually putting it quite mildly - and I can remember in first or second grade sitting at my desk and picturing Jesus being beside me, because if he was beside me, then I wasn't really alone. Somewhere along the path to life that image got lost in the weight of feeling all alone for a long time.
But what actually strikes me about it is I had no problem imagining Jesus always being with me. He was cool, amazing, and very clearly (from what I was learning at school and in church - and later on my own) loving. He epitomized selfless love.
In rather sharp contrast to that, the idea of God, the Father, always being there...that I had a harder time with, but I didn't know how to express that. I just knew from the time I was very young until adulthood whenever someone would try to encourage me to not be sad about my lack of an "earthly" father in my life because I had such a wonderful "heavenly" Father, I would get very angry. It became like an instantaneous button for me. Angry and then sad and kinda hurt.
It wasn't until high school that I began to look at God like a "parent". I had a parent - a wonderful mother - so I could handle that label. And I liked it. And it allowed me to grow closer to Him and to be open to that. But somewhere in the midst of early adulthood, all those issues with "father" came creeping back.
As an adult, I realized what caused such terrible feelings in me when very well-meaning people tried to explain the idea of God as a father to me. The word "father" didn't mean anything to me. And when I say that, I mean it was really and truly devoid of meaning; empty. I had nothing - no expectations - to attach to that word, so I had never learned how to view God as a Father who loves & provides for His children because I had no reality to put with that.
This is something I've been working out over the last couple of years actually. Slowly learning to trust. Learning to let go. Learning to believe I do know His voice (and no I don't mean that in a little voices in your head kind of way / call the men in the white coats kind of way). Some things are very difficult to express in writing actually...
I still have a lot to learn. But I know an awfully large number of girls, like me, who had their hearts broken by either an absent father or one who showed them nothing resembling love. And who, also like me, haven't found peace with letting God father them. It really is a great thing I gotta tell ya. Seriously. But it's a process. A huge process. One that involves letting go of a lot. And trusting. Trusting is a whole other blog. Oy.
Tonight however I have two things I'm pondering. The first is 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 which is "...If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
The second is (shorter!) Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord."
Think about that. Love as described in 1 Corinthians is (I believe) described in its perfect state - in the way that God loves us and how we should strive to love one another. It's an amazing, powerful love. And then the idea that nothing can separate us from God's love - His perfect love. Nothing we do. Not the way other people see us or have treated us or made us feel. He loves us. Period.
And granted that is why He shows us both grace and mercy. And within His grace we are called to belong to Him, to be His children. No matter how we got here, or how either of our parents treated us (either - if you have mom issues or dad issues or neither), or how friends, boy/girlfriends, lovers, husbands, wives, exes, family, etc. have made us feel - He loves us just the way we are.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Currently Listening to the Soundtrack to Memoirs of a Geisha
Actually, I can't seem to get away from the topic. When the summer started I wanted to use part of it as a sort of spiritual retreat to (as I told one friend) re-ground myself spiritually. For me this meant getting back into the habit of daily quiet time and prayer...and beginning to do some work on my heart that's needed to be done for a long time.
Allowing God to work on your heart is a wonderful and terribly frightening journey. It involves facing issues like trust and belief and well...love. Not to mention going over things from your past you thought were buried years ago. Nope! If you begin to open up your heart for healing when it's been wounded you'll find the mending process to involve its own amount of pain. But, it's worth it.
At the start of summer I began this journey by reading (a.k.a. crying my way through) two books. Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge and Do You Think I'm Beautiful by Angela Thomas. They are both incredible and worth the reading. (And I'm not sure that everyone cries their way through the way I did - I'm fairly certain the journey is different for each person).
In reading these books, I had some major revelations about myself and things in my life that I thought I'd dealt with quite well. I realized something kind of interesting that I thought of again this morning as I sat in church.
Today was the start of a new sermon series at the church I go to (Oasis Christian Center) called Roommates, Bad Dates, & Great Mates (I told you, I can't escape the subject of love). Anyway, as Pastor Phillip was talking about how God loves us; how God never leaves us; and how in those moments when we think He's disappeared, all we have to do is turn around a look and He's there, I started thinking.
When I was young, and attending a private Lutheran school, we were told similar things - like that Jesus was always with us. My school life was not the happiest thing - that's actually putting it quite mildly - and I can remember in first or second grade sitting at my desk and picturing Jesus being beside me, because if he was beside me, then I wasn't really alone. Somewhere along the path to life that image got lost in the weight of feeling all alone for a long time.
But what actually strikes me about it is I had no problem imagining Jesus always being with me. He was cool, amazing, and very clearly (from what I was learning at school and in church - and later on my own) loving. He epitomized selfless love.
In rather sharp contrast to that, the idea of God, the Father, always being there...that I had a harder time with, but I didn't know how to express that. I just knew from the time I was very young until adulthood whenever someone would try to encourage me to not be sad about my lack of an "earthly" father in my life because I had such a wonderful "heavenly" Father, I would get very angry. It became like an instantaneous button for me. Angry and then sad and kinda hurt.
It wasn't until high school that I began to look at God like a "parent". I had a parent - a wonderful mother - so I could handle that label. And I liked it. And it allowed me to grow closer to Him and to be open to that. But somewhere in the midst of early adulthood, all those issues with "father" came creeping back.
As an adult, I realized what caused such terrible feelings in me when very well-meaning people tried to explain the idea of God as a father to me. The word "father" didn't mean anything to me. And when I say that, I mean it was really and truly devoid of meaning; empty. I had nothing - no expectations - to attach to that word, so I had never learned how to view God as a Father who loves & provides for His children because I had no reality to put with that.
This is something I've been working out over the last couple of years actually. Slowly learning to trust. Learning to let go. Learning to believe I do know His voice (and no I don't mean that in a little voices in your head kind of way / call the men in the white coats kind of way). Some things are very difficult to express in writing actually...
I still have a lot to learn. But I know an awfully large number of girls, like me, who had their hearts broken by either an absent father or one who showed them nothing resembling love. And who, also like me, haven't found peace with letting God father them. It really is a great thing I gotta tell ya. Seriously. But it's a process. A huge process. One that involves letting go of a lot. And trusting. Trusting is a whole other blog. Oy.
Tonight however I have two things I'm pondering. The first is 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 which is "...If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
The second is (shorter!) Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord."
Think about that. Love as described in 1 Corinthians is (I believe) described in its perfect state - in the way that God loves us and how we should strive to love one another. It's an amazing, powerful love. And then the idea that nothing can separate us from God's love - His perfect love. Nothing we do. Not the way other people see us or have treated us or made us feel. He loves us. Period.
And granted that is why He shows us both grace and mercy. And within His grace we are called to belong to Him, to be His children. No matter how we got here, or how either of our parents treated us (either - if you have mom issues or dad issues or neither), or how friends, boy/girlfriends, lovers, husbands, wives, exes, family, etc. have made us feel - He loves us just the way we are.
Just a thought.
-Lisa
Currently Listening to the Soundtrack to Memoirs of a Geisha
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Introduction
Hi, & Happy 4th of July to you!
I wanted to write a quick introduction to explain the type of blog I plan to have here.
This will be a place where I'll write about whatever strikes me that day (and I will tell you upfront it may or may not be a daily thing). I will probably write quite a bit about God and faith, but not so much in a sermon-type way, as that is not my department.
I like to share some of the things I think and the way my faith impacts the rest of my life.
I will also (probably) blog about artsy stuff because the arts in general were & are kind of like my first love. They are something I've run from on occasion (for "practical" purposes) and yet I always find myself back in their midst - and that is a place where I am happy, so much for practical.
This is not supposed to be a place of professional expression, a.k.a. work / journalism. It is a place for the expression of thought. Therefore it is in no way meant to be unbiased. I will happily be expressing my own thoughts, opinions, feelings, etc. here. So feel free to leave me comments with your own thoughts.
I hope that, if you're reading this, you'll enjoy what you find here & check back often.
I wanted to write a quick introduction to explain the type of blog I plan to have here.
This will be a place where I'll write about whatever strikes me that day (and I will tell you upfront it may or may not be a daily thing). I will probably write quite a bit about God and faith, but not so much in a sermon-type way, as that is not my department.
I like to share some of the things I think and the way my faith impacts the rest of my life.
I will also (probably) blog about artsy stuff because the arts in general were & are kind of like my first love. They are something I've run from on occasion (for "practical" purposes) and yet I always find myself back in their midst - and that is a place where I am happy, so much for practical.
This is not supposed to be a place of professional expression, a.k.a. work / journalism. It is a place for the expression of thought. Therefore it is in no way meant to be unbiased. I will happily be expressing my own thoughts, opinions, feelings, etc. here. So feel free to leave me comments with your own thoughts.
I hope that, if you're reading this, you'll enjoy what you find here & check back often.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)