Good Idea, Bad Idea

For those of you unfortunate enough to not recognize the title of this blog, “Good Idea, Bad Idea” is from the television cartoon show “Animaniacs.” During each cartoon, there would be a section called “Good Idea, Bad Idea” in which an animated figure illustrates a “good” idea – something harmless and socially acceptable. The figure then immediately illustrates a “bad” idea – something completely illogical or dangerously stupid. I was reminded of these delightfully cultivating cartoon snippets as I was contemplating the subject of this next blog.

How do you know if an opportunity is from Satan or God? Or anything, for that matter – a thought, a lifestyle, a decision, etc. How do you know the difference between a GOOD idea and a BAD idea? This may seem like a no-brainer, but in some cases it really isn’t. Trust me.

Sure, it wouldn’t be that difficult, if God only offered us obvious “GOOD idea” type of opportunities (e.g., “Go on this mission trip and let me be a blessing to others through you”), and Satan only offered up opportunities that are very obviously BAD ideas (e.g., “ Go stick your finger in that electrical outlet for a beautiful, do it yourself, at-home perm!”).
Most of us know, however, that this is not how life works. Sometimes we are faced with decisions, or we are given opportunities, that are a little more ambiguous. Sometimes it’s a bit more tricky to decide if something is a good or bad idea. When you find that opportunity is knocking at your door, how do you know if it’s the gentle tapping of the Holy Spirit, or the persistent, misleading knock of Satan with his bag of tricks? That’s my million dollar question for the day, and now here’s my final answer.

First, I think you have to take a step back and consider a few things:

Peace. Do you feel peace about the situation? I use the word “feel” here carefully, because we cannot trust our feelings. But we can trust the peace that passes all understanding. The peace that comes from the Holy Spirit when we are headed in the right direction. We are told to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). God has given us peace and the Holy Spirit to be the umpire in our lives, telling us what should be in (“safe”) and what should be out (well… “out”).

God’s character. Before you make the decision you’re thinking of making, or the opportunity you’re thinking of taking, ask yourself if it is in line with God’s character, and with his word. Some of his character traits include faithfulness, honesty, loyalty, truthfulness, patience, and selflessness. If you look closely enough, you can see what fits in with God’s character, and what doesn’t. If you sense a calling to become a highly motivated and successful thief, you can be pretty certain it’s not a calling from God, because stealing from others is not in line with God’s honest, selfless character. That’s an obvious one, I know. You should not only look at God’s character, but take a look at your own as well. Consider yourself and how God made you – your interests, talents, abilities. More often than not God leads us into things that fit in with how we were made and what we’re good at.

God’s voice. This one takes some practice. Get to know God’s voice so well that you immediately distinguish it from any other. As sheep, we ought to recognize our Shepherd’s voice. We should develop such a sensitive ear to it that, even when we’re cruising along the path we think we’re supposed to be on, we are able to slam on the brakes and make a U-turn if that’s what we’re told to do. There is nothing wrong with coming up with a plan, but be ready to ditch that plan if God tells you to. Proverbs 16:9 says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

Finally, you just have to take a step. Sometimes the only way to know if something is the right choice is to just start moving. Take a step in that direction, and see what happens. A door may be slammed in your face. You may lose your peace. Or you may find that your peace increases exponentially, and doors open for you in ways you never thought possible. You can’t drive a parked car. Think about how hard it is to steer the wheel of a car that’s sitting still, compared to when it’s moving. Get up and get going. Give it a shot and find out . There’s no point sitting around wondering about something when you could just give it a try and know for yourself. And I’m mostly talking to myself with this one…

Memorial Day

To Adam, and to all other men and women who have so selflessly sacrificed all that they had:

Thank you. We will never forget.

"Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being."

– Kahlil Gibran

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

– John Stuart Mill

"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

- John 15:13

"All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all"

http://amor_diosa.webs.bikers-engine.com/veterans.html

Tributes to U.S. soldiers on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGX42NQTFDs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdS5E5ijxaI

http://g.dwgsee.com/wake/index.htm

What will I be when I "grow up"?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Sometimes I wonder if I would be happier if I had less. Fewer of certain things that are not inherently bad, but can get in the way of life nonetheless. I’m not talking about the obviously bad things in life such as grief, doubt, fear, health problems, traffic, or bad coffee. I believe most, if not all, people would want less of those things.

Rather, things such as talent, potential, ability, insightfulness, efficiency, productivity, well-roundedness. At what point does the possession of these qualities become more of a burden than a privilege? At what measure does the scale tip from advantage to responsibility and inconvenience?

At times I wish there were only one or two things that I had a talent for, or an interest in. Then at least I’d know what I’m good at, and that would give me some type of direction in life, when it comes to career choices. I try very hard not to compare myself to anyone, because I know that is a nasty trap to fall into. But sometimes I cannot help but envy those people who, with unwavering assurance, know exactly what they were made to do in life, and are able to pursue it whole-heartedly. Many know from childhood what they want to be – doctor, firefighter, lawyer, teacher, architect, mother, nurse, businessman. They have a talent and a passion for that line of work, and they strive virtually unhindered toward their goal. I don’t envy their passion or their determination – I have plenty of both. What I envy is the fact that they are able to narrow their interests and passions down to one thing (or even two or three), and create some sort of tunnel vision that keeps their focus on that goal.

I can’t imagine what life is like for people who are on one end of the spectrum. Those who have no passions, dreams, or goals to strive for. But I know that the same feelings of frustration, loneliness, and discontentment can result from having too many passions and goals. Too many interests and too much potential. Too many options. Knowing that you could create an entire list of career paths that you could pursue, randomly pick any one of those, and do just as well in it as you would in any of the others on the list. That is torture to me. I want to know that I’d be a much better nurse than a teacher. A better doctor than a lawyer. I want to know the one thing that I would be best at, and happiest doing. The field that would be lacking if I did not end up in it. Is there something that, if I didn’t invest my time and energy going after it, would result in someone’s life not being touched?

Maybe that’s a selfish way of thinking. But how haunting would it be to spend 30 years on one career path, and constantly wonder if I should have traveled a different path? I suppose that’s when we have to kick our faith into high gear and trust that God will put us on the path He wants us to be on. As long as we keep our focus on Him and trust Him to take control of every part of our lives, He will take care of the details. But sometimes trusting and focusing are very difficult things to do.

Third Base Coach

“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”
– Colossians 3:2

I have played softball for several years, and one thing all of my coaches have stressed to us is that we MUST keep our eyes on them when running the bases, especially when running to third. When running towards third base, you had better be watching the coach. She was never hard to pick out. She was the one right beside the base, jumping up and down, waving her arms and screaming like a lunatic. All of her enthusiastic waving and yelling had a purpose, which was to tell you one of two things. If she was franticly pointing at third base with both hands, it meant “get here ASAP and STAY HERE.” If she was waving you towards her with one hand, and using the other to point towards home plate, it meant “get here ASAP, turn the corner, and KEEP GOING.” If she waved one of us home, and we were tagged out at home plate, she never got mad.

But the quickest way to make her angry (and find yourself on the bench) was to look back over your shoulder to see who had the ball, and find out how close the play would be. She didn’t want us looking around the field, making base-running decisions for ourselves. She knew each of our running abilities, and she was going to be responsible for making the judgment call on whether or not we could make it. Our job was to run with all the energy we could muster, and do whatever her ridiculous hand motions told us to do. When running from second to third, your focus was on her, and nothing else. That’s the way we should be in life. We should live our lives as if we’re running towards third base, and never take our eyes off the coach. Because even the quickest glance over the shoulder to survey our surroundings can cause us to trip and make a mess of things, and miss what He had planned for us.

Who is your third base coach? Who do you focus on when you need guidance and advice? When you need to know whether to keep going or stay put? Is it a parent? A spouse? A close friend? Understand that no one other than Jesus could or should ever fill this role. Let your family and friends cheer you on from the bleachers. You need to focus on your Coach. He knows what is best for you and will give you clear instruction about what you need to do, as long as you keep your focus on Him.

Life's Deep End

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:6b

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” – Isaiah 43:2a

Below is a story from a book by Joyce Meyer:

"A little three year old girl felt secure in her father's arms as Dad stood in the middle of a swimming pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting "Deeper and deeper and deeper" as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The girl's face registered increasing degrees of panic, as she held all the more tightly to her father, who, of course, easily touched the bottom. Had the little girl been able to analyze her situation, she'd have realized there was no reason for her increasing fear. The water's depth in ANY part of the pool was over her head. For her, safety anywhere in that pool depended on Dad. At various points in our lives, all of us feel we’re getting “out of our depth” or “in over our heads.” When bad things happen, our temptation is to panic, because we feel we’ve lost control. But the truth is we’ve never been in control when it comes to life’s most crucial elements. We’ve always been held up by the grace of God, our Father, and that won’t change. God is never out of His depth, and therefore we’re as safe when we’re in life’s “deep end” as we were in the kiddy pool."

I frequently hear (and read) people saying how important it is to be obedient to God in the little things in life. I have learned that God often reveals his plan little by little, step by step, as we obey him. Once He tells us to take step one, He is not going to tell us what step two is until we’ve obeyed him and taken the first step. I have always found this principle to be true, and I can appreciate its purpose. If we knew from the start what God had in store for us – all the steps we’d have to take - we’d probably be far too intimidated to even begin. When I think of this principle, I usually think in terms of small steps. However, while many times he does lead us one small step at a time, sometimes He requires a big step.

It takes so much faith to take big steps. If you fail when trying to take a small step, hardly anyone notices. You just jump back up and continue on your way. But if you fail while attempting a big step, it seems the world stops and everyone looks your way to see what just happened. Not only do people notice, but it’s much more difficult to get back up and back on track. I don’t think God will tell us to take big steps until we have proven that we can obey Him in the small ones. So I suppose we could consider it a privilege to be facing a big step – it means we have grown, and have demonstrated our ability to obey Him in the small things, so He is trusting us with more.

“Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.”

I recently came upon this quote by David Lloyd George. When God does call you to take a big step, you have to be willing to take the risk and make a huge leap, trusting God to help you land on your feet and in His arms. When I was a child I used to love to play in the mud puddles in our driveway when it rained. There was one that was larger than the others, especially after lots of rain. That was the best one. One of the things I liked to do was attempt to leap over this mud puddle. The thing about jumping over something is you have to totally commit if you want to have any hope of clearing the obstacle (puddle of muddy water, in this case). If you stand right beside the puddle’s edge, all the while doubting your ability, and then half-heartedly hop towards the other side, there is no way you’re going to make it. You’re going to land right in the middle of that mud puddle. If you want to be able to make it across, you have to get a good running start, and put everything you have into hurdling across it. Even if you don’t believe you can do it, you better find a way to bury those doubts, ignore your fears, and give it your all. Now I realize that taking big steps in life is not the same as jumping over mud puddles, but I liked the analogy.

Know that God is with you during each step He asks you to take, whether it’s a tiny baby step, or a gigantic leap of faith. And remember that there is no “deep end” and no reason to be afraid because we are being carried in our Father’s arms.

Likes and Dislikes

Decided to make a list of things I like and dislike...

Things I like:

• Helping people.
• Finding out something I’m buying is on sale!
• Getting coffee with friends.
• The ocean.
• Playing dodgeball with my cousins in 30 degree weather at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Crazy family tradition. Hehehe.
• Caffeine.
• Shooting pistols.
• Waking up on Saturday morning to a thunderstorm.
• Smiling.
• Watching baseball.
• Reading.
• Building things.
• Pizza.
• Giving something to someone who needs it.
• Dogs.
• Music.
• The BEACH!!!!
• Playing softball.
• Kids.
• The feeling after a good workout.
• Cereal. Cereal is awesome.
• Jet skiing.
• Spending the entire day at the beach, then getting cleaned up to go out to dinner, and show off your tan. That’s one of the best things in the world. :)
• Eye contact.
• Grilling out.
• Mornings.
• The song "Barracuda".
• Watching or playing basketball.
• eBay!
• Flip flops.
• Writing.
• Lemonade in the summer. Hot cocoa in the winter.
• Walking on trails in the woods.
• Baking.
• Rollercoasters.
• Figuring out solutions to problems.
• Laughing.
• Sleeping.

Things I dislike:

• How the last part of a popsicle tastes like the wooden stick.
• Ignorance.
• The wind tunnel above the entrance of every Wal-Mart and Sam’s that blows air straight onto your head. What purpose does that serve?
• Being cold.
• Waking up five minutes before my alarm goes off.
• Having my time wasted.
• Being hit on – and it always happens when I am looking really rough… Guys are weird…
• Coconut.
• Running. Although I'm getting used to it now.
• Not being listened to.
• Being unprepared.
• Selfishness.
• Being late.
• Disrespectfulness.
• Rides that spin around and around. Makes me sick.
• Laziness.
• Static.
• Goodbyes.
• Being interrupted.
• Immaturity.
• Talking on the phone.
• Pulling all-nighters to study for a test.
• Rude people.
• Shopping for pants – they’re all too short!!!
• Chaos.
• Pollen, dust, mold, and cats. Allergic to all of them.
• Being stared at.

The Elevator

Today I was sitting at my desk at work, and was struck with one of my frequent cravings – I needed some chocolate covered pretzels and, more importantly, some caffeine. So I ventured down to the company store on the ground floor, where I purchased these tasty treats. Already with a little extra pep in my step at the mere thought of getting some caffeine into my system, I struck up a conversation with a woman walking in front of me. She was not really walking, actually, but hobbling on crutches, with a cast on her foot. We were discussing the fact that we both had broken only one bone in our lives –the left ankle. As we approached the elevator, we were discussing the causes of the aforementioned broken bone (mine was a street hockey injury). We were joined by a third woman, we all entered the elevator, and each of us pressed the buttons for our respective floors. By this point we were discussing (don’t ever do this) how we tend to have a propensity for attracting accidents and misfortune.

No sooner had the elevator doors closed and the elevator started rising towards the first floor, when it suddenly came to a halt with a quite disconcerting grinding sound. So here we were, caught between the ground floor and the first. Two things immediately popped into my head. First, I managed to grab the pager off of my desk before I dashed from my desk in a moment of chocolate-craving madness. But had I grabbed my cell phone? Nope. I was stuck in an elevator with a pager. Fat lot of good that would do me. I suppose someone could have started paging me once they realized I was missing. But, really, what are the odds that they’d wander around the entire building listening for the beeping? No one in my group cares about me that much. My second thought was, after accepting that I would not be able to page my way free, that it was very fortunate indeed that I had just purchased my pretzels and Dr. Pepper. With such nourishing sustenance clutched in my hands, this meant I would survive longer than the others. Now I’m not naïve, I knew a struggle would ensue once they realized I was the only one with food. But I had already begun sizing them up, and I knew I could have taken either one of them had they attempted to snatch my snack from my desperate, life-threatened clutch.

While I was pondering these thoughts, the other two were beginning to look slightly distressed, and had begun (again, don’t ever do this) pressing random buttons within the elevator. Had I not been so well-prepared for just such an emergency with my pretzels, soft drink, and pager, I may have joined them. I had a fleeting curiosity about what it would be like to plummet back down to the lower level of the building, enclosed within a steel box. But it was very fleeting. As they continued to frantically press all of the buttons AT THE SAME TIME, I had already drifted back off into my dream world, where I was reflecting upon the life I had lived so far, and wondering if I had just bought my last snack. Well, evidently I was meant to eat more chocolate covered pretzels after these, because finally we felt the elevator rise a little more, then stop, and the doors opened.

As we exited the death trap, we each breathed a sigh of relief and laughingly made a comment about being glad we made it off that thing alive. The crutch-aided woman was already on her floor, so she hobbled off to wherever she was going. I immediately headed for the stairs. I glanced behind me and the third woman had just pressed the “Up” button outside of the elevators. The doors opened to the elevator right next to the one we had just been stuck on, and SHE GOT RIGHT IN IT. As I slowly began my ascent up the stairs to my desk, munching on my cherished pretzels, I began pondering the theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest.
There just might be something to those after all…

Lime

With spring in the air, I was inspired to plant some flowers a few weeks ago. Because I’m in an apartment, this means I planted them in pots and put some outside and some inside… I went to Lowe’s and picked out several different varieties, came home and decided exactly how I wanted to arrange them. Then I planted them, watered them, and placed each pot in its assigned spot. They are still beautiful, and are thriving. I’m only including this information so that everyone who reads the following does not think I’m completely incompetent when it comes to plants.

My grandmother has the greenest thumb of anyone I’ve ever known. All she has to do is look at a flower that is on its last leg, and it will miraculously spring to life. My mother, on the other hand, seems to have a black thumb, if there is such a thing. Horticulturally handicapped, if you will. Yes, I’m pretty sure I just made that word up since spell check is screaming at me to change it. But I’m not going to because I like it. Anyway, if there is a plant within twenty feet of my mom, it will keel over and die. One time when she was at my house, I spotted one of my plants starting to look very sick indeed, and I think I saw a tiny little white flag being raised. I had to hurry mom out of the house before it was too late. Haha, not really. I just want to make the point that flowers react very differently to my mom than they do to my grandmom. And since I have both of their blood running through my veins, I knew it’d be a toss-up as to which one I’d be like.

A few months ago, I had been up at my parent’s house and was getting ready to leave, when I noticed a sad little pot of ivy sulking in the corner near the front door. If plants could talk, this one would have screamed, “For the love of Gardenia, take me with you!!” So I did. I asked mom if I could take it and try to revive it. She said sure, since she was only going to throw it away anyway. I was determined to bring this thing back to a healthful state. I put it in its own special place in my dining room, and kept a constant vigil of its color, the level of sunlight, and the soil hydration. A day or so later, I decided it’d be a good idea to look online for tips on how to care for ivy, because I had no idea what type of environment, amount of water, etc it needed. So I checked online and found an article with a lot of helpful tips. One tip was that people tend to over-water their ivy, and it gets moldy. Noted. Ivy doesn’t need much sunlight. Got it. Make sure it is in an appropriate container to allow for adequate soil drainage. Check. Then I read the following: “Ivy prefers slightly alkaline soil. If your soil is acidic, add lime.” Aha! Acidic soil! That had to be the culprit.

Now, I’m going to pause here for a moment and explain to those who may not already know – I am a very literal person. Very. Whether it’s a good or bad thing, that’s what I am. So, when I see an article that says “add lime” I’m going to add lime. Well, apparently the person who wrote this article was referring to agricultural lime, which is a compound of calcium and magnesium, used to raise the pH of soil. But when I read lime, my thoughts went straight to the little green fruit.

I needed to go to the grocery store that evening anyway, so I went ahead and picked up two or three limes. I came home from the store, humming “put the lime in the coconut”, and proceeded to squeeze the juice from one of the limes right into the soil where my ivy sat silently screaming. Very pleased with myself and my diligent research and follow through, I sat back knowing the ivy would perk right up within a few days. The next day my mom came over to the apartment, and I very proudly told her the whole story, and explained that I expected to see a rapid transformation within the next few days. To her credit, she managed to keep a straight face during my story. Then she asked me, “When you say you added lime to the soil, what exactly do you mean?” I told her I cut a lime in half, and then squeezed the juice out of it, into the soil. Again, to her credit, she didn’t laugh in my face immediately.

But she has not let me live this one down, and I no longer have any room to talk about the fact that she kills plants. Because I not only kill them, I managed to devise a plan to torture and kill my plant. The ivy actually did start doing okay over the next several days. But then I guess it soaked up so much acid from the lime juice that it took a turn for the worse and deteriorated at an alarmingly rapid rate, then finally croaked.

I’m hoping at least some of my grandmom’s ability was passed along to me, and that the ivy incident was a one-time thing. But I won’t quit my day job, just in case.

Running

This week I began my own “training” program, designed by yours truly, to get myself in better shape. I was looking at the requirements for the physical fitness test for Air Force Officer Training School. Basically they require each person to be able to do a certain number of pushups in one minute, a certain number of situps in one minute, and be able to run a mile and a half in a specific amount of time. Pushups don’t really give me any problems, but I’m going to slowly build up to being able to do more. I could do situps all day long, so no problem there. But running. Ah, running. So begins my next post.

First, some background: For those who know me even fairly well, think back to a time when you saw me running… or doing anything really quickly, for that matter. I myself have recently tried to pinpoint exactly what type of occasion or event would inspire me to run from point A to point B. The only thing I have been able to come up with is – if someone or something is chasing me with the intent to kill. Short of that, I will only be inspired to walk briskly.

So this week I left the familiarity and comfort of my old friend the elliptical trainer. I have spent many hours on that machine, while reading a book, listening to my iPod, watching TV, juggling knives, you name it. On this machine you can do whatever you want while you’re exercising, which means you distract yourself from any discomfort you may be experiencing. You can do these things because you determine your own speed, and it’s pretty impossible to fall off unless you’re trying to do something stupid. Today, since I am trying to get in better shape, and increase (actually, develop is a more accurate word here) my ability to run for a respectable amount of time, I did not get on the elliptical trainer.

Instead, I walked right past it, straight to the dreaded machine…. where trepidation and angst hover like a looming thundercloud. The last machine in that place that I would ever get on willingly. That’s right. The treadmill. So here is the first of my two questions: Why would anyone voluntarily throw themselves onto this racing conveyer belt of death?? I don’t think people who run on treadmills are running for enjoyment, relaxation, or even for the health benefits. They are running for their lives. Because if they stop running, they will be forcefully hurled into the wall that is always conveniently located fifteen inches behind the treadmill. I think anytime you see someone on a treadmill, either it’s their first time, and they have not yet figured out how to turn the thing off… Or it’s someone who has conquered the fear of being pitched directly into a solid concrete wall, and they get some sort of thrill from achieving this victory on a regular basis. Whatever. More power to them.

The second question I have is this: Whether on a treadmill or not - why in the world do people enjoy running?? I can imagine what might be enjoyable about it. You can clear your head, let your mind wander, and it makes you feel good because it gets your adrenaline going. Well, maybe it’s just because I’m new to it, but when I’m running, my body is screaming at me, “What are you doing??!!! This is not at all pleasant!! In fact, it hurts, and I want to stop NOW!!” And that’s just what I heard during the first 12 seconds or so into my run. I’ve heard runners say that there’s a point in your run that you have to just “push past” in order to keep going. I thought maybe they meant push past some mild discomfort or slight dehydration issues. Apparently they meant you have to push past your legs turning to jelly, your knees buckling, and your poor lungs positively begging for more oxygen. Basically, when you feel your major body systems shutting down, just “push past it.”

So the disdain I already felt towards treadmills has now been coupled with my absolute animosity for running. I managed to stay on that horrible machine for 10 minutes. That’s right. 10 minutes is all I could muster. And of that, only 6 minutes were spent running. I had to alternate 2 minutes walking with 3 minutes running. Pathetic, I know. And when I finally stopped, and stepped back on solid ground, the only thing that kept me from crumbling to the floor in a lifeless heap was the fact that my knees were already so sore they wouldn’t bend enough to allow me such a gracious courtesy.

So that was my day at the gym. Fun times. And I’m looking forward to many more…

A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” – 1 Peter 3:3-4

A gentle and quiet spirit is definitely something I aspire to have. I think some people consider gentleness to be an indication of weakness, but I think it’s the opposite. I think in order to be gentle you have to possess a certain type of strength. For example, in a difficult situation, you have to be able to dig deep and act out of that gentle and quiet spirit, rather than reacting according to your human instincts. A woman can be strong and still be gentle, because her strength comes from the Lord, and she can use that strength to be gentle to those around her.

Also, I think the word ‘quiet’ here means peaceful… not necessarily literally quiet. A woman with a quiet, or peaceful, spirit is someone who does not get rocked by every wave in life, and does not base her decisions, actions, or attitude on her feelings. A woman with a gentle and quiet spirit not only possesses the ability to remain calm and at peace, but she inspires these things in those around her.

The following is from the book Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge:

“That is what beauty says – All shall be well. And that is what it’s like to be with a woman at rest, a woman comfortable in her feminine beauty. She is enjoyable to be with. She is lovely. In her presence your heart stops holding its breath. You can relax and believe once again that all will be well.”

This book talks about how many woman are so busy and stretched so thin that they are unable to feel any peace themselves, let alone instill a feeling of comfort and peace in those around them. Instead they cause people to feel the opposite, because they are striving and not resting. It also talks about how many of our role models are woman who are constantly on the go, getting things done, and making things happen. But the women in my life who I look up to are not like that. They have a certain quality about them. They seem to be at peace despite their circumstances, and just being around them causes me to feel the same way. These women are in no way weak, nor are they meek, mousy little women who never say anything. They are not strong in and of themselves, but they lean on the Father for everything, and it makes all the difference in the world. I am thankful for these women God has placed in my life for me to look up to, and I hope to be able to have the same impact on someone down the road.

When I am weak, then I am strong

Since I am new to the blogging world, I have been trying to decide what I want my blogs to center around. Just the other day I made a list of my favorite Bible verses. Some of them I would like to memorize, and others I have already done so. The list ended up being very long, and I am still adding to it. So, I thought, why not use these verses as the topic for each blog? So, that's what I'm going to do.... and here's the first verse:

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

In this verse Paul is telling us what God's response was to his pleas for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. According to scripture, there is enough of God's grace (His unmerited divine assistance or favor) to meet our needs, no matter what they may be. When we go through trials in life that test our faith, we should remember that the end result of whatever we are going through will be a demonstration of God's strength. When we are experiencing difficulties, it is so easy to focus on the problem and lose sight of the big picture. During these times it is often difficult to even entertain a positive thought, let alone focus on one. But that is what we have to do in order to pull through.

I think what is difficult for some people (myself included) to grasp is that God is not saying "My grace is sufficient to get you out of this problem right now so you will be comfortable and not need me again until your next problem arises." Surprise! We still have to go through the trial. But we have God's grace and power to get us through it. If, every time we got into a jam, all we had to do was say, "God get me out of this" and he would do it...Then what would He be to us other than someone we used to escape situations we didn't want to experience?

Think about a happy time in your life - a time when everything was going well, and things just seemed be working out for you. Next think about a time when your life was turned upside down, or you found yourself in what seemed to be a never-ending series of unwelcome trials and struggles. Now, looking at each of these experiences, ask yourself when you felt God's presence the strongest. For me, I have seen God do incredible things in my life during times that nothing else seemed to be going right. Don't get me wrong, He does great things when things are going fine too. But the sad truth is that we really start seeking God and calling out to Him when we're down in the dumps. Sometimes when I have a string of really horrible days I think it's God trying to get my attention... like he's saying, "Hey, remember me?" If it takes a bad day to get us to draw closer to God, then I think He's willing to allow some bad days into our lives. After all, He is a jealous God. But that's another verse, and therefore, a topic for another day. :)

More Than a Conqueror

I lost a dear friend recently. I lost him so quickly I didn't even know what had happened. One day he was alive, the next he was not. But I also lost something else - something even more important - my faith. This loss was not nearly as quick or as obvious, and perhaps not as complete, but for all intents and purposes, until a few weeks ago, my faith was gone. Adam's death shook me to my core, snatching out from under me anything not firmly rooted. I could tell myself that I'd be okay, and that with time it would get easier, but I was not seeing any evidence of that, and without faith, we rely on what we see. What I saw was myself becoming a whirlwind of emotions, not knowing what to expect from my own self. All I knew was that I did not want a life like that. I came to a breaking point one day, and literally could barely function. I could not think a rational thought, and I could sense myself sinking and sinking into a place I had never been. It terrified me.

Then two very special people in my life came along and grabbed me by the hand, and started trying to pull me back out. At first, their efforts did little more than keep me from sinking further, but at least that was progress. One of these people made me stop and take a step back. She told me to look at my life and decide what needed to give - because something had to. She told me I needed to get away. Any excuse I offered up she was not willing to accept. She offered to let me use her car, said she would pay for the gas, and she even called some friends to see if I could stay with them. She basically did all but drive me there.

The second person was my rock - my shoulder to cry on, and my listening ear. As hard as it was for me to reach out for help, she knew when I needed it. And as many other things as she probably needed to be doing with her time, she was more than willing to give me all the time I needed. She was ready to talk when I needed her to, and ready to sit in silence with me when I needed that. And she never lost faith in me. Though I had lost most of mine, she kept her's strong. She told me that even if I didn't have faith, she did, and she had enough for both of us.

After only the first day of my trip, I knew that I would be okay. So now, a few weeks later, I'm sitting here wondering exactly what happened to me. Did I lose my faith? Or was it my faith that kept me from going under? What I find ironic is that everything I've learned, and everything I needed to hear, all along was right there in black and white and red, in the Bible. I just couldn't accept it, mostly because I was angry. But now, whenever I think about what I've learned from all of this, I realize that it's a Bible verse I've read somewhere along the way. And now I just crave more of it.

The truths I was not accepting I'm now seeking out and wanting to find. The faith I thought was dead is suddenly unprecedentedly strong. And the God I was so angry with is the one I want to be close to more than anything. So, ultimately, what I've learned through this experience, and what I've known my whole life, are one in the same:

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. And I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. For 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 in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thoughts

I think that tragedies,

As horrible and painful as they are,

Can ultimately bring some good with the bad.

I think the deciding factor is us -

whether we choose to accept it.

God gives and He takes away.

He took you away from me.

What choice am I faced with?

I can be angry at God,

And grow bitter and resentful.

I can choose to keep the void

you left open and painfully empty.

Or I can accept it as God's will,

And choose to fill that void

with His goodness and love.

Obviously, I'll choose the latter -

Because who wants a life of bitterness and pain?

Of course, if it were up to me,

If I were allowed to pick,

I'd choose to have you and my God.

But evidently I wasn't meant to have both.

So every empty place you've left behind,

I will let God fill.

He can be our mutual friend.

You're hanging out with Him in Glory,

And I'm clinging to Him to get through each day.