Life's Trials

As I sit here on my soft couch and feel the warm sun beat through the window on my back, I sip my homemade smoothie of fresh berries and yogurt as I ponder life. I feel like as we grow older and wiser we feel like the trials in our life should become lighter than in the past. But why do we think this way? After all, the trials in our life are often tests that the Lord uses to grow us and shape us. Why would they become less severe as we get older? There are always areas in one's life that the Lord has not touched or shaped yet. He grows us in one area of our life only to move on to another area to grow that one as well. That's how our God works. He wants to mold you and shape you into the best person you can be.
The days ahead may call for greater endurance and more faith than you've ever needed before, but God only gives us as much as we can handle. Thinking about this may seem scary, but how precious are the lessons learned through such experiences! It is hard to fully anticipate these things with joy, but throughout time I have found myself gaining an appreciation for them. These experiences are what mold me and shape me into who God has created me to be.
My encouragement to everyone is to apply your hearts to learn wisdom, and seek the Lord above all else. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. -James 1:5

Lately

February is the shortest month of the year, but for some reason I feel like this month is taking forever. Maybe because it's the peak of the winter season and it can only get warmer from here, or maybe because I'm expecting the month to fly by so it is taking that much longer. Whatever the case, this is what I've been up to lately…

Time with friends

 

A good book / Lovely Valentine's Day flowers

 Getting up early to work out and seeing beautiful sights such as this one

Knitting newborn hats for multiple friends and family that have babies on the way.

Enjoying these tasty little treats. I cannot get enough.

Enjoying time with this little man.

Organizing little spaces in our little apartment.

We visited a church just up 50th St from our apartment. It had a beautiful chapel with lovely stained glass windows. 

I hope everyone in the midwest is staying warm and enjoying this short month. Just a few more weeks until spring… maybe. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day… the day of love.
People either love or hate this holiday.
If you are married, engaged, dating, or in some kind of romantic relationship you tend to have more positive feelings for this holiday. But, if you are single or without a "special someone" you tend to bash this holiday and wish that it didn't exist.
I am married and I don't really love or hate Valentine's Day. It's just another day for me where roses happen to be triple in price and restaurants are so packed you can't eat out unless you want to eat dinner at 8pm or later.
My opinion is if someone loves you or cares about you, they don't need one day out of 365 designated for them to show you or tell you how they feel.
I feel like in most cases the holiday causes woman in relationships to have too high of expectations for how the day should go, which causes the man to be set up for failure because he can never meet the woman's fantasized romantic expectations.
For the single people I feel like in most cases it causes them to become bitter, angry, and not pleasant to be around that day. They see posts on social media about how great everyone's significant other is, or sappy posts on people's facebook wall declaring their love for each other. They have to witness co-worker's being sent flowers, balloons, chocolates, and teddy bears. It magnifies their feelings of being alone and makes them wonder if they will ever find "the one".

Today I want to encourage everyone to celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't mean celebrate it in the romantic way with a significant other, I mean show people what love truly means this Valentine's Day. God showed us the ultimate way to love by giving up His son to die for our sins so that we might be saved. There are so many different ways Jesus shows us how to love one another in the Bible. Let's follow His example and be examples of His love today. Here is a blog I posted yesterday on Ten Ways To Love. It might give some ideas on how to demonstrate God's love to others. Let's make this the best Valentine's Day yet.

Ten Ways To Love

1. Listen without interrupting.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 
-Proverbs 18:2

2. Speak without accusing.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. -James 1:19

3. Give without sparing.

All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. 

-Proverbs 21:26

4. Pray without ceasing.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. -Colossians 1:9

5. Answer without arguing.

Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting and strife. 

-Proverbs 17:1

6. Share without pretending.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. -Hebrews 13:16

7. Enjoy without complaint.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning. -Philippians 2:14

8. Trust without wavering.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

-1 Corinthians 13:7

9. Forgive without punishing.

If one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:13b

10. Promise without forgetting.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

 -Proverbs 13:12

Finding Strength

Lately my plate has been full and I have been exhausted. It's been hard to work 50+ hour weeks and only have Sundays off. I have one day to get chores done and also rest and relax before starting the next week. I am beyond thankful to have a job, but lately it has seemed heavy at the same time. The Lord really spoke to me today though and told me to come to Him for rest and refreshment. In order to get through this busy season of life I need to cling tightly to the Lord's hand instead of grasping for other things. When I grasp for other things it causes me to turn my focus away from Him. This is my chance to give the Lord an opportunity to take charge of my life. How much more simple life can be when I accept that this, right here right now, is where God has me and intends for me to be. I just need to let Him guide me through the many choices along life's pathway and allow Him to direct me. He will give me the strength I need to make it through the week. He will give me the rest I need.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

- Psalm 105:4